bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structural properties of apolipoprotein A-I mimetic peptides that promote ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux
Authors: Islam Rafique M. , Pourmousa Mohsen , Sviridov Denis , Gordon Scott M. , Neufeld Edward B. , Freeman Lita A. , Perrin B. Scott , Pastor Richard W. , Remaley Alan T. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPeptides mimicking the major protein of highdensity lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), are promising therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. Similar to apoA-I, their atheroprotective property is attributed to their ability to form discoidal HDL-like particles by extracting cellular cholesterol and phospholipids from lipid microdomains created by the ABCA1 transporter in a process called cholesterol efflux. The structural features of peptides that enable cholesterol efflux are not well understood. Herein, four synthetic amphipathic peptides denoted ELK, which only contain Glu, Leu, Lys, and sometimes Ala, and which have a wide range of net charges and hydrophobicities, were examined for cholesterol efflux. Experiments show that ELKs with a net neutral charge and a hydrophobic face that subtends an angle of at least 140° are optimal for cholesterol efflux. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations show that peptides that are effective in promoting cholesterol efflux stabilize HDL nanodiscs formed by these peptides by the orderly covering of the hydrophobic acyl chains on the edge of the disc. In contrast to apoA-I, which forms an anti-parallel double belt around the HDL, active peptides assemble in a mostly anti-parallel “picket fence” arrangement. These results shed light on the efflux ability of apoA-I mimetics and inform the future design of such therapeutics.
Zinc ions have a potential to attenuate both Ni ion uptake and Ni ion-induced inflammation
Authors: Onodera Ryo , Asakawa Sanki , Segawa Ryosuke , Mizuno Natsumi , Ogasawara Kouetsu , Hiratsuka Masahiro , Hirasawa Noriyasu 
Published: February 2018

AbstractNickel ions (Ni2+) are eluted from various metallic materials, such as medical devices implanted in human tissues. Previous studies have shown that Ni2+enters inflammatory cells inducing inflammation. However, the regulation of Ni2+uptake in cells has not yet been reported in detail. In the present study, we investigated the effects of various divalent cations on Ni2+uptake and Ni2+-induced interleukin (IL)-8 production in the human monocytic cell line, THP-1. We demonstrated that ZnCl2,MnCl2, and CoCl2inhibited the Ni2+uptake, while CuCl2, FeCl2, MgCl2, and divalent metal transporter (DMT)-1 inhibitor, Chlorazol Black, did not. Furthermore, ZnCl2inhibited Ni2+-induced IL-8 production, correlating with the inhibition of Ni2+uptake. These results suggested that Ni2+uptake occurred through Zn2+, Mn2+, and Co2+-sensitive transporters and that the inhibition of Ni2+uptake resulted in the inhibition of IL-8 production. Furthermore, using an Ni wire-implanted mouse model, we found that Ni wire-induced expression of mouse macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in the skin tissue surrounding the wire were enhanced by low Zn conditions. These results suggested that the physiological concentration of Zn2+modulates Ni2+uptake by inflammatory cells, and a Zn deficient state might increase sensitivity to Ni.
Grassland dynamics in response to climate change and human activities in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2014
Authors: Zhang Renping , Liang Tiangang , Guo Jing , Xie Hongjie , Feng Qisheng , Aimaiti Yusupujiang 
Published: February 2018

AbstractClimate change and human activities are two key factors that affect grassland ecosystem. Accurately estimating the effects of these two factors on grassland dynamics and understanding the driving forces of the dynamics are important in controlling grassland degradation. In this study, the potential Net Primary productivity (NPPP) and the difference between NPPP and actual NPP (NPPA) are used as indicators of climate change and human activities on grassland ecosystem in Xinjiang. An overall grassland NPPA increase than decrease (69.7% vs 30.3%) is found over the study period of 2000 to 2014. While human activities played a dominant role for such a NPPA increase, both human activities and climate change contributed almost equally to the grassland NPPA decrease. Within the three types of grasslands in Xinjiang, the desert grassland showed the greatest NPPA increasing trend that mostly attributed to human activities; the meadow showed an overall NPPA decreasing trend that was mainly caused by human activities; the steppe showed similar NPPA decreasing and increasing trend in terms of area percentage. Based on this study, our recommendations are (1) to continue the grazing prohibition policy in desert grassland and (2) to extensively implement the rest grazing policy in steppe and meadow grasslands.
WDR1 is a novel EYA3 substrate and its dephosphorylation induces modifications of the cellular actin cytoskeleton
Authors: Mentel Mihaela , Ionescu Aura E. , Puscalau-Girtu Ioana , Helm Martin S. , Badea Rodica A. , Rizzoli Silvio O. , Szedlacsek Stefan E. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractEyes absent (EYA) proteins are unusual proteins combining in a single polypeptide chain transactivation, threonine phosphatase, and tyrosine phosphatase activities. They play pivotal roles in organogenesis and are involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes including innate immunity, DNA damage repair or cancer metastasis. The molecular targets of EYA tyrosine phosphatase activity are still elusive. Therefore, we sought to identify novel EYA substrates and also to obtain further insight into the tyrosine-dephosphorylating role of EYA proteins in various cellular processes. We show here that Src kinase phosphorylates tyrosine residues in two human EYA family members, EYA1 and EYA3. Both can autodephosphorylate these residues and their nuclear and cytoskeletal localization seems to be controlled by Src phosphorylation. Next, using a microarray of phosphotyrosine-containing peptides, we identified a phosphopeptide derived from WD-repeat-containing protein 1 (WDR1) that is dephosphorylated by EYA3. We further demonstrated that several tyrosine residues on WDR1 are phosphorylated by Src kinase, and are efficiently dephosphorylated by EYA3, but not by EYA1. The lack of phosphorylation generates major changes to the cellular actin cytoskeleton. We, therefore, conclude that WDR1 is an EYA3-specific substrate, which implies that EYA3 is a key modulator of the cytoskeletal reorganization.
Aldehyde Dehydrogenases Function in the Homeostasis of Pyridine Nucleotides in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Missihoun Tagnon D. , Kotchoni Simeon O. , Bartels Dorothea 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes (ALDHs) catalyze the oxidation of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids using NAD+ or NADP+ as cofactors and generating NADH or NADPH. Previous studies mainly focused on the ALDH role in detoxifying toxic aldehydes but their effect on the cellular NAD(P)H contents has so far been overlooked. Here, we investigated whether the ALDHs influence the cellular redox homeostasis. We used a double T-DNA insertion mutant that is defective in representative members of Arabidopsis thaliana ALDH families 3 (ALDH3I1) and 7 (ALDH7B4), and we examined the pyridine nucleotide pools, glutathione content, and the photosynthetic capacity of the aldh mutants in comparison with the wild type. The loss of function of ALDH3I1 and ALDH7B4 led to a decrease of NAD(P)H, NAD(P)H/NAD(P) ratio, and an alteration of the glutathione pools. The aldh double mutant had higher glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity than the wild type, indicating a high demand for reduced pyridine nucleotides. Moreover, the mutant had a reduced quantum yield of photosystem II and photosynthetic capacity at relatively high light intensities compared to the wild type. Altogether, our data revealed a role of ALDHs as major contributors to the homeostasis of pyridine nucleotides in plants.
The effect of TiO2 on nucleation and crystallization of a Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 glass investigated by XANES and STEM
Authors: Kleebusch Enrico , Patzig Christian , Krause Michael , Hu Yongfeng , Höche Thomas , Rüssel Christian 
Published: February 2018

AbstractGlass ceramics based on Li2O/Al2O3/SiO2 are of high economic importance, as they often show very low coefficients of thermal expansion. This enables a number of challenging applications, such as cooktop panels, furnace windows or telescope mirror blanks. Usually, the crystallization of the desired LAS crystal phases within the glasses must be tailored by a careful choice of crystallization schedule and type of nucleation agents to be used. The present work describes the formation of nanocrystalline TiO2 within an LAS base composition that contains solely TiO2 as nucleating agent. Using a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy as well as X-ray absorption spectroscopy, it is found that a mixture of four- and six-fold coordinated Ti4+ ions exists already within the glass. Heating of the glass to 740 °C immediately changes this ratio towards a high content of six-fold coordinated Ti, which accumulates in liquid-liquid phase-separation droplets. During the course of thermal treatment, these droplets eventually evolve into nanocrystalline TiO2 precipitations, in which Ti4+ is six-fold coordinated. Thus, it is shown that the nucleation of nanocrystalline TiO2 is initiated by a gradual re-arrangement of the Ti ions in the amorphous, glassy matrix, from a four-fold towards a six-fold coordination.
Electro-optic spatial decoding on the spherical-wavefront Coulomb fields of plasma electron sources
Authors: Huang K. , Esirkepov T. , Koga J. K. , Kotaki H. , Mori M. , Hayashi Y. , Nakanii N. , Bulanov S. V. , Kando M. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractDetections of the pulse durations and arrival timings of relativistic electron beams are important issues in accelerator physics. Electro-optic diagnostics on the Coulomb fields of electron beams have the advantages of single shot and non-destructive characteristics. We present a study of introducing the electro-optic spatial decoding technique to laser wakefield acceleration. By placing an electro-optic crystal very close to a gas target, we discovered that the Coulomb field of the electron beam possessed a spherical wavefront and was inconsistent with the previously widely used model. The field structure was demonstrated by experimental measurement, analytic calculations and simulations. A temporal mapping relationship with generality was derived in a geometry where the signals had spherical wavefronts. This study could be helpful for the applications of electro-optic diagnostics in laser plasma acceleration experiments.
A new method to optimize root order classification based on the diameter interval of fine root
Authors: Liu Ying , Wang Guoliang , Yu Kunxia , Li Peng , Xiao Lie , Liu Guobin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPlant roots are a highly heterogeneous and hierarchical system. Although the root-order method is superior to the root diameter method for revealing differences in the morphology and physiology of fine roots, its complex partitioning limits its application. Whether root order can be determined by partitioning the main root based on its diameter remains uncertain. Four methods were employed for studying the morphological characteristics of seedling roots of twoPinusspecies in a natural and nitrogen-enriched environment. The intrinsic relationships among categories of roots by root order and diameter were systematically compared to explore the possibility of using the latter to describe root morphology. The normal transformation method proved superior to the other three in that the diameter intervals corresponded most closely (at least 68.3%) to the morphological characteristics. The applied methods clearly distinguished the results from the natural and nitrogen-rich environments. Considering both root diameter and order simplified the classification of fine roots, and improved the estimation of root lifespan and the data integrity of field collection, but failed to partition all roots into uniform diameter intervals.
Spontaneous oscillation in cell adhesion and stiffness measured using atomic force microscopy
Authors: Sanyour Hanna , Childs Josh , Meininger Gerald A. , Hong Zhongkui 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAtomic force microscopy (AFM) is an attractive technique for studying biomechanical and morphological changes in live cells. Using real-time AFM monitoring of cellular mechanical properties, spontaneous oscillations in cell stiffness and cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) have been found. However, the lack of automated analytical approaches to systematically extract oscillatory signals, and noise filtering from a large set of AFM data, is a significant obstacle when quantifying and interpreting the dynamic characteristics of live cells. Here we demonstrate a method that extends the usage of AFM to quantitatively investigate live cell dynamics. Approaches such as singular spectrum analysis (SSA), and fast Fourier transform (FFT) were introduced to analyze a real-time recording of cell stiffness and the unbinding force between the ECM protein-decorated AFM probe and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The time series cell adhesion and stiffness data were first filtered with SSA and the principal oscillatory components were isolated from the noise floor with the computed eigenvalue from the lagged-covariance matrix. Following the SSA, the oscillatory parameters were detected by FFT from the noise-reduced time series data sets and the sinusoidal oscillatory components were constructed with the parameters obtained by FFT.
Blood biomarkers of Hikikomori, a severe social withdrawal syndrome
Authors: Hayakawa Kohei , Kato Takahiro A. , Watabe Motoki , Teo Alan R. , Horikawa Hideki , Kuwano Nobuki , Shimokawa Norihiro , Sato-Kasai Mina , Kubo Hiroaki , Ohgidani Masahiro , Sagata Noriaki , Toda Hiroyuki , Tateno Masaru , Shinfuku Naotaka , Kishimoto Junji , Kanba Shigenobu 
Published: February 2018

AbstractHikikomori, a severe form of social withdrawal syndrome, is a growing social issue in Japan and internationally. The pathophysiology of hikikomori has not yet been elucidated and an effective treatment remains to be established. Recently, we revealed that avoidant personality disorder is the most common comorbidity of hikikomori. Thus, we have postulated that avoidant personality is the personality underpinning hikikomori. First, we herein show relationships between avoidant personality traits, blood biomarkers, hikikomori-related psychological features, and behavioural characteristics assessed by a trust game in non-hikikomori volunteers. Avoidant personality traits were negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and uric acid (UA) in men, and positively associated with fibrin degeneration products (FDP) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in women. Next, we recruited actual individuals with hikikomori, and compared avoidant personality traits, blood biomarkers, and psychological features between individuals with hikikomori and age-matched healthy controls. Individuals with hikikomori had higher avoidant personality scores in both sexes, and showed lower serum UA levels in men and lower HDL-C levels in women compared with healthy controls. This is the first report showing possible blood biomarkers for hikikomori, and opens the door to clarify the underlying biological pathophysiology of hikikomori.
Tracing ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism at the catchment scale
Authors: Schönig Jan , Meinhold Guido , von Eynatten Hilmar , Lünsdorf Nils K. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractFinding traces of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphism in the geological record has huge implications for unravelling Earth’s geodynamic evolution, such as the onset of deep subduction. Usually, UHP rocks are identified by specific mineral inclusions like coesite and characteristic petrographic features resulting from its (partial) transformation to the lower-pressure polymorph quartz in thin sections of crystalline rocks. This approach relies on very small sample size and is thus limited to a few points within large regions. Here we present the first findings of coesite inclusions in detrital mineral grains. The intact monomineralic inclusions were detected in garnets from a modern sand sample from the Western Gneiss Region, SW Norway. They represent the first known intact monomineralic coesite inclusions in the Western Gneiss Region, and their presence is suggested to indicate the erosion of UHP rocks in the sampled catchment area. The novel approach introduced here allows for tracing UHP metamorphic rocks and their erosional products at the catchment scale instead of being limited to outcrops of crystalline rocks. It opens new avenues for the prospective exploration of UHP metamorphism in Earth’s geological record.
Candidate-gene based GWAS identifies reproducible DNA markers for metabolic pyrethroid resistance from standing genetic variation in East African Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Weetman David , Wilding Craig S. , Neafsey Daniel E. , Müller Pie , Ochomo Eric , Isaacs Alison T. , Steen Keith , Rippon Emily J. , Morgan John C. , Mawejje Henry D. , Rigden Daniel J. , Okedi Loyce M. , Donnelly Martin J. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMetabolic resistance to pyrethroid insecticides is widespread in Anopheles mosquitoes and is a major threat to malaria control. DNA markers would aid predictive monitoring of resistance, but few mutations have been discovered outside of insecticide-targeted genes. Isofemale family pools from a wild Ugandan Anopheles gambiae population, from an area where operational pyrethroid failure is suspected, were genotyped using a candidate-gene enriched SNP array. Resistance-associated SNPs were detected in three genes from detoxification superfamilies, in addition to the insecticide target site (the Voltage Gated Sodium Channel gene, Vgsc). The putative associations were confirmed for two of the marker SNPs, in the P450 Cyp4j5 and the esterase Coeae1d by reproducible association with pyrethroid resistance in multiple field collections from Uganda and Kenya, and together with the Vgsc-1014S (kdr) mutation these SNPs explained around 20% of variation in resistance. Moreover, the >20 Mb 2La inversion also showed evidence of association with resistance as did environmental humidity. Sequencing of Cyp4j5 and Coeae1d detected no resistance-linked loss of diversity, suggesting selection from standing variation. Our study provides novel, regionally-validated DNA assays for resistance to the most important insecticide class, and establishes both 2La karyotype variation and humidity as common factors impacting the resistance phenotype.
Reverse Engineering the Intracellular Self-Assembly of a Functional Mechanopharmaceutical Device
Authors: Woldemichael Tehetina , Keswani Rahul K. , Rzeczycki Phillip M. , Murashov Mikhail D. , LaLone Vernon , Gregorka Brian , Swanson Joel A. , Stringer Kathleen A. , Rosania Gus R. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWeakly basic, poorly soluble chemical agents could be exploited as building blocks for constructing sophisticated molecular devices inside the cells of living organisms. Here, using experimental and computational approaches, we probed the relationship between the biological mechanisms mediating lysosomal ion homeostasis and the self-assembly of a weakly basic small molecule building block (clofazimine) into a functional, mechanopharmaceutical device (intracellular Crystal-Like Drug Inclusions – “CLDIs”) in macrophage lysosomes. Physicochemical considerations indicate that the intralysosomal stabilization of the self-assembled mechanopharmaceutical device depends on the pHmax of the weakly basic building block and its affinity for chloride, both of which are consistent with the pH and chloride content of a physiological lysosomal microenvironment. Most importantly, in vitro and in silico studies revealed that high expression levels of the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase), irrespective of the expression levels of chloride channels, are necessary and sufficient to explain the cell-type dependent formation, stabilization, and biocompatibility of the self-assembled mechanopharmaceutical device within macrophages.
Analyzing the genes related to nicotine addiction or schizophrenia via a pathway and network based approach
Authors: Hu Ying , Fang Zhonghai , Yang Yichen , Rohlsen-Neal Dekai , Cheng Feng , Wang Ju 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe prevalence of tobacco use in people with schizophrenia is much higher than in general population, which indicates a close relationship between nicotine addiction and schizophrenia. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the high comorbidity of tobacco smoking and schizophrenia remains largely unclear. In this study, we conducted a pathway and network analysis on the genes potentially associated with nicotine addiction or schizophrenia to reveal the functional feature of these genes and their interactions. Of the 276 genes associated with nicotine addiction and 331 genes associated with schizophrenia, 52 genes were shared. From these genes, 12 significantly enriched pathways associated with both diseases were identified. These pathways included those related to synapse function and signaling transduction, and drug addiction. Further, we constructed a nicotine addiction-specific and schizophrenia-specific sub-network, identifying 11 novel candidate genes potentially associated with the two diseases. Finally, we built a schematic molecular network for nicotine addiction and schizophrenia based on the results of pathway and network analysis, providing a systematic view to understand the relationship between these two disorders. Our results illustrated that the biological processes underlying the comorbidity of nicotine addiction and schizophrenia was complex, and was likely induced by the dysfunction of multiple molecules and pathways.
Microarray profile of circular RNAs identifies hsa_circ_0014130 as a new circular RNA biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Zhang Shaoyan , Zeng Xiaoli , Ding Ting , Guo Lin , Li Yulong , Ou Songlei , Yuan Hui 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAccumulating evidence has revealed that aberrant Circular RNAs (circRNAs) expression plays important roles in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, their role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. In this study, we first used circRNA microarrays to screen for tumour-specific circRNA candidates in between NSCLC (n = 3) and adjacent lung (n = 3) tissue. Among the circRNA expression profile, two circRNAs (hsa_circ_0014130 and hsa_circ_0016760) were selected for validation in ten pairs of NSCLC and adjacent non-cancerous tissues by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Only hsa_circ_0014130 exhibited significantly overexpressed in NSCLC tissues (P < 0.001), which were further confirmed in another 36 matched tissue samples using qRT-PCR. Hsa_circ_0014130 expression significantly correlated with TNM stage (P = 0.001) and lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.004). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.878 (95% confidence interval = 0.804–0.951; P < 0.001), which showed good diagnostic potential. Bioinformatics platforms predicted that hsa_circ_0014130 might interact with five miRNAs and their corresponding mRNAs. Gene oncology analysis and pathway analysis revealed that hsa_circ_0014130 could participate in NSCLC development. In summary, our findings indicated that hsa_circ_0014130 could be used as a potential NSCLC biomarker and might be closely related to the carcinogenesis of NSCLC.