bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Myristoyl group-aided protein import into the mitochondrial intermembrane space
Authors: Ueda Eri , Tamura Yasushi , Sakaue Haruka , Kawano Shin , Kakuta Chika , Matsumoto Shunsuke , Endo Toshiya 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe MICOS complex mediates formation of the crista junctions in mitochondria. Here we analyzed the mitochondrial import pathways for the six yeast MICOS subunits as a step toward understanding of the assembly mechanisms of the MICOS complex. Mic10, Mic12, Mic26, Mic27, and Mic60 used the presequence pathway to reach the intermembrane space (IMS). In contrast, Mic19 took the TIM40/MIA pathway, through its CHCH domain, to reach the IMS. Unlike canonical TIM40/MIA substrates, presence of the N-terminal unfolded DUF domain impaired the import efficiency of Mic19, yet N-terminal myristoylation of Mic19 circumvented this effect. The myristoyl group of Mic19 binds to Tom20 of the TOM complex as well as the outer membrane, which may lead to “entropy pushing” of the DUF domain followed by the CHCH domain of Mic19 into the import channel, thereby achieving efficient import.
Selective morphological analysis of cerium metal in electrodeposit recovered from molten LiCl-KCl eutectic by radiography and computed tomography
Authors: Jee Young Taek , Park Miran , Cho Seungryong , Yun Jong-Il 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis paper presents, for the first time, a study to analyze the surface morphology of metal extracted from a high temperature molten salt medium in the electrodeposit using x-ray radiography and computed tomography. Widely used methods such as scanning electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry are destructive and the related processes are often subject to the air condition. The x-ray imaging can provide rich information of the target sample in a non-destructive way without invoking hydrolysis or oxidation of a hygroscopic sample. In this study, the x-ray imaging conditions were optimized as following: tube voltage at 100 kVp and the current exposure time product at 8.8 mAs in our in-house x-ray imaging system. LiCl-KCl and cerium metals used in this work produced substantially distinguishable contrasts in the radiography due to their distinctive attenuation characteristics, and this difference was well quantified in the histograms of brightness. Electrodeposits obtained by chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry demonstrated a completely different behavior of electrodeposition even at the same applied charge. In particular, computed tomography and volumetric analysis clearly showed the structural and morphological dissimilarity. The structure of cerium metal in the electrodeposit was successfully separated from the chloride salt structure in the CT image by an image segmentation process.
Inversion-free image recovery from strong aberration using a minimally sampled transmission matrix
Authors: Park Kwanjun , Yang Taeseok Daniel , Kim Hyung-Jin , Kong Taedong , Lee Jung Min , Choi Hyuk Soon , Chun Hoon Jai , Kim Beop-Min , Choi Youngwoon 
Published: February 2019

AbstractA transmission matrix (TM), a characteristic response for an input-output relation of an optical system, has been used for achieving diffraction-limited and aberration-free images through highly-aberrant imaging systems. However, its requirement of acquiring a huge-size TM along with its heavy computational load limit its widespread applications. Here we propose a method for TM-based image reconstruction, which is more efficient in terms of data manipulation and computational time. Only 10% of the TM elements for a fish-eye (FE) lens with strong aberration were sampled compared to that required for the image reconstruction by the conventional inversion method. The missing information was filled in by an iterative interpolation algorithm working in k-space. In addition, as a replacement of the time-consuming matrix inversion process, a phase pattern was created from the minimally sampled TM in order to compensate for the angle-dependent phase retardation caused by the FE lens. The focal distortion could be corrected by applying the phase correction pattern to the angular spectrums of the measured object images. The remaining spatial distortion could also be determined through the geometrical transformation also determined by the minimally sampled TM elements. Through the use of these procedures, the object image can be reconstructed 55 times faster than through the use of the usual inversion method using the full-sized TM, without compromising the reconstruction performances.
Co-circularity opponency in visual texture
Authors: Sato Hiromi , Kingdom Frederick A. A. , Motoyoshi Isamu 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIt is well known that the human visual system is sensitive to co-circularity among oriented edges, which are ubiquitous features of object contours. Here, we report a novel aftereffect in which the appearance of a texture is dramatically altered after adaptation to a texture composed of elements with co-circular structure. Following prolonged viewing of a texture made of pairs of adjacent Gabor elements arranged to form obtuse angle co-circular pairs, i.e. shallow curves, a subsequently viewed random texture appears to be composed of acute angle, i.e. near-parallel pairs. Conversely, adaptation to a texture made of parallel pairs causes a random texture to appear to be composed of shallow curves. This suggests that mechanisms sensitive to co-circularity are organized in an opponent manner, with one pole sensitive to shallow curves the other parallel shapes. This notion was tested further in a non-adaptation experiment in which co-circular and non-co-circular Gabor pairs were mixed within a single texture. Results revealed summation between pairs that fell on one side of the opponent continuum, and cancellation between pairs that fell on opposite sides of the continuum. Taken together these results support opponent interactions between mechanisms sensitive to pairwise co-circular texture features.
Evolution-guided evaluation of the inverted terminal repeats of the synthetic transposon Sleeping Beauty
Authors: Scheuermann Barbara , Diem Tanja , Ivics Zoltán , Andrade-Navarro Miguel A. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSleeping Beauty (SB) is a synthetic Tc1/mariner transposon that is widely used for genetic engineering in vertebrates, including humans. Its sequence was derived from a consensus of sequences found in fish species including the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). One of the functional components of SB, the transposase enzyme, has been subject to extensive mutagenesis yielding hyperactive protein variants for advanced applications. The second functional component, the transposon inverted terminal repeats (ITRs), has so far not been extensively modified, mainly due to a lack of natural sequence information. Importantly, as genome sequences become available, they can provide a rich source of information for a refined molecular definition of the functional components of these transposons. Here we have mined the Salmo salar genome for a comprehensive set of transposon sequences that were used to build a refined consensus sequence. We synthetically produced the new consensus ITR sequences and used them to build a new transposon, the performance of which has been tested in cell-based transposition assays. The consensus sequence did not support enhanced transposition, suggesting alternative mechanisms responsible for the preferential amplification of these sequence variants in the salmon genome.
Translating large-scale climate variability into crop production forecast in Europe
Authors: Guimarães Nobre Gabriela , Hunink Johannes E. , Baruth Bettina , Aerts Jeroen C. J. H. , Ward Philip J. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractStudies show that climate variability drives interannual changes in meteorological variables in Europe, which directly or indirectly impacts crop production. However, there is no climate-based decision model that uses indices of atmospheric oscillation to predict agricultural production risks in Europe on multiple time-scales during the growing season. We used Fast-and-Frugal trees to predict sugar beet production, applying five large-scale indices of atmospheric oscillation: El Niño Southern Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, Scandinavian Pattern, East Atlantic Pattern, and East Atlantic/West Russian pattern. We found that Fast-and-Frugal trees predicted high/low sugar beet production events in 77% of the investigated regions, corresponding to 81% of total European sugar beet production. For nearly half of these regions, high/low production could be predicted six or five months before the start of the sugar beet harvesting season, which represents approximately 44% of the mean annual sugar beet produced in all investigated areas. Providing early warning of crop production shortages/excess allows decision makers to prepare in advance. Therefore, the use of the indices of climate variability to forecast crop production is a promising tool to strengthen European agricultural climate resilience.
Cyclability evaluation on Si based Negative Electrode in Lithium ion Battery by Graphite Phase Evolution: an operando X-ray diffraction study
Authors: Hu Chih-Wei , Chou Jyh-Pin , Hou Shang-Chieh , Hu Alice , Su Yu-Fan , Chen Tsan-Yao , Liew Wing-Keong , Liao Yen-Fa , Huang Jow-Lay , Chen Jin-Ming , Chang Chia-Chin 
Published: February 2019

AbstractArtificial graphite (FSN) additive is employed as internal structural label for projecting cyclability of Si material native electrode in a mass ratio of Si/FSN = 1.0 in Li ion battery (LIB). Results of operando X-ray diffraction analysis on Si-FSN negative electrode in LIB demonstrate that one can evaluate the lithiation and delithiation affinity of active material by referring phase transition delay of graphite as affected by experimental splits in a formation process of LIB. We prove that a thin layer of surface amorphous structure and residual lattice strain are formed in Si by high energy ball-milling treatment. Those manipulations improve Li intercalation kinetics and thus enabling a capacity fading of less than 10% (from 1860 to 1650 mAhg−1) for Si negative electrode in 50 cycles. Of utmost importance, this study discloses a robust assessment for revealing mechanism on amorphous and strain related silicide formation and predicting cyclability of negative electrode by quantitative phase evolution rate of FSN additive in LIB.
IL-10 produced by macrophages regulates epithelial integrity in the small intestine
Authors: Morhardt Tina L. , Hayashi Atsushi , Ochi Takanori , Quirós Miguel , Kitamoto Sho , Nagao-Kitamoto Hiroko , Kuffa Peter , Atarashi Koji , Honda Kenya , Kao John Y. , Nusrat Asma , Kamada Nobuhiko 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMacrophages (Mϕs) are known to be major producers of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the intestine, thus playing an important role in maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis. Mϕs that reside in the small intestine (SI) have been previously shown to be regulated by dietary antigens, while colonic Mϕs are regulated by the microbiota. However, the role which resident Mϕs play in SI homeostasis has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we show that SI Mϕs regulate the integrity of the epithelial barrier via secretion of IL-10. We used an animal model of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced SI epithelial injury to show that IL-10 is mainly produced by MHCII+ CD64+ Ly6Clow Mϕs early in injury and that it is involved in the restoration of the epithelial barrier. We found that a lack of IL-10, particularly its secretion by Mϕs, compromised the recovery of SI epithelial barrier. IL-10 production by MHCII+ CD64+ Ly6Clow Mϕs in the SI is not regulated by the gut microbiota, hence depletion of the microbiota did not influence epithelial regeneration in the SI. Collectively, these results highlight the critical role IL-10-producing Mϕs play in recovery from intestinal epithelial injury induced by NSAID.
UVA-activated riboflavin promotes collagen crosslinking to prevent root caries
Authors: Uemura R. , Miura J. , Ishimoto T. , Yagi K. , Matsuda Y. , Shimizu M. , Nakano T. , Hayashi M. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRoot caries is an increasingly problem in aging societies with severe implications for the general health and wellbeing of large numbers of people. Strengthening type-I collagen, a major organic component of human dentin, has proved effective in preventing root caries. This study sought to determine whether exposure to riboflavin followed by UVA irradiation (RF/UVA) could promote additional collagen crosslinking, and thus improve the acid and enzymatic resistance of human dentin under simulated oral environments. If so, it could offer potential for treatment of the intractable problem of root caries. The greatest flexural strengths were found in dentin exposed to a 0.1% riboflavin solution for 1 minute followed by 1,600 mW/cm2UVA irradiation for 10 minutes. Mineral loss and lesion depth were significantly lower in the RF/UVA group than in the control group. The microstructures of dentinal tubules and collagen networks after RF/UVA treatment retained their original forms after acidic and enzymatic degradation. In conclusion, RF/UVA treatment may be a new method for preventing root caries with promising prospects for clinical application.
Elucidation of microstructural changes in leaves during senescence using spectral domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Anna Tulsi , Chakraborty Sandeep , Cheng Chia-Yi , Srivastava Vishal , Chiou Arthur , Kuo Wen-Chuan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractLeaf senescence provides a unique window to explore the age-dependent programmed degradation at organ label in plants. Here, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) has been used to study in vivo senescing leaf microstructural changes in the deciduous plant Acer serrulatum Hayata. Hayata leaves show autumn phenology and change color from green to yellow and finally red. SD-OCT image analysis shows distinctive features among different layers of the leaves; merging of upper epidermis and palisade layers form thicker layers in red leaves compared to green leaves. Moreover, A-scan analysis showed a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the attenuation coefficient (for wavelength range: 1100–1550 nm) from green to red leaves. In addition, the B-scan analysis also showed significant changes in 14 texture parameters extracted from second-order spatial gray level dependence matrix (SGLDM). Among these parameters, a set of three features (energy, skewness, and sum variance), capable of quantitatively distinguishing difference in the microstructures of three different colored leaves, has been identified. Furthermore, classification based on k-nearest neighbors algorithm (k-NN) was found to yield 98% sensitivity, 99% specificity, and 95.5% accuracy. Following the proposed technique, a portable noninvasive tool for quality control in crop management can be anticipated.
Hydrogen gas distribution in organs after inhalation: Real-time monitoring of tissue hydrogen concentration in rat
Authors: Yamamoto Ryo , Homma Koichiro , Suzuki Sayuri , Sano Motoaki , Sasaki Junichi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractHydrogen has therapeutic and preventive effects against various diseases. Although animal and clinical studies have reported promising results, hydrogen distribution in organs after administration remains unclear. Herein, the sequential changes in hydrogen concentration in tissues over time were monitored using a highly sensitive glass microsensor and continuous inhalation of 3% hydrogen gas. The hydrogen concentration was measured in the brain, liver, kidney, mesentery fat and thigh muscle of rats. The maximum concentration, time to saturation, and other measurements representing the dynamics of distribution were obtained from the concentration curves, and the results obtained for different organs were compared. The time to saturation was significantly longer (20.2 vs 6.3–9.4 min. P = 0.004 in all cases) and increased more gradually in muscle than in the other organs. The maximum concentration was the highest in liver and the lowest in the kidney (29.0 ± 2.6 vs 18.0 ± 2.2 μmol/L; P = 0.03 in all cases). The concentration varied significantly depending on the organ (P = 0.03). These results provide the fundamentals for elucidating the mechanisms underlying the in vivo favourable effects of hydrogen gas in mammalian systems.
Spectrum of Microbial Sequences and a Bacterial Cell Wall Antigen in Primary Demyelination Brain Specimens Obtained from Living Patients
Authors: Kriesel John D. , Bhetariya Preetida , Wang Zheng-Ming , Renner David , Palmer Cheryl , Fischer Kael F. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by multiple lesions in the brain and spinal cord. We used RNA sequencing to identify microbial sequences and characterize human gene expression patterns in 30 human brain biopsy specimens. RNAs which aligned to known microbial taxa, were significantly enriched in 10 of 12 primary demyelination (MS) brain specimens compared to a group of 15 epilepsy controls, leading to a list of 29 MS microbial candidate genera from 11 different phyla. Most of the candidate MS microbes are anaerobic bacteria. While there were some shared candidates, each of the 10 MS samples with significant microbial RNA enrichment had a distinct set microbial candidates. The fraction of microbial sequencing reads was greater for the MS group (128.8 PPM) compared to the controls (77.4 PPM, p = 0.016). Bacterial peptidoglycan was demonstrated in brain tissue sections from several MS subjects. Human gene expression analysis showed increased expression of inflammation-related pathways in the MS group. This data shows that demyelinating brain lesions are associated with the presence of microbial RNA sequences and bacterial antigen. This suggests that MS is triggered by the presence of a diverse set of microbes within a lesion.
A Simple Method for Removal of Carbon Nanotubes from Wastewater Using Hypochlorite
Authors: Zhang Minfang , Deng Yinmei , Yang Mei , Nakajima Hideaki , Yudasaka Masako , Iijima Sumio , Okazaki Toshiya 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been applied in a wide range of fields, such as materials, electronics, energy storages, and biomedicine. With the rapid increase in CNTs industrialization, more and more CNT-containing wastewater is being produced. Since concerns about the toxic effects of CNTs on human health persist, CNT-containing wastewater should not be released into the environment without purification, but no effective methods have been reported. In the present study, we report a simple method to eliminate CNTs from industrial or laboratorial wastewater using sodium hypochlorite. Direct treatment of aqueous dispersions with sodium hypochlorite solution completely degraded CNTs into carbon oxides or carbonates ions. Since hypochlorite is environmentally friendly and frequently used as a disinfectant or bleaching agent in domestic cleaning, this method is practical for purification of CNT-contaminated industrial wastewater.
Classical and quantum conductivity in β-Ga2O3
Authors: Look David C. , Leedy Kevin D. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe conductivity σ, quantum-based magnetoconductivity Δσ = σ(B) − σ(0), and Hall coefficient RH (= µH/σ) of degenerate, homoepitaxial, (010) Si-doped β-Ga2O3, have been measured over a temperature range T = 9–320 K and magnetic field range B = 0–10 kG. With ten atoms in the unit cell, the normal-mode phonon structure of β-Ga2O3 is very complex, with optical-phonon energies ranging from kTpo ~ 20–100 meV. For heavily doped samples, the phonon spectrum is further modified by doping disorder. We explore the possibility of developing a single function Tpo(T) that can be incorporated into both quantum and classical scattering theory such that Δσ vs B, Δσ vs T, and µH vs T are all well fitted. Surprisingly, a relatively simple function, Tpo(T) = 1.6 × 103{1 − exp[−(T + 1)/170]} K, works well for β-Ga2O3 without any additional fitting parameters. In contrast, Δσ vs T in degenerate ScN, which has only one optical phonon branch, is well fitted with a constant Tpo = 550 K. These results indicate that quantum conductivity enables an understanding of classical conductivity in disordered, multi-phonon semiconductors.
An Implantable Ultrasonically-Powered Micro-Light-Source (µLight) for Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Kim Albert , Zhou Jiawei , Samaddar Shayak , Song Seung Hyun , Elzey Bennet D. , Thompson David H. , Ziaie Babak 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment modality that can selectively target unresectable tumors through optical activation of cytotoxic agents, thus reducing many side effects associated with systemic administration of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, limited light penetration into most biological tissues have so far prevented its widespread adoption beyond dermatology and a few other oncological applications in which a fiber optic can be threaded to the desired locations via an endoscopic approach (e.g., bladder). In this paper, we introduce an ultrasonically powered implantable microlight source, μLight, which enables in-situ localized light delivery to deep-seated solid tumors. Ultrasonic powering allows for small receiver form factor (mm-scale) and power transfer deep into the tissue (several centimeters). The implants consist of piezoelectric transducers measuring 2 × 2 × 2 mm3 and 2 × 4 × 2 mm3 with surface-mounted miniature red and blue LEDs. When energized with 185 mW/cm2 of transmitted acoustic power at 720 kHz, μLight can generate 0.048 to 6.5 mW/cm2 of optical power (depending on size of the piezoelectric element and light wavelength spectrum). This allows powering multiple receivers to a distance of 10 cm at therapeutic light output levels (a delivery of 20–40 J/cm2 light radiation dose in 1–2 hours). In vitro tests show that HeLa cells irradiated with μLights undergo a 70% decrease in average cell viability as compared to the control group. In vivo tests in mice implanted with 4T1-induced tumors (breast cancer) show light delivery capability at therapeutic dose levels. Overall, results indicate implanting multiple µLights and operating them for 1–2 hours can achieve cytotoxicity levels comparable to the clinically reported cases using external light sources.
Pharmacophore-guided discovery of CDC25 inhibitors causing cell cycle arrest and tumor regression
Authors: Kabakci Zeynep , Käppeli Simon , Cantù Claudio , Jensen Lasse D. , König Christiane , Toggweiler Janine , Gentili Christian , Ribaudo Giovanni , Zagotto Giuseppe , Basler Konrad , Pinna Lorenzo A. , Cozza Giorgio , Ferrari Stefano 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCDC25 phosphatases play a key role in cell cycle transitions and are important targets for cancer therapy. Here, we set out to discover novel CDC25 inhibitors. Using a combination of computational methods, we defined a minimal common pharmacophore in established CDC25 inhibitors and performed virtual screening of a proprietary library. Based on the availability of crystal structures for CDC25A and CDC25B, we implemented a molecular docking strategy and carried out hit expansion/optimization. Enzymatic assays revealed that naphthoquinone scaffolds were the most promising CDC25 inhibitors among selected hits. At the molecular level, the compounds acted through a mixed-type mechanism of inhibition of phosphatase activity, involving reversible oxidation of cysteine residues. In 2D cell cultures, the compounds caused arrest of the cell cycle at the G1/S or at the G2/M transition. Mitotic markers analysis and time-lapse microscopy confirmed that CDK1 activity was impaired and that mitotic arrest was followed by death. Finally, the compounds induced differentiation, accompanied by decreased stemness properties, in intestinal crypt stem cell-derived Apc/K-Ras-mutant mouse organoids, and led to tumor regression and reduction of metastatic potential in zebrafish embryo xenografts used as in vivo model.