bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study of Repetitive Movements Induced Oscillatory Activities in Healthy Subjects and Chronic Stroke Patients
Authors: Hsu Chuan-Chih , Lee Wai-Keung , Shyu Kuo-Kai , Chang Hsiao-Huang , Yeh Ting-Kuang , Hsu Hao-Teng , Chang Chun-Yen , Lan Gong-Yau , Lee Po-Lei 
Published: December 2016

AbstractRepetitive movements at a constant rate require the integration of internal time counting and motor neural networks. Previous studies have proved that humans can follow short durations automatically (automatic timing) but require more cognitive efforts to track or estimate long durations. In this study, we studied sensorimotor oscillatory activities in healthy subjects and chronic stroke patients when subjects were performing repetitive finger movements. We found the movement-modulated changes in alpha and beta oscillatory activities were decreased with the increase of movement rates in finger lifting of healthy subjects and the non-paretic hands in stroke patients, whereas no difference was found in the paretic-hand movements at different movement rates in stroke patients. The significant difference in oscillatory activities between movements of non-paretic hands and paretic hands could imply the requirement of higher cognitive efforts to perform fast repetitive movements in paretic hands. The sensorimotor oscillatory response in fast repetitive movements could be a possible indicator to probe the recovery of motor function in stroke patients.
Increased levels of the oxidative stress biomarker 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in wastewater associated with tobacco use
Authors: Ryu Yeonsuk , Gracia-Lor Emma , Bade Richard , Baz-Lomba J. A. , Bramness Jørgen G. , Castiglioni Sara , Castrignanò Erika , Causanilles Ana , Covaci Adrian , de Voogt Pim , Hernandez Felix , Kasprzyk-Hordern Barbara , Kinyua Juliet , McCall Ann-Kathrin , Ort Christoph , Plósz Benedek G. , Ramin Pedram , Rousis Nikolaos I. , Reid Malcolm J. , Thomas Kevin V. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWastewater analysis has been demonstrated to be a complementary approach for assessing the overall patterns of drug use by a population while the full potential of wastewater-based epidemiology has yet to be explored. F2-isoprostanes are a prototype wastewater biomarker to study the cumulative oxidative stress at a community level. In this work, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) was analysed in raw 24 h-composite wastewater samples collected from 4 Norwegian and 7 other European cities in 2014 and 2015. Using the same samples, biomarkers of alcohol (ethyl sulfate) and tobacco (trans-3′-hydroxycotinine) use were also analysed to investigate any possible correlation between 8-iso-PGF2α and the consumption of the two drugs. The estimated per capita daily loads of 8-iso-PGF2α in the 11 cities ranged between 2.5 and 9.9 mg/day/1000 inhabitants with a population-weighted mean of 4.8 mg/day/1000 inhabitants. There were no temporal trends observed in the levels of 8-iso-PGF2α, however, spatial differences were found at the inter-city level correlating to the degree of urbanisation. The 8-iso-PGF2α mass load was found to be strongly associated with that of trans-3′-hydroxycotinine while it showed no correlation with ethyl sulfate. The present study shows the potential for 8-iso-PGF2α as a wastewater biomarker for the assessment of community public health.
Chemical formation of hybrid di-nitrogen calls fungal codenitrification into question
Authors: Phillips Rebecca L. , Song Bongkeun , McMillan Andrew M. S. , Grelet Gwen , Weir Bevan S. , Palmada Thilak , Tobias Craig 
Published: December 2016

AbstractRemoval of excess nitrogen (N) can best be achieved through denitrification processes that transform N in water and terrestrial ecosystems to di-nitrogen (N2) gas. The greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is considered an intermediate or end-product in denitrification pathways. Both abiotic and biotic denitrification processes use a single N source to form N2O. However, N2 can be formed from two distinct N sources (known as hybrid N2) through biologically mediated processes of anammox and codenitrification. We questioned if hybrid N2 produced during fungal incubation at neutral pH could be attributed to abiotic nitrosation and if N2O was consumed during N2 formation. Experiments with gas chromatography indicated N2 was formed in the presence of live and dead fungi and in the absence of fungi, while N2O steadily increased. We used isotope pairing techniques and confirmed abiotic production of hybrid N2 under both anoxic and 20% O2 atmosphere conditions. Our findings question the assumptions that (1) N2O is an intermediate required for N2 formation, (2) production of N2 and N2O requires anaerobiosis, and (3) hybrid N2 is evidence of codenitrification and/or anammox. The N cycle framework should include abiotic production of N2.
Structural implications of Ca2+-dependent actin-bundling function of human EFhd2/Swiprosin-1
Authors: Park Kyoung Ryoung , Kwon Min-Sung , An Jun Yop , Lee Jung-Gyu , Youn Hyung-Seop , Lee Youngjin , Kang Jung Youn , Kim Tae Gyun , Lim Jia Jia , Park Jeong Soon , Lee Sung Haeng , Song Woo Keun , Cheong Hae-Kap , Jun Chang-Duk , Eom Soo Hyun 
Published: December 2016

AbstractEFhd2/Swiprosin-1 is a cytoskeletal Ca2+-binding protein implicated in Ca2+-dependent cell spreading and migration in epithelial cells. EFhd2 domain architecture includes an N-terminal disordered region, a PxxP motif, two EF-hands, a ligand mimic helix and a C-terminal coiled-coil domain. We reported previously that EFhd2 displays F-actin bundling activity in the presence of Ca2+ and this activity depends on the coiled-coil domain and direct interaction of the EFhd2 core region. However, the molecular mechanism for the regulation of F-actin binding and bundling by EFhd2 is unknown. Here, the Ca2+-bound crystal structure of the EFhd2 core region is presented and structures of mutants defective for Ca2+-binding are also described. These structures and biochemical analyses reveal that the F-actin bundling activity of EFhd2 depends on the structural rigidity of F-actin binding sites conferred by binding of the EF-hands to Ca2+. In the absence of Ca2+, the EFhd2 core region exhibits local conformational flexibility around the EF-hand domain and C-terminal linker, which retains F-actin binding activity but loses the ability to bundle F-actin. In addition, we establish that dimerisation of EFhd2 via the C-terminal coiled-coil domain, which is necessary for F-actin bundling, occurs through the parallel coiled-coil interaction.
High-throughput and automated diagnosis of antimicrobial resistance using a cost-effective cellphone-based micro-plate reader
Authors: Feng Steve , Tseng Derek , Di Carlo Dino , Garner Omai B. , Ozcan Aydogan 
Published: December 2016

AbstractRoutine antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) can prevent deaths due to bacteria and reduce the spread of multi-drug-resistance, but cannot be regularly performed in resource-limited-settings due to technological challenges, high-costs, and lack of trained professionals. We demonstrate an automated and cost-effective cellphone-based 96-well microtiter-plate (MTP) reader, capable of performing AST without the need for trained diagnosticians. Our system includes a 3D-printed smartphone attachment that holds and illuminates the MTP using a light-emitting-diode array. An inexpensive optical fiber-array enables the capture of the transmitted light of each well through the smartphone camera. A custom-designed application sends the captured image to a server to automatically determine well-turbidity, with results returned to the smartphone in ~1 minute. We tested this mobile-reader using MTPs prepared with 17 antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacteria on clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, containing highly-resistant antimicrobial profiles. Using 78 patient isolate test-plates, we demonstrated that our mobile-reader meets the FDA-defined AST criteria, with a well-turbidity detection accuracy of 98.21%, minimum-inhibitory-concentration accuracy of 95.12%, and a drug-susceptibility interpretation accuracy of 99.23%, with no very major errors. This mobile-reader could eliminate the need for trained diagnosticians to perform AST, reduce the cost-barrier for routine testing, and assist in spatio-temporal tracking of bacterial resistance.
Capillary isoelectric focusing after sample enrichment with immunoaffinity chromatography in a single capillary
Authors: Shimura Kiyohito , Nagai Toshihiko 
Published: December 2016

AbstractFor accurate micro-scale quantification of a specific protein in biological fluids, immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) and isoelectric focusing (IEF) were combined in a single fused-silica capillary. The inner wall of the capillary was coated with an anti-E-tag antibody at the inlet side to form an IAC column, and polydimethylacrylamide, a neutral polymer, at the outlet side to form the capillary for IEF. After loading a sample, the whole capillary was filled with a carrier ampholyte solution. An anode solution, an acid, was then introduced to fill only the IAC column segment. Focusing was started with a pressure that balances with the electroosmotic flow produced in the acidified IAC column. Fluorescence-labeled recombinant Fab with an E-tag spiked at 16 pM to 10 nM in 50% serum was separated and detected with high precision. The coupling principle allows rapid and high-resolution IEF analysis of a protein in a biological sample without any loss of the immunoaffinity captured protein.
Comparison of impulsivity in non-problem, at-risk and problem gamblers
Authors: Yan Wan-Sen , Zhang Ran-Ran , Lan Yan , Li Yong-Hui , Sui Nan 
Published: December 2016

AbstractAs a non-substance addiction, gambling disorder represents the model for studying the neurobiology of addiction without toxic consequences of chronic drug use. From a neuropsychological perspective, impulsivity is deemed as a potential construct responsible in the onset and development of drug addiction. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between impulsivity and gambling status in young adults with varying severity of gambling. A sample of 1120 college students, equally divided into non-problem, at-risk and problem gamblers, were administered multiple measures of impulsivity including the UPPSP Impulsive Behaviors Scale (UPPSP), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Delay-discounting Test (DDT). Compared with non-problem gamblers, both at-risk gamblers and problem gamblers displayed elevated scores on Negative Urgency, Positive Urgency, Motor Impulsiveness, and Attentional Impulsiveness. Problem gamblers showed higher scores than at-risk gamblers on Positive Urgency. Logistic regression models revealed that only Negative Urgency positively predicted both at-risk gambling and problem gambling compared to non-problem gambling. These results suggest that dimensions of impulsivity may be differentially linked to gambling behavior in young adults, with Negative Urgency putatively identified as an important impulsivity-related marker for the development of gambling disorder, which may provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis.
Integrating Information in Biological Ontologies and Molecular Networks to Infer Novel Terms
Authors: Li Le , Yip Kevin Y. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractCurrently most terms and term-term relationships in Gene Ontology (GO) are defined manually, which creates cost, consistency and completeness issues. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of inferring GO automatically from biological networks, which represents an important complementary approach to GO construction. These methods (NeXO and CliXO) are unsupervised, which means 1) they cannot use the information contained in existing GO, 2) the way they integrate biological networks may not optimize the accuracy, and 3) they are not customized to infer the three different sub-ontologies of GO. Here we present a semi-supervised method called Unicorn that extends these previous methods to tackle the three problems. Unicorn uses a sub-tree of an existing GO sub-ontology as training part to learn parameters in integrating multiple networks. Cross-validation results show that Unicorn reliably inferred the left-out parts of each specific GO sub-ontology. In addition, by training Unicorn with an old version of GO together with biological networks, it successfully re-discovered some terms and term-term relationships present only in a new version of GO. Unicorn also successfully inferred some novel terms that were not contained in GO but have biological meanings well-supported by the literature.Availability: Source code of Unicorn is available at http://yiplab.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/unicorn/.
Microcystin-Leucine Arginine Causes Cytotoxic Effects in Sertoli Cells Resulting in Reproductive Dysfunction in Male Mice
Authors: Chen Yabing , Zhou Yuan , Wang Jing , Wang Lihui , Xiang Zou , Li Dongmei , Han Xiaodong 
Published: December 2016

AbstractMicrocystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) is a potent toxin for Sertoli cells. However, the specific molecular mechanisms of MC-induced cytotoxicity still remain unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analyses of changes of miRNAs and mRNAs in Sertoli cells treated with MC-LR. Through computational approaches, we showed the pivotal roles of differentially expressed miRNAs that were associated with cell metabolism, cellular growth and proliferation, cell-to-cell signaling and interaction and cellular movement. Ingenuity Pathway Analyses (IPA) revealed some differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs that may cause reproductive system diseases. Target gene analyses suggested that destruction in tight junctions (TJ) and adherens junctions (AJ) in testes may be mediated by miRNAs. Consistent with a significant enrichment of chemokine signaling pathways, we observed numerous macrophages in the testes of mice following treatment with MC-LR, which may cause testicular inflammation. Moreover, miR-98-5p and miR-758 were predicted to bind the 3′-UTR region of the mitogen-activated protein kinase 11 (MAPK11, p38 β isoform) gene which stimulates tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression in Sertoli cells. TNF-α could interact with the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) on germ cells leading to induction of germ cell apoptosis. Collectively, our integrated miRNA/mRNA analyses provided a molecular paradigm, which was experimentally validated, for understanding MC-LR-induced cytotoxicity.
Aptamer-PEG-modified Fe3O4@Mn as a novel T1- and T2- dual-model MRI contrast agent targeting hypoxia-induced cancer stem cells
Authors: Zhu Haitao , Zhang Lirong , Liu Yanfang , Zhou Yuepeng , Wang Kang , Xie Xiaodong , Song Lian , Wang Dongqing , Han Chunlei , Chen Qiuyun 
Published: December 2016

AbstractHypoxia-induced cancer stem cells have been known to be involved in tumour metastasis, resistance to chemo/radio therapy and tumour recurrence. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a widely used imaging tool for cancers in clinics and research. To develop T1-positive and T2-negative dual mode MRI agents for more comprehensive and accurate diagnostic information under hypoxic conditions, a hypoxia-inducible factor-1α based aptamer and Mn(II)-modified nanoparticles D-Fe3O4@PMn were synthesized and characterized. In vitro and in vivo studies show that D-Fe3O4@PMn NPs are biocompatible and less cytotoxic and can produce significant contrast enhancement in T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging. Furthermore, the D-Fe3O4@PMn NPs enable targeted dual-contrast T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging of cancer cells expressing high levels of HIF-1α and cancer stem cell-related proteins under hypoxic condition. In conclusion, NPs with HIF-1α and Mn(II) are promising diagnostic agents for dual-mode T1 and T2 imaging by targeting cancer stem cells as they are non-toxic and biocompatible.
Prognostic value of circulating regulatory T cell subsets in untreated non-small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Kotsakis Athanasios , Koinis Filippos , Katsarou Afroditi , Gioulbasani Marianthi , Aggouraki Despoina , Kentepozidis Nikolaos , Georgoulias Vassilis , Vetsika Eleni-Kyriaki 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThe role of the different circulating regulatory T-cells (Treg) subsets, as well as their correlation with clinical outcome of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is poorly understood. Peripheral blood from 156 stage III/IV chemotherapy-naive NSCLC patients and 31 healthy donors (HD) was analyzed with flow cytometry for the presence and functionality of CD4+ Treg subsets (naive, effector and terminal effector). Their frequencies were correlated with the clinical outcome. All CD4+ Treg subsets exhibited highly suppressive activity by TGF-β and IL-10 production. The percentages of naive Treg were found elevated in NSCLC patients compared to HD and were associated with poor clinical outcome, whereas the percentage of terminal effector Treg was lower compared to HD and higher levels were correlated with improved clinical response. At baseline, normal levels of naive and effector Treg were associated with longer overall survival (OS) compared to high levels, while the high frequency of the terminal effector Treg was correlated with longer Progression-Free Survival and OS. It is demonstrated, for first time, that particular CD4+ Treg subtypes are elevated in NSCLC patients and their levels are associated to the clinical outcome. The blocking of their migration to the tumor site may be an effective therapeutic strategy.
The Unravelling of the Genetic Architecture of Plasminogen Deficiency and its Relation to Thrombotic Disease
Authors: Martin-Fernandez Laura , Marco Pascual , Corrales Irene , Pérez Raquel , Ramírez Lorena , López Sonia , Vidal Francisco , Soria José Manuel 
Published: December 2016

AbstractAlthough plasminogen is a key protein in fibrinolysis and several mutations in the plasminogen gene (PLG) have been identified that result in plasminogen deficiency, there are conflicting reports to associate it with the risk of thrombosis. Our aim was to unravel the genetic architecture of PLG in families with plasminogen deficiency and its relationship with spontaneous thrombotic events in these families. A total of 13 individuals from 4 families were recruited. Their genetic risk profile of thromboembolism was characterized using the Thrombo inCode kit. Only one family presented genetic risk of thromboembolism (homozygous carrier of F12 rs1801020 and F13A1 rs5985). The whole PLG was tested using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and 5 putative pathogenic mutations were found (after in silico predictions) and associated with plasminogen deficiency. Although we can not find genetic risk factors of thrombosis in 3 of 4 families, even the mutations associated with plasminogen deficiency do not cosegregated with thrombosis, we can not exclude plasminogen deficiency as a susceptibility risk factor for thrombosis, since thrombosis is a multifactorial and complex disease where unknown genetic risk factors, in addition to plasminogen deficiency, within these families may explain the thrombotic tendency.
Nonlinear plasmonic dispersion and coupling analysis in the symmetric graphene sheets waveguide
Authors: Jiang Xiangqian , Yuan Haiming , Sun Xiudong 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWe study the nonlinear dispersion and coupling properties of the graphene-bounded dielectric slab waveguide at near-THz/THz frequency range, and then reveal the mechanism of symmetry breaking in nonlinear graphene waveguide. We analyze the influence of field intensity and chemical potential on dispersion relation, and find that the nonlinearity of graphene affects strongly the dispersion relation. As the chemical potential decreases, the dispersion properties change significantly. Antisymmetric and asymmetric branches disappear and only symmetric one remains. A nonlinear coupled mode theory is established to describe the dispersion relations and its variation, which agrees with the numerical results well. Using the nonlinear couple model we reveal the reason of occurrence of asymmetric mode in the nonlinear waveguide.
The Sequelae of Metallosis Resulting in Skin Pigmentation and Tattooing: A Case Presentation and Literature Review
Authors: Thomas Stephen , Gouk Conor , Jayasakeera Narlaka , Freeman Michael 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWith advancing technologies in orthopedics and increasing demands of the population for orthopedic interventions, younger patients are now receiving joint replacements. One of the potential risks of joint replacement is metallosis, or the local and systemic release of metal ions. Metallosis is caused by the release of metallic debris, secondary to hardware failure. The phenomenon is most commonly associated with failed metal-on-metal hip prostheses and is characterized locally by heavy staining of surrounding soft tissue, metallic synovitis, joint effusion, and gradual loosening of the prosthesis. Additionally, metallic debris can also lead to periarticular superficial skin manifestations. The release of metal ions has further been known to lead to systemic upsets including neurologic deficit (declining vision, hearing, or cognition; headaches), cardiac failure, and hypothyroidism. As the number of patients seeking major orthopedic interventions grows, the incidence of metallosis-related skin tattooing will also increase. The structural components of a failed joint replacement can be revised (improving patients' pain and functioning). However, any skin tattooing secondary to metallosis presents the treating dermatologist with clinical challenge, due to lack of research regarding treatment of this condition. Our aim is to review the published literature on metallosis, including the pathophysiology. After assessing publications on the treatment of traumatic and cosmetic tattooing, we hope to stimulate further research regarding treatment. This article should also serve to remind orthopedic surgeons that with increasing patient concern regarding cosmesis, a multispecialty approach including referral to a dermatologist is valuable.
Global stability in a nonautonomous genotype selection model
Authors: Qian Chuanxi 
Published: December 2016

Consider the nonautonomous difference equation
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y_{n + 1} = \frac { y_n \exp \left ( \beta _n \left ( 1 - \sum \nolimits _{i = 0}^k \alpha _i y_{n - i} \right ) \right )} {1 - y_n + y_n \exp \left ( \beta _n \left ( 1 - \sum \nolimits _{i = 0}^k \alpha _i y_{n - i} \right ) \right )}, n = 0, 1,..., \qquad \left ( 0.1 \right )

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where

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is a nonnegative sequence, which is used as a genotype selection model. In this paper, we first establish some criteria for the positive equilibrium of Eq. (0.1) to be globally asymptotically stable. Then some special cases of Eq. (0.1) are investigated further and more global stability results are obtained. Our results also extend and improve some known results in the literature.