bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen–phosphorus-associated metabolic activities during the development of a cyanobacterial bloom revealed by metatranscriptomics
Authors: Lu Jingrang , Zhu Bo , Struewing Ian , Xu Ning , Duan Shunshan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe efforts towards reduction of nutrient contamination of surface waters have greatly gained attention to mitigate increasing incidences of harmful cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs), but little attention has been paid on the roles and importance of cyanobacterial N2-fixation and phosphorus (P) scavenging pathways during cyanoHABs. Meta-transcriptomic analyses revealed that expressions of genes involved in N2-fixation (nifDKH) and P-scavenging were significantly upregulated during the bloom compared to pre-bloom in Harsha Lake. The activities of N2-fixation occurred during early summer after a late spring phytoplankton bloom, and were associated with high phosphorus and low nitrogen. The highly active cyanobacterial N2-fixers were dominated by Nostoc and Anabaena. Following the activities of N2-fixation and production of new nitrogen, an early summer Microcystis-dominated bloom, a shift of dominance from Nostoc and Anabaena to Microcystis and an increase of microcystin and saxitoxin occurred. By contrast, P-scavenging activities dominated also by Nostoc and Anabaena were associated with low P and the Microcystis bloom. This information can be used to aid in the understanding the impact that nitrogen and phosphorus have on the early summer CyanoHAB and the functional activities of Nostoc- and Anabaena-dominated or Microcystis-dominated communities, and aid in making management decisions related to harmful algal blooms.
Translational methods to detect asymmetries in temporal and spatial walking metrics in parkinsonian mouse models and human subjects with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Broom Lauren , Worley Audrey , Gao Fay , Hernandez Laura D. , Ashton Christine E. , Shih Ludy C. , VanderHorst Veronique G. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractClinical signs in Parkinson’s disease (PD), including parkinsonian gait, are often asymmetric, but mechanisms underlying gait asymmetries in PD remain poorly understood. A translational toolkit, a set of standardized measures to capture gait asymmetries in relevant mouse models and patients, would greatly facilitate research efforts. We validated approaches to quantify asymmetries in placement and timing of limbs in mouse models of parkinsonism and human PD subjects at speeds that are relevant for human walking. In mice, we applied regression analysis to compare left and right gait metrics within a condition. To compare alternation ratios of left and right limbs before and after induction of parkinsonism, we used circular statistics. Both approaches revealed asymmetries in hind- and forelimb step length in a unilateral PD model, but not in bilateral or control models. In human subjects, a similar regression approach showed a step length asymmetry in the PD but not control group. Sub-analysis of cohorts with predominant postural instability-gait impairment and with predominant tremor revealed asymmetries for step length in both cohorts and for swing time only in the former cohort. This translational approach captures asymmetries of gait in mice and patients. Application revealed striking differences between models, and that spatial and temporal asymmetries may occur independently. This approach will be useful to investigate circuit mechanisms underlying the heterogeneity between models.
Retrograde transport of Akt by a neuronal Rab5-APPL1 endosome
Authors: Goto-Silva Livia , McShane Marisa P. , Salinas Sara , Kalaidzidis Yannis , Schiavo Giampietro , Zerial Marino 
Published: February 2019

AbstractLong-distance axonal trafficking plays a critical role in neuronal function and transport defects have been linked to neurodegenerative disorders. Various lines of evidence suggest that the small GTPase Rab5 plays a role in neuronal signaling via early endosomal transport. Here, we characterized the motility of Rab5 endosomes in primary cultures of mouse hippocampal pyramidal cells by live-cell imaging and showed that they exhibit bi-directional long-range motility in axons, with a strong bias toward retrograde transport. Characterization of key Rab5 effectors revealed that endogenous Rabankyrin-5, Rabenosyn-5 and APPL1 are all present in axons. Further analysis of APPL1-positive endosomes showed that, similar to Rab5-endosomes, they display more frequent long-range retrograde than anterograde movement, with the endosomal levels of APPL1 correlated with faster retrograde movement. Interestingly, APPL1-endosomes transport the neurotrophin receptor TrkB and mediate retrograde axonal transport of the kinase Akt1. FRET analysis revealed that APPL1 and Akt1 interact in an endocytosis-dependent manner. We conclude that Rab5-APPL1 endosomes exhibit the hallmarks of axonal signaling endosomes to transport Akt1 in hippocampal pyramidal cells.
Higher CXCL16 exodomain is associated with aggressive ovarian cancer and promotes the disease by CXCR6 activation and MMP modulation
Authors: Mir Hina , Kaur Gurpreet , Kapur Neeraj , Bae Sejong , Lillard James W. , Singh Shailesh 
Published: February 2019

AbstractOvarian cancer (OvCa) is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. Five-year survival rate of OvCa ranges from 30–92%, depending on the spread of disease at diagnosis. Role of chemokines is well appreciated in cancer, including OvCa. However, their precise role is understudied. Here, we show clinical and biological significance of CXCR6-CXCL16 and ADAM10 in OvCa. Expression of CXCR6 and N-terminal CXCL16 was significantly higher in serous carcinoma tissues compared to endometrioid. OvCa cells (SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3) also showed higher expression of CXCR6 than normal ovarian epithelial cells (IOSE-7576) while CXCL16 was higher in SKOV-3 than IOSE-7576. Furthermore, N-terminal CXCL16 was higher in conditioned media of OvCa cells than IOSE-7576. Compared to OVCAR-3, SKOV-3 cells, which had higher CXCL16, expressed significantly higher transcripts of ADAM10, a protease that cleaves CXCL16. OVCAR-3 cells showed higher CXCR6 specific migration whereas SKOV-3 cells showed more invasion. Difference in invasive potential of these cells was due to modulation of different MMPs after CXCL16 stimulation. Higher CXCR6 expression in serous papillary carcinoma tissues suggests its association with aggressive OvCa. Increased migration-invasion towards CXCL16 implies its role in metastatic spread. Therefore, CXCR6-CXCL16 axis could be used to differentiate between aggressive versus non-aggressive disease and as a target for better prognosis.
Gamma-ray emission from wakefield-accelerated electrons wiggling in a laser field
Authors: Feng Jie , Li Yifei , Wang Jinguang , Li Dazhang , Li Fang , Yan Wenchao , Wang Weimin , Chen Liming 
Published: February 2019

AbstractUltra-fast synchrotron radiation emission can arise from the transverse betatron motion of an electron in a laser plasma wakefield, and the radiation spectral peak is limited to tens of keV. Here, we present a new method for achieving high-energy radiation via accelerated electrons wiggling in an additional laser field whose intensity is one order of magnitude higher than that for the self-generated transverse field of the bubble, resulting in an equivalent wiggler strength parameter K increase of approximately twenty times. By calculating synchrotron radiation, we acquired a peak brightness for the case of the laser wiggler field of 1.2 × 1023 ph/s/mrad2/mm2/0.1%BW at 1 MeV. Such a high brilliance and ultra-fast gamma-ray source could be applied to time-resolved probing of dense materials and the production of medical radioisotopes.
Superplastic Forging for Sialon-based Nanocomposite at Ultralow Temperature in the Electric Field
Authors: Luo Junting , Xi Chenyang , Gu Yongfei , Zhang Lili , Zhang Chunxiang , Xue Yahong , Liu Riping 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe utralow-temperature superplastic forging for sialon-based nanocomposites is reported for the first time. Sialon-based nanocomposites, with an average grain size smaller than 50 nm and 98.5% relative density, were prepared with nano-sized row powders by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique at a record ultralow sintering temperature of 1150 °C. An excellent gear is forged at the ultralow deformation temperature of 1200 °C with nanosized grains without any cracking. The maximum strain rate achieved is over 10−1 s−1, and a compression strain is more than 0.9. The practical application for superplastic forming of nitrogen ceramics is much more difficult than that for oxide ceramics because of the high deformation temperature and low strain rates. The present findings present a bright prospect for the near-net-shape superplastic forming of nitrogen ceramics.
Cholinergic Stimulation by Pyridostigmine Bromide Before Myocardial Infarction Prevent Cardiac and Autonomic Dysfunction
Authors: Barboza C. A. , Fukushima A. R. , Carrozzi N. , Machi J. F. , Dourado P. M. M. , Mostarda C. T. , Irigoyen M. C. , Nathanson L. , Morris M. , Caperuto E. C. , Rodrigues B. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractInflammatory processes and cardiovascular autonomic imbalance are very relevant characteristic of the enormous dynamic process that is a myocardial infarction (MI). In this sense, some studies are investigating pharmacological therapies using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as pyridostigmine bromide (PYR), aiming to increase parasympathetic tone after MI. Here we hypothesized that the use of PYR before the MI might bring an additional positive effect to the autonomic function, and consequently, in the inflammatory response and cardiac function. The present study aimed to evaluate left ventricular function, baroreflex sensitivity, autonomic modulation, and inflammatory profile in PYR-treated rats previously to MI. Methods: Male Wistar rats (250–300 g) were treated for 60 days with PYR. After treatment, they were submitted to the MI. After the MI, the autonomic and ventricular function were evaluated, as well as the systemic, left ventricle, and adipose tissue inflammatory profile. Results: PYR, performed before MI, prevented HR increase, systolic function impairment, baroreflex sensitivity drop, as well as pulse interval variance, RMSSD, blood pressure and parasympathetic modulation reduction in treated rats compared to untreated rats. Also, this positive functional changes may have been a result of the reduced inflammatory parameters in the left ventricle (IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-1β), as well as increased IL-10 expression and IL-10/TNF-α ratio in treated animals before MI. Conclusion: Prior treatment with PYR prevents impairment of the autonomic nervous system after MI, which may be associated with the attenuated expression of inflammatory factors and heart dysfunction.
Superresolution microscopy reveals distinct localisation of full length IRSp53 and its I-BAR domain protein within filopodia
Authors: Sudhaharan Thankiah , Hariharan Srivats , Lim John Soon Yew , Liu Jaron Zhongliang , Koon Yen Ling , Wright Graham D. , Chiam Keng Hwee , Ahmed Sohail 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSuperresolution microscopy offers the advantage of imaging biological structures within cells at the nano-scale. Here we apply two superresolution microscopy techniques, specifically 3D structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) and direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM), a type of single molecule localisation microscopy, to localise IRSp53 protein and its I-BAR domain in relation to F-actin within filopodia. IRSp53 generates dynamic (extending and retracting) filopodia 300 nm wide with a distinct gap between IRSp53 and F-actin. By contrast, protrusions induced by the I-BAR domain alone are non-dynamic measuring between 100–200 nm in width and exhibit a comparatively closer localisation of the I-BAR domain with the F-actin. The data suggest that IRSp53 membrane localisation is spatially segregated to the lateral edges of filopodia, in contrast to the I-BAR domain is uniformly distributed throughout the membranes of protrusions. Modeling of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) data suggests that a greater proportion of I-BAR domain is associated with membranes when compared to full length IRSp53. The significance of this new data relates to the role filopodia play in cell migration and its importance to cancer.
Real time observation of binder jetting printing process using high-speed X-ray imaging
Authors: Parab Niranjan D. , Barnes John E. , Zhao Cang , Cunningham Ross W. , Fezzaa Kamel , Rollett Anthony D. , Sun Tao 
Published: February 2019

AbstractA high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging technique was used to investigate the binder jetting additive manufacturing (AM) process. A commercial binder jetting printer with droplet-on-demand ink-jet print-head was used to print single lines on powder beds. The printing process was recorded in real time using high-speed X-ray imaging. The ink-jet droplets showed distinct elongated shape with spherical head, long tail, and three to five trailing satellite droplets. Significant drift was observed between the impact points of main droplet and satellite droplets. The impact of the droplet on the powder bed caused movement and ejection of the powder particles. The depth of disturbance in the powder bed from movement and ejection was defined as interaction depth, which is found to be dependent on the size, shape, and material of the powder particles. For smaller powder particles (diameter less than 10 μm), three consecutive binder droplets were observed to coalesce to form large agglomerates. The observations reported here will facilitate the understanding of underlying physics that govern the binder jetting processes, which will then help in improving the quality of parts manufactured using this AM process.
Seasonal reversible size changes in the braincase and mass of common shrews are flexibly modified by environmental conditions
Authors: Lázaro Javier , Hertel Moritz , Muturi Marion , Dechmann Dina K. N. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe growth of the vertebrate skull and brain is usually unidirectional and more or less stops when animals are adult. Red-toothed shrews break this rule. They seasonally shrink and regrow brain and skull size by 20% or more, presumably to save energy when conditions are harsh. The size change is anticipatory of environmental change and occurs in all individuals, but it is unknown whether its extent can be modulated by environmental conditions. We kept shrews under different conditions, monitored seasonal changes in skull size with series of X-rays, and compared them with free ranging animals. We found extensive differences in the pattern of skull size change between experimental groups. Skull size of shrews kept at constant temperature showed a steady decline, while the skull size changes of free ranging shrews and captive individuals exposed to natural temperature regimes were identical. In contrast, body mass never reached the spring values of free ranging shrews in either captive regime. The extent of this adaptive seasonal pattern can thus be flexibly adapted to current environmental conditions. Combining reversible size changes with such strong phenotypic plasticity may allow these small, non-hibernating predators with high metabolic rates to continue being successful in today’s changing environments.
Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Urine via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry QTOF to Differentiate Between Localized and Metastatic Models of Breast Cancer
Authors: Woollam Mark , Teli Meghana , Angarita-Rivera Paula , Liu Shengzhi , Siegel Amanda P. , Yokota Hiroki , Agarwal Mangilal 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common cancer detected in women and current screening methods for the disease are not sensitive. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include endogenous metabolites that provide information about health and disease which might be useful to develop a better screening method for breast cancer. The goal of this study was to classify mice with and without tumors and compare tumors localized to the mammary pad and tumor cells injected into the iliac artery by differences in VOCs in urine. After 4T1.2 tumor cells were injected into BALB/c mice either in the mammary pad or into the iliac artery, urine was collected, VOCs from urine headspace were concentrated by solid phase microextraction and results were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry quadrupole time-of-flight. Multivariate and univariate statistical analyses were employed to find potential biomarkers for breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer in mice models. A set of six VOCs classified mice with and without tumors with an area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC AUC) of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [0.85, 1.00]) via five-fold cross validation. Classification of mice with tumors in the mammary pad and iliac artery was executed utilizing a different set of six VOCs, with a ROC AUC of 0.96 (95% confidence interval [0.75, 1.00]).
The cascading effects of human food on hibernation and cellular aging in free-ranging black bears
Authors: Kirby Rebecca , Johnson Heather E. , Alldredge Mathew W. , Pauli Jonathan N. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractHuman foods have become a pervasive subsidy in many landscapes, and can dramatically alter wildlife behavior, physiology, and demography. While such subsidies can enhance wildlife condition, they can also result in unintended negative consequences on individuals and populations. Seasonal hibernators possess a remarkable suite of adaptations that increase survival and longevity in the face of resource and energetic limitations. Recent work has suggested hibernation may also slow the process of senescence, or cellular aging. We investigated how use of human foods influences hibernation, and subsequently cellular aging, in a large-bodied hibernator, black bears (Ursus americanus). We quantified relative telomere length, a molecular marker for cellular age, and compared lengths in adult female bears longitudinally sampled over multiple seasons. We found that bears that foraged more on human foods hibernated for shorter periods of time. Furthermore, bears that hibernated for shorter periods of time experienced accelerated telomere attrition. Together these results suggest that although hibernation may ameliorate cellular aging, foraging on human food subsidies could counteract this process by shortening hibernation. Our findings highlight how human food subsidies can indirectly influence changes in aging at the molecular level.
The role of serotonin 1B in the representation of outcomes
Authors: Corbit Laura , Kendig Michael , Moul Caroline 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDisrupted serotonin neurotransmission has been implicated in the etiology of psychopathic traits. Empirical research has found that people with high levels of psychopathic traits have a deficit in reinforcement learning that is thought to be linked with amygdala dysfunction. Altered serotonin neurotransmission provides a plausible explanation for amygdala dysfunction in psychopathic traits and recent research suggests that this may be associated with serotonin 1B (5-HT1B) receptor function. This research used an animal model to test the hypothesis that 5-HT1B receptors are involved in the encoding of the specific features of reinforcing outcomes. An outcome devaluation task was used to test the effect of the systemic administration of a selective 5-HT1B receptor agonist administered before encoding of “action-outcome” associations. Results showed that while administration of a 5-HT1B receptor agonist allowed rats to acquire instrumental responding for food, when the content of that learning was further probed using an outcome devaluation task, performance differed from controls. 5-HT1B agonism impaired learning about the specific sensory qualities of food rewards associated with distinct instrumental responses, required to direct choice performance when the value of one outcome changed. These findings suggest a role for 5-HT1B receptor function in the encoding of the specific features of reinforcing outcomes.
Epigenome-wide association study in peripheral white blood cells involving insulin resistance
Authors: Arpón Ana , Milagro Fermín I. , Ramos-Lopez Omar , Mansego M. Luisa , Santos José Luis , Riezu-Boj José-Ignacio , Martínez J. Alfredo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractInsulin resistance (IR) is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk. An epigenetic phenomena such as DNA methylation might be involved in the onset and development of systemic IR. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic DNA methylation levels in peripheral white blood cells with the objective of identifying epigenetic signatures associated with IR measured by the Homeostatic Model Assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) following an epigenome-wide association study approach. DNA methylation levels were assessed using Infinium Methylation Assay (Illumina), and were associated with HOMA-IR values of participants from the Methyl Epigenome Network Association (MENA) project, finding statistical associations for at least 798 CpGs. A stringent statistical analysis revealed that 478 of them showed a differential methylation pattern between individuals with HOMA-IR ≤ 3 and > 3. ROC curves of top four CpGs out of 478 allowed differentiating individuals between both groups (AUC≈0.88). This study demonstrated the association between DNA methylation in some specific CpGs and HOMA-IR values that will help to the understanding and in the development of new strategies for personalized approaches to predict and prevent IR-associated diseases.
Effects of poling and crystallinity on the dielectric properties of Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 at cryogenic temperatures
Authors: Shepley Philippa M. , Stoica Laura A. , Li Yang , Burnell Gavin , Bell Andrew J. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe mechanisms underlying the anomalously large, room temperature piezoelectric activity of relaxor-PbTiO3 type single crystals have previously been linked to low temperature relaxations in the piezoelectric and dielectric properties. We investigate the properties of Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 between 10 and 300 K using dielectric permittivity measurements. We compare results on single crystal plates measured in the [001] and [111] directions with a polycrystalline ceramic of the same composition. Poled crystals have very different behaviour to unpoled crystals, whereas the dielectric spectrum of the polycrystalline ceramic changes very little on poling. A large, frequency dependent dielectric relaxation is seen in the poled [001] crystal around 100 K. The relaxation is much less prominent in the [111] cut crystal, and is not present in the polycrystalline ceramic. The unique presence of the large relaxation in poled, [001] oriented crystals indicates that the phenomenon is not due their relaxor nature alone. We propose that heterophase dynamics such as the motion of phase domain boundaries are responsible for both the anomalous electromechanical and dielectric behaviour.