bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Urotensin II Exerts Pressor Effects By Stimulating Renin And Aldosterone Synthase Gene Expression
Authors: Caroccia Brasilina , Menegolo Mirko , Seccia Teresa M. , Petrelli Lucia , Antonello Michele , Limena Alice , Porzionato Andrea , De Caro Raffaele , Poglitsch Marko , Rossi Gian Paolo 
Published: October 2017

AbstractWe investigated the in vivo pressor effects of the potent vasoconstrictor Urotensin II (UII). We randomized normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats into 4 groups that received a 7-day UII infusion (cases) or vehicle (controls). Group 1 received normal sodium intake; Group 2 underwent unilateral nephrectomy and salt loading; Group 3 received spironolactone, besides unilateral nephrectomy and salt loading; Group 4 only received spironolactone. UII raised BP transiently after a lag phase of 12-36 hours in Group 1, and progressively over the week in Group 2. Spironolactone did not affect blood pressure, but abolished both pressor effects of UII in Group 3, and left blood pressure unaffected in Group 4. UII increased by 7-fold the renal expression of renin in Group 2, increased aldosterone synthase expression in the adrenocortical zona glomerulosa, and prevented the blunting of renin expression induced by high salt. UII raises BP transiently when sodium intake and renal function are normal, but progressively in salt-loaded uninephrectomized rats. Moreover, it increases aldosterone synthase and counteracts the suppression of renin induced by salt loading. This novel action of UII in the regulation of renin and aldosterone synthesis could play a role in several clinical conditions where UII levels are up-regulated.
Large-scale DNA Barcode Library Generation for Biomolecule Identification in High-throughput Screens
Authors: Lyons Eli , Sheridan Paul , Tremmel Georg , Miyano Satoru , Sugano Sumio 
Published: October 2017

AbstractHigh-throughput screens allow for the identification of specific biomolecules with characteristics of interest. In barcoded screens, DNA barcodes are linked to target biomolecules in a manner allowing for the target molecules making up a library to be identified by sequencing the DNA barcodes using Next Generation Sequencing. To be useful in experimental settings, the DNA barcodes in a library must satisfy certain constraints related to GC content, homopolymer length, Hamming distance, and blacklisted subsequences. Here we report a novel framework to quickly generate large-scale libraries of DNA barcodes for use in high-throughput screens. We show that our framework dramatically reduces the computation time required to generate large-scale DNA barcode libraries, compared with a naїve approach to DNA barcode library generation. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that our framework is able to generate a library consisting of one million DNA barcodes for use in a fragment antibody phage display screening experiment. We also report generating a general purpose one billion DNA barcode library, the largest such library yet reported in literature. Our results demonstrate the value of our novel large-scale DNA barcode library generation framework for use in high-throughput screening applications.
Hallucinations in borderline personality disorder: Prevalence, characteristics and associations with comorbid symptoms and disorders
Authors: Niemantsverdriet Maria B. A. , Slotema Christina W. , Blom Jan Dirk , Franken Ingmar H. , Hoek Hans W. , Sommer Iris E. C. , van der Gaag Mark 
Published: October 2017

AbstractTo establish the point prevalence of hallucinations in borderline personality disorder (BPD), telephone interviews were conducted with 324 outpatients diagnosed with BPD. Then a subgroup (n = 98) was interviewed in person to investigate the co-occurrence of these phenomena with other psychotic symptoms, comorbid psychiatric disorders, prior childhood adversities, and adult life stressors. For hallucinations in general a point prevalence of 43% was found, with rates for hallucinations in separate sensory modalities ranging from 8–21%. Auditory verbal hallucinations consisted mostly of verbal abuse and were generally experienced as distressing. A significant association was found between the severity of hallucinations on the one hand, and delusions and unusual thought content on the other; this association was absent for negative symptoms and disorganization. The presence of hallucinations also correlated with the number of comorbid psychiatric disorders, and with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) specifically. Childhood emotional abuse and adult life stressors were also associated with hallucinations. The latter three associations suggest that patients with BPD might have an etiological mechanism in common with other patient/nonpatient groups who experience hallucinations. Based on these findings, we advise to treat PTSD and hallucinations when found to be present in patients with BPD.
Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase Cγ1 inhibition induces autophagy in human colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Dai Lianzhi , Chen Xiaolei , Lu Xiaohong , Wang Fen , Zhan Yanyan , Song Gang , Hu Tianhui , Xia Chun , Zhang Bing 
Published: October 2017

AbstractPhosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) γ1 has been reported to be involved in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. However, whether PLCγ1 modulates autophagy and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the relationship between PLCγ1 and autophagy in the human colon cancer cell line HCT116 and hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The results indicated that PLCγ1 inhibition via lentivirus-mediated transduction with shRNA/PLCγ1 or transient transfection with pRK5-PLCγ1 (Y783A) vector increased LC3B-II levels and the number of autophagic vacuoles and decreased p62 levels. Addition of an autophagy inhibitor led to LC3B and p62 accumulation. Furthermore, AMPK activation promoted the autophagy induced by PLCγ1 inhibition by blocking the FAK/PLCγ1 axis. In addition, PLCγ1 inhibition either blocked the mTOR/ULK1 axis or enhanced dissociation of the Beclin1-IP3R-Bcl-2 complex to induce autophagy. Taken together, our findings revealed that PLCγ1 inhibition induced autophagy and the FAK/PLCγ1 axis is a potential downstream effector of the AMPK activation-dependent autophagy signalling cascade. Both blockade of the mTOR/ULK1 axis and dissociation of the Beclin1-IP3R-Bcl-2 complex contributed to the induction of autophagy by PLCγ1 inhibition. Consequently, these findings provide novel insight into autophagy regulation by PLCγ1 in colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
A strategy to improve arithmetical performance in four day-old domestic chicks (Gallus gallus)
Authors: Rugani Rosa , Loconsole Maria , Regolin Lucia 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA large body of literature shows that non-human animals master numerical discriminations, but a limit has been reported in a variety of species in the comparison 3vs.4. Little is known regarding the possibility of using “cognitive strategies” to enable this discrimination. The aims of this study were to investigate: whether domestic chicks discriminated 3vs.4, and if changes in stimuli presentation could improve chicks’ numerical performance. Newly hatched chicks were reared with seven identical objects. On day 4, they underwent 20 consecutive testing trials to assess their capability to discriminate 3vs.4. The objects were presented, one-by-one, to the chicks and hidden behind one of two identical panels. As expected, the chicks did not discriminate (Experiment 1). When objects were presented and hidden in groups comprising one or two objects (2 + 1)vs.(2 + 2), the chicks succeeded (Experiment 2). The grouping strategy did not help in the case of a harder discrimination of (3 + 1)vs.(3 + 2) (Experiment 3), unless chicks were allowed to rest for two hours between testing sessions (Experiment 4). Our results suggest that in some cases, the limits reported for numerical performance in animals do not depend on cognitive limitations but on attentional or motivational factors, which can be overcome employing simple procedural adjustments.
Fine control of chlorophyll-carotenoid interactions defines the functionality of light-harvesting proteins in plants
Authors: Balevičius Vytautas , Fox Kieran F. , Bricker William P. , Jurinovich Sandro , Prandi Ingrid G. , Mennucci Benedetta , Duffy Christopher D. P. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractPhotosynthetic antenna proteins can be thought of as “programmed solvents”, which bind pigments at specific mutual orientations, thus tuning the overall energetic landscape and ensuring highly efficient light-harvesting. While positioning of chlorophyll cofactors is well understood and rationalized by the principle of an “energy funnel”, the carotenoids still pose many open questions. Particularly, their short excited state lifetime (<25 ps) renders them potential energy sinks able to compete with the reaction centers and drastically undermine light-harvesting efficiency. Exploration of the orientational phase-space revealed that the placement of central carotenoids minimizes their interaction with the nearest chlorophylls in the plant antenna complexes LHCII, CP26, CP29 and LHCI. At the same time we show that this interaction is highly sensitive to structural perturbations, which has a profound effect on the overall lifetime of the complex. This links the protein dynamics to the light-harvesting regulation in plants by the carotenoids.
Heparan sulfate: Resilience factor and therapeutic target for cocaine abuse
Authors: Chen Jihuan , Kawamura Tomoya , Sethi Manveen K. , Zaia Joseph , Repunte-Canonigo Vez , Sanna Pietro Paolo 
Published: October 2017

AbstractSubstance abuse is a pressing problem with few therapeutic options. The identification of addiction resilience factors is a potential strategy to identify new mechanisms that can be targeted therapeutically. Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear sulfated polysaccharide that is a component of the cell surface and extracellular matrix. Heparan sulfate modulates the activity and distribution of a set of negatively charged signaling peptides and proteins — known as the HS interactome — by acting as a co-receptor or alternative receptor for growth factors and other signaling peptides and sequestering and localizing them, among other actions. Here, we show that stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine greatly increase HS content and sulfation levels in the lateral hypothalamus and that HS contributes to the regulation of cocaine seeking and taking. The ability of the HS-binding neuropeptide glial-cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to increase cocaine intake was potentiated by a deletion that abolished its HS binding. The delivery of heparanase, the endo-β-D-glucuronidase that degrades HS, accelerated the acquisition of cocaine self-administration and promoted persistent responding during extinction. Altogether, these results indicate that HS is a resilience factor for cocaine abuse and a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
Impaired K+ binding to glial glutamate transporter EAAT1 in migraine
Authors: Kovermann Peter , Hessel Margarita , Kortzak Daniel , Jen Joanna C. , Koch Johannes , Fahlke Christoph , Freilinger Tobias 
Published: October 2017

AbstractSLC1A3 encodes the glial glutamate transporter hEAAT1, which removes glutamate from the synaptic cleft via stoichiometrically coupled Na+-K+-H+-glutamate transport. In a young man with migraine with aura including hemiplegia, we identified a novel SLC1A3 mutation that predicts the substitution of a conserved threonine by proline at position 387 (T387P) in hEAAT1. To evaluate the functional effects of the novel variant, we expressed the wildtype or mutant hEAAT1 in mammalian cells and performed whole-cell patch clamp, fast substrate application, and biochemical analyses. T387P diminishes hEAAT1 glutamate uptake rates and reduces the number of hEAAT1 in the surface membrane. Whereas hEAAT1 anion currents display normal ligand and voltage dependence in cells internally dialyzed with Na+-based solution, no anion currents were observed with internal K+. Fast substrate application demonstrated that T387P abolishes K+-bound retranslocation. Our finding expands the phenotypic spectrum of genetic variation in SLC1A3 and highlights impaired K+ binding to hEAAT1 as a novel mechanism of glutamate transport dysfunction in human disease.
Passive and Active Triaxial Wall Mechanics in a Two-Layer Model of Porcine Coronary Artery
Authors: Lu Yuan , Wu Hao , Li Jiahang , Gong Yanjun , Ma Jiahui , Kassab Ghassan S. , Huo Yong , Tan Wenchang , Huo Yunlong 
Published: October 2017

AbstractTriaxial active and passive mechanical properties of coronary arteries are needed for understanding arterial mechanics in health and disease. The aim of the study was to quantify both active and passive strain energy functions in circumferential, axial and radial directions based on the experimental measurement. Moreover, a two-layer computational model was used to determine the transmural distribution of stresses and strains across the vessel wall. The first Piola-Kirchhoff stresses in the three normal directions had the approximate relationship as:$$\,{T}_{\theta \theta }\cong 2{T}_{zz}\cong 5|{T}_{rr}|$$

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. The two-layer model showed that circumferential Cauchy stresses increased significantly from the intima layer to the interface between media and adventitia layers (from ~80 to 160 kPa), dropped abruptly at the interface (from ~160 to <5 kPa), and increased slightly towards the outer boundary of the adventitia layer. In contrast, absolute values of radial Cauchy stress decreased continuously from the inner to outer boundaries of the vessel wall (from ~11 kPa to zero). Smooth muscle cell contraction significantly increased the ratio of radial to circumferential Cauchy stresses at the intima-media layer, which had the highest values at the intima layer.
Nitrogen recycling at the Costa Rican subduction zone: The role of incoming plate structure
Authors: Lee Hyunwoo , Fischer Tobias P. , de Moor J. Maarten , Sharp Zachary D. , Takahata Naoto , Sano Yuji 
Published: October 2017

AbstractEfficient recycling of subducted sedimentary nitrogen (N) back to the atmosphere through arc volcanism has been advocated for the Central America margin while at other locations mass balance considerations and N contents of high pressure metamorphic rocks imply massive addition of subducted N to the mantle and past the zones of arc magma generation. Here, we report new results of N isotope compositions with gas chemistry and noble gas compositions of forearc and arc front springs in Costa Rica to show that the structure of the incoming plate has a profound effect on the extent of N subduction into the mantle. N isotope compositions of emitted arc gases (9–11 N°) imply less subducted pelagic sediment contribution compared to farther north. The N isotope compositions (δ15N = −4.4 to 1.6‰) of forearc springs at 9–11 N° are consistent with previously reported values in volcanic centers (δ15N = −3.0 to 1.9‰). We advocate that subduction erosion enhanced by abundant seamount subduction at 9–11 N° introduces overlying forearc crustal materials into the Costa Rican subduction zone, releasing fluids with lighter N isotope signatures. This process supports the recycling of heavier N into the deep mantle in this section of the Central America margin.
Dynamically controllable plasmon induced transparency based on hybrid metal-graphene metamaterials
Authors: Yan Xicheng , Wang Tao , Xiao Shuyuan , Liu Tingting , Hou Haowen , Cheng Le , Jiang Xiaoyun 
Published: October 2017

AbstractNovel hybrid metal-graphene metamaterials featuring dynamically controllable single, double and multiple plasmon induced transparency (PIT) windows are numerically explored in the terahertz (THz) regime. The designed plasmonic metamaterials composed of a strip and a ring with graphene integration generate a novel PIT window. Once the ring is divided into pairs of asymmetrical arcs, double PIT windows both with the spectral contrast ratio 100% are obtained, where one originates from the destructive interference between bright-dark modes, and the other is based on the interaction of bright-bright modes. Just because the double PIT windows are induced by two different mechanisms, the continuously controllable conductivity and damping of graphene are employed to appropriately interpret the high tunability in double transparency peaks at the resonant frequency, respectively. Moreover, multiple PIT windows can be achieved by introducing an additional bright mode to form the other bright-bright modes coupling. At the PIT transparent windows, the dispersions undergo tremendous modifications and the group delays reach up to 43 ps, 22 ps, and 25 ps, correspondingly. Our results suggest the existence of strong interaction between the monolayer graphene layer and metal-based resonant plasmonic metamaterials, which may hold widely applications in filters, modulators, switching, sensors and optical buffers.
Molecular Cloning of the Vitellogenin Gene and the Effects of Vitellogenin Protein Expression on the Physiology of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Zhang T. , Zhang G. , Zeng F. , Mao J. , Liang H. , Liu F. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractVitellogenin (Vg), the main egg storage protein precursor, plays an integral role in many oviparous animals, including Harmonia axyridis, an important agent for the biological control of many insect pests. In this study, the full-length Vg gene of was cloned. The open reading frame (ORF) of H. axyridis Vg cDNA is 5,403 bp in length and encodes 1,800 amino acids, with a predicted molecular mass of 211.88 KDa (accession number in NCBI: KX442718). Recombinant protein (18 kDa) expressed by the cloned Vg gene was characterized, and the effects of the expression of this protein on the physiology of H. axyridis were investigated. We found that Vg fragment significantly increased the egg production of H. axyridis. Furthermore, we also found that the activities of trypsin and lipase in H. axyridis were significantly higher in the groups treated with Vg fragment compared with those of the controls. The data from this study also reveals that Vg expression has significant effects on the physiology of H. axyridis and leads to increased egg production in these insects. These results may have future implications for increasing the reproduction rates of beneficial insects.
Aberrant glioblastoma neovascularization patterns and their correlation with DCE-MRI-derived parameters following temozolomide and bevacizumab treatment
Authors: Xue Wei , Du Xuesong , Wu Hao , Liu Heng , Xie Tian , Tong Haipeng , Chen Xiao , Guo Yu , Zhang Weiguo 
Published: October 2017

AbstractGlioblastoma (GBM) is a highly angiogenic malignancy, and its abundant, aberrant neovascularization is closely related to the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells. However, anti-angiogenesis combined with standard radio-/chemo-therapy produces little improvement in treatment outcomes. Determining the reason for treatment failure is pivotal for GBM treatment. Here, histopathological analysis and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) were used to explore the effects of temozolomide (TMZ) and bevacizumab (BEV) on GBM neovascularization patterns in an orthotopic U87MG mouse model at 1, 3 and 6 days after treatment. We found that the amount of vascular mimicry (VM) significantly increased 6 days after BEV treatment. TMZ inhibited neovascularization at an early stage, but the microvessel density (MVD) and transfer coefficient (Ktrans) derived from DCE-MRI increased 6 days after treatment. TMZ and BEV combination therapy slightly prolonged the inhibitory effect on tumor microvessels. Sprouting angiogenesis was positively correlated with Ktrans in all treatment groups. The increase in VM after BEV administration and the increase in MVD and Ktrans after TMZ administration may be responsible for treatment resistance. Ktrans holds great potential as an imaging biomarker for indicating the variation in sprouting angiogenesis during drug treatment for GBM.
Effects of Recovery Time during Magnetic Nanofluid Hyperthermia on the Induction Behavior and Efficiency of Heat Shock Proteins 72
Authors: Jang Jung-tak , Jeoung Jin Wook , Park Joo Hyun , Lee Won June , Kim Yu Jeong , Seon Jiyun , Kim Minkyu , Lee Jooyoung , Paek Sun Ha , Park Ki Ho , Bae Seongtae 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the effects of recovery time during magnetic nanofluid hyperthermia (MNFH) on the cell death rate and the heat shock proteins 72 (HSP72) induction behavior in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs-5) to provide a possible solution for highly efficient ocular neuroprotection. The recovery time and the heat duration time during MNFH were systematically controlled by changing the duty cycle of alternating current (AC) magnetic field during MNFH. It was clearly observed that the cell death rate and the HSP72 induction rate had a strong dependence on the recovery time and the optimizated recovery time resulted in maximizing the induction efficiency of HSP72. Controlling the recovery time during MNFH affects not only the cell death rate but also HSP72 induction rate. The cell death rate after MNFH was dramatically decreased by increasing the recovery time during MNFH. However, it was also found that the HSP72 induction rate was slightly decreased by increasing the recovery time. These results indicate that applying the appropriate or optimized recovery time during MNFH can improve the induction efficiency of HSP72 by minimizing the cell death caused by cytotoxic effects of heat.
Near-infrared photothermal/photodynamic therapy with indocyanine green induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through oxidative stress
Authors: Shirata Chikara , Kaneko Junichi , Inagaki Yoshinori , Kokudo Takashi , Sato Masumitsu , Kiritani Sho , Akamatsu Nobuhisa , Arita Junichi , Sakamoto Yoshihiro , Hasegawa Kiyoshi , Kokudo Norihiro 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIndocyanine green (ICG) is a photothermal agent, photosensitizer, and fluorescence imaging probe which shows specific accumulation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. We recently developed a photodynamic therapy (PDT) using ICG and near-infrared (NIR) laser as a new anti-cancer treatment for HCC. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect needs to be elucidated. HuH-7 cells, a well-differentiated human HCC cell line, were transplanted subcutaneously into BALB/c-nu/nu mice for in vivo experiment. ICG was administered 24 h before NIR irradiation. The irradiation was performed at three tumor locations by 823-nm NIR laser on days 1 and 7. The temperature of HuH-7 xenografts increased to 48.5 °C 3 minutes after ICG-NIR irradiation start. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected after ICG-NIR irradiation both in vitro and in vivo. There was certain anti-tumor effect and ROS production even under cooling conditions. Repeated NIR irradiation increased the cell toxicity of ICG-NIR therapy; the mean tumor volume on day 9 was significantly smaller after ICG-NIR irradiation compared to tumor without irradiation (87 mm3 vs. 1332 mm3; p = 0.01) in HCC mice xenografts model. ICG-NIR therapy induced apoptosis in HCC cells via a photothermal effect and oxidative stress. Repeated ICG-NIR irradiation enhanced the anti-tumor effect.