bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neural mechanisms underlying touch-induced visual perceptual suppression: An fMRI study
Authors: Ide Masakazu , Hidaka Souta , Ikeda Hanako , Wada Makoto 
Published: November 2016

AbstractCrossmodal studies have demonstrated inhibitory as well as facilitatory neural effects in higher sensory association and primary sensory cortices. A recent human behavioral study reported touch-induced visual perceptual suppression (TIVS). Here, we introduced an experimental setting in which TIVS could occur and investigated brain activities underlying visuo-tactile interactions using a functional magnetic resonance imaging technique. While the suppressive effect of touch on vision was only found for half of the participants who could maintain their baseline performance above chance level (i.e. TIVS was not well replicated here), we focused on individual differences in the effect of touch on vision. This effect could be suppressive or enhancement, and the neuronal basis of these differences was analyzed. We found larger inhibitory responses in the anterior part of the right visual cortex (V1, V2) with higher TIVS magnitude when visuo-tactile stimuli were presented as spatially congruent. Activations in the right anterior superior temporal region, including the secondary somatosensory cortical area, were more strongly related to those in the visual cortex (V1, V2) with higher TIVS magnitude. These results indicate that inhibitory neural modulations from somatosensory to visual cortices and the resulting inhibitory neural responses in the visual cortex could be involved in TIVS.
Harnessing short poly(A)-binding protein-interacting peptides for the suppression of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay
Authors: Fatscher Tobias , Gehring Niels H. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractNonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a cellular process that eliminates messenger RNA (mRNA) substrates with premature translation termination codons (PTCs). In addition, NMD regulates the expression of a number of physiological mRNAs, for example transcripts containing long 3′ UTRs. Current models implicate the interaction between cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein (PABPC1) and translation termination in NMD. Accordingly, PABPC1 present within close proximity of a termination codon antagonizes NMD. Here, we use reporter mRNAs with different NMD-inducing 3′ UTRs to establish a general NMD-inhibiting property of PABPC1. NMD-inhibition is not limited to PABPC1, but can also be achieved by peptides consisting of the PABP-interacting motif 2 (PAM2) of different proteins when recruited to an NMD-inhibiting position of NMD reporter transcripts. The short PAM2 peptides efficiently suppress NMD activated by a long 3′ UTR, an exon-junction complex (EJC) and individual EJC components, and stabilize a PTC-containing β-globin mRNA. In conclusion, our results establish short PABPC1-recruiting peptides as potent but position-dependent inhibitors of mammalian NMD.
Reduced dynamical maps in the presence of initial correlations
Authors: Vacchini Bassano , Amato Giulio 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe introduce a framework for the construction of completely positive dynamical evolutions in the presence of system-environment initial correlations. The construction relies upon commutativity of the compatibility domain obtained by considering the marginals with respect to the environmental degrees of freedom of the considered class of correlated states, as well as basic properties of completely positive maps. Our approach allows to consider states that can have finite discord, though it does not include entangled states, and it explicitly shows the non-uniqueness of the completely positive extensions of the obtained dynamical map outside the compatibility domain. The possible relevance of such maps for the treatment of open quantum system dynamics is critically discussed, together with the connection to previous literature.
Exploring Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Cellular Automata for Pattern Recognition in Networks
Authors: Miranda Gisele Helena Barboni , Machicao Jeaneth , Bruno Odemir Martinez 
Published: November 2016

AbstractNetwork science is an interdisciplinary field which provides an integrative approach for the study of complex systems. In recent years, network modeling has been used for the study of emergent phenomena in many real-world applications. Pattern recognition in networks has been drawing attention to the importance of network characterization, which may lead to understanding the topological properties that are related to the network model. In this paper, the Life-Like Network Automata (LLNA) method is introduced, which was designed for pattern recognition in networks. LLNA uses the network topology as a tessellation of Cellular Automata (CA), whose dynamics produces a spatio-temporal pattern used to extract the feature vector for network characterization. The method was evaluated using synthetic and real-world networks. In the latter, three pattern recognition applications were used: (i) identifying organisms from distinct domains of life through their metabolic networks, (ii) identifying online social networks and (iii) classifying stomata distribution patterns varying according to different lighting conditions. LLNA was compared to structural measurements and surpasses them in real-world applications, achieving improvement in the classification rate as high as 23%, 4% and 7% respectively. Therefore, the proposed method is a good choice for pattern recognition applications using networks and demonstrates potential for general applicability.
Beyond Antibodies: Development of a Novel Protein Scaffold Based on Human Chaperonin 10
Authors: Alsultan Abdulkarim M. , Chin David Y. , Howard Christopher B. , de Bakker Christopher J. , Jones Martina L. , Mahler Stephen M. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractHuman Chaperonin 10 (hCpn10) was utilised as a novel scaffold for presenting peptides of therapeutic and diagnostic significance. Molecular dynamic simulations and protein sizing analyses identified a peptide linker (P1) optimal for the formation of the quarternary hCpn10 heptamer structure. hCpn10 scaffold displaying peptides targeting Factor VIIa (CE76-P1) and CD44 (CP7) were expressed in E. coli. Functional studies of CE76-P1 indicated nanomolar affinity for Factor VIIa (3 nM) similar to the E-76 peptide (6 nM), with undetectable binding to Factor X. CE76-P1 was a potent inhibitor of FX activity (via inhibition of Factor VIIa) and prolonged clot formation 4 times longer than achieved by E-76 peptide as determined by prothrombin time (PT) assays. This improvement in clotting function by CE76-P1, highlights the advantages of a heptamer-based scaffold for improving avidity by multiple peptide presentation. In another example of hCPn10 utility as a scaffold, CP7 bound to native CD44 overexpressed on cancer cells and bound rCD44 with high affinity (KD 9.6 nM). The ability to present various peptides through substitution of the hCpn10 mobile loop demonstrates its utility as a novel protein scaffold.
Circulating long-non coding RNAs as biomarkers of left ventricular diastolic function and remodelling in patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes
Authors: de Gonzalo-Calvo D. , Kenneweg F. , Bang C. , Toro R. , van der Meer R. W. , Rijzewijk L. J. , Smit J. W. , Lamb H. J. , Llorente-Cortes V. , Thum T. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractContractile dysfunction is underdiagnosed in early stages of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We evaluated the potential of circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as biomarkers of subclinical cardiac abnormalities in type 2 diabetes. Forty-eight men with well-controlled type 2 diabetes and 12 healthy age-matched volunteers were enrolled in the study. Left ventricular (LV) parameters were measured by magnetic resonance imaging. A panel of lncRNAs was quantified in serum by RT-qPCR. No differences in expression levels of lncRNAs were observed between type 2 diabetes patients and healthy volunteers. In patients with type 2 diabetes, long intergenic non-coding RNA predicting cardiac remodeling (LIPCAR) was inversely associated with diastolic function, measured as E/A peak flow (P < 0.050 for all linear models). LIPCAR was positively associated with grade I diastolic dysfunction (P < 0.050 for all logistic models). Myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) and smooth muscle and endothelial cell-enriched migration/differentiation-associated long noncoding RNA (SENCR) were directly associated with LV mass to LV end-diastolic volume ratio, a marker of cardiac remodelling (P < 0.050 for all linear models). These findings were validated in a sample of 30 patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes. LncRNAs are independent predictors of diastolic function and remodelling in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Bandgap tuning of mixed organic cation utilizing chemical vapor deposition process
Authors: Kim Jeongmo , Kim Hyeong Pil , Teridi Mohd Asri Mat , Yusoff Abd. Rashid bin Mohd , Jang Jin 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBandgap tuning of a mixed organic cation perovskite is demonstrated via chemical vapor deposition process. The optical and electrical properties of the mixed organic cation perovskite can be manipulated by varying the growth time. A slight shift of the absorption band to shorter wavelengths is demonstrated with increasing growth time, which results in the increment of the current density. Hence, based on the optimized growth time, our device exhibits an efficiency of 15.86% with negligible current hysteresis.
Ultra-broadband Reflective Metamaterial with RCS Reduction based on Polarization Convertor, Information Entropy Theory and Genetic Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Li Si Jia , Cao Xiang Yu , Xu Li Ming , Zhou Long Jian , Yang Huan Huan , Han Jiang Feng , Zhang Zhao , Zhang Di , Liu Xiao , Zhang Chen , Zheng Yue Jun , Zhao Yi 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe proposed an ultra-broadband reflective metamaterial with controlling the scattering electromagnetic fields based on a polarization convertor. The unit cell of the polarization convertor was composed of a three layers substrate with double metallic split-rings structure and a metal ground plane. The proposed polarization convertor and that with rotation angle of 90 deg had been employed as the “0” and “1” elements to design the digital reflective metamaterial. The numbers of the “0” and “1” elements were chosen based on the information entropy theory. Then, the optimized combinational format was selected by genetic optimization algorithm. The scattering electromagnetic fields had been manipulated due to destructive interference, which was attributed to the control of phase and amplitude by the proposed polarization convertor. Simulated and experimental results indicated that the reflective metamaterial exhibited significantly RCS reduction in an ultra-broad frequency band for both normal and oblique incidences.
Morphological and proteomic analysis of biofilms from the Antarctic archaeon, Halorubrum lacusprofundi
Authors: Liao Y. , Williams T. J. , Ye J. , Charlesworth J. , Burns B. P. , Poljak A. , Raftery M. J. , Cavicchioli R. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBiofilms enhance rates of gene exchange, access to specific nutrients, and cell survivability. Haloarchaea in Deep Lake, Antarctica, are characterized by high rates of intergenera gene exchange, metabolic specialization that promotes niche adaptation, and are exposed to high levels of UV-irradiation in summer. Halorubrum lacusprofundi from Deep Lake has previously been reported to form biofilms. Here we defined growth conditions that promoted the formation of biofilms and used microscopy and enzymatic digestion of extracellular material to characterize biofilm structures. Extracellular DNA was found to be critical to biofilms, with cell surface proteins and quorum sensing also implicated in biofilm formation. Quantitative proteomics was used to define pathways and cellular processes involved in forming biofilms; these included enhanced purine synthesis and specific cell surface proteins involved in DNA metabolism; post-translational modification of cell surface proteins; specific pathways of carbon metabolism involving acetyl-CoA; and specific responses to oxidative stress. The study provides a new level of understanding about the molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation of this important member of the Deep Lake community.
Super-enhancement of 1.54 μm emission from erbium codoped with oxygen in silicon-on-insulator
Authors: Lourenço M. A. , Milošević M. M. , Gorin A. , Gwilliam R. M. , Homewood K. P. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe report on the super enhancement of the 1.54 μm Er emission in erbium doped silicon-on-insulator when codoped with oxygen at a ratio of 1:1. This is attributed to a more favourable crystal field splitting in the substitutional tetrahedral site favoured for the singly coordinated case. The results on these carefully matched implant profiles show that optical response is highly determined by the amount and ratio of erbium and oxygen present in the sample and ratios of O:Er greater than unity are severely detrimental to the Er emission. The most efficient luminescence is forty times higher than in silicon-on-insulator implanted with Er only. This super enhancement now offers a realistic route not only for optical communication applications but also for the implementation of silicon photonic integrated circuits for sensing, biomedical instrumentation and quantum communication.
Automatic Identification of Systolic Time Intervals in Seismocardiogram
Authors: Shafiq Ghufran , Tatinati Sivanagaraja , Ang Wei Tech , Veluvolu Kalyana C. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractContinuous and non-invasive monitoring of hemodynamic parameters through unobtrusive wearable sensors can potentially aid in early detection of cardiac abnormalities, and provides a viable solution for long-term follow-up of patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases without disrupting the daily life activities. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and siesmocardiogram (SCG) signals can be readily acquired from light-weight electrodes and accelerometers respectively, which can be employed to derive systolic time intervals (STI). For this purpose, automated and accurate annotation of the relevant peaks in these signals is required, which is challenging due to the inter-subject morphological variability and noise prone nature of SCG signal. In this paper, an approach is proposed to automatically annotate the desired peaks in SCG signal that are related to STI by utilizing the information of peak detected in the sliding template to narrow-down the search for the desired peak in actual SCG signal. Experimental validation of this approach performed in conventional/controlled supine and realistic/challenging seated conditions, containing over 5600 heart beat cycles shows good performance and robustness of the proposed approach in noisy conditions. Automated measurement of STI in wearable configuration can provide a quantified cardiac health index for long-term monitoring of patients, elderly people at risk and health-enthusiasts.
Multifunctional single beam acoustic tweezer for non-invasive cell/organism manipulation and tissue imaging
Authors: Lam Kwok Ho , Li Ying , Li Yang , Lim Hae Gyun , Zhou Qifa , Shung Koping Kirk 
Published: November 2016

AbstractNon-contact precise manipulation of single microparticles, cells, and organisms has attracted considerable interest in biophysics and biomedical engineering. Similar to optical tweezers, acoustic tweezers have been proposed to be capable of manipulating microparticles and even cells. Although there have been concerted efforts to develop tools for non-contact manipulation, no alternative to complex, unifunctional tweezer has yet been found. Here we report a simple, low-cost, multifunctional single beam acoustic tweezer (SBAT) that is capable of manipulating an individual micrometer scale non-spherical cell at Rayleigh regime and even a single millimeter scale organism at Mie regime, and imaging tissue as well. We experimentally demonstrate that the SBAT with an ultralow f-number (f# = focal length/aperture size) could manipulate an individual red blood cell and a single 1.6 mm-diameter fertilized Zebrafish egg, respectively. Besides, in vitro rat aorta images were collected successfully at dynamic foci in which the lumen and the outer surface of the aorta could be clearly seen. With the ultralow f-number, the SBAT offers the combination of large acoustic radiation force and narrow beam width, leading to strong trapping and high-resolution imaging capabilities. These attributes enable the feasibility of using a single acoustic device to perform non-invasive multi-functions simultaneously for biomedical and biophysical applications.
Waterborne aripiprazole blunts the stress response in zebrafish
Authors: Barcellos Heloísa Helena de Alcantara , Kalichak Fabiana , da Rosa João Gabriel Santos , Oliveira Thiago Acosta , Koakoski Gessi , Idalencio Renan , de Abreu Murilo Sander , Giacomini Ana Cristina Varrone , Fagundes Michele , Variani Cristiane , Rossini Mainara , Piato Angelo L , Barcellos Leonardo José Gil 
Published: November 2016

AbstractHere we provide, at least to our knowledge, the first evidence that aripiprazole (APPZ) in the water blunts the stress response of exposed fish in a concentration ten times lower than the concentration detected in the environment. Although the mechanism of APPZ in the neuroendocrine axis is not yet determined, our results highlight that the presence of APPZ residues in the environment may interfere with the stress responses in fish. Since an adequate stress response is crucial to restore fish homeostasis after stressors, fish with impaired stress response may have trouble to cope with natural and/or imposed stressors with consequences to their welfare and survival.
Patterns in longitudinal growth of refraction in Southern Chinese children: cluster and principal component analysis
Authors: Chen Yanxian , Chang Billy Heung Wing , Ding Xiaohu , He Mingguang 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn the present study we attempt to use hypothesis-independent analysis in investigating the patterns in refraction growth in Chinese children, and to explore the possible risk factors affecting the different components of progression, as defined by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A total of 637 first-born twins in Guangzhou Twin Eye Study with 6-year annual visits (baseline age 7–15 years) were available in the analysis. Cluster 1 to 3 were classified after a partitioning clustering, representing stable, slow and fast progressing groups of refraction respectively. Baseline age and refraction, paternal refraction, maternal refraction and proportion of two myopic parents showed significant differences across the three groups. Three major components of progression were extracted using PCA: “Average refraction”, “Acceleration” and the combination of “Myopia stabilization” and “Late onset of refraction progress”. In regression models, younger children with more severe myopia were associated with larger “Acceleration”. The risk factors of “Acceleration” included change of height and weight, near work, and parental myopia, while female gender, change of height and weight were associated with “Stabilization”, and increased outdoor time was related to “Late onset of refraction progress”. We therefore concluded that genetic and environmental risk factors have different impacts on patterns of refraction progression.
Development and comparative study of chemosynthesized antigen and mimotope-based immunoassays for class-specific analysis of O,O-dimethyl organophosphorus pesticides
Authors: Zhao Fengchun , Wang Huimin , Han Xiao , Yang Zhengyou 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe multi-residue determination of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) is an important task due to the wide application and high toxicity of OPs. However, there is no promising immunoassay to monitor the multi-residue of O,O-dimethyl OPs. In this study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against a generic hapten of O,O-dimethyl OPs (O,O-dimethyl O-(3-carboxyphenyl)phosphorothioate) was prepared. To develop an effective class-specific immunoassay, two strategies were performed to select the appropriate coating antigen or competing antigen. On the one hand, a total of 20 haptens were chemosynthesized, attached to ovalbumin for use as coating antigen candidates, and selected by direct competitive ELISA (dcELISA). As a second strategy, mimotopes of the mAb were selected from a random phage-display peptide library by panning, and the optimum mimotope was expressed as a fusion protein and biotinylated in vitro. Based on the selected chemosynthesized coating antigen and the biotinylated mimotope fusion protein, two sensitive broad-specificity dcELISAs were developed. The sensitivity, selectivity and practicability of the two immunoassays were compared. The results demonstrated that both methods showed similar selectivity and sensitivity and were reliable for O,O-dimethyl OP residues screening. However, the screening operation of mimotopes was much simpler and safer compared to the preparation of chemosynthesized coating antigens.
The response of the soil microbial food web to extreme rainfall under different plant systems
Authors: Sun Feng , Pan Kaiwen , Tariq Akash , Zhang Lin , Sun Xiaoming , Li Zilong , Wang Sizhong , Xiong Qinli , Song Dagang , Olatunji Olusanya Abiodun 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAn agroforestry experiment was conducted that involved four planting systems: monoculture of the focal species Zanthoxylum bungeanum and mixed cultures of Z. bungeanum and Capsicum annuum, Z. bungeanum and Medicago sativa and Z. bungeanum and Glycine max. Soil microbial food web (microorganisms and nematodes) was investigated under manipulated extreme rainfall in the four planting systems to assess whether presence of neighbor species alleviated the magnitude of extreme rainfall on nutrient uptake of the focal species by increasing the stability of soil food web. Our results indicate that in the focal species and G. max mixed culture, leaf nitrogen contents of the focal species were higher than in the monoculture and in the other mixed cultures under extreme rainfall. This result was mainly due to the significant increase under extreme rainfall of G. max species root biomass, resulting in enhanced microbial resistance and subsequent net nitrogen mineralization rate and leaf nitrogen uptake for the focal species. Differences in functional traits of neighbors had additive effects and led to a marked divergence of soil food-web resistance and nutrient uptake of the focal species. Climate change can indirectly alleviate focal species via its influence on their neighbors.