bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ochratoxin A reduction ability of biocontrol agent Bacillus subtilis isolated from Korean traditional fermented food Kimchi
Authors: Shukla Shruti , Park Jung Hyun , Chung Soo Hyun , Kim Myunghee 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn the present study, a new biocontrol strain, Bacillus subtilis KU-153, was isolated from the Korean traditional fermented food Kimchi and evaluated for its ability to reduce the ochratoxin A (OTA) content in culture medium. A 16 S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed the identity of newly isolated strain KU-153 as B. subtilis. The growth kinetic study of B. subtilis KU-153, in terms of the OTA reduction in culture medium, confirmed its biocontrol efficacy. To verify its ability to reduce the OTA content in culture medium, bacterial extracts (intracellular and extracellular) of B. subtilis were separated and compared with whole B. subtilis cells (viable and heat-killed). No reduction in the OTA content was observed in culture medium with extracellular and intracellular extracts, while viable and heat-killed cells of B. subtilis showed significant levels (p < 0.05) of OTA reduction in culture medium. Interestingly, B. subtilis heat-treated cells showed a higher OTA reduction (45%) than viable cells (22%). Further, B. subtilis heat-treated cells were assessed for their ability to reduce OTA levels in artificially contaminated red wine samples that resulted in an OTA reduction of approximately 90%, suggesting the biocontrol potential of the newly isolated strain B. subtilis KU-153 on OTA reduction.
Cholinergic activity is essential for maintaining the anterograde transport of Choline Acetyltransferase in Drosophila
Authors: Dey Swagata , Ray Krishanu 
Published: May 2018

AbstractCholinergic activity is essential for cognitive functions and neuronal homeostasis. Choline Acetyltransferase (ChAT), a soluble protein that synthesizes acetylcholine at the presynaptic compartment, is transported in bulk in the axons by the heterotrimeric Kinesin-2 motor. Axonal transport of soluble proteins is described as a constitutive process assisted by occasional, non-specific interactions with moving vesicles and motor proteins. Here, we report that an increase in the influx of Kinesin-2 motor and association between ChAT and the motor during a specific developmental period enhances the axonal entry, as well as the anterograde flow of the protein, in the sensory neurons of intact Drosophila nervous system. Loss of cholinergic activity due to Hemicholinium and Bungarotoxin treatments, respectively, disrupts the interaction between ChAT and Kinesin-2 in the axon, and the episodic enhancement of axonal influx of the protein. Altogether, these observations highlight a phenomenon of synaptic activity-dependent, feedback regulation of a soluble protein transport in vivo, which could potentially define the quantum of its pre-synaptic influx.
Reflective grating-coupled structure improves the detection efficiency of THz array detectors
Authors: Xiao Peng , Tu Xuecou , Kang Lin , Jiang Chengtao , Zhai Shimin , Jiang Zhou , Pan Danfeng , Chen Jian , Jia Xiaoqing , Wu Peiheng 
Published: May 2018

AbstractA reflective grating-coupled structure on the silicon substrate was designed to improve the detection efficiency of terahertz detectors for the frequency ranging from 0.26 THz to 0.36 THz. By using finite difference time domain (FDTD) solutions, the simulation and optimized design of the grating-coupled structure were carried out. The results showed that the signal was effectively reflected and diffracted by the reflective grating-coupled structure which significantly enhanced the electric field in the place of the detector. The maximum electric field can be increased by 2.8 times than that of the Fabry-Perot resonator. To verify the design results, the reflective grating-coupled structure was applied in the preparation of the Nb5N6 array detector chip and compared with the Nb5N6 array detector chip with the F-P resonator. The results showed that the maximum voltage responsivity of the Nb5N6 detector with the reflective grating-coupled structure was 2 times larger than the Nb5N6 detector with the F-P resonator. It indicates that the reflective grating-coupled structure can efficiently improve the detection efficiency of THz detectors.
Ultrathin, flexible and multimodal tactile sensors based on organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Viola Fabrizio Antonio , Spanu Andrea , Ricci Pier Carlo , Bonfiglio Annalisa , Cosseddu Piero 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn this study, a novel approach to the fabrication of a multimodal temperature and force sensor on ultrathin, conformable and flexible substrates is presented. This process involves coupling a charge-modulated organic field-effect transistor (OCMFET) with a pyro/piezoelectric element, namely a commercial film of poly-vinylene difluoride (PVDF). The proposed device is able to respond to both pressure stimuli and temperature variations, demonstrating the feasibility of the approach for the development of low-cost, highly sensitive and conformable multimodal sensors. The overall thickness of the device is 1.2 μm, being thus able to conform to any surface (including the human body), while keeping its electrical performance. Furthermore, it is possible to discriminate between simultaneously applied temperature and pressure stimuli by coupling sensing surfaces made of poled and unpoled spin-coated PVDF-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE, a PVDF copolymer) with OCMFETs. This demonstrates the possibility of creating multimodal sensors that can be employed for applications in several fields, ranging from robotics to wearable electronics.
Circuit variability interacts with excitatory-inhibitory diversity of interneurons to regulate network encoding capacity
Authors: Tsai Kuo-Ting , Hu Chin-Kun , Li Kuan-Wei , Hwang Wen-Liang , Chou Ya-Hui 
Published: May 2018

AbstractLocal interneurons (LNs) in the Drosophila olfactory system exhibit neuronal diversity and variability, yet it is still unknown how these features impact information encoding capacity and reliability in a complex LN network. We employed two strategies to construct a diverse excitatory-inhibitory neural network beginning with a ring network structure and then introduced distinct types of inhibitory interneurons and circuit variability to the simulated network. The continuity of activity within the node ensemble (oscillation pattern) was used as a readout to describe the temporal dynamics of network activity. We found that inhibitory interneurons enhance the encoding capacity by protecting the network from extremely short activation periods when the network wiring complexity is very high. In addition, distinct types of interneurons have differential effects on encoding capacity and reliability. Circuit variability may enhance the encoding reliability, with or without compromising encoding capacity. Therefore, we have described how circuit variability of interneurons may interact with excitatory-inhibitory diversity to enhance the encoding capacity and distinguishability of neural networks. In this work, we evaluate the effects of different types and degrees of connection diversity on a ring model, which may simulate interneuron networks in the Drosophila olfactory system or other biological systems.
Raphidocelis subcapitata (=Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) provides an insight into genome evolution and environmental adaptations in the Sphaeropleales
Authors: Suzuki Shigekatsu , Yamaguchi Haruyo , Nakajima Nobuyoshi , Kawachi Masanobu 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe Sphaeropleales are a dominant group of green algae, which contain species important to freshwater ecosystems and those that have potential applied usages. In particular, Raphidocelis subcapitata is widely used worldwide for bioassays in toxicological risk assessments. However, there are few comparative genome analyses of the Sphaeropleales. To reveal genome evolution in the Sphaeropleales based on well-resolved phylogenetic relationships, nuclear, mitochondrial, and plastid genomes were sequenced in this study. The plastid genome provides insights into the phylogenetic relationships of R. subcapitata, which is located in the most basal lineage of the four species in the family Selenastraceae. The mitochondrial genome shows dynamic evolutionary histories with intron expansion in the Selenastraceae. The 51.2 Mbp nuclear genome of R. subcapitata, encoding 13,383 protein-coding genes, is more compact than the genome of its closely related oil-rich species, Monoraphidium neglectum (Selenastraceae), Tetradesmus obliquus (Scenedesmaceae), and Chromochloris zofingiensis (Chromochloridaceae); however, the four species share most of their genes. The Sphaeropleales possess a large number of genes for glycerolipid metabolism and sugar assimilation, which suggests that this order is capable of both heterotrophic and mixotrophic lifestyles in nature. Comparison of transporter genes suggests that the Sphaeropleales can adapt to different natural environmental conditions, such as salinity and low metal concentrations.
Theory of Large Intrinsic Spin Hall Effect in Iridate Semimetals
Authors: Patri Adarsh S. , Hwang Kyusung , Lee Hyun-Woo , Kim Yong Baek 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe theoretically investigate the mechanism to generate large intrinsic spin Hall effect in iridates or more broadly in 5d transition metal oxides with strong spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate such a possibility by taking the example of orthorhombic perovskite iridate with nonsymmorphic lattice symmetry, SrIrO3, which is a three-dimensional semimetal with nodal line spectrum. It is shown that large intrinsic spin Hall effect arises in this system via the spin-Berry curvature originating from the nearly degenerate electronic spectra surrounding the nodal line. This effect exists even when the nodal line is gently gapped out, due to the persistent nearly degenerate electronic structure. The magnitude of the spin Hall conductivity is shown to be comparable to the best known example such as doped topological insulators and the biggest in any transition metal oxides. To gain further insight, we compute the intrinsic spin Hall conductivity in both bulk and thin film systems. We find that the geometric confinement in thin films leads to significant modifications of the electronic states, leading to even bigger spin Hall conductivity in certain cases. We compare our findings with the recent experimental report on the discovery of large spin Hall effect in SrIrO3 thin films.
Investigation of C1-complex regions reveals new C1Q variants associated with protection from systemic lupus erythematosus, and affect its transcript abundance
Authors: Guo Jianping , Gao Yanyan , Wang Yuxuan , Zou Yundong , Du Yan , Luo Cainan , Shi Yamei , Yang Yue , Wu Xinyu , Su Yin , Wu Lijun , Chen Shi , Li Zhanguo 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAlthough rare variant C1Q deficiency was identified as causative risk for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), there are limited and inconsistent reports regarding the common polymorphisms of C1Q genes in SLE susceptibility. Furthermore, there are no reports concerning polymorphisms of C1S, C1R, and C1RL and whether they confer susceptibility to SLE. We therefore evaluated 22 SNPs across six C1-complex genes in two independent case-control cohorts, and identified four novel SNPs that confer protection from SLE. The four SNPs are all located in C1Q. Particularly, the variant rs653286 displayed an independent reduced risk on SLE susceptibility (OR 0.75, P = 2.16 × 10−3) and anti-dsDNA antibodies (OR 0.68, P = 0.024). By bioinformatics analysis, SNPs rs653286 and rs291985 displayed striking cis-eQTL effects on C1Q genes expression. Individuals homozygous for the ‘protective’ allele at four SNPs had significantly higher levels of serum C1q (rs680123–rs682658: P = 0.0022; rs653286–rs291985: P = 0.0076). To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that only C1Q polymorphisms are associated with SLE. The C1Q SNP rs653286 confers an independent protective effect on SLE susceptibility and affects transcript abundance.
Positive effects of hydrogen-water bathing in patients of psoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques
Authors: Zhu Qinyuan , Wu Yueshen , Li Yongmei , Chen Zihua , Wang Lanting , Xiong Hao , Dai Erhong , Wu Jianhua , Fan Bin , Ping Li , Luo Xiaoqun 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPsoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques are chronic inflammatory skin diseases, both representing therapeutic challenge in daily practice and adversely affecting the quality of life. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been evidenced to be involved in the pathogenesis of the chronic inflammatory diseases. We now report that hydrogen water, an effective ROS scavenger, has significant and rapid improvement in disease severity and quality of life for patients with psoriasis and parapsoriasis en plaques. At week 8, our parallel-controlled trial revealed 24.4% of patients (10/41) receiving hydrogen-water bathing achieved at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score compared with 2.9% of patients (1/34) of the control group (Pc = 0.022, OR = 0.094, 95%CI = [0.011, 0.777]). Of patients, 56.1% (23/41) who received bathing achieved at least 50% improvement in PASI score compared with only 17.7%(6/34) of the control group (P = 0.001, OR = 0.168, 95%CI = [0.057, 0.492]). The significant improvement of pruritus was also observed (P = 3.94 × 10−4). Besides, complete response was observed in 33.3% of patients (2/6) of parapsoriasis en plaques and partial response in 66.7% (4/6) at week 8. Our findings suggested that hydrogen-water bathing therapy could fulfill the unmet need for these chronic inflammatory skin diseases.
Biochar Impacts on Soil Silicon Dissolution Kinetics and their Interaction Mechanisms
Authors: Wang Yaofeng , Xiao Xin , Chen Baoliang 
Published: May 2018

AbstractEffects of biochars on soil silicon dissolution kinetics remain unaddressed. Si-rich rice husk (RH) and rice straw (RS), and Si-deficient wood sawdust (WB) and orange peel (OP) were applied to prepare biochars at 300–700 °C. The silicon dissolution of Si-rich biochars was relatively high in comparison with Si-deficient biochars, and increased with the pyrolysis temperature. The mechanism of silicon release is suggested to be controlled by a protective carbon-silicon interaction, as accompanied by carbon release. After mixing with soil, the addition of Si-rich biochar leads up to 72.7–121% improvement in silicon dissolution in a high-silicon soil (HSS) compared to 147–243% improvement in a low-silicon soil (LSS). The total cumulative amount of silicon dissolved decreased compared to the theoretical value due to the adsorption of silicic acid by the biochar. The addition of WB700 or OP700 as Si-deficient biochars leads to a cumulative Si dissolution decrease of 15.7 and 12.1%, respectively. The adsorption of silicic acid in the biochar and the protection of soil dissolved Fe make biochar a reservoir of soil silicon. Thus, Si-rich biochar could serve as a source of Si with slow release, while Si-deficient biochar could serve as an extra Si sink in agricultural paddy soil.
HDV infection rates in northern Vietnam
Authors: Binh Mai Thanh , Hoan Nghiem Xuan , Van Tong Hoang , Giang Dao Phuong , Sy Bui Tien , Toan Nguyen Linh , Song Le Huu , Bang Mai Hong , Wedemeyer Heiner , Meyer Christian G. , Kremsner Peter G. , Bock C.-Thomas , Velavan Thirumalaisamy P. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractHepatitis D caused by the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a serious health problem in many regions of the world. A total of 546 HBV-infected patients were enrolled from 2013 to 2015 and classified clinically into the subgroups of chronic hepatitis B (CHB, n = 191), liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 147) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 208). The patients were screened for HDV-RNA by nested PCR assays. HDV genotypes were assessed by direct sequencing, followed by phylogenetic analysis. HDV-RNA was identified in 13% (71/546) of HBV-infected patients. The highest HDV prevalence was found in the LC group (19.7%), followed by the HCC (12%) and CHB (8.9%) groups (P = 0.017). HDV/HBV coinfections were significantly associated with a rather unfavourable clinical outcome, in particular with LC development compared to HBV monoinfection. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the genotype HDV1 was, with a prevalence of 91%, by far the most common genotype in Vietnam, followed by HDV2 with 9%. Other HDV genotypes were not observed. In accordance with previous data obtained a decade ago, our results confirm a continuing high prevalence of HDV infection in hepatitis B patients in northern Vietnam with the HDV1 genotype still being the predominant genotype. HDV nucleic acid testing to minimize the associated risk should be considered.
Comparative inhibitory profile and distribution of bacterial PARPs, using Clostridioides difficile CD160 PARP as a model
Authors: García-Saura Antonio Ginés , Zapata-Pérez Rubén , Hidalgo José Francisco , Sánchez-Ferrer Álvaro 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPoly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs) are involved in the regulation of important cellular processes, such as DNA repair, aging and apoptosis, among others. They have been considered as promising therapeutic targets, since human cancer cells carrying BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are highly sensitive to human PARP-1 inhibitors. Although extensive work has been carried out with the latter enzyme, little is known on bacterial PARPs, of which only one has been demonstrated to be active. To extend this limited knowledge, we demonstrate that the Gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile CD160 PARP is a highly active enzyme with a high production yield. Its phylogenetic analysis also pointed to a singular domain organization in contrast to other clostridiales, which could be due to the long-term divergence of C. difficile CD160. Surprisingly, its PARP becomes the first enzyme to be characterized from this strain, which has a genotype never before described based on its sequenced genome. Finally, the inhibition study carried out after a high-throughput in silico screening and an in vitro testing with hPARP1 and bacterial PARPs identified a different inhibitory profile, a new highly inhibitory compound never before described for hPARP1, and a specificity of bacterial PARPs for a compound that mimics NAD+ (EB-47).
Regulation of filial imprinting and structural plasticity by mTORC1 in newborn chickens
Authors: Batista Gervasio , Johnson Jennifer L. , Dominguez Elena , Costa-Mattioli Mauro , Pena Jose L. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractDysregulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling leads to memory deficits and abnormal social behaviors in adults. However, whether mTORC1 is involved in critical periods of early learning remains largely unexplored. Our study addressed this question by investigating imprinting, a form of learning constrained to a sensitive period that supports filial attachment, in newborn chickens. Imprinting to virtual objects and sounds was assessed after acute manipulations of mTORC1. To further understand the role of mTORC1 during the critical period, structural plasticity was analyzed using DiOlistic labeling of dendritic spines. We found that mTORC1 is required for the emergence of experience-dependent preferences and structural plasticity within brain regions controlling behavior. Furthermore, upon critical period closure, pharmacological activation of the AKT/mTORC1 pathway was sufficient to rescue imprinting across sensory modalities. Thus, our results uncover a novel role of mTORC1 in the formation of imprinted memories and experience-dependent reorganization of neural circuits during a critical period.
Dynamics of coarse and fine particle exposure in transport microenvironments
Authors: Kumar Prashant , Rivas Ioar , Singh Anant Pratap , Ganesh Vikas Julius , Ananya Monirupa , Frey H. Christopher 
Published: May 2018

AbstractA significant fraction of daily personal exposure to air pollutants occurs during commuting in transport microenvironments (TMEs). We carried out systematic mobile monitoring on a pre-defined route to assess personal exposure levels of particulate matter (PM) in four TMEs (bus, car, cycle and walk). Measurements were made during morning peak (MP), afternoon off-peak (OP) and evening peak (EP) hours in a typical UK town, Guildford. The objectives were to quantify the real-time exposure to fine and coarse particles, identify the factors influencing their spatiotemporal variation and estimate the respiratory deposition doses (RDD). The mean PM10 concentrations were 90 ± 63, 23 ± 9, 14 ± 17 and 63 ± 76 μg m−3 for bus, car, cycle and walk modes, respectively. The average ratios of PM2.5/PM10 were 0.32, 0.90, 0.67 and 0.36 for bus, car, cycle and car journeys, respectively. The mean concentrations of coarse particles (PM2.5-10) followed the trend: bus > walk > cycle > car. In contrast, mean concentrations of submicron (PM1) and fine particles (PM2.5) were usually high in the car while lowest for cyclists. RDD depend on the physical activity, particle size distribution and thus deposited fraction are not always proportional to the ambient concentration. RDD for coarse particles were largest for the walk mode (56 ± 14 μg h−1), followed by buses (31 ± 2 μg h−1), cycle (12 ± 3 μg h−1) and cars (1.2 ± 0.3 μg h−1). The corresponding RDD of fine particles were comparable for both walk (5.5 ± 0.3 μg h−1) and cycle (5.1 ± 1.2 μg h−1), followed by bus (4.1 ± 0.7 μg h−1) and car (2.0 ± 0.2 μg h−1). Car mode experienced both the least concentrations and RDD for coarse particles. It also had the lowest RDD for fine particles despite high concentrations. Physical activity of car commuters is modest compared with walking and cycling, which makes the rank ordering of RDD different than those of exposure concentrations. Hence the management of commuting exposures should consider potential dose and not just exposure concentration for curtailing adverse health effects related to commuting. RDD for pedestrian and cycle modes were not the lowest among the measured modes but opportunities such as an increased distance between the heavily trafficked roadways and pedestrians/cyclists should be considered in urban planning to reduce potential doses.