bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
News Consumption and Its Unpleasant Side Effect
Authors: Boukes Mark , Vliegenthart Rens
Published: September 2017

Abstract. Following the news is generally understood to be crucial for democracy as it allows citizens to politically participate in an informed manner; yet, one may wonder about the unintended side effects it has for the mental well-being of citizens. With news focusing on the negative and worrisome events in the world, framing that evokes a sense of powerlessness, and lack of entertainment value, this study hypothesizes that news consumption decreases mental well-being via negative hedonic experiences; thereby, we differentiate between hard and soft news. Using a panel survey in combination with latent growth curve modeling (n = 2,767), we demonstrate that the consumption of hard news television programs has a negative effect on the development of mental well-being over time. Soft news consumption, by contrast, has a marginally positive impact on the trend in well-being. This can be explained by the differential topic focus, framing and style of soft news vis-à-vis hard news. Investigating the effects of news consumption on mental well-being provides insight into the impact news exposure has on variables other than the political ones, which definitively are not less societally relevant.
Social Sharing With Friends and Family After Romantic	Breakups
Authors: Choi Mina , Toma Catalina L.
Published: September 2017

Abstract. Romantic breakups are prevalent and distressing experiences in the lives of college students. The present study examined (a) college students’ media use for discussing their breakups with various relational partners; and (b) the association between this sharing and personal growth, a eudaimonic marker of well-being. For geographically close relationships, participants used face-to-face interaction the most for breakup-related sharing, followed by texting, and least of all the phone. This pattern was different for long-distance relationships, where texting prevailed, followed by the phone, and least of all face-to-face. Differences also emerged based on relationship type with the sharers (friends vs. family). Only face-to-face sharing with close friends was associated with sharers’ personal growth after the breakup. The results extend the social sharing theoretical framework by incorporating media factors and advance the literature on media use and psychological well-being.
Alterations in fatty acid metabolism in response to obesity surgery combined with dietary counseling
Authors: Walle P , Takkunen M , Männistö V , Vaittinen M , Käkelä P , Ågren J , Schwab U , Lindström J , Tuomilehto J , Uusitupa M , Pihlajamäki J
Published: September 2017

Background:

The effects of obesity surgery on serum and adipose tissue fatty acid (FA) profile and FA metabolism may modify the risk of obesity-related diseases.

Methods:

We measured serum (n=122) and adipose tissue (n=24) FA composition and adipose tissue mRNA expression of genes regulating FA metabolism (n=100) in participants of the Kuopio Obesity Surgery Study (KOBS, age 47.2±8.7 years, BMI 44.6±6.0, 40 men, 82 women) before and one year after obesity surgery. As part of the surgery protocol, all the subjects were instructed to add sources of unsaturated fatty acids, such as rapeseed oil and fatty fish, into their diet. The results were compared with changes in serum FA composition in 122 subjects from the Finnish Diabetes Prevention study (DPS) (age 54.3±7.1 years, BMI 32.2±4.6, 28 men, 94 women).

Results:

The proportion of saturated FAs decreased and the proportion of n-3 and n-6 FAs increased in serum triglycerides after obesity surgery (allP<0.002). Weight loss predicted changes in quantitative amounts of saturated FAs, monounsaturated FAs, n-3 and n-6 FAs in triglycerides (P<0.002 for all). Moreover, the changes in adipose tissue FAs reflected the changes in serum FAs, and some of the changes were associated with mRNA expression of elongases and desaturases in adipose tissue (allP<0.05). In line with this the estimated activity of elongase (18:1 n-7/16:1 n-7) increased significantly after obesity surgery in all lipid fractions (allP<4 × 10−7) and the increase in the estimated activity of D5D in triglycerides was associated with higher weight loss (r=0.415,P<2 × 10−6). Changes in serum FA profile were similar after obesity surgery and lifestyle intervention, except for the change in the absolute amounts of n-3 FAs between the two studies (P=0.044).

Conclusions:

Beneficial changes in serum and adipose tissue FAs after obesity surgery could be associated with changes in endogenous metabolism and diet.
Direct measurement of individual phonon lifetimes in the clathrate compound Ba7.81Ge40.67Au5.33
Authors: Lory Pierre-François , Pailhès Stéphane , Giordano Valentina M. , Euchner Holger , Nguyen Hong Duong , Ramlau Reiner , Borrmann Horst , Schmidt Marcus , Baitinger Michael , Ikeda Matthias , Tomeš Petr , Mihalkovič Marek , Allio Céline , Johnson Mark Robert , Schober Helmut , Sidis Yvan , Bourdarot Frédéric , Regnault Louis Pierre , Ollivier Jacques , Paschen Silke , Grin Yuri , de Boissieu Marc
Published: September 2017

Engineering lattice thermal conductivity requires to control the heat carried by atomic vibration waves, the phonons. The key parameter for quantifying it is the phonon lifetime, limiting the travelling distance, whose determination is however at the limits of instrumental capabilities. Here, we show the achievement of a direct quantitative measurement of phonon lifetimes in a single crystal of the clathrate Ba7.81Ge40.67Au5.33, renowned for its puzzling ‘glass-like’ thermal conductivity. Surprisingly, thermal transport is dominated by acoustic phonons with long lifetimes, travelling over distances of 10 to 100 nm as their wave-vector goes from 0.3 to 0.1 Å−1. Considering only low-energy acoustic phonons, and their observed lifetime, leads to a calculated thermal conductivity very close to the experimental one. Our results challenge the current picture of thermal transport in clathrates, underlining the inability of state-of-the-art simulations to reproduce the experimental data, thus representing a crucial experimental input for theoretical developments.
Demonstration of a beam loaded nanocoulomb-class laser wakefield accelerator
Authors: Couperus J. P. , Pausch R. , Köhler A. , Zarini O. , Krämer J. M. , Garten M. , Huebl A. , Gebhardt R. , Helbig U. , Bock S. , Zeil K. , Debus A. , Bussmann M. , Schramm U. , Irman A.
Published: September 2017

Laser-plasma wakefield accelerators have seen tremendous progress, now capable of producing quasi-monoenergetic electron beams in the GeV energy range with few-femtoseconds bunch duration. Scaling these accelerators to the nanocoulomb range would yield hundreds of kiloamperes peak current and stimulate the next generation of radiation sources covering high-field THz, high-brightness X-ray and γ-ray sources, compact free-electron lasers and laboratory-size beam-driven plasma accelerators. However, accelerators generating such currents operate in the beam loading regime where the accelerating field is strongly modified by the self-fields of the injected bunch, potentially deteriorating key beam parameters. Here we demonstrate that, if appropriately controlled, the beam loading effect can be employed to improve the accelerator’s performance. Self-truncated ionization injection enables loading of unprecedented charges of ∼0.5 nC within a mono-energetic peak. As the energy balance is reached, we show that the accelerator operates at the theoretically predicted optimal loading condition and the final energy spread is minimized.
Treatment of diabetic mice with the SGLT2 inhibitor TA-1887 antagonizes diabetic cachexia and decreases mortality
Authors: Sugizaki Taichi , Zhu Shunshun , Guo Ge , Matsumoto Akiko , Zhao Jiabin , Endo Motoyoshi , Horiguchi Haruki , Morinaga Jun , Tian Zhe , Kadomatsu Tsuyoshi , Miyata Keishi , Itoh Hiroshi , Oike Yuichi
Published: September 2017

A favorable effect of an inhibitor of the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2i) on mortality of diabetic patients was recently reported, although mechanisms underlying that effect remained unclear. Here, we examine SGLT2i effects on survival of diabetic mice and assess factors underlying these outcomes. To examine SGLT2i treatment effects in a model of severe diabetes, we fed genetically diabetic db/db mice a high-fat diet and then assessed outcomes including diabetic complications between SGLT2i TA-1887-treated and control mice. We also compare effects of SGLT2i TA-1887 with those of lowering blood glucose levels via insulin treatment. Untreated db/db mice showed remarkable weight loss, or cachexia, while TA-1887-treated mice did not but rather continued to gain weight at later time points and decreased mortality. TA-1887 treatment prevented pancreatic beta cell death, enhanced preservation of beta cell mass and endogenous insulin secretion, and increased insulin sensitivity. Moreover, TA-1887 treatment attenuated inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular senescence, especially in visceral white adipose tissue, and antagonized endothelial dysfunction. Insulin treatment of db/db mice also prevented weight loss and antagonized inflammation and oxidative stress. However, insulin treatment had less potent effects on survival and prevention of cellular senescence and endothelial dysfunction than did TA-1887 treatment. SGLT2i treatment prevents diabetic cachexia and death by preserving function of beta cells and insulin target organs and attenuating complications. SGLT2i treatment may be a promising therapeutic strategy for type 2 diabetes patients with morbid obesity and severe insulin resistance.
Clinical outcomes in patients with node-negative breast cancer treated based on the recurrence score results: evidence from a large prospectively designed registry
Authors: Stemmer Salomon M. , Steiner Mariana , Rizel Shulamith , Soussan-Gutman Lior , Ben-Baruch Noa , Bareket-Samish Avital , Geffen David B. , Nisenbaum Bella , Isaacs Kevin , Fried Georgeta , Rosengarten Ora , Uziely Beatrice , Svedman Christer , McCullough Debbie , Maddala Tara , Klang Shmuel H. , Zidan Jamal , Ryvo Larisa , Kaufman Bella , Evron Ella , Karminsky Natalya , Goldberg Hadassah , Shak Steven , Liebermann Nicky
Published: September 2017

The 21-gene Recurrence Score® (RS) assay is a validated prognostic/predictive tool in ER + early-stage breast cancer. However, clinical outcome data from prospective studies in RS ≥ 11 patients are lacking, as are relevant real-life clinical practice data. In this retrospective analysis of a prospectively designed registry, we evaluated treatments/clinical outcomes in patients undergoing RS-testing through Clalit Health Services. The analysis included N0 ER + HER2-negative breast cancer patients who were RS-tested from 1/2006 through 12/2010. Medical records were reviewed to verify treatments/recurrences/survival. The cohort included 1801 patients (median follow-up, 6.2 years). Median age was 60 years, 50.4% were grade 2 and 81.1% had invasive ductal carcinoma; 48.9% had RS < 18, 40.7% RS 18–30, and 10.4% RS ≥ 31, with chemotherapy use of 1.4, 23.7, and 87.2%, respectively. The 5-year Kaplan–Meier estimates for distant recurrence were 0.8, 3.0, and 8.6%, for patients with RS < 18, RS 18–30 and RS ≥ 31, respectively; the corresponding 5-year Kaplan–Meier estimates for breast cancer death were 0.0, 0.9, and 6.2%. Chemotherapy-untreated patients with RS < 11 (n = 304) and 11–25 (n = 1037) (TAILORx categorization) had 5-year Kaplan–Meier estimates for distant recurrence risk/breast cancer death of 1.0%/0.0% and 1.3%/0.4%, respectively. Our results extend those of the prospective TAILORx trial: the 5-year Kaplan–Meier estimates for distant recurrence and breast cancer death rate for the RS < 18 patients were very low supporting the use of endocrine therapy alone. Furthermore, in chemotherapy-untreated patients with RS 11–25 (where TAILORx patients were randomized to chemoendocrine or endocrine therapy alone), 5-year distant recurrence rates were also very low, suggesting that chemotherapy would not have conferred clinically meaningful benefit.
Erratum: Regulation of cancer epigenomes with a histonebinding synthetic transcription factor
Authors: Nyer David B. , Daer Rene M. , Vargas Daniel , Hom Caroline , Haynes Karmella A.
Published: September 2017

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this article.
Realization of tunable artificial synapse and memory based on amorphous oxide semiconductor transistor
Authors: Dai Mingzhi , Wang Weiliang , Wang Pengjun , Iqbal Muhammad Zahir , Annabi Nasim , Amin Nasir
Published: September 2017

Recently, advanced designs and materials emerge to study biologically inspired neuromorphic circuit, such as oxide semiconductor devices. The existence of mobile ions in the oxide semiconductors could be somewhat regarded to be similar with the case of the ions movements among the neurons and synapses in the brain. Most of the previous studies focus on the spike time, pulse number and material species: however, a quantitative modeling is still needed to study the voltage dependence of the relaxation process of synaptic devices. Here, the gate pulse stimulated currents of oxide semiconductor devices have been employed to mimic and investigate artificial synapses functions. The modeling for relaxation process of important synaptic behaviors, excitatory post-synaptic current (EPSC), has been updated as a stretched-exponential function with voltage factors in a more quantitative way. This quantitative modeling investigation of representative synaptic transmission bias impacts would help to better simulate, realize and thus control neuromorphic computing.
Effects of low concentrations of erythromycin, penicillin, and virginiamycin on bacterial resistance development in vitro
Authors: Ge Beilei , Domesle Kelly J. , Yang Qianru , Young Shenia R. , Rice-Trujillo Crystal L. , Bodeis Jones Sonya M. , Gaines Stuart A. , Keller Marla W. , Li Xin , Piñeiro Silvia A. , Whitney Brooke M. , Harbottle Heather C. , Gilbert Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2017

Distillers grains are co-products of the corn ethanol industry widely used in animal feed. We examined the effects of erythromycin, penicillin, and virginiamycin at low concentrations reflective of those detected in distillers grains on bacterial resistance selection. At 0.1 µg/ml erythromycin, macrolide-resistant mutants were induced in one Campylobacter coli and one Enterococcus faecium strain, while these strains plus three additional C. coli, one additional E. faecium, and one C. jejuni also developed resistance when exposed to 0.25 µg/ml erythromycin. At 0.5 µg/ml erythromycin, a total of eight strains (four Campylobacter and four Enterococcus) obtained macrolide-resistant mutants, including two strains from each genus that were not selected at lower erythromycin concentrations. For penicillin, three of five E. faecium strains but none of five Enterococcus faecalis strains consistently developed resistance at all three selection concentrations. Virginiamycin at two M1:S1 ratios did not induce resistance development in four out of five E. faecium strains; however, increased resistance was observed in the fifth one under 0.25 and 0.5 µg/ml virginiamycin selections. Although not yet tested in vivo, these findings suggest a potential risk of stimulating bacterial resistance development in the animal gut when distillers grains containing certain antibiotic residues are used in animal feed.
Body Fat Distribution and the Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
Authors: Kwon Hyuktae , Kim Donghee , Kim Joo Sung
Published: September 2017

The effect of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) area on metabolic syndrome (MS) has been debated. We aimed to evaluate the effects of VAT and SAT on the incidence of MS and its components in a large and apparently healthy Asian population. We performed a longitudinal cohort study of 1,964 subjects who received health screenings over a 5-year follow-up period; 317 incidents of MS (16.1%) were observed during a median follow-up of 4.5 years. The VAT area was significantly associated with a higher incidence of MS; the adjusted HR for incident MS per 1 SD of VAT was 1.50 (95% CI 1.29–1.74), and the adjusted HR of the 5th VAT quintile compared with the 1st quintile was 3.73 (95% CI 2.22–6.28). However, the SAT area was not associated with incident MS. Although the VAT area was longitudinally associated with the incidence of each component of MS, the SAT area was inversely associated with the risk of high blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, and triglycerides, with marginal significance. In conclusion, the VAT area is longitudinally associated with an increased risk of incident MS, while SAT may have a protective effect against the incidence of individual MS components.
Spinal miRNA-124 regulates synaptopodin and nociception in an animal model of bone cancer pain
Authors: Elramah Sara , López-González María José , Bastide Matthieu , Dixmérias Florence , Roca-Lapirot Olivier , Wielanek-Bachelet Anne-Cécile , Vital Anne , Leste-Lasserre Thierry , Brochard Alexandre , Landry Marc , Favereaux Alexandre
Published: September 2017

Strong breakthrough pain is one of the most disabling symptoms of cancer since it affects up to 90% of cancer patients and is often refractory to treatments. Alteration in gene expression is a known mechanism of cancer pain in which microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding regulatory RNAs, play a crucial role. Here, in a mouse model of cancer pain, we show that miR-124 is down-regulated in the spinal cord, the first relay of the pain signal to the brain. Using in vitro and in vivo approaches, we demonstrate that miR-124 is an endogenous and specific inhibitor of synaptopodin (Synpo), a key protein for synaptic transmission. In addition, we demonstrate that Synpo is a key component of the nociceptive pathways. Interestingly, miR-124 was down-regulated in the spinal cord in cancer pain conditions, leading to an up-regulation of Synpo. Furthermore, intrathecal injections of miR-124 mimics in cancerous mice normalized Synpo expression and completely alleviated cancer pain in the early phase of the cancer. Finally, miR-124 was also down-regulated in the cerebrospinal fluid of cancer patients who developed pain, suggesting that miR-124 could be an efficient analgesic drug to treat cancer pain patients.
Second-generation Flagellin-rPAc Fusion Protein, KFD2-rPAc, Shows High Protective Efficacy against Dental Caries with Low Potential Side Effects
Authors: Yang Jingyi , Sun Ying , Bao Rong , Zhou Dihan , Yang Yi , Cao Yuan , Yu Jie , Zhao Bali , Li Yaoming , Yan Huimin , Zhong Maohua
Published: September 2017

Dental caries is one of the most common global chronic diseases affecting all ages of the population; thus a vaccine against caries is urgently needed. Our previous studies demonstrated that a fusion protein, KF-rPAc, in which rPAc of S. mutans is directly fused to the C-terminal of E. coli-derived flagellin (KF), could confer high prophylactic and therapeutic efficiency against caries. However, possible side effects, including the high antigenicity of flagellin and possible inflammatory injury induced by flagellin, may restrict its clinical usage. Here, we produced a second-generation flagellin-rPAc fusion protein, KFD2-rPAc, by replacing the main antigenicity region domains D2 and D3 of KF with rPAc. Compared with KF-rPAc, KFD2-rPAc has lower TLR5 agonist efficacy and induces fewer systemic inflammatory responses in mice. After intranasal immunization, KFD2-rPAc induces significantly lower flagellin-specific antibody responses but a comparable level of rPAc-specific antibody responses in mice. More importantly, in rat challenge models, KFD2-rPAc induces a robust rPAc-specific IgA response, and confers efficient prophylactic and therapeutic efficiency against caries as does KF-rPAc, while the flagellin-specific antibody responses are highly reduced. In conclusion, low side effects and high protective efficiency against caries makes the second-generation flagellin-rPAc fusion protein, KFD2-rPAc, a promising vaccine candidate against caries.
In vivo pH measurement at the site of calcification in an octocoral
Authors: Le Goff C. , Tambutté E. , Venn A. A. , Techer N. , Allemand D. , Tambutté S.
Published: September 2017

Calcareous octocorals are ecologically important calcifiers, but little is known about their biomineralization physiology, relative to scleractinian corals. Many marine calcifiers promote calcification by up-regulating pH at calcification sites against the surrounding seawater. Here, we investigated pH in the red octocoralCorallium rubrumwhich forms sclerites and an axial skeleton. To achieve this, we cultured microcolonies on coverslips facilitating microscopy of calcification sites of sclerites and axial skeleton. Initially we conducted extensive characterisation of the structural arrangement of biominerals and calcifying cells in context with other tissues, and then measured pH by live tissue imaging. Our results reveal that developing sclerites are enveloped by two scleroblasts and an extracellular calcifying medium of pH 7.97 ± 0.15. Similarly, axial skeleton crystals are surrounded by cells and a calcifying medium of pH 7.89 ± 0.09. In both cases, calcifying media are more alkaline compared to calcifying cells and fluids in gastrovascular canals, but importantly they are not pH up-regulated with respect to the surrounding seawater, contrary to what is observed in scleractinians. This points to a potential vulnerability of this species to decrease in seawater pH and is consistent with reports that red coral calcification is sensitive to ocean acidification.
Sulfonolipids as novel metabolite markers of Alistipes and Odoribacter affected by high-fat diets
Authors: Walker Alesia , Pfitzner Barbara , Harir Mourad , Schaubeck Monika , Calasan Jelena , Heinzmann Silke S. , Turaev Dmitrij , Rattei Thomas , Endesfelder David , Castell Wolfgang zu , Haller Dirk , Schmid Michael , Hartmann Anton , Schmitt-Kopplin Philippe
Published: September 2017

The gut microbiota generates a huge pool of unknown metabolites, and their identification and characterization is a key challenge in metabolomics. However, there are still gaps on the studies of gut microbiota and their chemical structures. In this investigation, an unusual class of bacterial sulfonolipids (SLs) is detected in mouse cecum, which was originally found in environmental microbes. We have performed a detailed molecular level characterization of this class of lipids by combining high-resolution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography analysis. Eighteen SLs that differ in their capnoid and fatty acid chain compositions were identified. The SL called “sulfobacin B” was isolated, characterized, and was significantly increased in mice fed with high-fat diets. To reveal bacterial producers of SLs, metagenome analysis was acquired and only two bacterial genera, i.e., Alistipes and Odoribacter, were revealed to be responsible for their production. This knowledge enables explaining a part of the molecular complexity introduced by microbes to the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and can be used as chemotaxonomic evidence in gut microbiota.
Heightened aversion to risk and loss in depressed patients with a suicide attempt history
Authors: Baek Kwangyeol , Kwon JaeHyung , Chae Jeong-Ho , Chung Yong An , Kralik Jerald D. , Min Jung-Ah , Huh HyuJung , Choi Kyung Mook , Jang Kuk-In , Lee Na-Bin , Kim Sunyoung , Peterson Bradley S. , Jeong Jaeseung
Published: September 2017

Suicide attempters have been found to be impaired in decision-making; however, their specific biases in evaluating uncertain outcomes remain unclear. Here we tested the hypothesis that suicidal behavior is associated with heightened aversion to risk and loss, which might produce negative predictions about uncertain future events. Forty-five depressed patients with a suicide attempt history, 47 nonsuicidal depressed patients, and 75 healthy controls participated in monetary decision-making tasks assessing risk and loss aversion. Suicide attempters compared with the other groups exhibited greater aversion to both risk and loss during gambles involving potential loss. Risk and loss aversion correlated with each other in the depressed patients, suggesting that a common pathophysiological mechanism underlies these biases. In addition, emotion regulation via suppression, a detrimental emotional control strategy, was positively correlated with loss aversion in the depressed patients, also implicating impairment in regulatory processes. A preliminary fMRI study also found disrupted neural responses to potential gains and losses in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, insula cortex, and left amygdala, brain regions involved in valuation, emotion reactivity, and emotion regulation. The findings thus implicate heightened negative valuation in decision-making under risk, and impaired emotion regulation in depressed patients with a history of suicide attempts.
RNAseq revealed the important gene pathways controlling adaptive mechanisms under waterlogged stress in maize
Authors: Arora Kanika , Panda Kusuma Kumari , Mittal Shikha , Mallikarjuna Mallana Gowdra , Rao Atmakuri Ramakrishna , Dash Prasanta Kumar , Thirunavukkarasu Nepolean
Published: September 2017

Waterlogging causes yield penalty in maize-growing countries of subtropical regions. Transcriptome analysis of the roots of a tolerant inbred HKI1105 using RNA sequencing revealed 21,364 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under waterlogged stress condition. These 21,364 DEGs are known to regulate important pathways including energy-production, programmed cell death (PCD), aerenchyma formation, and ethylene responsiveness. High up-regulation ofinvertase(49-fold) andhexokinase(36-fold) in roots explained the ATP requirement in waterlogging condition. Also, high up-regulation ofexpansins(42-fold),plant aspartic protease A3(19-fold),polygalacturonases(16-fold),respiratory burst oxidase homolog(12-fold), andhydrolases(11-fold) explained the PCD of root cortical cells followed by the formation of aerenchyma tissue during waterlogging stress. We hypothesized that the oxygen transfer in waterlogged roots is promoted by a cross-talk of fermentative, metabolic, and glycolytic pathways that generate ATPs for PCD and aerenchyma formation in root cortical cells. SNPs were mapped to the DEGs regulating aerenchyma formation (12), ethylene-responsive factors (11), and glycolysis (4) under stress. RNAseq derived SNPs can be used in selection approaches to breed tolerant hybrids. Overall, this investigation provided significant evidence of genes operating in the adaptive traits such as ethylene production and aerenchyma formation to cope-up the waterlogging stress.
Radial arrangement of apical adhesive sites promotes contact self-alignment of fruits in Commicarpus plants (Nyctaginaceae)
Authors: Filippov Alexander E. , Gorb Elena V. , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: September 2017

Fruits of the plants from the genus Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae) use their adhesive properties for dispersal. They can readily stick to various surfaces including skin, fur, and feathers of potential dispersal vectors using the secretion provided by the set of glands arranged radially at the distal end of the cut-cone-shaped fruit. Field observations show that this particular geometry promotes self-alignment of the fruit to various surfaces after initial contact just by one gland is established. Such self-alignment in turn leads to an increase of the number of contacting points and to the enhancement of adhesive contact area. Here, we study this particular geometry from a theoretical point of view, by probing adhesion ability of geometries having from 2 to 7 radially distributed attachment points. The results show that the radial arrangement provides rapid alignment to the surface. The robust adhesion can be reached already at 5 adhesive points and their further increase does not substantially improve the performance. This study is important not only for our understanding of the functional morphology of biological adhesive systems, but also for the development of technical self-aligning adhesive devices.
Analysis of mutual couplings in a concentric circular ring plasmonic optical antenna array
Authors: Gu Guiru , Li Lin , Zhang Yingjie , Kemsri Thitikorn , Lu Xuejun
Published: September 2017

In this paper, we report the analysis of a concentric circular ring plasmonic optical antenna (POA) array using a simple lumped coupled circuit (LCC) model. The currents in the circular rings of the POA array and their mutual couplings are analyzed using the LCC model. The results agree well with the numerical simulation using CST’s Microwave Studio®. The LCC model reveals the mutual couplings between the antenna rings. It is found that the mutual couplings are not only between the adjacent antenna rings, but also involve their second (2nd) nearest or farther neighbors. Since the near-fields of the optical antennas are related to the currents in the optical antennas, the LCC model provides a useful tool for the analysis of the near-field and their mutual interactions in the circular ring POA array.
Mutations in the prostate specific antigen (PSA/KLK3) correlate with male infertility
Authors: Gupta Nishi , Sudhakar Digumarthi V. S. , Gangwar Pravin Kumar , Sankhwar Satya Narayan , Gupta Nalini J. , Chakraborty Baidyanath , Thangaraj Kumarasamy , Gupta Gopal , Rajender Singh
Published: September 2017

Prostate specific antigen (PSA/KLK3) is known to be the chief executor of the fragmentation of semenogelins, dissolution of semen coagulum, thereby releasing sperm for active motility. Recent research has found that semenogelins also play significant roles in sperm fertility by affecting hyaluronidase activity, capacitation and motility, thereby making PSA important for sperm fertility beyond simple semen liquefaction. PSA level in semen has been shown to correlate with sperm motility, suggesting that PSA level/activity can affect fertility. However, no study investigating the genetic variations in theKLK3/PSAgene in male fertility has been undertaken. We analyzed the complete coding region of theKLK3gene in ethnically matched 875 infertile and 290 fertile men to find if genetic variations inKLK3correlate with infertility. Interestingly, this study identified 28 substitutions, of which 8 were novel (not available in public databases). Statistical comparison of the genotype frequencies showed that five SNPs, rs266881 (OR = 2.92, P < 0.0001), rs174776 (OR = 1.91, P < 0.0001), rs266875 (OR = 1.44, P = 0.016), rs35192866 (OR = 4.48, P = 0.025) and rs1810020 (OR = 2.08, P = 0.034) correlated with an increased risk of infertility. On the other hand, c.206 + 235 T > C, was more freuqent in the control group, showing protective association. Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in theKLK3gene correlate with infertility risk.
Human-to-human closed-loop control based on brain-to-brain interface and muscle-to-muscle interface
Authors: Mashat M. Ebrahim M. , Li Guangye , Zhang Dingguo
Published: September 2017

Novel communication techniques have always been fascinating for humankind. This pilot study presents an approach to human interaction by combining direct brain-to-brain interface (BBI) and muscle-to-muscle interface (MMI) in a closed-loop pattern. In this system, artificial paths (data flows) functionally connect natural paths (nerves). The intention from one subject (sender) is recognized using electroencephalography (EEG) based brain-computer interface (BCI), which is sent out to trigger transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the other subject (receiver) and induce hand motion; meanwhile TMS results in a significant change on the motor evoked potentials (MEP) recorded by electromyography (EMG) of the receiver’s arm, which triggers functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to the sender’s arm and generates hand motion. Human-controlled loop and automatic control loop experiments were performed with 6 pairs of healthy subjects to evaluate the performance of the introduced mechanism. The results indicated that response accuracy during human-controlled experiments was 85% which demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed method. During the automatic control test, two subjects could accomplish repetitive and reciprocal hand motion control up to 85 times consecutively.
HPLC-based quantification of bacterial housekeeping nucleotides and alarmone messengers ppGpp and pppGpp
Authors: Varik Vallo , Oliveira Sofia Raquel Alves , Hauryliuk Vasili , Tenson Tanel
Published: September 2017

Here we describe an HPLC-based method to quantify bacterial housekeeping nucleotides and the signaling messengers ppGpp and pppGpp. We have replicated and tested several previously reported HPLC-based approaches and assembled a method that can process 50 samples in three days, thus making kinetically resolved experiments feasible. The method combines cell harvesting by rapid filtration, followed by acid extraction, freeze-drying with chromatographic separation. We use a combination of C18 IPRP-HPLC (GMP unresolved and co-migrating with IMP; GDP and GTP; AMP, ADP and ATP; CTP; UTP) and SAX-HPLC in isocratic mode (ppGpp and pppGpp) with UV detection. The approach is applicable to bacteria without the requirement of metabolic labelling with 32P-labelled radioactive precursors. We applied our method to quantify nucleotide pools in Escherichia coli BW25113 K12-strain both throughout the growth curve and during acute stringent response induced by mupirocin. While ppGpp and pppGpp levels vary drastically (40- and ≥8-fold, respectively) these changes are decoupled from the quotients of the housekeeping pool and guanosine and adenosine housekeeping nucleotides: NTP/NDP/NMP ratio remains stable at 6/1/0.3 during both normal batch culture growth and upon acute amino acid starvation.
Sacral Neuromodulation for Refractory Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis: a Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Junpeng , Chen Yang , Chen Jiawei , Zhang Guihao , Wu Peng
Published: September 2017

Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) is a common debilitating disease and there has not been consistently effective treatment. We aimed to evaluate all available literature regarding the efficacy and safety of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for refractory BPS/IC. A comprehensive search of Pubmed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library through May 2016 was conducted. A total of 17 studies enrolling 583 patients were identified. Pooled analyses demonstrated that SNM was associated with great reduction in pelvic pain (weighted mean difference [WMD] −3.99; 95% confidence interval [CI] −5.22 to −2.76;p < 0.00001), Interstitial Cystitis Problem and Symptom Index scores (WMD −6.34; 95% CI −9.57 to −3.10;p = 0.0001; and WMD −7.17; 95% CI −9.90 to −4.45;p < 0.00001, respectively), daytime frequency (WMD −7.45; 95% CI −9.68 to −5.22;p < 0.00001), nocturia (WMD −3.01; 95% CI −3.56 to −2.45;p < 0.00001), voids per 24 hours (WMD −9.32; 95% CI −10.90 to −7.74;p < 0.00001) and urgency (WMD −1.08; 95% CI −1.79 to −0.37;p = 0.003) as well as significant improvement in average voided volume (WMD 95.16 ml; 95% CI 63.64 to 126.69;p < 0.0001). The pooled treatment success rate was 84% (95% CI 76% to 91%). SNM-related adverse events were minimal. Current evidence indicates that SNM might be effective and safe for treating refractory BPS/IC.
Densification of the interlayer spacing governs the nanomechanical properties of calcium-silicate-hydrate
Authors: Geng Guoqing , Myers Rupert J. , Qomi Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini , Monteiro Paulo J. M.
Published: September 2017

Calciuam-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) is the principal binding phase in modern concrete. Molecular simulations imply that its nanoscale stiffness is ‘defect-driven’, i.e., dominated by crystallographic defects such as bridging site vacancies in its silicate chains. However, experimental validation of this result is difficult due to the hierarchically porous nature of C-S-H down to nanometers. Here, we integrate high pressure X-ray diffraction and atomistic simulations to correlate the anisotropic deformation of nanocrystalline C-S-H to its atomic-scale structure, which is changed by varying the Ca-to-Si molar ratio. Contrary to the ‘defect-driven’ hypothesis, we clearly observe stiffening of C-S-H with increasing Ca/Si in the range 0.8 ≤ Ca/Si ≤ 1.3, despite increasing numbers of vacancies in its silicate chains. The deformation of these chains along the b-axis occurs mainly through tilting of the Si-O-Si dihedral angle rather than shortening of the Si-O bond, and consequently there is no correlation between the incompressibilities of the a- and b-axes and the Ca/Si. On the contrary, the intrinsic stiffness of C-S-H solid is inversely correlated with the thickness of its interlayer space. This work provides direct experimental evidence to conduct more realistic modelling of C-S-H-based cementitious material.
The unexpected role of bioaerosols in the Oxidative Potential of PM
Authors: Samake A. , Uzu G. , Martins J. M. F. , Calas A. , Vince E. , Parat S. , Jaffrezo J. L.
Published: September 2017

Bioaerosols represent up to 15–25% of PM by mass, but there is currently no assessment of their impact on Oxidative Potential (OP), or capacity of particulate matter (PM) to produce damaging oxidative reactions in the human lungs. Here, the OP of selected bioaerosols (bacteria cells vs fungal spores) was assessed through the cell-free DTT assay. Results show that bioaerosols induce Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production, varying along the microorganism type, species, and concentration. Fungal spores show up to 10 times more ROS generation than bacterial cells. At the highest concentrations, fungal spores present as much oxidative reactivity as the most redox-active airborne chemicals (Copper, Naphtoquinone). Moreover, bioaerosols substantially influence OP of ambient PM and that of its chemical constituents: in presence of A. fumigatus spores, the OP of Cu/NQ is increased by a factor of 2 to 5, whereas, 104 and 105 
S. epidermidis bacterial cells.mL−1 halves the OP of Cu/NQ. Finally, viable and gamma-rays-killed model bioaerosols present similar oxidative reactivity, suggesting a metabolism-independent cellular mechanism. These results reveal the importance of bioaerosols for PM reactivity. PM toxicity can be modified due to bioaerosols contribution or by their ability to modulate the OP of toxic chemicals present in PM.
Propagation of superconducting coherence via chiral quantum-Hall edge channels
Authors: Park Geon-Hyoung , Kim Minsoo , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Lee Hu-Jong
Published: September 2017

Recently, there has been significant interest in superconducting coherence via chiral quantum-Hall (QH) edge channels at an interface between a two-dimensional normal conductor and a superconductor (N–S) in a strong transverse magnetic field. In the field range where the superconductivity and the QH state coexist, the coherent confinement of electron- and hole-like quasiparticles by the interplay of Andreev reflection and the QH effect leads to the formation of Andreev edge states (AES) along the N–S interface. Here, we report the electrical conductance characteristics via the AES formed in graphene–superconductor hybrid systems in a three-terminal configuration. This measurement configuration, involving the QH edge states outside a graphene–S interface, allows the detection of the longitudinal and QH conductance separately, excluding the bulk contribution. Convincing evidence for the superconducting coherence and its propagation via the chiral QH edge channels is provided by the conductance enhancement on both the upstream and the downstream sides of the superconducting electrode as well as in bias spectroscopy results below the superconducting critical temperature. Propagation of superconducting coherence via QH edge states was more evident as more edge channels participate in the Andreev process for high filling factors with reduced valley-mixing scattering.
Differential degeneration of the ACTAGT sequence among Salmonella: a reflection of distinct nucleotide amelioration patterns during bacterial divergence
Authors: Tang Le , Mastriani Emilio , Zhou Yu-Jie , Zhu Songling , Fang Xin , Liu Yang-Peng , Liu Wei-Qiao , Li Yong-Guo , Johnston Randal N. , Guo Zheng , Liu Gui-Rong , Liu Shu-Lin
Published: September 2017

When bacteria diverge, they need to adapt to the new environments, such as new hosts or different tissues of the same host, by accumulating beneficial genomic variations, but a general scenario is unknown due to the lack of appropriate methods. Here we profiled the ACTAGT sequence and its degenerated forms (i.e., hexa-nucleotide sequences with one of the six nucleotides different from ACTAGT) in Salmonella to estimate the nucleotide amelioration processes of bacterial genomes. ACTAGT was mostly located in coding sequences but was also found in several intergenic regions, with its degenerated forms widely scattered throughout the bacterial genomes. We speculated that the distribution of ACTAGT and its degenerated forms might be lineage-specific as a consequence of different selection pressures imposed on ACTAGT at different genomic locations (in genes or intergenic regions) among different Salmonella lineages. To validate this speculation, we modelled the secondary structures of the ACTAGT-containing sequences conserved across Salmonella and many other enteric bacteria. Compared to ACTAGT at conserved regions, the degenerated forms were distributed throughout the bacterial genomes, with the degeneration patterns being highly similar among bacteria of the same phylogenetic lineage but radically different across different lineages. This finding demonstrates biased amelioration under distinct selection pressures among the bacteria and provides insights into genomic evolution during bacterial divergence.
The C-terminal residue of phage Vp16 PDF, the smallest peptide deformylase, acts as an offset element locking the active conformation
Authors: Grzela Renata , Nusbaum Julien , Fieulaine Sonia , Lavecchia Francesco , Bienvenut Willy V. , Dian Cyril , Meinnel Thierry , Giglione Carmela
Published: September 2017

Prokaryotic proteins must be deformylated before the removal of their first methionine. Peptide deformylase (PDF) is indispensable and guarantees this mechanism. Recent metagenomics studies revealed new idiosyncratic PDF forms as the most abundant family of viral sequences. Little is known regarding these viral PDFs, including the capacity of the corresponding encoded proteins to ensure deformylase activity. We provide here the first evidence that viral PDFs, including the shortest PDF identified to date, Vp16 PDF, display deformylase activity in vivo, despite the absence of the key ribosome-interacting C-terminal region. Moreover, characterization of phage Vp16 PDF underscores unexpected structural and molecular features with the C-terminal Isoleucine residue significantly contributing to deformylase activity both in vitro and in vivo. This residue fully compensates for the absence of the usual long C-domain. Taken together, these data elucidate an unexpected mechanism of enzyme natural evolution and adaptation within viral sequences.
Evolution analysis of heterogeneous non-small cell lung carcinoma by ultra-deep sequencing of the mitochondrial genome
Authors: Amer Wafa , Toth Csaba , Vassella Erik , Meinrath Jeannine , Koitzsch Ulrike , Arens Anne , Huang Jia , Eischeid Hannah , Adam Alexander , Buettner Reinhard , Scheel Andreas , Schaefer Stephan C. , Odenthal Margarete
Published: September 2017

Accurate assessment of tumour heterogeneity is an important issue that influences prognosis and therapeutic decision in molecular pathology. Due to the shortage of protective histones and a limited DNA repair capacity, the mitochondrial (mt)-genome undergoes high variability during tumour development. Therefore, screening of mt-genome represents a useful molecular tool for assessing precise cell lineages and tracking tumour history. Here, we describe a highly specific and robust multiplex PCR-based ultra-deep sequencing technology for analysis of the whole mt-genome (wmt-seq) on low quality-DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. As a proof of concept, we applied the wmt-seq technology to characterize the clonal relationship of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens with multiple lesions (N = 43) that show either different histological subtypes (group I) or pulmonary adenosquamous carcinoma as striking examples of a mixed-histology tumour (group II). The application of wmt-seq demonstrated that most samples bear common mt-mutations in each lesion of an individual patient, indicating a single cell progeny and clonal relationship. Hereby we show the monoclonal origin of histologically heterogeneous NSCLC and demonstrate the evolutionary relation of NSCLC cases carrying heteroplasmic mt-variants.
Transcriptional analysis of genes involved in competitive nodulation in Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens at the presence of soybean root exudates
Authors: Liu Yao , Jiang Xin , Guan Dawei , Zhou Wei , Ma Mingchao , Zhao Baisuo , Cao Fengming , Li Li , Li Jun
Published: September 2017

Nodulation competition is a key factor that limits symbiotic nitrogen fixation between rhizobia and their host legumes. Soybean root exudates (SREs) are thought to act as signals that influence Bradyrhizobium ability to colonize roots and to survive in the rhizosphere, and thus they act as a key determinant of nodulation competitiveness. In order to find the competitiveness-related genes in B. diazoefficiens, the transcriptome of two SREs treated B. diazoefficiens with completely different nodulation abilities (B. diazoefficiens 4534 and B. diazoefficiens 4222) were sequenced and compared. In SREs treated strain 4534 (SREs-4534), 253 unigenes were up-regulated and 204 unigenes were down-regulated. In SREs treated strain 4534 (SREs-4222), the numbers of up- and down-regulated unigenes were 108 and 185, respectively. There were considerable differences between the SREs-4534 and SREs-4222 gene expression profiles. Some differentially expressed genes are associated with a two-component system (i.g., nodW, phyR-σEcfG), bacterial chemotaxis (i.g., cheA, unigene04832), ABC transport proteins (i.g., unigene02212), IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) metabolism (i.g., nthA, nthB), and metabolic fitness (i.g., put.), which may explain the higher nodulation competitiveness of B. diazoefficiens in the rhizosphere. Our results provide a comprehensive transcriptomic resource for SREs treated B. diazoefficiens and will facilitate further studies on competitiveness-related genes in B. diazoefficiens.
Creation and Initial Characterization of Isogenic Helicobacter pylori CagA EPIYA Variants Reveals Differential Activation of Host Cell Signaling Pathways
Authors: Bridge Dacie R. , Blum Faith C. , Jang Sungil , Kim Jinmoon , Cha Jeong-Heon , Merrell D. Scott
Published: September 2017

The polymorphic CagA toxin is associated withHelicobacter pylori-induced disease. Previous data generated using non-isogenic strains and transfection models suggest that variation surrounding the C-terminal Glu-Pro-Ile-Tyr-Ala (EPIYA) motifs as well as the number of EPIYA motifs influence disease outcome. To investigate potential CagA-mediated effects on host cell signaling, we constructed and characterized a large panel of isogenicH. pyloristrains that differ primarily in the CagA EPIYA region. The number of EPIYA-C motifs or the presence of an EPIYA-D motif impacted early changes in host cell elongation; however, the degree of elongation was comparable across all strains at later time points. In contrast, the strain carrying the EPIYA-D motif induced more IL-8 secretion than any other EPIYA type, and a single EPIYA-C motif induced comparable IL-8 secretion as isolates carrying multiple EPIYA-C alleles. Similar levels of ERK1/2 activation were induced by all strains carrying a functional CagA allele. Together, our data suggest that polymorphism in the CagA C-terminus is responsible for differential alterations in some, but not all, host cell signaling pathways. Notably, our results differ from non-isogenic strain studies, thus highlighting the importance of using isogenic strains to study the role of CagA toxin polymorphism in gastric cancer development.