bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrophobic chirality amplification in confined water cages
Authors: Song Choong Eui , Park Si Joon , Hwang In-Soo , Jung Min Jung , Shim So Young , Bae Han Yong , Jung Ji Yoon
Published: February 2019

The manipulation of the transition states of a chemical process is essential to achieve the desired selectivity. In particular, transition states of chemical reactions can be significantly modified in a confined environment. We report a catalytic reaction with remarkable amplification of stereochemical information in a confined water cage. Surprisingly, this amplification is significantly dependent on droplet size. This water-induced chirality amplification stems from the hydrophobic hydration effects, which ensures high proximity of the catalyst and substrates presumably at the transition state, leading to higher enantioselectivity. Flow and batch reactors were evaluated to confirm the generality of this water-induced chirality amplification. Our observation on efficient chiral induction in confined water cages might lead to an understanding of the chirality amplification in the prebiotic era, which is a key feature for the chemical evolution of homochirality.
Fundamental aspects to localize self-catalyzed III-V nanowires on silicon
Authors: Vukajlovic-Plestina J. , Kim W. , Ghisalberti L. , Varnavides G. , Tütüncuoglu G. , Potts H. , Friedl M. , Güniat L. , Carter W. C. , Dubrovskii V. G. , Fontcuberta i Morral A.
Published: February 2019

III-V semiconductor nanowires deterministically placed on top of silicon electronic platform would open many avenues in silicon-based photonics, quantum technologies and energy harvesting. For this to become a reality, gold-free site-selected growth is necessary. Here, we propose a mechanism which gives a clear route for maximizing the nanowire yield in the self-catalyzed growth fashion. It is widely accepted that growth of nanowires occurs on a layer-by-layer basis, starting at the triple-phase line. Contrary to common understanding, we find that vertical growth of nanowires starts at the oxide-substrate line interface, forming a ring-like structure several layers thick. This is granted by optimizing the diameter/height aspect ratio and cylindrical symmetry of holes, which impacts the diffusion flux of the group V element through the well-positioned group III droplet. This work provides clear grounds for realistic integration of III-Vs on silicon and for the organized growth of nanowires in other material systems.
Paraffin-enabled graphene transfer
Authors: Leong Wei Sun , Wang Haozhe , Yeo Jingjie , Martin-Martinez Francisco J. , Zubair Ahmad , Shen Pin-Chun , Mao Yunwei , Palacios Tomas , Buehler Markus J. , Hong Jin-Yong , Kong Jing
Published: February 2019

The performance and reliability of large-area graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition are often limited by the presence of wrinkles and the transfer-process-induced polymer residue. Here, we report a transfer approach using paraffin as a support layer, whose thermal properties, low chemical reactivity and non-covalent affinity to graphene enable transfer of wrinkle-reduced and clean large-area graphene. The paraffin-transferred graphene has smooth morphology and high electrical reliability with uniform sheet resistance with ~1% deviation over a centimeter-scale area. Electronic devices fabricated on such smooth graphene exhibit electrical performance approaching that of intrinsic graphene with small Dirac points and high carrier mobility (hole mobility = 14,215 cm2 V−1 s−1; electron mobility = 7438 cm2 V−1 s−1), without the need of further annealing treatment. The paraffin-enabled transfer process could open realms for the development of high-performance ubiquitous electronics based on large-area two-dimensional materials.
Design strategy for serine hydroxymethyltransferase probes based on retro-aldol-type reaction
Authors: Nonaka Hiroshi , Nakanishi Yuki , Kuno Satoshi , Ota Tomoki , Mochidome Kentaro , Saito Yutaro , Sugihara Fuminori , Takakusagi Yoichi , Aoki Ichio , Nagatoishi Satoru , Tsumoto Kouhei , Sando Shinsuke
Published: February 2019

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) is an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction that converts serine to glycine. It plays an important role in one-carbon metabolism. Recently, SHMT has been shown to be associated with various diseases. Therefore, SHMT has attracted attention as a biomarker and drug target. However, the development of molecular probes responsive to SHMT has not yet been realized. This is because SHMT catalyzes an essential yet simple reaction; thus, the substrates that can be accepted into the active site of SHMT are limited. Here, we focus on the SHMT-catalyzed retro-aldol reaction rather than the canonical serine–glycine conversion and succeed in developing fluorescent and 19F NMR molecular probes. Taking advantage of the facile and direct detection of SHMT, the developed fluorescent probe is used in the high-throughput screening for human SHMT inhibitors, and two hit compounds are obtained.
Continuous and scalable manufacture of amphibious energy yarns and textiles
Authors: Gong Wei , Hou Chengyi , Zhou Jie , Guo Yinben , Zhang Wei , Li Yaogang , Zhang Qinghong , Wang Hongzhi
Published: February 2019

Biomechanical energy harvesting textiles based on nanogenerators that convert mechanical energy into electricity have broad application prospects in next-generation wearable electronic devices. However, the difficult-to-weave structure, limited flexibility and stretchability, small device size and poor weatherability of conventional nanogenerator-based devices have largely hindered their real-world application. Here, we report a highly stretchable triboelectric yarn that involves unique structure design based on intrinsically elastic silicone rubber tubes and extrinsically elastic built-in stainless steel yarns. By using a modified melt-spinning method, we realize scalable-manufacture of the self-powered yarn. A hundred-meter-length triboelectric yarn is demonstrated, but not limited to this size. The triboelectric yarn shows a large working strain (200%) and promising output. Moreover, it has superior performance in liquid, therefore showing all-weather durability. We also show that the development of this energy yarn facilitates the manufacturing of large-area self-powered textiles and provide an attractive direction for the study of amphibious wearable technologies.
Integrated systems approach defines the antiviral pathways conferring protection by the RV144 HIV vaccine
Authors: Fourati Slim , Ribeiro Susan Pereira , Blasco Tavares Pereira Lopes Filipa , Talla Aarthi , Lefebvre Francois , Cameron Mark , Kaewkungwal J. , Pitisuttithum P. , Nitayaphan S. , Rerks-Ngarm S. , Kim Jerome H. , Thomas Rasmi , Gilbert Peter B. , Tomaras Georgia D. , Koup Richard A. , Michael Nelson L. , McElrath M. Juliana , Gottardo Raphael , Sékaly Rafick-Pierre
Published: February 2019

The RV144 vaccine trial showed reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition by 31.2%, although mechanisms that led to protection remain poorly understood. Here we identify transcriptional correlates for reduced HIV-1 acquisition after vaccination. We assess the transcriptomic profile of blood collected from 223 participants and 40 placebo recipients. Pathway-level analysis of HIV-1 negative vaccinees reveals that type I interferons that activate the IRF7 antiviral program and type II interferon-stimulated genes implicated in antigen-presentation are both associated with a reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition. In contrast, genes upstream and downstream of NF-κB, mTORC1 and host genes required for viral infection are associated with an increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition among vaccinees and placebo recipients, defining a vaccine independent association with HIV-1 acquisition. Our transcriptomic analysis of RV144 trial samples identifies IRF7 as a mediator of protection and the activation of mTORC1 as a correlate of the risk of HIV-1 acquisition.
Prenatal circulating microRNA signatures of foetal Down syndrome
Authors: Zbucka-Kretowska Monika , Niemira Magdalena , Paczkowska-Abdulsalam Magdalena , Bielska Agnieszka , Szalkowska Anna , Parfieniuk Ewa , Ciborowski Michal , Wolczynski Slawomir , Kretowski Adam
Published: February 2019

The altered expression pattern of miRNAs might potentially reflect anomalies related to foetal chromosomal aberrations. The aim of the study was to determine the expression level of miRNAs in plasma of pregnant women with foetal Down syndrome (DS). Out of 198 amniocentesis performed at 15–18 weeks of gestation, within a group of 12 patients with foetal DS and 12 patients with uncomplicated pregnancies, who delivered healthy newborns at term, we examined the expression level of 800 miRNAs using the NanoString technology. Our study revealed that there are 6 miRNAs were upregulated (hsa-miR-15a, hsa-let-7d, hsa-miR-142, hsa-miR-23a, hsa-miR-199, hsa-miR-191) and 7 were downregulated (hsa-miR-1290, hsa-miR-1915, hsa-miR30e, hsa-miR-1260, hsa-miR-483, hsa-miR-548, hsa-miR-590) in plasma samples of women with foetal DS syndrome. The genes regulated by identified miRNAs are involved in central nervous system development, congenital abnormalities and heart defects. The results of the present study yielded information on DS-specific miRNA expression signature, which can further help to design a panel of miRNAs as a non-invasive test for DS diagnosis. We believe that identified miRNAs may attend in the pathogenesis of DS and would potentially make a significant role for the future preventive therapies.
A PKA/cdc42 Signaling Axis Restricts Angiogenic Sprouting by Regulating Podosome Rosette Biogenesis and Matrix Remodeling
Authors: MacKeil J. L. , Brzezinska P. , Burke-Kleinman J. , Craig A. W. , Nicol C. J. B. , Maurice D. H.
Published: February 2019

Angiogenic sprouting can contribute adaptively, or mal-adaptively, to a myriad of conditions including ischemic heart disease and cancer. While the cellular and molecular systems that regulate tip versus stalk endothelial cell (EC) specification during angiogenesis are known, those systems that regulate their distinct actions remain poorly understood. Pre-clinical and clinical findings support sustained adrenergic signaling in promoting angiogenesis, but links between adrenergic signaling and angiogenesis are lacking; importantly, adrenergic agents alter the activation status of the cAMP signaling system. Here, we show that the cAMP effector, PKA, acts in a cell autonomous fashion to constitutively reduce the in vitro and ex vivo angiogenic sprouting capacity of ECs. At a cellular level, we observed that silencing or inhibiting PKA in human ECs increased their invasive capacity, their generation of podosome rosettes and, consequently, their ability to degrade a collagen matrix. While inhibition of either Src-family kinases or of cdc42 reduced these events in control ECs, only cdc42 inhibition, or silencing, significantly impacted them in PKA(Cα)-silenced ECs. Consistent with these findings, cell-based measurements of cdc42 activity revealed that PKA activation inhibits EC cdc42 activity, at least in part, by promoting its interaction with the inhibitory regulator, guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor-α (RhoGDIα).
Overexpression of thermostable meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase to redirect diaminopimelate pathway for increasing L-lysine production in Escherichia coli
Authors: Xu Jian-Zhong , Ruan Hao-Zhe , Liu Li-Ming , Wang Lu-Ping , Zhang Wei-Guo
Published: February 2019

Dehydrogenase pathway, one of diaminopimelate pathway, is important to the biosynthesis of L-lysine and peptidoglycan via one single reaction catalyzed by meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase (DapDH). In this study, the thermostable DapDH was introduced into diaminopimelate pathway that increased the final titer (from 71.8 to 119.5 g/L), carbon yield (from 35.3% to 49.1%) and productivity (from 1.80 to 2.99 g/(L∙h)) of L-lysine by LATR12-2∆rpiB::ddhSt in fed-batch fermentation. To do this, the kinetic properties and the effects of different DapDHs on L-lysine production were investigated, and the results indicated that overexpression of StDapDH in LATR12-2 was beneficial to construct an L-lysine producer with good productive performance because it exhibited the best of kinetic characteristics and optimal temperature as well as thermostability in reductive amination. Furthermore, ammonium availability was optimized, and found that 20 g/L of (NH4)2SO4 was the optimal ammonium concentration for improving the efficiency of L-lysine production by LATR12-2∆rpiB::ddhSt. Metabolomics analysis showed that introducing the StDapDH significantly enhanced carbon flux into pentose phosphate pathway and L-lysine biosynthetic pathway, thus increasing the levels of NADPH and precursors for L-lysine biosynthesis. This is the first report of a rational modification of diaminopimelate pathway that improves the efficiency of L-lysine production through overexpression of thermostable DapDH in E. coli.
Species distribution models throughout the invasion history of Palmer amaranth predict regions at risk of future invasion and reveal challenges with modeling rapidly shifting geographic ranges
Authors: Briscoe Runquist Ryan D. , Lake Thomas , Tiffin Peter , Moeller David A.
Published: February 2019

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is an annual plant native to the desert Southwest of the United States and Mexico and has become invasive and caused large economic losses across much of the United States. In order to examine the temporal and spatial dynamics of past invasion, and to predict future invasion, we developed a broad array of species distribution models (SDMs). In particular, we constructed sequential SDMs throughout the invasion history and asked how well those predicted future invasion (1970 to present). We showed that invasion occurred from a restricted set of environments in the native range to a diverse set in the invaded range. Spatial autocorrelation analyses indicated that rapid range expansion was facilitated by stochastic, long-distance dispersal events. Regardless of SDM approach, all SDMs built using datasets from early in the invasion (1970–2010) performed poorly and failed to predict most of the current invaded range. Together, these results suggest that climate is unlikely to have influenced early stages of range expansion. SDMs that incorporated data from the most recent sampling (2011–2017) performed considerably better, predicted high suitability in regions that have recently become invaded, and identified mean annual temperature as a key factor limiting northward range expansion. Under future climates, models predicted both further northward range expansion and significantly increased suitability across large portions of the U.S. Overall, our results indicate significant challenges for SDMs of invasive species far from climate equilibrium. However, our models based on recent data make more robust predictions for northward range expansion ofA. palmeriwith climate change.
A Haemophilus sp. dominates the microbiota of sputum from UK adults with non-severe community acquired pneumonia and chronic lung disease
Authors: Wootton Daniel G. , Cox Michael J. , Gloor Gregory B. , Litt David , Hoschler Katja , German Esther , Court Joanne , Eneje Odiri , Keogan Lynne , Macfarlane Laura , Wilks Sarah , Diggle Peter J. , Woodhead Mark , Moffatt Miriam F. , Cookson William O. C. , Gordon Stephen B.
Published: February 2019

The demographics and comorbidities of patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) vary enormously but stratified treatment is difficult because aetiological studies have failed to comprehensively identify the pathogens. Our aim was to describe the bacterial microbiota of CAP and relate these to clinical characteristics in order to inform future trials of treatment stratified by co-morbidity. CAP patients were prospectively recruited at two UK hospitals. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify the dominant bacteria in sputum and compositional data analysis to determine associations with patient characteristics. We analysed sputum samples from 77 patients and found a Streptococcus sp. and a Haemophilus sp. were the most relatively abundant pathogens. The Haemophilus sp. was more likely to be dominant in patients with pre-existing lung disease, and its relative abundance was associated with qPCR levels of Haemophilus influenzae. The most abundant Streptococcus sp. was associated with qPCR levels of Streptococcus pneumoniae but dominance could not be predicted from clinical characteristics. These data suggest chronic lung disease influences the microbiota of sputum in patients with CAP. This finding could inform a trial of stratifying empirical CAP antibiotics to target Haemophilus spp. in addition to Streptococcus spp. in those with chronic lung disease.
Top-down Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Human Serum Autoantibody Antigen-Binding Fragments
Authors: Wang Zhe , Liu Xiaowen , Muther Jennifer , James Judith A. , Smith Kenneth , Wu Si
Published: February 2019

Detecting autoimmune diseases at an early stage is crucial for effective treatment and disease management to slow disease progression and prevent irreversible organ damage. In many autoimmune diseases, disease-specific autoantibodies are produced by B cells in response to soluble autoantigens due to defects in B cell tolerance mechanisms. Autoantibodies accrue early in disease development, and several are so disease-specific they serve as classification criteria. In this study, we established a high-throughput, sensitive, intact serum autoantibody analysis platform based on the optimization of a one dimensional ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography top-down mass spectrometry platform (1D UPLC-TDMS). This approach has been successfully applied to a 12 standard monoclonal antibody antigen-binding fragment (Fab) mixture, demonstrating the feasibility to separate and sequence intact antibodies with high sequence coverage and high sensitivity. We then applied the optimized platform to characterize total serum antibody Fabs in a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient sample and compared it to healthy control samples. From this analysis, we show that the SLE sample has many dominant antibody Fab-related mass features unlike the healthy controls. To our knowledge, this is the first top-down demonstration of serum autoantibody pool analysis. Our proposed approach holds great promise for discovering novel serum autoantibody biomarkers that are of interest for diagnosis, prognosis, and tolerance induction, as well as improving our understanding of pathogenic autoimmune processes.
Brg1 promotes liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy via regulation of cell cycle
Authors: Wang Baocai , Kaufmann Benedikt , Engleitner Thomas , Lu Miao , Mogler Carolin , Olsavszky Victor , Öllinger Rupert , Zhong Suyang , Geraud Cyrill , Cheng Zhangjun , Rad Roland R. , Schmid Roland M. , Friess Helmut , Hüser Norbert , Hartmann Daniel , von Figura Guido
Published: February 2019

Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1), a catalytic subunit of the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex, is known to be involved in proliferative cell processes. Liver regeneration is initiated spontaneously after injury and leads to a strong proliferative response. In this study, a hepatocyte-specific Brg1 gene knockout mouse model was used to analyse the role of Brg1 in liver regeneration by performing a 70% partial hepatectomy (PH). After PH, Brg1 was significantly upregulated in wildtype mice. Mice with hepatocyte-specific Brg1 gene knockout showed a significantly lower liver to body weight ratio 48 h post-PH concomitant with a lower hepatocellular proliferation rate compared to wildtype mice. RNA sequencing demonstrated that Brg1 controlled hepatocyte proliferation through the regulation of the p53 pathway and several cell cycle genes. The data of this study reveal a crucial role of Brg1 for liver regeneration by promoting hepatocellular proliferation through modulation of cell cycle genes and, thus, identify Brg1 as potential target for therapeutic approaches.
Clinicopathological correlation of ARID1A status with HDAC6 and its related factors in ovarian clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Yano Mitsutake , Katoh Tomomi , Miyazawa Mariko , Miyazawa Masaki , Ogane Naoki , Miwa Maiko , Hasegawa Kosei , Narahara Hisashi , Yasuda Masanori
Published: February 2019

Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is associated with a frequent loss in ARID1A function. ARID1A reportedly suppresses histone deacetylase (HDAC)6 in OCCC directly. Here, we evaluated the clinical significance of HDAC6 expression and its related factors in terms of ARID1A status. Immunohistochemical expression of HDAC6, hypoxia inducible factors-1α (HIF-1α), programmed death-1 ligand (PD-L1), CD44 (cancer stem cell marker), and ARID1A was analysed for 106 OCCC patients. High nuclear HDAC6 expression correlated with patient death (p = 0.038). In the multivariate analysis of overall survival, surgical status (complete or incomplete resection) (hazard ratio (HR) = 17.5; p = <0.001), HDAC6 nuclear expression (HR = 1.68; p = 0.034), and PD-L1 expression (HR = 1.95; p = 0.022) were the independent prognostic factors. HDAC6 upregulation and ARID1A loss did not necessarily occur simultaneously. High HDAC6 expression was associated with poor prognosis in OCCC with ARID1A loss; this was not observed without ARID1A loss. HDAC6 expression showed a significant positive correlation with HIF-1α, PD-L1, and CD44. In OCCC, HDAC6 involvement in prognosis depended on ARID1A status. HDAC6 also led to immuno- and hypoxia- tolerance and cancer stem cell phenotype. HDAC6 is a promising therapeutic target for OCCC with loss of ARID1A.
Novel mutations in the kinase domain of BCR-ABL gene causing imatinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Chandrasekhar Chodimella , Kumar Pasupuleti Santhosh , Sarma Potukuchi Venkata Gurunadha Krishna
Published: February 2019

Mutations in the drug binding region of BCR-ABL lead to imatinib resistance during the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In our study, 62 Philadelphia positive (Ph+) CML patients showing conspicuous expression of BCR-ABL gene were treated with imatinib. At the end of 3 months, 21/62 (33.87%) patients did not obtain complete hematological response (CHR) and also showed no significant decrease in BCR-ABL gene expression. In all the imatinib-resistant patients BCR-ABL gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. The sequence analysis showed four novel missense mutations p.(Leu301Ile), p.(Tyr320His), p.(Glu373Asp), p.(Asp381Asn) and six already reported mutations p.(Val256Gly), p.(Thr315Ile), p.(Gly250Glu), p.(Tyr253His), p.(Phe317Leu), p.(Met351Thr) which contributed in the formation of inactive enzyme and also two novel frameshift mutations p.(Glu281*) and p.(Tyr393*), which resulted in truncated protein formation. Further, the structural analysis revealed all these mutations affected P-loop, gatekeeper, catalytic and activation loop domain regions of the enzyme causing poor imatinib binding in the ATP region. The primary intention of the study was to find out the mutations in the BCR-ABL gene causing imatinib resistance. This study highlights the need for BCR-ABL gene sequence analysis to detect the mutations in CML patients in order to properly guide the therapy.
Nullifying phosphatidic acid effect and controlling phospholipase D associated browning in litchi pericarp through combinatorial application of hexanal and inositol
Authors: Bhushan Bharat , Kumar Satish , Mahawar Manoj Kumar , Jalgaonkar Kirti , Dukare Ajinath Shridhar , Bibwe Bhushan , Meena Vijay Singh , Negi Narender , Narwal Rajesh Kumari , Pal Ajay
Published: February 2019

The role of phospholipid modification initiated by phospholipase D (PLD) in enzymatic browning has been revoked through this study. Various alcohols and aldehydes were tried to read out their PLD controlling behaviour. Based on in-vitro results, reagents like hexanal and inositol were used to regulate PLD activity of litchi fruit stored at ambient temperature and their effects on fruit quality and physiological characteristics were also investigated. The results showed that combinatorial chemical treatment was successful in maintaining freshness of fruit through delayed physiological loss in weight and hence maintaining firmness. Combinatorial treated fruit had lower browning index than control by day 7. This novel treatment also maintained comparable levels of total phenolics and lowered the level of malondialdehyde. Evaluation of antioxidative enzymatic profile also confirmed the alleviation of oxidative stress of litchi fruit at ambient temperature. Thus, this strategy of enzyme regulation could play a vital role in overall quality maintenance of litchi fruit.
Tunable multiple Fano resonance employing polarization-selective excitation of coupled surface-mode and nanoslit antenna resonance in plasmonic nanostructures
Authors: Liu Jietao , Liu Zhi , Hu Haifeng
Published: February 2019

Modeling and tailoring of multispectral Fano resonance in plasmonic system employing nanoslit-antenna array is demonstrated and investigated. Efficient control of the multiple Fano profile can be manipulated, where the overall spectral is achieved by the separate contributions from the fundamental subgroups plasmonic resonance eigenstates. A polarization-selective strategy on nano-antennas resonance is proposed to shed light on the efficient manipulation of the multiple Fano resonances. Theory prediction of TM−1 surface mode excited in the system and thorough dispersion analysis of the supported Bloch modes provides evidence for understanding the origin of the transmission spectra. Compact nanophotonics planar optical linear-polarizer in the proposed nanostructure is investigated and demonstrated, where flexible Fano resonance control over the profile, linewidth and spectral contrast is appealing for applications such as sensing, switches and multifunctional nanophotonics devices.
Automated behavioural analysis reveals the basic behavioural repertoire of the urochordate Ciona intestinalis
Authors: Rudolf Jerneja , Dondorp Daniel , Canon Louise , Tieo Sonia , Chatzigeorgiou Marios
Published: February 2019

Quantitative analysis of animal behaviour in model organisms is becoming an increasingly essential approach for tackling the great challenge of understanding how activity in the brain gives rise to behaviour. Here we used automated image-based tracking to extract behavioural features from an organism of great importance in understanding the evolution of chordates, the free-swimming larval form of the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, which has a compact and fully mapped nervous system composed of only 231 neurons. We analysed hundreds of videos of larvae and we extracted basic geometric and physical descriptors of larval behaviour. Importantly, we used machine learning methods to create an objective ontology of behaviours for C. intestinalis larvae. We identified eleven behavioural modes using agglomerative clustering. Using our pipeline for quantitative behavioural analysis, we demonstrate that C. intestinalis larvae exhibit sensory arousal and thigmotaxis. Notably, the anxiotropic drug modafinil modulates thigmotactic behaviour. Furthermore, we tested the robustness of the larval behavioural repertoire by comparing different rearing conditions, ages and group sizes. This study shows that C. intestinalis larval behaviour can be broken down to a set of stereotyped behaviours that are used to different extents in a context-dependent manner.
Cell Type-Specific Interferon-γ-mediated Antagonism of KSHV Lytic Replication
Authors: Park Mi-Kyung , Cho Hyejeong , Roh Seong Woon , Kim Seong-Jun , Myoung Jinjong
Published: February 2019

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is causally associated with several malignant tumors: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD), and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). KS remains the most common AIDS-related malignancy since the AIDS epidemic and thus has been extensively studied. KS is characterized as an angioproliferative disease with massive immune cell infiltration at the early stage. High levels of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors are found in KS lesions, and their involvement in the survival and growth of tumor cells has been well characterized. However, little is known about the role of the inflammatory microenvironment in the regulation of KSHV gene expression and/or viral replication. In the present study, we demonstrated that IFN-γ and TNF-α profoundly inhibited KSHV progeny production in primary human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) as well as induced KSHV-producer cells (iSLK.219) with doxycycline. Of note, IFN-γ inhibited overall KSHV gene expression, while the effects of TNF-α were confined to a selected set of genes, which were also downregulated by IFN-γ. The addition of IFN-γ up to 36 hr after induction of viral lytic replication was effective in terms of the inhibition of infectious virion production, suggesting that its inhibitory effect is exerted at the early stages of KSHV life cycle. We believe these data have potentially important implications for rationalizing a therapeutic agent to treat KSHV-induced tumors in which lytic replication plays a critical role in their pathogenesis: KS and MCD.
Taming extreme morphological variability through coupling of molecular phylogeny and quantitative phenotype analysis as a new avenue for taxonomy
Authors: Karanovic Tomislav , Bláha Martin
Published: February 2019

Identification of animals is often hindered by decoupling of phenotypic and molecular evolutionary rates. The Acanthocyclops vernalis (Fischer, 1853) complex is arguably the most problematic group of cyclopoids and possibly of all copepods, with diversity estimates based on morphology ranging from 2 to 34 taxa. We reconstructed their phylogeny based on one nuclear and three mitochondrial markers, revealing only four species in the Holarctic and always the following sister-species pairs: vernalis–europensis sp. nov. and robustus–americanus. Landmarks for quantitative shape analyses were collected from 147 specimens on five structures commonly used to delineate cyclopoids. Procrustes ANOVA showed small directional asymmetry in all datasets, but large sexual dimorphism in shape and size. Allometry was also highly significant. Principal component analyses of size-corrected data almost completely separated species in morphospace based on the last exopodal and endopodal segments of the fourth leg. These two structures showed the highest amount of covariation, while modularity could not be proven and a phylogenetic signal was only observed in one structure. Spinules and sensilla have a limited use in delineating species here. Calculating mean shapes and the extent of inter and intraspecific phenotypic variability opens new horizons for modern taxonomy.
Skeletal Muscle Mass as a Mortality Predictor among Nonagenarians and Centenarians: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Hui , Hai Shan , Liu Yixin , Liu Ying , Dong Birong
Published: February 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the association between skeletal muscle mass and long-term all-cause mortality among nonagenarians and centenarians in China. We used data from the Project of Longevity and Aging in Dujiangyan (PLAD). A total of 738 community-dwelling people aged ≥ 90 years (mean age of 93.5 ± 3.2 years) were analyzed in this study. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was estimated using a previously validated anthropometric equation. The information on the survival status was requested from the local government registries during the 4 year follow-up period following the baseline investigation. The mean muscle mass index (SMI) was 6.11 ± 0.53 kg/m2 in men and 4.00 ± 0.63 kg/m2 in women, respectively. Low muscle mass was associated with a higher risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54; (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.10–2.16) in women; however, no significant association was found in men. Disability in activities of daily living (ADL) (HR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.13–2.63) in men and women and cognitive impairment (HR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.05–2.13) in men were also associated with increased all-cause mortality. In conclusion, low muscle mass were predictors of long-term mortality in nonagenarian and centenarian women.
Probability estimation of a Carrington-like geomagnetic storm
Authors: Moriña David , Serra Isabel , Puig Pedro , Corral Álvaro
Published: February 2019

Intense geomagnetic storms can cause severe damage to electrical systems and communications. This work proposes a counting process with Weibull inter-occurrence times in order to estimate the probability of extreme geomagnetic events. It is found that the scale parameter of the inter-occurrence time distribution grows exponentially with the absolute value of the intensity threshold defining the storm, whereas the shape parameter keeps rather constant. The model is able to forecast the probability of occurrence of an event for a given intensity threshold; in particular, the probability of occurrence on the next decade of an extreme event of a magnitude comparable or larger than the well-known Carrington event of 1859 is explored, and estimated to be between 0.46% and 1.88% (with a 95% confidence), a much lower value than those reported in the existing literature.
Viral metagenomics revealed novel betatorquevirus species in pediatric inpatients with encephalitis/meningoencephalitis from Ghana
Authors: Eibach Daniel , Hogan Benedikt , Sarpong Nimako , Winter Doris , Struck Nicole S. , Adu-Sarkodie Yaw , Owusu-Dabo Ellis , Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas , May Jürgen , Cadar Daniel
Published: February 2019

The cause of acute encephalitis/meningoencephalitis in pediatric patients remains often unexplained despite extensive investigations for large panel of pathogens. To explore a possible viral implication, we investigated the virome of cerebrospinal fluid specimens of 70 febrile pediatric inpatients with clinical compatible encephalitis/meningoencephalitis. Using viral metagenomics, we detected and genetically characterized three novel human Torque teno mini virus (TTMV) species (TTMV-G1-3). Phylogenetically, TTMV-G1-3 clustered in three novel monophyletic lineages within genus Betatorquevirus of the Anelloviridae family. TTMV-G1-3 were highly prevalent in diseased children, but absent in the healthy cohort which may indicate an association of TTMV species with febrile illness. With 2/3 detected malaria co-infection, it remains unclear if these novel anellovirus species are causative agents or increase disease severity by interaction with malaria parasites. The presence of the viruses 28 days after initiating antimalarial and/or antibiotic treatment suggests a still active viral infection likely as effect of parasitic and/or bacterial co-infection that may have initiated a modulated immune system environment for viral replication or a defective virus clearance. This study increases the current knowledge on the genetic diversity of TTMV and strengthens that human anelloviruses can be considered as biomarkers for strong perturbations of the immune system in certain pathological conditions.
Salt content dependent dielectric properties of pistachios relevant to radio-frequency pasteurization
Authors: Jeong Seul-Gi , Ryu Sangryeol , Kang Dong-Hyun
Published: February 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of salt content during radio-frequency (RF) heating on rate of temperature increase, dielectric properties (DPs), and reduction of pathogens in pistachios. Also, the effect of RF heating on pistachio quality of varying salt content was determined. Pistachios of different salt content (0, 100, and 330 mg sodium/serving) were inoculated with Salmonella enterica and treated in a 27.12-MHz RF heater. The RF heating rate increased when salt content was in the range of 0–100 mg sodium/serving, but there were no significant (P > 0.05) differences in the rate of temperature rise after salt content reached to 100 mg sodium/serving. Both dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor of pistachios increased with rising salt content. Along with increased salt content, RF treatment time required to reduce this pathogen by 4 log CFU/g decreased first and then remained the same above an upper limit of salt content corresponding to the peak heating rate. RF treatment did not significantly (P > 0.05) cause changes in the color and level of lipid oxidation of pistachios. The results of the current study imply that RF heating may be a potential intervention for inactivating foodborne pathogens in pistachios and that the effect of pasteurization is influenced by dielectric loss factor relative to salt content.
Interoceptive sensibility tunes risk-taking behaviour when body-related stimuli come into play
Authors: Salvato Gerardo , De Maio Gabriele , Bottini Gabriella
Published: February 2019

In everyday life, we continuously make decisions, assuming the risk by making choices on material possessions or our body. Bodily signals may support the decision-making process, informing us about possible outcomes. Sensibility for such internal bodily changes influences the way we perceive the environment, and it can boost the body-related stimuli processing. Thus, the question arises of whether the individual sensibility to interoceptive signals modulates decision-making in the presence of biological stimuli. To test this hypothesis, we administered 50 healthy subjects with the Balloon Analogue Risk Task, in which participants were required to inflate a virtual balloon, and a modified version of it, in which they inflated a virtual body. We found that interoceptive sensibility predicted risk-taking behaviour only in the presence of body-related stimuli. Our results provided new evidence on the role of interoceptive sensibility in complex cognitive functions, such as risk-taking behaviour, which impacts the way we act within our society.
Artery targeted photothrombosis widens the vascular penumbra, instigates peri-infarct neovascularization and models forelimb impairments
Authors: Clark Taylor A. , Sullender Colin , Kazmi Shams M. , Speetles Brittany L. , Williamson Michael R. , Palmberg Daniella M. , Dunn Andrew K. , Jones Theresa A.
Published: February 2019

The photothrombotic stroke model generates localized and reproducible ischemic infarcts that are useful for studying recovery mechanisms, but its failure to produce a substantial ischemic penumbra weakens its resemblance to human stroke. We examined whether a modification of this approach, confining photodamage to arteries on the cortical surface (artery-targeted photothrombosis), could better reproduce aspects of the penumbra. Following artery-targeted or traditional photothrombosis to the motor cortex of mice, post-ischemic cerebral blood flow was measured using multi-exposure speckle imaging at 6, 48, and 120 h post-occlusion. Artery-targeted photothrombosis produced a more graded penumbra at 48 and 120 h. The density of isolectin B4+ vessels in peri-infarct cortex was similarly increased after both types of infarcts compared to sham at 2 weeks. These results indicate that both models instigated post-ischemic vascular structural changes. Finally, we determined whether the strength of the traditional photothrombotic approach for modeling upper-extremity motor impairments extends to the artery-targeted approach. In adult mice that were proficient in a skilled reaching task, small motor-cortical infarcts impaired skilled-reaching performance for up to 10 days. These results support that artery-targeted photothrombosis widens the penumbra while maintaining the ability to create localized infarcts useful for modeling post-stroke impairments.
Cortisol predicts migration timing and success in both Atlantic salmon and sea trout kelts
Authors: Birnie-Gauvin Kim , Flávio Hugo , Kristensen Martin L. , Walton-Rabideau Sarah , Cooke Steven J. , Willmore William G. , Koed Anders , Aarestrup Kim
Published: February 2019

Kelts – individuals of anadromous fish species which have successfully spawned and may return to sea to repeat the cycle – are perhaps the least studied life stage of iteroparous fish species. To date, our understanding of what makes them successful in their return migration to sea is limited. We investigated the relationship between three physiological parameters (baseline cortisol, baseline glucose and low molecular weight antioxidants) and the timing and success of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and sea trout (Salmo trutta) kelt migration. To do so, we combined blood samples obtained within 3 minutes of capture and acoustic telemetry to track 66 salmon and 72 sea trout as they migrated out of rivers, into fjords and out at sea. We show that baseline cortisol may be a good predictor of migration success. Individuals with high baseline cortisol levels exited the river earlier but were less likely to successfully reach the sea. Similar relationships were not observed with glucose or antioxidants. We provide the first evidence to support the role of physiological status in migration success in Atlantic salmon and sea trout kelts. Our findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between physiology and fitness in wild animals. Further, we suggest that migration timing is a trade-off between stress and readiness to migrate.
Cyclotron resonance in the high mobility GaAs/AlGaAs 2D electron system over the microwave, mm-wave, and terahertz- bands
Authors: Kriisa A. , Samaraweera R. L. , Heimbeck M. S. , Everitt H. O. , Reichl C. , Wegscheider W. , Mani R. G.
Published: February 2019

The reflected microwave power from the photo-excited high mobility GaAs/AlGaAs 2D device has been measured over the wide frequency band spanning from 30 to 330 GHz simultaneously along with diagonal magnetoresistance as a function of the magnetic field. Easily distinguishable resonances in the reflected power signal are observed at the same magnetic fields as a reduced amplitude in the Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations of the diagonal magnetoresistance. The reflection resonances with concurrent amplitude reduction in SdH oscillations are correlated with cyclotron resonance induced by microwave, mm-wave, and terahertz photoexcitation. The magnetoplasma effect was also investigated. The results suggest a finite frequency zero-magnetic-field intercept, providing an estimate for the plasma frequency. The experimentally measured plasma frequency appears to be somewhat lower than the estimated plasma frequency for these Hall bars. The results, in sum, are consistent with an effective mass ratio ofm*/m = 0.067, the standard value, even in these high mobility GaAs/AlGaAs devices, at very large filling factors. Preliminary findings from this article have been published as conference proceedings, see Kriisa, A.,et al.,J. of Phys. Conf. Ser.864, 012057 (2017).
Multilevel Analysis of the Patterns of Physical-Mental Multimorbidity in General Population of São Paulo Metropolitan Area, Brazil
Authors: Wang Yuan-Pang , Nunes Bruno P. , Coêlho Bruno M. , Santana Geilson L. , do Nascimento Carla F. , Viana Maria Carmen , Benseñor Isabela M. , Andrade Laura H. , Chiavegatto Filho Alexandre D. P.
Published: February 2019

Chronic diseases are often comorbid and present a weighty burden for communities in the 21st century. The present investigation depicted patterns of multimorbidity in the general population and examined its association with the individual- and area-level factors in an urban sample of non-elderly adults of Brazil. Data were from the cross-sectional São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey, a stratified multistage area probability sampling investigation. Trained interviewers assessed mental morbidities and asked about physical conditions for 1,571 community-dwelling women and 1,142 men, aged between 18 and 64 years. Principal component analysis depicted patterns of physical-mental multimorbidity, by sex. Following, the patterns of multimorbidity were subjected to multilevel regression analysis, taking into account individual- and area-level variables. Three patterns of clustering were found for women: ‘irritable mood and headache’, ‘chronic diseases and pain’, and ‘substance use disorders’. Among men, the patterns were: ‘chronic pain and respiratory disease’, ‘psychiatric disorders’, and ‘chronic diseases’. Multilevel analyses showed associations between multimorbidity patterns and both individual- and area-level determinants. Our findings call for a reformulation of health-care systems worldwide, especially in low-resource countries. Replacing the single-disease framework by multi-disease patterns in health-care settings can improve the ability of general practitioners in the health-care of person-centred needs.
De novo origins of multicellularity in response to predation
Authors: Herron Matthew D. , Borin Joshua M. , Boswell Jacob C. , Walker Jillian , Chen I-Chen Kimberly , Knox Charles A. , Boyd Margrethe , Rosenzweig Frank , Ratcliff William C.
Published: February 2019

The transition from unicellular to multicellular life was one of a few major events in the history of life that created new opportunities for more complex biological systems to evolve. Predation is hypothesized as one selective pressure that may have driven the evolution of multicellularity. Here we show thatde novoorigins of simple multicellularity can evolve in response to predation. We subjected outcrossed populations of the unicellular green algaChlamydomonas reinhardtiito selection by the filter-feeding predatorParamecium tetraurelia. Two of five experimental populations evolved multicellular structures not observed in unselected control populations within ~750 asexual generations. Considerable variation exists in the evolved multicellular life cycles, with both cell number and propagule size varying among isolates. Survival assays show that evolved multicellular traits provide effective protection against predation. These results support the hypothesis that selection imposed by predators may have played a role in some origins of multicellularity.
Young bone marrow transplantation preserves learning and memory in old mice
Authors: Das Melanie M. , Godoy Marlesa , Chen Shuang , Moser V. Alexandra , Avalos Pablo , Roxas Kristina M. , Dang Ivy , Yáñez Alberto , Zhang Wenxuan , Bresee Catherine , Arditi Moshe , Liu George Y. , Svendsen Clive N. , Goodridge Helen S.
Published: February 2019

Restoration of cognitive function in old mice by transfer of blood or plasma from young mice has been attributed to reduced C–C motif chemokine ligand 11 (CCL11) and β2-microglobulin, which are thought to suppress neurogenesis in the aging brain. However, the specific role of the hematopoietic system in this rejuvenation has not been defined and the importance of neurogenesis in old mice is unclear. Here we report that transplantation of young bone marrow to rejuvenate the hematopoietic system preserved cognitive function in old recipient mice, despite irradiation-induced suppression of neurogenesis, and without reducing β2-microglobulin. Instead, young bone marrow transplantation preserved synaptic connections and reduced microglial activation in the hippocampus. Circulating CCL11 levels were lower in young bone marrow recipients, and CCL11 administration in young mice had the opposite effect, reducing synapses and increasing microglial activation. In conclusion, young blood or bone marrow may represent a future therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative disease.