bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Activation of hepatic stem cells compartment during hepatocarcinogenesis in a HBsAg HBV-transgenic mouse model
Authors: Anfuso Beatrice , El-Khobar Korri E. , Ie Susan I. , Avellini Claudio , Radillo Oriano , Raseni Alan , Tiribelli Claudio , Sukowati Caecilia H. C. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractChronic infection of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is one of the highest risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The accumulation of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) into hepatocytes induces inflammation and oxidative stress, impairing their replicative ability and allowing the activation of the hepatic stem cells (SC) compartment. This study aimed to understand the involvement of SC during hepatocarcinogenesis in HBsAg-related liver damage, from early injury until HCC. HBsAg-transgenic (TG) and wild type (WT) mouse were followed at several stages of the liver damage: inflammation, early hepatocytes damage, dysplasia, and HCC. Serum transaminases, liver histology, and diagnostic data were collected. The expressions of SC and cancer stem cells (CSC) markers was analyzed by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Starting from 3 months, TG animals showed a progressive liver damage characterized by transaminases increase. The up-regulations of SCs markers Cd34 and Sca-1 started from the beginning of the inflammatory stage while progressive increase of Krt19 and Sox9 and CSCs markers Epcam and Cd133 from early hepatic injury. The expressions of Cd133, Cd34, and Afp were significantly higher in HCC compared to paired non-HCC tissue, in contrast to Epcam and Krt19. Western blot and IHC confirmed the positivity of Cd34 and Cd133 in small cells subpopulation.
Slip flow through a non-uniform channel under the influence of transverse magnetic field
Authors: Farooq Javaria , Mushtaq Muhammad , Munir Shahzad , Ramzan M. , Chung Jae Dong , Farooq Umer 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis study deals with the steady laminar slip flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid in a non-uniform permeable channel under the influence of transverse magnetic field. The reabsorption through the wall is accounted for by considering flux as a function of downstream distance. The non-linear coupled partial differential equations of motion are first transformed into a single fourth order partial differential equation and then solved analytically using Adomain decomposition method. Effects of pertinent parameters on different flow properties are discussed by plotting graphs. Results reveal that magnetic field considerably influences the behavior of flow.
Genetic insights into underground responses to Fusarium graminearum infection in wheat
Authors: Voss-Fels Kai P. , Qian Lunwen , Gabur Iulian , Obermeier Christian , Hickey Lee T. , Werner Christian R. , Kontowski Stefan , Frisch Matthias , Friedt Wolfgang , Snowdon Rod J. , Gottwald Sven 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe ongoing global intensification of wheat production will likely be accompanied by a rising pressure of Fusarium diseases. While utmost attention was given to Fusarium head blight (FHB) belowground plant infections of the pathogen have largely been ignored. The current knowledge about the impact of soil borne Fusarium infection on plant performance and the underlying genetic mechanisms for resistance remain very limited. Here, we present the first large-scale investigation of Fusarium root rot (FRR) resistance using a diverse panel of 215 international wheat lines. We obtained data for a total of 21 resistance-related traits, including large-scale Real-time PCR experiments to quantify fungal spread. Association mapping and subsequent haplotype analyses discovered a number of highly conserved genomic regions associated with resistance, and revealed a significant effect of allele stacking on the stembase discoloration. Resistance alleles were accumulated in European winter wheat germplasm, implying indirect prior selection for improved FRR resistance in elite breeding programs. Our results give first insights into the genetic basis of FRR resistance in wheat and demonstrate how molecular parameters can successfully be explored in genomic prediction. Ongoing work will help to further improve our understanding of the complex interactions of genetic factors influencing FRR resistance.
Blood Pressure Control and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Real-world Implications of the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline
Authors: Lee Ji Hyun , Kim Sun-Hwa , Kang Si-Hyuck , Cho Jun Hwan , Cho Youngjin , Oh Il-Young , Yoon Chang-Hwan , Lee Hae-Young , Youn Tae-Jin , Chae In-Ho , Kim Cheol-Ho 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) hypertension guideline lowered the threshold defining hypertension and treatment target from 140/90 mmHg to 130/80 mmHg. We compared the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline and the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC8) report with regard to the current status of hypertension using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The association between blood pressure (BP) control and long-term major cardiovascular outcomes (MACEs) was analyzed using the Korea National Health Insurance Service cohort. In the cross-sectional study with 15,784 adults, the prevalence of hypertension was expected to be 49.2 ± 0.6% based on the definition suggested by the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline versus 30.4 ± 0.6% based on the JNC8 report. In a longitudinal analysis with 373,800 hypertensive adults for the median follow-up periods of 11.0 years, the adults meeting the target goal BP goal of 2017 ACC/AHA guideline were associated with 21% reduced risk of MACEs compared with adults, not meeting 2017 ACC/AHA BP goal but meeting JNC8 target goal. In conclusion, substantial increase of prevalence of hypertension is expected by the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline. This study also suggests endorsing the aggressive approach would lead to an improvement in cardiovascular care.
Pupil dilation but not microsaccade rate robustly reveals decision formation
Authors: Strauch Christoph , Greiter Lukas , Huckauf Anke 
Published: August 2018

AbstractPupil dilation, an indicator of arousal that is generally regarded as unspecific, amongst others reflects decision formation and reveals choice. Employing letter selection in a Go/NoGo task, we show that choice can robustly be predicted by the pupillary signal, even under the presence of strong interfering factors such as changes in brightness or motor execution. In addition, a larger difference in pupil dilation between target and distractor conditions for NoGo compared to Go was demonstrated, underlining the particular appropriateness of the paradigm for decision research. Incorporating microsaccades, a variable that is suggested to covary with pupil diameter, we show that decision formation can only be observed in pupil diameter. However, microsaccade rate and pupil size covaried for motor execution and both reflected choice after key press with smaller effect size for microsaccade rate. We argue that combining pupil dilation and microsaccade rate may help dissociating decision-related changes in pupil diameter from interfering factors. Considering the interlinked main neural correlates of pupil dilation and microsaccade generation, these findings point to a selective role of locus coeruleus compared to superior colliculus in decision formation.
Inhibiting Multiple Deubiquitinases to Reduce Androgen Receptor Expression in Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: de las Pozas Alicia , Reiner Teresita , De Cesare Virginia , Trost Matthias , Perez-Stable Carlos 
Published: August 2018

AbstractProstate cancer (PCa), a leading cause of cancer-related death in men, becomes resistant to androgen deprivation therapy by inducing androgen receptor (AR) activity, which is known as castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Enzalutamide is an approved drug that inhibits AR activity and increases overall survival. However, resistance to enzalutamide develops rapidly often by increasing AR activity, suggesting that new therapies are required for CRPC. We investigated whether betulinic acid (BA), a small molecule from plants that inhibits multiple deubiquitinases (DUBs), reduces AR, and selectively kills PCa cells, can provide an adjuvant strategy for CRPC. Our data indicated that BA reduced AR protein stability and mRNA expression, making it an attractive agent for CRPC. BA decreased AR mRNA possibly by inhibiting a histone 2A DUB thereby increasing ubiquitinated histone 2A, a transcriptional repressor. We identified multiple and specific DUBs inhibited by BA either in PCa cells or using recombinant DUBs. Similar results were obtained using another multi-DUB inhibitor WP1130, suggesting that these DUB inhibitors can decrease AR expression and increase PCa-specific death. Our results also suggest that combining multi-DUB inhibitors BA or WP1130 with enzalutamide may provide a novel strategy for CRPC by further decreasing AR expression and increasing apoptotic cell death.
Molecular Changes of Lung Malignancy in HIV Infection
Authors: Zheng Jianghua , Wang Lin , Cheng Zenghui , Pei Zenglin , Zhang Zhiyong , Li Zehuan , Zhang Xuan , Yan Dong , Xia Qianlin , Feng Yanling , Song Yanzheng , Chen Weiping , Zhang Xiaoyan , Xu Jianqing , Wang Jin 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMalignancy of the lung is a major source of morbidity and mortality in persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection; as the most prevalent non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining malignancy, it represents an important and growing problem confronting HIV-infected patients. To evaluate the molecular changes of lung malignancy in HIV infection, we analyzed differential gene expression profiles and screened for early detection biomarkers of HIV-associated lung cancer using Affymetrix arrays and IPA analysis. A total of 59 patients were diagnosed with HIV-associated lung cancer from Jan 2010 to May 2018. The primary outcome was a significant difference in survival outcome between stages III-IV (10.46 ± 1.87 months) and I-II (17.66 ± 2.88 months). We identified 758 differentially expressed genes in HIV-associated lung cancer. The expression levels of SIX1 and TFAP2A are specifically increased in HIV-associated lung cancer and are associated with poorly differentiated tumor tissue. We also found decreased ADH1B, INMT and SYNPO2 mRNA levels in HIV lung cancer. A comprehensive network and pathway analysis of the dysregulated genes revealed that these genes were associated with four network functions and six canonical pathways relevant to the development of HIV-associated lung cancer. The molecular changes in lung malignancy may help screen the growing population of HIV patients who have or will develop this malignancy.
Minipuberty and Sexual Dimorphism in the Infant Human Thymus
Authors: Moreira-Filho Carlos Alberto , Bando Silvia Yumi , Bertonha Fernanda Bernardi , Ferreira Leandro Rodrigues , Vinhas Christiana de Freitas , Oliveira Lucila Habib Bourguignon , Zerbini Maria Claudia Nogueira , Furlanetto Glaucio , Chaccur Paulo , Carneiro-Sampaio Magda 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAIRE expression in thymus is downregulated by estrogen after puberty, what probably renders women more susceptible to autoimmune disorders. Here we investigated the effects of minipuberty on male and female infant human thymic tissue in order to verify if this initial transient increase in sex hormones - along the first six months of life - could affect thymic transcriptional network regulation and AIRE expression. Gene co-expression network analysis for differentially expressed genes and miRNA-target analysis revealed sex differences in thymic tissue during minipuberty, but such differences were not detected in the thymic tissue of infants aged 7–18 months, i.e. the non-puberty group. AIRE expression was essentially the same in both sexes in minipuberty and in non-puberty groups, as assessed by genomic and immunohistochemical assays. However, AIRE-interactors networks showed several differences in all groups regarding gene-gene expression correlation. Therefore, minipuberty and genomic mechanisms interact in shaping thymic sexual dimorphism along the first six months of life.
Chirality and structure-selective MALDI using mold matrix
Authors: Fujii Yosuke , Xu Jiawei , Fujino Tatsuya 
Published: August 2018

AbstractA matrix that enabled chirality and structure-selective detection in matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) has been developed. Molds of L- or D- alanine were made on a thermoreversible polymer (polyvinyl methyl ether) with 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone, and this was used as a matrix. Separate detection of one optical isomer of alanine was realized in MALDI MS. This technique was also applied to the detection of trisaccharides having the same molecular weight but different structures. Separate detection of raffinose and maltotriose in MALDI MS were presented.
Conformational signatures in β-arrestin2 reveal natural biased agonism at a G-protein-coupled receptor
Authors: Reyes-Alcaraz Arfaxad , Lee Yoo-Na , Yun Seongsik , Hwang Jong-Ik , Seong Jae Young 
Published: August 2018

AbstractDiscovery of biased ligands and receptor mutants allows characterization of G-protein- and β-arrestin-mediated signaling mechanisms of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However, the structural mechanisms underlying biased agonism remain unclear for many GPCRs. We show that while Galanin induces the activation of the galanin receptor 2 (Galr2) that leads to a robust stimulation toward Gαq-protein and β-arrestin1/2, an alternative ligand Spexin and its analog have biased agonism toward G-protein signaling relative to Galanin. We used intramolecular fluorescein arsenical hairpin bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensors of β-arrestin2 combined with NanoBit technology to measure β-arrestin2–Galr2 interactions in real-time living systems. We found that Spexin and Galanin induce specific active conformations of Galr2, which may lead to different internalization rates of the receptor as well as different signaling outputs. This work represents an additional pharmacological evidence of endogenous G-protein-biased agonism at a GPCR.
Multiplexed deactivated CRISPR-Cas9 gene expression perturbations deter bacterial adaptation by inducing negative epistasis
Authors: Otoupal Peter B. , Cordell William T. , Bachu Vismaya , Sitton Madeleine J. , Chatterjee Anushree 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe ever-increasing threat of multi-drug resistant bacteria, a shrinking antibiotic pipeline, and the innate ability of microorganisms to adapt necessitates long-term strategies to slow the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Here we develop an approach, dubbed Controlled Hindrance of Adaptation of OrganismS or CHAOS, involving induction of epistasis between gene perturbations to deter adaption. We construct a combinatorial library of multiplexed, deactivated CRISPR-Cas9 devices to systematically perturb gene expression in Escherichia coli. While individual perturbations improved fitness during antibiotic exposure, multiplexed perturbations caused large fitness loss in a significant epistatic fashion. Strains exhibiting epistasis adapted significantly more slowly over three to fourteen days, and loss in adaptive potential was shown to be sustainable. Finally, we show that multiplexed peptide nucleic acids increase the antibiotic susceptibility of clinically isolated Carbapenem-resistant E. coli in an epistatic fashion. Together, these results suggest a new therapeutic strategy for restricting the evolution of antibiotic resistance.
Profiling the short-lived cationic species generated during catalytic dehydration of short-chain alcohols
Authors: Wang Fangjun , Liu Zheyi , Weng Guofeng 
Published: August 2018

AbstractShort-chain alcohols are important products of biomass conversion and can be further converted into platform chemicals via catalytic dehydration. Although cationic species are believed to be intermediates in the alcohol-to-hydrocarbon processes, directly observing them is still a challenge due to the lack of efficient tools to deal with their instability and short lifetimes. Here we integrate a micro catalytic reactor onto the ion inlet of an Orbitrap mass spectrometer for high-speed, high-sensitivity, and high-throughput detection of the short-lived cationic species generated during dehydration of short-chain alcohols over heterogeneous catalysts. Hundreds of cationic species can be feasibly observed within the catalytic alcohol dehydration on acidic zeolites H-Beta and H-ZSM5. It is demonstrated that these cationic species may feasibly reveal the catalytic reaction activity and selectivity. This strategy has the potential to inform catalyst development and to help refine reaction conditions in the future.
Sixty-one thousand recent planktonic foraminifera from the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Elder Leanne E. , Hsiang Allison Y. , Nelson Kaylea , Strotz Luke C. , Kahanamoku Sara S. , Hull Pincelli M. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMarine microfossils record the environmental, ecological, and evolutionary dynamics of past oceans in temporally expanded sedimentary archives. Rapid imaging approaches provide a means of exploiting the primary advantage of this archive, the vast number of fossils, for evolution and ecology. Here we provide the first large scale image and 2D and 3D shape dataset of modern planktonic foraminifera, a major microfossil group, from 34 Atlantic Ocean sediment samples. Information on more than 124,000 objects is provided, including general object classification for 4/5ths of the dataset (~ 99,000 objects). Of the ~ 99,000 classifications provided, more than 61,000 are complete or damaged planktonic foraminifera. Objects also include benthic foraminifera, ostracods, pteropods, spicules, and planktonic foraminifera test fragments, among others. This dataset is the first major microfossil output of a new high-throughput imaging method (AutoMorph) developed to extract 2D and 3D data from photographic images of fossils. Our sample preparation and imaging techniques are described in detail. The data provided here comprises the most extensive publically available archive of planktonic foraminiferal morphology and morphological variation to date.
Comparison of theoretical and observed Ca II 8542 Stokes profiles in quiet regions at the centre of the solar disc
Authors: Jurčák J. , Štěpán J. , Trujillo Bueno J. , Bianda M. 
Published: August 2018

Context. Interpreting the Stokes profiles observed in quiet regions of the solar chromosphere is a challenging task. The Stokes Q and U profiles are dominated by the scattering polarisation and the Hanle effect, and these processes can only be correctly quantified if 3D radiative transfer effects are taken into account. Forward-modelling of the intensity and polarisation of spectral lines using a 3D model atmosphere is a suitable approach in order to statistically compare the theoretical and observed line profiles.
Aims. Our aim is to present novel observations of the Ca II 8542 Å line profiles in a quiet region at the centre of the solar disc and to quantitatively compare them with the theoretical Stokes profiles obtained by solving the problem of the generation and transfer of polarised radiation in a 3D model atmosphere. We aim at estimating the reliability of the 3D model atmosphere, excluding its known lack of dynamics and/or insufficient density, using not only the line intensity but the full vector of Stokes parameters.
Methods. We used data obtained with the ZIMPOL instrument at the Istituto Ricerche Solari Locarno (IRSOL) and compared the observations with the theoretical profiles computed with the PORTA radiative transfer code, using as solar model atmosphere a 3D snapshot taken from a radiation-magnetohydrodynamics simulation. The synthetic profiles were degraded to match the instrument and observing conditions.
Results. The degraded theoretical profiles of the Ca II 8542 line are qualitatively similar to the observed ones. We confirm that there is a fundamental difference in the widths of all Stokes profiles: the observed lines are wider than the theoretical lines. We find that the amplitudes of the observed profiles are larger than those of the theoretical ones, which suggests that the symmetry breaking effects in the solar chromosphere are stronger than in the model atmosphere. This means that the isosurfaces of temperature, velocity, and magnetic field strength and orientation are more corrugated in the solar chromosphere than in the currently available 3D radiation-magnetohydrodynamics simulation.
The double population of Chamaeleon I detected byGaiaDR2
Authors: Roccatagliata V. , Sacco G. G. , Franciosini E. , Randich S. 
Published: August 2018

Context. Chamaeleon I represents an ideal laboratory to study the cluster formation in a low-mass environment. Recently, two sub-clusters spatially located in the northern and southern parts of Chamaeleon I were found with different ages and radial velocities.Aims. In this Letter we report new insights into the structural properties, age, and distance of Chamaeleon I based on the astrometric parameters fromGaiadata release 2 (DR2).Methods. We identified 140 sources with a reliable counterpart in theGaiaDR2 archive. We determined the median distance of the cluster usingGaiaparallaxes and fitted the distribution of parallaxes and proper motions assuming the presence of two clusters. We derived the probability of each single source of belonging to the northern or southern sub-clusters, and compared the HR diagram of the most probable members to pre-main sequences isochrones.Results. The median distance of Chamaeleon I is ~190 pc. This is consistent with the revised estimate using theTycho-GaiaAstrometric Solution, but it is about 20 pc larger than the value commonly adopted in the literature. From a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test of the parallaxes and proper-motion distributions we conclude that the northern and southern clusters do not belong to the same parent population. The northern population has a distancedN= 192.7+0.4−0.4pc, while the southern onedS= 186.5+0.7−0.7pc. The two sub-clusters appear coeval, at variance with literature results, and most of the sources are younger than 3 Myr. The northern cluster is more elongated and extends towards the southern direction partially overlapping with the more compact cluster located in the south. A hint of a relative rotation between the two sub-clusters is also found.