bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Near-ideal spontaneous photon sources in silicon quantum photonics
Authors: Paesani S. , Borghi M. , Signorini S. , Maïnos A. , Pavesi L. , Laing A. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractWhile integrated photonics is a robust platform for quantum information processing, architectures for photonic quantum computing place stringent demands on high quality information carriers. Sources of single photons that are highly indistinguishable and pure, that are either near-deterministic or heralded with high efficiency, and that are suitable for mass-manufacture, have been elusive. Here, we demonstrate on-chip photon sources that simultaneously meet each of these requirements. Our photon sources are fabricated in silicon using mature processes, and exploit a dual-mode pump-delayed excitation scheme to engineer the emission of spectrally pure photon pairs through inter-modal spontaneous four-wave mixing in low-loss spiralled multi-mode waveguides. We simultaneously measure a spectral purity of 0.9904 ± 0.0006, a mutual indistinguishability of 0.987 ± 0.002, and >90% intrinsic heralding efficiency. We measure on-chip quantum interference with a visibility of 0.96 ± 0.02 between heralded photons from different sources.
Alkyne–Alkene [2 + 2] cycloaddition based on visible light photocatalysis
Authors: Ha Sujin , Lee Yeji , Kwak Yoonna , Mishra Akash , Yu Eunsoo , Ryou Bokyeong , Park Cheol-Min 
Published: May 2020

AbstractUV-activated alkyne–alkene [2 + 2] cycloaddition has served as an important tool to access cyclobutenes. Although broadly adopted, the limitations with UV light as an energy source prompted us to explore an alternative method. Here we report alkyne–alkene [2 + 2] cycloaddition based on visible light photocatalysis allowing the synthesis of diverse cyclobutenes and 1,3-dienes via inter- and intramolecular reactions. Extensive mechanistic studies suggest that the localized spin densities at sp2 carbons of alkenes account for the productive sensitization of alkenes despite their similar triplet levels of alkenes and alkynes. Moreover, the efficient formation of 1,3-dienes via tandem triplet activation of the resulting cyclobutenes is observed when intramolecular enyne cycloaddition is performed, which may serve as a complementary means to the Ru(II)-catalyzed enyne metathesis. In addition, the utility of the [2 + 2] cycloaddition has been demonstrated by several synthetic transformations including synthesis of various extended π-systems.
A meta-analysis of gene expression data highlights synaptic dysfunction in the hippocampus of brains with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Hosseinian Saeedeh , Arefian Ehsan , Rakhsh-Khorshid Hassan , Eivani Mehdi , Rezayof Ameneh , Pezeshk Hamid , Marashi Sayed-Amir 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSince the world population is ageing, dementia is going to be a growing concern. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease is extensively studied, yet unknown remains. Therefore, we aimed to extract new knowledge from existing data. We analysed about 2700 upregulated genes and 2200 downregulated genes from three studies on the CA1 of the hippocampus of brains with Alzheimer’s disease. We found that only the calcium signalling pathway enriched by 48 downregulated genes was consistent between all three studies. We predicted miR-129 to target nine out of 48 genes. Then, we validated miR-129 to regulate six out of nine genes in HEK cells. We noticed that four out of six genes play a role in synaptic plasticity. Finally, we confirmed the upregulation of miR-129 in the hippocampus of brains of rats with scopolamine-induced amnesia as a model of Alzheimer’s disease. We suggest that future research should investigate the possible role of miR-129 in synaptic plasticity and Alzheimer’s disease. This paper presents a novel framework to gain insight into potential biomarkers and targets for diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Evaluating White Matter Lesion Segmentations with Refined Sørensen-Dice Analysis
Authors: Carass Aaron , Roy Snehashis , Gherman Adrian , Reinhold Jacob C. , Jesson Andrew , Arbel Tal , Maier Oskar , Handels Heinz , Ghafoorian Mohsen , Platel Bram , Birenbaum Ariel , Greenspan Hayit , Pham Dzung L. , Crainiceanu Ciprian M. , Calabresi Peter A. , Prince Jerry L. , Roncal William R. Gray , Shinohara Russell T. , Oguz Ipek 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe Sørensen-Dice index (SDI) is a widely used measure for evaluating medical image segmentation algorithms. It offers a standardized measure of segmentation accuracy which has proven useful. However, it offers diminishing insight when the number of objects is unknown, such as in white matter lesion segmentation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We present a refinement for finer grained parsing of SDI results in situations where the number of objects is unknown. We explore these ideas with two case studies showing what can be learned from our two presented studies. Our first study explores an inter-rater comparison, showing that smaller lesions cannot be reliably identified. In our second case study, we demonstrate fusing multiple MS lesion segmentation algorithms based on the insights into the algorithms provided by our analysis to generate a segmentation that exhibits improved performance. This work demonstrates the wealth of information that can be learned from refined analysis of medical image segmentations.
Temporal and spatial distribution of soil water and nitrate content affected by surface irrigation and fertilizer rate in silage corn fields
Authors: Liu Yuchun , Wang Ning , Jiang Changsong , Archer Leigh , Wang Yao 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAmong surface irrigation systems, long border and furrow are more adaptive to mechanized farming but may cause a non-uniform distribution of water and nutrients. In this study, field experiments were carried out in a flat silage corn field in Hebei, China to investigate the uniformity along the length of border or furrow to understand the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of soil water, electrical conductivity, and nitrate. This will guide irrigation and fertigation management recommendations, land consolidation, and high standard farmland construction. Border and furrow irrigation were tested using fertilizer rates of 750, 600, 450 and 300 kg/ha. Low quarter distribution uniformity (DUlq) and storage efficiency (E) were quantified to determine the distribution of soil water and soil nitrate content. The results indicate heterogeneity along the length of the border or furrow is weak for soil water content and is moderate for nitrate content, based on the uniformity coefficient (CV). The average low quarter distribution uniformity of soil water (DUlqW) was 96.34, there was a significant effect of irrigation type on DUlqW, and the DUlqW for border irrigation was 0.8% larger than that for furrow irrigation. The average low quarter distribution uniformity of nitrate content DUlqN was 79.04, and there was no significant influence of irrigation type and fertilizer rate on DUlqN. Spatial and temporal distribution analysis showed that the variation of soil water in the 0–60 cm soil layer was larger than that in 60–100 cm soil layer, and the electrical conductivity (EC) and nitrate content gradually decreased with increasing soil depth. There was a decreasing trend in soil EC and nitrate content with decreasing fertilizer rates. The storage efficiency of water (EW) for border irrigation was 56.63, and significantly lower than that for furrow irrigation over the whole growth duration. The nitrate storage efficiency (EN) was 65.47, and there was no significant effect of irrigation type or fertilizer rate on EN. Even with longer borders or furrows of 90 m, the uniformity of water and nitrate along the length of the border or furrow is weak or medium, which can create non-uniform conditions for crop growth. Furrow irrigation may store slightly more water in the top 60 cm of soil compared to border irrigation. Fertilizer rate had no significant effect on the uniformity and distribution of soil water or nitrate.
Induction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) by non-enzymatic reagents targeting vitreous collagen liquefaction as well as vitreoretinal adhesion
Authors: Santra Mithun , Sharma Maryada , Katoch Deeksha , Jain Sahil , Saikia Uma Nahar , Dogra Mangat R. , Luthra-Guptasarma Manni 
Published: May 2020

AbstractInduction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) by pharmacologic vitreolysis has been largely attempted through the use of enzymatic reagents. Ocriplasmin has been the only FDA-approved clinical reagent so far. Several adverse effects of ocriplasmin have emerged, however, and the search for alternative PVD-inducing reagents continues. Since i) collagen forms an important structural component of the vitreous, and ii) strong vitreo-retinal adhesions exist between the cortical vitreous and the internal limiting membrane (ILM) of the retina, an effective PVD-inducing reagent would require both, vitreous liquefaction, and concurrent dehiscence of vitreoretinal adhesion, without being toxic to retinal cells. We designed a combination of two reagents to achieve these two objectives; a triple helix-destabilizing collagen binding domain (CBD), and a fusion of RGD (integrin-binding) tripeptide with CBD (RCBD) to facilitate separation of posterior cortical vitreous from retinal surface. Based on in vitro, ex-vivo, and in vivo experiments, we show that a combination of CBD and RCBD displays potential for safe pharmacologic vitreolysis. Our findings assume significance in light of the fact that synthetic RGD-containing peptides have already been used for inhibition of tumor cell invasion. Proteins such as variants of collagen binding domains could have extended therapeutic uses in the future.
XROMM and diceCT reveal a hydraulic mechanism of tongue base retraction in swallowing
Authors: Orsbon Courtney P. , Gidmark Nicholas J. , Gao Tingran , Ross Callum F. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractDuring primate swallowing, tongue base retraction (TBR) drives the food bolus across the oropharynx towards the esophagus and flips the epiglottis over the laryngeal inlet, protecting against penetration and aspiration of food into the airway. Despite the importance of TBR for swallowing performance, the mechanics of TBR are poorly understood. Using biplanar videoradiography (XROMM) of four macaque monkeys, we tested theextrinsic muscle shortening hypothesis, which posits that shortening of the hyoglossus and styloglossus muscles pulls the tongue base posteriorly, and themuscular hydrostatorintrinsic tongue muscle hypothesis, which suggests that, because the tongue is composed of incompressible fluid, intrinsic muscle shortening increases tongue length and displaces the tongue base posteriorly. Our data falsify these hypotheses. Instead we suggest a novelhydraulic mechanismof TBR: shortening and rotation of suprahyoid muscles compresses the tongue between the hard palate, hyoid and mouth floor, squeezing the midline tongue base and food bolus back into the oropharynx. Our hydraulic mechanism is consistent with available data on human tongue swallowing kinematics. Rehabilitation for poor tongue base retraction might benefit from including suprahyoid muscle exercises during treatment.
Levonorgestrel correlates with less weight gain than other progestins during hormonal replacement therapy in Turner Syndrome patients
Authors: Mathez Andréia Latanza Gomes , Monteagudo Patrícia Teófilo , do Nascimento Verreschi Ieda Therezinha , Dias-da-Silva Magnus Régios 
Published: May 2020

AbstractTurner Syndrome (TS) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications. Furthermore, TS women need hormone replacement therapy (HRT), of which progestins can influence body weight. We aimed to analyze the metabolic and weight profile in a cohort of 111 TS women. They started receiving estrogen at 15.8 (±3.6) years old, with no change in hypertension, dysglycemia, and dyslipidemia incidence but with a tendency to increase overweight (p = 0.054). As the first used type of progestin, most had received cycles of 10 days per month of medroxyprogesterone (MPA) or levonorgestrel (LNG), then shifted to micronized progesterone (MP), which has currently become the most used one. By multiple linear regression analysis, we found that the prolonged use of MPA, LNG, or MP showed no metabolic change except for weight gain. The percentage of annual BMI increment was positive for all progestins used in TS women (MPA 2.2 ± 2.2; LNG 0.2 ± 1.2; and MP 2.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2), but LNG seemed to best prevent on weight gain over time (p < 0.05). In conclusion, metabolic comorbidities are prevalent in TS even before the HRT regimen, and LNG performed better on less weight gain than MPA and MP in our cohort of the TS population.
Machine-learning based exploration of determinants of gray matter volume in the KORA-MRI study
Authors: Galiè Franziska , Rospleszcz Susanne , Keeser Daniel , Beller Ebba , Illigens Ben , Lorbeer Roberto , Grosu Sergio , Selder Sonja , Auweter Sigrid , Schlett Christopher L. , Rathmann Wolfgang , Schwettmann Lars , Ladwig Karl-Heinz , Linseisen Jakob , Peters Annette , Bamberg Fabian , Ertl-Wagner Birgit , Stoecklein Sophia 
Published: May 2020

AbstractTo identify the most important factors that impact brain volume, while accounting for potential collinearity, we used a data-driven machine-learning approach. Gray Matter Volume (GMV) was derived from magnetic resonance imaging (3T, FLAIR) and adjusted for intracranial volume (ICV). 93 potential determinants of GMV from the categories sociodemographics, anthropometric measurements, cardio-metabolic variables, lifestyle factors, medication, sleep, and nutrition were obtained from 293 participants from a population-based cohort from Southern Germany. Elastic net regression was used to identify the most important determinants of ICV-adjusted GMV. The four variables age (selected in each of the 1000 splits), glomerular filtration rate (794 splits), diabetes (323 splits) and diabetes duration (122 splits) were identified to be most relevant predictors of GMV adjusted for intracranial volume. The elastic net model showed better performance compared to a constant linear regression (mean squared error = 1.10 vs. 1.59, p < 0.001). These findings are relevant for preventive and therapeutic considerations and for neuroimaging studies, as they suggest to take information on metabolic status and renal function into account as potential confounders.
Regulation of vitamin D system in skeletal muscle and resident myogenic stem cell during development, maturation, and ageing
Authors: Srikuea Ratchakrit , Hirunsai Muthita , Charoenphandhu Narattaphol 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSkeletal muscle exhibits enormous plasticity throughout life, however, less is known regarding how the stages of growth regulate its local vitamin D system. Herein, we investigated serum 25(OH)D3 and Ca2+ levels along with the vitamin D system in skeletal muscle and resident myogenic stem cells of male C57BL/6 mice during development, maturation, and ageing. Compared with development, significant increases in vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein expression in mature and aged muscles were associated with increased serum 25(OH)D3 and centronucleated fibres, respectively. The substantial increase in VDR protein expression in aged muscle was also related to reduced downstream mTOR signalling protein expression which was more pronounced in fast-glycolytic compared to slow-oxidative muscles. Intriguingly, serum Ca2+ and vitamin D-metabolising enzyme (CYP27B1 and CYP24A1) levels in skeletal muscle were not different across age. In primary cell culture, nuclear VDR protein was expressed in undifferentiated skeletal muscle stem cells (SMSC) after 1α,25(OH)2D3 treatment. Additionally, a diminished response to 1α,25(OH)2D3 was observed with age as there was a rapid commitment of SMSC towards differentiation under growth-stimulating conditions. Collectively, understanding the local vitamin D system in skeletal muscle could help develop effective interventions for vitamin D supplementation to improve skeletal muscle mass and function during ageing.
Complex Impedance Analyses of Li doped ZnO Electrolyte Materials
Authors: Shawuti Shalima , Sherwani Atta ur Rehman , Can Musa Mutlu , Gülgün Mehmet Ali 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe recent studies indicate that internal point defects in solid electrolytes modify the electronic and ionic conductivity and relaxation mechanism of solid oxide fuel cells. We focused on synthesis of Lithium (Li) doped Zn1-xCoxO (x = 0.00, and 0.10) nanoparticles employing chemical synthesis technique with a reflux setup under constant Argon gas flow. The structural characterizations were performed by x-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Then, Rietveld refinements were performed to investigate the replacement of Li atom amount in ZnO lattice. Moreover, the variations in ionic conduction dependent on 5, 10 and 20 mol% Li doped ZnO were analysed via ac impedance spectroscopy. The complex measurements were performed in an intermediate temperature range from 100 °C to 400 °C. Ac conductivity responses of each sample were disappeared at a certain temperature due to becoming electronic conductive oxides. However, this specific temperature was tuned to high temperature by Li doping amount in ZnO lattice. Furthermore, the activation energy change by Li dopant amount implied the tuneable ionic conduction mechanism.
Clues of in vivo nuclear gene regulation by mitochondrial short non-coding RNAs
Authors: Passamonti Marco , Calderone Marco , Delpero Manuel , Plazzi Federico 
Published: May 2020

AbstractGene expression involves multiple processes, from transcription to translation to the mature, functional peptide, and it is regulated at multiple levels. Small RNA molecules are known to bind RNA messengers affecting their fate in the cytoplasm (a process generically termed ‘RNA interference’). Such small regulatory RNAs are well-known to be originated from the nuclear genome, while the role of mitochondrial genome in RNA interference was largely overlooked. However, evidence is growing that mitochondrial DNA does provide the cell a source of interfering RNAs. Small mitochondrial highly transcribed RNAs (smithRNAs) have been proposed to be transcribed from the mitochondrion and predicted to regulate nuclear genes. Here, for the first time, we show in vivo clues of the activity of two smithRNAs in the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum. Moreover, we show that smithRNAs are present and can be annotated in representatives of the three main bilaterian lineages; in some cases, they were already described and assigned to a small RNA category (e.g., piRNAs) given their biogenesis, while in other cases their biogenesis remains unclear. If mitochondria may affect nuclear gene expression through RNA interference, this opens a plethora of new possibilities for them to interact with the nucleus and makes metazoan mitochondrial DNA a much more complex genome than previously thought.
Arabinogalactan-proteins of Zostera marina L. contain unique glycan structures and provide insight into adaption processes to saline environments
Authors: Pfeifer Lukas , Shafee Thomas , Johnson Kim L. , Bacic Antony , Classen Birgit 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSeagrasses evolved from monocotyledonous land plants that returned to the marine habitat. This transition was accomplished by substantial changes in cell wall composition, revealing habitat-driven adaption to the new environment. Whether arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), important signalling molecules of land plants, are present in seagrass cell walls is of evolutionary and plant development interest. AGPs of Zostera marina L. were isolated and structurally characterised by analytical and bioinformatics methods as well as by ELISA with different anti-AGP antibodies. Calcium-binding capacity of AGPs was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and microscopy. Bioinformatic searches of the Z. marina proteome identified 9 classical AGPs and a large number of chimeric AGPs. The glycan structures exhibit unique features, including a high degree of branching and an unusually high content of terminating 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid (4-OMe GlcA) residues. Although the common backbone structure of land plant AGPs is conserved in Z. marina, the terminating residues are distinct with high amounts of uronic acids. These differences likely result from the glycan-active enzymes (glycosyltransferases and methyltransferases) and are essential for calcium-binding properties. The role of this polyanionic surface is discussed with regard to adaption to the marine environment.
Lactate preconditioning promotes a HIF-1α-mediated metabolic shift from OXPHOS to glycolysis in normal human diploid fibroblasts
Authors: Kozlov Alexandra M. , Lone Asad , Betts Dean H. , Cumming Robert C. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractRecent evidence has emerged that cancer cells can use various metabolites as fuel sources. Restricting cultured cancer cells to sole metabolite fuel sources can promote metabolic changes leading to enhanced glycolysis or mitochondrial OXPHOS. However, the effect of metabolite-restriction on non-transformed cells remains largely unexplored. Here we examined the effect of restricting media fuel sources, including glucose, pyruvate or lactate, on the metabolic state of cultured human dermal fibroblasts. Fibroblasts cultured in lactate-only medium exhibited reduced PDH phosphorylation, indicative of OXPHOS, and a concurrent elevation of ROS. Lactate exposure primed fibroblasts to switch to glycolysis by increasing transcript abundance of genes encoding glycolytic enzymes and, upon exposure to glucose, increasing glycolytic enzyme levels. Furthermore, lactate treatment stabilized HIF-1α, a master regulator of glycolysis, in a manner attenuated by antioxidant exposure. Our findings indicate that lactate preconditioning primes fibroblasts to switch from OXPHOS to glycolysis metabolism, in part, through ROS-mediated HIF-1α stabilization. Interestingly, we found that lactate preconditioning results in increased transcript abundance of MYC and SNAI1, key facilitators of early somatic cell reprogramming. Defined metabolite treatment may represent a novel approach to increasing somatic cell reprogramming efficiency by amplifying a critical metabolic switch that occurs during iPSC generation.
Neck circumference is associated with adipose tissue content in thigh skeletal muscle in overweight and obese premenopausal women
Authors: Arias Tellez Maria Jose , Silva Analiza M. , Ruiz Jonatan R. , Martins Sandra S. , Palmeira António L. , Branco Teresa L. , Minderico Claudia S. , Rocha Paulo M. , Themudo-Barata José , Teixeira Pedro J. , Sardinha Luís B. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractNeck circumference (NC) has been proposed as a simple and practical tool, independently associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the association of NC with inter-muscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is still to be determined. We aimed to examine the association of NC with thigh IMAT, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) measured with computed tomography (CT) in overweight/obese women. 142 premenopausal overweight and obese Caucasian women participated in this cross-sectional study. NC was measured with an inextensible metallic tape above the thyroid cartilage according to International Society for Advancement of Kinanthropometry protocol. Thigh IMAT and VAT volumes were measured with a single cross-sectional CT. Regarding the covariates, fat mass (FM) was assessed with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and physical activity was objectively measured with accelerometry. NC was positively associated with thigh IMAT and VAT volumes (standardized β coefficient: β = 0.45, P-value = ≤0.001, β = 0.60, P = ≤ 0.001; respectively), which persisted after adjusting for age, height, overall FM or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Our findings show that NC is associated with thigh IMAT volume in overweight and obese premenopausal Caucasian women, regardless of the amount of lower-body fatness. These results suggest underscoring the relevance of NC as a marker of adipose tissue content in thigh skeletal muscle.