bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Skeletal Characterization of the Fgfr3 Mouse Model of Achondroplasia Using Micro-CT and MRI Volumetric Imaging
Authors: Shazeeb Mohammed Salman , Cox Megan K. , Gupta Anurag , Tang Wen , Singh Kuldeep , Pryce Cynthia T. , Fogle Robert , Mu Ying , Weber William D. , Bangari Dinesh S. , Ying Xiaoyou , Sabbagh Yves 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAchondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, affects more than a quarter million people worldwide and remains an unmet medical need. Achondroplasia is caused by mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene which results in over-activation of the receptor, interfering with normal skeletal development leading to disproportional short stature. Multiple mouse models have been generated to study achondroplasia. The characterization of these preclinical models has been primarily done with 2D measurements. In this study, we explored the transgenic model expressing mouse Fgfr3 containing the achondroplasia mutation G380R under the Col2 promoter (Ach). Survival and growth rate of the Ach mice were reduced compared to wild-type (WT) littermates. Axial skeletal defects and abnormalities of the sternebrae and vertebrae were observed in the Ach mice. Further evaluation of the Ach mouse model was performed by developing 3D parameters from micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The 3-week-old mice showed greater differences between the Ach and WT groups compared to the 6-week-old mice for all parameters. Deeper understanding of skeletal abnormalities of this model will help guide future studies for evaluating novel and effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of achondroplasia.
Predictions through evidence accumulation over time
Authors: Darriba Álvaro , Waszak Florian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIt has been proposed that the brain specializes in predicting future states of the environment. These predictions are probabilistic, and must be continuously updated on the basis of their mismatch with actual evidence. Although electrophysiological data disclose neural activity patterns in relation to predictive processes, little is known about how this activity supports prediction build-up through evidence accumulation. Here we addressed this gap. Participants were required to make moment-by-moment predictions about stimuli presented in sequences in which gathering evidence from previous items as they were presented was either possible or not. Two event-related potentials (ERP), a frontocentral P2 and a central P3, were sensitive to information accumulation throughout the sequence. Time-frequency (TF) analyses revealed that prediction build-up process also modulated centrally distributed theta activity, and that alpha power was suppressed in anticipation to fully predictable stimuli. Results are in agreement with the notion of predictions as probability distributions and highlight the ability of observers to extract those probabilities in a changing environment and to adjust their predictions consequently.
Probabilistic data integration identifies reliable gametocyte-specific proteins and transcripts in malaria parasites
Authors: Meerstein-Kessel Lisette , van der Lee Robin , Stone Will , Lanke Kjerstin , Baker David A. , Alano Pietro , Silvestrini Francesco , Janse Chris J. , Khan Shahid M. , van de Vegte-Bolmer Marga , Graumans Wouter , Siebelink-Stoter Rianne , Kooij Taco W. A. , Marti Matthias , Drakeley Chris , Campo Joseph J. , van Dam Teunis J. P. , Sauerwein Robert , Bousema Teun , Huynen Martijn A. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPlasmodium gametocytes are the sexual forms of the malaria parasite essential for transmission to mosquitoes. To better understand how gametocytes differ from asexual blood-stage parasites, we performed a systematic analysis of available ‘omics data for P. falciparum and other Plasmodium species. 18 transcriptomic and proteomic data sets were evaluated for the presence of curated “gold standards” of 41 gametocyte-specific versus 46 non-gametocyte genes and integrated using Bayesian probabilities, resulting in gametocyte-specificity scores for all P. falciparum genes. To illustrate the utility of the gametocyte score, we explored newly predicted gametocyte-specific genes as potential biomarkers of gametocyte carriage and exposure. We analyzed the humoral immune response in field samples against 30 novel gametocyte-specific antigens and found five antigens to be differentially recognized by gametocyte carriers as compared to malaria-infected individuals without detectable gametocytes. We also validated the gametocyte-specificity of 15 identified gametocyte transcripts on culture material and samples from naturally infected individuals, resulting in eight transcripts that were >1000-fold higher expressed in gametocytes compared to asexual parasites and whose transcript abundance allowed gametocyte detection in naturally infected individuals. Our integrated genome-wide gametocyte-specificity scores provide a comprehensive resource to identify targets and monitor P. falciparum gametocytemia.
New anti-inflammatory guaianes from the Atlantic hydrotherm-derived fungus Graphostroma sp. MCCC 3A00421
Authors: Niu Siwen , Xie Chun-Lan , Xia Jin-Mei , Luo Zhu-Hua , Shao Zongze , Yang Xian-Wen 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNine new guaianes (graphostromanes A–I, 1–9) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus Graphostroma sp. MCCC 3A00421, along with four known ones (10–13). The relative configurations were established mainly by detailed analysis of the NMR and HRESIMS data, while the absolute configurations were assigned using the X-ray crystallography and modified Mosher’s method. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages. Graphostromanes F (6) showed remarkable inhibitory effect with an IC50 value of 14.2 μM, which was even stronger than that of aminoguanidine, a positive control with an IC50 value of 23.4 μM.
Green tea extract attenuates LPS-induced retinal inflammation in rats
Authors: Ren Jia Lin , Yu Qiu Xiao , Liang Wei Cheng , Leung Pui Ying , Ng Tsz Kin , Chu Wai Kit , Pang Chi Pui , Chan Sun On 
Published: January 2018

AbstractInflammation is in a wide spectrum of retinal diseases, causing irreversible blindness and visual impairment. We have previously demonstrated that Green Tea Extract (GTE) is a potent anti-inflammatory agent for anterior uveitis. Here we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of GTE on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced retinal inflammation in rats and explored the underlying mechanism. Adult rats were injected with LPS and GTE was administered intra-gastrically at 2, 8, 26 and 32 hours post-injection. Staining of whole-mount retina showed that the number of activated microglia cells was significantly increased at 48 hours post-injection, which was suppressed after GTE treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Activation of astrocytes and Müller glia in the retina was also suppressed after GTE treatment. Meanwhile, GTE reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 in retina and vitreous humor. These anti-inflammatory effects were associated with a reduced phosphorylation of STAT3 and NF-κB in the retina. Furthermore, the surface receptor of EGCG, 67LR, was localized on the neurons and glia in the retina. These findings demonstrate that GTE is an effective agent in suppressing LPS-induced retinal inflammation, probably through its potent anti-oxidative property and a receptor-mediated action on transcription factors that regulate production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Combination of high-fat/high-fructose diet and low-dose streptozotocin to model long-term type-2 diabetes complications
Authors: Barrière David André , Noll Christophe , Roussy Geneviève , Lizotte Farah , Kessai Anissa , Kirby Karyn , Belleville Karine , Beaudet Nicolas , Longpré Jean-Michel , Carpentier André C. , Geraldes Pedro , Sarret Philippe 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is fueled by added fructose consumption. Here, we thus combined high-fat/high-fructose diet, with multiple low-dose injections of streptozotocin (HF/HF/Stz) to emulate the long-term complications of T2DM. HF/HF/Stz rats, monitored over 56 weeks, exhibited metabolic dysfunctions associated with the different stages of the T2DM disease progression in humans: an early prediabetic phase characterized by an hyperinsulinemic period with modest dysglycemia, followed by a late stage of T2DM with frank hyperglycemia, normalization of insulinemia, marked dyslipidemia, hepatic fibrosis and pancreatic β-cell failure. Histopathological analyses combined to [18F]-FDG PET imaging further demonstrated the presence of several end-organ long-term complications, including reduction in myocardial glucose utilization, renal dysfunction as well as microvascular neuropathy and retinopathy. We also provide for the first time a comprehensive µ-PET whole brain imaging of the changes in glucose metabolic activity within discrete cerebral regions in HF/HF/Stz diabetic rats. Altogether, we developed and characterized a unique non-genetic preclinical model of T2DM adapted to the current diet and lifestyle that recapitulates the major metabolic features of the disease progression, from insulin resistance to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, and closely mimicking the target-organ damage occurring in type 2 diabetic patients at advanced stages.
Strain effects on rotational property in nanoscale rotation system
Authors: Huang Jianzhang , Han Qiang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis paper presents a study of strain effects on nanoscale rotation system consists of double-walls carbon nanotube and graphene. It is found that the strain effects can be a real-time controlling method for nano actuator system. The strain effects on rotational property as well as the effect mechanism is studied systematically through molecular dynamics simulations, and it obtains valuable conclusions for engineering application of rotational property management of nanoscale rotation system. It founds that the strain effects tune the rotational property by influencing the intertube supporting effect and friction effect of double-walls carbon nanotube, which are two critical factors of rotational performance. The mechanism of strain effects on rotational property is investigated in theoretical level based on analytical model established through lattice dynamics theory. This work suggests great potentials of strain effects for nanoscale real-time control, and provides new ideas for design and application of real-time controllable nanoscale rotation system.
Gastropod shell size and architecture influence the applicability of methods used to estimate internal volume
Authors: Ragagnin Marilia Nagata , Gorman Daniel , McCarthy Ian Donald , Sant’Anna Bruno Sampaio , de Castro Cláudio Campi , Turra Alexander 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObtaining accurate and reproducible estimates of internal shell volume is a vital requirement for studies into the ecology of a range of shell-occupying organisms, including hermit crabs. Shell internal volume is usually estimated by filling the shell cavity with water or sand, however, there has been no systematic assessment of the reliability of these methods and moreover no comparison with modern alternatives, e.g., computed tomography (CT). This study undertakes the first assessment of the measurement reproducibility of three contrasting approaches across a spectrum of shell architectures and sizes. While our results suggested a certain level of variability inherent for all methods, we conclude that a single measure using sand/water is likely to be sufficient for the majority of studies. However, care must be taken as precision may decline with increasing shell size and structural complexity. CT provided less variation between repeat measures but volume estimates were consistently lower compared to sand/water and will need methodological improvements before it can be used as an alternative. CT indicated volume may be also underestimated using sand/water due to the presence of air spaces visible in filled shells scanned by CT. Lastly, we encourage authors to clearly describe how volume estimates were obtained.
Vitamin E inhibits the UVAI induction of “light” and “dark” cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, and oxidatively generated DNA damage, in keratinocytes
Authors: Delinasios George J. , Karbaschi Mahsa , Cooke Marcus S. , Young Antony R. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractSolar ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced DNA damage has acute, and long-term adverse effects in the skin. This damage arises directly by absorption of UVR, and indirectly via photosensitization reactions. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of vitamin E on UVAI-induced DNA damage in keratinocytes in vitro. Incubation with vitamin E before UVAI exposure decreased the formation of oxidized purines (with a decrease in intracellular oxidizing species), and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD). A possible sunscreening effect was excluded when similar results were obtained following vitamin E addition after UVAI exposure. Our data showed that DNA damage by UVA-induced photosensitization reactions can be inhibited by the introduction of vitamin E either pre- or post-irradiation, for both oxidized purines and CPD (including so-called “dark” CPDs). These data validate the evidence that some CPD are induced by UVAI initially via photosensitization, and some via chemoexcitation, and support the evidence that vitamin E can intervene in this pathway to prevent CPD formation in keratinocytes. We propose the inclusion of similar agents into topical sunscreens and aftersun preparations which, for the latter in particular, represents a means to mitigate on-going DNA damage formation, even after sun exposure has ended.
Association between arsenic metabolism gene polymorphisms and arsenic-induced skin lesions in individuals exposed to high-dose inorganic arsenic in northwest China
Authors: Luo Lanrong , Li Yuanyuan , Gao Yanhui , Zhao Lijun , Feng Hongqi , Wei Wei , Qiu Chuanying , He Qian , Zhang Yanting , Fu Songbo , Sun Dianjun 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIndividuals in a given environment contaminated with arsenic have different susceptibilities to disease, which may be related to arsenic metabolism, age, gender, genetics and other factors. This study recruited 850 subjects, including 331 cases and 519 controls, from populations exposed to high levels of arsenic in drinking water in northwest China. Genotypes were determined using a custom-by-design 48-Plex SNPscanTM kit. The results indicated that subjects who carried at least one C allele for GSTO1 rs11191979 polymorphism, at least one A allele for GSTO1 rs2164624, at least one A allele for GSTO1 rs4925, the AG genotype for GSTO2 rs156697, the AG genotype or at least one G allele for GSTO2 rs2297235 or the GG genotype or at least one G allele for PNP rs3790064 had an increased risk of arsenic-related skin lesions. In addition, the haplotype CT between rs4925 and rs11191979 appeared to confer a high risk of arsenic-included skin lesions (OR = 1.377, 95% CI = 1.03–1.84), as did the haplotype GCG among rs156697, rs157077 and rs2297235 (OR = 2.197, 95% CI = 1.08–4.44). The results showed that the variants of GSTO1, GSTO2 and PNP render the susceptible toward developing arsenic-induced skin lesions in individuals exposed to high-dose inorganic arsenic in northwest China.
On the efficiency of nature-inspired metaheuristics in expensive global optimization with limited budget
Authors: Sergeyev Ya. D. , Kvasov D. E. , Mukhametzhanov M. S. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractGlobal optimization problems where evaluation of the objective function is an expensive operation arise frequently in engineering, decision making, optimal control, etc. There exist two huge but almost completely disjoint communities (they have different journals, different conferences, different test functions, etc.) solving these problems: a broad community of practitioners using stochastic nature-inspired metaheuristics and people from academia studying deterministic mathematical programming methods. In order to bridge the gap between these communities we propose a visual technique for a systematic comparison of global optimization algorithms having different nature. Results of more than 800,000 runs on 800 randomly generated tests show that both stochastic nature-inspired metaheuristics and deterministic global optimization methods are competitive and surpass one another in dependence on the available budget of function evaluations.
Heat Transfer Enhancement During Water and Hydrocarbon Condensation on Lubricant Infused Surfaces
Authors: Preston Daniel J. , Lu Zhengmao , Song Youngsup , Zhao Yajing , Wilke Kyle L. , Antao Dion S. , Louis Marcel , Wang Evelyn N. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractVapor condensation is routinely used as an effective means of transferring heat or separating fluids. Dropwise condensation, where discrete droplets form on the condenser surface, offers a potential improvement in heat transfer of up to an order of magnitude compared to filmwise condensation, where a liquid film covers the surface. Low surface tension fluid condensates such as hydrocarbons pose a unique challenge since typical hydrophobic condenser coatings used to promote dropwise condensation of water often do not repel fluids with lower surface tensions. Recent work has shown that lubricant infused surfaces (LIS) can promote droplet formation of hydrocarbons. In this work, we confirm the effectiveness of LIS in promoting dropwise condensation by providing experimental measurements of heat transfer performance during hydrocarbon condensation on a LIS, which enhances heat transfer by ≈450% compared to an uncoated surface. We also explored improvement through removal of noncondensable gases and highlighted a failure mechanism whereby shedding droplets depleted the lubricant over time. Enhanced condensation heat transfer for low surface tension fluids on LIS presents the opportunity for significant energy savings in natural gas processing as well as improvements in thermal management, heating and cooling, and power generation.
Single-pixel imaging with Morlet wavelet correlated random patterns
Authors: Czajkowski Krzysztof M. , Pastuszczak Anna , Kotyński Rafał 
Published: January 2018

AbstractSingle-pixel imaging is an indirect imaging technique which utilizes simplified optical hardware and advanced computational methods. It offers novel solutions for hyper-spectral imaging, polarimetric imaging, three-dimensional imaging, holographic imaging, optical encryption and imaging through scattering media. The main limitations for its use come from relatively high measurement and reconstruction times. In this paper we propose to reduce the required signal acquisition time by using a novel sampling scheme based on a random selection of Morlet wavelets convolved with white noise. While such functions exhibit random properties, they are locally determined by Morlet wavelet parameters. The proposed method is equivalent to random sampling of the properly selected part of the feature space, which maps the measured images accurately both in the spatial and spatial frequency domains. We compare both numerically and experimentally the image quality obtained with our sampling protocol against widely-used sampling with Walsh-Hadamard or noiselet functions. The results show considerable improvement over the former methods, enabling single-pixel imaging at low compression rates on the order of a few percent.
Dietary fatty acids sex-specifically modulate guinea pig postnatal development via cortisol concentrations
Authors: Nemeth Matthias , Millesi Eva , Schuster Daniela , Quint Ruth , Wagner Karl-Heinz , Wallner Bernard 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEarly ontogenetic periods and postnatal maturation in organisms are sex-specifically sensitive to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activities, related glucocorticoid secretions, and their effects on energy balance and homeostasis. Dietary polyunsaturated (PUFAs) and saturated (SFAs) fatty acids potentially play a major role in this context because PUFAs positively affect HPA-axis functions and a shift towards SFAs may impair body homeostasis. Here we show that dietary PUFAs positively affect postnatal body mass gain and diminish negative glucocorticoid-effects on structural growth rates in male guinea pigs. In contrast, SFAs increased glucocorticoid concentrations, which positively affected testes size and testosterone concentrations in males, but limited their body mass gain and first year survival rate. No distinct diet-related effects were detectable on female growth rates. These results highlight the importance of PUFAs in balancing body homeostasis during male’s juvenile development, which clearly derived from a sex-specific energetic advantage of dietary PUFA intakes compared to SFAs.
Putative sex pheromone of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, breaks down into an attractant
Authors: Zanardi Odimar Z. , Volpe Haroldo X. L. , Favaris Arodi P. , Silva Weliton D. , Luvizotto Rejane A. G. , Magnani Rodrigo F. , Esperança Victoria , Delfino Jennifer Y. , de Freitas Renato , Miranda Marcelo P. , Parra José Roberto P. , Bento José Mauricio S. , Leal Walter S. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractUnder laboratory conditions, mating activity in Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) started 4 days after emergence, peaked at day 7, and showed a clear window of activity starting 8 h into the photophase and extending through the first hour of the scotophase. We confirmed that ACP males are attracted to emanations from conspecific females. Traps loaded with a candidate compound enriched with female extract, lignoceryl acetate (24Ac), at various doses were active only after being deployed for several weeks in the field, suggesting that a degradation product, not the test compound, was the active ingredient(s). Lignocerol, a possible product of 24Ac degradation, was not active, whereas acetic acid, another possible degradation product, was found in the airborne volatile collections from lures matured under field conditions and detected in higher amounts in volatiles collected from females at the peak of mating activity than in male samples. Acetic acid elicited dose-dependent electroantennographic responses and attracted ACP males, but not females, in Y-type and 4-way olfactometers. Field tests showed that acetic acid-baited traps captured significantly more males than control traps. Surprisingly, captures of females in acetic acid-baited traps were also higher than in control traps, possibly because of physical stimuli emitted by captured males.
Landmark detection in 2D bioimages for geometric morphometrics: a multi-resolution tree-based approach
Authors: Vandaele Rémy , Aceto Jessica , Muller Marc , Péronnet Frédérique , Debat Vincent , Wang Ching-Wei , Huang Cheng-Ta , Jodogne Sébastien , Martinive Philippe , Geurts Pierre , Marée Raphaël 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe detection of anatomical landmarks in bioimages is a necessary but tedious step for geometric morphometrics studies in many research domains. We propose variants of a multi-resolution tree-based approach to speed-up the detection of landmarks in bioimages. We extensively evaluate our method variants on three different datasets (cephalometric, zebrafish, and drosophila images). We identify the key method parameters (notably the multi-resolution) and report results with respect to human ground truths and existing methods. Our method achieves recognition performances competitive with current existing approaches while being generic and fast. The algorithms are integrated in the open-source Cytomine software and we provide parameter configuration guidelines so that they can be easily exploited by end-users. Finally, datasets are readily available through a Cytomine server to foster future research.