bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The development of an extra-anatomic tissue-engineered artery with collateral arteries for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic hind limb
Authors: Zhou Xu , Zhang Yinlong , Wang Hongfei , Zhao Bin , Wang Jinling , Yan Guoliang , Xu Shuangyue , Zhou Yuanyuan , Liu Hongyi , Zheng Yifei , Quan Wei , Zhou Jianyin , Liu Yun , Zhen Maochuan , Zhu Xuan , Zhao Yilin 
Published: March 2018

AbstractTo develop tissue-engineered arteries (TEAs) with collateral arteries(CAs) in ischemic hind limb goat models(IHLMs). The IHLMs created by removing femoral arteries were divided into non-treated control group(NG); non-catheter group (NCG) in which TEA was anastomosed to external iliac artery(EIA), and surrounded with collagen sponge containing autologous MSCs and VEGF-gelatin microspheres, the distal end of TEA was ligated; catheter group(CG) which received the same procedure as NCG, also received heparin infusion through catheter in EIA. TEA patency was assessed weekly by Ultrasound. The TEA and CAs were assessed by angiography, gross examination, histology and electron microscopy. In CG, TEAs remained patent for 1 month, but became partly occluded 1 week after catheter withdrawn. In NCG, TEAs were occluded 1 week after implantation. Angiography demonstrated that communication between CAs arising from the TEAs and the native vessels was established in both groups. NCG had fewer CAs than CG (P < 0.01). At 40 days, TEAs in CG demonstrated of endothelium formation, smooth muscle cells infiltration and collagen regeneration. The CG had more capillaries and mature vessels in adventia of TEAs than NCG (P < 0.01). CG group also had more vessels around TEAs than NCG (P < 0.01) or NG (P < 0.001).
Direct Auger recombination and density-dependent hole diffusion in InN
Authors: Aleksiejūnas Ramūnas , Podlipskas Žydrūnas , Nargelas Saulius , Kadys Arūnas , Kolenda Marek , Nomeika Kazimieras , Mickevičius Jūras , Tamulaitis Gintautas 
Published: March 2018

AbstractIndium nitride has a good potential for infrared optoelectronics, yet it suffers from fast nonradiative recombination, the true origin of which has not been established with certainty. The diffusion length of free carriers at high densities is not well investigated either. Here, we study carrier recombination and diffusion using the light-induced transient grating technique in InN epilayers grown by pulsed MOCVD on c-plane sapphire. We show that direct Auger recombination governs the lifetime of carriers at densities above ~1018 cm−3. The measured Auger recombination coefficient is (8 ± 1) × 10−29 cm−3. At carrier densities above ~5 × 1019 cm−3, we observe the saturation of Auger recombination rate due to phase space filling. The diffusion coefficient of holes scales linearly with carrier density, increasing from 1 cm2/s in low-doped layers at low excitations and up to ~40 cm2/s at highest carrier densities. The resulting carrier diffusion length remains within 100–300 nm range, which is comparable to the light absorption depth. This feature is required for efficient carrier extraction in bipolar devices, thus suggesting MOCVD-grown InN as the material fit for photovoltaic and photonic applications.
Age-related Changes in Eye, Brain and Visuomotor Behavior in the DBA/2J Mouse Model of Chronic Glaucoma
Authors: Yang Xiao-Ling , van der Merwe Yolandi , Sims Jeffrey , Parra Carlos , Ho Leon C. , Schuman Joel S. , Wollstein Gadi , Lathrop Kira L. , Chan Kevin C. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAlthough elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and age are major risk factors for glaucoma, their effects on glaucoma pathogenesis remain unclear. This study examined the onset and progression of glaucomatous changes to ocular anatomy and physiology, structural and physiological brain integrity, and visuomotor behavior in the DBA/2J mice via non-invasive tonometry, multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optokinetic assessments from 5 to 12 months of age. Using T2-weighted MRI, diffusion tensor MRI, and manganese-enhanced MRI, increasing IOP elevation at 9 and 12 months old coincided with anterior chamber deepening, altered fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity of the optic nerve and optic tract, as well as reduced anterograde manganese transport along the visual pathway respectively in the DBA/2J mice. Vitreous body elongation and visuomotor function deterioration were observed until 9 months old, whereas axial diffusivity only decreased at 12 months old in diffusion tensor MRI. Under the same experimental settings, C57BL/6J mice only showed modest age-related changes. Taken together, these results indicate that the anterior and posterior visual pathways of the DBA/2J mice exhibit differential susceptibility to glaucomatous neurodegeneration observable by in vivo multi-modal examinations.
Biotic and environmental stress induces nitration and changes in structure and function of the sea urchin major yolk protein toposome
Authors: Castellano Immacolata , Migliaccio Oriana , Ferraro Giarita , Maffioli Elisa , Marasco Daniela , Merlino Antonello , Zingone Adriana , Tedeschi Gabriella , Palumbo Anna 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe major yolk protein toposome plays crucial roles during gametogenesis and development of sea urchins. We previously found that nitration of toposome increases in the gonads of a Paracentrotus lividus population living in a marine protected area affected by toxic blooms of Ostreospsis cf. ovata, compared to control populations. This modification is associated with ovatoxin accumulation, high levels of nitric oxide in the gonads, and a remarkable impairment of progeny development. However, nothing is known about the environmental-mediated-regulation of the structure and biological function of toposome. Here, we characterize through wide-ranging biochemical and structural analyses the nitrated toposome of sea urchins exposed to the bloom, and subsequently detoxified. The increased number of nitrated tyrosines in toposome of sea urchins collected during algal bloom induced structural changes and improvement of the Ca2+-binding affinity of the protein. After 3 months’ detoxification, ovatoxin was undetectable, and the number of nitric oxide-modified tyrosines was reduced. However, the nitration of specific residues was irreversible and occurred also in embryos treated with metals, used as a proxy of environmental pollutants. The structural and functional changes of toposome caused by nitration under adverse environmental conditions may be related to the defective development of sea urchins’ progeny.
Toosendanin inhibits adipogenesis by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Chen Tian-xing , Cheng Xiao-ying , Wang Yun , Yin Wu 
Published: March 2018

AbstractToosendanin (TSN), a triterpenoid extracted from Melia toosendan, has been reported to possess anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-arthritic activities. However, its anti-adipogenic effect remains unknown. Here, we found that TSN dose-dependently attenuated lipid accumulation in preadipocytes 3T3-L1 as evidenced by Oil Red O staining. TSN also significantly downregulated mRNA and protein levels of adipocytokines (adiponectin and leptin), CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins α (C/EBP-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ), fatty acid synthase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in adipocytes. To understand the mechanism, we observed that TSN effectively activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway, in which TSN increased low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 6, disheveled 2, β-catenin, and cyclin D1 expression levels, while it inactivated glycogen synthase kinase 3β by enhancing its phosphorylation. Moreover, TSN reduced weight of gonadal white fat and serum triacylglycerol (TAG) content in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Interestingly, thein vivostudies also demonstrated that TSN promoted the expression of β-catenin, but accordingly repressed C/EBP-α and PPAR-γ expression in HFD-induced mice. Overall, TSN is capable of inhibiting the lipogenesis of adipocytes by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, suggesting potential application of TSN as a natural anti-obesity agent.
Sequential Immunizations with heterosubtypic virus-like particles elicit cross protection against divergent influenza A viruses in mice
Authors: Luo Yuan , Mohan Teena , Zhu Wandi , Wang Chao , Deng Lei , Wang Bao-Zhong 
Published: March 2018

AbstractSeasonal influenza vaccines have proven to be effective against well-matched viruses in healthy adults. However, rapid accumulation of mutations in the main antigenic surface proteins of influenza can compromise the efficiency of flu vaccines. Occasionally, influenza pandemics arise and present a different type of challenge to current seasonal vaccines. Novel vaccination strategies that can educate the host immune system to generate immune responses focusing on conserved epitopes on theses antigenic surface proteins are crucial for controlling and limiting influenza epidemics and pandemics. In this study, we have sequentially vaccinated mice with heterosubtypic influenza HA virus-like particles (VLPs) harboring H1, H8, and H13 from the HA phylogenetic group 1, or H3, H4, and H10 from the HA phylogenetic group 2, or in various combinations. The immunized animals were fully protected when challenged with lethal doses of heterosubtypic viruses from either phylogenetic group. Our vaccination approach demonstrates a promising strategy for the development of a ‘universal influenza vaccine’.
Analysis of mutations in pncA reveals non-overlapping patterns among various lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Baddam Ramani , Kumar Narender , Wieler Lothar H. , Lankapalli Aditya Kumar , Ahmed Niyaz , Peacock Sharon J. , Semmler Torsten 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPyrazinamide (PZA) is an important first-line anti-tuberculosis drug, resistance to which occurs primarily due to mutations in pncA (Rv2043c) that encodes the pyrazinamidase enzyme responsible for conversion of pro-drug PZA into its active form. Previous studies have reported numerous resistance-conferring mutations distributed across the entire length of pncA without any hotspot regions. As different lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis display a strong geographic association, we sought to understand whether the genetic background influenced the distribution of mutations in pncA. We analyzed the whole genome sequence data of 1,480 clinical isolates representing four major M. tuberculosis lineages to identify the distribution of mutations in the complete operon (Rv2044c-pncA-Rv2042c) and its upstream promoter region. We observed a non-overlapping pattern of mutations among various lineages and identified a lineage 3-specific frame-shift deletion in gene Rv2044c upstream of pncA that disrupted the stop codon and led to its fusion with pncA. This resulted in the addition of a novel domain of unknown function (DUF2784) to the pyrazinamidase enzyme. The variant molecule was computationally modelled and physico-chemical parameters determined to ascertain stability. Although the functional impact of this mutation remains unknown, its lineage specific nature highlights the importance of genetic background and warrants further study.
Varied Length Stokes Shift BODIPY-Based Fluorophores for Multicolor Microscopy
Authors: Bittel Amy M. , Davis Ashley M. , Wang Lei , Nederlof Michel A. , Escobedo Jorge O. , Strongin Robert M. , Gibbs Summer L. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractMulticolor microscopy tools necessary to localize and visualize the complexity of subcellular systems are limited by current fluorophore technology. While commercial fluorophores cover spectral space from the ultraviolet to the near infrared region and are optimized for conventional bandpass based fluorescence microscopy, they are not ideal for highly multiplexed fluorescence microscopy as they tend to have short Stokes shifts, restricting the number of fluorophores that can be detected in a single sample to four to five. Herein, we synthesized a library of 95 novel boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorophores and screened their photophysical, optical and spectral properties for their utility in multicolor microscopy. A subset of our BODIPY-based fluorophores yielded varied length Stokes shifts probes, which were used to create a five-color image using a single excitation with confocal laser scanning microscopy for the first time. Combining these novel fluorophores with conventional fluorophores could facilitate imaging in up to nine to ten colors using linear unmixing based microscopy approaches.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection Increases Risk of Gallstone Disease in Elderly Chinese Patients with Chronic Liver Disease
Authors: Li Xu , Gao Pujun 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWe investigated possible links between the etiology of liver disease and gallstone risk in Chinese patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). We compared the outcomes of 267 Chinese CLD patients with gallstones and those of a control group of 1,015 CLD patients without gallstones. Logistic regression analyses adjusting for demographic features and other gallstone risk factors revealed that liver cirrhosis increased the risk of gallstone development twofold [adjusted odds ratio (AOR); 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.343 (1.710–3.211)]. HCV infection increased gallstone risk 1–2-fold [AOR; 95% CI: 1.582 (1.066–2.347)] higher than did HBV infection. Multivariate analyses of the risk of developing gallstones in patients with liver cirrhosis after an HCV or HBV infection yielded an estimated AOR (95% CI) of 1.601 (1.063–2.413) in patients with an HCV infection. In elderly patients with CLD (≥60 years of age), gallstone risk also increased significantly after an HCV infection [AOR (95% CI): 2.394 (1.066–5.375)]. HCV infection, older age, and liver cirrhosis significantly correlate with an increased risk of gallstone development in Chinese patients with CLD. HCV infection further increases this risk in both patients with liver cirrhosis and in elderly CLD patients (≥60 years of age).
Systematic evaluation of the adaptability of the non-radioactive SUnSET assay to measure cardiac protein synthesis
Authors: Ravi Venkatraman , Jain Aditi , Ahamed Faiz , Fathma Nowrin , Desingu Perumal Arumugam , Sundaresan Nagalingam R. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractHeart is a dynamic organ that undergoes remodeling in response to both physiological and pathological stimuli. One of the fundamental cellular processes that facilitates changes in the size and shape of this muscular organ is the protein synthesis. Traditionally changes in cardiac protein synthesis levels were measured by radiolabeled tracers. However, these methods are often cumbersome and suffer from radioactive risk. Recently a nonradioactive method for detecting protein synthesis under in vitro conditions called the Surface Sensing of Translation (SUnSET) was described in cell lines of mouse dendrites and T cells. In this work, we provide multiple lines of evidence that the SUnSET assay can be applied to reliably detect changes in protein synthesis both in isolated neonatal primary cardiomyocytes and heart. We successfully tracked the changes in protein synthesis by western blotting as well as immunohistochemical variants of the SUnSET assay. Applying the SUnSET assay, we measured the cardiac protein synthesis during the different ages of mice. Further, we successfully tracked the increase in cardiac protein synthesis during different stages of a well-established model for pathological hypertrophy. Overall, we propose SUnSET assay as a simple, reliable and robust method to measure protein synthesis in the cardiac milieu.
Multi-target mode of action of a Clerodane-type diterpenoid from Polyalthia longifolia targeting African trypanosomes
Authors: Ebiloma Godwin U. , Katsoulis Evangelos , Igoli John O. , Gray Alexander I. , De Koning Harry P. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractNatural products have made remarkable contributions to drug discovery and therapy. In this work we exploited various biochemical approaches to investigate the mode of action of 16-α-hydroxy-cleroda-3,13 (14)-Z-dien-15,16-olide (HDK-20), which we recently isolated from Polyalthia longifolia, on Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream trypomastigotes. HDK20 at concentrations ≥ EC50 (0.4 μg/ml) was trypanocidal, with its effect irreversible after only a brief exposure time (<1 h). Fluorescence microscopic assessment of DNA configuration revealed severe cell cycle defects after 8 h of incubation with the compound, the equivalent of a single generation time. This was accompanied by DNA fragmentation as shown by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick-End Labelling (TUNEL) assays. HDK-20 also induced a fast and profound depolarisation of the parasites’ mitochondrial membrane potential and depleted intracellular ATP levels of T. brucei. Overall, HDK20 showed a multi-target mechanism of action, which provides a biochemical explanation for the promising anti-trypanosomatid activity in our previous report.
Improving the engine power of a catalytic Janus-sphere micromotor by roughening its surface
Authors: Longbottom Brooke W. , Bon Stefan A. F. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractMicrospheres with catalytic caps have become a popular model system for studying self-propelled colloids. Existing experimental studies involve predominantly “smooth” particle surfaces. In this study we determine the effect of irregular surface deformations on the propulsive mechanism with a particular focus on speed. The particle surfaces of polymer microspheres were deformed prior to depositing a layer of platinum which resulted in the formation of nanoscopic pillars of catalyst. Self-propulsion was induced upon exposure of the micromotors to hydrogen peroxide, whilst they were dispersed in water. The topological surface features were shown to boost speed (~2×) when the underlying deformations are small (nanoscale), whilst large deformations afforded little difference despite a substantial apparent catalytic surface area. Colloids with deformed surfaces were more likely to display a mixture of rotational and translational propulsion than their “smooth” counterparts.
Multifractal analysis reveals music-like dynamic structure in songbird rhythms
Authors: Roeske Tina C. , Kelty-Stephen Damian , Wallot Sebastian 
Published: March 2018

AbstractMusic is thought to engage its listeners by driving feelings of surprise, tension, and relief through a dynamic mixture of predictable and unpredictable patterns, a property summarized here as “expressiveness”. Birdsong shares with music the goal to attract its listeners’ attention and might use similar strategies to achieve this. We here tested a thrush nightingale’s (Luscinia luscinia) rhythm, as represented by song amplitude envelope (containing information on note timing, duration, and intensity), for evidence of expressiveness. We used multifractal analysis, which is designed to detect in a signal dynamic fluctuations between predictable and unpredictable states on multiple timescales (e.g. notes, subphrases, songs). Results show that rhythm is strongly multifractal, indicating fluctuations between predictable and unpredictable patterns. Moreover, comparing original songs with re-synthesized songs that lack all subtle deviations from the “standard” note envelopes, we find that deviations in note intensity and duration significantly contributed to multifractality. This suggests that birdsong is more dynamic due to subtle note timing patterns, often similar to musical operations like accelerando or crescendo. While different sources of these dynamics are conceivable, this study shows that multi-timescale rhythm fluctuations can be detected in birdsong, paving the path to studying mechanisms and function behind such patterns.
Driving habits and behaviors of patients with brain tumors: a self-report, cognitive and driving simulation study
Authors: Mansur Ann , Hird Megan A. , Desimone Alexa , Pshonyak Iryna , Schweizer Tom A. , Das Sunit 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe purpose of the study is to determine driving habits and behaviors of patients with brain tumors in order to better inform discussions around driving safety in this population. Eight-four patients with brain tumors participated in a survey on their driving behaviors since their diagnosis. Thirteen of these patients and thirteen sex- and age-matched healthy controls participated in cognitive testing and several driving simulation scenarios in order to objectively assess driving performance. Survey responses demonstrated that patients with brain tumors engage in a variety of driving scenarios with little subjectve difficulty. On the driving simulation tasks, patients and healthy controls performed similarly except that patients had more speed exceedances (U = 41, p < 0.05) and a greater variability in speed (U = 57, p < 0.05). Performance on the selective attention component of the UFOV was significantly associated with greater total errors in the Bus Following task for patients with brain tumors compared to healthy controls (rs = 0.722, p < 0.05, CI [0.080, 0.957]). Better comprehensive driving assessments are needed to identify patients with driving behaviors that put themselves and others at risk on the road.
Theta Coherence Asymmetry in the Dorsal Stream of Musicians Facilitates Word Learning
Authors: Elmer Stefan , Albrecht Joëlle , Valizadeh Seyed Abolfazl , François Clément , Rodríguez-Fornells Antoni 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWord learning constitutes a human faculty which is dependent upon two anatomically distinct processing streams projecting from posterior superior temporal (pST) and inferior parietal (IP) brain regions toward the prefrontal cortex (dorsal stream) and the temporal pole (ventral stream). The ventral stream is involved in mapping sensory and phonological information onto lexical-semantic representations, whereas the dorsal stream contributes to sound-to-motor mapping, articulation, complex sequencing in the verbal domain, and to how verbal information is encoded, stored, and rehearsed from memory. In the present source-based EEG study, we evaluated functional connectivity between the IP lobe and Broca’s area while musicians and non-musicians learned pseudowords presented in the form of concatenated auditory streams. Behavioral results demonstrated that musicians outperformed non-musicians, as reflected by a higher sensitivity index (d’). This behavioral superiority was paralleled by increased left-hemispheric theta coherence in the dorsal stream, whereas non-musicians showed stronger functional connectivity in the right hemisphere. Since no between-group differences were observed in a passive listening control condition nor during rest, results point to a task-specific intertwining between musical expertise, functional connectivity, and word learning.