bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auditory Vigilance and Working Memory in Youth at Familial Risk for Schizophrenia or Affective Psychosis in the Harvard Adolescent Family High Risk Study
Authors: Seidman Larry J. , Pousada-Casal Andrea , Scala Silvia , Meyer Eric C. , Stone William S. , Thermenos Heidi W. , Molokotos Elena , Agnew-Blais Jessica , Tsuang Ming T. , Faraone Stephen V.
Published: December 2016

Background: The degree of overlap between schizophrenia (SCZ) and affective psychosis (AFF) has been a recurring question since Kraepelin’s subdivision of the major psychoses. Studying nonpsychotic relatives allows a comparison of disorder-associated phenotypes, without potential confounds that can obscure distinctive features of the disorder. Because attention and working memory have been proposed as potential endophenotypes for SCZ and AFF, we compared these cognitive features in individuals at familial high-risk (FHR) for the disorders. Methods: Young, unmedicated, first-degree relatives (ages, 13–25 years) at FHR-SCZ (n=41) and FHR-AFF (n=24) and community controls (CCs, n=54) were tested using attention and working memory versions of the Auditory Continuous Performance Test. To determine if schizotypal traits or current psychopathology accounted for cognitive deficits, we evaluated psychosis proneness using three Chapman Scales, Revised Physical Anhedonia, Perceptual Aberration, and Magical Ideation, and assessed psychopathology using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist -90 Revised. Results: Compared to controls, the FHR-AFF sample was significantly impaired in auditory vigilance, while the FHR-SCZ sample was significantly worse in working memory. Both FHR groups showed significantly higher levels of physical anhedonia and some psychopathological dimensions than controls. Adjusting for physical anhedonia, phobic anxiety, depression, psychoticism, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms eliminated the FHR-AFF vigilance effects but not the working memory deficits in FHR-SCZ. Conclusions: The working memory deficit in FHR-SZ was the more robust of the cognitive impairments after accounting for psychopathological confounds and is supported as an endophenotype. Examination of larger samples of people at familial risk for different psychoses remains necessary to confirm these findings and to clarify the role of vigilance in FHR-AFF. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1026–1037)
Earth analogues for past and future life on Mars: isolation of perchlorate resistant halophiles from Big Soda Lake
Authors: Matsubara Toshitaka , Fujishima Kosuke , Saltikov Chad W. , Nakamura Satoshi , Rothschild Lynn J.
Published: November 2016

The Martian regolith is known to contain a maximum of 0.5% (w/v) perchlorate (ClO4−) that is toxic for most living organisms. With such high concentrations of perchlorates on Mars, is there any possibility of life? Here, in order to search and identify potential organisms on Earth, which could survive the perchlorate levels on Mars, we have isolated four perchlorate resistant, halophilic/halotolerant bacterial species from Big Soda Lake (BSL) in Nevada, USA. The 16S ribosomal RNA sequences revealed that these halophiles belong to the genera Bacillus, Alkalibacillus and Halomonas. Growth curves were obtained using a saline medium with different concentrations of magnesium, sodium and/or calcium perchlorate salt to simulate the Martian eutectic brine water. All four species, BSL1-4, grew in high saline media in the presence of perchlorates. This is the first growth experiment using multiple perchlorate salts. BSL3 relative to Halomonas salifodinae showed high maximum growth (Optical Density) comparing with other isolates in the presence of 1% perchlorate salts. Also, BSL1 relative to Bacillus licheniformis survived in the presence of 5% Na-perchlorate, but growth was slower in the absence of Na-perchlorate. The results revealed that these new model microbes are capable of tolerating the hypothesized hypersaline and perchlorate-rich Martian subsurface water environment. Perchlorate-resistant halophile would serve as a new model to understand the biochemistry that may occur on Mars.
Welfare, Austerity and Social Citizenship in the UK
Authors: Edmiston Daniel
Published: November 2016

Viewed within their historical context, recent cuts to public social spending and increasingly governmental welfare reforms reflect and beget a shift in the praxis of social citizenship in the UK. This review article demonstrates how greater conceptual attention to the constitutive features of social citizenship can help clarify some of the claims made about its relation to austerity and welfare reform within the existing literature. Through schematic consideration of the emerging evidence, this article suggests that welfare austerity is undermining the ‘effectiveness’, ‘inalienability’ and ‘universality’ of social citizenship in the UK.
Realism, Idealism and the French Reception of Hanslick
Authors: Verzosa Noel
Published: November 2016

When Charles Bannelier’s French translation of Hanslick’s Vom Musikalisch-Schönen was published in 1877, it elicited discussions among French musicians and critics that can seem puzzling from our twenty-first century vantage point. The French were almost entirely ambivalent to the issue of descriptive versus non-programmatic music and were perfectly comfortable disregarding this seemingly central point of contention in Hanslick’s treatise. French critics focused instead on issues that seem tangential to the main thrust of Vom Musikalisch-Schönen: German music education, the merits of philosophy versus philology, and so forth.

The French reception of Hanslick becomes less puzzling, however, when we consider the conceptual framework within which French musical discourse operated in the late nineteenth century. By 1877, musical aesthetics and criticism in France were an extension of broader trends in French intellectual culture, in which a materialist, realist view of the world vied with a metaphysical, idealist conception of the divine. Between these two ideological poles lay a rich spectrum of ideas that had profound ramifications for music and art criticism. The degree to which works of art could be understood as products of historical circumstances, for example, or whether art embodied ineffable meanings resisting explanation, were questions whose answers depended on one’s position along this realist–idealist spectrum.

In this article, I show how this tension between realism and idealism formed the conceptual framework for French critics’ readings of Hanslick’s Vom Musikalisch-Schönen. I survey writings by Théodule Ribot, Jules Combarieu, Camille Bellaigue and others to show how this network of texts, when placed alongside each other, was effectively a manifestation of the realist–idealist spectrum. By putting these writings in conversation with each other, this article brings to light the intellectual premises of French writings on music in the nineteenth century. Only by understanding these premises, I argue, can we make sense of the French reception of Hanslick.
The Embittered Mind
Authors: Znoj Hansjörg , Abegglen Sandra , Buchkremer Ulrike , Linden Michael
Published: November 2016

Abstract. There is a growing interest in embitterment as psychological concept. However, little systematic research has been conducted to characterize this emotional reaction. Still, there is an ongoing debate about the distinctiveness of embitterment and its dimensions. Additionally, a categorical and a dimensional perspective on embitterment have been developed independently over the last decade. The present study investigates the dimensions of embitterment by bringing these two different approaches together, for the first time. The Bern Embitterment Inventory (BEI) was given to 49 patients diagnosed with “Posttraumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED)” and a matched control group of 49 patients with psychological disorders with other dominant emotional dysregulations. The ability to discriminate between the two groups was assessed by t-tests and Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves (ROC curve analysis). PTED patients scored significantly higher on the BEI than the patients of the control group. ROC analyses indicated diagnostic accuracy of the inventory. Further, we conducted Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) to examine the different dimensions of embitterment and their relations. As a result, we found four characteristic dimensions of embitterment, namely disappointment, lack of acknowledge, pessimism, and misanthropy. In general, our findings showed a common understanding of embitterment as a unique but multidimensional emotional reaction to distressful life-events.
Is There Anybody Out There?
Authors: Keefer Lucas A.
Published: November 2016

Abstract. Prior research shows that there are stable personality differences in the tendency to attribute human-like mental states to (i.e., anthropomorphize) non-human targets. A separate line of research has explored the extent to which individuals turn to non-human targets as a source of the support and security people often derive from close relationships. The current paper offers a first integration of these lines of research by testing whether trait differences in the tendency to anthropomorphize non-human targets predicts the extent to which individuals derive feelings of security from a favorite belonging. An experimental study finds that individuals who tend to anthropomorphize feel greater security after a reminder of a favorite object (vs. close other) and that these feelings of security subsequently enhance motivations for personal growth, an established benefit of interpersonal relationships.
Differential Effects of Executive Processes on Working	Memory
Authors: Ren Xuezhu , Wang Tengfei , Schweizer Karl , Guo Jing
Published: November 2016

Abstract. Although attention control accounts for a unique portion of the variance in working memory capacity (WMC), the way in which attention control contributes to WMC has not been thoroughly specified. The current work focused on fractionating attention control into distinctly different executive processes and examined to what extent key processes of attention control including updating, shifting, and prepotent response inhibition were related to WMC and whether these relations were different. A number of 216 university students completed experimental tasks of attention control and two measures of WMC. Latent variable analyses were employed for separating and modeling each process and their effects on WMC. The results showed that both the accuracy of updating and shifting were substantially related to WMC while the link from the accuracy of inhibition to WMC was insignificant; on the other hand, only the speed of shifting had a moderate effect on WMC while neither the speed of updating nor the speed of inhibition showed significant effect on WMC. The results suggest that these key processes of attention control exhibit differential effects on individual differences in WMC. The approach that combined experimental manipulations and statistical modeling constitutes a promising way of investigating cognitive processes.
Epigenetic programming of Dnmt3a mediated by AP2α is required for granting preadipocyte the ability to differentiate
Authors: Guo Wei , Chen Jiangnan , Yang Ying , Zhu Jianbei , Wu Jiarui
Published: December 2016

Adipogenesis has an important role in regulating energy homeostasis in mammals. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes have been widely used as an in vitro model for analyzing the molecular mechanism of adipogenesis. Previous reports indicated that the stage of contact inhibition (CI), through which the proliferating cells exit from the cell cycle, was required for granting preadipocyte the ability to differentiate. While this kind of the granting mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, we showed that DNA (cytosine-5) methyltransferase 3a (Dnmt3a) was upregulated at both the mRNA and protein level during the CI stage, and resulted in increasing promoter methylation of adipogenic genes. We further identified that the expression of Activator protein 2α (AP2α), a member of the transcription factor activator protein 2 (AP2) family, was highly correlated with the expression of Dnmt3a during the CI stage. In addition, we showed that AP2α transcriptionally upregulated Dnmt3a by directly binding to its proximal promoter region. Importantly, treatment of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with AP2α-specific siRNAs inhibited the preadipocyte differentiation in a stage-dependent manner, supporting the conclusion that AP2α has an important role during the CI stage. Furthermore, overexpression of Dnmt3a partially rescued the impairment of adipogenesis induced by AP2α knockdown. Collectively, our findings reveal that AP2α is an essential regulator for granting preadipocyte the ability to differentiate through the upregulation of Dnmt3a expression during the CI stage.
Topological magnetoplasmon
Authors: Jin Dafei , Lu Ling , Wang Zhong , Fang Chen , Joannopoulos John D. , Soljačić Marin , Fu Liang , Fang Nicholas X.
Published: November 2016

Classical wave fields are real-valued, ensuring the wave states at opposite frequencies and momenta to be inherently identical. Such a particle–hole symmetry can open up new possibilities for topological phenomena in classical systems. Here we show that the historically studied two-dimensional (2D) magnetoplasmon, which bears gapped bulk states and gapless one-way edge states near-zero frequency, is topologically analogous to the 2D topological p+ip superconductor with chiral Majorana edge states and zero modes. We further predict a new type of one-way edge magnetoplasmon at the interface of opposite magnetic domains, and demonstrate the existence of zero-frequency modes bounded at the peripheries of a hollow disk. These findings can be readily verified in experiment, and can greatly enrich the topological phases in bosonic and classical systems.
Jarid2 binds mono-ubiquitylated H2A lysine 119 to mediate crosstalk between Polycomb complexes PRC1 and PRC2
Authors: Cooper Sarah , Grijzenhout Anne , Underwood Elizabeth , Ancelin Katia , Zhang Tianyi , Nesterova Tatyana B. , Anil-Kirmizitas Burcu , Bassett Andrew , Kooistra Susanne M. , Agger Karl , Helin Kristian , Heard Edith , Brockdorff Neil
Published: November 2016

The Polycomb repressive complexes PRC1 and PRC2 play a central role in developmental gene regulation in multicellular organisms. PRC1 and PRC2 modify chromatin by catalysing histone H2A lysine 119 ubiquitylation (H2AK119u1), and H3 lysine 27 methylation (H3K27me3), respectively. Reciprocal crosstalk between these modifications is critical for the formation of stable Polycomb domains at target gene loci. While the molecular mechanism for recognition of H3K27me3 by PRC1 is well defined, the interaction of PRC2 with H2AK119u1 is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate a critical role for the PRC2 cofactor Jarid2 in mediating the interaction of PRC2 with H2AK119u1. We identify a ubiquitin interaction motif at the amino-terminus of Jarid2, and demonstrate that this domain facilitates PRC2 localization to H2AK119u1 both in vivo and in vitro. Our findings ascribe a critical function to Jarid2 and define a key mechanism that links PRC1 and PRC2 in the establishment of Polycomb domains.
Reconfigurable exciton-plasmon interconversion for nanophotonic circuits
Authors: Lee Hyun Seok , Luong Dinh Hoa , Kim Min Su , Jin Youngjo , Kim Hyun , Yun Seokjoon , Lee Young Hee
Published: November 2016

The recent challenges for improving the operation speed of nanoelectronics have motivated research on manipulating light in on-chip integrated circuits. Hybrid plasmonic waveguides with low-dimensional semiconductors, including quantum dots and quantum wells, are a promising platform for realizing sub-diffraction limited optical components. Meanwhile, two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have received broad interest in optoelectronics owing to tightly bound excitons at room temperature, strong light-matter and exciton-plasmon interactions, available top-down wafer-scale integration, and band-gap tunability. Here, we demonstrate principal functionalities for on-chip optical communications via reconfigurable exciton-plasmon interconversions in ∼200-nm-diameter Ag-nanowires overlapping onto TMD transistors. By varying device configurations for each operation purpose, three active components for optical communications are realized: field-effect exciton transistors with a channel length of ∼32 μm, field-effect exciton multiplexers transmitting multiple signals through a single NW and electrical detectors of propagating plasmons with a high On/Off ratio of∼190. Our results illustrate the unique merits of two-dimensional semiconductors for constructing reconfigurable device architectures in integrated nanophotonic circuits.
Miniature optical planar camera based on a wide-angle metasurface doublet corrected for monochromatic aberrations
Authors: Arbabi Amir , Arbabi Ehsan , Kamali Seyedeh Mahsa , Horie Yu , Han Seunghoon , Faraon Andrei
Published: November 2016

Optical metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of nano-scatterers that modify optical wavefronts at subwavelength spatial resolution. They are poised to revolutionize optics by enabling complex low-cost systems where multiple metasurfaces are lithographically stacked and integrated with electronics. For imaging applications, metasurface stacks can perform sophisticated image corrections and can be directly integrated with image sensors. Here we demonstrate this concept with a miniature flat camera integrating a monolithic metasurface lens doublet corrected for monochromatic aberrations, and an image sensor. The doublet lens, which acts as a fisheye photographic objective, has a small f-number of 0.9, an angle-of-view larger than 60° × 60°, and operates at 850 nm wavelength with 70% focusing efficiency. The camera exhibits nearly diffraction-limited image quality, which indicates the potential of this technology in the development of optical systems for microscopy, photography, and computer vision.
Distinct role of IL-1β in instigating disease in Sharpincpdm mice
Authors: Gurung Prajwal , Sharma Bhesh Raj , Kanneganti Thirumala-Devi
Published: November 2016

Mice deficient in SHARPIN (Sharpincpdm mice), a member of linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), develop severe dermatitis associated with systemic inflammation. Previous studies have demonstrated that components of the TNF-signaling pathway, NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1R signaling are required to provoke skin inflammation in Sharpincpdm mice. However, whether IL-1α or IL-1β, both of which signals through IL-1R, instigates skin inflammation and systemic disease is not known. Here, we have performed extensive cellular analysis of pre-diseased and diseased Sharpincpdm mice and demonstrated that cellular dysregulation precedes skin inflammation. Furthermore, we demonstrate a specific role for IL-1β, but not IL-1α, in instigating dermatitis in Sharpincpdm mice. Our results altogether demonstrate distinct roles of SHARPIN in initiating systemic inflammation and dermatitis. Furthermore, skin inflammation in Sharpincpdm mice is specifically modulated by IL-1β, highlighting the importance of specific targeted therapies in the IL-1 signaling blockade.
Internal epitope tagging informed by relative lack of sequence conservation
Authors: Burg Leonard , Zhang Karen , Bonawitz Tristan , Grajevskaja Viktorija , Bellipanni Gianfranco , Waring Richard , Balciunas Darius
Published: November 2016

Many experimental techniques rely on specific recognition and stringent binding of proteins by antibodies. This can readily be achieved by introducing an epitope tag. We employed an approach that uses a relative lack of evolutionary conservation to inform epitope tag site selection, followed by integration of the tag-coding sequence into the endogenous locus in zebrafish. We demonstrate that an internal epitope tag is accessible for antibody binding, and that tagged proteins retain wild type function.
Erratum: The histone deacetylase inhibiting drug Entinostat induces lipid accumulation in differentiated HepaRG cells
Authors: Nunn Abigail D. G. , Scopigno Tullio , Pediconi Natalia , Levrero Massimo , Hagman Henning , Kiskis Juris , Enejder Annika
Published: November 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 28025; published online: 20 June 2016; updated: 28 November 2016
Environmental factors linked to depression vulnerability are associated with altered cerebellar resting-state synchronization
Authors: Córdova-Palomera Aldo , Tornador Cristian , Falcón Carles , Bargalló Nuria , Brambilla Paolo , Crespo-Facorro Benedicto , Deco Gustavo , Fañanás Lourdes
Published: November 2016

Hosting nearly eighty percent of all human neurons, the cerebellum is functionally connected to large regions of the brain. Accumulating data suggest that some cerebellar resting-state alterations may constitute a key candidate mechanism for depressive psychopathology. While there is some evidence linking cerebellar function and depression, two topics remain largely unexplored. First, the genetic or environmental roots of this putative association have not been elicited. Secondly, while different mathematical representations of resting-state fMRI patterns can embed diverse information of relevance for health and disease, many of them have not been studied in detail regarding the cerebellum and depression. Here, high-resolution fMRI scans were examined to estimate functional connectivity patterns across twenty-six cerebellar regions in a sample of 48 identical twins (24 pairs) informative for depression liability. A network-based statistic approach was employed to analyze cerebellar functional networks built using three methods: the conventional approach of filtered BOLD fMRI time-series, and two analytic components of this oscillatory activity (amplitude envelope and instantaneous phase). The findings indicate that some environmental factors may lead to depression vulnerability through alterations of the neural oscillatory activity of the cerebellum during resting-state. These effects may be observed particularly when exploring the amplitude envelope of fMRI oscillations.
Continuous single cell imaging reveals sequential steps of plasmacytoid dendritic cell development from common dendritic cell progenitors
Authors: Dursun Ezgi , Endele Max , Musumeci Andrea , Failmezger Henrik , Wang Shu-Hung , Tresch Achim , Schroeder Timm , Krug Anne B.
Published: November 2016

Functionally distinct plasmacytoid and conventional dendritic cells (pDC and cDC) shape innate and adaptive immunity. They are derived from common dendritic cell progenitors (CDPs) in the murine bone marrow, which give rise to CD11c+ MHCII− precursors with early commitment to DC subpopulations. In this study, we dissect pDC development from CDP into an ordered sequence of differentiation events by monitoring the expression of CD11c, MHC class II, Siglec H and CCR9 in CDP cultures by continuous single cell imaging and tracking. Analysis of CDP genealogies revealed a stepwise differentiation of CDPs into pDCs in a part of the CDP colonies. This developmental pathway involved an early CD11c+ SiglecH− pre-DC stage and a Siglec H+ CCR9low precursor stage, which was followed rapidly by upregulation of CCR9 indicating final pDC differentiation. In the majority of the remaining CDP pedigrees however the Siglec H+ CCR9low precursor state was maintained for several generations. Thus, although a fraction of CDPs transits through precursor stages rapidly to give rise to a first wave of pDCs, the majority of CDP progeny differentiate more slowly and give rise to longer lived precursor cells which are poised to differentiate on demand.
Female gender lost protective effect against disease progression in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: You Hong , Kong Yuanyuan , Hou Jinlin , Wei Lai , Zhang Yuexin , Niu Junqi , Han Tao , Ou Xiaojuan , Dou Xiaoguang , Shang Jia , Tang Hong , Xie Qing , Ding Huiguo , Ren Hong , Xu Xiaoyuan , Xie Wen , Liu Xiaoqing , Xu Youqing , Li Yujie , Li Jie , Chow Shein-Chung , Zhuang Hui , Jia Jidong
Published: November 2016

Female gender and younger age are protective factors against disease progression in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, it is not clear whether the disease progression still remains slow in elderly females. This study investigated the interaction of female gender and older age on the development of cirrhosis in patients recorded in China Registry of Hepatitis B. A total of 17,809 CHB patients were enrolled in this multi-center cross-sectional study. The prevalence of cirrhosis in female CHB patients increased faster than that in male CHB patients over 50 years old. Multivariate analysis showed that the increase of adjusted ORs for developing cirrhosis in females started to accelerate after 50 years old: 11.19 (95% CI: 5.93–21.11) in women versus 14.75 (95% CI: 8.35–26.07) in men at ages of 50–59 years, 21.67 (95% CI: 11.05–42.47) versus 24.4 (95% CI: 13.00–45.80) at ages 60–69 years, and 18.78 (95% CI: 6.61–53.36) versus 12.09 (95% CI: 4.35–33.61) in those over 70 years. In conclusion, the protective effect of female gender against cirrhosis gradually lost with increasing age, therefore disease progression should be monitored more closely in elderly women with CHB.
Coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2-xSex (x = 0.5 and 1.0), a non-U material with Tc < TFM
Authors: Thakur Gohil S. , Fuchs G. , Nenkov K. , Haque Zeba , Gupta L. C. , Ganguli A. K.
Published: November 2016

We have carried out detailed magnetic and transport studies of the new Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2-xSex (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) superconductors derived by doping Se in Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2. Se–doping produces several effects: it suppresses semiconducting–like behavior observed in the undoped Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2, the ferromagnetic ordering temperature, TFM, decreases considerably from 7.5 K (in Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2) to 3.5 K and the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, gets enhanced slightly to 2.9–3.3 K. Thus in these Se–doped materials, TFM is marginally higher than Tc. Magnetization studies provide evidence of bulk superconductivity in Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2-xSex at x ≥ 0.5 in contrast to the undoped Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2 (x = 0) where magnetization measurements indicate a small superconducting volume fraction. Quite remarkably, as compared with the effective paramagnetic Ce–moment (~2.2 μB), the ferromagnetically ordered Ce–moment in the superconducting state is rather small (~0.1 μB) suggesting itinerant ferromagnetism. To the best of our knowledge, Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2-x Sex (x = 0.5 and 1.0) are distinctive Ce–based bulk superconducting itinerant ferromagnetic materials with Tc < TFM. Furthermore, a novel feature of these materials is that they exhibit a dual and quite unusual hysteresis loop corresponding to both the ferromagnetism and the coexisting bulk superconductivity.
Short Chain Fatty Acids Prevent High-fat-diet-induced Obesity in Mice by Regulating G Protein-coupled Receptors and Gut Microbiota
Authors: Lu Yuanyuan , Fan Chaonan , Li Ping , Lu Yanfei , Chang Xuelian , Qi Kemin
Published: November 2016

Elucidating the mechanisms by which short chain fatty acids (SCFA) reduce body weight may assist in the development of an effective weight control strategy. Dietary supplementation of acetate, propionate, butyrate or their admixture was shown to significantly inhibit the body weight gain induced by high-fat diet feeding. Supplementation of SCFAs caused significant changes in the expressions of G-protein coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) and GPR41 characterized by increases in the adipose tissue and reductions in the colon. Additionally, they influenced the bacterial community structure in feces, with a reduction in the proportion of Firmicutes and an increase in the proportion of Bacteroidetes. The effects of dietary SCFAs on the GPR expression and gut microbiota composition may further result in body weight reduction by enhancing triglyceride hydrolysis and FFA oxidation in the adipose tissue, promoting beige adipogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis, and inhibiting chronic inflammation.
Dissociable early attentional control mechanisms underlying cognitive and affective conflicts
Authors: Chen Taolin , Kendrick Keith M. , Feng Chunliang , Sun Shiyue , Yang Xun , Wang Xiaogang , Luo Wenbo , Yang Suyong , Huang Xiaoqi , Valdés-Sosa Pedro A. , Gong Qiyong , Fan Jin , Luo Yue-Jia
Published: November 2016

It has been well documented that cognitive conflict is sensitive to the relative proportion of congruent and incongruent trials. However, few studies have examined whether affective conflict processing is modulated as a function of proportion congruency (PC). To address this question we recorded event-related potentials (ERP) while subjects performed both cognitive and affective face-word Stroop tasks. By varying the proportion of congruent and incongruent trials in each block, we examined the extent to which PC impacts both cognitive and affective conflict control at different temporal stages. Results showed that in the cognitive task an anteriorly localized early N2 component occurred predominantly in the low proportion congruency context, whereas in the affective task it was found to occur in the high proportion congruency one. The N2 effects across the two tasks were localized to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, where responses were increased in the cognitive task but decreased in the affective one. Furthermore, high proportions of congruent items produced both larger amplitude of a posteriorly localized sustained potential component and a larger behavioral Stroop effect in cognitive and affective tasks. Our findings suggest that cognitive and affective conflicts engage early dissociable attentional control mechanisms and a later common conflict response system.
Strong quantum scarring by local impurities
Authors: Luukko Perttu J. J. , Drury Byron , Klales Anna , Kaplan Lev , Heller Eric J. , Räsänen Esa
Published: November 2016

We discover and characterise strong quantum scars, or quantum eigenstates resembling classical periodic orbits, in two-dimensional quantum wells perturbed by local impurities. These scars are not explained by ordinary scar theory, which would require the existence of short, moderately unstable periodic orbits in the perturbed system. Instead, they are supported by classical resonances in the unperturbed system and the resulting quantum near-degeneracy. Even in the case of a large number of randomly scattered impurities, the scars prefer distinct orientations that extremise the overlap with the impurities. We demonstrate that these preferred orientations can be used for highly efficient transport of quantum wave packets across the perturbed potential landscape. Assisted by the scars, wave-packet recurrences are significantly stronger than in the unperturbed system. Together with the controllability of the preferred orientations, this property may be very useful for quantum transport applications.
Effect of sex, age and genetics on crossover interference in cattle
Authors: Wang Zhiying , Shen Botong , Jiang Jicai , Li Jinquan , Ma Li
Published: November 2016

Crossovers generated by homologous recombination ensure proper chromosome segregation during meiosis. Crossover interference results in chiasmata being more evenly distributed along chromosomes, but the mechanism underlying crossover interference remains elusive. Based on large pedigrees of Holstein and Jersey cattle with genotype data, we extracted three-generation families, including 147,327 male and 71,687 female meioses in Holstein, and 108,163 male and 37,008 female meioses in Jersey, respectively. We identified crossovers in these meioses and fitted the Housworth-Stahl “interference-escape” model to study crossover interference patterns in the cattle genome. Our result reveals that the degree of crossover interference is stronger in females than in males. We found evidence for inter-chromosomal variation in the level of crossover interference, with smaller chromosomes exhibiting stronger interference. In addition, crossover interference levels decreased with maternal age. Finally, sex-specific GWAS analyses identified one locus near the NEK9 gene on chromosome 10 to have a significant effect on crossover interference levels. This locus has been previously associated with recombination rate in cattle. Collectively, this large-scale analysis provided a comprehensive description of crossover interference across chromosome, sex and age groups, identified associated candidate genes, and produced useful insights into the mechanism of crossover interference.
Robustness and Vulnerability of Networks with Dynamical Dependency Groups
Authors: Bai Ya-Nan , Huang Ning , Wang Lei , Wu Zhi-Xi
Published: November 2016

The dependency property and self-recovery of failure nodes both have great effects on the robustness of networks during the cascading process. Existing investigations focused mainly on the failure mechanism of static dependency groups without considering the time-dependency of interdependent nodes and the recovery mechanism in reality. In this study, we present an evolving network model consisting of failure mechanisms and a recovery mechanism to explore network robustness, where the dependency relations among nodes vary over time. Based on generating function techniques, we provide an analytical framework for random networks with arbitrary degree distribution. In particular, we theoretically find that an abrupt percolation transition exists corresponding to the dynamical dependency groups for a wide range of topologies after initial random removal. Moreover, when the abrupt transition point is above the failure threshold of dependency groups, the evolving network with the larger dependency groups is more vulnerable; when below it, the larger dependency groups make the network more robust. Numerical simulations employing the Erdős-Rényi network and Barabási-Albert scale free network are performed to validate our theoretical results.
Fine tuning of Rac1 and RhoA alters cuspal shapes by remolding the cellular geometry
Authors: Li Liwen , Tang Qinghuang , Nakamura Takashi , Suh Jun-Gyo , Ohshima Hayato , Jung Han-Sung
Published: November 2016

The anatomic and functional combinations of cusps and lophs (ridges) define the tooth shape of rodent molars, which distinguishes species. The species-specific cusp patterns result from the spatiotemporal induction of enamel knots (EKs), which require precisely controlled cellular behavior to control the epithelial invagination. Despite the well-defined roles of EK in cusp patterning, the determinants of the ultimate cuspal shapes and involvement of epithelial cellular geometry are unknown. Using two typical tooth patterns, the lophodont in gerbils and the bunodont in mice, we showed that the cuspal shape is determined by the dental epithelium at the cap stage, whereas the cellular geometry in the inner dental epithelium (IDE) is correlated with the cuspal shape. Intriguingly, fine tuning Rac1 and RhoA interconvert cuspal shapes between two species by remolding the cellular geometry. Either inhibition of Rac1 or ectopic expression of RhoA could region-distinctively change the columnar shape of IDE cells in gerbils to drive invagination to produce cusps. Conversely, RhoA reduction in mice inhibited invagination and developed lophs. Furthermore, we found that Rac1 and RhoA modulate the choices of cuspal shape by coordinating adhesion junctions, actin distribution, and fibronectin localization to drive IDE invagination.
Small-sized, stable lipid nanoparticle for the efficient delivery of siRNA to human immune cell lines
Authors: Nakamura Takashi , Kuroi Moeka , Fujiwara Yuki , Warashina Shota , Sato Yusuke , Harashima Hideyoshi
Published: November 2016

Gene silencing by small interfering RNA (siRNA) is useful for analyzing the functions of human immune cells. However, the transfection of siRNA to human immune cells is difficult. Here, we used a multifunctional envelope-type nanodevice (MEND) containing YSK12-C4 (YSK12-MEND) to efficiently introduce siRNA to human immune cell lines, Jurkat, THP-1, KG-1 and NK92. The YSK12-MEND was transfected to human immune cell lines at a siRNA dose range of 1–30 nM, resulting that maximum gene silencing efficiencies at the mRNA level in Jurkat, THP-1, KG-1 and NK92 were 96%, 96%, 91% and 75%, respectively. The corresponding values for Lipofectamine RNAiMAX (RNAiMAX) were 37%, 56%, 43% and 19%, respectively. The process associated with cellular uptake played a role in effective gene silencing effect of the YSK12-MEND. The small size and high non-aggregability of the YSK12-MEND were advantageous for the cellular internalization of siRNA to immune cell lines. In the case of RNAiMAX, a drastic increase in particles size was observed in the medium used, which inhibited cellular uptake. The YSK12-MEND reported in herein appears to be appropriate for delivering siRNA to human immune cells, and the small particle size and non-aggregability are essential properties.
Optimising Antibiotic Usage to Treat Bacterial Infections
Authors: Paterson Iona K. , Hoyle Andy , Ochoa Gabriela , Baker-Austin Craig , Taylor Nick G. H.
Published: November 2016

The increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria poses a threat to the continued use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics has been identified as a significant driver in the emergence of resistance. Finding optimal treatment regimens is therefore critical in ensuring the prolonged effectiveness of these antibiotics. This study uses mathematical modelling to analyse the effect traditional treatment regimens have on the dynamics of a bacterial infection. Using a novel approach, a genetic algorithm, the study then identifies improved treatment regimens. Using a single antibiotic the genetic algorithm identifies regimens which minimise the amount of antibiotic used while maximising bacterial eradication. Although exact treatments are highly dependent on parameter values and initial bacterial load, a significant common trend is identified throughout the results. A treatment regimen consisting of a high initial dose followed by an extended tapering of doses is found to optimise the use of antibiotics. This consistently improves the success of eradicating infections, uses less antibiotic than traditional regimens and reduces the time to eradication. The use of genetic algorithms to optimise treatment regimens enables an extensive search of possible regimens, with previous regimens directing the search into regions of better performance.
EWAS: epigenome-wide association studies software 1.0 – identifying the association between combinations of methylation levels and diseases
Authors: Xu Jing , Liu Di , Zhao Linna , Li Ying , Wang Zhaoyang , Chen Yang , Lei Changgui , Gao Lin , Kong Fanwu , Yuan Lijun , Jiang Yongshuai
Published: November 2016

Similar to the SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) data, there is non-random association of the DNA methylation level (we call it methylation disequilibrium, MD) between neighboring methylation loci. For the case-control study of complex diseases, it is important to identify the association between methylation levels combination types (we call it methylecomtype) and diseases/phenotypes. We extended the classical framework of SNP haplotype-based association study in population genetics to DNA methylation level data, and developed a software EWAS to identify the disease-related methylecomtypes. EWAS can provide the following basic functions: (1) calculating the DNA methylation disequilibrium coefficient between two CpG loci; (2) identifying the MD blocks across the whole genome; (3) carrying out case-control association study of methylecomtypes and identifying the disease-related methylecomtypes. For a DNA methylation level data set including 689 samples (354 cases and 335 controls) and 473864 CpG loci, it takes only about 25 min to complete the full scan. EWAS v1.0 can rapidly identify the association between combinations of methylation levels (methylecomtypes) and diseases. EWAS v1.0 is freely available at: http://www.ewas.org.cn or http://www.bioapp.org/ewas.
Soluble Siglec-5 associates to PSGL-1 and displays anti-inflammatory activity
Authors: Pepin Marion , Mezouar Soraya , Pegon Julie , Muczynski Vincent , Adam Frédéric , Bianchini Elsa P. , Bazaa Amine , Proulle Valerie , Rupin Alain , Paysant Jerome , Panicot-Dubois Laurence , Christophe Olivier D. , Dubois Christophe , Lenting Peter J. , Denis Cécile V.
Published: November 2016

Interactions between endothelial selectins and the leukocyte counter-receptor PSGL1 mediates leukocyte recruitment to inflammation sites. PSGL1 is highly sialylated, making it a potential ligand for Siglec-5, a leukocyte-receptor that recognizes sialic acid structures. Binding assays using soluble Siglec-5 variants (sSiglec-5/C4BP and sSiglec-5/Fc) revealed a dose- and calcium-dependent binding to PSGL1. Pre-treatment of PSGL1 with sialidase reduced Siglec-5 binding by 79 ± 4%. In confocal immune-fluorescence assays, we observed that 50% of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) simultaneously express PSGL1 and Siglec-5. Duolink-proximity ligation analysis demonstrated that PSGL1 and Siglec-5 are in close proximity (<40 nm) in 31 ± 4% of PBMCs. In vitro perfusion assays revealed that leukocyte-rolling over E- and P-selectin was inhibited by sSiglec-5/Fc or sSiglec-5/C4BP, while adhesion onto VCAM1 was unaffected. When applied to healthy mice (0.8 mg/kg), sSiglec-5/C4BP significantly reduced the number of rolling leukocytes under basal conditions (10.9 ± 3.7 versus 23.5 ± 9.3 leukocytes/field/min for sSiglec-5/C4BP-treated and control mice, respectively; p = 0.0093). Moreover, leukocyte recruitment was inhibited over a 5-h observation period in an in vivo model of TNFalpha-induced inflammation following injection sSiglec-5/C4BP (0.8 mg/kg). Our data identify PSGL1 as a ligand for Siglec-5, and soluble Siglec-5 variants appear efficient in blocking PSGL1-mediated leukocyte rolling and the inflammatory response in general.
Recognition of extremophilic archaeal viruses by eukaryotic cells: a promising nanoplatform from the third domain of life
Authors: Uldahl Kristine Buch , Wu Linping , Hall Arnaldur , Papathanasiou Pavlos , Peng Xu , Moghimi Seyed Moein
Published: November 2016

Viruses from the third domain of life,Archaea, exhibit unusual features including extreme stability that allow their survival in harsh environments. In addition, these species have never been reported to integrate into human or any other eukaryotic genomes, and could thus serve for exploration of novel medical nanoplatforms. Here, we selected two archaeal virusesSulfolobusmonocaudavirus 1 (SMV1) andSulfolobusspindle shaped virus 2 (SSV2) owing to their unique spindle shape, hyperthermostable and acid-resistant nature and studied their interaction with mammalian cells. Accordingly, we followed viral uptake, intracellular trafficking and cell viability in human endothelial cells of brain (hCMEC/D3 cells) and umbilical vein (HUVEC) origin. Whereas SMV1 is efficiently internalized into both types of human cells, SSV2 differentiates between HUVECs and hCMEC/D3 cells, thus opening a path for selective cell targeting. On internalization, both viruses localize to the lysosomal compartments. Neither SMV1, nor SSV2 induced any detrimental effect on cell morphology, plasma membrane and mitochondrial functionality. This is the first study demonstrating recognition of archaeal viruses by eukaryotic cells which provides good basis for future exploration of archaeal viruses in bioengineering and development of multifunctional vectors.
Boron-doped diamond semiconductor electrodes: Efficient photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction through surface modification
Authors: Roy Nitish , Hirano Yuiri , Kuriyama Haruo , Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu , Suzuki Norihiro , Katsumata Ken-ichi , Nakata Kazuya , Kondo Takeshi , Yuasa Makoto , Serizawa Izumi , Takayama Tomoaki , Kudo Akihiko , Fujishima Akira , Terashima Chiaki
Published: November 2016

Competitive hydrogen evolution and multiple proton-coupled electron transfer reactions limit photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction in aqueous electrolyte. Here, oxygen-terminated lightly boron-doped diamond (BDDL) thin films were synthesized as a semiconductor electron source to accelerate CO2 reduction. However, BDDL alone could not stabilize the intermediates of CO2 reduction, yielding a negligible amount of reduction products. Silver nanoparticles were then deposited on BDDL because of their selective electrochemical CO2 reduction ability. Excellent selectivity (estimated CO:H2 mass ratio of 318:1) and recyclability (stable for five cycles of 3 h each) for photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction were obtained for the optimum silver nanoparticle-modified BDDL electrode at −1.1 V vs. RHE under 222-nm irradiation. The high efficiency and stability of this catalyst are ascribed to the in situ photoactivation of the BDDL surface during the photoelectrochemical reaction. The present work reveals the potential of BDDL as a high-energy electron source for use with co-catalysts in photochemical conversion.
Helicobacter pylori is associated with dyslipidemia but not with other risk factors of cardiovascular disease
Authors: Kim Tae Jun , Lee Hyuk , Kang Mira , Kim Jee Eun , Choi Yoon-Ho , Min Yang Won , Min Byung-Hoon , Lee Jun Haeng , Son Hee Jung , Rhee Poong-Lyul , Baek Sun-Young , Ahn Soo Hyun , Kim Jae J.
Published: November 2016

Epidemiologic and clinical data suggest that Helicobacter pylori infection is a contributing factor in the progression of atherosclerosis. However, the specific cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with H. pylori remain unclear. We performed a cross-sectional study of 37,263 consecutive healthy subjects who underwent a routine health check-up. In multivariable log Poisson regression models adjusted for potential confounders, the associations of H. pylori seropositivity with higher LDL-C (relative risk [RR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.30) and lower HDL-C level (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01–1.18) were significant and independent. In multiple linear regression analyses, H. pylori infection was significantly associated with higher total cholesterol level (coefficient = 2.114, P < 0.001), higher LDL-C level (coefficient = 3.339, P < 0.001), lower HDL-C level (coefficient = −1.237, P < 0.001), and higher diastolic blood pressure (coefficient = 0.539, P = 0.001). In contrast, H. pylori infection was not associated with obesity-related parameters (body mass index, waist circumference), glucose tolerance (fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin), and systolic blood pressure. We found that H. pylori infection was significantly and independently associated with dyslipidemia, but not with other cardiometabolic risk factors, after adjusting for potential risk factors of atherosclerosis.
Broadband absorption spectroscopy for rapid pH measurement in small volumes using an integrated porous waveguide
Authors: Gupta Ruchi , Goddard Nick J.
Published: November 2016

Porous waveguides integrated with microfluidics allow broadband absorption spectroscopy rapidly to measure the pH of small samples with improved sensitivity compared to single pass spectroscopy.
Highly efficient hydrolysis of ammonia borane by anion (−OH, F−, Cl−)-tuned interactions between reactant molecules and CoP nanoparticles
Authors: Fu Zi-Cheng , Xu Yong , Chan Sharon Lai-Fung , Wang Wei-Wei , Li Fang , Liang Fei , Chen Yong , Lin Zhe-Shuai , Fu Wen-Fu , Che Chi-Ming
Published: November 2016

An anion-assisted hydrolytic H2-releasing ultra-high performance system involving ammonia borane and a CoP nanoparticle catalyst has been established under ambient conditions.
2D 7Li Ultrafast CT-COSY: a new tool for the rapid measurement of tiny homonuclear lithium scalar couplings
Authors: Hamdoun G. , Gouilleux B. , Sebban M. , Barozzino-Consiglio G. , Harrison-Marchand A. , Giraudeau P. , Maddaluno J. , Oulyadi H.
Published: November 2016

We report on the first examples of 7Li Ultrafast (UF) CT-COSY spectra from lithiated samples and on the usefulness of these experiments for the quantitative estimation of the 2J7Li–7Li in a much shorter time.