bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nicotianamine-chelated iron positively affects iron status, intestinal morphology and microbial populations in vivo (Gallus gallus)
Authors: Beasley Jesse T. , Johnson Alexander A. T. , Kolba Nikolai , Bonneau Julien P. , Glahn Raymond P. , Ozeri Lital , Koren Omry , Tako Elad 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWheat flour iron (Fe) fortification is mandatory in 75 countries worldwide yet many Fe fortificants, such as Fe-ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), result in unwanted sensory properties and/or gastrointestinal dysfunction and dysbiosis. Nicotianamine (NA) is a natural chelator of Fe, zinc (Zn) and other metals in higher plants and NA-chelated Fe is highly bioavailable in vitro. In graminaceous plants NA serves as the biosynthetic precursor to 2′ -deoxymugineic acid (DMA), a related Fe chelator and enhancer of Fe bioavailability, and increased NA/DMA biosynthesis has proved an effective Fe biofortification strategy in several cereal crops. Here we utilized the chicken (Gallus gallus) model to investigate impacts of NA-chelated Fe on Fe status and gastrointestinal health when delivered to chickens through intraamniotic administration (short-term exposure) or over a period of six weeks as part of a biofortified wheat diet containing increased NA, Fe, Zn and DMA (long-term exposure). Striking similarities in host Fe status, intestinal functionality and gut microbiome were observed between the short-term and long-term treatments, suggesting that the effects were largely if not entirely due to consumption of NA-chelated Fe. These results provide strong support for wheat with increased NA-chelated Fe as an effective biofortification strategy and uncover novel impacts of NA-chelated Fe on gastrointestinal health and functionality.
A new nonlinear viscoelastic model and mathematical solution of solids for improving prediction accuracy
Authors: Xu Qinwu , Engquist Björn , Solaimanian Mansour , Yan Kezhen 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe developed an innovative material nonlinear viscoelastic model with physical mechanism and mathematical solution to improve existing ones. The relaxation modulus transits from the glassy stage to the rubbery stage through a time-dependent viscosity in a continuous spectrum considering the nonlinear strain hardening. Experimental results of differential solid materials including asphalt concrete, agarose gel, vaginal tissue, polymer, agar, bone, spider silk, and hydrogel demonstrate that the developed model is superior to generalized Maxwell model or Prony series for more accurate prediction outside of the range for data fitting while using much less model parameters. Numerical simulation results indicate that the new model has improved accuracy. It is stable numerically, and does not reduce computation speed. Therefore, the model may be used to simulate a broad range of viscoelastic solids for predicting experimental data and responses with improved accuracy.
Active nuclear import of the deacetylase Sirtuin-2 is controlled by its C-terminus and importins
Authors: Eldridge Matthew J. G. , Pereira Jorge M. , Impens Francis , Hamon Mélanie A. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe NAD-dependent deacetylase Sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) functions in diverse cellular processes including the cell cycle, metabolism, and has important roles in tumorigenesis and bacterial infection. SIRT2 predominantly resides in the cytoplasm but can also function in the nucleus. Consequently, SIRT2 localisation and its interacting partners may greatly impact its function and need to be defined more clearly. In this study we used mass spectrometry to determine the interactomes of SIRT2 in whole cells and in specific cellular fractions; cytoplasm, nucleus and chromatin. Using this approach, we identified novel interacting partners of SIRT2. These included a number of proteins that function in nuclear import. We show that multiple importins interact with and contribute to the basal nuclear shuttling of SIRT2 and that one of these, IPO7 is required for SIRT2 mediated H3K18 deacetylation in response to bacterial infection. Furthermore, we reveal that the unstructured C-terminus of SIRT2 negatively regulates importin-binding and nuclear transport. This study demonstrates that SIRT2 is actively transported into the nucleus via a process regulated by its C-terminus and provides a resource of SIRT2 interacting partners.
Human cytomegalovirus promoting endothelial cell proliferation by targeting regulator of G-protein signaling 5 hypermethylation and downregulation
Authors: Zhang Xiaoni , Tang Na , Xi Dongmei , Feng Qian , Liu Yongmin , Wang Lamei , Tang Yan , Zhong Hua , He Fang 
Published: February 2020

AbstractInteractions between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and environmental factors can increase susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH). Although endothelial dysfunction is the initial factor of EH, the epigenetic mechanisms through which HCMV infection induces endothelial cell dysfunction are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated whether HCMV regulated endothelial cell function and assessed the underlying mechanisms. Microarray analysis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with HCMV AD169 strain in the presence of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia revealed differential expression of genes involved in hypertension. Further analyses validated that the regulator of G-protein signaling 5 (RGS5) gene was downregulated in infected HUVECs and showed that HCMV infection promoted HUVEC proliferation, whereas hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia inhibited HUVEC proliferation. Additionally, treatment with decitabine (DAC) and RGS5 reversed the effects of HCMV infection on HUVEC proliferation, but not triggered by hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. In summary, upregulation of RGS5 may be a promising treatment for preventing HCMV-induced hypertension.
3D Patterning of cells in Magnetic Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Goranov V. , Shelyakova T. , De Santis R. , Haranava Y. , Makhaniok A. , Gloria A. , Tampieri A. , Russo A. , Kon E. , Marcacci M. , Ambrosio L. , Dediu V. A. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractA three dimensional magnetic patterning of two cell types was realised in vitro inside an additive manufactured magnetic scaffold, as a conceptual precursor for the vascularised tissue. The realisation of separate arrangements of vascular and osteoprogenitor cells, labelled with biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles, was established on the opposite sides of the scaffold fibres under the effect of non-homogeneous magnetic gradients and loading magnetic configuration. The magnetisation of the scaffold amplified the guiding effects by an additional trapping of cells due to short range magnetic forces. The mathematical modelling confirmed the strong enhancement of the magnetic gradients and their particular geometrical distribution near the fibres, defining the preferential cell positioning on the micro-scale. The manipulation of cells inside suitably designed magnetic scaffolds represents a unique solution for the assembling of cellular constructs organised in biologically adequate arrangements.
Mineral Fabric as a Hidden Variable in Fracture Formation in Layered Media
Authors: Jiang Liyang , Yoon Hongkyu , Bobet Antonio , Pyrak-Nolte Laura J. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractTwo longstanding goals in subsurface science are to induce fractures with a desired geometry and to adaptively control the interstitial geometry of existing fractures in response to changing subsurface conditions. Here, we demonstrate that microscopic mineral fabric and structure interact with macroscopic strain fields to generate emergent meso-scale geometries of induced fractures. These geometries define preferential directions of flow. Using additively manufactured rock, we demonstrate that highly conductive flow paths can be formed in tensile fractures by creating corrugated surfaces. Generation, suppression and enhancement of corrugations depend on the relative orientation between mineral fabric and layering. These insights into the role of micro-scale structure on macro-scale flow provide a new method for designing subsurface strategies to maximize potential production or to inhibit flow.
Caspase-1-dependent inflammasomes mediate photoreceptor cell death in photo-oxidative damage-induced retinal degeneration
Authors: Wooff Yvette , Fernando Nilisha , Wong Josephine H. C. , Dietrich Catherine , Aggio-Bruce Riemke , Chu-Tan Joshua A. , Robertson Avril A. B. , Doyle Sarah L. , Man Si Ming , Natoli Riccardo 
Published: February 2020

AbstractActivation of the inflammasome is involved in the progression of retinal degenerative diseases, in particular, in the pathogenesis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), with NLRP3 activation the focus of many investigations. In this study, we used genetic and pharmacological approaches to explore the role of the inflammasome in a mouse model of retinal degeneration. We identify that Casp1/11−/− mice have better-preserved retinal function, reduced inflammation and increased photoreceptor survivability. While Nlrp3−/− mice display some level of preservation of retinal function compared to controls, pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 did not protect against photoreceptor cell death. Further, Aim2−/−, Nlrc4−/−, Asc−/−, and Casp11−/− mice show no substantial retinal protection. We propose that CASP-1-associated photoreceptor cell death occurs largely independently of NLRP3 and other established inflammasome sensor proteins, or that inhibition of a single sensor is not sufficient to repress the inflammatory cascade. Therapeutic targeting of CASP-1 may offer a more promising avenue to delay the progression of retinal degenerations.
Wild blueberry proanthocyanidins shape distinct gut microbiota profile and influence glucose homeostasis and intestinal phenotypes in high-fat high-sucrose fed mice
Authors: Rodríguez-Daza Maria-Carolina , Daoust Laurence , Boutkrabt Lemia , Pilon Geneviève , Varin Thibault , Dudonné Stéphanie , Levy Émile , Marette André , Roy Denis , Desjardins Yves 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBlueberries are a rich source of polyphenols, widely studied for the prevention or attenuation of metabolic diseases. However, the health contribution and mechanisms of action of polyphenols depend on their type and structure. Here, we evaluated the effects of a wild blueberry polyphenolic extract (WBE) (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) on cardiometabolic parameters, gut microbiota composition and gut epithelium histology of high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet-induced obese mice and determined which constitutive polyphenolic fractions (BPF) was responsible for the observed effects. To do so, the whole extract was separated in three fractions, F1) Anthocyanins and phenolic acids, F2) oligomeric proanthocyanidins (PACs), phenolic acids and flavonols (PACs degree of polymerization DP < 4), and F3) PACs polymers (PACs DP > 4) and supplied at their respective concentration in the whole extract. After 8 weeks, WBE reduced OGTT AUC by 18.3% compared to the HFHS treated rodents and the F3 fraction contributed the most to this effect. The anthocyanin rich F1 fraction did not reproduce this response. WBE and the BPF restored the colonic mucus layer. Particularly, the polymeric PACs-rich F3 fraction increased the mucin-secreting goblet cells number. WBE caused a significant 2-fold higher proportion of Adlercreutzia equolifaciens whereas oligomeric PACs-rich F2 fraction increased by 2.5-fold the proportion of Akkermansia muciniphila. This study reveals the key role of WBE PACs in modulating the gut microbiota and restoring colonic epithelial mucus layer, providing a suitable ecological niche for mucosa-associated symbiotic bacteria, which may be crucial in triggering health effects of blueberry polyphenols.
Nandrolone induces a stem cell-like phenotype in human hepatocarcinoma-derived cell line inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory activity
Authors: Agriesti Francesca , Tataranni Tiziana , Pacelli Consiglia , Scrima Rosella , Laurenzana Ilaria , Ruggieri Vitalba , Cela Olga , Mazzoccoli Carmela , Salerno Monica , Sessa Francesco , Sani Gabriele , Pomara Cristoforo , Capitanio Nazzareno , Piccoli Claudia 
Published: February 2020

AbstractNandrolone is a testosterone analogue with anabolic properties commonly abused worldwide, recently utilized also as therapeutic agent in chronic diseases, cancer included. Here we investigated the impact of nandrolone on the metabolic phenotype in HepG2 cell line. The results attained show that pharmacological dosage of nandrolone, slowing cell growth, repressed mitochondrial respiration, inhibited the respiratory chain complexes I and III and enhanced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Intriguingly, nandrolone caused a significant increase of stemness-markers in both 2D and 3D cultures, which resulted to be CxIII-ROS dependent. Notably, nandrolone negatively affected differentiation both in healthy hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells. Finally, nandrolone administration in mice confirmed the up-regulation of stemness-markers in liver, spleen and kidney. Our observations show, for the first time, that chronic administration of nandrolone, favoring maintenance of stem cells in different tissues would represent a precondition that, in addition to multiple hits, might enhance risk of carcinogenesis raising warnings about its abuse and therapeutic utilization.
PHTNet: Characterization and Deep Mining of Involuntary Pathological Hand Tremor using Recurrent Neural Network Models
Authors: Shahtalebi Soroosh , Atashzar Seyed Farokh , Samotus Olivia , Patel Rajni V. , Jog Mandar S. , Mohammadi Arash 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe global aging phenomenon has increased the number of individuals with age-related neurological movement disorders including Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Essential Tremor (ET). Pathological Hand Tremor (PHT), which is considered among the most common motor symptoms of such disorders, can severely affect patients’ independence and quality of life. To develop advanced rehabilitation and assistive technologies, accurate estimation/prediction of nonstationary PHT is critical, however, the required level of accuracy has not yet been achieved. The lack of sizable datasets and generalizable modeling techniques that can fully represent the spectrotemporal characteristics of PHT have been a critical bottleneck in attaining this goal. This paper addresses this unmet need through establishing a deep recurrent model to predict and eliminate the PHT component of hand motion. More specifically, we propose a machine learning-based, assumption-free, and real-time PHT elimination framework, the PHTNet, by incorporating deep bidirectional recurrent neural networks. The PHTNet is developed over a hand motion dataset of 81 ET and PD patients collected systematically in a movement disorders clinic over 3 years. The PHTNet is the first intelligent systems model developed on this scale for PHT elimination that maximizes the resolution of estimation and allows for prediction of future and upcoming sub-movements.
An optimized workflow for single-cell transcriptomics and repertoire profiling of purified lymphocytes from clinical samples
Authors: Hanamsagar Richa , Reizis Timothy , Chamberlain Mathew , Marcus Robert , Nestle Frank O. , de Rinaldis Emanuele , Savova Virginia 
Published: February 2020

AbstractEstablishing clinically relevant single-cell (SC) transcriptomic workflows from cryopreserved tissue is essential to move this emerging immune monitoring technology from the bench to the bedside. Improper sample preparation leads to detrimental cascades, resulting in loss of precious time, money and finally compromised data. There is an urgent need to establish protocols specifically designed to overcome the inevitable variations in sample quality resulting from uncontrollable factors in a clinical setting. Here, we explore sample preparation techniques relevant to a range of clinically relevant scenarios, where SC gene expression and repertoire analysis are applied to a cryopreserved sample derived from a small amount of blood, with unknown or partially known preservation history. We compare a total of ten cell-counting, viability-improvement, and lymphocyte-enrichment methods to highlight a number of unexpected findings. Trypan blue-based automated counters, typically recommended for single-cell sample quantitation, consistently overestimate viability. Advanced sample clean-up procedures significantly impact total cell yield, while only modestly increasing viability. Finally, while pre-enrichment of B cells from whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) results in the most reliable BCR repertoire data, comparable T-cell enrichment strategies distort the ratio of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Furthermore, we provide high-resolution analysis of gene expression and clonotype repertoire of different B cell subtypes. Together these observations provide both qualitative and quantitative sample preparation guidelines that increase the chances of obtaining high-quality single-cell transcriptomic and repertoire data from human PBMCs in a variety of clinical settings.
Correlation between adenoma detection rate and polyp detection rate at endoscopy in a non-screening population
Authors: Murphy B. , Myers E. , O’Shea T. , Feeley K. , Waldron B. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIt is understood that colorectal adenomas progress to colonic adenocarcinoma. Adenoma detection rate (ADR) at endoscopy has been used as a key performance indicator at endoscopy and is inversely associated with diagnosis of interval colorectal cancer. As most endoscopy reporting systems do not routinely incorporate histological assessment, ADR reporting is a cumbersome task. Polyp Detection Rate (PDR) has therefore been adopted as a surrogate marker for ADR. A prospectively maintained database of colonoscopies performed between July 2015 and July 2017 was analysed. This was cross referenced with a histological database. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS, version 24. Inferential procedures employed included the Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) and Binomial logistic regression. Of 2964 procedures performed by 8 endoscopists, overall PDR was 27% and ADR was 19%. The PDR, ADR, adenoma to polyp detection rate quotient (APDRQ) and estimated ADR (PDR x APDRQ group average = 0.72) was calculated for each individual. There was a strong positive linear correlation between PDR and ADR,r(8) = 0.734, p = 0.038 and between PDR and estimated ADR, r(8) = 0.998, p < 0.001. Adenoma detection rate strongly correlated with estimated ADR, r(8) = 0.720, p = 0.044. With the exclusion of a moderate outlier, these correlations increased in both strength and significance. There was a stronger correlation between PDR and ADR,r(7) = 0.921, p = 0.003 and between ADR and estimated ADR, r(7) = 0.928, p = 0.003.
A monolithic nanostructured-perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell: feasibility of light management through geometry and materials selection
Authors: Elshorbagy Mahmoud H. , López-Fraguas Eduardo , Chaudhry Fateh A. , Sánchez-Pena José Manuel , Vergaz Ricardo , García-Cámara Braulio 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe use of several layers of different materials, taking advantage of their complementary bandgap energies, improves the absorption in multi-junction solar cells. Unfortunately, the inherent efficiency increment of this strategy has a limitation: each interface introduces optical losses. In this paper, we study the effects of materials and geometry in the optical performance of a nanostructured hybrid perovskite – silicon tandem solar cell. Our proposed design increases the performance of both subcells by managing light towards the active layer, as well as by minimizing reflections losses in the interfaces. We sweep both refractive index and thickness of the transport layers and the dielectric spacer composing the metasurface, obtaining a range of these parameters for the proper operation of the device. Using these values, we obtain a reduction in the optical losses, in particular they are more than a 33% lower than those of a planar cell, mainly due to a reduction of the reflectivity in the device. This approach leads to an enhancement in the optical response, widens the possibilities for the manufacturers to use different materials, and allows wide geometrical tolerances.
Statistical learning for vocal sequence acquisition in a songbird
Authors: James Logan S. , Sun Herie , Wada Kazuhiro , Sakata Jon T. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBirdsong is a learned communicative behavior that consists of discrete acoustic elements (“syllables”) that are sequenced in a controlled manner. While the learning of the acoustic structure of syllables has been extensively studied, relatively little is known about sequence learning in songbirds. Statistical learning could contribute to the acquisition of vocal sequences, and we investigated the nature and extent of sequence learning at various levels of song organization in the Bengalese finch, Lonchura striata var. domestica. We found that, under semi-natural conditions, pupils (sons) significantly reproduced the sequence statistics of their tutor’s (father’s) songs at multiple levels of organization (e.g., syllable repertoire, prevalence, and transitions). For example, the probability of syllable transitions at “branch points” (relatively complex sequences that are followed by multiple types of transitions) were significantly correlated between the songs of tutors and pupils. We confirmed the contribution of learning to sequence similarities between fathers and sons by experimentally tutoring juvenile Bengalese finches with the songs of unrelated tutors. We also discovered that the extent and fidelity of sequence similarities between tutors and pupils were significantly predicted by the prevalence of sequences in the tutor’s song and that distinct types of sequence modifications (e.g., syllable additions or deletions) followed distinct patterns. Taken together, these data provide compelling support for the role of statistical learning in vocal production learning and identify factors that could modulate the extent of vocal sequence learning.
Porous Si-SiO2 based UV Microcavities
Authors: Jimenéz-Vivanco María R. , García Godofredo , Carrillo Jesús , Agarwal Vivechana , Díaz-Becerril Tomás , Doti Rafael , Faubert Jocelyn , Lugo J. E. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractObtaining silicon-based photonic-structures in the ultraviolet range would expand the wavelength bandwidth of silicon technology, where it is normally forbidden. Herein, we fabricated porous silicon microcavities by electrochemical etching of alternating high and low refraction index layers; and were carefully subjected to two stages of dry oxidation at 350 °C for 30 minutes and 900 °C, with different oxidation times. In this way, we obtained oxidized porous silicon that induces a shift of a localized mode in the ultraviolet region. The presence of Si-O-Si bonds was made clear by FTIR absorbance spectra. High-quality oxidized microcavities were shown by SEM, where their mechanical stability was clearly visible. We used an effective medium model to predict the refractive index and optical properties of the microcavities. The model can use either two or three components (Si, SiO2, and air). The latter predicts that the microcavities are made almost completely of SiO2, implying less photon losses in the structure. The theoretical photonic-bandgap structure and localized photonic mode location showed that the experimental spectral peaks within the UV photonic bandgap are indeed localized modes. These results support that our oxidation process is very advantageous to obtain complex photonic structures in the UV region.