bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A role of oligodendrocytes in information processing
Authors: Moore Sharlen , Meschkat Martin , Ruhwedel Torben , Trevisiol Andrea , Tzvetanova Iva D. , Battefeld Arne , Kusch Kathrin , Kole Maarten H. P. , Strenzke Nicola , Möbius Wiebke , de Hoz Livia , Nave Klaus-Armin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractMyelinating oligodendrocytes enable fast propagation of action potentials along the ensheathed axons. In addition, oligodendrocytes play diverse non-canonical roles including axonal metabolic support and activity-dependent myelination. An open question remains whether myelination also contributes to information processing in addition to speeding up conduction velocity. Here, we analyze the role of myelin in auditory information processing using paradigms that are also good predictors of speech understanding in humans. We compare mice with different degrees of dysmyelination using acute multiunit recordings in the auditory cortex, in combination with behavioral readouts. We find complex alterations of neuronal responses that reflect fatigue and temporal acuity deficits. We observe partially discriminable but similar deficits in well myelinated mice in which glial cells cannot fully support axons metabolically. We suggest a model in which myelination contributes to sustained stimulus perception in temporally complex paradigms, with a role of metabolically active oligodendrocytes in cortical information processing.
Observation of site-controlled localized charged excitons in CrI3/WSe2 heterostructures
Authors: Mukherjee Arunabh , Shayan Kamran , Li Lizhong , Shan Jie , Mak Kin Fai , Vamivakas A. Nick 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIsolated spins are the focus of intense scientific exploration due to their potential role as qubits for quantum information science. Optical access to single spins, demonstrated in III-V semiconducting quantum dots, has fueled research aimed at realizing quantum networks. More recently, quantum emitters in atomically thin materials such as tungsten diselenide have been demonstrated to host optically addressable single spins by means of electrostatic doping the localized excitons. Electrostatic doping is not the only route to charging localized quantum emitters and another path forward is through band structure engineering using van der Waals heterojunctions. Critical to this second approach is to interface tungsten diselenide with other van der Waals materials with relative band-alignments conducive to the phenomenon of charge transfer. In this work we show that the Type-II band-alignment between tungsten diselenide and chromium triiodide can be exploited to excite localized charged excitons in tungsten diselenide. Leveraging spin-dependent charge transfer in the device, we demonstrate spin selectivity in the preparation of the spin-valley state of localized single holes. Combined with the use of strain-inducing nanopillars to coordinate the spatial location of tungsten diselenide quantum emitters, we uncover the possibility of realizing large-scale deterministic arrays of optically addressable spin-valley holes in a solid state platform.
Autonomously revealing hidden local structures in supercooled liquids
Authors: Boattini Emanuele , Marín-Aguilar Susana , Mitra Saheli , Foffi Giuseppe , Smallenburg Frank , Filion Laura 
Published: October 2020

AbstractFew questions in condensed matter science have proven as difficult to unravel as the interplay between structure and dynamics in supercooled liquids. To explore this link, much research has been devoted to pinpointing local structures and order parameters that correlate strongly with dynamics. Here we use an unsupervised machine learning algorithm to identify structural heterogeneities in three archetypical glass formers—without using any dynamical information. In each system, the unsupervised machine learning approach autonomously designs a purely structural order parameter within a single snapshot. Comparing the structural order parameter with the dynamics, we find strong correlations with the dynamical heterogeneities. Moreover, the structural characteristics linked to slow particles disappear further away from the glass transition. Our results demonstrate the power of machine learning techniques to detect structural patterns even in disordered systems, and provide a new way forward for unraveling the structural origins of the slow dynamics of glassy materials.
Fenofibrate prevents iron induced activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin and oxidative stress signaling in the retina
Authors: Mandala Ashok , Armstrong Austin , Girresch Becky , Zhu Jiyao , Chilakala Aruna , Chavalmane Sanmathi , Chaudhary Kapil , Biswas Pratim , Ogilvie Judith , Gnana-Prakasam Jaya P. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAccumulating evidence strongly implicates iron in the pathogenesis of aging and disease. Iron levels have been found to increase with age in both the human and mouse retinas. We and others have shown that retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are associated with disrupted iron homeostasis, resulting in retinal iron accumulation. In addition, hereditary disorders due to mutation in one of the iron regulatory genes lead to age dependent retinal iron overload and degeneration. However, our knowledge on whether iron toxicity contributes to the retinopathy is limited. Recently, we reported that iron accumulation is associated with the upregulation of retinal and renal renin–angiotensin system (RAS). Evidences indicate that multiple genes/components of the RAS are targets of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Interestingly, aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is observed in several degenerative diseases. In the present study, we explored whether iron accumulation regulates canonical Wnt signaling in the retina. We found that in vitro and in vivo iron treatment resulted in the upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and its downstream target genes including renin–angiotensin system in the retina. We confirmed further that iron activates canonical Wnt signaling in the retina using TOPFlash T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor promoter assay and Axin2-LacZ reporter mouse. The presence of an iron chelator or an antioxidant reversed the iron-mediated upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. In addition, treatment of RPE cells with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α-agonist fenofibrate prevented iron-induced activation of oxidative stress and Wnt/β-catenin signaling by chelating the iron. The role of fenofibrate, an FDA-approved drug for hyperlipidemia, as an iron chelator has potentially significant therapeutic impact on iron associated degenerative diseases.
Association of a dysbiotic oral microbiota with the development of focal lymphocytic sialadenitis in IκB-ζ-deficient mice
Authors: Lee Junho , Alam Jehan , Choi Eunji , Ko Yeon Kyeong , Lee Ahreum , Choi Youngnim 
Published: October 2020

AbstractMice lacking IκB-ζ, a protein encoded by the Nfkbiz gene, spontaneously develop a Sjögren’s syndrome-like disease involving the lachrymal glands, but no salivary gland symptoms have been reported. We found that Nfkbiz−/− female mice presented a significantly reduced salivary flow rate, focal lymphocytic sialadenitis (FLS), and a dysbiotic oral microbiota at week 24. To dissect the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the salivary gland phenotype, Nfkbiz+/+ and Nfkbiz−/− mice were cohoused after weaning and evaluated at week 20. Cohousing alleviated the salivary gland phenotype of Nfkbiz−/− mice but did not induce any disease phenotype in Nfkbiz+/+ mice. Additionally, the oral microbiota in the cohoused mice was synchronized toward that in Nfkbiz+/+ mice. In conclusion, IκB-ζ-deficient mice developed hyposalivation and FLS, in which a dysbiotic oral microbiota played an important role. This finding suggests that the dysbiotic oral microbiota could be a therapeutic target.
Re1−xMox as an ideal test case of time-reversal symmetry breaking in unconventional superconductors
Authors: Shang Tian , Baines Christopher , Chang Lieh-Jeng , Gawryluk Dariusz Jakub , Pomjakushina Ekaterina , Shi Ming , Medarde Marisa , Shiroka Toni 
Published: October 2020

AbstractNon-centrosymmetric superconductors (NCSCs) are promising candidates in the search for unconventional and topological superconductivity. The α-Mn-type rhenium-based alloys represent excellent examples of NCSCs, where spontaneous magnetic fields, peculiar to time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking, have been shown to develop in the superconducting phase. By converse, TRS is preserved in many other isostructural NCSCs, thus leaving the key question about its origin fully open. Here, we consider the superconducting Re1−xMox (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) family, which comprises both centro- and non-centrosymmetric structures and includes also two extra superconducting phases, β-CrFe and bcc-W. Muon-spin relaxation and rotation (μSR) measurements show a gradual increase of the relaxation rate below Tc, yet its independence of the crystal structure, suggesting that rhenium presence and its amount are among the key factors for the appearance and the extent of TRS breaking in the α-Mn-type NCSCs. The reported results propose Re1−xMox as an ideal test case for investigating TRS breaking in unconventional superconductors.
Strong spin–orbit quenching via the product Jahn–Teller effect in neutral group IV qubits in diamond
Authors: Ciccarino Christopher J. , Flick Johannes , Harris Isaac B. , Trusheim Matthew E. , Englund Dirk R. , Narang Prineha 
Published: October 2020

AbstractArtificial atom qubits in diamond have emerged as leading candidates for a range of solid-state quantum systems, from quantum sensors to repeater nodes in memory-enhanced quantum communication. Inversion-symmetric group IV vacancy centers, comprised of Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb dopants, hold particular promise as their neutrally charged electronic configuration results in a ground-state spin triplet, enabling long spin coherence above cryogenic temperatures. However, despite the tremendous interest in these defects, a theoretical understanding of the electronic and spin structure of these centers remains elusive. In this context, we predict the ground-state and excited-state properties of the neutral group IV color centers from first principles. We capture the product Jahn–Teller effect found in the excited state manifold to second order in electron–phonon coupling, and present a nonperturbative treatment of the effect of spin–orbit coupling. Importantly, we find that spin–orbit splitting is strongly quenched due to the dominant Jahn–Teller effect, with the lowest optically-active 3Eu state weakly split into ms-resolved states. The predicted complex vibronic spectra of the neutral group IV color centers are essential for their experimental identification and have key implications for use of these systems in quantum information science.
In-vivo lung fibrosis staging in a bleomycin-mouse model: a new micro-CT guided densitometric approach
Authors: Mecozzi Laura , Mambrini Martina , Ruscitti Francesca , Ferrini Erica , Ciccimarra Roberta , Ravanetti Francesca , Sverzellati Nicola , Silva Mario , Ruffini Livia , Belenkov Sasha , Civelli Maurizio , Villetti Gino , Stellari Fabio Franco 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAlthough increasing used in the preclinical testing of new anti-fibrotic drugs, a thorough validation of micro-computed tomography (CT) in pulmonary fibrosis models has not been performed. Moreover, no attempts have been made so far to define density thresholds to discriminate between aeration levels in lung parenchyma. In the present study, a histogram-based analysis was performed in a mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis by micro-CT, evaluating longitudinal density changes from 7 to 21 days after BLM challenge, a period representing the progression of fibrosis. Two discriminative densitometric indices (i.e. 40th and 70th percentiles) were extracted from Hounsfield Unit density distributions and selected for lung fibrosis staging. The strong correlation with histological findings (rSpearman = 0.76, p < 0.01) confirmed that variations in 70th percentile could reflect a pathological lung condition and estimate the effect of antifibrotic treatments. This index was therefore used to define lung aeration levels in mice distinguishing in hyper-inflated, normo-, hypo- and non-aerated pulmonary compartments. A retrospective analysis performed on a large cohort of mice confirmed the correlation between the proposed preclinical density thresholds and the histological outcomes (rSpearman = 0.6, p < 0.01), strengthening their suitability for tracking disease progression and evaluating antifibrotic drug candidates.
Improving read alignment through the generation of alternative reference via iterative strategy
Authors: Bu Lina , Wang Qi , Gu Wenjin , Yang Ruifei , Zhu Di , Song Zhuo , Liu Xiaojun , Zhao Yiqiang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThere is generally one standard reference sequence for each species. When extensive variations exist in other breeds of the species, it can lead to ambiguous alignment and inaccurate variant calling and, in turn, compromise the accuracy of downstream analysis. Here, with the help of the FPGA hardware platform, we present a method that generates an alternative reference via an iterative strategy to improve the read alignment for breeds that are genetically distant to the reference breed. Compared to the published reference genomes, by using the alternative reference sequences we built, the mapping rates of Chinese indigenous pigs and chickens were improved by 0.61–1.68% and 0.09–0.45%, respectively. These sequences also enable researchers to recover highly variable regions that could be missed using public reference sequences. We also determined that the optimal number of iterations needed to generate alternative reference sequences were seven and five for pigs and chickens, respectively. Our results show that, for genetically distant breeds, generating an alternative reference sequence can facilitate read alignment and variant calling and improve the accuracy of downstream analyses.
Novel investigation of perovskite membrane based electrochemical nitric oxide control phenomenon
Authors: Welles Thomas S. , Ahn Jeongmin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe combustion of hydrocarbon fuels within the automotive industry results in harmful and reactive incomplete combustion byproducts. Specifically, nitric oxide emissions (NO) lead to increased smog, acid rain, climate change, and respiratory inflammation within the population [Nitrogen Dioxide | American Lung Association]. Current methods for treating combustion exhaust include the catalytic converter in conjunction with nitrogen oxide traps. However, there is no active, continuous reduction method that does not require restrictions on the combustion environment (Hirata in Catal Surv Asia 18:128–133, 2014). Here, a small voltage potential oscillation across a newly designed electro-chemical catalytic membrane significantly reduces NO emissions. A ceramic membrane consisting of two dissimilar metal electrodes, sandwiching a dielectric layer, is able to achieve an NO reduction in excess of 2X that of a platinum group metal (PGM) three way catalytic converter. An analysis of the exhaust effluent from the membranes indicates N2O as a precursor to N2 and O2 formation, without the introduction of ammonia (NH3), during the reaction of NO indicating a divergence from current literature. Our results demonstrate how an oscillatory electric potential on a catalytic surface may alter anticipated reaction chemistry and interaction between the catalytic surface and fluid flow.
Supplementation of branched-chain amino acids decreases fat accumulation in the liver through intestinal microbiota-mediated production of acetic acid
Authors: Iwao Masao , Gotoh Koro , Arakawa Mie , Endo Mizuki , Honda Koichi , Seike Masataka , Murakami Kazunari , Shibata Hirotaka 
Published: October 2020

AbstractNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant problem because its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Recent animal studies have identified gut microbiota as a potentially important player in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Previously, we reported that the administration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) reduces hepatic fat accumulation in experimental animal models. This study aimed to clarify how changes in the intestinal microbial flora following the administration of BCAAs affect a high-fat diet (HF)-induced fat accumulation in the liver. We examined whether the administration of BCAAs alters the development of hepatic fat accumulation as well as intestinal microbial flora. The oral administration of BCAAs (3% kcal) induced a significant increase in Ruminococcus flavefaciens (R. flavefaciens) and portal acetic acid levels, and it reduced hepatic fat accumulation in HF-fed rats. In addition, BCAAs reduced the expression of the lipogenesis-related genes FAS and ACC in the liver. Furthermore, we observed that R. flavefaciens is essential for promoting a BCAA-induced reduction in hepatic fat accumulation. These data suggest that BCAA treatment induces the proliferation of intestinal flora including R. flavefaciens and that portal acetic acid synthesized from intestinal flora improves NAFLD by downregulating the expression of FAS and ACC in the liver.
Decline of six native mason bee species following the arrival of an exotic congener
Authors: LeCroy Kathryn A. , Savoy-Burke Grace , Carr David E. , Delaney Deborah A. , Roulston T’ai H. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA potential driver of pollinator declines that has been hypothesized but seldom documented is the introduction of exotic pollinator species. International trade often involves movement of many insect pollinators, especially bees, beyond their natural range. For agricultural purposes or by inadvertent cargo shipment, bee species successfully establishing in new ranges could compete with native bees for food and nesting resources. In the Mid-Atlantic United States, two Asian species of mason bee (Osmia taurusandO. cornifrons) have become recently established. Using pan-trap records from the Mid-Atlantic US, we examined catch abundance of two exotic and six nativeOsmiaspecies over the span of fifteen years (2003–2017) to estimate abundance changes. All native species showed substantial annual declines, resulting in cumulative catch losses ranging 76–91% since 2003. Exotic species fared much better, withO. cornifronsstable andO. taurusincreasing by 800% since 2003. We characterize the areas of niche overlap that may lead to competition between native and exotic species ofOsmia, and we discuss how disease spillover and enemy release in this system may result in the patterns we document.
An innovative technique for electronic transport model of group-III nitrides
Authors: Srivastava Anshika , Saxena Anshu , Saxena Praveen K. , Gupta F. K. , Shakya Priyanka , Srivastava Pankaj , Dixit Manish , Gambhir S. , Shukla R. K. , Srivastava A. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAn optimized empirical pseudopotential method (EPM) in conjunction with virtual crystal approximation (VCA) and the compositional disorder effect is used for simulation to extract the electronic material parameters of wurtzite nitride alloys to ensure excellent agreement with the experiments. The proposed direct bandgap results of group-III nitride alloys are also compared with the different density functional theories (DFT) based theoretical results. The model developed in current work, significantly improves the accuracy of calculated band gaps as compared to the ab-initio method based results. The physics of carrier transport in binary and ternary nitride materials is investigated with the help of in-house developed Monte Carlo algorithms for solution of Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) including nonlinear scattering mechanisms. Carrier–carrier scattering mechanisms defined through Coulomb-, piezoelectric-, ionized impurity-, surface roughness-scattering with acoustic and intervalley scatterings, all have been given due consideration in present model. The direct and indirect energy bandgap results have been calibrated with the experimental data and use of symmetric and asymmetric form factors associated with respective materials. The electron mobility results of each binary nitride material have been compared and contrasted with experimental results under appropriate conditions and good agreement has been found between simulated and experimental results.
Preparation and characterization of amnion hydrogel and its synergistic effect with adipose derived stem cells towards IL1β activated chondrocytes
Authors: Bhattacharjee Maumita , Ivirico Jorge L. Escobar , Kan Ho-Man , Bordett Rosalie , Pandey Rishikesh , Otsuka Takayoshi , Nair Lakshmi S. , Laurencin Cato T. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractInflammation leads to chondrocyte senescence and cartilage degeneration, resulting in osteoarthritis (OA). Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) exert paracrine effects protecting chondrocytes from degenerative changes. However, the lack of optimum delivery systems for ADSCs limits its use in the clinic. The use of extracellular matrix based injectable hydrogels has gained increased attention due to their unique properties. In the present study, we developed hydrogels from amnion tissue as a delivery system for ADSCs. We investigated the potential of amnion hydrogel to maintain ADSC functions, the synergistic effect of AM with ADSC in preventing the catabolic responses of inflammation in stimulated chondrocytes. We also investigated the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in IL-1β induced inflammation in chondrocytes and the ability of AM-ADSC to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our results showed that AM hydrogels supported cell viability, proliferation, and stemness. ADSCs, AM hydrogels and AM-ADSCs inhibited the catabolic responses of IL-1β and inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, indicating possible involvement of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in IL-1β induced inflammation. The results also showed that the synergistic effect of AM-ADSCs was more pronounced in preventing catabolic responses in activated chondrocytes. In conclusion, we showed that AM hydrogels can be used as a potential carrier for ADSCs, and can be developed as a potential therapeutic agent for treating OA.