bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electrical Stimulation with a Conductive Polymer Promotes Neurite Outgrowth and Synaptogenesis in Primary Cortical Neurons in 3D
Authors: Zhang Qingsheng , Beirne Stephen , Shu Kewei , Esrafilzadeh Dorna , Huang Xu-Feng , Wallace Gordon G. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDeficits in neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis have been recognized as an underlying developmental aetiology of psychosis. Electrical stimulation promotes neuronal induction including neurite outgrowth and branching. However, the effect of electrical stimulation using 3D electrodes on neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis has not been explored. This study examined the effect of 3D electrical stimulation on 3D primary cortical neuronal cultures. 3D electrical stimulation improved neurite outgrowth in 3D neuronal cultures from both wild-type and NRG1-knockout (NRG1-KO) mice. The expression of synaptophysin and PSD95 were elevated under 3D electrical stimulation. Interestingly, 3D electrical stimulation also improved neural cell aggregation as well as the expression of PSA-NCAM. Our findings suggest that the 3D electrical stimulation system can rescue neurite outgrowth deficits in a 3D culturing environment, one that more closely resembles the in vivo biological system compared to more traditionally used 2D cell culture, including the observation of cell aggregates as well as the upregulated PSA-NCAM protein and transcript expression. This study provides a new concept for a possible diagnostic platform for neurite deficits in neurodevelopmental diseases, as well as a viable platform to test treatment options (such as drug delivery) in combination with electrical stimulation.
Synergistic interaction of sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis during zebrafish caudal vein plexus development
Authors: karthik Swapna , Djukic Tijana , Kim Jun-Dae , Zuber Benoît , Makanya Andrew , Odriozola Adolfo , Hlushchuk Ruslan , Filipovic Nenad , Jin Suk Won , Djonov Valentin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIntussusceptive angiogenesis (IA) is a complementary method to sprouting angiogenesis (SA). The hallmark of IA is formation of trans-capillary tissue pillars, their fusion and remodeling of the vascular plexus. In this study, we investigate the formation of the zebrafish caudal vein plexus (CVP) in Tg(fli1a:eGFP)y7 and the synergistic interaction of IA and SA in crafting the archetypical angio-architecture of the CVP. Dynamic in vivo observations and quantitative analyses revealed that the primitive CVP during development was initiated through SA. Further vascular growth and remodeling occurred by IA. Intussusception contributed to the expansion of the CVP by formation of new pillars. Those pillars arose in front of the already existing ones; and in a subsequent step the serried pillars elongated and fused together. This resulted in segregation of larger vascular segments and remodelling of the disorganized vascular meshwork into hierarchical tree-like arrangement. Blood flow was the main driving force for IA, particularly shear stress geometry at the site of pillar formation and fusion. Computational simulations based on hemodynamics showed drop in shear stress levels at locations of new pillar formation, pillar elongation and fusion. Correlative 3D serial block face scanning electron microscopy confirmed the morphological substrate of the phenomena of the pillar formation observed in vivo. The data obtained demonstrates that after the sprouting phase and formation of the primitive capillary meshwork, the hemodynamic conditions enhance intussusceptive segregation of hierarchical vascular tree i.e. intussusceptive arborization resulting in complex vascular structures with specific angio-architecture.
Genetic Factors and Genotype-Environment Interactions Contribute to Variation in Melanin Production in the Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Samarasinghe Himeshi , Aceituno-Caicedo David , Cogliati Massimo , Kwon-Chung Kyung J. , Rickerts Volker , Velegraki Aristea , Akcaglar Sevim , Xu Jianping 
Published: June 2018

AbstractCryptococcosis is a common opportunistic fungal infection that often disseminates into the central nervous system, leading to meningitis. Production of melanin pigments during infections is one of the most important virulence factors of its causal agent, the human pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans species complex. However, almost nothing is known about the patterns of variation in melanin production among clinical and environmental strains and the potential effects of such variations on virulence. In this study, we assembled a global collection of C. neoformans var. neoformans strains and investigated their patterns of melanin variation and potential contributors to such variations. Our analyses revealed that genetic differences and genotype-environment interactions explained up to 59% and 43% of the population’s melanin variance respectively, depending on the tested environments. In comparison, environmental factors alone contributed relatively little to melanin variance. We also identified specific changes within the LAC1 gene, whose protein product catalyzes melanin synthesis, to be associated with variable melanin levels. This study provides fresh insights into the origin and evolution of virulence traits in fungal pathogens while highlighting the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors that lead to phenotypic variance.
A qualitative analysis of the bud ontogeny of Dracaena marginata using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Hesse Linnea , Leupold Jochen , Speck Thomas , Masselter Tom 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe development of the branch-stem-attachment of Dracaena marginata was analyzed to clarify how a load-adapted arrangement of mechanically relevant tissues, i.e. the vascular bundles with fiber caps, is established during ontogeny. For this purpose, 3D images of four intact and developing buds of D. marginata were repetitively acquired in vivo within the time span of 180 days using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, as this method allows for non-invasive and non-destructive image acquisition. This methodical approach enabled the classification of distinct ontogenetic stages revealing the complex ontogeny of the branch-stem-attachment in D. marginata and the establishment of a load-adapted tissue arrangement within the junction between branch and main stem. This further allows for a first biomimetic abstraction and the transfer into a technical implementation of the form-structure-function principles found in branchings in D. marginata.
Root order-based traits of Manchurian walnut & larch and their plasticity under interspecific competition
Authors: Salahuddin  , Rewald Boris , Razaq Muhammad , Lixue Yang , Li Ji , Khan Farmanullah , Jie Zhang 
Published: June 2018

AbstractManchurian walnut and larch are key timber species of northeast China but information on (fine) root traits of both species is scarce. Plasticity of root traits in mixed plantations has been studied rarely although this could give important insights into mechanisms of root competition. This study examined root traits by branching order in 30-yr-old monocultures and their plasticity in mixed plantations. In monocultures, Manchurian walnut and larch differed in key fine root traits. Larch roots hold more absorptive root orders, larger diameter and lower specific root length/area. Walnut root orders featured greater cortex:stele ratios, N-concentrations and respiration rates. Under interspecific competition, the proportion of walnut root tips increased, the biomass/length of larch root orders 1–3 decreased. Larch possessed a greater morphological and anatomical plasticity of terminal root orders than walnut. Mycorrhizal colonization rates of walnut were reduced. Both species differed fundamentally in their fine root properties. Absorptive fine root orders reacted plastic under interspecific competition while traits of higher root orders remained unchanged. In mixture, larch roots possessed a greater plasticity in traits related to resource uptake (efficiency) than walnut roots whose reaction norm is suggested to be predominantly based on interference competition via juglone exudation.
The pial vasculature of the mouse develops according to a sensory-independent program
Authors: Adams Matthew D. , Winder Aaron T. , Blinder Pablo , Drew Patrick J. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe cerebral vasculature is organized to supply the brain’s metabolic needs. Sensory deprivation during the early postnatal period causes altered neural activity and lower metabolic demand. Neural activity is instructional for some aspects of vascular development, and deprivation causes changes in capillary density in the deprived brain region. However, it is not known if the pial arteriole network, which contains many leptomeningeal anastomoses (LMAs) that endow the network with redundancy against occlusions, is also affected by sensory deprivation. We quantified the effects of early-life sensory deprivation via whisker plucking on the densities of LMAs and penetrating arterioles (PAs) in anatomically-identified primary sensory regions (vibrissae cortex, forelimb/hindlimb cortex, visual cortex and auditory cortex) in mice. We found that the densities of penetrating arterioles were the same across cortical regions, though the hindlimb representation had a higher density of LMAs than other sensory regions. We found that the densities of PAs and LMAs, as well as quantitative measures of network topology, were not affected by sensory deprivation. Our results show that the postnatal development of the pial arterial network is robust to sensory deprivation.
A Donor Quality Index for liver transplantation: development, internal and external validation
Authors: Winter Audrey , Féray Cyrille , Audureau Etienne , Azoulay Daniel , Antoine Corinne , Daurès Jean-Pierre , Landais Paul 
Published: June 2018

AbstractOrgan shortage leads to using non-optimal liver grafts. Thus, to determine the graft quality, the Donor Risk Index and the Eurotransplant Donor Risk Index have been proposed. In a previous study we showed that neither could be validated on the French database. Our aim was then dedicated to propose an adaptive Donor Quality Index (DQI) using data from 3961 liver transplantation (LT) performed in France between 2009 and 2013, with an external validation based on 1048 French LT performed in 2014. Using Cox models and three different methods of selection, we developed a new score and defined groups at risk. Model performance was assessed by means of three measures of discrimination corrected by the optimism using a bootstrap procedure. An external validation was also performed in order to evaluate its calibration and discrimination. Five donor covariates were retained: age, cause of death, intensive care unit stay, lowest MDRD creatinine clearance, and liver type. Three groups at risk could be discriminated. The performances of the model were satisfactory after internal validation. Calibration and discrimination were preserved in the external validation dataset. The DQI exhibited good properties and is potentially adaptive as an aid for better guiding decision making for LT.
Motion-induced position shift in early Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ye Fei , Ye Maobin , An Jun , Wang Dong , Wang Qin , Chen Yanlin , Peng Xiapei 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe localization of object position in space is one of the most important visual abilities in humans. Motion-induced position shift is a perceptual illusion in which the position of a moving object is perceived to be shifted in the direction of motion. In this study, we wanted to explore whether and how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects this illusion. We recruited a group of patients with early AD and a group of age-matched healthy controls. In our experiments, two drifting Gabor patches moving in opposite directions were presented and participants were asked to report whether the upper Gabor appeared rightwards or leftwards of the lower one. We measured the psychometric functions, of which the point of subjective alignment was taken as the magnitude of motion-induced position shift. We compared the position shift across the two groups at three different retinal eccentricities. We found that position shifts were systematically smaller in the AD group as comparing to the elderly control group. Our data demonstrated that AD patients were less prone to motion-induced position shift. The results add to the existing knowledge of perceptual deficits in AD patients. We suggest that motion induced position shift may be effective as a new behavioral indicator for AD identification.
Semi-metals as potential thermoelectric materials
Authors: Markov Maxime , Hu Xixiao , Liu Han-Chun , Liu Naiming , Poon S. Joseph , Esfarjani Keivan , Zebarjadi Mona 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe best thermoelectric materials are believed to be heavily doped semiconductors. The presence of a band gap is assumed to be essential to achieve large thermoelectric power factor and figure of merit. In this work, we propose semi-metals with large asymmetry between conduction and valence bands as an alternative class of thermoelectric materials. To illustrate the idea, we study semi-metallic HgTe in details experimentally and theoretically. We employ ab initio calculations with hybrid exchange-correlation functional to accurately describe the electronic band structure in conjunction with the Boltzmann Transport theory to investigate the electronic transport properties. We calculate the lattice thermal conductivity using first principles calculations and evaluate the overall figure of merit. To validate our theoretical approach, we prepare semi-metallic HgTe samples and characterize their transport properties. Our first-principles calculations agree well with the experimental data. We show that intrinsic HgTe, a semimetal with large disparity in its electron and hole masses, has a high thermoelectric power factor that is comparable to the best known thermoelectric materials. Finally, we propose other possible materials with similar band structures as potential candidates for thermoelectric applications.
Potential Application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhizobium Immobilized in Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes to Adsorb Hexavalent Chromium
Authors: Sathvika T. , Soni Amitesh , Sharma Kriti , Praneeth Malipeddi , Mudaliyar Manasi , Rajesh Vidya , Rajesh N. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe presence of harmful contaminants in the waste stream is an important concern worldwide. The convergence of biotechnology and nanoscience offers a sustainable alternative in treating contaminated waters. Hexavalent chromium, being carcinogenic deserves effective and sustainable methods for sequestration. Here in, we report the immobilization of a prokaryote (Rhizobium) and eukaryote (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for the effective adsorption of hexavalent chromium. The carboxylic groups were introduced into the MWCNTs during oxidation using potassium permanganate and were subjected to EDC-HOBT coupling to bind with microbial cell surface. FTIR, TGA, BET, FESEM-EDAX, HRTEM, XPS and confocal microscopy were the investigative techniques used to characterize the developed biosorbents. Experimental variables such as pH, adsorbent dosage, kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics were investigated and it was observed that the system follows pseudo second order kinetics with a best fit for Langmuir isotherm. Electrostatic interactions between the functional groups in the microbial cell wall and hydrochromate anion at pH 2.0 propel the adsorption mechanism. The lab scale column studies were performed with higher volumes of the Cr(VI) contaminated water. Sodium hydroxide was used as the desorbing agent for reuse of the biosorbents. The sustainable biosorbents show prospects to treat chromium contaminated water.
Ultra-broadband and compact graphene-on-silicon integrated waveguide mode filters
Authors: Xing Peng , Ooi Kelvin J. A. , Tan Dawn T. H. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIncreasing bandwidth demands in optical communications necessitates the introduction of mode-division multiplexing (MDM) on top of the existing wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) systems. Simultaneous management of both multiplexing systems will be a complex task, and there is the possibility of signal degradation through modal crosstalk. Here, we propose graphene-on-silicon (GOS) integrated waveguide mode filters to suppress the propagation of spurious waveguide modes at the telecommunications wavelength. Graphene’s high fabrication tolerance potentially enables surgical tailoring and deployment at targeted segments on the waveguide to absorb the undesired TE0 or TE1 modes. The proposed GOS waveguide mode filters can potentially improve the performance and reduce the device footprint of MDM systems.
Photophysical properties of cationic dyes captured in the mesoscale channels of micron-sized metal-organic framework crystals
Authors: Choi In-Hwan , Bin Yoon Suk , Huh Seong , Kim Sung-Jin , Kim Youngmee 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe optical properties of dye molecules in confined spaces can differ from the solution phase due to confinement effects. Pre-organized mesoscale channels of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are very suited for hosting various dyes, and the robust frameworks often render the encapsulated dyes with certain preferential geometries, which are different from those found in solution. Furthermore, pre-organized open channels can efficiently guide the uniform and unique spatial distribution of dye molecules in a controlled manner, which are otherwise difficult to achieve. Thus, sufficiently large dye molecules can avoid the formation of complex aggregates when captured inside open channels. In contrast, small dye molecules can form well-defined dimers or aggregates. The resulting dye-encapsulated MOFs can display unusual photophysical properties of the captured dyes. An anionic framework of In-BTB with mesoscale 3D channels is utilized for the efficient encapsulation of various cationic dyes through cation-exchange processes. Six different cationic dyes are encapsulated in the anionic framework of In-BTB, and their crystal structures are completely solved. Novel photophysical properties of these spatially distributed dye molecules in dye@In-BTBs are investigated.
Protein Secondary Structure Prediction Based on Data Partition and Semi-Random Subspace Method
Authors: Ma Yuming , Liu Yihui , Cheng Jinyong 
Published: June 2018

AbstractProtein secondary structure prediction is one of the most important and challenging problems in bioinformatics. Machine learning techniques have been applied to solve the problem and have gained substantial success in this research area. However there is still room for improvement toward the theoretical limit. In this paper, we present a novel method for protein secondary structure prediction based on a data partition and semi-random subspace method (PSRSM). Data partitioning is an important strategy for our method. First, the protein training dataset was partitioned into several subsets based on the length of the protein sequence. Then we trained base classifiers on the subspace data generated by the semi-random subspace method, and combined base classifiers by majority vote rule into ensemble classifiers on each subset. Multiple classifiers were trained on different subsets. These different classifiers were used to predict the secondary structures of different proteins according to the protein sequence length. Experiments are performed on 25PDB, CB513, CASP10, CASP11, CASP12, and T100 datasets, and the good performance of 86.38%, 84.53%, 85.51%, 85.89%, 85.55%, and 85.09% is achieved respectively. Experimental results showed that our method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods.
mPEG-PLA and PLA-PEG-PLA nanoparticles as new carriers for delivery of recombinant human Growth Hormone (rhGH)
Authors: Ghasemi Rohollah , Abdollahi Mahdi , Emamgholi Zadeh Elaheh , Khodabakhshi Khosrow , Badeli Ali , Bagheri Hamed , Hosseinkhani Saman 
Published: June 2018

AbstractmPEG-PLA and PLA-PEG-PLA copolymeric nanoparticles with three different PLA to PEG ratios are synthesized and used for encapsulation of recombinant human Growth hormone (rhGH). The structure and composition of the synthesized copolymers were analyzed by 1H NMR and GPC techniques. Moreover, morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE), cytotoxicity, release profile and stability of the encapsulated rhGH were measured. Structural analysis of the prepared copolymers showed that they were successfully synthesized with approximately expected molecular weight and relatively low size distribution. It was also revealed that by increasing amounts of PLA/PEG ratio, EE content and size of nanoparticles were increased. Release profile evaluation of rhGH from both formulations indicated that copolymeric nanoparticles of Di-B2 and Tri-B2 exhibited the best results among the synthesized nanospheres, by having initial burst release of 17.5% and 28% and then slow and constant release of rhGH up to 65% and 77% of the encapsulated drug, respectively. Furthermore, results of HPLC, SDS-PAGE and CD analyses showed stability of rhGH during encapsulation and release from nanoparticles. Finally, the results showed that these two formulations provided safe and efficient sustained release of rhGH for more than a month and they have the potential to do further studies under in vivo conditions.
Hypothesis on monochromatic vision in scorpionflies questioned by new transcriptomic data
Authors: Böhm Alexander , Meusemann Karen , Misof Bernhard , Pass Günther 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn the scorpionfly Panorpa, a recent study suggested monochromatic vision due to evidence of only a single opsin found in transcriptome data. To reconsider this hypothesis, the present study investigates opsin expression using transcriptome data of 21 species including representatives of all major lineages of scorpionflies (Mecoptera) and of three families of their closest relatives, the fleas (Siphonaptera). In most mecopteran species investigated, transcripts encode two opsins with predicted peak absorbances in the green, two in the blue, and one in the ultraviolet spectral region. Only in groups with reduced or absent ocelli, like Caurinus and Apteropanorpa, less than four visual opsin messenger RNAs have been identified. In addition, we found a Rh7-like opsin in transcriptome data derived from larvae of the mecopteran Nannochorista, and in two flea species. Peropsin expression was observed in two mecopterans. In light of these new data, we question the hypothesis on monochromatic vision in the genus Panorpa. In a broader phylogenetic perspective, it is suggested that the common ancestor of the monophyletic taxon Antliophora (Diptera, Mecoptera and Siphonaptera) possessed the full set of visual opsins, a Rh7-like opsin, and in addition a pteropsin as well as a peropsin. In the course of evolution individual opsins were likely lost in several lineages of this clade.