bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pilot Study to Examine the Clinical Utility of Biofeedback in Solid Organ Transplant
Authors: McKenna Kristine , Goodrich Lara , Forbes Peter W. , Ibeziako Patricia 
Published: July 2018

Biofeedback-assisted relaxation training (BART) is a useful therapeutic tool for treating pain and anxiety, 2 common issues for patients waiting for and recovering from transplant. Most applications occur in outpatient settings and current research exploring this intervention with transplant patients is limited. The impact of BART on patient-reported mood and pain during hospitalizations is explored. Forty patients referred to transplant psychology for assistance in managing pain and/or anxiety during medical admissions participated in BART. Patients ranged in age from 9 to 23 years ( M = 15.5, SD = 3.7) and completed an average of 2.1 sessions per admission (range: 1–6). BART was utilized by 20 patients prior to transplant, 24 patients posttransplant, and 4 patients both before and after transplant. Mood improvements were reported after BART, regardless of pain level (pre: M = 6.05, SD = 2.28, post: M = 7.45, SD = 1.92, p < .0001). Patients with self-reported pain at the start of the BART session endorsed lower pain at the end ( M = 5.1, SD = 2.1; M = 3.4, SD = 2.4, respectively; p < .001). Average heart coherence differed between organ groups (range of group means: 22.9–42.3, p = .003), with heart and lung transplant patients having lower levels than liver and renal transplant patients. BART may be particularly helpful for pain and anxiety management during admissions prior to solid organ transplant. Preliminary data suggest that BART may be differentially effective for solid organ groups. Practical considerations regarding the implementation of a technology-based psychological intervention across transplant populations also are discussed. Implications for Impact Statement This study suggests that biofeedback-assisted relaxation training may be a helpful intervention for management of anxiety and pain symptoms of solid organ transplant patients. It can be used as a brief treatment (2 sessions on average) during hospitalizations before or after transplant surgery.
Oxidation of KCNB1 channels in the human brain and in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Wei Yu , Shin Mi Ryung , Sesti Federico 
Published: July 2018

AbstractOxidative modification of the voltage-gated K+channel subfamily B member 1 (KCNB1, Kv2.1) is emerging as a mechanism of neuronal vulnerability potentially capable of affecting multiple conditions associated with oxidative stress, from normal aging to neurodegenerative disease. In this study we report that oxidation of KCNB1 channels is exacerbated in the post mortem brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) donors compared to age-matched controls. In addition, phosphorylation of Focal Adhesion kinases (FAK) and Src tyrosine kinases, two key signaling steps that follow KCNB1 oxidation, is also strengthened in AD vs. control brains. Quadruple transgenic mice expressing a non-oxidizable form of KCNB1 in the 3xTg-AD background (APPSWE, PS1M146V, and tauP301L), exhibit improved working memory along with reduced brain inflammation, protein carbonylation and intraneuronal β-amyloid (Aβ) compared to 3xTg-AD mice or mice expressing the wild type (WT) KCNB1 channel. We conclude that oxidation of KCNB1 channels is a mechanism of neuronal vulnerability that is pervasive in the vertebrate brain.
Distinct multiple fermionic states in a single topological metal
Authors: Hosen M. Mofazzel , Dimitri Klauss , Nandy Ashis K. , Aperis Alex , Sankar Raman , Dhakal Gyanendra , Maldonado Pablo , Kabir Firoza , Sims Christopher , Chou Fangcheng , Kaczorowski Dariusz , Durakiewicz Tomasz , Oppeneer Peter M. , Neupane Madhab 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAmong the quantum materials that have recently gained interest are the topological insulators, wherein symmetry-protected surface states cross in reciprocal space, and the Dirac nodal-line semimetals, where bulk bands touch along a line in k-space. However, the existence of multiple fermion phases in a single material has not been verified yet. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and first-principles electronic structure calculations, we systematically study the metallic material Hf2Te2P and discover properties, which are unique in a single topological quantum material. We experimentally observe weak topological insulator surface states and our calculations suggest additional strong topological insulator surface states. Our first-principles calculations reveal a one-dimensional Dirac crossing—the surface Dirac-node arc—along a high-symmetry direction which is confirmed by our ARPES measurements. This novel state originates from the surface bands of a weak topological insulator and is therefore distinct from the well-known Fermi arcs in semimetals.
SUMO-mediated regulation of NLRP3 modulates inflammasome activity
Authors: Barry Rachael , John Sidonie Wicky , Liccardi Gianmaria , Tenev Tencho , Jaco Isabel , Chen Chih-Hong , Choi Justin , Kasperkiewicz Paulina , Fernandes-Alnemri Teresa , Alnemri Emad , Drag Marcin , Chen Yuan , Meier Pascal 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe NLRP3 inflammasome responds to infection and tissue damage, and rapidly escalates the intensity of inflammation by activating interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18 and cell death by pyroptosis. How the NLRP3 inflammasome is negatively regulated is poorly understood. Here we show that NLRP3 inflammasome activation is suppressed by sumoylation. NLRP3 is sumoylated by the SUMO E3-ligase MAPL, and stimulation-dependent NLRP3 desumoylation by the SUMO-specific proteases SENP6 and SENP7 promotes NLRP3 activation. Defective NLRP3 sumoylation, either by NLRP3 mutation of SUMO acceptor lysines or depletion of MAPL, results in enhanced caspase-1 activation and IL-1β release. Conversely, depletion of SENP7 suppresses NLRP3-dependent ASC oligomerisation, caspase-1 activation and IL-1β release. These data indicate that sumoylation of NLRP3 restrains inflammasome activation, and identify SUMO proteases as potential drug targets for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
99TcO4− remediation by a cationic polymeric network
Authors: Li Jie , Dai Xing , Zhu Lin , Xu Chao , Zhang Duo , Silver Mark A. , Li Peng , Chen Lanhua , Li Yongzhong , Zuo Douwen , Zhang Hui , Xiao Chengliang , Chen Jing , Diwu Juan , Farha Omar K. , Albrecht-Schmitt Thomas E. , Chai Zhifang , Wang Shuao 
Published: July 2018

AbstractDirect removal of 99TcO4− from the highly acidic solution of used nuclear fuel is highly beneficial for the recovery of uranium and plutonium and more importantly aids in the elimination of 99Tc discharge into the environment. However, this task represents a huge challenge given the combined extreme conditions of super acidity, high ionic strength, and strong radiation field. Here we overcome this challenge using a cationic polymeric network with significant TcO4− uptake capabilities in four aspects: the fastest sorption kinetics, the highest sorption capacity, the most promising uptake performance from highly acidic solutions, and excellent radiation-resistance and hydrolytic stability among all anion sorbent materials reported. In addition, this material is fully recyclable for multiple sorption/desorption trials, making it extremely attractive for waste partitioning and emergency remediation. The excellent TcO4− uptake capability is elucidated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, solid-state NMR measurement, and density functional theory analysis on anion coordination and bonding.
Optimal control theory enables homonuclear decoupling without Bloch–Siegert shifts in NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Coote Paul W. , Robson Scott A. , Dubey Abhinav , Boeszoermenyi Andras , Zhao Mengxia , Wagner Gerhard , Arthanari Haribabu 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe Bloch–Siegert shift is a phenomenon in NMR spectroscopy and atomic physics in which the observed resonance frequency is changed by the presence of an off-resonance applied field. In NMR, it occurs especially in the context of homonuclear decoupling. Here we develop a practical method for homonuclear decoupling that avoids inducing Bloch–Siegert shifts. This approach enables accurate observation of the resonance frequencies of decoupled nuclear spins. We apply this method to increase the resolution of the HNCA experiment. We also observe a doubling in sensitivity for a 30 kDa protein. We demonstrate the use of band-selective Cβ decoupling to produce amino acid-specific line shapes, which are valuable for assigning resonances to the protein sequence. Finally, we assign the backbone of a 30 kDa protein, Human Carbonic Anhydrase II, using only HNCA experiments acquired with band-selective decoupling schemes, and instrument time of one week.
A mapping framework of competition–cooperation QTLs that drive community dynamics
Authors: Jiang Libo , He Xiaoqing , Jin Yi , Ye Meixia , Sang Mengmeng , Chen Nan , Zhu Jing , Zhang Zuoran , Li Jinting , Wu Rongling 
Published: July 2018

AbstractGenes have been thought to affect community ecology and evolution, but their identification at the whole-genome level is challenging. Here, we develop a conceptual framework for the genome-wide mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that govern interspecific competition and cooperation. This framework integrates the community ecology theory into systems mapping, a statistical model for mapping complex traits as a dynamic system. It can characterize not only how QTLs of one species affect its own phenotype directly, but also how QTLs from this species affect the phenotype of its interacting species indirectly and how QTLs from different species interact epistatically to shape community behavior. We validated the utility of the new mapping framework experimentally by culturing and comparing two bacterial species, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, in socialized and socially isolated environments, identifying several QTLs from each species that may act as key drivers of microbial community structure and function.
Clade diversification dynamics and the biotic and abiotic controls of speciation and extinction rates
Authors: Aguilée Robin , Gascuel Fanny , Lambert Amaury , Ferriere Regis 
Published: July 2018

AbstractHow ecological interactions, genetic processes, and environmental variability jointly shape the evolution of species diversity remains a challenging problem in biology. We developed an individual-based model of clade diversification to predict macroevolutionary dynamics when resource competition, genetic differentiation, and landscape fluctuations interact. Diversification begins with a phase of geographic adaptive radiation. Extinction rates rise sharply at the onset of the next phase. In this phase of niche self-structuring, speciation and extinction processes, albeit driven by biotic mechanisms (competition and hybridization), have essentially constant rates, determined primarily by the abiotic pace of landscape dynamics. The final phase of diversification begins when intense competition prevents dispersing individuals from establishing new populations. Species’ ranges shrink, causing negative diversity-dependence of speciation rates. These results show how ecological and microevolutionary processes shape macroevolutionary dynamics and rates; they caution against the notion of ecological limits to diversity, and suggest new directions for the phylogenetic analysis of diversification.
Targeted delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein into arthropod ovaries for heritable germline gene editing
Authors: Chaverra-Rodriguez Duverney , Macias Vanessa M. , Hughes Grant L. , Pujhari Sujit , Suzuki Yasutsugu , Peterson David R. , Kim Donghun , McKeand Sage , Rasgon Jason L. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractCas9-mediated gene editing is a powerful tool for addressing research questions in arthropods. Current approaches rely upon delivering Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex by embryonic microinjection, which is challenging, is limited to a small number of species, and is inefficient even in optimized taxa. Here we develop a technology termed Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo (ReMOT Control) to deliver Cas9 RNP to the arthropod germline by injection into adult female mosquitoes. We identify a peptide (P2C) that mediates transduction of Cas9 RNP from the female hemolymph to the developing mosquito oocytes, resulting in heritable gene editing of the offspring with efficiency as high as 0.3 mutants per injected mosquito. We demonstrate that P2C functions in six mosquito species. Identification of taxa-specific ovary-specific ligand–receptor pairs may further extend the use of ReMOT Control for gene editing in novel species.
Unravelling the age of fine roots of temperate and boreal forests
Authors: Solly Emily F. , Brunner Ivano , Helmisaari Heljä-Sisko , Herzog Claude , Leppälammi-Kujansuu Jaana , Schöning Ingo , Schrumpf Marion , Schweingruber Fritz H. , Trumbore Susan E. , Hagedorn Frank 
Published: July 2018

AbstractFine roots support the water and nutrient demands of plants and supply carbon to soils. Quantifying turnover times of fine roots is crucial for modeling soil organic matter dynamics and constraining carbon cycle–climate feedbacks. Here we challenge widely used isotope-based estimates suggesting the turnover of fine roots of trees to be as slow as a decade. By recording annual growth rings of roots from woody plant species, we show that mean chronological ages of fine roots vary from <1 to 12 years in temperate, boreal and sub-arctic forests. Radiocarbon dating reveals the same roots to be constructed from 10 ± 1 year (mean ± 1 SE) older carbon. This dramatic difference provides evidence for a time lag between plant carbon assimilation and production of fine roots, most likely due to internal carbon storage. The high root turnover documented here implies greater carbon inputs into soils than previously thought which has wide-ranging implications for quantifying ecosystem carbon allocation.
Simulating para-Fermi oscillators
Authors: Huerta Alderete C. , Rodríguez-Lara B. M. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractQuantum mechanics allows for a consistent formulation of particles that are neither bosons nor fermions. These para-particles are rather indiscernible in nature. Recently, we showed that strong coupling between a qubit and two field modes is required to simulate even order para-Bose oscillators. Here, we show that finite-dimensional representations of even order para-Fermi oscillators are feasible of quantum simulation under weak coupling. This opens the door to their potential implementation in different contemporaneous quantum electrodynamics platforms. We emphasize the intrinsic value of para-particles for the quantum state engineering of bichromatic field modes. In particular, we demonstrate that binomial two field mode states result from the evolution of para-Fermi vacuum states in the quantum simulation of these oscillators.
Venom Complexity in a Pitviper Produced by Facultative Parthenogenesis
Authors: Calvete J. J. , Casewell N. R. , Hernández-Guzmán U. , Quesada-Bernat S. , Sanz L. , Rokyta D. R. , Storey D. , Albulescu L.-O. , Wüster W. , Smith C. F. , Schuett G. W. , Booth W. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractFacultative parthenogenesis (FP) is asexual reproduction in plant and animal species that would otherwise reproduce sexually. This process in vertebrates typically results from automictic development (likely terminal fusion) and is phylogenetically widespread. In squamate reptiles and chondrichthyan fishes, FP has been reported to occur in nature and can result in the production of reproductively viable offspring; suggesting that it is of ecological and evolutionary significance. However, terminal fusion automixis is believed to result in near genome-wide reductions in heterozygosity; thus, FP seems likely to affect key phenotypic characters, yet this remains almost completely unstudied. Snake venom is a complex phenotypic character primarily used to subjugate prey and is thus tightly linked to individual fitness. Surprisingly, the composition and function of venom produced by a parthenogenetic pitviper exhibits a high degree of similarity to that of its mother and conspecifics from the same population. Therefore, the apparent loss of allelic diversity caused by FP appears unlikely to have a significant impact on the prey-capturing ability of this snake. Accordingly, the pitviper offspring produced by FP retained complex phenotypic characteristics associated with fitness. This result reinforces the potential ecological and evolutionary importance of FP and questions our understanding of the inheritance of venom-associated genes.
A sarcopenia index based on serum creatinine and cystatin C cannot accurately detect either low muscle mass or sarcopenia in urban community-dwelling older people
Authors: He Qian , Jiang Jiaojiao , Xie Lingling , Zhang Luoying , Yang Ming 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of the sarcopenia index (serum creatinine [mg/dl]/cystatin C [mg/dl] × 100) for estimating low muscle mass and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. We included 371 older adults (≥60 years) with normal kidney function. Four common diagnostic criteria (the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS), International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS), and Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) criteria) were separately applied as the “gold standard”. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curves (AUC) were applied to evaluate the overall diagnostic accuracy. For identifying low muscle mass, the AUC ranged from 0.505 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.453–0.557) to 0.558 (95% CI 0.506–0.609). For identifying sarcopenia, the AUC ranged from 0.555 (95% CI 0.503–0.606) to 0.618 (95% CI 0.566–0.668). Subgroup analyses according to gender showed similar results. In conclusion, the sarcopenia index based on serum creatinine and cystatin C may not serve as biomarkers of either low muscle mass or sarcopenia in urban community-dwelling older people with normal kidney function.
Measurement of solid food intake in Drosophila via consumption-excretion of a dye tracer
Authors: Shell Brandon C. , Schmitt Rebecca E. , Lee Kristen M. , Johnson Jacob C. , Chung Brian Y. , Pletcher Scott D. , Grotewiel Mike 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAlthough the Drosophila melanogaster (fly) model is a popular platform for investigating diet-related phenomena, it can be challenging to measure the volume of agar-based food media flies consume. We addressed this challenge by developing a dye-based method called Consumption-Excretion (Con-Ex). In Con-Ex studies, flies consume solid food labeled with dye, and the volume of food consumed is reflected by the sum of the dye inside of and excreted by flies. Flies consumed-excreted measurable amounts of FD&C Blue No. 1 (Blue 1) and other dyes in Con-Ex studies, but only Blue 1 was readily detectable at concentrations that had no discernable effect on consumption-excretion. In studies with Blue 1, consumption-excretion (i) increased linearly with feeding duration out to 24 h at two different laboratory sites, (ii) was sensitive to starvation, mating status and strain, and (iii) changed in response to alteration of media composition as expected. Additionally, the volume of liquid Blue 1 consumed from capillary tubes was indistinguishable from the volume of Blue 1 excreted by flies, indicating that excreted Blue 1 reflects consumed Blue 1. Our results demonstrate that Con-Ex with Blue 1 as a food tracer is a useful method for assessing ingestion of agar-based food media in adult flies.
Investigation of magnetic droplet solitons using x-ray holography with extended references
Authors: Burgos-Parra E. , Bukin N. , Sani S. , Figueroa A. I. , Beutier G. , Dupraz M. , Chung S. , Dürrenfeld P. , Le Q. Tuan , Mohseni S. M. , Houshang A. , Cavill S. A. , Hicken R. J. , Åkerman J. , van der Laan G. , Ogrin F. Y. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractA dissipative magnetic soliton, or magnetic droplet, is a structure that has been predicted to exist within a thin magnetic layer when non-linearity is balanced by dispersion, and a driving force counteracts the inherent damping of the spin precession. Such a soliton can be formed beneath a nano-contact (NC) that delivers a large spin-polarized current density into a magnetic layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Although the existence of droplets has been confirmed from electrical measurements and by micromagnetic simulations, only a few attempts have been made to directly observe the magnetic landscape that sustains these structures, and then only for a restricted set of experimental parameter values. In this work we use and x-ray holography technique HERALDO, to image the magnetic structure of the [Co/Ni]x4 multilayer within a NC orthogonal pseudo spin-valve, for different range of magnetic fields and injected electric currents. The magnetic configuration imaged at −33 mA and 0.3 T for devices with 90 nm NC diameter reveals a structure that is within the range of current where the droplet soliton exist based on our electrical measurements and have it is consistent with the expected size of the droplet (∼100 nm diameter) and its spatial position within the sample. We also report the magnetisation configurations observed at lower DC currents in the presence of fields (0–50 mT), where it is expected to observe regimes of the unstable droplet formation.
FliS/flagellin/FliW heterotrimer couples type III secretion and flagellin homeostasis
Authors: Altegoer Florian , Mukherjee Sampriti , Steinchen Wieland , Bedrunka Patricia , Linne Uwe , Kearns Daniel B. , Bange Gert 
Published: July 2018

AbstractFlagellin is amongst the most abundant proteins in flagellated bacterial species and constitutes the major building block of the flagellar filament. The proteins FliW and FliS serve in the post-transcriptional control of flagellin and guide the protein to the flagellar type III secretion system (fT3SS), respectively. Here, we present the high-resolution structure of FliS/flagellin heterodimer and show that FliS and FliW bind to opposing interfaces located at the N- and C-termini of flagellin. The FliS/flagellin/FliW heterotrimer is able to interact with FlhA-C suggesting that FliW and FliS are released during flagellin export. After release, FliW and FliS are recycled to execute a new round of post-transcriptional regulation and targeting. Taken together, our study provides a mechanism explaining how FliW and FliS synchronize the production of flagellin with the capacity of the fT3SS to secrete flagellin.