bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NEMA Performance Evaluation of CareMiBrain dedicated brain PET and Comparison with the whole-body and dedicated brain PET systems
Authors: Moliner Laura , Rodríguez-Alvarez Maria J. , Catret Juan V. , González Antonio , Ilisie Víctor , Benlloch José M.
Published: October 2019

This article presents system performance studies of the CareMiBrain dedicated brain PET according to NEMA NU 2-2012 (for whole-body PETs) and NU 4-2008 (for preclinical PETs). This scanner is based on monolithic LYSO crystals coupled to silicon photomultipliers. The results obtained for both protocols are compared with current commercial whole body PETs and dedicated brain PETs found in the literature. Spatial resolution, sensitivity, NECR and scatter-fraction are characterized with NEMA standards, as well as an image quality study. A customized image quality phantom is proposed as NEMA phantoms do not fulfil the necessities of dedicated brain PETs. The full-width half maximum of the radial/tangential/axial spatial resolution of CareMiBrain reconstructed with FBP at 10 and 100 mm from the system center were, respectively, 1.87/1.68/1.39 mm and 1.86/1.91/1.40 mm (NU 2-2012) and 1.58/1.45/1.40 mm and 1.64/1.66/1.44 mm (NU 4-2008). Peak NECR was 49 kcps@287 MBq with a scatter fraction of 48% using NU 2-2012 phantom. The sensitivity was 13.82 cps/kBq at the center of the FOV (NU 2-2012) and 10% (NU 4-2008). Contrast recovery coefficients for customizing image quality phantom were 0.73/0.78/1.14/1.01 for the 4.5/6/9/12 mm diameter rods. The performance characteristics of CareMiBrain are at the top of the current technologies for PET systems. Dedicated brain PET systems significantly improve spatial resolution and sensitivity, but present worse results in count rate measurements and scatter-fraction tests. As for the comparison of preclinical and clinical standards, the results obtained for solid and liquid sources were similar.
Spectroscopic monitoring of transport processes during loading of ovarian tissue with cryoprotective solutions
Authors: Han Jiale , Sydykov Bulat , Yang Huaqing , Sieme Harald , Oldenhof Harriëtte , Wolkers Willem F.
Published: October 2019

There is an increasing demand for female fertility preservation. Cryopreservation of ovarian cortex tissue by means of vitrification can be done ad-hoc and for pre-pubertal individuals. Obtaining a homogeneous distribution of protective agents in tissues is one of the major hurdles for successful preservation. Therefore, to rationally design vitrification strategies for tissues, it is needed to determine permeation kinetics of cryoprotective agents; to ensure homogeneous distribution while minimizing exposure time and toxicity effects. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to monitor diffusion of different components into porcine ovarian cortex tissue. Water fluxes and permeation kinetics of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol (GLY), ethylene glycol (EG), and propylene glycol (PG) were investigated. Diffusion coefficients derived from FTIR data, were corroborated with differential scanning calorimetry and osmometer measurements. FTIR allowed real-time spectral fingerprinting of tissue during loading with mixtures of protective agents, while discriminating between different components and water. Exposure to vitrification solutions was found to cause drastic initial weight losses, which could be correlated with spectral features. Use of heavy water allowed distinguishing water fluxes associated with dehydration and permeation, both of which were found to precede permeation of cryoprotective agents. Overall, DMSO and EG were found to permeate faster than GLY and PG. In mixtures, however, solutes behave differently. The non-invasive spectroscopic method described here to study permeation of vitrification solution components into ovarian tissue can be applied to many other types of engineered constructs, tissues, and possibly organs.
Pollinator foraging flexibility mediates rapid plant-pollinator network restoration in semi-natural grasslands
Authors: Noreika Norbertas , Bartomeus Ignasi , Winsa Marie , Bommarco Riccardo , Öckinger Erik
Published: October 2019

We examined how plant-pollinator interactions were affected by time since habitat restoration and landscape connectivity by comparing plant-pollinator networks in restored, abandoned and continuously grazed semi-natural pastures in south-central Sweden. We measured richness of flowering plants and pollinators, and local plant-pollinator network characteristics including species composition as well as the number and identity of interactions, allowing a deeper understanding of species and interaction beta diversity. Pollinator richness and abundance were highest in restored grasslands. They successfully resembled continuously grazed grasslands. However, the turnover of interactions was extremely high among pasture categories (0.99) mainly due to high turnover of plant (0.74) and pollinator species (0.81). Among co-occurring plant and pollinator species, the turnover of interactions (0.66) was attributable mainly to differences in the number of links and to a lesser extent to species true rewiring (~0.17). Connectivity and time since restoration had no effect on the measured network properties. We show that plant-pollinator interactions can be rapidly restored even in relatively isolated grasslands. This is partly due to flexibility of most pollinators to establish interactions with the available flowering plants and relatively high species interaction rewiring, indicating that pollinators behavioural plasticity allow them to shift diets to adapt to new situations.
Potential usefulness of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin determination in patients admitted for neurological disorders in rural Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Bottieau Emmanuel , Mukendi Deby , Kalo Jean-Roger Lilo , Lutumba Pascal , Barbé Barbara , Ramadan Kadrie , Van Esbroeck Marjan , Jacobs Jan , Yansouni Cedric P. , Chappuis François , Boelaert Marleen , Winkler Andrea S. , Verdonck Kristien
Published: October 2019

In low-resource hospitals of central Africa, neurological disorders are frequent and etiologies very diverse. The difficulty to identify invasive bacterial infections in this setting results in major antibiotic overuse. Biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) may help discriminate these conditions. We retrospectively determined the concentrations of CRP and PCT in the sera of patients consecutively enrolled from 2012 to 2015 in an etiological study on neurological disorders at the rural hospital of Mosango, Democratic Republic of Congo. Invasive bacterial infection had been diagnosed by the demonstration of a bacterial pathogen in cerebrospinal fluid or blood cultures or the presence of radiological pneumonia. Sera of 313 (89.2%) and 317 (90.3%) of the 351 enrolled participants were available for determination of CRP and PCT concentrations respectively. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for invasive bacterial infection, diagnosed in 19 tested cases, were 94.3% for CRP and 91.7% for PCT. No single case had a normal CRP concentration (<10 mg/L). Our data, although limited, suggest that CRP or PCT concentrations may help discriminate invasive bacterial infections in patients with neurological disorders in tropical settings and that normal CRP values could assist in withholding antibiotics.
Precision and safety of Multilevel Cervical Transpedicular Screw Fixation with 3D Patient-Specific Guides; A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Sallent Andrea , Ramírez Manuel , Catalá Jordi , Rodríguez-Baeza Alfonso , Bagó Joan , de Albert Matías , Vélez Roberto
Published: October 2019

The aim is to design a patient-specific instrument (PSI) for multilevel cervical pedicle screw placement from C2 to C7, as well as verifying reliability and reproducibility. Computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained from 7 cadaveric cervical spines. Using Mimics software, semiautomatic segmentation was performed for each cervical spine, designing a 3D cervical spine bone model in order to plan transpedicular screw fixation. A PSI was designed according to the previously cited with two cannulated chimneys to guide the drill. The guides were 3D printed and surgeries performed at the laboratory. Postoperative scans were obtained to study screw placement. Sixty-eight transpedicular screws were available for study. 61.8% of all screws were within the pedicle or partially breached <4 mm. No differences were observed between cervical levels. None of these screws had neurovascular injury. Of the 27 screws with a grade 3 (screw outside the pedicle; 39.7%), only 2 had perforation of the transverse foramen and none of them would have caused a neural injury. In conclusion, multilevel PSI for cervical pedicle screw is a promising technology that despite showing improvements regarding free-hand technique requires further studies to improve the positioning of the PSI and their accuracy.
An effective detachment system for human induced pluripotent stem cells cultured on multilayered cultivation substrates using resonance vibrations
Authors: Terao Yusuke , Kurashina Yuta , Tohyama Shugo , Fukuma Yuki , Fukuda Keiichi , Fujita Jun , Takemura Kenjiro
Published: October 2019

Clinical application of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has been hampered by the lack of a practical, scalable culture system. Stacked culture plates (SCPs) have recently attracted attention. However, final cell yields depend on the efficiency of cell detachment, and inefficient cell recovery from SCPs presents a major challenge to their use. We have developed an effective detachment method using resonance vibrations (RVs) of substrates with sweeping driving frequency. By exciting RVs that have 1–3 antinodes with ultra-low-density enzyme spread on each substrate of SCPs, 87.8% of hiPSCs were successfully detached from a 5-layer SCP compared to 30.8% detached by the conventional enzymatic method. hiPSC viability was similar after either method. Moreover, hiPSCs detached by the RV method maintained their undifferentiated state. Additionally, hiPSCs after long-term culture (10 passages) kept excellent detachment efficiency, had the normal karyotypes, and maintained the undifferentiated state and pluripotency. These results indicated that the RV method has definite advantages over the conventional enzymatic method in the scalable culture of hiPSCs using SCPs.
Enhanced Stability of MAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells using Poly(p-chloro-xylylene) Encapsulation
Authors: Kim Hyojung , Lee Jiyong , Kim Bora , Byun Hye Ryung , Kim Sung Hyuk , Oh Hye Min , Baik Seunghyun , Jeong Mun Seok
Published: October 2019

We demonstrated an effective poly(p-chloro-xylylene) (Parylene-C) encapsulation method for MAPbI3 solar cells. By structural and optical analysis, we confirmed that Parylene-C efficiently slowed the decomposition reaction in MAPbI3. From a water permeability test with different encapsulating materials, we found that Parylene-C-coated MAPbI3 perovskite was successfully passivated from reaction with water, owing to the hydrophobic behavior of Parylene-C. As a result, the Parylene-C-coated MAPbI3 solar cells showed better device stability than uncoated cells, virtually maintaining the initial power conversion efficiency value (15.5 ± 0.3%) for 196 h.
Age-dependent effects of moderate differences in environmental predictability forecasted by climate change, experimental evidence from a short-lived lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
Authors: Masó G. , Kaufmann J. , Clavero H. , Fitze P. S.
Published: October 2019

Whether and how differences in environmental predictability affect life-history traits is controversial and may depend on mean environmental conditions. Solid evidence for effects of environmental predictability are lacking and thus, the consequences of the currently observed and forecasted climate-change induced reduction of precipitation predictability are largely unknown. Here we experimentally tested whether and how changes in the predictability of precipitation affect growth, reproduction, and survival of common lizard Zootoca vivipara. Precipitation predictability affected all three age classes. While adults were able to compensate the treatment effects, yearlings and juvenile females were not able to compensate negative effects of less predictable precipitation on growth and body condition, respectively. Differences among the age-classes’ response reflect differences (among age-classes) in the sensitivity to environmental predictability. Moreover, effects of environmental predictability depended on mean environmental conditions. This indicates that integrating differences in environmental sensitivity, and changes in averages and the predictability of climatic variables will be key to understand whether species are able to cope with the current climatic change.
Association of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone and Thyroid Hormones with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Euthyroid Children and Adolescents Aged 10–18 Years: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Ma Cheol Gyu , Shim Young Suk
Published: October 2019

Recent evidence indicates that low-normal thyroid function test results within the reference ranges may be related to increased cardiometabolic risk factors. The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between thyroid function using thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) and cardiometabolic risk factors and the clustering of these risk factors (metabolic syndrome) in euthyroid children and adolescents. A total of 250 euthyroid children and adolescents aged 10–18 years were included using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2015. In the unadjusted correlation analyses, TSH was positively correlated with glucose (r = 0.172, P = 0.006), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (r = 0.149, P = 0.018), insulin (r = 0.144, P = 0.023), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (r = 0.163, P = 0.010), and triglyceride (TG) (r = 0.155, P = 0.014), whereas FT4 was negatively associated with the waist circumference (WC) standard deviation score (SDS) (r = −0.134, P = 0.035), body mass index (BMI) SDS (r = −0.126, P = 0.046), insulin (r = −0.219, P < 0.001), and HOMA-IR (r = −0.211, P < 0.001). In the multiple linear regression analysis, TSH was positively associated with glucose (β = 1.179, P = 0.021), HbA1c (β = 0.044, P = 0.039), and TG (β = 8.158, P = 0.041) after adjustment for possible confounders. FT4 was negatively associated with serum fasting insulin (β = −5.884, P = 0.017) and HOMA-IR (β = −1.364, P = 0.023) in the multiple linear regression analysis. Boys and girls with elevated glucose levels had a higher adjusted mean TSH level compared to those without elevated glucose levels after controlling for confounding factors in the analysis of covariance (2.16 mIU/L vs 3.88 mIU/L, P = 0.004). Our results suggest that higher TSH and/or lower FT4 levels, even within the reference ranges, may be related to increased cardiometabolic risk factors.
Inferring the depth of pre-instrumental earthquakes from macroseismic intensity data: a case-history from Northern Italy
Authors: Sbarra Paola , Burrato Pierfrancesco , Tosi Patrizia , Vannoli Paola , De Rubeis Valerio , Valensise Gianluca
Published: October 2019

Determining the hypocentral depth of pre-instrumental earthquakes is a long-standing geophysical issue that still awaits to be elucidated. Using very well documented recent earthquakes we found that the depth of crustal and upper-mantle events correlates well with the slope of the first 50 km of their intensity attenuation curve, regardless of their magnitude. We used this observation to build a magnitude-independent method for calculating the depth of selected historical and early-instrumental earthquakes of northern Italy based on their macroseismic intensity field. Our method relies on both standard intensity data and questionnaire-based data for 20 earthquakes, encompassing a relatively large range of magnitude (Mw4.0–5.8) and depth (3.0–72.4 km), that occurred in Northern Italy between 1983 and 2019. We then used the method to estimate the depth of 20 older earthquakes that occurred in the same region between 1570 and 1972. Knowing the approximate depth of historical earthquakes is crucial for assigning them to the relevant seismogenic source, especially where seismogenic faults occur at different depths, allowing for a better characterisation of the region’s seismotectonic setting. Knowing the focal depth also allows recalculating the equivalent magnitude, which turns out to be consistently larger for deeper events, suggesting a reassessment of the local seismic hazard.
Anomalous wind triggered the largest phytoplankton bloom in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Chow Chun Hoe , Cheah Wee , Tai Jen-Hua , Liu Sin-Fu
Published: October 2019

In summer 2010, a massive bloom appeared in the middle (16–25°N, 160–200°E) of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) creating a spectacular oasis in the middle of the largest oceanic desert on Earth. Peaked in June 2010 covering over two million km2 in space, this phytoplankton bloom is the largest ever recorded by ocean color satellites in the NPSG over the period from 1997 to 2013. The initiation and mechanisms sustaining the massive bloom were due to atmospheric and oceanic anomalies. Over the north (25–30°N) of the bloom, strong anticyclonic winds warmed sea surface temperature (SST) via Ekman convergence. Subsequently, anomalous westward ocean currents were generated by SST meridional gradients between 19°N and 25°N, producing strong velocity shear that caused large number of mesoscale (100-km in order) cyclonic eddies in the bloom region. The ratio of cyclonic to anticyclonic eddies of 2.7 in summer 2010 is the highest over the 16-year study period. As a result of the large eddy-number differences, eddy-eddy interactions were strong and induced submesoscale (smaller than 100 km) vertical pumping as observed in the in-situ ocean profiles. The signature of vertical pumping was also presented in the in-situ measurements of chlorophyll and nutrients, which show higher concentrations in 2010 than other years.
Behavioural mechanisms underlying parasite-mediated competition for refuges in a coral reef fish
Authors: Forrester Graham E. , Chille Erin , Nickles Katie , Reed Kiran
Published: October 2019

Parasites have been increasingly recognized as participants in indirect ecological interactions, including those mediated by parasite-induced changes to host behaviour (trait-mediated indirect interactions or TMIIs). In most documented examples, host behaviours altered by parasites increase susceptibility to predation because the predator is also a host (host-manipulation). Here, we test for a TMII in which a parasitic copepod modifies the predator-prey interaction between a small goby host and several larger predatory fish. Gobies compete for crevices in the reef to avoid predation and goby mortality increases more rapidly with increasing refuge shortage for parasitized gobies than for those free of parasites. We found interactive effects of refuge shortage and parasitism on two behaviours we predicted might be associated with parasite-mediated competition for refuges. First, as refuge-shortage increases, the rate of aggression among gobies increases and parasitism intensifies this interaction. Second, goby proximity to refuges increases as refuges become scarce, but parasitism nullifies this increase. In combination, these parasite-induced changes in behaviour may explain why parasitized gobies are poor competitors for refuges. Because the parasite is not trophically transmitted via host manipulation, these altered behaviours in parasitized gobies are likely coincidental to infection.
Declining abundance of coral reef fish in a World-Heritage-listed marine park
Authors: Vanderklift Mathew A. , Babcock Russell C. , Boschetti Fabio , Haywood Michael D. E. , Pillans Richard D. , Thomson Damian P.
Published: October 2019

One of the most robust metrics for assessing the effectiveness of protected areas is the temporal trend in the abundance of the species they are designed to protect. We surveyed coral-reef fish and living hard coral in and adjacent to a sanctuary zone (SZ: where all forms of fishing are prohibited) in the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park during a 10-year period. There were generally more individuals and greater biomass of many fish taxa (especially emperors and parrotfish) in the SZ than the adjacent recreation zone (RZ: where recreational fishing is allowed) — so log response ratios of abundance were usually positive in each year. However, despite this, there was an overall decrease in both SZ and RZ in absolute abundance of some taxa by up to 22% per year, including taxa that are explicitly targeted (emperors) by fishers and taxa that are neither targeted nor frequently captured (most wrasses and butterflyfish). A concomitant decline in the abundance (measured as percentage cover) of living hard coral of 1–7% per year is a plausible explanation for the declining abundance of butterflyfish, but declines in emperors might be more plausibly due to fishing. Our study highlights that information on temporal trends in absolute abundance is needed to assess whether the goals of protected areas are being met: in our study, patterns in absolute abundance across ten years of surveys revealed trends that simple ratios of abundance did not.
Ultra high-resolution seawater density sensor based on a refractive index measurement using the spectroscopic interference method
Authors: Uchida Hiroshi , Kayukawa Yohei , Maeda Yosaku
Published: October 2019

The interference method is one of the most sensitive methods for measuring the refractive index of seawater. We developed a state-of-the-art density sensor for seawater measurements based on measuring the refractive index by the interference method. The resolution of the density sensor is 0.00006 kg/m3 for changing temperature at constant salinity and pressure, 0.00012 kg/m3 for changing salinity at constant temperature and pressure, and 0.00010 kg/m3 for changing pressure at constant temperature and salinity. These resolution values are the best in the history of seawater density measurements. The ultra high-resolution density sensor will contribute notably to climate research at full ocean depth and measurement of seawater sampled from the deep ocean, to research on metrology to establish the traceability of salinity measurements, and to submarine resource exploration to detect spatial changes in the absolute salinity anomaly by combining with conventional conductance-based salinity measurements.
A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia
Authors: Lee Sungjin , Park Jin-Young , Lee Yuong-Nam , Kim Su-Hwan , Lü Junchang , Barsbold Rinchen , Tsogtbaatar Khishigjav
Published: October 2019

Alvarezsaurid diversity has been markedly increased by recent discoveries from China. However, the number of alvarezsaurid specimens in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia remained low since the initial report on Mononykus olecranus in 1993. Here we report three new alvarezsaurid specimens from this formation, which were associated with each other and also with multiple oviraptorid skeletons in a small multi-species assemblage. Two of the alvarezsaurid specimens represent a new taxon, Nemegtonykus citus gen. et sp. nov., which is mainly distinguished from other alvarezsaurids by the first sacral vertebra with a subtrapezoidal lamina, the second sacral centrum which is directly co-ossified with ilium, the posterodorsally oriented postacetabular process of ilium, and partial co-ossification between metatarsals II and IV. The other specimen is very similar to M. olecranus in morphology and referred to cf. Mononykus sp. Our phylogenetic analysis recovered Nemegtonykus as a parvicursorine forming a polytomy with several other taxa from the Gobi Desert. The presence of three alvarezsaurid individuals in the same locality indicates that the abundance of alvarezsaurids have been greatly underestimated in the Nemegt dinosaur faunas.
Flexible Temperature Sensor Integrated with Soft Pneumatic Microactuators for Functional Microfingers
Authors: Konishi Satoshi , Hirata Akiya
Published: October 2019

The integration of a flexible temperature sensor with a soft microactuator (a pneumatic balloon actuator) for a functional microfinger is presented herein. A sensor integrated with a microactuator can actively approach a target for contact detection when a distance exists from the target or when the target moves. This paper presents a microfinger with temperature sensing functionality. Moreover, thermocouples, which detect temperature based on the Seebeck effect, are designed for use as flexible temperature sensors. Thermocouples are formed by a pair of dissimilar metals or alloys, such as copper and constantan. Thin-film metals or alloys are patterned and integrated in the microfinger. Two typical thermocouples (K-type and T-type) are designed in this study. A 2.0 mm × 2.0 mm sensing area is designed on the microfinger (3.0 mm × 12 mm × 400 μm). Characterization indicates that the output voltage of the sensor is proportional to temperature, as designed. It is important to guarantee the performance of the sensor against actuation effects. Therefore, in addition to the fundamental characterization of the temperature sensors, the effect of bending deformation on the characteristics of the temperature sensors is examined with a repeated bending test consisting of 1000 cycles.
Leu8 and Pro8 oxytocin agonism differs across human, macaque, and marmoset vasopressin 1a receptors
Authors: Mustoe Aaryn , Schulte Nancy A. , Taylor Jack H. , French Jeffrey A. , Toews Myron L.
Published: October 2019

Oxytocin (OXT) is an important neuromodulator of social behaviors via activation of both oxytocin receptors (OXTR) and vasopressin (AVP) 1a receptors (AVPR1a). Marmosets are neotropical primates with a modified OXT ligand (Pro8-OXT), and this ligand shows significant coevolution with traits including social monogamy and litter size. Pro8-OXT produces more potent and efficacious responses at primate OXTR and stronger behavioral effects than the consensus mammalian OXT ligand (Leu8-OXT). Here, we tested whether OXT/AVP ligands show differential levels of crosstalk at primate AVPR1a. We measured binding affinities and Ca2+ signaling responses of AVP, Pro8-OXT and Leu8-OXT at human, macaque, and marmoset AVPR1a. We found that AVP binds with higher affinity than OXT across AVPR1a, and marmoset AVPR1a show a 10-fold lower OXT binding affinity compared to human and macaque AVPR1a. Both Leu8-OXT and Pro8-OXT produce a less efficacious response than AVP at human AVPR1a and higher efficacious response than AVP at marmoset AVPR1a. These data suggest that OXT might partially antagonize endogenous human AVPR1a signaling and enhance marmoset AVPR1a signaling. These findings aid in further understanding inconsistencies observed following systemic intranasal administration of OXT and provide important insights into taxon-specific differences in nonapeptide ligand/receptor coevolution and behavior.
A case of nascent speciation: unique polymorphism of gonophores within hydrozoan Sarsia lovenii
Authors: Prudkovsky Andrey A. , Ekimova Irina A. , Neretina Tatiana V.
Published: October 2019

Revealing the mechanisms of life cycle changes is critical for understanding the processes driving hydrozoan evolution. Our analysis of mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (ITS1 and ITS2) gene fragments resulted in the discovery of unique polymorphism in the life cycle of Sarsia lovenii from the White Sea. This polymorphic species exhibits two types of gonophores: hydroids produce both free-swimming medusae and attached medusoids (phenotypic polymorphism). Our phylogenetic analysis revealed the intrinsic genetic structure of S. lovenii (genetic polymorphism). Two haplogroups inhabiting the White Sea differ in their reproductive modes. Haplogroup 1 produces attached medusoids, and haplogroup 2 produces free-swimming medusae. Our experiments indicated the possibility of free interbreeding between haplogroups that likely is a rare event in the sea. We propose that inter-haplogroup crossing of S. lovenii in the White Sea may be limited by discordance in periods of spawning or by spatial differences in habitat of spawning specimens. Our finding can be interpreted as a case of nascent speciation that illustrates the patterns of repeated medusa loss in hydrozoan evolution. Life cycle traits of S. lovenii may be useful for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of medusa reduction in hydrozoans.
Structural and functional insights into the LBD family involved in abiotic stress and flavonoid synthases in Camellia sinensis
Authors: Zhang Xueying , He Yuqing , He Wenda , Su Hui , Wang Yuefei , Hong Gaojie , Xu Ping
Published: October 2019

Lateral organ boundaries domain (LBD) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that play a crucial role in growth and development, as well as metabolic processes. However, knowledge of the function of LBD proteins in Camellia sinensis is limited, and no systematic investigations of the LBD family have been reported. In this study, we identified 54 LBD genes in Camellia sinensis. The expression patterns of CsLBDs in different tissues and their transcription responses to exogenous hormones and abiotic stress were determined by RNA-seq, which showed that CsLBDs may have diverse functions. Analysis of the structural gene promoters revealed that the promoters of CsC4H, CsDFR and CsUGT84A, the structural genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, contained LBD recognition binding sites. The integrative analysis of CsLBD expression levels and metabolite accumulation also suggested that CsLBDs are involved in the regulation of flavonoid synthesis. Among them, CsLOB_3, CsLBD36_2 and CsLBD41_2, localized in the nucleus, were selected for functional characterization. Yeast two-hybrid assays revealed that CsLBD36_2 and CsLBD41_2 have self-activation activities, and CsLOB_3 and CsLBD36_2 can directly bind to the cis-element and significantly increase the activity of the CsC4H, CsDFR and CsUGT84A promoter. Our results present a comprehensive characterization of the 54 CsLBDs in Camellia sinensis and provide new insight into the important role that CsLBDs play in abiotic and flavonoid biosynthesis.
Yeast two-hybrid screening for proteins that interact with PFT in wheat
Authors: He Yi , Wu Lei , Liu Xiang , Zhang Xu , Jiang Peng , Ma Hongxiang
Published: October 2019

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat worldwide. Fhb1 is the most consistently reported quantitative trait locus (QTL) for FHB resistance breeding. A pore-forming toxin-like (PFT) gene at Fhb1 was first cloned by map-based cloning and found to confer FHB resistance in wheat. Proteins often interact with each other to execute their functions. Characterization of the proteins interacting with PFT might therefore provide information on the molecular mechanisms of PFT functions. In this study, a high-quality yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) library using RNA extracted from Fusarium graminearum (Fg)-infected wheat spikes of Sumai 3 was constructed. The agglutinin domains of PFT exhibited no self-activation and toxicity to yeast cells and were used as bait to screen the Y2H library. Twenty-three proteins that interact with PFT were obtained, which were mainly involved in the ubiquitination process, clathrin coat assembly, the oxidation-reduction process, and protein phosphorylation. The expression pattern of these interacting genes was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. This study clarifies the protein interactions of PFT and raises a regulatory network for PFT regarding FHB resistance in wheat.
Development and comparison of forecast models of hand-foot-mouth disease with meteorological factors
Authors: Fu Tao , Chen Ting , Dong Zhen-Bin , Luo Shu-Ying , Miao Ziping , Song Xiu-Ping , Huang Ru-Ting , Sun Ji-Min
Published: October 2019

Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is an acute intestinal virus infectious disease which is one of major public health problems in mainland China. Previous studies indicated that HFMD was significantly influenced by climatic factors, but the associated factors were different in different areas and few study on HFMD forecast models was conducted. Here, we analyzed epidemiological characteristics of HFMD in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province and constructed three forecast models. Overall, a total of 32554 HFMD cases were reported and 12 cases deceased in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. The incidence of HFMD peaked every other year and the curve of HFMD incidence had an approximately W-shape. The majority of HFMD cases were children and 95.76% cases aged ≤5 years old from 2008 to 2016. Furthermore, we constructed and compared three forecast models using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, negative binomial regression model (NBM), and quasi-Poisson generalized additive model (GAM). All the three models had high agreements between predicted values and observed values, while GAM fitted best. The exposure-response curve of monthly mean temperature and HFMD was approximately V-shaped. Our study explored epidemiological characteristics of HFMD in Yiwu City and provided accurate methods for early warning which would be great importance for the control and prevention of HFMD.
An Easy Path for Correlative Electron and Super-Resolution Light Microscopy
Authors: Pinotsi Dorothea , Rodighiero Simona , Campioni Silvia , Csucs Gabor
Published: October 2019

A number of new Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy approaches have been developed over the past years, offering the opportunity to combine the specificity and bio-compatibility of light microscopy with the high resolution achieved in electron microscopy. More recently, these approaches have taken one step further and also super-resolution light microscopy was combined with transmission or scanning electron microscopy. This combination usually requires moving the specimen between different imaging systems, an expensive set-up and relatively complicated imaging workflows. Here we present a way to overcome these difficulties by exploiting a commercially available wide-field fluorescence microscope integrated in the specimen chamber of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to perform correlative LM/EM studies. Super-resolution light microscopy was achieved by using a recently developed algorithm - the Super-Resolution Radial Fluctuations (SRRF) - to improve the resolution of diffraction limited fluorescent images. With this combination of hardware/software it is possible to obtain correlative super-resolution light and scanning electron microscopy images in an easy and fast way. The imaging workflow is described and demonstrated on fluorescently labelled amyloid fibrils, fibrillar protein aggregates linked to the onset of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, revealing information about their polymorphism.
Characterisation of proguanylin expressing cells in the intestine – evidence for constitutive luminal secretion
Authors: Dye Florent Serge , Larraufie Pierre , Kay Richard , Darwish Tamana , Rievaj Juraj , Goldspink Deborah A. , Meek Claire L. , Middleton Stephen J. , Hardwick Richard H. , Roberts Geoffrey P. , Percival-Alwyn Jennifer L. , Vaughan Tris , Ferraro Franco , Challis Benjamin G. , O’Rahilly Stephen , Groves Maria , Gribble Fiona M. , Reimann Frank
Published: October 2019

Guanylin, a peptide implicated in regulation of intestinal fluid secretion, is expressed in the mucosa, but the exact cellular origin remains controversial. In a new transgenic mouse model fluorescent reporter protein expression driven by the proguanylin promoter was observed throughout the small intestine and colon in goblet and Paneth(-like) cells and, except in duodenum, in mature enterocytes. In Ussing chamber experiments employing both human and mouse intestinal tissue, proguanylin was released predominantly in the luminal direction. Measurements of proguanylin expression and secretion in cell lines and organoids indicated that secretion is largely constitutive and requires ER to Golgi transport but was not acutely regulated by salt or other stimuli. Using a newly-developed proguanylin assay, we found plasma levels to be raised in humans after total gastrectomy or intestinal transplantation, but largely unresponsive to nutrient ingestion. By LC-MS/MS we identified processed forms in tissue and luminal extracts, but in plasma we only detected full-length proguanylin. Our transgenic approach provides information about the cellular origins of proguanylin, complementing previous immunohistochemical andin-situhybridisation results. The identification of processed forms of proguanylin in the intestinal lumen but not in plasma supports the notion that the primary site of action is the gut itself.
Evaluating Glaucoma Treatment Effect on Intraocular Pressure Reduction Using Propensity Score Weighted Regression
Authors: Wu Mengfei , Liu Mengling , Schuman Joel S. , Wang Yuyan , Lucy Katie A. , Ishikawa Hiroshi , Wollstein Gadi
Published: October 2019

Observational studies in glaucoma patients can provide important evidence on treatment effects, especially for combination therapies which are often used in reality. But the success relies on the reduction of selection bias through methods such as propensity score (PS) weighting. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of five glaucoma treatments (medication, laser, non-laser surgery (NLS), laser + medication, and NLS + medication) on 1-year intraocular pressure (IOP) change. Data were collected from 90 glaucoma subjects who underwent a single laser, or NLS intervention, and/or took the same medication for at least 6 months, and had IOP measures before the treatment and 12-months after. Baseline IOP was significantly different across groups (p = 0.007) and this unbalance was successfully corrected by the PS weighting (p = 0.81). All groups showed statistically significant PS-weighted IOP reductions, with the largest reduction in NLS group (−6.78 mmHg). Baseline IOP significantly interacted with treatments (p = 0.03), and at high baseline IOP medication was less effective than other treatments. Our findings showed that the 1-year IOP reduction differed across treatment groups and was dependent on baseline IOP. The use of PS-weighted methods reduced treatment selection bias at baseline and allowed valid assessment of the treatment effect in an observational study.
Coating Cutting Blades with Thin-Film Metallic Glass to Enhance Sharpness
Authors: Chu Jinn P. , Diyatmika Wahyu , Tseng Yong-Jhe , Liu Yu-Kang , Liao Wen-Che , Chang Shih-Hsin , Chen Ming-Jen , Lee Jyh-Wei , Jang Jason S. C.
Published: October 2019

In this study, we sought to enhance the cutting properties of the various blades by coating them with Zr- and Fe-based thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs) to a thickness of 234–255 nm via sputter deposition. In oil-repellency/sliding tests on kitchen blades, the sliding angle and friction forces were as follows: bare blades (31.6°) and (35 µN), Ti-coated blades (20.3°) and (23.7 µN), and Z-TFMG coated blades (16.2°) and (19.2 µN). Comparisons were conducted with bare blades and those with a Teflon coating (a low-friction material commonly used for the coating of microtome blades). We also found that the Teflon coating reduced the cutting forces of an uncoated microtome blade by ~80%, whereas the proposed Z-TFMG achieved a ~51% reduction. The Z-TFMG presented no indications of delamination after being used 30 times for cutting; however, the Teflon coating proved highly susceptible to peeling and the bare blade was affected by surface staining. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the TFMG coating in terms of low friction, non-stick performance, and substrate adhesion. The performance of Z-TFMG and F-TFMG was also evaluated in split-thickness skin graft surgery using dermatome blades aimed at elucidating the influence of TFMG coatings on the healing of surgical incisions. When tested repeatedly on hairless skin, the surface roughness of uncoated blades increased by approximately 70%, whereas the surface roughness of TFMG-coated blades increases by only 8.6%. In the presence of hair, the surface roughness of uncoated blades increased by approximately ~108%, whereas the surface roughness of TFMG-coated blades increases by only ~23%. By Day 7, the wounds produced using TFMG-coated blades were noticeably smaller than those produced using uncoated blades, and these effects were particularly evident in hairy samples. This is a clear demonstration of the efficacy of TFMG surface coatings in preserving the cutting quality of surgical instruments.
Intracerebroventricular injection of ouabain causes mania-like behavior in mice through D2 receptor activation
Authors: Lopachev Alexander , Volnova Anna , Evdokimenko Anna , Abaimov Denis , Timoshina Yulia , Kazanskaya Rogneda , Lopacheva Olga , Deal Alex , Budygin Evgeny , Fedorova Tatiana , Gainetdinov Raul
Published: October 2019

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of ouabain, an inhibitor of the Na, K-ATPase, is an approach used to study the physiological functions of the Na, K-ATPase and cardiotonic steroids in the central nervous system, known to cause mania-like hyperactivity in rats. We describe a mouse model of ouabain-induced mania-like behavior. ICV administration of 0.5 µl of 50 µM (25 pmol, 14.6 ng) ouabain into each lateral brain ventricle results in increased locomotor activity, stereotypical behavior, and decreased anxiety level an hour at minimum. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry showed that administration of 50 µM ouabain causes a drastic drop in dopamine uptake rate, confirmed by elevated concentrations of dopamine metabolites detected in the striatum 1 h after administration. Ouabain administration also caused activation of Akt, deactivation of GSK3β and activation of ERK1/2 in the striatum of ouabain-treated mice. All of the abovementioned effects are attenuated by haloperidol (70 µg/kg intraperitoneally). Observed effects were not associated with neurotoxicity, since no dystrophic neuron changes in brain structures were demonstrated by histological analysis. This newly developed mouse model of ouabain-induced mania-like behavior could provide a perspective tool for studying the interactions between the Na,K-ATPase and the dopaminergic system.
OptiJ: Open-source optical projection tomography of large organ samples
Authors: Vallejo Ramirez Pedro P. , Zammit Joseph , Vanderpoorten Oliver , Riche Fergus , Blé Francois-Xavier , Zhou Xiao-Hong , Spiridon Bogdan , Valentine Christopher , Spasov Simeon E. , Oluwasanya Pelumi W. , Goodfellow Gemma , Fantham Marcus J. , Siddiqui Omid , Alimagham Farah , Robbins Miranda , Stretton Andrew , Simatos Dimitrios , Hadeler Oliver , Rees Eric J. , Ströhl Florian , Laine Romain F. , Kaminski Clemens F.
Published: October 2019

The three-dimensional imaging of mesoscopic samples with Optical Projection Tomography (OPT) has become a powerful tool for biomedical phenotyping studies. OPT uses visible light to visualize the 3D morphology of large transparent samples. To enable a wider application of OPT, we present OptiJ, a low-cost, fully open-source OPT system capable of imaging large transparent specimens up to 13 mm tall and 8 mm deep with 50 µm resolution. OptiJ is based on off-the-shelf, easy-to-assemble optical components and an ImageJ plugin library for OPT data reconstruction. The software includes novel correction routines for uneven illumination and sample jitter in addition to CPU/GPU accelerated reconstruction for large datasets. We demonstrate the use of OptiJ to image and reconstruct cleared lung lobes from adult mice. We provide a detailed set of instructions to set up and use the OptiJ framework. Our hardware and software design are modular and easy to implement, allowing for further open microscopy developments for imaging large organ samples.
Study of the binding mechanism of aptamer to palytoxin by docking and molecular simulation
Authors: Hu Bo , Zhou Rong , Li Zhengang , Ouyang Shengqun , Li Zhen , Hu Wei , Wang Lianghua , Jiao Binghua
Published: October 2019

This paper provides a feasible model for molecular structure analysis and interaction mechanism of aptamer and micromolecule. In this study, modeling and dynamic simulation of ssDNA aptamer (P-18S2) and target (Palytoxin, PTX) were performed separately. Then, the complex structure between DNA and PTX was predicted, and docking results showed that PTX could combine steadily at the groove’s top of DNA model by strong hydrogen-bonds and electrostatic interaction. Thus, we truncated and optimized P-18S2 by simulating. At the same time, we also confirmed the reliability of simulation results by experiments. With the experimental and computational results, the study provided a more reasonable interpretation for the high affinity and specific binding of P-18S2 and PTX, which laid the foundation for further optimization and development of aptamers in molecular diagnostics and therapeutic applications.
Fenestral diaphragms and PLVAP associations in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells are developmentally regulated
Authors: Auvinen Kaisa , Lokka Emmi , Mokkala Elias , Jäppinen Norma , Tyystjärvi Sofia , Saine Heikki , Peurla Markus , Shetty Shishir , Elima Kati , Rantakari Pia , Salmi Marko
Published: October 2019

Endothelial cells contain several nanoscale domains such as caveolae, fenestrations and transendothelial channels, which regulate signaling and transendothelial permeability. These structures can be covered by filter-like diaphragms. A transmembrane PLVAP (plasmalemma vesicle associated protein) protein has been shown to be necessary for the formation of diaphragms. The expression, subcellular localization and fenestra-forming role of PLVAP in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) have remained controversial. Here we show that fenestrations in LSEC contain PLVAP-diaphragms during the fetal angiogenesis, but they lose the diaphragms at birth. Although it is thought that PLVAP only localizes to diaphragms, we found luminal localization of PLVAP in adult LSEC using several imaging techniques. Plvap-deficient mice revealed that the absence of PLVAP and diaphragms did not affect the morphology, the number of fenestrations or the overall vascular architecture in the liver sinusoids. Nevertheless, PLVAP in fetal LSEC (fenestrations with diaphragms) associated with LYVE-1 (lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1), neuropilin-1 and VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2), whereas in the adult LSEC (fenestrations without diaphragms) these complexes disappeared. Collectively, our data show that PLVAP can be expressed on endothelial cells without diaphragms, contradict the prevailing concept that biogenesis of fenestrae would be PLVAP-dependent, and reveal previously unknown PLVAP-dependent molecular complexes in LSEC during angiogenesis.