bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Renninger’s Gedankenexperiment, the collapse of the wave function in a rigid quantum metamaterial and the reality of the quantum state vector
Authors: Savel’ev Sergey E. , Zagoskin Alexandre M. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractA popular interpretation of the “collapse” of the wave function is as being the result of a local interaction (“measurement”) of the quantum system with a macroscopic system (“detector”), with the ensuing loss of phase coherence between macroscopically distinct components of its quantum state vector. Nevetheless as early as in 1953 Renninger suggested a Gedankenexperiment, in which the collapse is triggered by non-observation of one of two mutually exclusive outcomes of the measurement, i.e., in the absence of interaction of the quantum system with the detector. This provided a powerful argument in favour of “physical reality” of (nonlocal) quantum state vector. In this paper we consider a possible version of Renninger’s experiment using the light propagation through a birefringent quantum metamaterial. Its realization would provide a clear visualization of a wave function collapse produced by a “non-measurement”, and make the concept of a physically real quantum state vector more acceptable.
Compressive response and buckling of graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Sgouros A. P. , Kalosakas G. , Papagelis K. , Galiotis C. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe examine the mechanical response of single layer graphene nanoribbons (GNR) under constant compressive loads through molecular dynamics simulations. Compressive stress-strain curves are presented for GNRs of various lengths and widths. The dependence of GNR’s buckling resistance on its size, aspect ratio, and chiral angle is discussed and approximate corresponding relations are provided. A single master curve describing the dependence of the critical buckling stress of GNRs on their aspect ratio is presented. Our findings were compared to the continuum elasticity theories for wide plates and wide columns. In the large width limit, the response of the GNRs agrees with the predictions of the wide plates theory and thus, with that of wide graphenes. In the small width limit, the behavior of graphene nanoribbons deviates from that of periodic graphenes due to various edge related effects which govern the stiffness and the stability of the graphene membranes, but it qualitatively agrees with the theory of wide columns. In order to assess the effect of thermal fluctuations on the critical buckling stress a wide range of temperatures is examined. The findings of the current study could provide important insights regarding the feasibility and the evaluation of the performance of graphene-based devices.
Non-invasive spinal vibration testing using ultrafast ultrasound imaging: A new way to measure spine function
Authors: Kaddoura Tarek , Au Anthony , Kawchuk Greg , Uwiera Richard , Fox Richard , Zemp Roger 
Published: June 2018

AbstractUltrafast ultrasound imaging is used to capture driven spinal vibrations as a new method for non-invasive spinal testing in living subjects. Previously, it has been shown that accelerometer-based vibration testing in cadaveric models can reveal the presence, location and magnitude of spinal pathology. However, this process remains an invasive procedure as current non-invasive sensors are inadequate. In this paper, the ability of non-invasive ultrafast ultrasound to quantify in vivo vertebral vibration response across a broad range of frequencies (10–100Hz) in anesthetized pig models is investigated. Close agreement with invasive accelerometer measurements is achieved using the non-invasive ultrasound method, opening up unique opportunities to investigate spinal pathologies.
Hybrids of amphibian chytrid show high virulence in native hosts
Authors: Greenspan S. E. , Lambertini C. , Carvalho T. , James T. Y. , Toledo L. F. , Haddad C. F. B. , Becker C. G. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractHybridization of parasites can generate new genotypes with high virulence. The fungal amphibian parasiteBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) hybridizes in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot where amphibian declines have been linked toBd, but the virulence of hybrid genotypes in native hosts has never been tested. We compared the virulence (measured as host mortality and infection burden) of hybridBdgenotypes to the parental lineages, the putatively hypovirulent lineageBd-Brazil and the hypervirulent Global Pandemic Lineage (Bd-GPL), in a panel of native Brazilian hosts. InBrachycephalus ephippium, the hybrid exceeded the virulence (host mortality) of both parents, suggesting that novelty arising from hybridization ofBdis a conservation concern. InIschnocnema parva, host mortality in the hybrid treatment was intermediate between the parent treatments, suggesting that this species is more vulnerable to the aggressive phenotypes associated withBd-GPL.Dendropsophus minutusshowed low overall mortality, but infection burdens were higher in frogs treated with hybrid andBd-GPL genotypes than withBd-Brazil genotypes. Our experiment suggests thatBdhybrids have the potential to increase disease risk in native hosts. Continued surveillance is needed to track potential spread of hybrid genotypes and detect future genomic shifts in this dynamic disease system.
N-Acyldopamine induces aggresome formation without proteasome inhibition and enhances protein aggregation via p62/SQSTM1 expression
Authors: Matsumoto Gen , Inobe Tomonao , Amano Takanori , Murai Kiyohito , Nukina Nobuyuki , Mori Nozomu 
Published: June 2018

AbstractAccumulation of ubiquitinated protein aggregates is a common pathology associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases and selective autophagy plays a critical role in their elimination. Although aging-related decreases in protein degradation properties may enhance protein aggregation, it remains unclear whether proteasome dysfunction is indispensable for ubiquitinated-protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we show that N-oleoyl-dopamine and N-arachidonyl-dopamine, which are endogenous brain substances and belong to the N-acyldopamine (AcylDA) family, generate cellular inclusions through aggresome formation without proteasome inhibition. Although AcylDA itself does not inhibit proteasome activity in vitro, it activates the rearrangement of vimentin distribution to form a vimentin cage surrounding aggresomes and sequesters ubiquitinated proteins in aggresomes. The gene transcription of p62/SQSTM1 was significantly increased by AcylDAs, whereas the transcription of other ubiquitin-dependent autophagy receptors was unaffected. Genetic depletion of p62 resulted in the loss of ubiquitinated-protein sequestration in aggresomes, indicating that p62 is a critical component of aggresomes. Furthermore, AcylDAs accelerate the aggregation of mutant huntingtin exon 1 proteins. These results suggest that aggresome formation does not require proteasome dysfunction and AcylDA-induced aggresome formation may participate in forming cytoplasmic protein inclusions.
Ablation of Runx2 in Ameloblasts Suppresses Enamel Maturation in Tooth Development
Authors: Chu Qing , Gao Yan , Gao Xianhua , Dong Zhiheng , Song Wenying , Xu Zhenzhen , Xiang Lili , Wang Yumin , Zhang Li , Li Mingyu , Gao Yuguang 
Published: June 2018

AbstractRunt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) is involved in the early stage of tooth development. However, only few studies have reported the role of Runx2 in enamel development, which may be attributed to that Runx2 full knockout mice cannot survive after birth. In the present study, we successfully established a Runx2-deficient mouse model using a conditional knockout (cKO) method. We observed a significant reduction in the degree of mineralization and the decreased size of enamel rods in cKO mice. Histological analysis showed the retained enamel proteins in enamel layer at maturation stage in cKO molars. Further analysis by qRT-PCR revealed that the expressions of genes encoding enamel structure proteins, such as amelogenin (AMELX), ameloblastin (AMBN) and enamelin (ENAM), were increased in cKO enamel organs. On the other hand, the expression of kallikrein-related peptidase-4 (KLK4) at the mRNA and protein levels was dramatically decreased from late secretory stage to maturation stage in cKO enamel organs, while the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-20 (MMP-20) was not significantly altered. Finally, immunohistochemistry indicated that the uptake of amelogenins by ameloblasts was significantly decreased in cKO mice. Taken together, Runx2 played critical roles in controlling enamel maturation by increasing synthesis of KLK4 and decreasing synthesis of AMELX, AMBN and ENAM.
The non-cylindrical crustal architecture of the Pyrenees
Authors: Chevrot Sébastien , Sylvander Matthieu , Diaz Jordi , Martin Roland , Mouthereau Frédéric , Manatschal Gianreto , Masini Emmanuel , Calassou Sylvain , Grimaud Frank , Pauchet Hélène , Ruiz Mario 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe exploit the data from five seismic transects deployed across the Pyrenees to characterize the deep architecture of this collisional orogen. We map the main seismic interfaces beneath each transect by depth migration of P-to-S converted phases. The migrated sections, combined with the results of recent tomographic studies and with maps of Bouguer and isostatic anomalies, provide a coherent crustal-scale picture of the belt. In the Western Pyrenees, beneath the North Pyrenean Zone, a continuous band of high density/velocity material is found at a very shallow level (~10 km) beneath the Mauleon basin and near Saint-Gaudens. In the Western Pyrenees, we also find evidence for northward continental subduction of Iberian crust, down to 50–70 km depth. In the Eastern Pyrenees, these main structural features are not observed. The boundary between these two domains is near longitude 1.3 °E, where geological field studies document a major change in the structure of the Cretaceous rift system, and possibly a shift of its polarity, suggesting that the deep orogenic architecture of the Pyrenees is largely controlled by structural inheritance.
TIMP2 is a Poor Prognostic Factor and Predicts Metastatic Biological Behavior in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhang Yifan , Liu Mingxing , Wang Yang , Yang Tao , Li Dongsheng , Ding Feng , Bai Guang , Li Qing 
Published: June 2018

AbstractTo explore the prognostic related factors and mechanisms of gastric cancer (GC), we performed the systematic analysis with integrated bioinformatics tools based on multiple on-line datasets. With uni-variate COX analysis, we screened out 37 survival hazardous genes in GC. Further GO assays disclosed that the signatures related with extracellular matrix and structure, and the functions of “cell adhesion molecule binding” and “integrin binding” were the vital mechanisms of disease progression, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP2) was the potential biomarker for prognosis. Based on GSEA, GSVA and GCN, TIMP2 was demonstrated to interact with multiple integrin pathways and involve in the regulation of EMT, cell adhesion, and angiogenesis of GC. The associations of TIMP2 expression with reduced OS and RFS of patients were declared by Kaplan-Meier analysis, and further confirmed by 1000 internal bootstrap replications and external KM plotter analysis. With multi-variate COX regression and time-dependent ROC analysis, we validated the prediction independency and capacity of TIMP2 for prognosis. The relationships of TIMP2 with clinicopathological characteristics were also uncovered. Taken together, our findings identify TIMP2 as the novel candidate biomarker for poorer outcome of GC patients, and revealed the underlying functions of TIMP2 and the potential mechanisms for GC progression.
Spatiotemporal endothelial cell – pericyte association in tumors as shown by high resolution 4D intravital imaging
Authors: Seynhaeve Ann L. B. , Oostinga Douwe , van Haperen Rien , Eilken Hanna M. , Adams Susanne , Adams Ralf H. , ten Hagen Timo L. M. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractEndothelial cells and pericytes are integral cellular components of the vasculature with distinct interactive functionalities. To study dynamic interactions between these two cells we created two transgenic animal lines. A truncated eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) construct was used as a GFP tag for endothelial cell evaluation and an inducible Cre-lox recombination, under control of the Pdgfrb (platelet derived growth factor receptor beta) promoter, was created for pericyte assessment. Also, eNOStag-GFP animals were crossed with the already established Cspg4-DsRed mice expressing DsRed fluorescent protein in pericytes. For intravital imaging we used tumors implanted in the dorsal skinfold of these transgenic animals. This setup allowed us to study time and space dependent complexities, such as distribution, morphology, motility, and association between both vascular cell types in all angiogenetic stages, without the need for additional labeling. Moreover, as fluorescence was still clearly detectable after fixation, it is possible to perform comparative histology following intravital evaluation. These transgenic mouse lines form an excellent model to capture collective and individual cellular and subcellular endothelial cell – pericyte dynamics and will help answer key questions on the cellular and molecular relationship between these two cells.
Texture analysis of protein deposits produced by droplet evaporation
Authors: Carreón Yojana J. P. , Ríos-Ramírez Maricarmen , Moctezuma R. E. , González-Gutiérrez Jorge 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe deposit patterns derived from droplet evaporation allow current development of medical tests and new strategies for diagnostic in patients. For such purpose, the development and implementation of algorithms capable of characterizing and differentiating deposits are crucial elements. We report the study of deposit patterns formed by the droplet evaporation of binary mixtures of proteins containing NaCl. Optical microscopy reveals aggregates such as tip arrow-shaped, dendritic and semi-rosette patterns, needle-like and scalloped lines structures, as well as star-like and prism-shaped salt crystals. We use the first-order statistics (FOS) and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) to characterize the complex texture of deposit patterns. Three significant findings arise from this analysis: first, the FOS and GLCM parameters structurally characterize protein deposits. Secondly, they conform to simple exponential laws that change as a function of the NaCl concentration. Finally, the parameters are capable of revealing the different structural changes that occur during the droplet evaporation.
Sea surface temperature predicts the movements of an Arctic cetacean: the bowhead whale
Authors: Chambault Philippine , Albertsen Christoffer Moesgaard , Patterson Toby A. , Hansen Rikke G. , Tervo Outi , Laidre Kristin L. , Heide-Jørgensen Mads Peter 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe effects of climate change constitute a major concern in Arctic waters due to the rapid decline of sea ice, which may strongly alter the movements and habitat availability of Arctic marine mammals. We tracked 98 bowhead whales by satellite over an 11-year period (2001–2011) in Baffin Bay - West Greenland to investigate the environmental drivers (specifically sea surface temperature and sea ice) involved in bowhead whale’s movements. Movement patterns differed according to season, with aggregations of whales found at higher latitudes during spring and summer likely in response to sea-ice retreat and increasing sea temperature (SST) facilitated by the warm West Greenland Current. In contrast, the whales moved further south in response to sea temperature decrease during autumn and winter. Statistical models indicated that the whales targeted a narrow range of SSTs from −0.5 to 2 °C. Sea surface temperatures are predicted to undergo a marked increase in the Arctic, which could expose bowhead whales to both thermal stress and altered stratification and vertical transport of water masses. With such profound changes, bowhead whales may face extensive habitat loss. Our results highlight the need for closer investigation and monitoring in order to predict the extent of future distribution changes.
Social dominance predicts hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor recruitment and resilience to prenatal adversity
Authors: Gross Moshe , Romi Hava , Miller Ayala , Pinhasov Albert 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe developing fetus is highly sensitive to prenatal stress, which may alter Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis programming and increase the risk of behavioral disorders. There is high variability among the human population, wherein many offspring of stressed pregnancies display resilience to adversity, while the remainder displays vulnerability. In order to identify biological substrates mediating between resilience or vulnerability to prenatal adversity, we exposed stress-resistant Dominant (Dom) and stress-sensitive Submissive (Sub) mice to mild prenatal restraint stress (PRS, 45 min on gestational days (GD) 15, 16 and 17). We hypothesized that PRS would differentially alter prenatal programming of limbic regions regulating the HPA axis and affect among Dom and Sub offspring. Indeed, PRS increased Sub offspring’s serum corticosterone, and exaggerated their anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, while Dom offspring remained resilient to the hormonal and behavioral consequences of PRS. Moreover, PRS exposure markedly facilitated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) recruitment to the hippocampus among Dom mice in response to restraint stress, which may be responsible for their resilience to stressful challenge. These findings suggest proclivity to adaptive or maladaptive prenatal programming of hippocampal GR recruitment to be inheritable and predictable by social dominance or submissiveness.
Physical Unclonable Function based on a Multi-Mode Optical Waveguide
Authors: Mesaritakis Charis , Akriotou Marialena , Kapsalis Alexandros , Grivas Evangelos , Chaintoutis Charidimos , Nikas Thomas , Syvridis Dimitris 
Published: June 2018

AbstractPhysical unclonable functions are the physical equivalent of one-way mathematical transformations that, upon external excitation, can generate irreversible responses. Exceeding their mathematical counterparts, their inherent physical complexity renders them resilient to cloning and reverse engineering. When these features are combined with their time-invariant and deterministic operation, the necessity to store the responses (keys) in non-volatile means can be alleviated. This pivotal feature, makes them critical components for a wide range of cryptographic-authentication applications, where sensitive data storage is restricted. In this work, a physical unclonable function based on a single optical waveguide is experimentally and numerically validated. The system’s responses consist of speckle-like images that stem from mode-mixing and scattering events of multiple guided transverse modes. The proposed configuration enables the system’s response to be simultaneously governed by multiple physical scrambling mechanisms, thus offering a radical performance enhancement in terms of physical unclonability compared to conventional optical implementations. Additional features like physical re-configurability, render our scheme suitable for demanding authentication applications.
Influencing the adhesion properties and wettability of mucin protein films by variation of the environmental pH
Authors: Sumarokova Maria , Iturri Jagoba , Weber Andreas , Maares Maria , Keil Claudia , Haase Hajo , Toca-Herrera José Luis 
Published: June 2018

AbstractMucins, the main component of the mucus secretions of goblet and epithelial cells, are known for exhibiting a different behaviour in accordance with their surrounding environment (i.e. among others the environmental pH), which induces a drastic change in their measured mechanical properties. In this work, we have first employed Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in Force Spectroscopy mode to evaluate the adhesion of porcine mucin films at the nanoscale, and the changes caused in this particular factor by a pH variation between 7.0 and 4.0, both quite common values in biological conditions. Measurements also involved additional varying factors such as the indenting tip chemistry (hydrophobic vs hydrophilic), its residence time on the measured film (0, 1 and/or 2 seconds), and increasing pulling rates (ranging from 0.1 up to 10 µm/s). A second approach regarded the macroscale behaviour of the films, due to their potential applicability in the development of a new set of stimuli-responsive biomaterials. This was possible by means of complementary Wilhelmy plate method (to test the wetting properties) and cell proliferation studies on films previously exposed to the corresponding pH solution. According to our results, treatment with lowest pH (4.0) provides porcine mucin with a more hydrophilic character, showing a much stronger adhesion for analogous chemistries, as well as enhanced capability for cell attachment and proliferation, which opens new pathways for their future use and consideration as scaffold-forming material.
Effects of copper occupancy on the conformational landscape of peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase
Authors: Maheshwari Sweta , Shimokawa Chizu , Rudzka Katarzyna , Kline Chelsey D. , Eipper Betty A. , Mains Richard E. , Gabelli Sandra B. , Blackburn Ninian , Amzel L. Mario 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe structures of metalloproteins that use redox-active metals for catalysis are usually exquisitely folded in a way that they are prearranged to accept their metal cofactors. Peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is a dicopper enzyme that catalyzes hydroxylation of the α-carbon of glycine-extended peptides for the formation of des-glycine amidated peptides. Here, we present the structures of apo-PHM and of mutants of one of the copper sites (H107A, H108A, and H172A) determined in the presence and absence of citrate. Together, these structures show that the absence of one copper changes the conformational landscape of PHM. In one of these structures, a large interdomain rearrangement brings residues from both copper sites to coordinate a single copper (closed conformation) indicating that full copper occupancy is necessary for locking the catalytically competent conformation (open). These data suggest that in addition to their required participation in catalysis, the redox-active metals play an important structural role.
Auto-generated materials database of Curie and Néel temperatures via semi-supervised relationship extraction
Authors: Court Callum J. , Cole Jacqueline M. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractLarge auto-generated databases of magnetic materials properties have the potential for great utility in materials science research. This article presents an auto-generated database of 39,822 records containing chemical compounds and their associated Curie and Néel magnetic phase transition temperatures. The database was produced using natural language processing and semi-supervised quaternary relationship extraction, applied to a corpus of 68,078 chemistry and physics articles. Evaluation of the database shows an estimated overall precision of 73%. Therein, records processed with the text-mining toolkit, ChemDataExtractor, were assisted by a modified Snowball algorithm, whose original binary relationship extraction capabilities were extended to quaternary relationship extraction. Consequently, its machine learning component can now train with ≤ 500 seeds, rather than the 4,000 originally used. Data processed with the modified Snowball algorithm affords 82% precision. Database records are available in MongoDB, CSV and JSON formats which can easily be read using Python, R, Java and MatLab. This makes the database easy to query for tackling big-data materials science initiatives and provides a basis for magnetic materials discovery.