bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress improves coronary artery function in the spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Choi Soo-Kyoung , Lim Mihwa , Byeon Seon-Hee , Lee Young-Ho 
Published: August 2016

AbstractEndoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications. However, the role and mechanisms of ER stress in hypertension remain unclear. Thus, we hypothesized that enhanced ER stress contributes to the maintenance of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Sixteen-week old male SHRs and Wistar Kyoto Rats (WKYs) were used in this study. The SHRs were treated with ER stress inhibitor (Tauroursodeoxycholic acid; TUDCA, 100 mg/kg/day) for two weeks. There was a decrease in systolic blood pressure in SHR treated with TUDCA. The pressure-induced myogenic tone was significantly increased, whereas endothelium-dependent relaxation was significantly attenuated in SHR compared with WHY. Interestingly, treatment of ER stress inhibitor normalized myogenic responses and endothelium-dependent relaxation in SHR. These data were associated with an increase in expression or phosphorylation of ER stress markers (Bip, ATF6, CHOP, IRE1, XBP1, PERK, and eIF2α) in SHRs, which were reduced by TUDCA treatment. Furthermore, phosphorylation of MLC20was increased in SHRs, which was reduced by the treatment of TUDCA. Therefore, our results suggest that ER stress could be a potential target for hypertension.
Identification of a capsular variant and characterization of capsular acetylation in Klebsiella pneumoniae PLA-associated type K57
Authors: Hsu Chun-Ru , Liao Chun-Hsing , Lin Tzu-Lung , Yang Han-Ru , Yang Feng-Ling , Hsieh Pei-Fang , Wu Shih-Hsiung , Wang Jin-Town 
Published: August 2016

AbstractKlebsiella pneumoniae can cause community-acquired pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is important for its virulence. Among 79 capsular (K) types discovered thus far, K57 is often associated with PLA. Here, we report the identification of a K57 variant. Cps gene locus sequencing revealed differences between the K57 reference strain 4425/51 (Ref-K57) and a variant, the PLA isolate A1142. While Ref-K57 cps contained orf13 encoding a putative acetyltransferase, the insertion of a putative transposase-encoding gene at this position was detected in A1142. This variation was detected in other K57 clinical strains. Biochemical analyses indicated that A1142 was deficient in CPS acetylation. Genetic replacement and complementation verified that orf13 was responsible for CPS acetylation. Acetylation increased CPS immunoreactivity to antiserum and enhanced K. pneumoniae induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines through JNK and MAPK signaling. While acetylation diminished the serum resistance of bacteria, it promoted adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells possibly via increasing production of type I fimbriae. In conclusion, acetylation-mediated capsular variation in K57 was observed. Capsular acetylation contributed to the variety and antigenic diversity of CPS, influenced its biological activities and was involved in K. pneumoniae-host interactions. These findings have implications for vaccine design and pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae.
Enhanced angiogenesis, hypoxia and neutrophil recruitment during Myc-induced liver tumorigenesis in zebrafish
Authors: Zhao Ye , Huang Xiaoqian , Ding Tony Weixi , Gong Zhiyuan 
Published: August 2016

AbstractAngiogenesis, hypoxia and immune cells are important components in tumor microenvironment affecting tumor growth. Here we employed a zebrafish liver tumor model to investigate the effect of Myc expression on angiogenesis, hypoxia and tumor-infiltrated neutrophils during the tumor initiation stage. We found that induced Myc expression in the liver caused a dramatic increase of liver size with neoplastic features. The tumorigenic liver was accompanied by enhanced angiogenesis and inhibition of angiogenesis by an inhibitor (SU5416 or sunitinib) hindered the tumorigenic growth, suggesting an essential role of angiogenesis in tumorigenic growth of liver tumor in this zebrafish model. Myc induction also caused hypoxia, which could be further enhanced by hypoxia activator, ML228, to lead to a further enlargement of tumorigenic liver. Furthermore, Myc overexpression incurred an increase of liver-infiltrated neutrophils and the increase could be suppressed by angiogenesis inhibitors or by morpholino knockdown inhibition of neutrophil differentiation, leading to a suppression of growth of tumorigenic livers. Finally, the enhanced angiogenesis, hypoxia and tumor-infiltrated neutrophils by Myc overexpression were validated by RT-qPCR examination of expression of relevant biomarker genes. In sum, the current study demonstrated that the Myc-induced liver tumor model in zebrafish provides an excellent platform for study of tumor microenvironment.
Mapping of fiber quality QTLs reveals useful variation and footprints of cotton domestication using introgression lines
Authors: Zhang Shu-Wen , Zhu Xie-Fei , Feng Liu-Chun , Gao Xiang , Yang Biao , Zhang Tian-Zhen , Zhou Bao-Liang 
Published: August 2016

AbstractFiber quality improvement is a driving force for further cotton domestication and breeding. Here, QTLs for fiber quality were mapped in 115 introgression lines (ILs) first developed from two intraspecific populations of cultivated and feral cotton landraces. A total of 60 QTLs were found, which explained 2.03–16.85% of the phenotypic variance found in fiber quality traits. A total of 36 markers were associated with five fiber traits, 33 of which were found to be associated with QTLs in multiple environments. In addition, nine pairs of common QTLs were identified; namely, one pair of QTLs for fiber elongation, three pairs for fiber length, three pairs for fiber strength and two pairs for micronaire (qMICs). All common QTLs had additive effects in the same direction in both IL populations. We also found five QTL clusters, allowing cotton breeders to focus their efforts on regions of QTLs with the highest percentages of phenotypic variance. Our results also reveal footprints of domestication; for example, fourteen QTLs with positive effects were found to have remained in modern cultivars during domestication, and two negative qMICs that had never been reported before were found, suggesting that the qMICs regions may be eliminated during artificial selection.
Sleep Duration and the Risk of Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Shen Na , Wang Peng , Yan Weiming 
Published: August 2016

AbstractRecent studies have reported inconsistent results on the association between sleep duration and the risk of fatty liver disease (FLD). Thus, we quantitatively evaluated this association by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis, based on a comprehensive electronic search in databases of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Wanfangdata and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (updated to April 2016). Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were extracted and pooled by using a random-effects model. Eight eligible studies involving 97,371 participants were included. We found that neither short nor long sleep duration was significantly related with FLD risk. For short sleep duration, the pooled OR was 1.17 (95% CI = 0.98–1.38) and for long sleep duration, the pooled OR was 1.01 (95% CI = 0.72–1.41). Subgroup analyses by sex, outcome and exposure reference also did not identify any effect of sleep duration on FLD onset. In summary, our findings suggested that short or long sleep duration was not significantly associated with FLD risk. Further cohort studies with refined designs are still warranted to validate our results.
Cognitive deficits caused by a disease-mutation in the α3 Na+/K+-ATPase isoform
Authors: Holm Thomas Hellesøe , Isaksen Toke Jost , Glerup Simon , Heuck Anders , Bøttger Pernille , Füchtbauer Ernst-Martin , Nedergaard Steen , Nyengaard Jens Randel , Andreasen Mogens , Nissen Poul , Lykke-Hartmann Karin 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe Na+/K+-ATPases maintain Na+ and K+ electrochemical gradients across the plasma membrane, a prerequisite for electrical excitability and secondary transport in neurons. Autosomal dominant mutations in the human ATP1A3 gene encoding the neuron-specific Na+/K+-ATPase α3 isoform cause different neurological diseases, including rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism (RDP) and alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) with overlapping symptoms, including hemiplegia, dystonia, ataxia, hyperactivity, epileptic seizures and cognitive deficits. Position D801 in the α3 isoform is a mutational hotspot, with the D801N, D801E and D801V mutations causing AHC and the D801Y mutation causing RDP or mild AHC. Despite intensive research, mechanisms underlying these disorders remain largely unknown. To study the genotype-to-phenotype relationship, a heterozygous knock-in mouse harboring the D801Y mutation (α3+/D801Y) was generated. The α3+/D801Y mice displayed hyperactivity, increased sensitivity to chemically induced epileptic seizures and cognitive deficits. Interestingly, no change in the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons in the α3+/D801Y mice was observed. The cognitive deficits were rescued by administration of the benzodiazepine, clonazepam, a GABA positive allosteric modulator. Our findings reveal the functional significance of the Na+/K+-ATPase α3 isoform in the control of spatial learning and memory and suggest a link to GABA transmission.
Altered Fecal Microbiota Correlates with Liver Biochemistry in Nonobese Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Wang Baohong , Jiang Xiangyang , Cao Min , Ge Jianping , Bao Qiongling , Tang Lingling , Chen Yu , Li Lanjuan 
Published: August 2016

AbstractIncreasing evidence suggests a role of intestinal dysbiosis in obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). But it remains unknown in nonobese NAFLD. This prospective, cross-sectional study sought to characterize differences in fecal microbiota between nonobese adult individuals with and without NAFLD and their potential association with metabolic markers of disease progression. A total of 126 nonobese subjects were enrolled: 43 NAFLD and 83 healthy controls (HC). The microbial community was profiled by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and examined by 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA V3 region. Lower diversity and a phylum-level change in the fecal microbiome were found in NAFLD. Compared with HC, patients had 20% more phylum Bacteroidetes (p = 0.005) and 24% less Firmicutes (p = 0.002). Within Firmicutes, four families and their 8 genera, which were short-chain fatty acids-producing and 7α-dehydroxylating bacteria, were significantly decreased. Moreover, Gram-negative (G−) bacteria were prevalent in NAFLD (p = 0.008). Furthermore, a significant correlation with metabolic markers was revealed for disturbed microbiota in NAFLD. This novel study indicated that intestinal dysbiosis was associated with nonobese NAFLD and might increase the risk of NAFLD progression.
Role of vocal tract characteristics in individual discrimination by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Authors: Furuyama Takafumi , Kobayasi Kohta I. , Riquimaroux Hiroshi 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) exhibits a species-specific communication sound called the “coo call” to locate group members and maintain within-group contact. Monkeys have been demonstrated to be capable of discriminating between individuals based only on their voices, but there is still debate regarding how the fundamental frequencies (F0) and filter properties of the vocal tract characteristics (VTC) contribute to individual discrimination in nonhuman primates. This study was performed to investigate the acoustic keys used by Japanese macaques in individual discrimination. Two animals were trained with standard Go/NoGo operant conditioning to distinguish the coo calls of two unfamiliar monkeys. The subjects were required to continue depressing a lever until the stimulus changed from one monkey to the other. The test stimuli were synthesized by combining the F0s and VTC from each individual. Both subjects released the lever when the VTC changed, whereas they did not when the F0 changed. The reaction times to the test stimuli were not significantly different from that to the training stimuli that shared the same VTC. Our data suggest that vocal tract characteristics are important for the identification of individuals by Japanese macaques.
Oxytocin efficacy is modulated by dosage and oxytocin receptor genotype in young adults with high-functioning autism: a 24-week randomized clinical trial
Authors: Kosaka H , Okamoto Y , Munesue T , Yamasue H , Inohara K , Fujioka T , Anme T , Orisaka M , Ishitobi M , Jung M , Fujisawa T X , Tanaka S , Arai S , Asano M , Saito D N , Sadato N , Tomoda A , Omori M , Sato M , Okazawa H , Higashida H , Wada Y 
Published: August 2016

AbstractRecent studies have suggested that long-term oxytocin administration can alleviate the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, factors influencing its efficacy are still unclear. We conducted a single-center phase 2, pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, clinical trial in young adults with high-functioning ASD, to determine whether oxytocin dosage and genetic background of the oxytocin receptor affects oxytocin efficacy. This trial consisted of double-blind (12 weeks), open-label (12 weeks) and follow-up phases (8 weeks). To examine dose dependency, 60 participants were randomly assigned to high-dose (32 IU per day) or low-dose intranasal oxytocin (16 IU per day), or placebo groups during the double-blind phase. Next, we measured single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). In the intention-to-treat population, no outcomes were improved after oxytocin administration. However, in male participants, Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scores in the high-dose group, but not the low-dose group, were significantly higher than in the placebo group. Furthermore, we examined whether oxytocin efficacy, reflected in the CGI-I scores, is influenced by estimated daily dosage and OXTR polymorphisms in male participants. We found that >21 IU per day oxytocin was more effective than ⩽21 IU per day, and that a SNP in OXTR (rs6791619) predicted CGI-I scores for ⩽21 IU per day oxytocin treatment. No severe adverse events occurred. These results suggest that efficacy of long-term oxytocin administration in young men with high-functioning ASD depends on the oxytocin dosage and genetic background of the oxytocin receptor, which contributes to the effectiveness of oxytocin treatment of ASD.
Loss of promoter IV-driven BDNF expression impacts oscillatory activity during sleep, sensory information processing and fear regulation
Authors: Hill J L , Hardy N F , Jimenez D V , Maynard K R , Kardian A S , Pollock C J , Schloesser R J , Martinowich K 
Published: August 2016

AbstractPosttraumatic stress disorder is characterized by hyperarousal, sensory processing impairments, sleep disturbances and altered fear regulation; phenotypes associated with changes in brain oscillatory activity. Molecules associated with activity-dependent plasticity, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), may regulate neural oscillations by controlling synaptic activity. BDNF synthesis includes production of multiple Bdnf transcripts, which contain distinct 5′ noncoding exons. We assessed arousal, sensory processing, fear regulation and sleep in animals where BDNF expression from activity-dependent promoter IV is disrupted (Bdnf-e4 mice). Bdnf-e4 mice display sensory hyper-reactivity and impaired electrophysiological correlates of sensory information processing as measured by event-related potentials (ERP). Utilizing electroencephalogram, we identified a decrease in slow-wave activity during non-rapid eye movement sleep, suggesting impaired sleep homeostasis. Fear extinction is controlled by hippocampal–prefrontal cortical BDNF signaling, and neurophysiological communication patterns between the hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) correlate with behavioral performance during extinction. Impaired fear extinction in Bdnf-e4 mice is accompanied by increased HPC activation and decreased HPC–mPFC theta phase synchrony during early extinction, as well as increased mPFC activation during extinction recall. These results suggest that activity-dependent BDNF signaling is critical for regulating oscillatory activity, which may contribute to altered behavior.
Glufosinate aerogenic exposure induces glutamate and IL-1 receptor dependent lung inflammation
Authors: Maillet Isabelle , Perche Olivier , Pâris Arnaud , Richard Olivier , Gombault Aurélie , Herzine Ameziane , Pichon Jacques , Huaux Francois , Mortaud Stéphane , Ryffel Bernhard , Quesniaux Valérie F.J. , Montécot-Dubourg Céline 
Published: August 2016

Glufosinate-ammonium (GLA), the active component of an herbicide, is known to cause neurotoxicity. GLA shares structural analogy with glutamate. It is a powerful inhibitor of glutamine synthetase (GS) and may bind to glutamate receptors. Since these potentials targets of GLA are present in lung and immune cells, we asked whether airway exposure to GLA may cause lung inflammation in mice. A single GLA exposure (1 mg/kg) induced seizures and inflammatory cell recruitment in the broncho-alveolar space, and increased myeloperoxidase (MPO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), interstitial inflammation and disruption of alveolar septae within 6–24 h. Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) was increased and lung inflammation depended on IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1). We demonstrate that glutamate receptor pathway is central, since the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibitor MK-801 prevented GLA-induced lung inflammation. Chronic exposure (0.2 mg/kg 3× per week for 4 weeks) caused moderate lung inflammation and enhanced airway hyperreactivity with significant increased airway resistance. In conclusion, GLA aerosol exposure causes glutamate signalling and IL-1R-dependent pulmonary inflammation with airway hyperreactivity in mice.
Design of a wireless charging system with a phase‐controlled inverter under varying parameters
Authors: Deng Qijun , Liu Jiangtao , Czarkowski Dariusz , Bojarski Mariusz , Asa Erdem , de Leon Francisco 
Published: August 2016

Class‐D full bridge is the most common inverter topology at the primary side for wireless electric vehicles (EVs) charging systems. This study takes a novel topology of a phase‐controlled inverter as the power amplifier and puts it in a context of the whole charging system. The proposed inverter topology regulates the charging power through adjusting the phase‐shift angle among phases with a constant operating frequency, which alleviates the EMI filter design. For various wireless EVs chargers, the gaps between the primary side and the secondary side are changing, which results in various coupling factors k. The equivalent resistance of the EVs battery Rbattery is also changing during the charging process. Even resonant frequencies at two sides are variable because of the components tolerances and operating environments. This study presents design considerations of a wireless EVs charging system with the proposed technology under variable k, Rbattery, and resonant frequencies. Circuit parameters are designed and the system efficiency is derived. Industrial prototype of an EV charging system is manufactured with the proposed topology at 3.0 kW. Experiments show that these design considerations can reflect the system characteristics, and the proposed system is a good candidate to be used in wireless EV battery chargers.
Nested three‐layer optimisation method for magnetic coils used in 3 kW vehicle‐mounted wireless power transfer system
Authors: Wang Zhenshi , Wei Xuezhe , Dai Haifeng 
Published: August 2016

Wireless power transfer is becoming more and more popular, especially for the charging design of electric vehicles. In this study, a novel nested three‐layer optimisation method based on finite element model (FEM) is proposed to determine the structure of magnetic coils, which can increase the coupling coefficient, and hence, improve the transfer efficiency. The boundary conditions which consider practical situations for electric vehicles are first elaborated, then the optimisation flow is detailed and further analysed. Two magnetic coils are fabricated based on the optimised structure parameters, and their electric parameters, including self‐inductances, mutual inductances as well as parasitic resistances, are measured and compared with those extracted from FEM, in addition, the magnetic flux densities around magnetic coils are also analysed. At last, a 3 kW prototype with 95% efficiency over a 20 cm transfer distance is achieved to validate this research results.
Optimising a nantenna array at 1550 nm band
Authors: Sethi Waleed Tariq , Vettikalladi Hamsakutty , Fathallah Habib , Himdi Mohamed 
Published: August 2016

The theoretical analysis and simulated design of a plasmonic equilateral triangular dielectric resonator nantenna fed via a 1 × 2 corporate feed network are presented. Utilising full wave electromagnetic simulation software Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio (MWS) and verifying results via high‐frequency structure simulator, the working of the proposed nantenna at optical C‐band (1.55 μm) is demonstrated and confirmed. Numerical results prove that the proposed nantenna exhibits a directivity of 9.57 dB with an impedance bandwidth of 2.58% (189–194 THz) covering the standard optical C‐band transmission window. Furthermore, by selecting the appropriate orientation of the triangular dielectric resonators, the proposed nantenna structure can be tuned to operate at the higher or lower optical bands offering a threshold value of directivity and bandwidth Δf. By tuning the nantenna they achieve an increase in bandwidth of 4.96% (185.1–194.7 THz) and directivity also improves to 9.7 dB. The wideband and directive properties make the proposed nantenna attractive for a wide range of applications including broadband nanophotonics, optical sensing, optical imaging and energy harvesting applications.
Altmetrics: diversifying the understanding of influential scholarship
Authors: Konkiel Stacy 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe increase in the availability of data about how research is discussed, used, rated, recommend, saved and read online has allowed researchers to reconsider the mechanisms by which scholarship is evaluated. It is now possible to better track the influence of research beyond academia, though the measures by which we can do so are not yet mature enough to stand on their own. In this article, we examine a new class of data (commonly called “altmetrics”) and describe its benefits, limitations and recommendations for its use and interpretation in the context of research assessment. This article is published as part of a collection on the future of research assessment.