bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (WB-MRI) in Patients with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Authors: Alashkar Ferras , Schemuth Haemi Phaedra , Nensa Felix , Göbel Juliane , Vance Colin , Forsting Michael , Dührsen Ulrich , Schlosser Thomas Wilfried , Röth Alexander 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIn PNH thromboembolic events (TEs) represent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Between Dec 2013 and Jan 2016 37 PNH patients (pts) (23 PNH, 14 AA/PNH; 51% (19/37) females; median age 44 years, median D-dimer levels 0.22 mg/l) were examined with a whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) scan at 1.5 T to detect TEs. Pts were treated according to German PNH guidelines, including eculizumab therapy. 64% (24/37) of the pts had no documented TEs prior to observation. Two pts had suspected TEs in their clinical history. 29% of the pts (11/37) had a known history of venous thromboses (deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (5/11), portal venous thrombosis (PVT) (4/11), vena caval thrombosis (VCT) (2/11). A myocardial infarction was reported in one pt, and two had a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) or a thalamic infarction. Six pts (16%) had at least two prior TEs. In pts with prior TEs no progression of the existing TEs was observed. In pts on eculizumab and prior TEs as well as treatment-naïve pts silent bone and renal infarctions were detected. Furthermore, a clinically non-critical arterial occlusion was identified. WB-MRI scans present a novel, non-invasive method to assess the complete vascular status of PNH pts and allow the detection of previously undiagnosed vascular complications, affecting treatment indications and regimens.
Mammillary body regulates state-dependent fear by alternating cortical oscillations
Authors: Jiang Jun , Wang Guang-Yu , Luo Wenhan , Xie Hong , Guan Ji-Song 
Published: September 2018

AbstractState-dependent memory describes a phenomenon that memory will be efficiently retrieved only when the brain state during retrieval matches the state during encoding. While a variety of psychoactive drugs, such as ethanol, cocaine, morphine and NMDA receptor antagonists, are able to induce state-dependent memory, the biological hallmark of brain state and neural mechanism of its regulation are still unknown. In this study, we found that MK-801 enhanced delta oscillations in awake mice, representing a drug-induced brain state, in which fear memory could only be successfully retrieved when the same drug condition was presented. We identified a key nucleus, mammillary body (MB), which regulates the specific brain state associated with MK-801. Chemogenetic silencing of MB neurons enhanced cortical delta oscillations and generated state-dependent memory. Moreover, optogenetic reconstitution of delta oscillations alone facilitated retrieval of fear memory encoded under MK-801. Our results indicated that delta oscillations in awake animals defined a specific brain state, in which memory formed is inaccessible under the normal condition, shining light on the neural mechanism underlying the fluctuation of memory retrieval and the role of MB in memory encoding and recall.
Cell type-resolved human lung lipidome reveals cellular cooperation in lung function
Authors: Kyle Jennifer E. , Clair Geremy , Bandyopadhyay Gautam , Misra Ravi S. , Zink Erika M. , Bloodsworth Kent J. , Shukla Anil K. , Du Yina , Lillis Jacquelyn , Myers Jason R. , Ashton John , Bushnell Timothy , Cochran Matthew , Deutsch Gail , Baker Erin S. , Carson James P. , Mariani Thomas J. , Xu Yan , Whitsett Jeffrey A. , Pryhuber Gloria , Ansong Charles 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCell type-resolved proteome analyses of the brain, heart and liver have been reported, however a similar effort on the lipidome is currently lacking. Here we applied liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to characterize the lipidome of major lung cell types isolated from human donors, representing the first lipidome map of any organ. We coupled this with cell type-resolved proteomics of the same samples (available at Lungmap.net). Complementary proteomics analyses substantiated the functional identity of the isolated cells. Lipidomics analyses showed significant variations in the lipidome across major human lung cell types, with differences most evident at the subclass and intra-subclass (i.e. total carbon length of the fatty acid chains) level. Further, lipidomic signatures revealed an overarching posture of high cellular cooperation within the human lung to support critical functions. Our complementary cell type-resolved lipid and protein datasets serve as a rich resource for analyses of human lung function.
Cascade biotransformation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by Beauveria species
Authors: Kozłowska Ewa , Urbaniak Monika , Hoc Natalia , Grzeszczuk Jakub , Dymarska Monika , Stępień Łukasz , Pląskowska Elżbieta , Kostrzewa-Susłow Edyta , Janeczko Tomasz 
Published: September 2018

AbstractBeauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus used as a biological control agent. It is a well-known biocatalyst for the transformation of steroid compounds. Hydroxylations at the 7α or 11α position and oxidation to D-homo lactones are described in the literature. In our study, we examined the diversity of metabolism of five different B. bassiana strains and compared them to already known pathways. According to the literature, 7α and 11α-hydroxy derivatives as well as 3β,11α-dihydroxy-17a-oxa-D-homo-androst-5-en-17-one have been observed. Here we describe new DHEA metabolic pathways and two products not described before: 3β-hydroxy-17a-oxa-D-homo-androst-5-en-7,17-dione and 3β,11α-dihydroxyandrost-5-en-7,17-dione. We also used for the first time another species from this genus, Beauveria caledonica, for steroid transformation. DHEA was hydroxylated at the 7α, 7β and 11α positions and then reactions of oxidation and reduction leading to 3β,11α-dihydroxyandrost-5-en-7,17-dione were observed. All tested strains from the Beauveria genus effectively transformed the steroid substrate using several different enzymes, resulting in cascade transformation.
Arthroscopic near infrared spectroscopy enables simultaneous quantitative evaluation of articular cartilage and subchondral bone in vivo
Authors: Sarin Jaakko K. , te Moller Nikae C. R. , Mancini Irina A. D. , Brommer Harold , Visser Jetze , Malda Jos , van Weeren P. René , Afara Isaac O. , Töyräs Juha 
Published: September 2018

AbstractArthroscopic assessment of articular tissues is highly subjective and poorly reproducible. To ensure optimal patient care, quantitative techniques (e.g., near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)) could substantially enhance arthroscopic diagnosis of initial signs of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, the potential of arthroscopic NIRS to simultaneously monitor progressive degeneration of cartilage and subchondral bone in vivo in Shetland ponies undergoing different experimental cartilage repair procedures. Osteochondral tissues adjacent to the repair sites were evaluated using an arthroscopic NIRS probe and significant (p < 0.05) degenerative changes were observed in the tissue properties when compared with tissues from healthy joints. Artificial neural networks (ANN) enabled reliable (ρ = 0.63–0.87, NMRSE = 8.5–17.2%, RPIQ = 1.93–3.03) estimation of articular cartilage biomechanical properties, subchondral bone plate thickness and bone mineral density (BMD), and subchondral trabecular bone thickness, bone volume fraction (BV), BMD, and structure model index (SMI) from in vitro spectral data. The trained ANNs also reliably predicted the properties of an independent in vitro test group (ρ = 0.54–0.91, NMRSE = 5.9–17.6%, RPIQ = 1.68–3.36). However, predictions based on arthroscopic NIR spectra were less reliable (ρ = 0.27–0.74, NMRSE = 14.5–24.0%, RPIQ = 1.35–1.70), possibly due to errors introduced during arthroscopic spectral acquisition. Adaptation of NIRS could address the limitations of conventional arthroscopy through quantitative assessment of lesion severity and extent, thereby enhancing detection of initial signs of PTOA. This would be of high clinical significance, for example, when conducting orthopaedic repair surgeries.
Genetic screen in myeloid cells identifies TNF-α autocrine secretion as a factor increasing MDSC suppressive activity via Nos2 up-regulation
Authors: Schröder Matthias , Krötschel Marit , Conrad Lena , Naumann Svenja Kerstin , Bachran Christopher , Rolfe Alex , Umansky Viktor , Helming Laura , Swee Lee Kim 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe suppressive microenvironment of tumors remains one of the limiting factors for immunotherapies. In tumors, the function of effector T cells can be inhibited by cancer cells as well as myeloid cells including tumor associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). A better understanding of how myeloid cells inhibit T cell function will guide the design of therapeutic strategies to increase anti-tumor responses. We have previously reported the in vitro differentiation of MDSC from immortalized mouse hematopoietic progenitors and characterized the impact of retinoic acid and 3-deazaneplanocin A on MDSC development and function. We describe here the effect of these compounds on MDSC transcriptome and identify genes and pathway affected by the treatment. In order to accelerate the investigation of gene function in MDSC suppressive activity, we developed protocols for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in MDSC. Through screening of 217 genes, we found that autocrine secretion of TNF-α contributes to MDSC immunosuppressive activity through up-regulation of Nos2. The approach described here affords the investigation of gene function in myeloid cells such as MDSC with unprecedented ease and throughput.
Sex differences in lipid metabolism are affected by presence of the gut microbiota
Authors: Baars Annemarie , Oosting Annemarie , Lohuis Mirjam , Koehorst Martijn , El Aidy Sahar , Hugenholtz Floor , Smidt Hauke , Mischke Mona , Boekschoten Mark V. , Verkade Henkjan J. , Garssen Johan , van der Beek Eline M. , Knol Jan , de Vos Paul , van Bergenhenegouwen Jeroen , Fransen Floris 
Published: September 2018

AbstractPhysiological processes are differentially regulated between men and women. Sex and gut microbiota have each been demonstrated to regulate host metabolism, but it is unclear whether both factors are interdependent. Here, we determined to what extent sex-specific differences in lipid metabolism are modulated via the gut microbiota. While male and female Conv mice showed predominantly differential expression in gene sets related to lipid metabolism, GF mice showed differences in gene sets linked to gut health and inflammatory responses. This suggests that presence of the gut microbiota is important in sex-specific regulation of lipid metabolism. Further, we explored the role of bile acids as mediators in the cross-talk between the microbiome and host lipid metabolism. Females showed higher total and primary serum bile acids levels, independent of presence of microbiota. However, in presence of microbiota we observed higher secondary serum bile acid levels in females compared to males. Analysis of microbiota composition displayed sex-specific differences in Conv mice. Therefore, our data suggests that bile acids possibly play a role in the crosstalk between the microbiome and sex-specific regulation of lipid metabolism. In conclusion, our data shows that presence of the gut microbiota contributes to sex differences in lipid metabolism.
Human adenovirus type 17 from species D transduces endothelial cells and human CD46 is involved in cell entry
Authors: Liu Jing , Boehme Philip , Zhang Wenli , Fu Jun , Yumul Roma , Mese Kemal , Tsoukas Raphael , Solanki Manish , Kaufmann Michael , Lu Ruirui , Schmidtko Achim , Stewart A. Francis , Lieber André , Ehrhardt Anja 
Published: September 2018

AbstractMore than 70 human adenoviruses with type-dependent pathogenicity have been identified but biological information about the majority of these virus types is scarce. Here we employed multiple sequence alignments and structural information to predict receptor usage for the development of an adenoviral vector with novel biological features. We report the generation of a cloned adenovirus based on human adenovirus type 17 (HAdV17) with high sequence homology to the well characterized human adenovirus type 37 (HAdV37) that causes epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). Our study revealed that human CD46 (CD46) is involved in cell entry of HAdV17. Moreover, we found that HAdV17 infects endothelial cells (EC) in vitro including primary cells at higher efficiencies compared to the commonly used human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV5). Using a human CD46 transgenic mouse model, we observed that HAdV17 displays a broad tropism in vivo after systemic injection and that it transduces ECs in this mouse model. We conclude that the HAdV17-based vector may provide a novel platform for gene therapy.
Ultraviolet exposure has an epigenetic effect on a Batesian mimetic trait in the butterfly Papilio polytes
Authors: Katoh Mitsuho , Tatsuta Haruki , Tsuji Kazuki 
Published: September 2018

AbstractWing polymorphism of butterflies provides a good system in which to study adaptation. The Asian Batesian mimic butterfly Papilio polytes has unmelanized, putative mimetic red spots on its black hind wings. The size of those red spots is non-heritable but it is highly polymorphic, the adaptive significance of which is unknown. We hypothesized that under strong ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, butterflies develop a wider melanized black area to protect the wings from UV damage, and as a result express smaller mimetic red spots. Our field survey on Okinawa Island revealed a negative relationship between the sizes of the red spot and the black area in the wings. The size varied seasonally and was negatively correlated with the intensity of solar UV radiation at the time of capture. Laboratory experiments revealed that the size was reduced by strong UV irradiation not only of the eggs and larvae, but also of their mothers through a putative epigenetic mechanism. The flexible phenotypic expression of the red spots in P. polytes suggests a trade-off between protection against UV damage and predation avoidance, and provides a new insight into the evolution of Batesian mimicry.
Sensing phases of water via nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond
Authors: Fernández-Acebal P. , Plenio M. B. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractUltra-thin layers of liquids on a surface behave differently from bulk liquids due to liquid-surface interactions. Some examples are significant changes in diffusion properties and the temperature at which the liquid-solid phase transition takes place. Indeed, molecular dynamics simulations suggest that thin layers of water on a diamond surface may remain solid even well above room temperature. However, because of the small volumes that are involved, it is exceedingly difficult to examine these phenomena experimentally with current technologies. In this context, shallow NV centres promise a highly sensitive tool for the investigation of magnetic signals emanating from liquids and solids that are deposited on the surface of a diamond. Moreover, NV centres are non-invasive sensors with extraordinary performance even at room-temperature. To that end, we present here a theoretical work, complemented with numerical evidence based on bosonization techniques, that predicts the measurable signal from a single NV centre when interacting with large spin baths in different configurations. In fact, by means of continuous dynamical decoupling, the polarization exchange between a single NV centre and the hydrogen nuclear spins from the water molecules is enhanced, leading to differences in the coherent dynamics of the NV centre that are interpreted as an unambiguous trace of the molecular structure. We therefore propose single NV centres as sensors capable to resolve structural water features at the nanoscale and even sensitive to phase transitions.
Sleep staging using nocturnal sound analysis
Authors: Dafna Eliran , Tarasiuk Ariel , Zigel Yaniv 
Published: September 2018

AbstractSleep staging is essential for evaluating sleep and its disorders. Most sleep studies today incorporate contact sensors that may interfere with natural sleep and may bias results. Moreover, the availability of sleep studies is limited, and many people with sleep disorders remain undiagnosed. Here, we present a pioneering approach for rapid eye movement (REM), non-REM, and wake staging (macro-sleep stages, MSS) estimation based on sleep sounds analysis. Our working hypothesis is that the properties of sleep sounds, such as breathing and movement, within each MSS are different. We recorded audio signals, using non-contact microphones, of 250 patients referred to a polysomnography (PSG) study in a sleep laboratory. We trained an ensemble of one-layer, feedforward neural network classifiers fed by time-series of sleep sounds to produce real-time and offline analyses. The audio-based system was validated and produced an epoch-by-epoch (standard 30-sec segments) agreement with PSG of 87% with Cohen’s kappa of 0.7. This study shows the potential of audio signal analysis as a simple, convenient, and reliable MSS estimation without contact sensors.
Development of a quantitative evaluation system for visuo-motor control in three-dimensional virtual reality space
Authors: Choi Woong , Lee Jongho , Yanagihara Naoki , Li Liang , Kim Jaehyo 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe process of learning a human’s movement and motor control mechanisms by watching and mimicking human motions was based on visuo-motor control in three dimensional space. However, previous studies regarding the visuo-motor control in three dimensional space have focused on analyzing the tracking tasks along one-dimensional lines or two-dimensional planes using single or multi-joint movements. Therefore, in this study, we developed a new system to quantitatively evaluate visuo-motor control in three-dimensional space based on virtual reality (VR) environment. Our proposed system is designed to analyze circular tracking movements on frontal and sagittal planes in VR space with millimeter level accuracy. In particular, we compared the circular tracking movements under monocular and binocular vision conditions. The results showed that the accuracy of circular tracking movements drops approximately 4.5 times in monocular vision than that in binocular vision on both frontal and sagittal planes. We also found that significant difference can be observed between frontal and sagittal planes for only the accuracy of X-axis in both monocular and binocular visions.
Zn Vacancy Formation Energy and Diffusion Coefficient of CVT ZnO Crystals in the Sub-Surface Micron Region
Authors: Parmar Narendra S. , Boatner Lynn A. , Lynn Kelvin G. , Choi Ji-Won 
Published: September 2018

AbstractBy using positron annihilation spectroscopy methods, we have experimentally demonstrated the creation of isolated zinc vacancy concentrations >1020 cm−3 in chemical vapor transport (CVT)-grown ZnO bulk single crystals. X-ray diffraction ω-rocking curve (XRC) shows the good quality of ZnO single crystal with (110) orientation. The depth analysis of Auger electron spectroscopy indicates the atomic concentrations of Zn and O are almost stoichiometric and constant throughout the measurement. Boltzmann statistics are applied to calculate the zinc vacancy formation energies (Ef) of ~1.3–1.52 eV in the sub-surface micron region. We have also applied Fick’s 2nd law to calculate the zinc diffusion coefficient to be ~1.07 × 10−14 cm2/s at 1100 °C. The zinc vacancies began annealing out at 300 °C and, by heating in the air, were completely annealed out at 700 °C.
Random Genetic Drift and Selective Pressures Shaping the Blattabacterium Genome
Authors: Alleman Austin , Hertweck Kate L. , Kambhampati Srini 
Published: September 2018

AbstractEstimates suggest that at least half of all extant insect genera harbor obligate bacterial mutualists. Whereas an endosymbiotic relationship imparts many benefits upon host and symbiont alike, the intracellular lifestyle has profound effects on the bacterial genome. The obligate endosymbiont genome is a product of opposing forces: genes important to host survival are maintained through physiological constraint, contrasted by the fixation of deleterious mutations and genome erosion through random genetic drift. The obligate cockroach endosymbiont, Blattabacterium – providing nutritional augmentation to its host in the form of amino acid synthesis – displays radical genome alterations when compared to its most recent free-living relative Flavobacterium. To date, eight Blattabacterium genomes have been published, affording an unparalleled opportunity to examine the direction and magnitude of selective forces acting upon this group of symbionts. Here, we find that the Blattabacterium genome is experiencing a 10-fold increase in selection rate compared to Flavobacteria. Additionally, the proportion of selection events is largely negative in direction, with only a handful of loci exhibiting signatures of positive selection. These findings suggest that the Blattabacterium genome will continue to erode, potentially resulting in an endosymbiont with an even further reduced genome, as seen in other insect groups such as Hemiptera.
Low-dose calcipotriol can elicit wound closure, anti-microbial, and anti-neoplastic effects in epidermolysis bullosa keratinocytes
Authors: Guttmann-Gruber Christina , Tockner Birgit , Scharler Cornelia , Hüttner Clemens , Common John E. , Tay Angeline S. L. , Denil Simon L. I. J. , Klausegger Alfred , Trost Andrea , Breitenbach Jenny , Schnitzhofer Peter , Hofbauer Peter , Wolkersdorfer Martin , Diem Anja , Laimer Martin , Strunk Dirk , Bauer Johann W. , Reichelt Julia , Lang Roland , Piñón Hofbauer Josefina 
Published: September 2018

AbstractRecessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) patients suffer from chronic and repeatedly infected wounds predisposing them to the development of aggressive and life-threatening skin cancer in these areas. Vitamin D3 is an often neglected but critical factor for wound healing. Intact skin possesses the entire enzymatic machinery required to produce active 1-alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), underscoring its significance to proper skin function. Injury enhances calcitriol production, inducing the expression of calcitriol target genes including the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin (hCAP18), an essential component of the innate immune system and an important wound healing factor. We found significantly reduced hCAP18 expression in a subset of RDEB keratinocytes which could be restored by calcipotriol treatment. Reduced scratch closure in RDEB cell monolayers was enhanced up to 2-fold by calcipotriol treatment, and the secretome of calcipotriol-treated cells additionally showed increased antimicrobial activity. Calcipotriol exhibited anti-neoplastic effects, suppressing the clonogenicity and proliferation of RDEB tumor cells. The combined wound healing, anti-microbial, and anti-neoplastic effects indicate that calcipotriol may represent a vital therapeutic option for RDEB patients which we could demonstrate in a single-patient observation study.