bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sedative hypnotic use among veterans with a newly reported mental health disorder
Authors: DiNapoli Elizabeth A. , Bramoweth Adam D. , Cinna Christopher , Kasckow John 
Published: April 2016

ABSTRACTBackground:This study compared sedative hypnotic use by type of mental health diagnosis and determined factors associated with use among older veterans (65+ years) with a newly reported mental health disorder.Methods:This study used data from veterans who received primary care services at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2011 (n= 879).Results:Sedative hypnotics were commonly used in older veterans within 12-months following a newly reported mental health disorder (19.9%), particularly amongst those with insomnia (41.7%). The number of newly reported mental health disorders was a significant factor associated with sedative hypnotic use, with the odds of use increasing by more than 200% in older adults with two newly reported disorders compared to those with one newly reported mental health disorder.Conclusions:Continued efforts are needed to improve provider and patient awareness of the risks associated with sedative hypnotic use in older adults, as well as to increase access to and receipt of non-pharmacological mental health treatments for this vulnerable population.
Thermal decomposition rate of MgCO3as an inorganic astrobiological matrix in meteorites
Authors: Bisceglia E. , Longo G. Micca , Longo S. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractCarbonate minerals, likely of hydrothermal origins and included into orthopyroxenite, have been extensively studied in the ALH84001 meteorite. In this meteorite, nanocrystals comparable with those produced by magnetotactic bacteria have been found into a carbonate matrix. This leads naturally to a discussion of the role of such carbonates in panspermia theories. In this context, the present work sets the basis of a criterion to evaluate whether a carbonate matrix in a meteor entering a planetary atmosphere would be able to reach the surface. As a preliminary step, the composition of carbonate minerals in the ALH84001 meteorite is reviewed; in view of the predominance of Mg in these carbonates, pure magnesite (MgCO3) is proposed as a mineral model. This mineral is much more sensitive to high temperatures reached during an entry process, compared with silicates, due to facile decomposition into MgO and gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2). A most important quantity for further studies is therefore the decomposition rate expressed as CO2evaporation rateJ(molecules/m2s). An analytical expression forJ(T) is given using the Langmuir law, based on CO2pressure in equilibrium with MgCO3and MgO at the surface temperatureT. Results suggest that carbonate minerals rich in magnesium may offer much better thermal protection to embedded biological matter than silicates and significantly better than limestone, which was considered in previous studies, in view of the heat absorbed by their decomposition even at moderate temperatures. This first study can be extended in the future to account for more complex compositions, including Fe and Ca.
Wee1 inhibition potentiates Wip1-dependent p53-negative tumor cell death during chemotherapy
Authors: Clausse V , Goloudina A R , Uyanik B , Kochetkova E Y , Richaud S , Fedorova O A , Hammann A , Bardou M , Barlev N A , Garrido C , Demidov O N 
Published: April 2016

AbstractInactivation of p53 found in more than half of human cancers is often associated with increased tumor resistance to anti-cancer therapy. We have previously shown that overexpression of the phosphatase Wip1 in p53-negative tumors sensitizes them to chemotherapeutic agents, while protecting normal tissues from the side effects of anti-cancer treatment. In this study, we decided to search for kinases that prevent Wip1-mediated sensitization of cancer cells, thereby interfering with efficacy of genotoxic anti-cancer drugs. To this end, we performed a flow cytometry-based screening in order to identify kinases that regulated the levels of γH2AX, which were used as readout. Another criterion of the screen was increased sensitivity of p53-negative tumor cells to cisplatin (CDDP) in a Wip1-dependent manner. We have found that a treatment with a low dose (75 nM) of MK-1775, a recently described specific chemical inhibitor of Wee1, decreases CDDP-induced H2AX phosphorylation in p53-negative cells and enhances the Wip1-sensitization of p53-negative tumors. We were able to reduce CDDP effective concentration by 40% with a combination of Wip1 overexpression and Wee1 kinase inhibition. We have observed that Wee1 inhibition potentiates Wip1-dependent tumor sensitization effect by reducing levels of Hipk2 kinase, a negative regulator of Wip1 pathway. In addition, during CDDP treatment, the combination of Wee1 inhibition and Wip1 overexpression has a mild but significant protective effect in normal cells and tissues. Our results indicate that inhibition of the negative regulators of Wip1 pathway, Wee1 and Hipk2, in p53-negative tumors could potentiate efficiency of chemotherapeutic agents without concomitant increase of cytotoxicity in normal tissues. The development and clinical use of Wee1 and Hipk1 kinase chemical inhibitors might be a promising strategy to improve anti-cancer therapy.
TAK1 regulates Paneth cell integrity partly through blocking necroptosis
Authors: Simmons A N , Kajino-Sakamoto R , Ninomiya-Tsuji J 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPaneth cells reside at the base of crypts of the small intestine and secrete antimicrobial factors to control gut microbiota. Paneth cell loss is observed in the chronically inflamed intestine, which is often associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the relationship between Paneth cell loss and ROS is not yet clear. Intestinal epithelial-specific deletion of a protein kinase Tak1 depletes Paneth cells and highly upregulates ROS in the mouse model. We found that depletion of gut bacteria or myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88), a mediator of bacteria-derived cell signaling, reduced ROS but did not block Paneth cell loss, suggesting that gut bacteria are the cause of ROS accumulation but bacteria-induced ROS are not the cause of Paneth cell loss. In contrast, deletion of the necroptotic cell death signaling intermediate, receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (Ripk3), partially blocked Paneth cell loss. Thus, Tak1 deletion causes Paneth cell loss in part through necroptotic cell death. These results suggest that TAK1 participates in intestinal integrity through separately modulating bacteria-derived ROS and RIPK3-dependent Paneth cell loss.
Orthogonal ring-closing alkyne and olefin metathesis for the synthesis of small GTPase-targeting bicyclic peptides
Authors: Cromm Philipp M. , Schaubach Sebastian , Spiegel Jochen , Fürstner Alois , Grossmann Tom N. , Waldmann Herbert 
Published: April 2016

AbstractBicyclic peptides are promising scaffolds for the development of inhibitors of biological targets that proved intractable by typical small molecules. So far, access to bioactive bicyclic peptide architectures is limited due to a lack of appropriate orthogonal ring-closing reactions. Here, we report chemically orthogonal ring-closing olefin (RCM) and alkyne metathesis (RCAM), which enable an efficient chemo- and regioselective synthesis of complex bicyclic peptide scaffolds with variable macrocycle geometries. We also demonstrate that the formed alkyne macrocycle can be functionalized subsequently. The orthogonal RCM/RCAM system was successfully used to evolve a monocyclic peptide inhibitor of the small GTPase Rab8 into a bicyclic ligand. This modified peptide shows the highest affinity for an activated Rab GTPase that has been reported so far. The RCM/RCAM-based formation of bicyclic peptides provides novel opportunities for the design of bioactive scaffolds suitable for the modulation of challenging protein targets.
A geometrical approach to control and controllability of nonlinear dynamical networks
Authors: Wang Le-Zhi , Su Ri-Qi , Huang Zi-Gang , Wang Xiao , Wang Wen-Xu , Grebogi Celso , Lai Ying-Cheng 
Published: April 2016

AbstractIn spite of the recent interest and advances in linear controllability of complex networks, controlling nonlinear network dynamics remains an outstanding problem. Here we develop an experimentally feasible control framework for nonlinear dynamical networks that exhibit multistability. The control objective is to apply parameter perturbation to drive the system from one attractor to another, assuming that the former is undesired and the latter is desired. To make our framework practically meaningful, we consider restricted parameter perturbation by imposing two constraints: it must be experimentally realizable and applied only temporarily. We introduce the concept of attractor network, which allows us to formulate a quantifiable controllability framework for nonlinear dynamical networks: a network is more controllable if the attractor network is more strongly connected. We test our control framework using examples from various models of experimental gene regulatory networks and demonstrate the beneficial role of noise in facilitating control.
Sex bias in CNS autoimmune disease mediated by androgen control of autoimmune regulator
Authors: Zhu Meng-Lei , Bakhru Pearl , Conley Bridget , Nelson Jennifer S. , Free Meghan , Martin Aaron , Starmer Joshua , Wilson Elizabeth M. , Su Maureen A. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractMale gender is protective against multiple sclerosis and other T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. This protection may be due, in part, to higher androgen levels in males. Androgen binds to the androgen receptor (AR) to regulate gene expression, but how androgen protects against autoimmunity is not well understood. Autoimmune regulator (Aire) prevents autoimmunity by promoting self-antigen expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells, such that developing T cells that recognize these self-antigens within the thymus undergo clonal deletion. Here we show that androgen upregulates Aire-mediated thymic tolerance to protect against autoimmunity. Androgen recruits AR to Aire promoter regions, with consequent enhancement of Aire transcription. In mice and humans, thymic Aire expression is higher in males compared with females. Androgen administration and male gender protect against autoimmunity in a multiple sclerosis mouse model in an Aire-dependent manner. Thus, androgen control of an intrathymic Aire-mediated tolerance mechanism contributes to gender differences in autoimmunity.
Tunable magnetic nanowires for biomedical and harsh environment applications
Authors: Ivanov Yurii P. , Alfadhel Ahmed , Alnassar Mohammed , Perez Jose E. , Vazquez Manuel , Chuvilin Andrey , Kosel Jürgen 
Published: April 2016

AbstractWe have synthesized nanowires with an iron core and an iron oxide (magnetite) shell by a facile low-cost fabrication process. The magnetic properties of the nanowires can be tuned by changing shell thicknesses to yield remarkable new properties and multi-functionality. A multi-domain state at remanence can be obtained, which is an attractive feature for biomedical applications, where a low remanence is desirable. The nanowires can also be encoded with different remanence values. Notably, the oxidation process of single-crystal iron nanowires halts at a shell thickness of 10 nm. The oxide shell of these nanowires acts as a passivation layer, retaining the magnetic properties of the iron core even during high-temperature operations. This property renders these core-shell nanowires attractive materials for application to harsh environments. A cell viability study reveals a high degree of biocompatibility of the core-shell nanowires.
Characterization of the natural enemy community attacking cotton aphid in the Bt cotton ecosystem in Northern China
Authors: Ali Abid , Desneux Nicolas , Lu Yanhui , Liu Bing , Wu Kongming 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPlanting Bt cotton in China since 1997 has led to important changes in the natural enemy communities occurring in cotton, however their specific effect on suppressing the cotton aphids (being notorious in conventional cotton ecosystem) has not been fully documented yet. We observed strong evidence for top-down control of the aphid population, e.g. the control efficiency of natural enemies on cotton aphid increased significantly in open field cages compared to exclusion cages, accounted for 60.2, 87.2 and 76.7% in 2011, 2012 and 2013 season, respectively. The cotton aphid populations peaked in early June to late July (early and middle growth stages) in open field cotton survey from 2011 to 2013. The population densities of cotton aphids and natural enemies were highest on middle growth stage while lowest densities were recorded on late stage for aphids and on early plant stage for natural enemies. Aphid parasitoids (Trioxys spp., Aphidius gifuensis), coccinellids and spiders were key natural enemies of cotton aphid. Briefly, natural enemies can suppress aphid population increase from early to middle plant growth stages by providing biocontrol services in Chinese Bt cotton.
Molecular basis of the STIL coiled coil oligomerization explains its requirement for de-novo formation of centrosomes in mammalian cells
Authors: David Ahuvit , Amartely Hadar , Rabinowicz Noa , Shamir Mai , Friedler Assaf , Izraeli Shai 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe STIL protein is essential for centriole replication and for the non-templated, de novo centriole biogenesis that is required for mammalian embryogenesis. Here we performed quantitative biophysical and structural analysis of the central short coiled coil domain (CCD) of STIL that is critical for its function. Using biophysical, biochemical and cell biology approaches, we identified the specific residues in the CCD that mediate the oligomerization, centrosomal localization and protein interactions of STIL. We characterized the structural properties of the coiled coil peptide using circular dichroism spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. We identified two regions in this domain, containing eight hydrophobic residues, which mediate the coiled coil oligomerization. Mutations in these residues destabilized the coiled coil thermodynamically but in most cases did not affect its secondary structure. Reconstituting mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking endogenous Stil, we show that STIL oligomerization mediated by these residues is not only important for the centrosomal functions of STIL during the canonical duplication process but also for de-novo formation of centrosomes.
The robustness of multiplex networks under layer node-based attack
Authors: Zhao Da-wei , Wang Lian-hai , Zhi Yong-feng , Zhang Jun , Wang Zhen 
Published: April 2016

AbstractFrom transportation networks to complex infrastructures and to social and economic networks, a large variety of systems can be described in terms of multiplex networks formed by a set of nodes interacting through different network layers. Network robustness, as one of the most successful application areas of complex networks, has attracted great interest in a myriad of research realms. In this regard, how multiplex networks respond to potential attack is still an open issue. Here we study the robustness of multiplex networks under layer node-based random or targeted attack, which means that nodes just suffer attacks in a given layer yet no additional influence to their connections beyond this layer. A theoretical analysis framework is proposed to calculate the critical threshold and the size of giant component of multiplex networks when nodes are removed randomly or intentionally. Via numerous simulations, it is unveiled that the theoretical method can accurately predict the threshold and the size of giant component, irrespective of attack strategies. Moreover, we also compare the robustness of multiplex networks under multiplex node-based attack and layer node-based attack and find that layer node-based attack makes multiplex networks more vulnerable, regardless of average degree and underlying topology.
Longitudinal Hierarchy Co3O4 Mesocrystals with High-dense Exposure Facets and Anisotropic Interfaces for Direct-Ethanol Fuel Cells
Authors: Hassen Diab , El-Safty Sherif A. , Tsuchiya Koichi , Chatterjee Abhijit , Elmarakbi Ahmed , Shenashen Mohamed. A. , Sakai Masaru 
Published: April 2016

AbstractNovel electrodes are needed for direct ethanol fuel cells with improved quality. Hierarchical engineering can produce catalysts composed of mesocrystals with many exposed active planes and multi-diffused voids. Here we report a simple, one-pot, hydrothermal method for fabricating Co3O4/carbon/substrate electrodes that provides control over the catalyst mesocrystal morphology (i.e., corn tubercle pellets or banana clusters oriented along nanotube domains, or layered lamina or multiple cantilevered sheets). These morphologies afforded catalysts with a high density of exposed active facets, a diverse range of mesopores in the cage interior, a window architecture and vertical alignment to the substrate, which improved efficiency in an ethanol electrooxidation reaction compared with a conventional platinum/carbon electrode. On the atomic scale, the longitudinally aligned architecture of the Co3O4mesocrystals resulted in exposed low- and high-index single and interface surfaces that had improved electron transport and diffusion compared with currently used electrodes.
Topological Properties of Electrons in Honeycomb Lattice with Detuned Hopping Energy
Authors: Wu Long-Hua , Hu Xiao 
Published: April 2016

AbstractHoneycomb lattice can support electronic states exhibiting Dirac energy dispersion, with graphene as the icon. We propose to derive nontrivial topology by grouping six neighboring sites of honeycomb lattice into hexagons and enhancing the inter-hexagon hopping energies over the intra-hexagon ones. We reveal that this manipulation opens a gap in the energy dispersion and drives the system into a topological state. The nontrivial topology is characterized by the "Equation missing" index associated with a pseudo time-reversal symmetry emerging from the C6 symmetry of the hopping texture, where the angular momentum of orbitals accommodated on the hexagonal “artificial atoms” behaves as the pseudospin. The size of topological gap is proportional to the hopping-energy difference, which can be larger than typical spin-orbit couplings by orders of magnitude and potentially renders topological electronic transports available at high temperatures.
Electron work function–a promising guiding parameter for material design
Authors: Lu Hao , Liu Ziran , Yan Xianguo , Li Dongyang , Parent Leo , Tian Harry 
Published: April 2016

AbstractUsing nickel added X70 steel as a sample material, we demonstrate that electron work function (EWF), which largely reflects the electron behavior of materials, could be used as a guide parameter for material modification or design. Adding Ni having a higher electron work function to X70 steel brings more “free” electrons to the steel, leading to increased overall work function, accompanied with enhanced e−–nuclei interactions or higher atomic bond strength. Young’s modulus and hardness increase correspondingly. However, the free electron density and work function decrease as the Ni content is continuously increased, accompanied with the formation of a second phase, FeNi3, which is softer with a lower work function. The decrease in the overall work function corresponds to deterioration of the mechanical strength of the steel. It is expected that EWF, a simple but fundamental parameter, may lead to new methodologies or supplementary approaches for metallic materials design or tailoring on a feasible electronic base.
BPGA- an ultra-fast pan-genome analysis pipeline
Authors: Chaudhari Narendrakumar M. , Gupta Vinod Kumar , Dutta Chitra 
Published: April 2016

AbstractRecent advances in ultra-high-throughput sequencing technology and metagenomics have led to a paradigm shift in microbial genomics from few genome comparisons to large-scale pan-genome studies at different scales of phylogenetic resolution. Pan-genome studies provide a framework for estimating the genomic diversity of the dataset, determining core (conserved), accessory (dispensable) and unique (strain-specific) gene pool of a species, tracing horizontal gene-flux across strains and providing insight into species evolution. The existing pan genome software tools suffer from various limitations like limited datasets, difficult installation/requirements, inadequate functional features etc. Here we present an ultra-fast computational pipeline BPGA (Bacterial Pan Genome Analysis tool) with seven functional modules. In addition to the routine pan genome analyses, BPGA introduces a number of novel features for downstream analyses like core/pan/MLST (Multi Locus Sequence Typing) phylogeny, exclusive presence/absence of genes in specific strains, subset analysis, atypical G + C content analysis and KEGG & COG mapping of core, accessory and unique genes. Other notable features include minimum running prerequisites, freedom to select the gene clustering method, ultra-fast execution, user friendly command line interface and high-quality graphics outputs. The performance of BPGA has been evaluated using a dataset of complete genome sequences of 28 Streptococcus pyogenes strains.
Structural insights and functional implications of inter-individual variability in β2-adrenergic receptor
Authors: Tandale Aditi , Joshi Manali , Sengupta Durba 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe human β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family and due to its central role in bronchodilation, is an important drug target. The inter-individual variability in β2AR has been implicated in disease susceptibility and differential drug response. In this work, we identified nine potentially deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) using a consensus approach. The deleterious nsSNPs were found to cluster near the ligand binding site and towards the G-protein binding site. To assess their molecular level effects, we built structural models of these receptors and performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Most notably, in the Phe290Ser variant we observed the rotameric flip of Trp2866.48, a putative activation switch that has not been reported in β2AR thus far. In contrast, the variant Met82Lys was found to be the most detrimental to epinephrine binding. Additionally, a few of the nsSNPs were seen to cause perturbations to the lipid bilayer, while a few lead to differences at the G-protein coupling site. We are thus able to classify the variants as ranging from activating to damaging, prioritising them for experimental studies.
Coexistence of perfect spin filtering for entangled electron pairs and high magnetic storage efficiency in one setup
Authors: Ji T. T. , Bu N. , Chen F. J. , Tao Y. C. , Wang J. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractFor Entangled electron pairs superconducting spintronics, there exist two drawbacks in existing proposals of generating entangled electron pairs. One is that the two kinds of different spin entangled electron pairs mix with each other. And the other is a low efficiency of entanglement production. Herein, we report the spin entanglement state of the ferromagnetic insulator (FI)/s-wave superconductor/FI structure on a narrow quantum spin Hall insulator strip. It is shown that not only the high production of entangled electron pairs in wider energy range, but also the perfect spin filtering of entangled electron pairs in the context of no highly spin-polarized electrons, can be obtained. Moreover, the currents for the left and right leads in the antiferromagnetic alignment both can be zero, indicating 100% tunnelling magnetoresistance with highly magnetic storage efficiency. Therefore, the spin filtering for entangled electron pairs and magnetic storage with high efficiencies coexist in one setup. The results may be experimentally demonstrated by measuring the tunnelling conductance and the noise power.