bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acute regulation of habituation learning via posttranslational palmitoylation
Authors: Nelson Jessica C. , Witze Eric , Ma Zhongming , Ciocco Francesca , Frerotte Abigaile , Foskett J. Kevin , Granato Michael 
Published: March 2019

AbstractHabituation is an adaptive learning process that enables animals to adjust innate behaviors to changes in the environment. Despite its well documented implications for a wide diversity of behaviors, the molecular and cellular basis of habituation learning is not well understood. Using whole genome sequencing of zebrafish mutants isolated in an unbiased genetic screen, we identified the palmitoyltransferase Hip14 as a critical regulator of habituation learning. We demonstrate that Hip14 regulates depression of sensory inputs onto an identified neuron and provide compelling evidence that Hip14 palmitoylates the Shaker-like channel subunit Kv1.1, thereby regulating Kv1.1 subcellular localization. Furthermore, we show that loss of either Kv1.1 or Hip14 leads to habituation deficits, and that Hip14 is dispensable in development and instead acts acutely to promote habituation. Combined, our results uncover a previously unappreciated role for acute post-translational palmitoylation at defined circuit components to regulate learning.
A non-canonical role and regulations of polo-like kinase-4 in fibroblast cell-type transition
Authors: Li Jing , Urabe Go , Zhang Mengxue , Huang Yitao , Wang Bowen , Marcho Lynn , Shen Hongtao , Kent K. Craig , Guo Lian-Wang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractA divergent member of the polo-like kinase family, PLK4 is known for its canonical role in centriole duplication. Its non-canonical function and regulators are poorly defined. Here we investigated PLK4’s activation and expression and regulations thereof in rat adventitial fibroblast cell-type transition induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA).Experiments using siRNA and selective inhibitor (centrinone-B) revealed a role for PLK4 not only in AA-induced proliferation/migration, but also in serum response factor (SRF) activation and smooth muscle α-actin expression. PDGFR (receptor) inhibition abrogated AA-stimulated PLK4 activation (phosphorylation) and expression; P38 inhibition (siRNA, inhibitor) downstream of PDGFR also mitigated PLK4 activation. Furthermore, transcription of PLK4 (and PDGFRα) was repressed by pan-inhibition of the bromodomain/extraterminal family of chromatin-bookmark readers (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4), an effect determined herein as mainly mediated by BRD4. In vivo, periadventitial administration of centrinone-B reduced collagen content and thickness of the adventitia in a rat model of carotid artery injury.In summary, we have identified a non-canonical role for PLK4 in SRF activation and its regulations by BRD4/PDGFRα-dominated pathways. Results in this study suggest PLK4 inhibition as a potential anti-fibrotic intervention.
Sparse Infomax Based on Hoyer Projection and its Application to Simulated Structural MRI and SNP Data
Authors: Duan Kuaikuai , Silva Rogers F. , Chen Jiayu , Lin Dongdong , Calhoun Vince D. , Liu Jingyu 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACTIndependent component analysis has been widely applied to brain imaging and genetic data analyses for its ability to identify interpretable latent sources. Nevertheless, leveraging source sparsity in a more granular way may further improve its ability to optimize the solution for certain data types. For this purpose, we propose a sparse infomax algorithm based on nonlinear Hoyer projection, leveraging both sparsity and statistical independence of latent sources. The proposed algorithm iteratively updates the unmixing matrix by infomax (for independence) and the sources by Hoyer projection (for sparsity), feeding the sparse sources back as input data for the next iteration. Consequently, sparseness propagates effectively through infomax iterations, producing sources with more desirable properties. Simulation results on both brain imaging and genetic data demonstrate that the proposed algorithm yields improved pattern recovery, particularly under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions, as well as improved sparseness compared to traditional infomax.
A gravity-based three-dimensional compass in the mouse brain
Authors: Angelaki Dora E , Ng J , Abrego AM , Cham HX , Dickman JD , Laurens J 
Published: March 2019

SummaryHead direction cells in the mammalian limbic system are thought to function as an allocentric neuronal compass. Although traditional views hold that the compass of ground-dwelling species is planar, we show that head-direction cells in the rodent thalamus, retrosplenial cortex and cingulum fiber bundle are tuned to conjunctive combinations of azimuth, pitch or roll, similarly to presubicular cells in flying bats. Pitch and roll orientation tuning is ubiquitous, anchored to gravity, and independent of visual landmarks. When head tilts, azimuth tuning is affixed to the head-horizontal plane, but also uses gravity to remain anchored to the terrestrial allocentric world. These findings suggest that gravity defines all three degrees of freedom of the allocentric orientation compass, and only the azimuth component can flexibly remap to local cues in different environments. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a three-dimensional, gravity-based, neural compass is likely a ubiquitous property of mammalian species, including ground-dwelling animals.
PESCA: A scalable platform for the development of cell-type-specific viral drivers
Authors: Hrvatin Sinisa , Tzeng Christopher P. , Nagy M. Aurel , Stroud Hume , Koutsioumpa Charalampia , Wilcox Oren F. , Assad Elena G. , Green Jonathan , Harvey Christopher D. , Griffith Eric C. , Greenberg Michael E. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractEnhancers are the primary DNA regulatory elements that confer cell type specificity of gene expression. Recent studies characterizing individual enhancers have revealed their potential to direct heterologous gene expression in a highly cell-type-specific manner. However, it has not yet been possible to systematically identify and test the function of enhancers for each of the many cell types in an organism. We have developed PESCA, a scalable and generalizable method that leverages ATAC- and single-cell RNA-sequencing protocols, to characterize cell-type-specific enhancers that should enable genetic access and perturbation of gene function across mammalian cell types. Focusing on the highly heterogeneous mammalian cerebral cortex, we apply PESCA to find enhancers and generate viral reagents capable of accessing and manipulating a subset of somatostatin-expressing cortical interneurons with high specificity. This study demonstrates the utility of this platform for developing new cell-type-specific viral reagents, with significant implications for both basic and translational research.One sentence summaryHighly paralleled functional evaluation of enhancer activity in single cells generates new cell-type-specific tools with broad medical and scientific applications.
A simplified analytical model of sound propagation in the human ear
Authors: Gambin Wiktor L. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractA simple mechanical model of sound propagation in the human ear from the entrance to the ear canal up to the round window membrane is outlined. The model shows the outer, middle and inner ear as two waveguides connected by a lever mechanism. The case when a sound wave from a sound source at a given frequency and intensity goes into the ear is considered. The sound as a plane elastic wave in the air of the ear canal is partially reflected from the eardrum and after relocation by a lever of the ossicles; it runs as a plane elastic wave in the cochlea fluid to be finally damped at the round window membrane. The basilar membrane excited by the running sound wave in the cochlea is taken as a chain of separate fibers. The power of the sound reaching the ear is compared with the power of the sound carriers in the ear. As a result, simple rules for the amplitude of the stapes footplate as well as for the amplitude and pressure of the forced acoustic wave in the cochlea are obtained. The formulas for the amplitudes of the membrane of the round window and the basilar membrane are also shown. The results of calculations based on these rules were compared with the measurements made on temporal bone specimens. The tests were done for the level of the sound source intensity of 90 dB and a set of frequencies from the range of 400-10,000 Hz. The amplitudes of the stapes-footplate and the round window membrane were measured. A mean difference, between the calculated and the measured values, for the stapes-footplate reached 31%, and for the round window membrane, it was 21%. A ratio of the basilar membrane velocity to the stapes footplate velocity as a function of the frequencies was shown. The obtained graph was close to that got by others as a result of the measurements.
N-glycosylation of the protein disulfide isomerase Pdi1 ensuresUstilago maydisvirulence
Authors: Marín-Menguiano Miriam , Moreno-Sánchez Ismael , Barrales Ramón R. , Fernández-Álvarez Alfonso , Ibeas José Ignacio 
Published: March 2019

AbstractFungal pathogenesis depends on accurate secretion and location of virulence factors which drive host colonization. Protein glycosylation is a common posttranslational modification of cell wall components and other secreted factors, typically required for correct protein localization, secretion and function. Thus, the absence of glycosylation is associated with animal and plant pathogen avirulence. While the relevance of protein glycosylation for pathogenesis has been well established, the main glycoproteins responsible for the loss of virulence observed in glycosylation-defective fungi have not been identified. Here, we devise a proteomics approach to identify such proteins and use it to demonstrate a role for the highly conserved protein disulfide isomerase Pdi1 in virulence. We show that efficient Pdi1 N-glycosylation, which promotes folding into the correct protein conformation, is required for full pathogenic development of the corn smut fungusUstilago maydis. Remarkably, the observed virulence defects are reminiscent of those seen in glycosylation-defective cells suggesting that the N-glycosylation of Pdi1 is necessary for the full secretion of virulence factors. All these observations, together with the fact that Pdi1 protein and RNA expression levels rise upon virulence program induction, suggest that Pdi1 glycosylation is a crucial event for pathogenic development inU. maydis. Our results provide new insights into the role of glycosylation in fungal pathogenesis.Author summaryFungal pathogens require virulence factors to be properly secreted and localized to guarantee complete infection. In common with many proteins, virulence factors must be post-translationally modified by glycosylation for normal localization, secretion and function. This is especially important for virulence factors, which are mainly comprised of cell wall and secreted proteins. Aberrant glycosylation leads to a loss of virulence in both animal and plant pathogenic fungi. We have previously demonstrated that glycosylation is important for virulence of the corn smut fungus,Ustilago maydis. However, the glycoproteins involved and their specific roles in the infection process have not yet been reported. Here, we describe a proteomic assay designed to identify glycoproteins involved in plant infection. Using this method, we define the role of Pdi1 protein disulfide isomerase in virulence. Interestingly, abolishing Pdi1 N-glycosylation mimics Δpdi1defects observed during infection, suggesting that Pdi1 N-glycosylation is required for the secretion of virulence factors. We hypothesize that Pdi1 N-glycosylation is crucial for maintaining proper effector protein folding during the infection process, especially in the harsh conditions found inside the maize plant.
Nanopore sequencing for fast determination of plasmids, phages, virulence markers, and antimicrobial resistance genes in Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli
Authors: Gonzalez-Escalona Narjol , Allard Marc A. , Brown Eric W. , Sharma Shashi , Hoffmann Maria 
Published: March 2019

AbstractWhole genome sequencing can provide essential public health information. However, it is now known that widely used short-read methods have the potential to miss some randomly-distributed segments of genomes. This can prevent phages, plasmids, and virulence factors from being detected or properly identified. Here, we compared assemblies of three complete STEC O26:H11 genomes from two different sequence types (ST21 and 29), each acquired using the MiSeq-Nextera XT, MinION nanopore-based sequencing, and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) sequencing. Each closed genome consisted of a single chromosome, approximately 5.7 Mb for CFSAN027343, 5.6 Mb for CFSAN027346, and 5.4 MB for CFSAN027350. However, short-read WGS using MiSeq-Nextera failed to identify some virulence genes in plasmids and on the chromosome, both of which were detected using the long-read platforms. Results from long-read MinION and PacBio allowed us to identify differences in plasmid content: a single 88 kb plasmid in CFSAN027343; a 157kb plasmid in CFSAN027350; and two plasmids in CFSAN027346 (one 95 Kb, one 72 Kb). These data enabled rapid characterization of the virulome, detection of antimicrobial genes, and composition/location of Stx phages. Taken together, positive correlations between the two long-read methods for determining plasmids, virulome, antimicrobial resistance genes, and phage composition support MinION sequencing as one accurate and economical option for closing STEC genomes and identifying specific virulence markers.
Effects of estrogen on Survival and Neuronal Differentiation of adult human olfactory bulb neural stem Cells Transplanted into Spinal Cord Injured Rats
Authors: Rezk S , Althani A , Abd-Elmaksoud A , Kassab M , Farag A , Lashen S , Cenciarelli C , Caceci T , Marei HE 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn the present study we developed an excitotoxic spinal cord injury (SCI) model using kainic acid (KA) to evaluate of the therapeutic potential of human olfactory bulb neural stem cells (h-OBNSCs) for spinal cord injury (SCI). In a previous study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of these cells for SCI; all transplanted animals showed successful engraftment. These cells differentiated predominantly as astrocytes, not motor neurons, so no improvement in motor functions was detected. In the current study we used estrogen as neuroprotective therapy before transplantation of OBNSCs to preserve some of endogenous neurons and enhance the differentiation of these cells towards neurons. The present work demonstrated that the h-GFP-OBNSCs were able to survive for more than eight weeks after sub-acute transplantation into injured spinal cord. Stereological quantification of OBNSCs showed approximately a 2.38-fold increase in the initial cell population transplanted. 40.91% of OBNSCs showed differentiation along the neuronal lineages, which was the predominant fate of these cells. 36.36% of the cells differentiated into mature astrocytes; meanwhile 22.73% of the cells differentiated into oligodendrocytes. Improvement in motor functions was also detected after cell transplantation.
Brand as a cognitive mediator: investigating the effect of media brands as a structural feature of textual news messages
Authors: Laaksonen Salla-Maaria , Falco Alessio , Salminen Mikko , Aula Pekka , Ravaja Niklas 
Published: March 2019

PurposeThis study investigates how media brand knowledge, defined as a structural feature of the message, influences emotional and attentional responses to, and memory of, news messages.Design/methodology/approachSelf-reports, facial electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalography were used as indices of emotional valence, arousal and attention in response to 42 news messages, which varied along the valence and involvement dimensions and were framed with different media brands varying along the familiarity and credibility dimensions.FindingsCompared to the no-brand condition, news framed with brands elicited more attention. The memory tests indicated that strong media brands override the effect of involvement in information encoding, whereas details of news presented with Facebook were not well encoded. However, the headlines of news framed with Facebook were well retrieved. In addition, negative and high-involvement news elicited higher arousal ratings and corrugator EMG activity. News framed with familiar and high-credibility brands elicited higher arousal ratings.Research limitations/implicationsRelevant for both brand managers and audiences, the findings show that building credibility and familiarity both work as brand attributes to differentiate media brands and influence information processing.Originality/valueThe results highlight the importance of media brands in news reading: as a structural feature, the brand is used as a proxy to process the message content. The study contributes by investigating how the type of source influences the reception and encoding of the mediated information; by investigating the emotional effects of brands; and by confirming previous findings in media psychology literature.
Multi-tier store brand strategies: a case study
Authors: Gorgitano Maria Teresa , Sodano Valeria 
Published: March 2019

PurposeThis paper aims to describe and understand the offer of premium private labels (PPLs) in Italy, with a case study on the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study on EVOO in Italy was aimed to investigate the drivers of the offer of PPLs and its effects on assortment policies. The study was carried out in three Italian provinces, using a cross-sectional design with data collected through direct observation. A two-step data analysis was performed. First, descriptive statistics were used to preliminary appraise hypotheses on the rationale underlying the offer of PPL, and then, the drivers of PPL policy were studied using a logistic regression model.FindingsThe estimated model indicates that in the case of EVOO the probability of offering a PPL is higher for stronger with a stronger competitive position (with respect to other stores), and increases with the size of the category assortment (Total Assortment Width) and with the share of the PL products offered by the store (PL Assortment Index). It also increases if the average price (Total Average Price) and the average price of the standard private label (SPL Average Price) improve; by contrast, it decreases if the national brand (NB) share in the assortment (NB Assortment Index) augments.Research limitations/implicationsOverall, the study confirms that the multi-tiered PL strategy is one of the current competitive strategies of top retailers, centred more on a differentiation than on a low cost/price policy. Such a differentiation policy may have various effects in terms of channel structure and social welfare depending on the underlying corporate and consumer goals and beliefs and on the existing institutional framework.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate the PPL market in Italy using original data and taking into account policies actually carried out at the individual store level. A further element of novelty is the attention given to the welfare effects of multi-tier strategies. This paper suggests that these latter may have various effects in terms of channel structure and social welfare depending on the underlying corporate and consumer goals and beliefs and on the existing institutional framework.
Research Note: Low‐frequency pneumatic seismic sources
Authors: Chelminski Steve , Watson Leighton M. , Ronen Shuki 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACTPneumatic seismic sources, commonly known as airguns, have been serving us well for decades, but there is an increasing need for sources with improved low‐frequency signal and reduced environmental impact. In this paper, we present a new pneumatic source that is designed to achieve these goals by operating with lower pressures and larger volumes. The new source will release more air creating larger bubbles with longer bubble periods than airguns. The release of the air will be tuned so that the rise time will be longer and the sound pressure level and its slope will be lower. Certain engineering features will eliminate cavitation. Larger bubbles increase low‐frequency content of the signal, longer rise times decrease mid‐frequency content and the elimination of cavitation reduces high‐frequency content. We have not yet built a full‐scale version of the new source. However, we have manufactured a small‐scale low‐pressure source incorporating most of the engineering features, and tested it in a lake. Here, we present the lake data that, as expected, show a significant reduction in the sound pressure level, increase in rise time, decrease in slope and decrease in high‐frequency content while maintaining the same low‐frequency content when the source prototype is operated at low pressure compared with high pressure. Synthetic data produced by numerical modelling of the full‐scale proposed pneumatic source suggest that the new source will improve the low‐frequency content and can produce geophysically useful signal down to 1 Hz.
Beyond health: medicines, food supplements, energetics and the commodification of self‐performance in Maputo
Authors: F. Rodrigues Carla , Lopes Noémia , Hardon Anita 
Published: March 2019

AbstractWith an increasing range of products in global and local markets, more options are available for individuals to enhance their image and their (cognitive, social and physical) performance. These ‘performance consumptions’ relate to ideals of well‐being and improvement, and are based on constructed desires, expectations and needs that go beyond the (often blurred) dichotomy of health and illness. Drawing from mixed‐methods research in Maputo, Mozambique, this paper discusses individuals’ use of medicines and other substances – pharmaceuticals, food supplements, traditional herbs, cosmetics and energy drinks – for managing different aspects of their everyday lives. Through an overview of the main consumption practices, we explore the underlying purposes and strategies of users, and the perceived legitimacy and risks involved when using a variety of products accessible through formal and informal exchange channels. From tiredness to sexual and aesthetic management, we show how the body becomes the locus of experimentation and investment to perform in accordance with socially expected roles, individual aspirations and everyday tasks. With insights from individuals’ accounts in Maputo, we aim to add to discussions on pharmaceuticalisation of body management by showing how the emergence of new performance consumptions is articulated with the reconfiguration of more ‘traditional’ consumption practices.