bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synchronized mesenchymal cell polarization and differentiation shape the formation of the murine trachea and esophagus
Authors: Kishimoto Keishi , Tamura Masaru , Nishita Michiru , Minami Yasuhiro , Yamaoka Akira , Abe Takaya , Shigeta Mayo , Morimoto Mitsuru 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTube morphogenesis is essential for internal-organ development, yet the mechanisms regulating tube shape remain unknown. Here, we show that different mechanisms regulate the length and diameter of the murine trachea. First, we found that trachea development progresses via sequential elongation and expansion processes. This starts with a synchronized radial polarization of smooth muscle (SM) progenitor cells with inward Golgi-apparatus displacement regulates tube elongation, controlled by mesenchymal Wnt5a-Ror2 signaling. This radial polarization directs SM progenitor cell migration toward the epithelium, and the resulting subepithelial morphogenesis supports tube elongation to the anteroposterior axis. This radial polarization also regulates esophageal elongation. Subsequently, cartilage development helps expand the tube diameter, which drives epithelial-cell reshaping to determine the optimal lumen shape for efficient respiration. These findings suggest a strategy in which straight-organ tubulogenesis is driven by subepithelial cell polarization and ring cartilage development.
Hyperuniformity with no fine tuning in sheared sedimenting suspensions
Authors: Wang Jikai , Schwarz J. M. , Paulsen Joseph D. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractParticle suspensions, present in many natural and industrial settings, typically contain aggregates or other microstructures that can complicate macroscopic flow behaviors and damage processing equipment. Recent work found that applying uniform periodic shear near a critical transition can reduce fluctuations in the particle concentration across all length scales, leading to a hyperuniform state. However, this strategy for homogenization requires fine tuning of the strain amplitude. Here we show that in a model of sedimenting particles under periodic shear, there is a well-defined regime at low sedimentation speed where hyperuniform scaling automatically occurs. Our simulations and theoretical arguments show that the homogenization extends up to a finite length scale that diverges as the sedimentation speed approaches zero.
Quantifying the spatial spread of dengue in a non-endemic Brazilian metropolis via transmission chain reconstruction
Authors: Guzzetta Giorgio , Marques-Toledo Cecilia A. , Rosà Roberto , Teixeira Mauro , Merler Stefano 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe ongoing geographical expansion of dengue is inducing an epidemiological transition in many previously transmission-free urban areas, which are now prone to annual epidemics. To analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of dengue in these settings, we reconstruct transmission chains in Porto Alegre, Brazil, by applying a Bayesian inference model to geo-located dengue cases from 2013 to 2016. We found that transmission clusters expand by linearly increasing their diameter with time, at an average rate of about 600 m month−1. The majority (70.4%, 95% CI: 58.2–79.8%) of individual transmission events occur within a distance of 500 m. Cluster diameter, duration, and epidemic size are proportionally smaller when control interventions were more timely and intense. The results suggest that a large proportion of cases are transmitted via short-distance human movement (<1 km) and a limited contribution of long distance commuting within the city. These results can assist the design of control policies, including insecticide spraying and strategies for active case finding.
High health gain patients with asthma: a cross-sectional study analysing national Scottish data sets
Authors: Mukherjee Mome , Nwaru Bright I. , Soyiri Ireneous , Grant Ian , Sheikh Aziz 
Published: July 2018

AbstractStudies have shown that a small proportion of patients have particularly high needs and are responsible for disproportionally high disease burden. Estimates suggest that 2–5% of patients are high users of healthcare for their health gain. Such patients in Scotland are referred to as high health gain (HHG) patients. We wanted to investigate if there were HHG individuals with asthma in Scotland. We analysed data from the Scottish Health Survey (2010–11), and primary and National Health Survey (NHS) secondary healthcare and administrative data sets (2011–12). In all, 1,379,690 (26.0%) and 836,135 (15.8%) people reported to have ever had and currently have symptoms suggestive of asthma, respectively; 369,868 (7.0%) people reported current symptomatic clinician-diagnosed asthma. 310,050 (5.6%) people had clinician-reported-diagnosed asthma; there were 289,120 nurse consultations, 215,610 GP consultations, 9235 accident and emergency visits (0.2% people), 8263 ambulance conveyances (0.2% people), 7744 inpatient episodes (0.1% people), 3600 disability allowance claims (0.1% people), 187 intensive care unit (ICU) episodes and 94 deaths from asthma. From our study a maximum of about 9.4% of asthma patients (n = 29,145), which is 0.5% of the Scottish population, and from the National Review of Asthma Deaths’ estimate (10% hospitalised), a minimum of nine people had severe asthma attacks that needed acute hospital attendance/admission. We found that although a high proportion of the Scottish population had symptoms suggestive of asthma and clinician diagnosed asthma, only a small proportion of asthma patients experienced exacerbations that were severe enough to warrant hospital attendance/admission in any given year. Developing risk prediction models to identify these HHG patients has the potential to both improve health outcomes while substantially reducing healthcare expenditure.
A Novel In Vivo Model to Study Impaired Tissue Regeneration Mediated by Cigarette Smoke
Authors: Alvarez Marjorie , Chávez Myra N. , Miranda Miguel , Aedo Geraldine , Allende Miguel L. , Egaña José T. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractCigarette smoke is associated with several pathologies including chronic respiratory diseases and cancer. In addition, exposure to cigarette smoke is correlated with impaired wound healing, where a significant decrease in the regenerative capacity of smokers is well documented and broadly considered a negative risk factor after trauma or surgery. So far, some in vitro and in vivo models have been described to study how exposure to cigarette smoke diminishes the regenerative potential in different organisms. However, although useful, many of these models are difficult and expensive to implement and do not allow high-throughput screening approaches. In order to establish a reliable and accessible model, we have evaluated the effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on zebrafish development and regeneration. In this work, zebrafish embryos and larvae were exposed to low doses of aqueous CSE showing severe developmental abnormalities in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, when adult zebrafish were subjected to caudal fin amputation, we observed a significant decrease in the regenerative capacity of animals exposed to CSE. The effect was exacerbated in male and aged fish compared to female or young organisms. The establishment of a zebrafish model to assess the consequences of cigarette smoke and its effects on animal physiology could provide a new tool to study the underlying mechanisms involved in impaired tissue regeneration, and aid the development of novel approaches to treat complications associated with cigarette smoke toxicity.
Multiple Cold-Water Immersions Attenuate Muscle Damage but not Alter Systemic Inflammation and Muscle Function Recovery: A Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Siqueira Angelina Freitas , Vieira Amilton , Bottaro Martim , Ferreira-Júnior João Batista , Nóbrega Otávio de Toledo , de Souza Vinícius Carolino , Marqueti Rita de Cássia , Babault Nicolas , Durigan João Luiz Quagliotti 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of multiple cold-water immersions (CWIs) on muscle function, markers of muscle damage, systemic inflammation and ECM degradation following exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Thirty physically active males were randomly assigned to either a control (n = 15) or cold-water immersion (CWI) group (n = 15). The CWI group performed one immersion (10 °C for 20 min) at post-exercise and every 24 h for the following 72 h, while the control group remained in a seated position during these corresponding periods. Muscle strength, vertical jump height, muscle thickness, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), systemic creatine kinase (CK), C-reactive protein (CRP), inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity were assessed at Pre, Post, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 168 h following EIMD. No significant time × group interaction was obtained for muscle strength, vertical jump height recovery and MMP-2 activity (p > 0.05). At 24 h, muscle thickness from the CWI group returned to baseline and was lower than the control (p = 0.04). DOMS returned to baseline at 168 h for the CWI group (p = 0.109) but not for the control (p = 0.008). At 168 h, CK showed a time-group difference with a greater peak for the control group (p = 0.016). In conclusion, multiple CWIs attenuated muscle damage, but not altered systemic inflammation and muscle function recovery.
Plasmodium falciparum RUVBL3 protein: a novel DNA modifying enzyme and an interacting partner of essential HAT protein MYST
Authors: Sen Utsav , Saxena Himani , Khurana Juhi , Nayak Akshaykumar , Gupta Ashish 
Published: July 2018

AbstractRUVBLs constitute a conserved group of ATPase proteins that play significant role in a variety of cellular processes including transcriptional regulation, cell cycle and DNA damage repair. Three RUVBL homologues, namely, PfRUVBL1, PfRUVBL2 and PfRUVBL3 have been identified inP.falciparum, unlike its eukaryotic counterparts, which have two RUVBL proteins (RUVBL1 & RUVBL2). The present study expands our understanding of PfRUVBL3 protein and thereby basic biology of Plasmodium in general. Here, we have shown that parasite PfRUVBL3 is a true homolog of human/yeast RUVBL2 protein. Our result show that PfRUVBL3 constitutively expresses throughout the stages of intra-erythrocytic cycle (IDC) with varied localization. In addition to ATPase and oligomerization activity, we have for the first time shown that PfRUVBL3 possess DNA cleavage activity which interestingly is dependent on its insertion domain. Furthermore, we have also identified RUVBL3 to be an interacting partner of an essential chromatin remodeling protein PfMYST and together they colocalize with H3K9me1 histone in parasitophorous vacuole during the ring stage of IDC suggesting their potential involvement in chromatin remodeling and gene transcription.
The Effect of Size Statistics of the Background Texture on Perceived Target Size
Authors: Wu Chia-Ching , Chen Chien-Chung 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe investigated the effect of the size distribution statistics of background elements on the perceived size of a target. We manipulated the first, second, and third order statistics (i.e., mean, variance, and skewness) of the background element size distribution. We used a two-interval forced-choice paradigm to measure perceived target size at different background size distributions. In each trial, a standard disk, or target, was presented in one interval with a textured background and a comparison disk, on a blank background, in the other. The task for the observers was to determine which interval contained a larger disk. We measured the point of subjective equality for the perceived target size with a staircase procedure. The perceived target size decreased with the increment of mean background disk size. The variance and skewness of the background element size did not affect the perceived target size. Our results showed that only the first order statistics of the background modulated the perceived target size, not the higher order statistics. A computational model, in which the visual system extracts size information by averaging the responses of different size channels, whose response is modulated by the size of the background elements, can account for the results.
Novel 2-phenyloxypyrimidine derivative induces apoptosis and autophagy via inhibiting PI3K pathway and activating MAPK/ERK signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Wang Jing , Sun Peng , Chen Yijun , Yao Hequan , Wang Shuzhen 
Published: July 2018

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Because most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease, multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only available drug to show limited effectiveness. Novel and effective therapies are unmet medical need for advanced HCC patients. Given that the aberrant expression and activity of platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) are closely associated with the pathogenesis of HCC, here we present the discovery and identification of a novel PDGFRα inhibitor, N-(3-((4-(benzofuran-2-yl)pyrimidin-2-yl)oxy)-4-methylphenyl)-4-((4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl)benzamide (E5) after comparison of different derivatives. We found that E5 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Since the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK partially rescued HCC cells from E5-reduced cell viability, autophagic cell death triggered by E5 was subsequently investigated. E5 could induce the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II, increase the expression of Atg5 and restore the autophagy flux blocked by chloroquine. Meanwhile, E5 was able to downregulate the PDGFRα/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and to activate MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Taken together, in addition to the possibility of E5 as a valuable drug candidate, the present study further supports the notion that targeted inhibition of PDGFRα is a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.
Global investigation of an engineered nitrogen-fixing Escherichia coli strain reveals regulatory coupling between host and heterologous nitrogen-fixation genes
Authors: Yang Zhimin , Han Yunlei , Ma Yao , Chen Qinghua , Zhan Yuhua , Lu Wei , Cai Li , Hou Mingsheng , Chen Sanfeng , Yan Yongliang , Lin Min 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTransfer of nitrogen fixation (nif) genes from diazotrophs to amenable heterologous hosts is of increasing interest to genetically engineer nitrogen fixation. However, how the non-diazotrophic host maximizes opportunities to fine-tune the acquired capacity for nitrogen fixation has not been fully explored. In this study, a global investigation of an engineered nitrogen-fixing Escherichia coli strain EN-01 harboring a heterologous nif island from Pseudomonas stutzeri was performed via transcriptomics and proteomics analyses. A total of 1156 genes and 206 discriminative proteins were found to be significantly altered when cells were incubated under nitrogen-fixation conditions. Pathways for regulation, metabolic flux and oxygen protection to nitrogenase were particularly discussed. An NtrC-dependent regulatory coupling between E. coli nitrogen regulation system and nif genes was established. Additionally, pentose phosphate pathway was proposed to serve as the primary route for glucose catabolism and energy supply to nitrogenase. Meanwhile, HPLC analysis indicated that organic acids produced by EN-01 might have negative effects on nitrogenase activity. This study provides a global view of the complex network underlying the acquired nif genes in the recombinant E. coli and also provides clues for the optimization and redesign of robust nitrogen-fixing organisms to improve nitrogenase efficiency by overcoming regulatory or metabolic obstacles.
Arylsulphatase A Pseudodeficiency (ARSA-PD), hypertension and chronic renal disease in Aboriginal Australians
Authors: Tang Dave , Fakiola Michaela , Syn Genevieve , Anderson Denise , Cordell Heather J. , Scaman Elizabeth S. H. , Davis Elizabeth , Miles Simon J. , McLeay Toby , Jamieson Sarra E. , Lassmann Timo , Blackwell Jenefer M. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractChronic renal disease (CRD) associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant problem in Aboriginal Australians. Whole exome sequencing data (N = 72) showed enrichment for ClinVar pathogenic variants in gene sets/pathways linking lipoprotein, lipid and glucose metabolism. The top Ingenuity Pathway Analysis canonical pathways were Farsenoid X Receptor and Retinoid Receptor (FXR/RXR; (P = 1.86 × 10−7), Liver X Receptor and Retinoid Receptor (LXR/RXR; P = 2.88 × 10−6), and atherosclerosis signalling (P = 3.80 × 10−6). Top pathways/processes identified using Enrichr included: Reactome 2016 chylomicron-mediated lipid transport (P = 3.55 × 10−7); Wiki 2016 statin (P = 8.29 × 10−8); GO Biological Processes 2017 chylomicron remodelling (P = 1.92 × 10−8). ClinVar arylsulfatase A pseudodeficiency (ARSA-PD) pathogenic variants were common, including the missense variant c.511 G > A (p.Asp171Asn; rs74315466; frequency 0.44) only reported in Polynesians. This variant is in cis with known ARSA-PD 3′ regulatory c.*96 A > G (rs6151429; frequency 0.47) and missense c.1055 A > G (p.Asn352Ser; rs2071421; frequency 0.47) variants. These latter two variants are associated with T2D (risk haplotype GG; odds ratio 2.67; 95% CI 2.32–3.08; P = 2.43 × 10−4) in genome-wide association data (N = 402), but are more strongly associated with quantitative traits (DBP, SBP, ACR, eGFR) for hypertension and renal function in non-diabetic than diabetic subgroups. Traits associated with CVD, CRD and T2D in Aboriginal Australians provide novel insight into function of ARSA-PD variants.
A flexible solar-blind 2D boron nitride nanopaper-based photodetector with high thermal resistance
Authors: Lin Chun-Ho , Fu Hui-Chun , Cheng Bin , Tsai Meng-Lin , Luo Wei , Zhou Lihui , Jang Soo-Hwan , Hu Liangbing , He Jr-Hau 
Published: July 2018

AbstractFlexible electronics are expected to play a key role in connecting human lives with versatile smart electronic devices due to their adaptability to different shapes, surfaces, and even the human body. However, heat management issues found in most flexible devices due to the low thermal conductivity of conventional plastic or paper substrates become significant for large-scale integration or high-temperature applications. In this study, we employed high thermal conductivity nanopaper composed of two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets and one-dimensional nanofibrillated cellulose to form a flexible deep-ultraviolet photodetector demonstrating superior photodetectivity of up to 8.05 × 1010 cm Hz1/2/W, a short response time of 0.267 s, and excellent flexible durability featuring repeatable ON/OFF photoswitching over 200 bending cycles. Because the boron nitride paper has a high thermal conductivity of 146 W/mK, which is three orders of magnitude larger than plastic or paper substrates, the photodetectors can work at high temperatures of up to 200 °C. The boron nitride paper-based strategy described herein suggests a path for improving heat dissipation in flexible electronics and achieving high-performance deep-ultraviolet photodetectors, which can be applied in wearable applications.
Nav1.2 haplodeficiency in excitatory neurons causes absence-like seizures in mice
Authors: Ogiwara Ikuo , Miyamoto Hiroyuki , Tatsukawa Tetsuya , Yamagata Tetsushi , Nakayama Tojo , Atapour Nafiseh , Miura Eriko , Mazaki Emi , Ernst Sara J. , Cao Dezhi , Ohtani Hideyuki , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Yanagawa Yuchio , Montal Mauricio , Yuzaki Michisuke , Inoue Yushi , Hensch Takao K. , Noebels Jeffrey L. , Yamakawa Kazuhiro 
Published: July 2018

AbstractMutations in the SCN2A gene encoding a voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2 are associated with epilepsies, intellectual disability, and autism. SCN2A gain-of-function mutations cause early-onset severe epilepsies, while loss-of-function mutations cause autism with milder and/or later-onset epilepsies. Here we show that both heterozygous Scn2a-knockout and knock-in mice harboring a patient-derived nonsense mutation exhibit ethosuximide-sensitive absence-like seizures associated with spike-and-wave discharges at adult stages. Unexpectedly, identical seizures are reproduced and even more prominent in mice with heterozygous Scn2a deletion specifically in dorsal-telencephalic (e.g., neocortical and hippocampal) excitatory neurons, but are undetected in mice with selective Scn2a deletion in inhibitory neurons. In adult cerebral cortex of wild-type mice, most Nav1.2 is expressed in excitatory neurons with a steady increase and redistribution from proximal (i.e., axon initial segments) to distal axons. These results indicate a pivotal role of Nav1.2 haplodeficiency in excitatory neurons in epilepsies of patients with SCN2A loss-of-function mutations.
The XXL Survey
Authors: Marulli F. , Veropalumbo A. , Sereno M. , Moscardini L. , Pacaud F. , Pierre M. , Plionis M. , Cappi A. , Adami C. , Alis S. , Altieri B. , Birkinshaw M. , Ettori S. , Faccioli L. , Gastaldello F. , Koulouridis E. , Lidman C. , Le Fèvre J.-P. , Maurogordato S. , Poggianti B. , Pompei E. , Sadibekova T. , Valtchanov I. 
Published: July 2018

Context.Galaxy clusters trace the highest density peaks in the large-scale structure of the Universe. Their clustering provides a powerful probe that can be exploited in combination with cluster mass measurements to strengthen the cosmological constraints provided by cluster number counts.Aims.We investigate the spatial properties of a homogeneous sample of X-ray selected galaxy clusters from the XXL survey, the largest programme carried out by theXMM-Newtonsatellite. The measurements are compared to Λ-cold dark matter predictions, and used in combination with self-calibrated mass scaling relations to constrain the effective bias of the sample,beff, and the matter density contrast, ΩM.Methods.We measured the angle-averaged two-point correlation function of the XXL cluster sample. The analysed catalogue consists of 182 X-ray selected clusters from the XXL second data release, with median redshift ⟨z⟩ = 0.317 and median mass ⟨M500⟩≃ 1.3 × 1014M⊙. A Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis is performed to extract cosmological constraints using a likelihood function constructed to be independent of the cluster selection function.Results.Modelling the redshift-space clustering in the scale range 10 <r[h−1Mpc] < 40, we obtain ΩM= 0.27−0.04+0.06andbeff= 2.73−0.20+0.18.This is the first time the two-point correlation function of an X-ray selected cluster catalogue at such relatively high redshifts and low masses has been measured. The XXL cluster clustering appears fully consistent with standard cosmological predictions. The analysis presented in this work demonstrates the feasibility of a cosmological exploitation of the XXL cluster clustering, paving the way for a combined analysis of XXL cluster number counts and clustering.