bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emotion and anxiety potentiate the way attention alters visual appearance
Authors: Barbot Antoine , Carrasco Marisa 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe ability to swiftly detect and prioritize the processing of relevant information around us is critical for the way we interact with our environment. Selective attention is a key mechanism that serves this purpose, improving performance in numerous visual tasks. Reflexively attending to sudden information helps detect impeding threat or danger, a possible reason why emotion modulates the way selective attention affects perception. For instance, the sudden appearance of a fearful face potentiates the effects of exogenous (involuntary, stimulus-driven) attention on performance. Internal states such as trait anxiety can also modulate the impact of attention on early visual processing. However, attention does not only improve performance; it also alters the way visual information appears to us, e.g. by enhancing perceived contrast. Here we show that emotion potentiates the effects of exogenous attention on both performance and perceived contrast. Moreover, we found that trait anxiety mediates these effects, with stronger influences of attention and emotion in anxious observers. Finally, changes in performance and appearance correlated with each other, likely reflecting common attentional modulations. Altogether, our findings show that emotion and anxiety interact with selective attention to truly alter how we see.
Small de novo CNVs as biomarkers of parental exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation of caesium-137
Authors: Costa Emília Oliveira Alves , Pinto Irene Plaza , Gonçalves Macks Wendhell , da Silva Juliana Ferreira , Oliveira Lorraynne Guimarães , da Cruz Alex Silva , Silva Daniela de Melo e , da Silva Cláudio Carlos , Pereira Rinaldo Wellerson , da Cruz Aparecido Divino 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe radiological accident in Goiania in 1987 caused a trail of human contamination, animal, plant and environmental by a radionuclide. Exposure to ionizing radiation results in different types of DNA lesions. The mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation on the germline are special concern because they can endures for several generations, leading to an increase in the rate of mutations in children of irradiated parents. Thus, to evaluate the biological mechanisms of ionizing radiation in somatic and germline cells, with consequent determination of the rate mutations, is extremely important for the estimation of genetic risks. Recently it was established that Chromosomal Microarray Analysis is an important tool for detecting wide spectra of gains or losses in the human genome. Here we present the results of the effect of accidental exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation on the formation of CNVs in the progeny of a human population accidentally exposed to Caesium-137 during the radiological accident in Goiânia, Brazil.
In-situ, In-Memory Stateful Vector Logic Operations based on Voltage Controlled Magnetic Anisotropy
Authors: Jaiswal Akhilesh , Agrawal Amogh , Roy Kaushik 
Published: April 2018

AbstractRecently, the exponential increase in compute requirements demanded by emerging applications like artificial intelligence, Internet of things, etc. have rendered the state-of-art von-Neumann machines inefficient in terms of energy and throughput owing to the well-known von-Neumann bottleneck. A promising approach to mitigate the bottleneck is to do computations as close to the memory units as possible. One extreme possibility is to do in-situ Boolean logic computations by using stateful devices. Stateful devices are those that can act both as a compute engine and storage device, simultaneously. We propose such stateful, vector, in-memory operations using voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) effect in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ). Our proposal is based on the well known manufacturable 1-transistor - 1-MTJ bit-cell and does not require any modifications in the bit-cell circuit or the magnetic device. Instead, we leverage the very physics of the VCMA effect to enable stateful computations. Specifically, we exploit the voltage asymmetry of the VCMA effect to construct stateful IMP (implication) gate and use the precessional switching dynamics of the VCMA devices to propose a massively parallel NOT operation. Further, we show that other gates like AND, OR, NAND, NOR, NIMP (complement of implication) can be implemented using multi-cycle operations.
Gestational exposure to metformin programs improved glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in adult male mouse offspring
Authors: Gregg Brigid E. , Botezatu Nathalie , Brill Joshua D. , Hafner Hannah , Vadrevu Suryakiran , Satin Leslie S. , Alejandro Emilyn U. , Bernal-Mizrachi Ernesto 
Published: April 2018

AbstractPancreatic β-cells are exquisitely sensitive to developmental nutrient stressors, and alterations in nutrient sensing pathways may underlie changes observed in these models. Here we developed a mouse model of in utero exposure to the anti-diabetic agent metformin. We have previously shown that this exposure increases offspring pancreatic β-cell mass at birth. We hypothesized that adult offspring would have improved metabolic parameters as a long-term outcome of metformin exposure. Virgin dams were given 5 mg/mL metformin in their water from E0.5 to delivery at E18.5. Body weight, glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance and glucose stimulated insulin secretion were analyzed in the offspring. When male offspring of dams given metformin during gestation were tested as adults they had improved glucose tolerance and enhanced insulin secretion in vivo as did their islets in vitro. Enhanced insulin secretion was accompanied by changes in intracellular free calcium responses to glucose and potassium chloride, possibly mediated by increased L channel expression. Female offspring exhibited improved glucose tolerance at advanced ages. In conclusion, in this model in utero metformin exposure leads to improved offspring metabolism in a gender-specific manner. These findings suggest that metformin applied during gestation may be an option for reprogramming metabolism in at risk groups.
Effect of Nb concentration on the spin-orbit coupling strength in Nb-doped SrTiO3 epitaxial thin films
Authors: Cho Seong Won , Lee Milim , Woo Sungmin , Yim Kanghoon , Han Seungwu , Choi Woo Seok , Lee Suyoun 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSeveral oxide materials have attracted much interest for the application in spintronic devices due to unusual properties originating from the strongly correlated orbital and spin degrees of freedom. One missing part in oxide spintronics is a good spin channel featured by strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) which enables an efficient control of the electron’s spin. We have systematically investigated the dependence of the SOC strength of Sr(Nb
x
Ti1−x)O3 thin films on Nb concentration (nNb = 2~20 at. %) as a deeper exploration of a recent finding of the strong SOC in a heavily Nb-doped SrTiO3 (Sr(Nb0.2Ti0.8)O3) epitaxial film. Apart from a finding of a proportionality of the SOC to nNb, we have observed an intriguing temperature dependence of the SOC strength and the anisotropic magnetoresistance (MR) in the intermediate nNb region. These phenomena are associated with the temperature dependence of Landé g-factor and the change of the band structure, which is consistent with the result of density functional theory (DFT) calculation.
A large-scale survey of the postmortem human microbiome, and its potential to provide insight into the living health condition
Authors: Pechal Jennifer L. , Schmidt Carl J. , Jordan Heather R. , Benbow M. Eric 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe microbiome plays many roles in human health, often through the exclusive lens of clinical interest. The inevitable end point for all living hosts, death, has its own altered microbiome configurations. However, little is understood about the ecology and changes of microbial communities after death, or their potential utility for understanding the health condition of the recently living. Here we reveal distinct postmortem microbiomes of human hosts from a large-scale survey of death cases representing a predominantly urban population, and demonstrated these microbiomes reflected antemortem health conditions within 24–48 hours of death. Our results characterized microbial community structure and predicted function from 188 cases representing a cross-section of an industrial-urban population. We found strong niche differentiation of anatomic habitat and microbial community turnover based on topographical distribution. Microbial community stability was documented up to two days after death. Additionally, we observed a positive relationship between cell motility and time since host death. Interestingly, we discovered evidence that microbial biodiversity is a predictor of antemortem host health condition (e.g., heart disease). These findings improve the understanding of postmortem host microbiota dynamics, and provide a robust dataset to test the postmortem microbiome as a tool for assessing health conditions in living populations.
Fluorinated reduced graphene oxide as a protective layer on the metallic lithium for application in the high energy batteries
Authors: Bobnar Jernej , Lozinšek Matic , Kapun Gregor , Njel Christian , Dedryvère Rémi , Genorio Boštjan , Dominko Robert 
Published: April 2018

AbstractMetallic lithium is considered to be one of the most promising anode materials since it offers high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities when combined with high-voltage or high-capacity cathodes. However, the main impediment to the practical applications of metallic lithium is its unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI), which results in constant lithium consumption for the formation of fresh SEI, together with lithium dendritic growth during electrochemical cycling. Here we present the electrochemical performance of a fluorinated reduced graphene oxide interlayer (FGI) on the metallic lithium surface, tested in lithium symmetrical cells and in combination with two different cathode materials. The FGI on the metallic lithium exhibit two roles, firstly it acts as a Li-ion conductive layer and electronic insulator and secondly, it effectively suppresses the formation of high surface area lithium (HSAL). An enhanced electrochemical performance of the full cell battery system with two different types of cathodes was shown in the carbonate or in the ether based electrolytes. The presented results indicate a potential application in future secondary Li-metal batteries.
ENSO-driven climate variability promotes periodic major outbreaks of dengue in Venezuela
Authors: Vincenti-Gonzalez M. F. , Tami A. , Lizarazo E. F. , Grillet M. E. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractDengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease of global impact. In Venezuela, dengue has emerged as one of the most important public health problems of urban areas with frequent epidemics since 2001. The long-term pattern of this disease has involved not only a general upward trend in cases but also a dramatic increase in the size and frequency of epidemic outbreaks. By assuming that climate variability has a relevant influence on these changes in time, we quantified the periodicity of dengue incidence in time-series of data from two northern regions of Venezuela. Disease cycles of 1 and 3–4 years (p < 0.05) were detected. We determined that dengue cycles corresponded with local climate and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variation at both seasonal and inter-annual scales (every 2–3 years). Dengue incidence peaks were more prevalent during the warmer and dryer years of El Niño confirming that ENSO is a regional climatic driver of such long-term periodicity through local changes in temperature and rainfall. Our findings support the evidence of the effect of climate on dengue dynamics and advocate the incorporation of climate information in the surveillance and prediction of this arboviral disease in Venezuela.
ACTH and PMX53 recover synaptic transcriptome alterations in a rat model of infantile spasms
Authors: Iacobaş Dumitru A. , Chachua Tamar , Iacobaş Sanda , Benson Melissa J. , Borges Karin , Velíšková Jana , Velíšek Libor 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWe profiled the gene expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nuclei (ARC) of 20 male and 20 female rats to determine the infantile spasms (IS) related transcriptomic alteration of neurotransmission and recovery following two treatments. Rats were prenatally exposed to betamethasone or saline followed by repeated postnatal subjection to NMDA-triggered IS. Rats with spasms were treated with ACTH, PMX53 or saline. Since ACTH, the first line treatment for IS, has inconsistent efficacy and potential harsh side effects, PMX53, a potent complement C5ar1 antagonist, was suggested as a therapeutic alternative given its effects in other epilepsy models. Novel measures that consider all genes and are not affected by arbitrary cut-offs were used, in addition to standard statistical tests, to quantify regulation and recovery of glutamatergic, GABAergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways. Although IS alters expression of ~30% of the ARC genes in both sexes the transcriptomic effects are 3× more severe in males than their female counterparts, as indicated by the Weighted Pathway Regulation measure. Both treatments significantly restored the ARC neurotransmission transcriptome to the non-IS condition with PMX53 performing slightly better, as measured by the Pathway Restoration Efficiency, suggesting these treatments may reduce autistic traits often associated with IS.
Effects of different doses of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilization therapy on ischemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Huang Rongchong , Lv Haichen , Yao Kang , Ge Lei , Ye Zhishuai , Ding Huaiyu , Zhang Yiqi , Lu Hao , Huang Zheyong , Zhang Shuning , Zou Yunzeng , Ge Junbo 
Published: April 2018

AbstractG-CSF mobilization might be beneficial to ICM, but the relationship between effect/safety and the dosage of G-CSF remains unclear. In this study, 24 pigs were used to build ICM models and were randomized into four groups. Four weeks later, different dosages of G-CSF were given daily by subcutaneous injection for 5 days. Another 4 weeks later, all the animals were sacrificed. Electrocardiography, coronary arteriography, left ventriculography, transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and SPECT, histopathologic analysis, and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to evaluate left ventricular function and myocardial infarct size. Four weeks after G-CSF treatment, pigs in middle-dose G-CSF group exhibited obvious improvements of left ventricular remodeling and function. Moderate G-CSF mobilization ameliorated the regional contractility of ICM, preserved myocardial viability, and reduced myocardial infarct size. More neovascularization and fewer apoptotic myocardial cells were observed in the ischemic region of the heart in middle-dose group. Expression of vWF, VEGF and MCP-1 were up-regulated, and Akt1 was activated in high- and middle-dose groups. Moreover, CRP, TNF-α and S-100 were elevated after high-dose G-CSF mobilization. Middle-dose G-CSF mobilization therapy is an effective and safe treatment for ICM, and probably acts via a mechanism involving promoting neovascularization, inhibiting cardiac fibrosis and anti-apoptosis.
Trends in the Timing and Magnitude of Ice-Jam Floods in Canada
Authors: Rokaya Prabin , Budhathoki Sujata , Lindenschmidt Karl-Erich 
Published: April 2018

AbstractIce-jam floods (IJFs) are important hydrological and hydraulic events in the northern hemisphere that are of major concern for citizens, authorities, insurance companies and government agencies. In recent years, there have been advances in assessing and quantifying climate change impacts on river ice processes, however, an understanding of climate change and regulation impacts on the timing and magnitude of IJFs remains limited. This study presents a global overview of IJF case studies and discusses IJF risks in North America, one of the most IJF prone regions according to literature. Then an assessment of shifts in the timing and magnitude of IJFs in Canada is presented analyzing flow data from 1107 hydrometric stations across Canada for the period from 1903 to 2015. The analyses show clear signals of climate change and regulation impacts in the timing and magnitude of IJFs, particularly in small basins.
Yeast aconitase mitochondrial import is modulated by interactions of its C and N terminal domains and Ssa1/2 (Hsp70)
Authors: Ben-Menachem Reut , Wang Katherine , Marcu Orly , Yu Zhang , Lim Teck Kwang , Lin Qingsong , Schueler- Furman Ora , Pines Ophry 
Published: April 2018

AbstractMolecules of single proteins, echoforms, can be distributed between two (or more) subcellular locations, a phenomenon which we refer to as dual targeting or dual localization. The yeast aconitase gene ACO1 (778 amino acids), encodes a single translation product that is nonetheless dual localized to the cytosol and mitochondria by a reverse translocation mechanism. The solved crystal structure of aconitase isolated from porcine heart mitochondria shows that it has four domains. The first three tightly associated N-terminal domains are tethered to the larger C-terminal fourth domain (C-terminal amino acids 517–778). We have previously shown that the aconitase C terminal domain constitutes an independent dual targeting signal when fused to mitochondria-targeted passenger-proteins. We show that the aconitase N and C-terminal domains interact and that this interaction is important for efficient aconitase post translational import into mitochondria and for aconitase dual targeting (relative levels of aconitase echoforms). Our results suggest a “chaperone-like function” of the C terminal domain towards the N terminal domains which can be modulated by Ssa1/2 (cytosolic Hsp70).
Catalytically active inclusion bodies of L-lysine decarboxylase from E. coli for 1,5-diaminopentane production
Authors: Kloss Ramona , Limberg Michael H. , Mackfeld Ursula , Hahn Doris , Grünberger Alexander , Jäger Vera D. , Krauss Ulrich , Oldiges Marco , Pohl Martina 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSustainable and eco-efficient alternatives for the production of platform chemicals, fuels and chemical building blocks require the development of stable, reusable and recyclable biocatalysts. Here we present a novel concept for the biocatalytic production of 1,5-diaminopentane (DAP, trivial name: cadaverine) using catalytically active inclusion bodies (CatIBs) of the constitutive L-lysine decarboxylase from E. coli (EcLDCc-CatIBs) to process L-lysine-containing culture supernatants from Corynebacterium glutamicum. EcLDCc-CatIBs can easily be produced in E. coli followed by a simple purification protocol yielding up to 43% dry CatIBs per dry cell weight. The stability and recyclability of EcLDCc-CatIBs was demonstrated in (repetitive) batch experiments starting from L-lysine concentrations of 0.1 M and 1 M. EcLDC-CatIBs exhibited great stability under reaction conditions with an estimated half-life of about 54 h. High conversions to DAP of 87–100% were obtained in 30–60 ml batch reactions using approx. 180–300 mg EcLDCc-CatIBs, respectively. This resulted in DAP titres of up to 88.4 g l−1 and space-time yields of up to 660 gDAP l−1 d−1 per gram dry EcLDCc-CatIBs. The new process for DAP production can therefore compete with the currently best fermentative process as described in the literature.
Efficient differentiation of cardiomyocytes and generation of calcium-sensor reporter lines from nonhuman primate iPSCs
Authors: Lin Yongshun , Liu Huimin , Klein Michael , Ostrominski John , Hong So Gun , Yada Ravi Chandra , Chen Guibin , Navarengom Keron , Schwartzbeck Robin , San Hong , Yu Zu-Xi , Liu Chengyu , Linask Kaari , Beers Jeanette , Qiu Lugui , Dunbar Cynthia E. , Boehm Manfred , Zou Jizhong 
Published: April 2018

AbstractNonhuman primate (NHP) models are more predictive than rodent models for developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based cell therapy, but robust and reproducible NHP iPSC-cardiomyocyte differentiation protocols are lacking for cardiomyopathies research. We developed a method to differentiate integration-free rhesus macaque iPSCs (RhiPSCs) into cardiomyocytes with >85% purity in 10 days, using fully chemically defined conditions. To enable visualization of intracellular calcium flux in beating cardiomyocytes, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to stably knock-in genetically encoded calcium indicators at the rhesus AAVS1 safe harbor locus. Rhesus cardiomyocytes derived by our stepwise differentiation method express signature cardiac markers and show normal electrochemical coupling. They are responsive to cardiorelevant drugs and can be successfully engrafted in a mouse myocardial infarction model. Our approach provides a powerful tool for generation of NHP iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes amenable to utilization in basic research and preclinical studies, including in vivo tissue regeneration models and drug screening.
GADD45A and CDKN1A are involved in apoptosis and cell cycle modulatory effects of viscumTT with further inactivation of the STAT3 pathway
Authors: Kleinsimon Susann , Longmuss Enya , Rolff Jana , Jäger Sebastian , Eggert Angelika , Delebinski Catharina , Seifert Georg 
Published: April 2018

AbstractViscumTT, a whole mistletoe preparation, has shown synergistic induction of apoptosis in several pediatric tumor entities. High therapeutic potential has previously been observed in Ewing’s sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, ALL and AML. In this study, we analyzed modulatory effects on the cell cycle by viscumTT in three osteosarcoma cell lines with various TP53 statuses. ViscumTT treatment induced G1 arrest in TP53 wild-type and null-mutant cells, but S arrest in TP53 mutant cells. Blockage of G1/S transition was accompanied by down-regulation of the key regulators CDK4, CCND1, CDK2, CCNE, CCNA. However, investigations on the transcriptional level revealed secondary TP53 participation. Cell cycle arrest was predominantly mediated by transcriptionally increased expression of GADD45A and CDKN1A and decreased SKP2 levels. Enhanced CDKN1A and GADD45A expression further played a role in viscumTT-induced apoptosis with involvement of stress-induced MAPK8 and inactivation of MAPK1/3. Furthermore, viscumTT inhibited the pro-survival pathway STAT3 by dephosphorylation of the two sites, Tyr705 and Ser727, by down-regulation of total STAT3 and its direct downstream targets BIRC5 and C-MYC. Moreover, tests of the efficacy of viscumTT in vivo showing reduction of tumor volume confirmed the high therapeutic potential as an anti-tumoral agent for osteosarcoma.