bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anatomic measures of upper airway structures in obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Barrera Jose E. , Pau Candace Y. , Forest Veronique‐Isabelle , Holbrook Andrew B. , Popelka Gerald R. 
Published: June 2017

ObjectiveDetermine if anatomic dimensions of airway structures are associated with airway obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients.MethodsTwenty‐eight subjects with (n = 14) and without (n = 14) OSA as determined by clinical symptoms and sleep studies; volunteer sample. Skeletal and soft tissue dimensions were measured from radiocephalometry and magnetic resonance imaging. The soft palate thickness, mandibular plane‐hyoid (MP‐H) distance, posterior airway space (PAS) diameters and area, and tongue volume were calculated.ResultsCompared to controls, the OSA group demonstrated a significantly longer MP‐H distance (P = 0.009) and shorter nasal PAS diameter (P = 0.02). The PAS area was smaller (P = 0.002) and tongue volume larger in the OSA group (P = 0.004). The MP‐H distance, PAS measurements, and tongue volume are of clinical relevance in OSA patients.ConclusionsA long MP‐H distance, and small PAS diameters and area are significant anatomic measures in OSA; however the most substantial parameter found was a large tongue volume.
On the last exit times for spectrally negative Lévy processes
Authors: Li Yingqiu , Yin Chuancun , Zhou Xiaowen 
Published: June 2017

Abstract
Using a new approach, for spectrally negative Lévy processes we find joint Laplace transforms involving the last exit time (from a semiinfinite interval), the value of the process at the last exit time, and the associated occupation time, which generalize some previous results.
Moderate deviation principles for importance sampling estimators of risk measures
Authors: Nyquist Pierre 
Published: June 2017

Abstract
Importance sampling has become an important tool for the computation of extreme quantiles and tail-based risk measures. For estimation of such nonlinear functionals of the underlying distribution, the standard efficiency analysis is not necessarily applicable. In this paper we therefore study importance sampling algorithms by considering moderate deviations of the associated weighted empirical processes. Using a delta method for large deviations, combined with classical large deviation techniques, the moderate deviation principle is obtained for importance sampling estimators of two of the most common risk measures: value at risk and expected shortfall.
A unified approach for drawdown (drawup) of time-homogeneous Markov processes
Authors: Landriault David , Li Bin , Zhang Hongzhong 
Published: June 2017

AbstractDrawdown (respectively, drawup) of a stochastic process, also referred as the reflected process at its supremum (respectively, infimum), has wide applications in many areas including financial risk management, actuarial mathematics, and statistics. In this paper, for general time-homogeneous Markov processes, we study the joint law of the first passage time of the drawdown (respectively, drawup) process, its overshoot, and the maximum of the underlying process at this first passage time. By using short-time pathwise analysis, under some mild regularity conditions, the joint law of the three drawdown quantities is shown to be the unique solution to an integral equation which is expressed in terms of fundamental two-sided exit quantities of the underlying process. Explicit forms for this joint law are found when the Markov process has only one-sided jumps or is a Lévy process (possibly with two-sided jumps). The proposed methodology provides a unified approach to study various drawdown quantities for the general class of time-homogeneous Markov processes.
Some properties of the cumulative residual entropy of coherent and mixed systems
Authors: Toomaj A. , Sunoj S. M. , Navarro J. 
Published: June 2017

Abstract
Recently, Rao et al. (2004) introduced an alternative measure of uncertainty known as the cumulative residual entropy (CRE). It is based on the survival (reliability) function F̅ instead of the probability density function f used in classical Shannon entropy. In reliability based system design, the performance characteristics of the coherent systems are of great importance. Accordingly, in this paper, we study the CRE for coherent and mixed systems when the component lifetimes are identically distributed. Bounds for the CRE of the system lifetime are obtained. We use these results to propose a measure to study if a system is close to series and parallel systems of the same size. Our results suggest that the CRE can be viewed as an alternative entropy (dispersion) measure to classical Shannon entropy.
Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome ofOrtleppascaris sinensis(Nematoda: Heterocheilidae) and comparative mitogenomic analysis of eighteen Ascaridida nematodes
Authors: Zhao J.H. , Tu G.J. , Wu X.B. , Li C.P. 
Published: June 2017

AbstractOrtleppascaris sinensis(Nematoda: Ascaridida) is a dominant intestinal nematode of the captive Chinese alligator. However, the epidemiology, molecular ecology and population genetics of this parasite remain largely unexplored. In this study, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence ofO. sinensiswas first determined using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based primer-walking strategy, and this is also the first sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome of a member of the genusOrtleppascaris. The circular mitochondrial genome (13,828 bp) ofO. sinensiscontained 12 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA and 2 ribosomal RNA genes, but lacked the ATP synthetase subunit 8 gene. Finally, phylogenetic analysis of mtDNAs indicated that the genusOrtleppascarisshould be attributed to the family Heterocheilidae. It is necessary to sequence more mtNDAs ofOrtleppascarisnematodes in the future to test and confirm our conclusion. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence ofO. sinensisreported here should contribute to molecular diagnosis, epidemiological investigations and ecological studies ofO. sinensisand other related Ascaridida nematodes.
Rodents, goats and dogs – their potential roles in the transmission of schistosomiasis in China
Authors: VAN DORSSEN CLARE F. , GORDON CATHERINE A. , LI YUESHENG , WILLIAMS GAIL M. , WANG YUANYUAN , LUO ZHENHUA , GOBERT GEOFFREY N. , YOU HONG , MCMANUS DONALD P. , GRAY DARREN J. 
Published: June 2017

SUMMARYSchistosomiasis in China has been substantially reduced due to an effective control programme employing various measures including bovine and human chemotherapy, and the removal of bovines from endemic areas. To fulfil elimination targets, it will be necessary to identify other possible reservoir hosts forSchistosoma japonicumand include them in future control efforts. This study determined the infection prevalence ofS. japonicumin rodents (0–9·21%), dogs (0–18·37%) and goats (6·9–46·4%) from the Dongting Lake area of Hunan province, using a combination of traditional coproparasitological techniques (miracidial hatching technique and Kato-Katz thick smear technique) and molecular methods [quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR)]. We found a much higher prevalence in goats than previously recorded in this setting. Cattle and water buffalo were also examined using the same procedures and all were found to be infected, emphasising the occurrence of active transmission. qPCR and ddPCR were much more sensitive than the coproparasitological procedures with both KK and MHT considerably underestimating the true prevalence in all animals surveyed. The high level ofS. japonicumprevalence in goats indicates that they are likely important reservoirs in schistosomiasis transmission, necessitating their inclusion as targets of control, if the goal of elimination is to be achieved in China.
A role for TSPO in mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and redox stress signaling
Authors: Gatliff Jemma , East Daniel A , Singh Aarti , Alvarez Maria Soledad , Frison Michele , Matic Ivana , Ferraina Caterina , Sampson Natalie , Turkheimer Federico , Campanella Michelangelo 
Published: June 2017

AbstractThe 18 kDa translocator protein TSPO localizes on the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM). Systematically overexpressed at sites of neuroinflammation it is adopted as a biomarker of brain conditions. TSPO inhibits the autophagic removal of mitochondria by limiting PARK2-mediated mitochondrial ubiquitination via a peri-organelle accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we describe that TSPO deregulates mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling leading to a parallel increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ pools that activate the Ca2+-dependent NADPH oxidase (NOX) thereby increasing ROS. The inhibition of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake by TSPO is a consequence of the phosphorylation of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC1) by the protein kinase A (PKA), which is recruited to the mitochondria, in complex with the Acyl-CoA binding domain containing 3 (ACBD3). Notably, the neurotransmitter glutamate, which contributes neuronal toxicity in age-dependent conditions, triggers this TSPO-dependent mechanism of cell signaling leading to cellular demise. TSPO is therefore proposed as a novel OMM-based pathway to control intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and redox transients in neuronal cytotoxicity.
AQP9-induced cell cycle arrest is associated with RAS activation and improves chemotherapy treatment efficacy in colorectal cancer
Authors: Huang Dandan , Feng Xingzhi , Liu Yiting , Deng Yanhong , Chen Hao , Chen Daici , Fang Lekun , Cai Yue , Liu Huanliang , Wang Lei , Wang Jianping , Yang Zihuan 
Published: June 2017

AbstractAquaporin-9 (AQP9) expression is associated with arsenic sensitivity in leukemia cells. However, the role of AQP9 in regulating tumor sensitivity to adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that AQP9 can serve as an independent predictive marker for adjuvant chemotherapy in CRC. Patients with high AQP9 expression had higher rate of disease-free survival (DFS) than those with low AQP9 expression. Upregulation of AQP9 was associated with enhanced chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) both in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of AQP9 resulted in an increased intracellular level of 5-FU in CRC cells, hence leading to a higher percentage of apoptosis after 5-FU treatment. Moreover, AQP9 is positively associated with RAS activation and other downstream signaling molecules in CRC. AQP9 overexpression resulted in p21 upregulation and induced S-phase arrest. Taken together, AQP9 enhances the cytotoxic response to 5-FU in CRC cells by simultaneously inducing S-phase arrest via activation of RAS signaling and facilitating drug uptake. Our results suggest that AQP9 might be a novel predictor for the benefit of 5-FU-based chemotherapy in CRC. The identification of AQP9-induced tumor sensitivity to 5-FU highlights the role of AQP9 in regulating chemosensitivity in CRC.
MicroRNA-34a dependent regulation of AXL controls the activation of dendritic cells in inflammatory arthritis
Authors: Kurowska-Stolarska Mariola , Alivernini Stefano , Melchor Emma Garcia , Elmesmari Aziza , Tolusso Barbara , Tange Clare , Petricca Luca , Gilchrist Derek S. , Di Sante Gabriele , Keijzer Chantal , Stewart Lynn , Di Mario Clara , Morrison Vicky , Brewer James M. , Porter Duncan , Milling Simon , Baxter Ronald D. , McCarey David , Gremese Elisa , Lemke Greg , Ferraccioli Gianfranco , McSharry Charles , McInnes Iain B. 
Published: June 2017

AbstractCurrent treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) do not reverse underlying aberrant immune function. A genetic predisposition to RA, such as HLA-DR4 positivity, indicates that dendritic cells (DC) are of crucial importance to pathogenesis by activating auto-reactive lymphocytes. Here we show that microRNA-34a provides homoeostatic control of CD1c+ DC activation via regulation of tyrosine kinase receptor AXL, an important inhibitory DC auto-regulator. This pathway is aberrant in CD1c+ DCs from patients with RA, with upregulation of miR-34a and lower levels of AXL compared to DC from healthy donors. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines is reduced by ex vivo gene-silencing of miR-34a. miR-34a-deficient mice are resistant to collagen-induced arthritis and interaction of DCs and T cells from these mice are reduced and do not support the development of Th17 cells in vivo. Our findings therefore show that miR-34a is an epigenetic regulator of DC function that may contribute to RA.
Growth-coupled overproduction is feasible for almost all metabolites in five major production organisms
Authors: von Kamp Axel , Klamt Steffen 
Published: June 2017

AbstractComputational modelling of metabolic networks has become an established procedure in the metabolic engineering of production strains. One key principle that is frequently used to guide the rational design of microbial cell factories is the stoichiometric coupling of growth and product synthesis, which makes production of the desired compound obligatory for growth. Here we show that the coupling of growth and production is feasible under appropriate conditions for almost all metabolites in genome-scale metabolic models of five major production organisms. These organisms comprise eukaryotes and prokaryotes as well as heterotrophic and photoautotrophic organisms, which shows that growth coupling as a strain design principle has a wide applicability. The feasibility of coupling is proven by calculating appropriate reaction knockouts, which enforce the coupling behaviour. The study presented here is the most comprehensive computational investigation of growth-coupled production so far and its results are of fundamental importance for rational metabolic engineering.
CIB2 interacts with TMC1 and TMC2 and is essential for mechanotransduction in auditory hair cells
Authors: Giese Arnaud P. J. , Tang Yi-Quan , Sinha Ghanshyam P. , Bowl Michael R. , Goldring Adam C. , Parker Andrew , Freeman Mary J. , Brown Steve D. M. , Riazuddin Saima , Fettiplace Robert , Schafer William R. , Frolenkov Gregory I. , Ahmed Zubair M. 
Published: June 2017

AbstractInner ear hair cells detect sound through deflection of stereocilia, the microvilli-like projections that are arranged in rows of graded heights. Calcium and integrin-binding protein 2 is essential for hearing and localizes to stereocilia, but its exact function is unknown. Here, we have characterized two mutant mouse lines, one lacking calcium and integrin-binding protein 2 and one carrying a human deafness-related Cib2 mutation, and show that both are deaf and exhibit no mechanotransduction in auditory hair cells, despite the presence of tip links that gate the mechanotransducer channels. In addition, mechanotransducing shorter row stereocilia overgrow in hair cell bundles of both Cib2 mutants. Furthermore, we report that calcium and integrin-binding protein 2 binds to the components of the hair cell mechanotransduction complex, TMC1 and TMC2, and these interactions are disrupted by deafness-causing Cib2 mutations. We conclude that calcium and integrin-binding protein 2 is required for normal operation of the mechanotransducer channels and is involved in limiting the growth of transducing stereocilia.
Functional and dynamic polymerization of the ALS-linked protein TDP-43 antagonizes its pathologic aggregation
Authors: Afroz Tariq , Hock Eva-Maria , Ernst Patrick , Foglieni Chiara , Jambeau Melanie , Gilhespy Larissa A. B. , Laferriere Florent , Maniecka Zuzanna , Plückthun Andreas , Mittl Peer , Paganetti Paolo , Allain Frédéric H. T. , Polymenidou Magdalini 
Published: June 2017

AbstractTDP-43 is a primarily nuclear RNA-binding protein, whose abnormal phosphorylation and cytoplasmic aggregation characterizes affected neurons in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Here, we report that physiological nuclear TDP-43 in mouse and human brain forms homo-oligomers that are resistant to cellular stress. Physiological TDP-43 oligomerization is mediated by its N-terminal domain, which can adopt dynamic, solenoid-like structures, as revealed by a 2.1 Å crystal structure in combination with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron microscopy. These head-to-tail TDP-43 oligomers are unique among known RNA-binding proteins and represent the functional form of the protein in vivo, since their destabilization results in loss of alternative splicing regulation of known neuronal RNA targets. Our findings indicate that N-terminal domain-driven oligomerization spatially separates the adjoining highly aggregation-prone, C-terminal low-complexity domains of consecutive TDP-43 monomers, thereby preventing low-complexity domain inter-molecular interactions and antagonizing the formation of pathologic aggregates.
Validation of weak biological effects by round robin experiments: cytotoxicity/biocompatibility of SiO2 and polymer nanoparticles in HepG2 cells
Authors: Landgraf Lisa , Nordmeyer Daniel , Schmiel Peter , Gao Qi , Ritz Sandra , S. Gebauer Julia , Graß Stefan , Diabaté Silvia , Treuel Lennart , Graf Christina , Rühl Eckart , Landfester Katharina , Mailänder Volker , Weiss Carsten , Zellner Reinhard , Hilger Ingrid 
Published: June 2017

AbstractAll over the world, different types of nanomaterials with a diversified spectrum of applications are designed and developed, especially in the field of nanomedicine. The great variety of nanoparticles (NPs), in vitro test systems and cell lines led to a vast amount of publications with conflicting data. To identify the decisive principles of these variabilities, we conducted an intercomparison study of collaborating laboratories within the German DFG Priority Program SPP1313, using well-defined experimental parameters and well-characterized NPs. The participants analyzed the in vitro biocompatibility of silica and polymer NPs on human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Nanoparticle mediated effects on cell metabolism, internalization, and inflammation were measured. All laboratories showed that both nanoparticle formulations were internalized and had a low cytotoxicity profile. Interestingly, small variations in nanoparticle preparation, cell handling and the type of culture slide influenced the nanoparticle stability and the outcomes of cell assays. The round robin test demonstrated the importance of the use of clearly defined and characterized NPs and parameters for reproducible results across laboratories. Comparative analyses of in vitro screening methods performed in multiple laboratories are absolutely essential to establish robust standard operation procedure as a prerequisite for sound hazard assessment of nanomaterials.
Deciphering biodiversity and interactions between bacteria and microeukaryotes within epilithic biofilms from the Loue River, France
Authors: Zancarini Anouk , Echenique-Subiabre Isidora , Debroas Didier , Taïb Najwa , Quiblier Catherine , Humbert Jean-François 
Published: June 2017

AbstractEpilithic river biofilms are complex matrix-enclosed communities harboring a great diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Interactions between these communities and the relative impacts of environmental factors on their compositions are poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the spatio-temporal variation in the diversity and composition of bacterial and microeukaryotic communities within biofilms in a French river. Significant changes were found in the composition of these microbial communities over the sampling period and between the upstream and downstream stations. In addition, the beta diversity of the bacterial community tended to decrease along the river, mostly as a result of turnover. These changes could be caused by the different water temperatures and geological and hydrological river contexts at the sampling sites (from karst landscape to river plain). Finally, our network analysis showed multiple correlations among dominant OTUs. Among them, negative correlations between Rhodobacteraceae and two other dominant groups of photosynthetic microorganisms (cyanobacteria and diatoms) were particularly interesting, which raises the question of what environmental factors trigger the changes occurring in benthic microbial photosynthetic communities.
Engineering Biodegradable and Biocompatible Bio-ionic Liquid Conjugated Hydrogels with Tunable Conductivity and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Noshadi Iman , Walker Brian W. , Portillo-Lara Roberto , Shirzaei Sani Ehsan , Gomes Nayara , Aziziyan Mohammad Reza , Annabi Nasim 
Published: June 2017

AbstractConventional methods to engineer electroconductive hydrogels (ECHs) through the incorporation of conductive nanomaterials and polymers exhibit major technical limitations. These are mainly associated with the cytotoxicity, as well as poor solubility, processability, and biodegradability of their components. Here, we describe the engineering of a new class of ECHs through the functionalization of non-conductive polymers with a conductive choline-based bio-ionic liquid (Bio-IL). Bio-IL conjugated hydrogels exhibited a wide range of highly tunable physical properties, remarkable in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, and high electrical conductivity without the need for additional conductive components. The engineered hydrogels could support the growth and function of primary cardiomyocytes in both two dimentinal (2D) and three dimensional (3D) cultures in vitro. Furthermore, they were shown to be efficiently biodegraded and possess low immunogenicity when implanted subcutaneously in rats. Taken together, our results suggest that Bio-IL conjugated hydrogels could be implemented and readily tailored to different biomedical and tissue engineering applications.
A Quantitative Study of Internal and External Interactions of Homodimeric Glucocorticoid Receptor Using Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy in a Live Cell
Authors: Tiwari Manisha , Oasa Sho , Yamamoto Johtaro , Mikuni Shintaro , Kinjo Masataka 
Published: June 2017

AbstractGlucocorticoid receptor (GRα) is a well-known ligand-dependent transcription-regulatory protein. The classic view is that unliganded GRα resides in the cytoplasm, relocates to the nucleus after ligand binding, and then associates with a specific DNA sequence, namely a glucocorticoid response element (GRE), to activate a specific gene as a homodimer. It is still a puzzle, however, whether GRα forms the homodimer in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus before DNA binding or after that. To quantify the homodimerization of GRα, we constructed the spectrally different fluorescent protein tagged hGRα and applied fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy. First, the dissociation constant (Kd) of mCherry2-fused hGRα or EGFP-fused hGRα was determined in vitro. Then, Kd of wild-type hGRα was found to be 3.00 μM in the nucleus, which was higher than that in vitro. Kd of a DNA-binding-deficient mutant was 3.51 μM in the nucleus. This similarity indicated that GRα homodimerization was not necessary for DNA binding but could take place on GRE by means of GRE as a scaffold. Moreover, cytoplasmic homodimerization was also observed using GRα mutated in the nuclear localization signal. These findings support the existence of a dynamic monomer pathway and regulation of GRα function both in the cytoplasm and nucleus.
3.8 mW 10 Gbit/s CDR for intra‐panel interface with a modulated training pattern
Authors: Lee D. , Kim J.‐J. 
Published: June 2017

A modulated training pattern for intra‐panel interface is proposed and is applied to design power‐efficient clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits for intra‐panel interface. By modulating the position of the rising edge of the training pattern, the number of the delay cells to generate the multi‐phase clock to capture display data safely is reduced. As a result, power, area, and electro‐magnetic interference characteristics can be improved over the conventional training pattern. A phase‐locked loop‐based CDR circuit with the proposed scheme in a 65 nm CMOS technology is designed. The measured lock range was between 6 and 10 Gbit/s and the power efficiency was 0.38 mW/Gbit/s at 10 Gbit/s inputs.