bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A cleavage product of Polycystin-1 is a mitochondrial matrix protein that affects mitochondria morphology and function when heterologously expressed
Authors: Lin Cheng-Chao , Kurashige Mahiro , Liu Yi , Terabayashi Takeshi , Ishimoto Yu , Wang Tanchun , Choudhary Vineet , Hobbs Ryan , Liu Li-Ka , Lee Ping-Hsien , Outeda Patricia , Zhou Fang , Restifo Nicholas P. , Watnick Terry , Kawano Haruna , Horie Shigeo , Prinz William , Xu Hong , Menezes Luis F. , Germino Gregory G. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractRecent studies have reported intrinsic metabolic reprogramming in Pkd1 knock-out cells, implicating dysregulated cellular metabolism in the pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease. However, the exact nature of the metabolic changes and their underlying cause remains controversial. We show herein that Pkd1
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renal epithelial cells have impaired fatty acid utilization, abnormal mitochondrial morphology and function, and that mitochondria in kidneys of ADPKD patients have morphological alterations. We further show that a C-terminal cleavage product of polycystin-1 (CTT) translocates to the mitochondria matrix and that expression of CTT in Pkd1
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cells rescues some of the mitochondrial phenotypes. Using Drosophila to model in vivo effects, we find that transgenic expression of mouse CTT results in decreased viability and exercise endurance but increased CO2 production, consistent with altered mitochondrial function. Our results suggest that PC1 may play a direct role in regulating mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism and provide a framework to understand how impaired mitochondrial function could be linked to the regulation of tubular diameter in both physiological and pathological conditions.
Oxytocin curbs calorie intake via food-specific increases in the activity of brain areas that process reward and establish cognitive control
Authors: Spetter Maartje S. , Feld Gordon B. , Thienel Matthias , Preissl Hubert , Hege Maike A. , Hallschmid Manfred 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe hypothalamic neurohormone oxytocin decreases food intake via largely unexplored mechanisms. We investigated the central nervous mediation of oxytocin’s hypophagic effect in comparison to its impact on the processing of generalized rewards. Fifteen fasted normal-weight, young men received intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo before functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements of brain activity during exposure to food stimuli and a monetary incentive delay task (MID). Subsequently, ad-libitum breakfast intake was assessed. Oxytocin compared to placebo increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, anterior cingulate, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices in response to high- vs. low-calorie food images in the fasted state, and reduced calorie intake by 12%. During anticipation of monetary rewards, oxytocin compared to placebo augmented striatal, orbitofrontal and insular activity without altering MID performance. We conclude that during the anticipation of generalized rewards, oxytocin stimulates dopaminergic reward-processing circuits. In contrast, oxytocin restrains food intake by enhancing the activity of brain regions that exert cognitive control, while concomitantly increasing the activity of structures that process food reward value. This pattern points towards a specific role of oxytocin in the regulation of eating behaviour in humans that might be of relevance for potential clinical applications.
Local temperatures predict breeding phenology but do not result in breeding synchrony among a community of resident cavity-nesting birds
Authors: Drake Anna , Martin Kathy 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWeather and ecological factors are known to influence breeding phenology and thus individual fitness. We predicted concordance between weather conditions and annual variation in phenology within a community of eight resident, cavity-nesting bird species over a 17-year period. We show that, although clutch initiation dates for six of our eight species are correlated with local daily maximum temperatures, this common driver does not produce a high degree of breeding synchrony due to species-specific responses to conditions during different periods of the preceding winter or spring. These “critical temperature periods” were positively associated with average lay date for each species, although the interval between critical periods and clutch initiation varied from 4–78 days. The ecological factors we examined (cavity availability and a food pulse) had an additional influence on timing in only one of our eight focal species. Our results have strong implications for understanding heterogeneous wildlife responses to climate change: divergent responses would be expected within communities where species respond to local conditions within different temporal windows, due to differing warming trends between winter and spring. Our system therefore indicates that climate change could alter relative breeding phenology among sympatric species in temperate ecosystems.
Chemical array system, a platform to identify novel hepatitis B virus entry inhibitors targeting sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide
Authors: Kaneko Manabu , Futamura Yushi , Tsukuda Senko , Kondoh Yasumitsu , Sekine Tomomi , Hirano Hiroyuki , Fukano Kento , Ohashi Hirofumi , Saso Wakana , Morishita Ryo , Matsunaga Satoko , Kawai Fumihiro , Ryo Akihide , Park Sam-Yong , Suzuki Ryosuke , Aizaki Hideki , Ohtani Naoko , Sureau Camille , Wakita Takaji , Osada Hiroyuki , Watashi Koichi 
Published: February 2018

AbstractCurrent anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) agents including interferons and nucleos(t)ide analogs efficiently suppress HBV infection. However, as it is difficult to eliminate HBV from chronically infected liver, alternative anti-HBV agents targeting a new molecule are urgently needed. In this study, we applied a chemical array to high throughput screening of small molecules that interacted with sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), an entry receptor for HBV. From approximately 30,000 compounds, we identified 74 candidates for NTCP interactants, and five out of these were shown to inhibit HBV infection in cell culture. One of such compound, NPD8716, a coumarin derivative, interacted with NTCP and inhibited HBV infection without causing cytotoxicity. Consistent with its NTCP interaction capacity, this compound was shown to block viral attachment to host hepatocytes. NPD8716 also prevented the infection with hepatitis D virus, but not hepatitis C virus, in agreement with NPD8716 specifically inhibiting NTCP-mediated infection. Analysis of derivative compounds showed that the anti-HBV activity of compounds was apparently correlated with the affinity to NTCP and the capacity to impair NTCP-mediated bile acid uptake. These results are the first to show that the chemical array technology represents a powerful platform to identify novel viral entry inhibitors.
Thermal Conductivity of Graphene-hBN Superlattice Ribbons
Authors: Felix Isaac M. , Pereira Luiz Felipe C. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractSuperlattices are ideal model systems for the realization and understanding of coherent (wave-like) and incoherent (particle-like) phonon thermal transport. Single layer heterostructures of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride have been produced recently with sharp edges and controlled domain sizes. In this study we employ nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the thermal conductivity of superlattice nanoribbons with equal-sized domains of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride. We analyze the dependence of the conductivity with the domain sizes, and with the total length of the ribbons. We determine that the thermal conductivity reaches a minimum value of 89 W m−1K−1 for ribbons with a superlattice period of 3.43 nm. The effective phonon mean free path is also determined and shows a minimum value of 32 nm for the same superlattice period. Our results also reveal that a crossover from coherent to incoherent phonon transport is present at room temperature for BNC nanoribbons, as the superlattice period becomes comparable to the phonon coherence length. Analyzing phonon populations relative to the smallest superlattice period, we attribute the minimum thermal conductivity to a reduction in the population of flexural phonons when the superlattice period equals 3.43 nm. The ability to manipulate thermal conductivity using superlattice-based two-dimensional materials, such as graphene-hBN nanoribbons, opens up opportunities for application in future nanostructured thermoelectric devices.
Josephson vortex loops in nanostructured Josephson junctions
Authors: Berdiyorov G. R. , Milošević M. V. , Kusmartsev F. , Peeters F. M. , Savel’ev S. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractLinked and knotted vortex loops have recently received a revival of interest. Such three-dimensional topological entities have been observed in both classical- and super-fluids, as well as in optical systems. In superconductors, they remained obscure due to their instability against collapse – unless supported by inhomogeneous magnetic field. Here we reveal a new kind of vortex matter in superconductors - the Josephson vortex loops - formed and stabilized in planar junctions or layered superconductors as a result of nontrivial cutting and recombination of Josephson vortices around the barriers for their motion. Engineering latter barriers opens broad perspectives on loop manipulation and control of other possible knotted/linked/entangled vortex topologies in nanostructured superconductors. In the context of Josephson devices proposed to date, the high-frequency excitations of the Josephson loops can be utilized in future design of powerful emitters, tunable filters and waveguides of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation, thereby pushing forward the much needed Terahertz technology.
Estimating dose-specific cell division and apoptosis rates from chemo-sensitivity experiments
Authors: Liu Yiyi , Crawford Forrest W. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn-vitro chemo-sensitivity experiments are an essential step in the early stages of cancer therapy development, but existing data analysis methods suffer from problems with fitting, do not permit assessment of uncertainty, and can give misleading estimates of cell growth inhibition. We present an approach (bdChemo) based on a mechanistic model of cell division and death that permits rigorous statistical analyses of chemo-sensitivity experiment data by simultaneous estimation of cell division and apoptosis rates as functions of dose, without making strong assumptions about the shape of the dose-response curve. We demonstrate the utility of this method using a large-scale NCI-DREAM challenge dataset. We developed an R package “bdChemo” implementing this method, available at https://github.com/YiyiLiu1/bdChemo.
Magnetic Nature of Light Transmission through a 5-nm Gap
Authors: Yang Hyosim , Kim Dai-Sik , Kim Richard H. Joon-Yeon , Ahn Jae Sung , Kang Taehee , Jeong Jeeyoon , Lee Dukhyung 
Published: February 2018

AbstractSlot antennas have been exploited as important building blocks of optical magnetism because their radiations are invoked by the magnetic fields along the axes, as vectorial Babinet principle predicts. However, optical magnetism of a few-nanometer-width slit, for which fascinating applications are found due to the colossal field enhancement but Babinet principle fails due to the nonnegligible thickness, has not been investigated. In this paper, we demonstrated that the magnetic field plays a dominant role in light transmission through a 5-nm slit on a 150-nm-thick gold film. The 5-nm slit was fabricated by atomic layer lithography, and the transmission was investigated for various incident angles by experiment and simulation at 785-nm wavelength. We found that, due to the deep subwavelength gap width, the transmission has the same incident angle dependence as the tangential magnetic field on the metal surface and this magnetic nature of a nanogap holds up to ~100-nm width. Our analysis establishes conditions for nanogap optical magnetism and suggests new possibilities in realizing magnetic-field-driven optical nonlinearities.
Ice slurry ingestion reduces human brain temperature measured using non-invasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Onitsuka Sumire , Nakamura Daisuke , Onishi Takahiro , Arimitsu Takuma , Takahashi Hideyuki , Hasegawa Hiroshi 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWe previously reported that ice slurry ingestion reduced forehead skin temperature, thereby potentially reducing brain temperature (Tbrain). Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the effect of ice slurry ingestion on Tbrain using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which is a robust, non-invasive method. Eight male participants ingested 7.5 g/kg of either a thermoneutral drink (37 °C; CON) or ice slurry (−1 °C; ICE) for about 5 min following a 15-min baseline period. Then, participants remained at rest for 30 min. As physiological indices, Tbrain, rectal temperature (Tre), mean skin temperature, nude body mass, and urine specific gravity were measured. Subjective thermal sensation (TS) and thermal comfort (TC) were measured before and after the experiment. Tbrain and Tre significantly reduced after ingestion of ICE compared with after ingestion of CON, and there was a significant correlation between Tbrain and Tre. The other physiological indices were not significantly different between beverage conditions. TS and TC were significantly lower with ICE than with CON (p < 0.05). These results indicate that ice slurry ingestion can cool the brain, as well as the body’s core.
Incorporation of a skeletal muscle-specific enhancer in the regulatory region of Igf1 upregulates IGF1 expression and induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy
Authors: Zou Yunlong , Dong Yanjun , Meng Qingyong , Zhao Yaofeng , Li Ning 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn this study, we upregulated insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) expression specifically in skeletal muscle by engineering an enhancer into its non-coding regions and verified the expected phenotype in a mouse model. To select an appropriate site for introducing a skeletal muscle-specific myosin light chain (MLC) enhancer, three candidate sites that exhibited the least evolutionary conservation were chosen and validated in C2C12 single-cell colonies harbouring the MLC enhancer at each site. IGF1 was dramatically upregulated in only the site 2 single-cell colony series, and it exhibited functional activity leading to the formation of extra myotubes. Therefore, we chose site 2 to generate a genetically modified (GM) mouse model with the MLC enhancer incorporated by CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The GM mice exhibited dramatically elevated IGF1 levels, which stimulated downstream pathways in skeletal muscle. Female GM mice exhibited more conspicuous muscle hypertrophy than male GM mice. The GM mice possessed similar circulating IGF1 levels and tibia length as their WT littermates; they also did not exhibit heart abnormalities. Our findings demonstrate that genetically modifying a non-coding region is a feasible method to upregulate gene expression and obtain animals with desirable traits.
The Tanggula Mountains enhance population divergence in Carex moorcroftii: a dominant sedge on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Wensheng , Zhao Yao , Qi Danhui , You Jianling , Zhou Yin , Song Zhiping 
Published: February 2018

AbstractHigh-altitude mountains are often geographic barriers to gene flow and play important roles in shaping population divergence. The central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) stands the location of the Tanggula Mountains (TM). We use the TM as a case, using Carex moorcroftii, a dominant species on the QTP to test the effects of geographic barriers on plant population divergence. We sampled 18 C. moorcroftii populations along a north-south transect crossing the TM to investigate the correlations of genetic variation and morphological traits with climate variables. The results showed this species holds high genetic diversity (He = 0.58) and the surveyed populations can be genetically clustered into two groups: populations from the north face of TM, and the other from the south. Gene flow between populations within groups is higher than those between groups. The traits, number and mass of seeds, mass of root and infructescence significantly varied among populations. Mantel-tests detected a weak but significantly positive correlation between genetic and geographic (R2 = 0.107, p = 0.032) and climatic distance (R2 = 0.162, p = 0.005), indicating both isolation by distance and isolation by environment. These findings together suggest high-altitude mountains of TM interrupt habitat continuity, result in distinct climatic conditions on both sides, increasing population divergence of plant species.
Selective PEGylation of Parylene-C/SiO2 Substrates for Improved Astrocyte Cell Patterning
Authors: Raos B. J. , Doyle C. S. , Simpson M. C. , Graham E. S. , Unsworth C. P. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractControlling the spatial distribution of glia and neurons in in vitro culture offers the opportunity to study how cellular interactions contribute to large scale network behaviour. A recently developed approach to cell-patterning uses differential adsorption of animal-serum protein on parylene-C and SiO2 surfaces to enable patterning of neurons and glia. Serum, however, is typically poorly defined and generates reproducibility challenges. Alternative activation methods are highly desirable to enable patterning without relying on animal serum. We take advantage of the innate contrasting surface chemistries of parylene-C and SiO2 to enable selective bonding of polyethylene glycol SiO2 surfaces, i.e. PEGylation, rendering them almost completely repulsive to cell adhesion. As the reagents used in the PEGylation protocol are chemically defined, the reproducibility and batch-to-batch variability complications associated with the used of animal serum are avoided. We report that PEGylated parylene-C/SiO2 substrates achieve a contrast in astrocyte density of 65:1 whereas the standard serum-immersion protocol results in a contrast of 5.6:1. Furthermore, single-cell isolation was significantly improved on PEGylated substrates when astrocytes were grown on close-proximity parylene-C nodes, whereas isolation was limited on serum-activated substrates due tolerance for cell adhesion on serum-adsorbed SiO2 surfaces.
Suppression of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and virulence by a benzimidazole derivative, UM-C162
Authors: Kong Cin , Chee Chin-Fei , Richter Katharina , Thomas Nicky , Abd. Rahman Noorsaadah , Nathan Sheila 
Published: February 2018

AbstractStaphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial infections and secretes a diverse spectrum of virulence determinants as well as forms biofilm. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus highlights the need for alternative forms of therapeutics other than conventional antibiotics. One route to meet this need is screening small molecule derivatives for potential anti-infective activity. Using a previously optimized C. elegans – S. aureus small molecule screen, we identified a benzimidazole derivative, UM-C162, which rescued nematodes from a S. aureus infection. UM-C162 prevented the formation of biofilm in a dose-dependent manner without interfering with bacterial viability. To examine the effect of UM-C162 on the expression of S. aureus virulence genes, a genome-wide transcriptome analysis was performed on UM-C162-treated pathogen. Our data indicated that the genes associated with biofilm formation, particularly those involved in bacterial attachment, were suppressed in UM-C162-treated bacteria. Additionally, a set of genes encoding vital S. aureus virulence factors were also down-regulated in the presence of UM-C162. Further biochemical analysis validated that UM-C162-mediated disruption of S. aureus hemolysins, proteases and clumping factors production. Collectively, our findings propose that UM-C162 is a promising compound that can be further developed as an anti-virulence agent to control S. aureus infections.
SiO2 nanoparticles modulate the electrical activity of neuroendocrine cells without exerting genomic effects
Authors: Distasi C. , Ruffinatti F. A. , Dionisi M. , Antoniotti S. , Gilardino A. , Croci G. , Riva B. , Bassino E. , Alberto G. , Castroflorio E. , Incarnato D. , Morandi E. , Martra G. , Oliviero S. , Munaron L. , Lovisolo D. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractEngineered silica nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted increasing interest in several applications, and particularly in the field of nanomedicine, thanks to the high biocompatibility of this material. For their optimal and controlled use, the understanding of the mechanisms elicited by their interaction with the biological target is a prerequisite, especially when dealing with cells particularly vulnerable to environmental stimuli like neurons. Here we have combined different electrophysiological approaches (both at the single cell and at the population level) with a genomic screening in order to analyze, in GT1-7 neuroendocrine cells, the impact of SiO2 NPs (50 ± 3 nm in diameter) on electrical activity and gene expression, providing a detailed analysis of the impact of a nanoparticle on neuronal excitability. We find that 20 µg mL−1 NPs induce depolarization of the membrane potential, with a modulation of the firing of action potentials. Recordings of electrical activity with multielectrode arrays provide further evidence that the NPs evoke a temporary increase in firing frequency, without affecting the functional behavior on a time scale of hours. Finally, NPs incubation up to 24 hours does not induce any change in gene expression.
ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 inhibit cell proliferation in a cyclin D-dependent and p53-independent manner
Authors: Suk Fat-Moon , Chang Chi-Ching , Lin Ren-Jye , Lin Shyr-Yi , Liu Shih-Chen , Jau Chia-Feng , Liang Yu-Chih 
Published: February 2018

AbstractZFP36 family members include ZFP36, ZFP36L1, and ZFP36L2, which belong to CCCH-type zinc finger proteins with two tandem zinc finger (TZF) regions. Whether ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 have antiproliferative activities similar to that of ZFP36 is unclear. In this study, when ZFP36L1 or ZFP36L2 was overexpressed in T-REx-293 cells, cell proliferation was dramatically inhibited and the cell cycle was arrested at the G1 phase. The levels of cell-cycle-related proteins, including cyclin B, cyclin D, cyclin A, and p21, decreased; however, p53 increased in ZFP36L1-or ZFP36L2-overexpressing T-REx-293 cells. Forced expression of ZFP36L1 or ZFP36L2 also inhibited cell proliferation and cyclin D gene expression in three human colorectal cancer cell lines: HCT116 p53+/+, HCT116 p53−/−, and SW620 (mutated p53) cells. However, it increased p53 and p21 expression only in HCT116 p53+/+ cells. Knockdown of ZFP36L1 or ZFP36L2 increased cell proliferation and cyclin D expression; furthermore, the mutation of the TZF of ZFP36L1 or ZFP36L2 caused them to lose their antiproliferative ability, to the extent that they could not inhibit cyclin D expression in these three cell lines. The results indicated that ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 play a negative role in cell proliferation; the underlying mechanisms might be mediated through a cyclin D-dependent and p53-independent pathway.