bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Origin of the plant Tm-1-like gene via two independent horizontal transfer events and one gene fusion event
Authors: Yang Zefeng , Liu Li , Fang Huimin , Li Pengcheng , Xu Shuhui , Cao Wei , Xu Chenwu , Huang Jinling , Zhou Yong 
Published: September 2016

AbstractTheTomato mosaic virus(ToMV) resistance geneTm-1encodes a direct inhibitor of ToMV RNA replication to protect tomato from infection. The plant Tm-1-like (Tm-1L) protein is predicted to contain an uncharacterized N-terminal UPF0261 domain and a C-terminal TIM-barrel signal transduction (TBST) domain. Homologous searches revealed that proteins containing both of these two domains are mainly present in charophyte green algae and land plants but absent from glaucophytes, red algae and chlorophyte green algae. Although Tm-1 homologs are widely present in bacteria, archaea and fungi, UPF0261- and TBST-domain-containing proteins are generally encoded by different genes in these linages. A co-evolution analysis also suggested a putative interaction between UPF0261- and TBST-domain-containing proteins. Phylogenetic analyses based on homologs of these two domains revealed that plants have acquired UPF0261- and TBST-domain-encoding genes through two independent horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events before the origin of land plants from charophytes. Subsequently, gene fusion occurred between these two horizontally acquired genes and resulted in the origin of theTm-1Lgene in streptophytes. Our results demonstrate a novel evolutionary mechanism through which the recipient organism may acquire genes with functional interaction through two different HGT events and further fuse them into one functional gene.
Synthesis of Highly Polymerized Water-soluble Cellulose Acetate by the Side Reaction in Carboxylate Ionic Liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate
Authors: Pang Jinhui , Liu Xin , Yang Jun , Lu Fachuang , Wang Bo , Xu Feng , Ma Mingguo , Zhang Xueming 
Published: September 2016

AbstractIn the present study, we describe a novel one-step method to prepare water-soluble cellulose acetate (WSCA) with higher degree of polymerization values (DP = 650–680) by in situ activation of carboxyl group in ionic liquid. First of all, cellulose was dissolved in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimAc) and reacted with dichloroacetyl chloride (Cl2AcCl) in order to make cellulose dichloroacetate. Under various conditions, a series of water soluble products were produced. Elemental analysis and NMR results confirmed that they were cellulose acetate with DS (degree of substitution) values in the range from 0.30 to 0.63. NMR studies demonstrated that Cl2AcCl reacted with acetate anion of EmimAc producing a mixed anhydride that acetylated cellulose. Other acylating reagents such as benzoyl chloride, chloroacetyl chloride can also work similarly. 2D NMR characterization suggested that 6-mono-O-acetyl moiety, 3,6-di-O-acetylcellulose and 2,6-di-O-acetyl cellulose were all synthesized and the reactivity of hydroxyl groups in anhydro-glucose units was in the order C-6>C-3>C-2. This work provides an alternative way to make WSCA, meanwhile, also services as a reminder that the activity of EmimAc toward carbohydrate as acylating reagents could be a problem, because the expected acylated products may not be resulted and recycling of this ionic liquid could also be difficult.
Light-driven transport of plasmonic nanoparticles on demand
Authors: Rodrigo José A. , Alieva Tatiana 
Published: September 2016

AbstractLaser traps provide contactless manipulation of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) boosting the development of numerous applications in science and technology. The known trapping configurations allow immobilizing and moving single NPs or assembling them, but they are not suitable for massive optical transport of NPs along arbitrary trajectories. Here, we address this challenging problem and demonstrate that it can be handled by exploiting phase gradients forces to both confine and propel the NPs. The developed optical manipulation tool allows for programmable transport routing of NPs to around, surround or impact on objects in the host environment. An additional advantage is that the proposed confinement mechanism works for off-resonant but also resonant NPs paving the way for transport with simultaneous heating, which is of interest for targeted drug delivery and nanolithography. These findings are highly relevant to many technological applications including micro/nano-fabrication, micro-robotics and biomedicine.
CCT2 Mutations Evoke Leber Congenital Amaurosis due to Chaperone Complex Instability
Authors: Minegishi Yuriko , Sheng XunLun , Yoshitake Kazutoshi , Sergeev Yuri , Iejima Daisuke , Shibagaki Yoshio , Monma Norikazu , Ikeo Kazuho , Furuno Masaaki , Zhuang Wenjun , Liu Yani , Rong Weining , Hattori Seisuke , Iwata Takeshi 
Published: September 2016

AbstractLeber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a hereditary early-onset retinal dystrophy that is accompanied by severe macular degeneration. In this study, novel compound heterozygous mutations were identified as LCA-causative in chaperonin-containing TCP-1, subunit 2 (CCT2), a gene that encodes the molecular chaperone protein, CCTβ. The zebrafish mutants of CCTβ are known to exhibit the eye phenotype while its mutation and association with human disease have been unknown. The CCT proteins (CCT α-θ) forms ring complex for its chaperon function. The LCA mutants of CCTβ, T400P and R516H, are biochemically instable and the affinity for the adjacent subunit, CCTγ, was affected distinctly in both mutants. The patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), carrying these CCTβ mutants, were less proliferative than the control iPSCs. Decreased proliferation under Cct2 knockdown in 661W cells was significantly rescued by wild-type CCTβ expression. However, the expression of T400P and R516H didn’t exhibit the significant effect. In mouse retina, both CCTβ and CCTγ are expressed in the retinal ganglion cells and connecting cilium of photoreceptor cells. The Cct2 knockdown decreased its major client protein, transducing β1 (Gβ1). Here we report the novel LCA mutations in CCTβ and the impact of chaperon disability by these mutations in cellular biology.
Single-shot laser pulse reconstruction based on self-phase modulated spectra measurements
Authors: Anashkina Elena A. , Ginzburg Vladislav N. , Kochetkov Anton A. , Yakovlev Ivan V. , Kim Arkady V. , Khazanov Efim A. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractWe report a method for ultrashort pulse reconstruction based only on the pulse spectrum and two self-phase modulated (SPM) spectra measured after pulse propagation through thin media with a Kerr nonlinearity. The advantage of this method is that it is a simple and very effective tool for characterization of complex signals. We have developed a new retrieval algorithm that was verified by reconstructing numerically generated fields, such as a complex electric field of double pulses and few-cycle pulses with noises, pedestals and dips down to zero spectral intensity, which is challenging for commonly used techniques. We have also demonstrated a single-shot implementation of the technique for the reconstruction of experimentally obtained pulses. This method can be used for high power laser systems operating in a single-shot mode in the optical, near- and mid-IR spectral ranges. The method is robust, low cost, stable to noise, does not require a priori information and has no ambiguity related to time direction.
Differential human urinary lipid profiles using various lipid-extraction protocols: MALDI-TOF and LIFT-TOF/TOF analyses
Authors: Tipthara Phornpimon , Thongboonkerd Visith 
Published: September 2016

AbstractChanges in lipid levels/profiles can reflect health status and diseases. Urinary lipidomics, thus, has a great potential in clinical diagnostics/prognostics. Previously, only chloroform and methanol were used for extracting lipids from the urine. The present study aimed to optimize lipid extraction and examine differential lipid classes obtained by various extraction protocols. Urine samples were collected from eight healthy individuals and then pooled. Lipids were extracted by six solvent protocols, including (i) chloroform/methanol (1:1, v/v), (ii) chloroform/methanol (2:1, v/v), (iii) hexane/isopropanol (3:2, v/v), (iv) chloroform, (v) diethyl ether, and (vi) hexane. Lipid profiles of the six extracts were acquired by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) and some lipid classes were verified by LIFT-TOF/TOF MS/MS. The data revealed that phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) could be detected by all six protocols. However, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) were detectable only by protocols (i)–(iv), whereas phosphatidylserine (PS) was detectable only by protocols (iii)–(vi), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was detectable only by protocols (v)–(vi). In summary, we have demonstrated differential lipidome profiles yielded by different extraction protocols. These data can serve as an important source for selection of an appropriate extraction method for further highly focused studies on particular lipid classes in the human urine.
Combined Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Arterial Spin Labeling as Markers of Early Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Wei Xiaobo , Yan Ronghua , Chen Zhaoyu , Weng Ruihui , Liu Xu , Gao Huimin , Xu Xiaofeng , Kang Zhuang , Liu Zhexing , Guo Yan , Liu Zhenhua , Larsen Jan Petter , Wang Jin , Tang Beisha , Hallett Mark , Wang Qing 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThis study aimed to identify a PD-specific MRI pattern using combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) to discriminate patients with early PD from healthy subjects and evaluate disease status. Twenty-one early and 22 mid-late PD patients, and 22 healthy, age/gender-matched controls underwent 3-T MRI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), fiber number (FN) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements. We found that compared with healthy subjects, there was a profound reduction in FN passing through the SN in PD. FA in the SN and CBF in the caudate nucleus were inversely correlated with motor dysfunction. A negative correlation was observed between FA in the hippocampus (Hip) and the NMSS-Mood score, whereas CBF in the Hip and the prefrontal cortex(PFC) correlated with declined cognition. Stratified five-fold cross-validation identified FA in the SN(FA-SNAv), CBF in the PFC(CBF-PFCAv) and FA in the parietal white matter(FA-PWMAv), and the combination of these measurements offered relatively high accuracy (AUC 0.975, 90% sensitivity and 100% specificity) in distinguishing those with early PD from healthy subjects. We demonstrate that the decreased FNs through SN in combination with changes in FA-SNAv, CBF-PFCAv and FA-PWMAv values might serve as potential markers of early-stage PD.
Receptor and transporter binding and activity profiles of albiflorin extracted from Radix paeoniae Alba
Authors: Jin Zeng-liang , Gao Nana , Xu Weizhe , Xu Pingxiang , Li Shuaiqi , Zheng Yuan-yuan , Xue Ming 
Published: September 2016

AbstractAlbiflorin, a traditional Chinese herb, is a main component of Radix paeoniae Alba, which has been used for the treatment of depressive disorders since ancient times. However, the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of albiflorin is poorly understood. Thus, we explored the binding profile of albiflorin at neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. We also characterised the in vivo effect of albiflorin on monoaminergic systems by using microanalysis to determine the extracellular levels of serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) in the hypothalamus of freely moving rats administered albiflorin. We found that albiflorin inhibited the uptake of 5-HT and NE and displayed robust binding affinities for the transporters of both neurotransmitters. By contrast, albiflorin (10 μM) showed no significant affinity to a wide array of central nervous system receptors. The results of our in vivo microdialysis studies showed that administration of albiflorin (3.5, 7.0, 14.0 mg/kg) significantly increased extracellular concentrations of 5-HT and NE in the hypothalamus of freely moving rats. Overall, the current study showed that albiflorin is a novel 5-HT and NE reuptake inhibitor with high selectivity.
Histomorphometric and ultrastructural analysis of the tendon-bone interface after rotator cuff repair in a rat model
Authors: Kanazawa Tomonoshin , Gotoh Masafumi , Ohta Keisuke , Honda Hirokazu , Ohzono Hiroki , Shimokobe Hisao , Shiba Naoto , Nakamura Kei-ichiro 
Published: September 2016

AbstractSuccessful rotator cuff repair requires biological anchoring of the repaired tendon to the bone. However, the histological structure of the repaired tendon-bone interface differs from that of a normal tendon insertion. We analysed differences between the normal tendon insertion and the repaired tendon-bone interface after surgery in the mechanical properties, histomorphometric analysis and 3-dimensional ultrastructure of the cells using a rat rotator cuff repair model. Twenty-four adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent complete cuff tear and subsequent repair of the supraspinatus tendon. The repaired tendon-bone interface was evaluated at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. At each time point, shoulders underwent micro-computed tomography scanning and biomechanical testing (N = 6), conventional histology and histomorphometric analysis (N = 6) and ultrastructural analysis with focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) tomography (N = 4). We demonstrated that the cellular distribution between the repaired tendon and bone at 12 weeks after surgery bore similarities to the normal tendon insertion. However, the ultrastructure of the cells at any time point had a different morphology than those of the normal tendon insertion. These morphological differences affect the healing process, partly contributing to re-tearing at the repair site. These results may facilitate future studies of the regeneration of a normal tendon insertion.
Litter input decreased the response of soil organic matter decomposition to warming in two subtropical forest soils
Authors: Wang Qingkui , He Tongxin , Liu Jing 
Published: September 2016

AbstractInteraction effect of temperature and litter input on SOM decomposition is poor understood, restricting accurate prediction of the dynamics and stocks of soil organic carbon under global warming. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an incubation experiment by adding 13C labeled leaf-litter into a coniferous forest (CF) soil and a broadleaved forest (BF) soil. In this experiment, response of the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of SOM decomposition to the increase in litter input was investigated. The temperature dependences of priming effect (PE) and soil microbial community were analyzed. The Q10 for CF soil significantly decreased from 2.41 in no-litter treatment to 2.05 in litter-added treatment and for BF soil from 2.14 to 1.82, suggesting that litter addition decreases the Q10. PE in the CF soil was 24.9% at 20 °C and 6.2% at 30 °C, and in the BF soil the PE was 8.8% at 20 °C and −7.0% at 30 °C, suggesting that PE decreases with increasing temperature. Relative PE was positively related to the concentrations of Gram-negative bacterial and fungal PLFAs. This study moves a step forward in understanding warming effect on forest carbon cycling by highlighting interaction effect of litter input and warming on soil carbon cycling.
Tumor suppressor p53 protects mice against Listeria monocytogenes infection
Authors: Wang Shaohui , Liu Pingping , Wei Jianchao , Zhu Zixiang , Shi Zixue , Shao Donghua , Ma Zhiyong 
Published: September 2016

AbstractTumor suppressor p53 is involved in regulating immune responses, which contribute to antitumor and antiviral activity. However, whether p53 has anti-bacterial functions remains unclear. Listeria monocytogenes (LM) causes listeriosis in humans and animals and it is a powerful model for studying innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, we illustrate an important regulatory role of p53 during LM infection. p53 knockout (p53KO) mice were more susceptible to LM infection, which was manifested by a shorter survival time and lower survival rate. p53KO mice showed significant impairments in LM eradication. Knockdown of p53 in RAW264.7 and HeLa cells resulted in increased invasion and intracellular survival of LM. Furthermore, the invasion and intracellular survival of LM was inhibited in p53-overexpressing RAW264.7 and HeLa cells. LM-infected p53KO mice exhibited severe clinical symptoms and organ injury, presumably because of the abnormal production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12 and IL-18. Decreased IFN-γ and GBP1 productions were observed in LM-infected p53-deficient mice or cells. The combination of these defects likely resulted in the overwhelming LM infection in the p53KO mice. These observations indicate that p53 serves as an important regulator of the host innate immune that protects against LM infection.
Genetic and environmental influences on the germination of basidiospores in the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex
Authors: Forsythe Adrian , Vogan Aaron , Xu Jianping 
Published: September 2016

AbstractIn basidiomycetous fungi, the viability of basidiospores is an important component of sexual fitness. However, relatively little is known about the genetic and environmental factors influencing basidiospore germination. In this study, we used human opportunistic yeast pathogens, Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus deneoformans, as models to investigate the potential effects of selected genetic and environmental factors on basidiospore germination. A total of five strains with known genome structure were used to construct six crosses, three of which were between strains within the same species, while the remaining three were hybrid crosses between C. neoformans and C. deneoformans. Offspring from these crosses were incubated on two media (a nutrient-limiting and a nutrient-rich) and three temperatures (23 °C, 30 °C, and 37 °C). In general, spores from intra-specific crosses had greater germination rates than those from inter-specific crosses. Of the two environmental factors, temperature showed a greater influence than nutrient medium, with the 37 °C environment yielding lower germination rates than at 23 °C and 30 °C environments in most crosses. Furthermore, there were notable interaction effects between environmental factors and parental strains or strain pairs on basidiospore germination. We discuss the implications of these results on pathogenesis and speciation in this human fungal pathogen.
Validation of trophic and anthropic underwater noise as settlement trigger in blue mussels
Authors: Jolivet Aurélie , Tremblay Rejean , Olivier Fréderic , Gervaise Cédric , Sonier Rémi , Genard Bertrand , Chauvaud Laurent 
Published: September 2016

AbstractLike the majority of benthic invertebrates, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis has a bentho-pelagic cycle with its larval settlement being a complex phenomenon involving numerous factors. Among these factors, underwater noise and pelagic trophic conditions have been weakly studied in previous researches. Under laboratory conditions, we tested the hypothesis that picoplankton assimilation by the pediveliger blue mussel larvae acts as a food cue that interacts with anthropic underwater sound to stimulate settlement. We used 13C-labeling microalgae to validate the assimilation of different picoplankton species in the tissues of pediveliger larvae. Our results clearly confirm our hypothesis with a significant synergic effect of these two factors. However, only the picoeukaryotes strains assimilated by larvae stimulated the settlement, whereas the non-ingested picocyanobacteria did not. Similar positive responses were observed with underwater sound characterized by low frequency vessel noises. The combination of both factors (trophic and vessel noise) drastically increased the mussel settlement by an order of 4 compared to the control (without picoplankton and noise). Settlement levels ranged from 16.5 to 67% in 67 h.
Parity and serum lipid levels: a cross-sectional study in chinese female adults
Authors: Lv Haichen , Yang Xiaolei , Zhou Yong , Wu Jing , Liu Henghui , Wang Youxin , Pan Yuanming , Xia Yunlong 
Published: September 2016

AbstractReproductive factors have been shown to correlate with lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parity and serum lipid levels in community-based Chinese female adults. A total of 4,217 female participants were enrolled. Parity was recorded according to questionnaire and serum lipid profile, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), was measured. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of parity to serum lipid levels, while adjusting for demographics and metabolic risk factors. Parity in this population ranged from 0 to 7. After adjusting for potential confounders, it indicated that females with more than 2 parities appeared to be less likely to suffer from abnormal serum TC level compared with nulliparae (parity = 2, odds ratio (OR) = 0.457, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.284–0.736; parity ≥ 3, OR = 0.363, 95% CI = 0.202–0.653). These findings suggested that parity could correlate with lipid metabolism in Chinese women. Individuals with higher parity appeared to have a lower total cholesterol in blood.
Hydrothermal etching fabrication of TiO2@graphene hollow structures: mutually independent exposed {001} and {101} facets nanocrystals and its synergistic photocaltalytic effects
Authors: Liu Hui , Liu Shuang , Zhang Zhiling , Dong Xiaonan , Liu Tingting 
Published: September 2016

AbstractHighly exposed facets TiO2 attracts enormous attention due to its excellent separation effect of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and induced high performance of photocatalytic activity. Herein, a novel hydrothermal etching reaction was used to synthesize graphene-wrapped TiO2 hollow core-shell structures. Different with the reported co-exposed facets TiO2 single crystal nanoparticles, the present TiO2 core layer is composed by the mutually independent exposed {001} and {101} facets nanocrystals. Combined with the reduced graphene oxide shell layer, this graphene-wrapped TiO2 hollow core-shell structures formed a Z-scheme photocatalytic system, which possess simultaneously the high charge-separation efficiency and strong redox ability. Additionally, the as-prepared samples show a higher absorption property for organic molecules and visible light due to the presence of graphene. All of these unique properties ensure the excellent photocatalytic activity for the graphene-wrapped TiO2 hollow structures in the synergistic photo-oxidation of organic molecules and photo-reduced of Cr(VI) process. The TiO2 core composed with mutually independent exposed {001} and {101} facets nanocrystals is propose to play an important role in the fabrication of this Z-scheme photocatalytic system. Fabrication of Z-scheme photocatalytic system based on this unique exposed facets TiO2 nanocrystals will provides a new insight into the design and fabrication of advanced photocatalytic materials.