bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Participation of the adenosine salvage pathway and cyclic AMP modulation in oocyte energy metabolism
Authors: Richani Dulama , Lavea Cathy F. , Kanakkaparambil Raji , Riepsamen Angelique H. , Bertoldo Michael J. , Bustamante Sonia , Gilchrist Robert B. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractA follicular spike in cyclic AMP (cAMP) and its subsequent degradation to AMP promotes oocyte maturation and ovulation. In vitro matured (IVM) oocytes do not receive the cAMP increase that occurs in vivo, and artificial elevation of cAMP in IVM cumulus-oocyte complexes improves oocyte developmental potential. This study examined whether mouse oocytes can use the cAMP degradation product AMP to generate ATP via the adenosine salvage pathway, and examined whether pharmacological elevation of cAMP in IVM cumulus-oocyte complexes alters ATP levels. Oocytes cultured with isotopic 13C5-AMP dose-dependently produced 13C5-ATP, however total cellular ATP remained constant. Pharmacological elevation of cAMP using forskolin and IBMX prior to IVM decreased oocyte ATP and ATP:ADP ratio, and promoted activity of the energy regulator AMPK. Conversely, cumulus cells exhibited higher ATP and no change in AMPK. Culture of oocytes without their cumulus cells or inhibition of their gap-junctional communication yielded lower oocyte 13C5-ATP, indicating that cumulus cells facilitate ATP production via the adenosine salvage pathway. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that mouse oocytes can generate ATP from AMP via the adenosine salvage pathway, and cAMP elevation alters adenine nucleotide metabolism and may provide AMP for energy production via the adenosine salvage pathway during the energetically demanding process of meiotic maturation.
Female bias in an immigratory population of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis moths based on field surveys and laboratory tests
Authors: Guo Jia-Wen , Yang Fan , Li Ping , Liu Xiang-Dong , Wu Qiu-Lin , Hu Gao , Zhai Bao-Ping 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSex ratio bias is common in migratory animals and can affect population structure and reproductive strategies, thereby altering population development. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that lead to sex ratio bias in migratory insect populations. In this study, we used Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, a typical migratory pest of rice, to explore this phenomenon. A total of 1,170 moths were collected from searchlight traps during immigration periods in 2015–2018. Females were much more abundant than males each year (total females: total males = 722:448). Sex-based differences in emergence time, take-off behaviour, flight capability and energy reserves were evaluated in a laboratory population. Females emerged 0.78 days earlier than males. In addition, the emigratory propensity and flight capability of female moths were greater than those of male moths, and female moths had more energy reserves than did male moths. These results indicate that female moths migrate earlier and can fly farther than male moths, resulting more female moths in the studied immigratory population.
Oxytocin maintains lung histological and functional integrity to confer protection in heat stroke
Authors: Lin Cheng-Hsien , Tsai Cheng-Chia , Chen Tzu-Hao , Chang Ching-Ping , Yang Hsi-Hsing 
Published: December 2019

AbstractOxytocin (OT) has been reported to have a protective effect in lipopolysaccharide-induced experimental acute lung injury (ALI). However, its role in heat stroke-related ALI has never been investigated. Herein, we aimed to explore the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of action of OT on heat-induced ALI. Rats were treated with OT 60 min before the start of heat stress (42 °C for 80 min). Twenty minutes after the termination of heat stress, the effects of OT on lung histopathological changes, edema, acute pleurisy and the bronchoalveolar fluid levels of inflammatory cytokines and indicators of ischemia, cellular damage, and oxidative damage were assessed. We also evaluated the influence of OT pretreatment on heat-induced hypotension, hyperthermia, ALI score, and death in a rat model of heat stroke. The results showed that OT significantly reduced heat-induced lung edema, neutrophil infiltration, hemorrhage score, myeloperoxidase activity, ischemia, and the levels of inflammatory and oxidative damage markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The survival assessment confirmed the pathophysiological and biochemical results. An OT receptor antagonist (L-368,899) was administered 10 min before the OT injection to further demonstrate the role of OT in heat-induced ALI. The results showed that OT could not protect against the aforementioned heat stroke responses in rats treated with L-368,899. Interestingly, OT treatment 80 min after the start of heat shock did not affect survival. In conclusion, our data indicate that OT pretreatment can reduce the ischemic, inflammatory and oxidative responses related to heat-induced ALI in rats.
Spatiotemporal Characterizations of Spontaneously Beating Cardiomyocytes with Adaptive Reference Digital Image Correlation
Authors: Shradhanjali Akankshya , Riehl Brandon D. , Duan Bin , Yang Ruiguo , Lim Jung Yul 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWe developed an Adaptive Reference-Digital Image Correlation (AR-DIC) method that enables unbiased and accurate mechanics measurements of moving biological tissue samples. We applied the AR-DIC analysis to a spontaneously beating cardiomyocyte (CM) tissue, and could provide correct quantifications of tissue displacement and strain for the beating CMs utilizing physiologically-relevant, sarcomere displacement length-based contraction criteria. The data were further synthesized into novel spatiotemporal parameters of CM contraction to account for the CM beating homogeneity, synchronicity, and propagation as holistic measures of functional myocardial tissue development. Our AR-DIC analyses may thus provide advanced non-invasive characterization tools for assessing the development of spontaneously contracting CMs, suggesting an applicability in myocardial regenerative medicine.
Autistic-traits, not anxiety, modulate implicit emotional guidance of attention in neurotypical adults
Authors: English Michael C. W. , Maybery Murray T. , Visser Troy A. W. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAlthough autistic and anxious traits are positively correlated, high levels of autistic traits are associated with poorer emotional guidance of attention (EGA) whilst high levels of anxious traits are associated with greater EGA. In order to better understand how these two trait dimensions influence EGA, we simultaneously examined the effects of anxiety and autistic traits in neurotypical adults on target identification in an attentional blink task. Analyses indicated that implicit EGA is attenuated in individuals with higher levels of autistic traits, but largely unaffected by variation in anxious traits. Our results suggest that anxiety plays a comparatively limited role in modulating implicit EGA and reinforces the importance of disentangling correlated individual differences when exploring the effects of personality, including emotional predisposition, on attention.
A dual inhibitor of the proteasome catalytic subunits LMP2 and Y attenuates disease progression in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Yeo In Jun , Lee Min Jae , Baek Ahruem , Miller Zachary , Bhattarai Deepak , Baek Yu Mi , Jeong Hyun Jung , Kim Yun Kyung , Kim Dong-Eun , Hong Jin Tae , Kim Kyung Bo 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe immunoproteasome (iP) is a variant of the constitutive proteasome (cP) that is abundantly expressed in immune cells which can also be induced in somatic cells by cytokines such as TNF-α or IFN-γ. Accumulating evidence support that the iP is closely linked to multiple facets of inflammatory response, eventually leading to the development of several iP inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for autoimmune diseases. Recent studies also found that the iP is upregulated in reactive glial cells surrounding amyloid β (Aβ) deposits in brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, but the role it plays in the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of several proteasome inhibitors on cognitive function in AD mouse models and found that YU102, a dual inhibitor of the iP catalytic subunit LMP2 and the cP catalytic subunit Y, ameliorates cognitive impairments in AD mouse models without affecting Aβ deposition. The data obtained from our investigation revealed that YU102 suppresses the secretion of inflammatory cytokines from microglial cells. Overall, this study indicates that there may exist a potential link between LMP2/Y and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and that inhibition of these subunits may offer a new therapeutic strategy for AD.
A low-cost 2-D video system can accurately and reliably assess adaptive gait kinematics in healthy and low vision subjects
Authors: Zult Tjerk , Allsop Jonathan , Tabernero Juan , Pardhan Shahina 
Published: December 2019

Abstract3-D gait analysis is the gold standard but many healthcare clinics and research institutes would benefit from a system that is inexpensive and simple but just as accurate. The present study examines whether a low-cost 2-D motion capture system can accurately and reliably assess adaptive gait kinematics in subjects with central vision loss, older controls, and younger controls. Subjects were requested to walk up and step over a 10 cm high obstacle that was positioned in the middle of a 4.5 m walkway. Four trials were simultaneously recorded with the Vicon motion capture system (3-D system) and a video camera that was positioned perpendicular to the obstacle (2-D system). The kinematic parameters (crossing height, crossing velocity, foot placement, single support time) were calculated offline. Strong Pearson’s correlations were found between the two systems for all parameters (average r = 0.944, all p < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the agreement between the two systems was good in all three groups after correcting for systematic biases related to the 2-D marker positions. The test-retest reliability for both systems was high (average ICC = 0.959). These results show that a low-cost 2-D video system can reliably and accurately assess adaptive gait kinematics in healthy and low vision subjects.
The Mediterranean diet reduces the genetic risk of chromosome 9p21 for myocardial infarction in an Asian population community cohort
Authors: Leu Hsin-Bang , Chung Chia-Min , Chen Jaw-Wen , Pan Wen-Harn 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe interaction of genetic susceptibility and dietary habits in cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains undetermined. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a Mediterranean dietary style modified the genetic risk of developing CVD in a Chinese cohort. A total of 2098 subjects with dietary information from a Chinese community cohort (CVDFACTS) were enrolled. Candidate genes, including SNP markers rs1333049 (CDKN2B, 9p21.3), rs17465637 (MIA3, 1q41) and rs501120 (CXCL12, 10q11.21), were genotyped to analyze the association with future CVD. The impact of dietary pattern was also analyzed according to adherence to the diet using the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). After an average follow-up of 7.8 years, only the C risk allele of rs1333049 at chromosome 9p21.3 was associated with a higher risk of MI with either an additive [HR = 1.78, 95% CI:1.23–2.5] or a recessive model [HR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.42–4.04], and the CC genotype had a higher risk of developing MI (p = 0.009, log-rank test). There was no significant difference in the association of the lipid profile with future CV outcomes among the MDS tertiles. However, the high MI risk of the CC genotype in individuals consuming a less healthy diet (MDS1) (HR: 6.39, 95% CI: 1.74–23.43) significantly decreased to 2.38 (95% CI: 0.57–10.04) in individuals consuming a healthier diet (MDS3), indicating that a healthier dietary pattern (higher MDS) modified the risk of developing MI in carriers of variants in CDKN2B. In conclusion, genetic variants of CDKN2B at 9p21 were significantly associated with future MI risk in a Chinese cohort, and the genetic risk of MI could be modified by a healthier diet.
Water-soluble phosphorus contributes significantly to shaping the community structure of rhizospheric bacteria in rocky desertification areas
Authors: Xie Jinge , Xue Wenzhi , Li Cong , Yan Zongqiang , Li Dong , Li Guoqiang , Chen Xiwen , Chen Defu 
Published: December 2019

AbstractMicroorganisms play important roles in soil improvement. Therefore, clarifying the contribution of environmental factors in shaping the microbial community structure is beneficial to improve soil fertility in karst rocky desertification areas. Here, the bacterial community structures of eight rhizospheric soil samples collected from perennial fruit plantations were analysed using an Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. The diversity and abundance of bacteria in rocky desertification areas were significantly lower than those in non-rocky desertification areas, while the bacterial community structure was not significantly different between root surface and non-root surface soils in the same rhizospheric soil samples. Proteobacteria predominated in rocky desertification areas, while Actinobacteria predominated in non-rocky desertification areas. Correlation analysis revealed that water-soluble phosphorus content (r2 = 0.8258), latitude (r2 = 0.7556), altitude (r2 = 0.7501), and the age of fruit trees (r2 = 0.7321) were positively correlated with the bacterial community structure, while longitude, pH, and total phosphorus content did not significantly influence the soil bacterial community structure. As water-soluble phosphorus content is derived from insoluble phosphorus minerals, supplementing phosphorus-solubilising bacteria to soils in rocky desertification areas is a feasible strategy for accelerating the dissolution of insoluble phosphorus minerals and improving agricultural production and environment ecology.
Magnetoelectric Coupling by Piezoelectric Tensor Design
Authors: Irwin J. , Lindemann S. , Maeng W. , Wang J. J. , Vaithyanathan V. , Hu J. M. , Chen L. Q. , Schlom D. G. , Eom C. B. , Rzchowski M. S. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractStrain-coupled magnetoelectric (ME) phenomena in piezoelectric/ferromagnetic thin-film bilayers are a promising paradigm for sensors and information storage devices, where strain manipulates the magnetization of the ferromagnetic film. In-plane magnetization rotation with an electric field across the film thickness has been challenging due to the large reduction of in-plane piezoelectric strain by substrate clamping, and in two-terminal devices, the requirement of anisotropic in-plane strain. Here we show that these limitations can be overcome by designing the piezoelectric strain tensor using the boundary interaction between biased and unbiased piezoelectric. We fabricated 500 nm thick, (001) oriented [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]0.7-[PbTiO3]0.3 (PMN-PT) unclamped piezoelectric membranes with ferromagnetic Ni overlayers. Guided by analytical and numerical continuum elastic calculations, we designed and fabricated two-terminal devices exhibiting electric field-driven Ni magnetization rotation. We develop a method that can apply designed strain patterns to many other materials systems to control properties such as superconductivity, band topology, conductivity, and optical response.
Functional importance of NUDT9H domain and N-terminal ADPR-binding pocket in two species variants of vertebrate TRPM2 channels
Authors: Kühn Frank J. P. , Ehrlich Wiebke , Barth Daniel , Kühn Cornelia , Lückhoff Andreas 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThere are at least two different principles of how ADP-ribose (ADPR) induces activation of TRPM2 channels. In human TRPM2, gating requires the C-terminal NUDT9H domain as ADPR-binding module, whereas in sea anemone, NUDT9H is dispensable and binding of ADPR occurs N-terminally. Zebrafish TRPM2 needs both, the N-terminal ADPR-binding pocket and NUDT9H. Our aim was to pinpoint the relative functional contributions of NUDT9H and the N-terminal ADPR-binding pocket in zebrafish TRPM2, to identify fundamental mechanisms of ADPR-directed gating. We show that the NUDT9H domains of human and zebrafish TRPM2 are interchangeable since chimeras generate ADPR-sensitive channels. A point mutation at a highly conserved position within NUDT9H induces loss-of-function in both vertebrate channels. The substrate specificity of zebrafish TRPM2 corresponds to that of sea anemone TRPM2, indicating gating by the proposed N-terminal ADPR-binding pocket. However, a point mutation in this region abolishes ADPR activation also in human TRPM2. These findings provide functional evidence for an uniform N-terminal ADPR-binding pocket in TRPM2 of zebrafish and sea anemone with modified function in human TRPM2. The structural importance of NUDT9H in vertebrate TRPM2 can be associated with a single amino acid residue which is not directly involved in the binding of ADPR.
Either Rap1 or Cdc13 can protect telomeric single-stranded 3′ overhangs from degradation in vitro
Authors: Runnberg Rikard , Narayanan Saishyam , Itriago Humberto , Cohn Marita 
Published: December 2019

AbstractTelomeres, the DNA-protein structures capping the ends of linear chromosomes, are important for regulating replicative senescence and maintaining genome stability. Telomeres consist of G-rich repetitive sequences that end in a G-rich single-stranded (ss) 3′ overhang, which is vital for telomere function. It is largely unknown how the 3′ overhang is protected against exonucleases. In budding yeast, double-stranded (ds) telomeric DNA is bound by Rap1, while ssDNA is bound by Cdc13. Here, we developed an in vitro DNA 3′end protection assay to gain mechanistic insight into how Naumovozyma castellii Cdc13 and Rap1 may protect against 3′ exonucleolytic degradation by Exonuclease T. Our results show that Cdc13 protects the 3′ overhang at least 5 nucleotides (nt) beyond its binding site, when bound directly adjacent to the ds-ss junction. Rap1 protects 1–2 nt of the 3′ overhang when bound to dsDNA adjacent to the ds-ss junction. Remarkably, when Rap1 is bound across the ds-ss junction, the protection of the 3′ overhang is extended to 6 nt. This shows that binding by either Cdc13 or Rap1 can protect telomeric overhangs from 3′ exonucleolytic degradation, and suggests a new important role for Rap1 in protecting short overhangs under circumstances when Cdc13 cannot bind the telomere.
Study on method to achieve high transmutation of LLFP using fast reactor
Authors: Wakabayashi Toshio , Tachi Yoshiaki , Takahashi Makoto , Chiba Satoshi , Takaki Naoyuki 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to clarify the method to achieve high transmutation rates of four long-lived fission products (79Se, 99Tc, 107Pd, and 129I) using a fast reactor. New LLFP target assemblies were invented in consideration of the suppression of thermal spikes in adjacent fuel assemblies by combining YD2 and YH2 moderators or using a thermal neutron filter material. It was clarified that the high transmutation rate of about 8%/year was achieved, if the new LLFP target assemblies of 4 nuclides were loaded in the blanket region of the sodium cooled, MOX fueled fast reactor. The feasibility of the LLFP transmutation target was clarified through experiments on material properties and fabrication of the LLFP target, YH2 and YD2 moderators.
GJA8 missense mutation disrupts hemichannels and induces cell apoptosis in human lens epithelial cells
Authors: Li Li , Fan Da-Bei , Zhao Ya-Ting , Li Yun , Yang Zi-Bing , Zheng Guang-Ying 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAutosomal dominant congenital cataract (ADCC), the most common hereditary disease, is a major cause of eye disease in children. Due to its high genetic and clinical heterogeneity, the identification of ADCC-associated gene mutations is essential for the development of molecular therapies. In this study, we examined a four-generation Chinese pedigree with ADCC and identified putative mutations in ADCC candidate genes via next-generation sequencing (NGS) followed by Sanger sequencing. A novel missense mutation in GJA8 (c.T217C) in ADCC patients causes a serine-to-proline substitution at residue 73 of connexin 50 (Cx50); no mutation was found in unaffected family members and unrelated healthy individuals. Functional analysis revealed that this missense mutation disrupts protein function in human lens epithelial cells (HLEpiCs), which fails to form calcium-sensitive hemichannels. Furthermore, mutant Cx50 leads to decreased ROS scavenging by inhibiting G6PD expression and thus induces cell apoptosis via aberrant activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). In conclusion, we report a novel GJA8 heterozygous mutation in a Chinese family with a vital role in ADCC, broadening the genetic spectrum of this disease.
C-phycocyanin: a natural product with radiosensitizing property for enhancement of colon cancer radiation therapy efficacy through inhibition of COX-2 expression
Authors: Kefayat Amirhosein , Ghahremani Fatemeh , Safavi Ashkan , Hajiaghababa Alireza , Moshtaghian Jamal 
Published: December 2019

AbstractDifferent chemical and nanomaterial agents have been introduced for radiosensitizing purposes. However, many researchers believe these agents are far away from clinical application due to side effects and limited knowledge about their behavior in the human body. In this study, C-phycocyanin (C-PC) was used as a natural radiosensitizer for enhancement of radiation therapy (RT) efficacy. C-PC treatment’s effect on the COX-2 expression of cancer cells was investigated by flow cytometry, western blot, qRT-PCR analyses in vitro and in vivo. Subsequently, the radiosensitizing effect of C-PC treatment was investigated by MTT and clonogenic cell survival assays for CT-26, DLD-1, HT-29 colon cancer cell lines and the CRL-1831 as normal colonic cells. In addition, the C-PC treatment effect on the radiation therapy efficacy was evaluated according to CT-26 tumor’s growth progression and immunohistochemistry analyses of Ki-67 labeling index. C-PC treatment (200 µg/mL) could significantly enhance the radiation therapy efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Synergistic interaction was detected at C-PC and radiation beams co-treatment based on Chou and Talalay formula (combination index <1), especially at 200 µg/mL C-PC and 6 Gy radiation dosages. The acquired DEF of C-PC treatment was 1.39, 1.4, 1.63, and 1.05 for CT-26, DLD-1, HT-29, and CRL-1831 cells, respectively. Also, C-PC + RT treated mice exhibited 35.2% lower mean tumors’ volume and about 6 days more survival time in comparison with the RT group (P < 0.05). In addition, C-PC + RT group exhibited 54% lower Ki-67 index in comparison with the RT group. Therefore, C-PC can exhibit high radiosensitizing effects. However, the potential cardiovascular risks of C-PC as a COX-2 inhibitor should be evaluated with extensive preclinical testing before developing this agent for clinical trials.
Strain-dependent structure and Raman behaviours in the heavy-ion irradiated manganite at extreme low dose
Authors: Hoang Nam Nhat , Pham Duc Huyen Yen , Nguyen The Nghia 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe microstrains in heavy-ion irradiated manganite LaMnO3 can be managed in linear response of irradiation dose, and the corresponding internal pressure up to 8 GPa can be induced by varying doses. The response of structure under stress is studied by means of Density Functional Theory and Lattice Dynamic Calculation. All obtained Raman scattering lines are discussed in details to shed light onto structural changes during ion implantation. There appears new resonance peak at around 550 cm−1, which splits from broad features in the spectra, and attributes to the anti-symmetric vibrations of O6 cages. The blue shift of this peak scales to ~2.4 cm−1 per 1 GPa of stress. Another strong feature showing considerable blue shift is seen in the vicinity of 640 cm−1 and corresponds to one of rhombohedral distortion related soft modes. A weak mode, not frequently reported, is seen at around 420 cm−1 and corresponds to translation-like motions of fixed O6 cages.