bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Major advance of South Georgia glaciers during the Antarctic Cold Reversal following extensive sub-Antarctic glaciation
Authors: Graham Alastair G. C. , Kuhn Gerhard , Meisel Ove , Hillenbrand Claus-Dieter , Hodgson Dominic A. , Ehrmann Werner , Wacker Lukas , Wintersteller Paul , dos Santos Ferreira Christian , Römer Miriam , White Duanne , Bohrmann Gerhard 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe history of glaciations on Southern Hemisphere sub-polar islands is unclear. Debate surrounds the extent and timing of the last glacial advance and termination on sub-Antarctic South Georgia in particular. Here, using sea-floor geophysical data and marine sediment cores, we resolve the record of glaciation offshore of South Georgia through the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene. We show a sea-bed landform imprint of a shelf-wide last glacial advance and progressive deglaciation. Renewed glacier resurgence in the fjords between c. 15,170 and 13,340 yr ago coincided with a period of cooler, wetter climate known as the Antarctic Cold Reversal, revealing a cryospheric response to an Antarctic climate pattern extending into the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. We conclude that the last glaciation of South Georgia was extensive, and the sensitivity of its glaciers to climate variability during the last termination more significant than implied by previous studies.
The best features of diamond nanothread for nanofibre applications
Authors: Zhan Haifei , Zhang Gang , Tan Vincent B. C. , Gu Yuantong 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCarbon fibres have attracted interest from both the scientific and engineering communities due to their outstanding physical properties. Here we report that recently synthesized ultrathin diamond nanothread not only possesses excellent torsional deformation capability, but also excellent interfacial load-transfer efficiency. Compared with (10,10) carbon nanotube bundles, the flattening of nanotubes is not observed in diamond nanothread bundles, which leads to a high-torsional elastic limit that is almost three times higher. Pull-out tests reveal that the diamond nanothread bundle has an interface transfer load of more than twice that of the carbon nanotube bundle, corresponding to an order of magnitude higher in terms of the interfacial shear strength. Such high load-transfer efficiency is attributed to the strong mechanical interlocking effect at the interface. These intriguing features suggest that diamond nanothread could be an excellent candidate for constructing next-generation carbon fibres.
Observation of biexcitonic emission at extremely low power density in tungsten disulfide atomic layers grown on hexagonal boron nitride
Authors: Okada Mitsuhiro , Miyauchi Yuhei , Matsuda Kazunari , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Shinohara Hisanori , Kitaura Ryo 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMonolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) including WS2, MoS2, WSe2 and WS2, are two-dimensional semiconductors with direct bandgap, providing an excellent field for exploration of many-body effects in 2-dimensions (2D) through optical measurements. To fully explore the physics of TMDCs, the prerequisite is preparation of high-quality samples to observe their intrinsic properties. For this purpose, we have focused on high-quality samples, WS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition method with hexagonal boron nitride as substrates. We observed sharp exciton emissions, whose linewidth is typically 22~23 meV, in photoluminescence spectra at room temperature, which result clearly demonstrates the high-quality of the current samples. We found that biexcitons formed with extremely low-excitation power (240 W/cm2) at 80 K, and this should originate from the minimal amount of localization centers in the present high-quality samples. The results clearly demonstrate that the present samples can provide an excellent field, where one can observe various excitonic states, offering possibility of exploring optical physics in 2D and finding new condensates.
Acclimation of a low iron adapted Ostreococcus strain to iron limitation through cell biomass lowering
Authors: Botebol Hugo , Lelandais Gaelle , Six Christophe , Lesuisse Emmanuel , Meng Arnaud , Bittner Lucie , Lecrom Stéphane , Sutak Robert , Lozano Jean-Claude , Schatt Philippe , Vergé Valérie , Blain Stéphane , Bouget François-Yves 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIron is an essential micronutrient involved in many biological processes and is often limiting for primary production in large regions of the World Ocean. Metagenomic and physiological studies have identified clades or ecotypes of marine phytoplankton that are specialized in iron depleted ecological niches. Although less studied, eukaryotic picophytoplankton does contribute significantly to primary production and carbon transfer to higher trophic levels. In particular, metagenomic studies of the green picoalga Ostreococcus have revealed the occurrence of two main clades distributed along coast-offshore gradients, suggesting niche partitioning in different nutrient regimes. Here, we present a study of the response to iron limitation of four Ostreococcus strains isolated from contrasted environments. Whereas the strains isolated in nutrient-rich waters showed high iron requirements, the oceanic strains could cope with lower iron concentrations. The RCC802 strain, in particular, was able to maintain high growth rate at low iron levels. Together physiological and transcriptomic data indicate that the competitiveness of RCC802 under iron limitation is related to a lowering of iron needs though a reduction of the photosynthetic machinery and of protein content, rather than to cell size reduction. Our results overall suggest that iron is one of the factors driving the differentiation of physiologically specialized Ostreococcus strains in the ocean.
Prosocial Orientation Alters Network Dynamics and Fosters Cooperation
Authors: Melamed David , Simpson Brent , Harrell Ashley 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDynamic networks have been shown to increase cooperation, but prior findings are compatible with two different mechanisms for the evolution of cooperation. It may be that dynamic networks promote cooperation even in networks composed entirely of egoists, who strategically cooperate to attract and maintain profitable interaction partners. Alternatively, drawing on recent insights into heterogeneous social preferences, we expect that dynamic networks will increase cooperation only when nodes are occupied by persons with more prosocial preferences, who tend to attract and keep more cooperative partners relative to egoists. Our experiment used a standard procedure to classify participants a priori as egoistic or prosocial and then embedded them in homogeneous networks of all prosocials or all egoists, or in heterogeneous networks (50/50). Participants then interacted in repeated prisoner's dilemma games with alters in both static and dynamic networks. In both heterogeneous and homogeneous networks, we find dynamic networks only promote cooperation among prosocials. Resulting from their greater cooperation, prosocials’ relations are more stable, yielding substantially higher fitness compared to egoists in both heterogeneous and homogeneous dynamic networks. Our results suggest that a key to the evolution and stability of cooperation is the ability of those with prosocial preferences to alter their networks.
Selective inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin/CBP signaling ameliorates hepatitis C virus-induced liver fibrosis in mouse model
Authors: Tokunaga Yuko , Osawa Yosuke , Ohtsuki Takahiro , Hayashi Yukiko , Yamaji Kenzaburo , Yamane Daisuke , Hara Mitsuko , Munekata Keisuke , Tsukiyama-Kohara Kyoko , Hishima Tsunekazu , Kojima Soichi , Kimura Kiminori , Kohara Michinori 
Published: March 2017

AbstractChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of serious liver diseases, including liver cirrhosis. There are no anti-fibrotic drugs with efficacy against liver cirrhosis. Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of tissue fibrosis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a β-catenin/CBP (cyclic AMP response element binding protein) inhibitor on liver fibrosis. The anti-fibrotic activity of PRI-724, a selective inhibitor of β-catenin/CBP, was assessed in HCV GT1b transgenic mice at 18 months after HCV genome expression. PRI-724 was injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously in these mice for 6 weeks. PRI-724 reduced liver fibrosis, which was indicated by silver stain, Sirius Red staining, and hepatic hydroxyproline levels, in HCV mice while attenuating αSMA induction. PRI-724 led to increased levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 mRNA in the liver, along with elevated levels of intrahepatic neutrophils and macrophages/monocytes. The induced intrahepatic neutrophils and macrophages/monocytes were identified as the source of MMP-8. In conclusion, PRI-724 ameliorated HCV-induced liver fibrosis in mice. We hypothesize that inhibition of hepatic stellate cells activation and induction of fibrolytic cells expressing MMP-8 contribute to the anti-fibrotic effects of PRI-724. PRI-724 is a drug candidate which possesses anti-fibrotic effect.
Rtn1a-Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Podocyte Injury and Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Fan Ying , Zhang Jing , Xiao Wenzhen , Lee Kyung , Li Zhengzhe , Wen Jiejun , He Li , Gui Dingkun , Xue Rui , Jian Guihua , Sheng Xiaohua , He John Cijiang , Wang Niansong 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe previously reported a critical role of reticulon (RTN) 1A in mediating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in kidney tubular cells and the expression of RTN1A correlates with the renal function and the severity of kidney injury in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Here, we determined the roles of RTN1A and ER stress in podocyte injury and DN. We used db/db mice with early unilateral nephrectomy (Unx) as a murine model of progressive DN and treated mice with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a specific inhibitor of ER stress. We found increased expression of RTN1A and ER stress markers in the kidney of db/db-Unx mice. Treatment of TUDCA not only attenuated proteinuria and kidney histological changes, but also ameliorated podocyte and glomeruli injury in diabetic mice, which were associated with reduction of RTN1A and ER stress marker expression in the podocytes of TUDCA-treated mice. In vitro, we showed RTN1A mediates albumin-induced ER stress and apoptosis in human podocytes. A positive feedback loop between RTN1A and CHOP was found leading to an enhanced ER stress in podocytes. Our data suggest that ER stress plays a major role in podocyte injury in DN and RTN1A might be a key regulator of ER stress in podocytes.
Cortical cells reveal APP as a new player in the regulation of GABAergic neurotransmission
Authors: Doshina Anna , Gourgue Florian , Onizuka Michiho , Opsomer Remi , Wang Peng , Ando Kunie , Tasiaux Bernadette , Dewachter Ilse , Kienlen-Campard Pascal , Brion Jean-Pierre , Gailly Philippe , Octave Jean-Noël , Pierrot Nathalie 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe amyloid precursor protein (APP) modulates synaptic activity, resulting from the fine tuning of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission is affected by modifications in intracellular chloride concentrations regulated by Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) and neuronal K+-Cl− cotransporter 2 (KCC2), allowing entrance and efflux of chloride, respectively. Modifications in NKCC1 and KCC2 expression during maturation of cortical cells induce a shift in GABAergic signaling. Here, we demonstrated that APP affects this GABA shift. Expression of APP in cortical cells decreased the expression of KCC2, without modifying NKCC1, eliciting a less inhibitory GABA response. Downregulation of KCC2 expression by APP was independent of the APP intracellular domain, but correlated with decreased expression of upstream stimulating factor 1 (USF1), a potent regulator of Slc12a5 gene expression (encoding KCC2). KCC2 was also downregulated in vivo following APP expression in neonatal mouse brain. These results argue for a key role of APP in the regulation of GABAergic neurotransmission.
Regulation of membrane ruffling by polarized STIM1 and ORAI1 in cortactin-rich domains
Authors: Lopez-Guerrero Aida M. , Tomas-Martin Patricia , Pascual-Caro Carlos , Macartney Thomas , Rojas-Fernandez Alejandro , Ball Graeme , Alessi Dario R. , Pozo-Guisado Eulalia , Martin-Romero Francisco Javier 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCell motility and migration requires the reorganization of the cortical cytoskeleton at the leading edge of cells and extracellular Ca2+ entry is essential for this reorganization. However the molecular nature of the regulators of this pathway is unknown. This work contributes to understanding the role of STIM1 and ORAI1 in the promotion of membrane ruffling by showing that phospho-STIM1 localizes at the leading edge of cells, and that both phospho-STIM1 and ORAI1 co-localize with cortactin (CTTN), a regulator of the cytoskeleton at membrane ruffling areas. STIM1-KO and ORAI1-KO cell lines were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in U2OS cells. In both cases, KO cells presented a notable reduction of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) that was rescued by expression of STIM1-mCherry and ORAI1-mCherry. These results demonstrated that SOCE regulates membrane ruffling at the leading edge of cells. Moreover, endogenous ORAI1 and overexpressed ORAI1-GFP co-immunoprecipitated with endogenous CTTN. This latter result, in addition to the KO cells’ phenotype, the preservation of ORAI1-CTTN co-localization during ruffling, and the inhibition of membrane ruffling by the Ca2+-channel inhibitor SKF96365, further supports a functional link between SOCE and membrane ruffling.
Populus trichocarpa encodes small, effector-like secreted proteins that are highly induced during mutualistic symbiosis
Authors: Plett Jonathan M. , Yin Hengfu , Mewalal Ritesh , Hu Rongbin , Li Ting , Ranjan Priya , Jawdy Sara , De Paoli Henrique C. , Butler George , Burch-Smith Tessa Maureen , Guo Hao-Bo , Ju Chen Chun , Kohler Annegret , Anderson Ian C. , Labbé Jessy L. , Martin Francis , Tuskan Gerald A. , Yang Xiaohan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDuring symbiosis, organisms use a range of metabolic and protein-based signals to communicate. Of these protein signals, one class is defined as ‘effectors’, i.e., small secreted proteins (SSPs) that cause phenotypical and physiological changes in another organism. To date, protein-based effectors have been described in aphids, nematodes, fungi and bacteria. Using RNA sequencing of Populus trichocarpa roots in mutualistic symbiosis with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor, we sought to determine if host plants also contain genes encoding effector-like proteins. We identified 417 plant-encoded putative SSPs that were significantly regulated during this interaction, including 161 SSPs specific to P. trichocarpa and 15 SSPs exhibiting expansion in Populus and closely related lineages. We demonstrate that a subset of these SSPs can enter L. bicolor hyphae, localize to the nucleus and affect hyphal growth and morphology. We conclude that plants encode proteins that appear to function as effector proteins that may regulate symbiotic associations.
Fission-fusion dynamics over large distances in raven non-breeders
Authors: Loretto Matthias-Claudio , Schuster Richard , Itty Christian , Marchand Pascal , Genero Fulvio , Bugnyar Thomas 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe influence of fission-fusion dynamics, i.e., temporal variation in group size and composition, on social complexity has been studied in large-brained mammals that rely on social bonds. Little is known about birds, even though some species like ravens have recently received attention for their socio-cognitive skills and use of social bonds. While raven breeders defend territories year-round, non-breeders roam through large areas and form groups at food sources or night roosts. We here examined the fission-fusion patterns of non-breeding ravens over years, investigating whether birds meet repeatedly either at the same or at different locations. We combined four large datasets: presence-absence observations from two study sites (Austria, Italy) and GPS-tracking of ravens across two study areas (Austria, France). As expected, we found a highly dynamic system in which individuals with long phases of temporary settlement had a high probability of meeting others. Although GPS-tagged ravens spread out over thousands of square kilometres, we found repeated associations between almost half of the possible combinations at different locations. Such a system makes repeated interactions between individuals at different sites possible and likely. High fission-fusion dynamics may thus not hinder but shape the social complexity of ravens and, possibly, other long-term bonded birds.
Tmeff2 is expressed in differentiating oligodendrocytes but dispensable for their differentiation in vivo
Authors: Huang Hao , Teng Peng , Mei Ruyi , Yang Aifen , Zhang Zunyi , Zhao Xiaofeng , Qiu Mengsheng 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMyelin elaborated by oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the central nervous system (CNS) is required for saltatory conduction of action potentials along neuronal axons. We found that TMEFF2, a transmembrane protein with EGF-like and two follistatin-like domains, is selectively expressed in differentiating/myelinating OLs. Previous studies showed that TMEFF2 is capable of binding to PDGFA, which plays important roles in the proliferation, migration and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). However, molecular and genetic analysis revealed that Tmeff2 is a weak binder of PDGFA, and not required for OL differentiation and myelin gene expression in vivo. Together, our data suggested that Tmeff2 is specifically upregulated in OLs, but dispensable for OL differentiation and maturation.
A DFT Study on the Electronic Structures and Conducting Properties of Rubrene and its Derivatives in Organic Field-Effect Transistors
Authors: Ma Huipeng , Liu Na , Huang Jin-Dou 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe systematically studied the electronic structures and conducting properties of rubrene and its derivatives reported recently, and disscussed the influences of electron-withdrawing groups and chemical oxidation on the reorganization energies, crystal packing, electronic couplings, and charge injection barrier of rubrene. Hirshfeld surface analysis and quantum-chemical calculations revealed that the introduction of CF3 groups into rubrene decreases the H···H repulsive interaction and increases intermolecular F···H/H···F attractive interactions, which resulted in the tight packing arrangement and the increase of the electronic couplings, and finally cause the higer intrinsic hole-mobility in bis(trifluoromethyl)-dimethyl-rubrene crystal (μh = 19.2 cm2 V−1 s−1) than in rubrene crystal (μh = 15.8 cm2 V−1 s−1). In comparison, chemical oxidation reduces charge-carrier mobility of rubrene crystal by 2~4 orders of magnitude and increased the hole and electron injection barrier, which partly explains the rubrene-based field-effect transistor performance degrades upon exposure to air. Furthermore, we also discussed the influence of structural parameters of carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode on charge injection process, which suggests that the regulation of CNT diameters and increasing in thickness is an effective strategy to optimize CNT work functions and improve n-type OFET performances based on these organic materials.
Complete genome sequence and comparative genomics of the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii
Authors: Khatri Indu , Tomar Rajul , Ganesan K. , Prasad G. S. , Subramanian Srikrishna 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is known to be effective against many gastrointestinal disorders and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. To understand molecular basis of probiotic-properties ascribed to Sb we determined the complete genomes of two strains of Sb i.e. Biocodex and unique28 and the draft genomes for three other Sb strains that are marketed as probiotics in India. We compared these genomes with 145 strains of S. cerevisiae (Sc) to understand genome-level similarities and differences between these yeasts. A distinctive feature of Sb from other Sc is absence of Ty elements Ty1, Ty3, Ty4 and associated LTR. However, we could identify complete Ty2 and Ty5 elements in Sb. The genes for hexose transporters HXT11 and HXT9, and asparagine-utilization are absent in all Sb strains. We find differences in repeat periods and copy numbers of repeats in flocculin genes that are likely related to the differential adhesion of Sb as compared to Sc. Core-proteome based taxonomy places Sb strains along with wine strains of Sc. We find the introgression of five genes from Z. bailii into the chromosome IV of Sb and wine strains of Sc. Intriguingly, genes involved in conferring known probiotic properties to Sb are conserved in most Sc strains.
A PSO-based multi-objective multi-label feature selection method in classification
Authors: Zhang Yong , Gong Dun-wei , Sun Xiao-yan , Guo Yi-nan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractFeature selection is an important data preprocessing technique in multi-label classification. Although a large number of studies have been proposed to tackle feature selection problem, there are a few cases for multi-label data. This paper studies a multi-label feature selection algorithm using an improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization (PSO), with the purpose of searching for a Pareto set of non-dominated solutions (feature subsets). Two new operators are employed to improve the performance of the proposed PSO-based algorithm. One operator is adaptive uniform mutation with action range varying over time, which is used to extend the exploration capability of the swarm; another is a local learning strategy, which is designed to exploit the areas with sparse solutions in the search space. Moreover, the idea of the archive, and the crowding distance are applied to PSO for finding the Pareto set. Finally, experiments verify that the proposed algorithm is a useful approach of feature selection for multi-label classification problem.
Drosophila dyskerin is required for somatic stem cell homeostasis
Authors: Vicidomini Rosario , Petrizzo Arianna , di Giovanni Annamaria , Cassese Laura , Lombardi Antonella Anna , Pragliola Caterina , Furia Maria 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDrosophila represents an excellent model to dissect the roles played by the evolutionary conserved family of eukaryotic dyskerins. These multifunctional proteins are involved in the formation of H/ACA snoRNP and telomerase complexes, both involved in essential cellular tasks. Since fly telomere integrity is guaranteed by a different mechanism, we used this organism to investigate the specific role played by dyskerin in somatic stem cell maintenance. To this aim, we focussed on Drosophila midgut, a hierarchically organized and well characterized model for stemness analysis. Surprisingly, the ubiquitous loss of the protein uniquely affects the formation of the larval stem cell niches, without altering other midgut cell types. The number of adult midgut precursor stem cells is dramatically reduced, and this effect is not caused by premature differentiation and is cell-autonomous. Moreover, a few dispersed precursors found in the depleted midguts can maintain stem identity and the ability to divide asymmetrically, nor show cell-growth defects or undergo apoptosis. Instead, their loss is mainly specifically dependent on defective amplification. These studies establish a strict link between dyskerin and somatic stem cell maintenance in a telomerase-lacking organism, indicating that loss of stemness can be regarded as a conserved, telomerase-independent effect of dyskerin dysfunction.