bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High-resolution atmospheric-pressure MALDI mass spectrometry imaging workflow for lipidomic analysis of late fetal mouse lungs
Authors: Garikapati Vannuruswamy , Karnati Srikanth , Bhandari Dhaka Ram , Baumgart-Vogt Eveline , Spengler Bernhard 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMass spectrometry imaging (MSI) provides label-free, non-targeted molecular and spatial information of the biomolecules within tissue. Lipids play important roles in lung biology, e.g. as surfactant, preventing alveolar collapse during normal and forced respiration. Lipidomic characterization of late fetal mouse lungs at day 19 of gestation (E19) has not been performed yet. In this study we employed high-resolution atmospheric pressure scanning microprobe matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MSI for the lipidomic analysis of E19 mouse lungs. Molecular species of different lipid classes were imaged in E19 lung sections at high spatial and mass resolution in positive- and negative-ion mode. Lipid species were characterized based on accurate mass and on-tissue tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, a dedicated sample preparation protocol, homogenous deposition of matrices on tissue surfaces and data processing parameters were optimized for the comparison of signal intensities of lipids betweendifferenttissue sections of E19 lungs of wild type andPex11β-knockout mice. Our study provides lipid information of E19 mouse lungs, optimized experimental and data processing strategies for the direct comparison of signal intensities of metabolites (lipids) among the tissue sections from MSI experiments. To best of our knowledge, this is the first MSI and lipidomic study of E19 mouse lungs.
MiR-494 acts as a tumor promoter by targeting CASP2 in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Zhang Qiao , Li Yan , Zhao Mei , Lin Hong , Wang Wenjie , Li Dongdong , Cui Wei , Zhou Caihong , Zhong Jialing , Huang Changzhi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMiR-494 plays an important role in several types of human cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although the role of miR-494 has been investigated in several studies, the expression profile and underlying mechanism are still poorly understood. In this study, we found that overexpression of miR-494 promoted the proliferation and colony formation of NSCLC cells and reduced their sensitivity to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. By using microarray and Dual luciferase reporter assays, we further showed that caspase-2 (CASP2) is a functional target of miR-494, and the expression of CASP2 is inversely associated with miR-494 in vitro. In addition, miR-494 promoted the proliferation and colony formation of NSCLC cells and reduced their sensitivity to cisplatin-induced apoptosis by targeting CASP2. Therefore, our results suggest that miR-494 plays an oncomiR role in NSCLC cells and may be a candidate biomarker for malignant transformation and a therapeutic target of NSCLC.
Improving lupeol production in yeast by recruiting pathway genes from different organisms
Authors: Qiao Weibo , Zhou Zilin , Liang Qin , Mosongo Isidore , Li Changfu , Zhang Yansheng 
Published: February 2019

AbstractLupeol is a pentacyclic triterpene that shows a variety of pharmacological properties. Compared to engineering the production of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes, it is much more challenging to engineer the biosynthesis of triterpenes in microbial platforms. This study showed our efforts on engineering the triterpene pathway in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells by recruiting the codon-optimized three lupeol pathway genes from different organisms. By comparing their activities with their respective counterparts, the squalene synthase from Thermosynechococcus elongates (tSQS), the squalene epoxidase from Rattus norvegicus (rSE) and the lupeol synthase from Olea europaea (OeLUP) were introduced into E. coli BL21(DE3), a break-through from zero was observed for lupeol biosynthesis in a prokaryotic host. We also assessed the lupeol pathway under two different yeast backgrounds-WAT11 and EPY300, and have found that the engineered strains based on EPY300, named ECHHOe, processed the best lupeol-producing ability with the maximum lupeol titer being 200.1 mg l−1 at 30 °C in a 72 h-flask culture, which so far was the highest amount of lupeol obtained by a microbial system and provides a basis for further industrial application of lupeol in the future.
Dynamic protein changes in the perihaemorrhagic zone of Surgically Treated Intracerebral Haemorrhage Patients
Authors: Tobieson Lovisa , Ghafouri Bijar , Zsigmond Peter , Rossitti Sandro , Hillman Jan , Marklund Niklas 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe secondary injury cascades exacerbating the initial brain injury following intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) are incompletely understood. We used dual microdialysis (MD) catheters placed in the perihaemorrhagic zone (PHZ) and in seemingly normal cortex (SNX) at time of surgical ICH evacuation in ten patients (range 26–70 years). Routine interstitial MD markers (including glucose and the lactate/pyruvate ratio) were analysed and remaining microdialysate was analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS). Two time intervals were analysed; median 2–10 hours post-surgery (time A) and median 68–76 hours post-ICH onset (time B). Using 2-DE, we quantified 232 ± 31 different protein spots. Two proteins differed between the MD catheters at time A, and 12 proteins at time B (p < 0.05). Thirteen proteins were significantly altered between time A and time B in the SNX and seven proteins in the PHZ, respectively. Using nLC-MS/MS ca 800 proteins were identified out of which 76 were present in all samples. At time A one protein was upregulated and two downregulated, and at time B, seven proteins were upregulated, and four downregulated in the PHZ compared to the SNX. Microdialysis-based proteomics is feasible for study of secondary injury mechanisms and discovery of biomarkers after ICH.
Control of Multiferroic properties in BiFeO3 nanoparticles
Authors: Carranza-Celis Diego , Cardona-Rodríguez Alexander , Narváez Jackeline , Moscoso-Londono Oscar , Muraca Diego , Knobel Marcelo , Ornelas-Soto Nancy , Reiber Andreas , Ramírez Juan Gabriel 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using the sol-gel method at different calcination temperatures from 400 °C to 600 °C. XRD studies have confirmed that all BFO NPs show distorted rhombohedral crystals that match the R3c space group. We found evidence of local structural strain that develops with increasing particle size as suggested by TEM and Raman spectroscopy measurements. Magnetic measurements suggest that NPs have two distinct regimes: a ferromagnetic-like one at low temperatures and a superparamagnetic-like one at room temperature. The crossover temperature increases with NPs size, suggesting a size-dependent blocking magnetic regime. Similarly, local piezoelectric measurements at room temperature in single NP have confirmed a ferroelectric order with a NP size-dependent d33 coefficient. An analysis of both the ferroelectric and the magnetic results suggest that ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity coexist at room temperature in NPs. Our results lead to the possibility of tailoring the ferroic order in multifunctional materials by means of NP size.
Viscosin-like lipopeptides from frog skin bacteria inhibit Aspergillus fumigatus and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis detected by imaging mass spectrometry and molecular networking
Authors: Martin H. Christian , Ibáñez Roberto , Nothias Louis-Félix , Boya P. Cristopher A. , Reinert Laura K. , Rollins-Smith Louise A. , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Gutiérrez Marcelino 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAmphibian populations worldwide have declined and in some cases become extinct due to chytridiomycosis, a pandemic disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; however, some species have survived these fungal epidemics. Previous studies have suggested that the resistance of these species is due to the presence of cutaneous bacteria producing antifungal metabolites. As our understanding of these metabolites is still limited, we assessed the potential of such compounds against human-relevant fungi such as Aspergillus. In this work we isolated 201 bacterial strains from fifteen samples belonging to seven frog species collected in the highlands of Panama and tested them against Aspergillus fumigatus. Among the 29 bacterial isolates that exhibited antifungal activity, Pseudomonas cichorii showed the greatest inhibition. To visualize the distribution of compounds and identify them in the inhibition zone produced by P. cichorii, we employed MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) and MS/MS molecular networking. We identified viscosin and massetolides A, F, G and H in the inhibition zone. Furthermore, viscosin was isolated and evaluated in vitro against A. fumigatus and B. dendrobatidis showing MIC values of 62.50 µg/mL and 31.25 µg/mL, respectively. This is the first report of cyclic depsipeptides with antifungal activity isolated from frog cutaneous bacteria.
Elucidating the Contribution of Skeletal Muscle Ion Channels to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in search of new therapeutic options
Authors: Camerino Giulia Maria , Fonzino Adriano , Conte Elena , De Bellis Michela , Mele Antonietta , Liantonio Antonella , Tricarico Domenico , Tarantino Nancy , Dobrowolny Gabriella , Musarò Antonio , Desaphy Jean-Francois , De Luca Annamaria , Pierno Sabata 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe discovery of pathogenetic mechanisms is essential to identify new therapeutic approaches in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Here we investigated the role of the most important ion channels in skeletal muscle of an ALS animal model (MLC/SOD1G93A) carrying a mutated SOD1 exclusively in this tissue, avoiding motor-neuron involvement. Ion channels are fundamental proteins for muscle function, and also to sustain neuromuscular junction and nerve integrity. By a multivariate statistical analysis, using machine learning algorithms, we identified the discriminant genes in MLC/SOD1G93A mice. Surprisingly, the expression of ClC-1 chloride channel, present only in skeletal muscle, was reduced. Also, the expression of Protein Kinase-C, known to control ClC-1 activity, was increased, causing its inhibition. The functional characterization confirmed the reduction of ClC-1 activity, leading to hyperexcitability and impaired relaxation. The increased expression of ion channel coupled AMPA-receptor may contribute to sustained depolarization and functional impairment. Also, the decreased expression of irisin, a muscle-secreted peptide protecting brain function, may disturb muscle-nerve connection. Interestingly, the in-vitro application of chelerythrine or acetazolamide, restored ClC-1 activity and sarcolemma hyperexcitability in these mice. These findings show that ion channel function impairment in skeletal muscle may lead to motor-neuron increased vulnerability, and opens the possibility to investigate on new compounds as promising therapy.
A transgenic inducible GFP extracellular-vesicle reporter (TIGER) mouse illuminates neonatal cortical astrocytes as a source of immunomodulatory extracellular vesicles
Authors: Neckles Victoria N. , Morton Mary C. , Holmberg Jennie C. , Sokolov Aidan M. , Nottoli Timothy , Liu Don , Feliciano David M. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are cellular derived particles found throughout the body in nearly all tissues and bodily fluids. EVs contain biological molecules including small RNAs and protein. EVs are proposed to be transferred between cells, notably, cells of the immune system. Tools that allow for in vivo EV labeling while retaining the ability to resolve cellular sources and timing of release are required for a full understanding of EV functions. Fluorescent EV fusion proteins are useful for the study of EV biogenesis, release, and identification of EV cellular recipients. Among the most plentiful and frequently identified EV proteins is CD9, a tetraspanin protein. A transgenic mouse containing a CRE-recombinase inducible CAG promoter driven CD9 protein fused to Turbo-GFP derived from the copepod Pontellina plumata was generated as an EV reporter. The transgenic inducible GFP EV reporter (TIGER) mouse was electroporated with CAG-CRE plasmids or crossed with tamoxifen inducible CAG-CRE-ERT2 or nestin-CRE-ERT2 mice. CD9-GFP labeled cells included glutamine synthetase and glial fibrillary acidic protein positive astrocytes. Cortical astrocytes released ~136 nm EVs that contained CD9. Intraventricular injected EVs were taken up by CD11b/IBA1 positive microglia surrounding the lateral ventricles. Neonatal electroporation and shRNA mediated knockdown of Rab27a in dorsal subventricular zone NSCs and astrocytes increased the number of CD11b/IBA1 positive rounded microglia. Neonatal astrocyte EVs had a unique small RNA signature comprised of morphogenic miRNAs that induce microglia cytokine release. The results from this study demonstrate that inducible CD9-GFP mice will provide the EV community with a tool that allows for EV labeling in a cell-type specific manner while simultaneously allowing in vivo experimentation and provides evidence that EVs are required immunomodulators of the developing nervous system.
Quantitative Analysis of Objective Forward Scattering and Its Relevant Factors in Eyes with Cataract
Authors: Kamiya Kazutaka , Fusako Fujimura , Takushi Kawamorita , Takahashi Masahide , Ando Wakako , Iida Yoshihiko , Shoji Nobuyuki 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study was aimed to quantitatively assess objective forward scattering and its relevant factors in eyes having cataract. Our study comprised 192 eyes of 192 patients (mean age, 71.3 ± 9.2 (standard deviation) years) who have cataract formation for surgical consultation. We determined uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities (UDVA and CDVA), manifest refraction, the grade of nuclear sclerosis, objective scattering index (OSI) with the OQAS II (Visiometrics, Spain), log(s) with the C-Quant (Oculus, Germany), and ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) using the wavefront sensor (KR-1W, Topcon, Japan). The mean OSI was 5.11 ± 3.19 (0.90 to 20.90). We found explanatory variables relevant to the OSI to be, logMAR CDVA (p < 0.0001, partial regression coefficient B = 5.917) and log(s) (p = 0.0006, B = 0.911) (adjusted R2 = 0.333), in order of influence. No significant correlation was found with other clinical factors such as gender, age, manifest refraction, UDVA, ocular HOAs, or nuclear sclerosis. Eyes with worse CDVA and higher log(s) are more predisposed to show higher OSI in cataractous eyes. It is suggested that objective forward scattering was associated, not only with CDVA, but also with subjective forward scattering, in cataractous subjects.
Evaluation of dental arch dimensions in 12 year-old Vietnamese children - A cross-sectional study of 4565 subjects
Authors: Dung Truong Manh , Ngoc Vo Truong Nhu , Hiep Nguyen Hung , Khoi Truong Dinh , Xiem Vu Van , Chu-Dinh Thien , Cieslar-Pobuda Artur , Stoufi Eleana , Show Pau Loke , Tao Yang , Bac Nguyen Duy , Van Ba Nguyen , Le Quynh-Anh , Pham Van-Huy , Chu Dinh-Toi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to define the width and length of the dental arch in 12-year-old Vietnamese children, and to elucidate differences between genders and among ethnic groups. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 4565 12 years-old children from the 4 major ethnic groups in Vietnam (Kinh, Muong, Thai, and Tay), with a healthy and full set of 28 permanent teeth that had never had any orthodontic treatment and with no reconstructive materials at the measured points. The mean variables in all subjects were 36.39 mm for upper inter-canine width; 46.88 mm for upper inter-first molar width; 59.43 mm for upper inter-second molar width; 10.41 mm for upper anterior length; 32.15 mm for upper posterior length 1; 45.52 mm for upper posterior length 2; 28.31 mm for lower inter-canine width; 41.63 mm for lower inter-first molar width; 54.57 mm for lower inter-second molar width (LM2W); 7.06 mm for lower anterior length (LAL); 26.87 mm for lower posterior length 1 (LP1L); and 41.29 mm for lower posterior length 2. Significant differences in these parameters between genders were found in all ethnic groups, except for LAL in the Kinh and Thai groups, and LP1L in the Tay group. Significant ethnic differences were also found in almost all parameters except LM2W in both males and females. Taken together, the representative sizes of dental arches of 12-year-old Vietnamese children have been defined. Our data indicate that there are some variations in dental arch dimensions among ethnic groups and between genders.
Transcriptome analysis of two cultivars of tobacco in response to Cucumber mosaic virus infection
Authors: Liu Dan , Zhao Qiang , Cheng Yazeng , Li Dandan , Jiang Caihong , Cheng Lirui , Wang Yuanying , Yang Aiguo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is among the most important plant virus infections, inducing a variety of disease symptoms. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to CMV infection remain poorly understood. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing analysis of tolerant (Taiyan8) and susceptible (NC82) tobacco cultivars on CMV-infected plants, using mock-inoculated plants as a control. The propagation of CMV in inoculated leaves did not show obvious difference between two cultivars, whereas virus accumulation in systemic leaves of Taiyan8 was smaller than those of NC82 at the same time point. We observed 765 and 1,011 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Taiyan8 and NC82, respectively, in CMV-inoculated leaves. DEGs related to reactive oxygen species, salicylic acid signal transduction, and plant–pathogen interaction were upregulated or downregulated in Taiyan8, which indicates that defense response pathways to CMV were activated in the tolerant cultivar. In addition, we identified several DEGs related to disease defense and stress resistance showing opposing expression patterns in the two cultivars. Our comparative transcriptome analysis will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of CMV tolerance in plants, and will be of great importance in the molecular breeding of CMV- tolerant genotypes.
Identification of S-nitrosylation sites based on multiple features combination
Authors: Li Taoying , Song Runyu , Yin Qian , Gao Mingyue , Chen Yan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractProtein S-nitrosylation (SNO) is a typical reversible, redox-dependent and post-translational modification that involves covalent modification of cysteine residues with nitric oxide (NO) for the thiol group. Numerous experiments have shown that SNO plays a major role in cell function and pathophysiology. In order to rapidly analysis the big sets of data, the computing methods for identifying the SNO sites are being considered as necessary auxiliary tools. In this study, multiple features including Parallel correlation pseudo amino acid composition (PC-PseAAC), Basic kmer1 (kmer1), Basic kmer2 (kmer2), General parallel correlation pseudo amino acid composition (PC-PseAAC_G), Adapted Normal distribution Bi-Profile Bayes (ANBPB), Double Bi-Profile Bayes (DBPB), Bi-Profile Bayes (BPB), Incorporating Amino Acid Pairwise (IAAPair) and Position-specific Tri-Amino Acid Propensity(PSTAAP) were employed to extract the sequence information. To remove information redundancy, information gain (IG) was applied to evaluate the importance of amino acids, which is the information entropy of class after subtracting the conditional entropy for the given amino acid. The prediction performance of the SNO sites was found to be best by using the cross-validation and independent tests. In addition, we also calculated four commonly used performance measurements, i.e. Sensitivity (Sn), Specificity (Sp), Accuracy (Acc), and the Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient (MCC). For the training dataset, the overall Acc was 83.11%, the MCC was 0.6617. For an independent test dataset, Acc was 73.17%, and MCC was 0.3788. The results indicate that our method is likely to complement the existing prediction methods and is a useful tool for effective identification of the SNO sites.
Thermal conductivity enhancement in electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl alcohol)/cellulose nanocrystal composite nanofibers
Authors: Park Yeongcheol , You Myungil , Shin Jihoon , Ha Sumin , Kim Dukeun , Heo Min Haeng , Nah Junghyo , Kim Yoong Ahm , Seol Jae Hun 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe thermal conductivity enhancement of neat poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) composite was attempted via electrospinning. The suspended microdevice technique was applied to measure the thermal conductivity of electrospun nanofibers (NFs). Neat PVA NFs and PVA/CNC NFs with a diameter of approximately 200 nm showed thermal conductivities of 1.23 and 0.74 W/m-K, respectively, at room temperature, which are higher than that of bulk PVA by factors of 6 and 3.5, respectively. Material characterization by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the thermal conductivity of the PVA/CNC NFs was enhanced by the reinforcement of their backbone rigidity, while that of the neat PVA NFs was attributed to the increase in their crystallinity that occurred during the electrospinning.
Fabry–Pérot resonances and a crossover to the quantum Hall regime in ballistic graphene quantum point contacts
Authors: Ahmad Nurul Fariha , Komatsu Katsuyoshi , Iwasaki Takuya , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Mizuta Hiroshi , Wakayama Yutaka , Hashim Abdul Manaf , Morita Yoshifumi , Moriyama Satoshi , Nakaharai Shu 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe report on the observation of quantum transport and interference in a graphene device that is attached with a pair of split gates to form an electrostatically-defined quantum point contact (QPC). In the low magnetic field regime, the resistance exhibited Fabry–Pérot (FP) resonances due to np’n(pn’p) cavities formed by the top gate. In the quantum Hall (QH) regime with a high magnetic field, the edge states governed the phenomena, presenting a unique condition where the edge channels of electrons and holes along a p–n junction acted as a solid-state analogue of a monochromatic light beam. We observed a crossover from the FP to QH regimes in ballistic graphene QPC under a magnetic field with varying temperatures. In particular, the collapse of the QH effect was elucidated as the magnetic field was decreased. Our high-mobility graphene device enabled observation of such quantum coherence effects up to several tens of kelvins. The presented device could serve as one of the key elements in future electronic quantum optic devices.