bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ruthenium-conjugated chrysin analogues modulate platelet activity, thrombus formation and haemostasis with enhanced efficacy
Authors: Ravishankar Divyashree , Salamah Maryam , Attina Alda , Pothi Radhika , Vallance Thomas M. , Javed Muhammad , Williams Harry F. , Alzahrani Eman M. S. , Kabova Elena , Vaiyapuri Rajendran , Shankland Kenneth , Gibbins Jonathan , Strohfeldt Katja , Greco Francesca , Osborn Helen M. I. , Vaiyapuri Sakthivel 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe constant increase in cardiovascular disease rate coupled with significant drawbacks of existing therapies emphasise the necessity to improve therapeutic strategies. Natural flavonoids exert innumerable pharmacological effects in humans. Here, we demonstrate the effects of chrysin, a natural flavonoid found largely in honey and passionflower on the modulation of platelet function, haemostasis and thrombosis. Chrysin displayed significant inhibitory effects on isolated platelets, however, its activity was substantially reduced under physiological conditions. In order to increase the efficacy of chrysin, a sulfur derivative (thio-chrysin), and ruthenium-complexes (Ru-chrysin and Ru-thio-chrysin) were synthesised and their effects on the modulation of platelet function were evaluated. Indeed, Ru-thio-chrysin displayed a 4-fold greater inhibition of platelet function and thrombus formation in vitro than chrysin under physiologically relevant conditions such as in platelet-rich plasma and whole blood. Notably, Ru-thio-chrysin exhibited similar efficacy to chrysin in the modulation of haemostasis in mice. Increased bioavailability and cell permeability of Ru-thio-chrysin compared to chrysin were found to be the basis for its enhanced activity. Together, these results demonstrate that Ru-thio-coupled natural compounds such as chrysin may serve as promising templates for the development of novel anti-thrombotic agents.
Rapid Response of Eastern Mediterranean Deep Sea Microbial Communities to Oil
Authors: Liu Jiang , Techtmann Stephen M. , Woo Hannah L. , Ning Daliang , Fortney Julian L. , Hazen Terry C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDeep marine oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) in the Gulf of Mexico have the potential to drastically impact marine systems. Crude oil contamination in marine systems remains a concern, especially for countries around the Mediterranean Sea with off shore oil production. The goal of this study was to investigate the response of indigenous microbial communities to crude oil in the deep Eastern Mediterranean Sea (E. Med.) water column and to minimize potential bias associated with storage and shifts in microbial community structure from sample storage. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was combined with GeoChip metagenomic analysis to monitor the microbial community changes to the crude oil and dispersant in on-ship microcosms set up immediately after water collection. After 3 days of incubation at 14 °C, the microbial communities from two different water depths: 824 m and 1210 m became dominated by well-known oil degrading bacteria. The archaeal population and the overall microbial community diversity drastically decreased. Similarly, GeoChip metagenomic analysis revealed a tremendous enrichment of genes related to oil biodegradation, which was consistent with the results from the DWH oil spill. These results highlight a rapid microbial adaption to oil contamination in the deep E. Med., and indicate strong oil biodegradation potential.
In vivo analysis of protein crowding within the nuclear pore complex in interphase and mitosis
Authors: Konishi Hide A. , Asai Suguru , Watanabe Tomonobu M. , Yoshimura Shige H. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe central channel of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) is occupied by non-structured polypeptides with a high content of Phe-Gly (FG) motifs. This protein-rich environment functions as an entropic barrier that prevents the passage of molecules, as well as the binding sites for karyopherins, to regulate macromolecular traffic between the nucleoplasm and the cytoplasm. In this study, we expressed individual Nups fused with a crowding-sensitive probe (GimRET) to determine the spatial distribution of protein-rich domains within the central channel in vivo, and characterize the properties of the entropic barrier. Analyses of the probe signal revealed that the central channel contains two protein-rich domains at both the nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic peripheries, and a less-crowded central cavity. Karyopherins and other soluble proteins are not the constituents of the protein-rich domains. The time-lapse observation of the post-mitotic reassembly process also revealed how individual protein-rich domains are constructed by a sequential assembly of nucleoporins.
Blockade of Axl signaling ameliorates HPV16E6-mediated tumorigenecity of cervical cancer
Authors: Lee Eun-Hee , Ji Kon-Young , Kim Eun-Mi , Kim Su-Man , Song Hyeong-Woo , Choi Ha-Rim , Chung Byung Yeoup , Choi Hyo Jin , Bai Hyoung-Woo , Kang Hyung-Sik 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAxl receptor tyrosine kinase is involved in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of many cancers. Axl expression was markedly higher in human papilloma virus type 16E6 (HPV16E6)-overexpressing HeLa (HE6F) cells and lower in HPV16E6-suppressing CaSki (CE6R) cells than in the controls. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of E6 expression led to increased phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) phosphorylation at Ser380 and attenuated AKT phosphorylation. Expression of membrane-associated guanylate kinase inverted-2 (MAGI-2), an E6-induced degradation target, was induced in E6-siRNA-transfected cells. Moreover, myeloid zinc finger protein 1 (MZF1) binds directly to the Axl promoter in HE6F cells. Axl expression was regulated by HPV16E6-mediated PTEN/AKT signalling pathway, and Axl promoter activity was regulated through MZF1 activation in cervical cancer, which promoted malignancy. Axl silencing suppressed the metastasis of Caski cells and enhanced the susceptibility to NK cell-mediated killing of HE6F cells. In addition, the expression of Axl and MZF1 was highly correlated with clinical stage of cervical cancer and HPV16/18 infection. Taken together, Axl expression was induced by HPV16E6 in cervical cancer cells, suggesting that blockade of Axl signalling might be an effective way to reduce the progression of cervical cancer.
Preservative solution that stabilizes erythrocyte morphology and leukocyte viability under ambient conditions
Authors: Sandlin Rebecca D. , Wong Keith H. K. , Boneschansker Leo , Carey Thomas R. , Miller Kathleen L. , Rose Gregory , Haber Daniel A. , Maheswaran Shyamala , Irimia Daniel , Stott Shannon L. , Toner Mehmet 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe deterioration of whole bloodex vivorepresents a logistical hurdle in clinical and research settings. Here, a cocktail preservative is described that stabilizes leukocyte viability and erythrocyte morphology in whole blood under ambient storage. Neutrophil biostabilization was explored using a sophisticated microfluidic assay to examine the effectiveness of caspase inhibition to stabilize purified neutrophils. Following 72 h ambient storage, neutrophils remained fully functional to migrate towards chemical cues and maintained their ability to undergo NETosis after stimulation. Furthermore, stored neutrophils exhibited improved CD45 biomarker retention and reduced apoptosis and mortality compared to untreated controls. To stabilize erythrocyte morphology, a preservative solution was formulated using Taguchi methods of experimental design, and combined with the caspase inhibitor to form a whole blood cocktail solution, CSWB. CSWBwas evaluated in blood from healthy donors and from women with metastatic breast cancer stored under ambient conditions for 72 h. CSWB-treated samples showed a significant improvement in erythrocyte morphology compared to untreated controls. Leukocytes in CSWB-treated blood exhibited significantly higher viability and CD45 biomarker retention compared to untreated controls. This 72 h shelf life under ambient conditions represents an opportunity to transport isolates or simply ease experimental timelines where blood degradation is problematic.
Percolation-theoretic bounds on the cache size of nodes in mobile opportunistic networks
Authors: Yuan Peiyan , Wu Honghai , Zhao Xiaoyan , Dong Zhengnan 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe node buffer size has a large influence on the performance of Mobile Opportunistic Networks (MONs). This is mainly because each node should temporarily cache packets to deal with the intermittently connected links. In this paper, we study fundamental bounds on node buffer size below which the network system can not achieve the expected performance such as the transmission delay and packet delivery ratio. Given the condition that each link has the same probability p to be active in the next time slot when the link is inactive and q to be inactive when the link is active, there exists a critical value p
c
from a percolation perspective. If p > p
c
, the network is in the supercritical case, where we found that there is an achievable upper bound on the buffer size of nodes, independent of the inactive probability q. When p < p
c
, the network is in the subcritical case, and there exists a closed-form solution for buffer occupation, which is independent of the size of the network.
A novel connection between the Cell Wall Integrity and the PKA pathways regulates cell wall stress response in yeast
Authors: García Raúl , Bravo Enrique , Diez-Muñiz Sonia , Nombela Cesar , Rodríguez-Peña Jose M. , Arroyo Javier 
Published: July 2017

AbstractFungal cells trigger adaptive mechanisms to survive in situations that compromise cell wall integrity. We show here that the global transcriptional response elicited by inhibition of the synthesis of β-1,3-glucan by caspofungin, encompasses a set of genes that are dependent on Slt2, the MAPK of the Cell Wall Integrity (CWI) pathway, and a broad group of genes regulated independently of Slt2. Genes negatively regulated by the cyclic AMP/Protein Kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway were overrepresented in the latter group. Moreover, cell wall stress mediated by inhibition of β-1,3-glucan synthesis, but not by other cell wall interfering compounds, negatively regulated PKA signaling as indicated by the nuclear localisation of Msn2, cellular glycogen accumulation, a decrease of intracellular cAMP levels and a severe decrease in both the activation of the small GTPase Ras2 and the phosphorylation of known substrates of PKA. All these effects relied on the plasma membrane-spanning sensor of the CWI pathway Wsc1. In addition, caspofungin induced a reduction in the cytosolic pH, which was dependent on the extracellular region of Wsc1. Therefore, alterations of the β-1,3-glucan network in the fungal cell wall, induce, through Wsc1, the activation of the CWI pathway and parallel inhibition of PKA signaling.
Quantum Critical Scaling under Periodic Driving
Authors: Lorenzo Salvatore , Marino Jamir , Plastina Francesco , Palma G. Massimo , Apollaro Tony J. G. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractUniversality is key to the theory of phase transitions, stating that the equilibrium properties of observables near a phase transition can be classified according to few critical exponents. These exponents rule an universal scaling behaviour that witnesses the irrelevance of the model’s microscopic details at criticality. Here we discuss the persistence of such a scaling in a one-dimensional quantum Ising model under sinusoidal modulation in time of its transverse magnetic field. We show that scaling of various quantities (concurrence, entanglement entropy, magnetic and fidelity susceptibility) endures up to a stroboscopic time τ
bd
, proportional to the size of the system. This behaviour is explained by noticing that the low-energy modes, responsible for the scaling properties, are resilient to the absorption of energy. Our results suggest that relevant features of the universality do hold also when the system is brought out-of-equilibrium by a periodic driving.
Whole exome sequencing reveals inherited and de novo variants in autism spectrum disorder: a trio study from Saudi families
Authors: Al-Mubarak Bashayer , Abouelhoda Mohamed , Omar Aisha , AlDhalaan Hesham , Aldosari Mohammed , Nester Michael , Alshamrani Hussain. A. , El-Kalioby Mohamed , Goljan Ewa , Albar Renad , Subhani Shazia , Tahir Asma , Asfahani Sultana , Eskandrani Alaa , Almusaiab Ahmed , Magrashi Amna , Shinwari Jameela , Monies Dorota , Al Tassan Nada 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with genetic and clinical heterogeneity. The interplay of de novo and inherited rare variants has been suspected in the development of ASD. Here, we applied whole exome sequencing (WES) on 19 trios from singleton Saudi families with ASD. We developed an analysis pipeline that allows capturing both de novo and inherited rare variants predicted to be deleterious. A total of 47 unique rare variants were detected in 17 trios including 38 which are newly discovered. The majority were either autosomal recessive or X-linked. Our pipeline uncovered variants in 15 ASD-candidate genes, including 5 (GLT8D1, HTATSF1, OR6C65, ITIH6 and DDX26B) that have not been reported in any human condition. The remaining variants occurred in genes formerly associated with ASD or other neurological disorders. Examples include SUMF1, KDM5B and MXRA5 (Known-ASD genes), PRODH2 and KCTD21 (implicated in schizophrenia), as well as USP9X and SMS (implicated in intellectual disability). Consistent with expectation and previous studies, most of the genes implicated herein are enriched for biological processes pertaining to neuronal function. Our findings underscore the private and heterogeneous nature of the genetic architecture of ASD even in a population with high consanguinity rates.
Heteroborospherene clusters Nin ∈ B40 (n = 1–4) and heteroborophene monolayers Ni2 ∈ B14 with planar heptacoordinate transition-metal centers in η7-B7 heptagons
Authors: Li Hai-Ru , Tian Xin-Xin , Luo Xue-Mei , Yan Miao , Mu Yue-Wen , Lu Hai-Gang , Li Si-Dian 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWith inspirations from recent discoveries of the cage-like borospherene B40 and perfectly planar Co ∈ B18− and based on extensive global minimum searches and first-principles theory calculations, we present herein the possibility of the novel planar Ni ∈ B18 (1), cage-like heteroborospherenes Nin ∈ B40 (n = 1–4) (2–5), and planar heteroborophenes Ni2 ∈ B14 (6, 7) which all contain planar or quasi-planar heptacoordinate transition-metal (phTM) centers in η7-B7 heptagons. The nearly degenerate Ni2 ∈ B14 (6) and Ni2 ∈ B14 (7) monolayers are predicted to be metallic in nature, with Ni2 ∈ B14 (6) composed of interwoven boron double chains with two phNi centers per unit cell being the precursor of cage-like Nin ∈ B40 (n = 1–4) (2–5). Detailed bonding analyses indicate that Nin ∈ B40 (n = 1–4) (2–5) and Ni2 ∈ B14 (6, 7) possess the universal bonding pattern of σ + π double delocalization on the boron frameworks, with each phNi forming three lone pairs in radial direction (3dz22, 3dzx2, and 3dyz2) and two effective nearly in-plane 8c-2e σ-coordination bonds between the remaining tangential Ni 3d orbitals (3dx2−y2 and 3dxy) and the η7-B7 heptagon around it. The IR, Raman, and UV-vis absorption spectra of 1–5 are computationally simulated to facilitate their experimental characterizations.
Pattern of retinal morphological and functional decay in a light-inducible, rhodopsin mutant mouse
Authors: Gargini Claudia , Novelli Elena , Piano Ilaria , Biagioni Martina , Strettoi Enrica 
Published: July 2017

AbstractHallmarks of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a family of genetic diseases, are a typical rod-cone-degeneration with initial night blindness and loss of peripheral vision, followed by decreased daylight sight and progressive visual acuity loss up to legal blindness. Great heterogeneity in nature and function of mutated genes, variety of mutations for each of them, variability in phenotypic appearance and transmission modality contribute to make RP a still incurable disease. Translational research relies on appropriate animal models mimicking the genetic and phenotypic diversity of the human pathology. Here, we provide a systematic, morphological and functional analysis of RhoTvrm4/Rho+ rhodopsin mutant mice, originally described in 2010 and portraying several features of common forms of autosomal dominant RP caused by gain-of-function mutations. These mice undergo photoreceptor degeneration only when exposed briefly to strong, white light and allow controlled timing of induction of rod and cone death, which therefore can be elicited in adult animals, as observed in human RP. The option to control severity and retinal extent of the phenotype by regulating intensity and duration of the inducing light opens possibilities to exploit this model for multiple experimental purposes. Altogether, the unique features of this mutant make it an excellent resource for retinal degeneration research.
Coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins assemble constitutively in high molecular oligomers
Authors: Cong Yingying , Kriegenburg Franziska , de Haan Cornelis A. M. , Reggiori Fulvio 
Published: July 2017

AbstractCoronaviruses (CoV) are enveloped viruses and rely on their nucleocapsid N protein to incorporate the positive-stranded genomic RNA into the virions. CoV N proteins form oligomers but the mechanism and relevance underlying their multimerization remain to be fully understood. Using in vitro pull-down experiments and density glycerol gradients, we found that at least 3 regions distributed over its entire length mediate the self-interaction of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) N protein. The fact that these regions can bind reciprocally between themselves provides a possible molecular basis for N protein oligomerization. Interestingly, cytoplasmic N molecules of MHV-infected cells constitutively assemble into oligomers through a process that does not require binding to genomic RNA. Based on our data, we propose a model where constitutive N protein oligomerization allows the optimal loading of the genomic viral RNA into a ribonucleoprotein complex via the presentation of multiple viral RNA binding motifs.
Dual-band wide-angle metamaterial perfect absorber based on the combination of localized surface plasmon resonance and Helmholtz resonance
Authors: Zhang Changlei , Huang Cheng , Pu Mingbo , Song Jiakun , Zhao Zeyu , Wu Xiaoyu , Luo Xiangang 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn this article, a dual-band wide-angle metamaterial perfect absorber is proposed to achieve absorption at the wavelength where laser radar operates. It is composed of gold ring array and a Helmholtz resonance cavity spaced by a Si dielectric layer. Numerical simulation results reveal that the designed absorber displays two absorption peaks at the target wavelength of 10.6 μm and 1.064 μm with the large frequency ratio and near-unity absorptivity under the normal incidence. The wide-angle absorbing property and the polarization-insensitive feature are also demonstrated. Localized surface plasmons resonance and Helmholtz resonance are introduced to analyze and interpret the absorbing mechanism. The designed perfect absorber can be developed for potential applications in infrared stealth field.
Visualization of kidney fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy by long diffusion tensor imaging MRI with spin-echo sequence
Authors: Kaimori Jun-Ya , Isaka Yoshitaka , Hatanaka Masaki , Yamamoto Satoko , Ichimaru Naotsugu , Fujikawa Akihiko , Shibata Hiroshi , Fujimori Akira , Miyoshi Sosuke , Yokawa Takashi , Kuroda Kagayaki , Moriyama Toshiki , Rakugi Hiromi , Takahara Shiro 
Published: July 2017

AbstractRenal fibrosis (RF) is an indicator for progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of CKD and end-stage renal disease in Western populations, the ability of MRI to evaluate RF in DN patients has not been determined. As a first step to identify possible MRI methods for RF evaluation, we examined the use of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) MRI to evaluate RF in a rat model of DN (SHR/NDmcr-cp(cp/cp): SHR/ND). The signal-to-noise ratio in DTI MRI was enhanced using a spin-echo sequence, and a special kidney attachment was developed for long-term stabilization. The changes in renal temperature and blood flow during measurement were minimal, suggesting the feasibility of this method. At 38 weeks of age, RF had aggressively accumulated in the outer stripe (OS) of the outer medulla. FA maps showed that this method was successful in visualizing and evaluating fibrosis in the OS of the SHR/ND rat kidney (r = 0.7697, P = 0.0126). Interestingly, in the FA color maps, the directions of water molecule diffusion in RF were random, but distinct from conventional water diffusion in brain neuron fibers. These findings indicate that DTI MRI may be able to evaluate RF in CKD by DN.
Parameter determination and transformation for the focusing of dielectric microspheres illuminated by optical needle
Authors: Xia Tongnan , Guo Hanming , Hu Jinbing , Zhuang Songlin 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBy eliminating the spherical aberrations of microsphere we derived a simple but useful formula on the focusing of dielectric microsphere. On basis of this formula, not only can researchers determine the parameters of an optical microsphere system with super-resolution, but they can also perform parameter transformation. In order to facilitate the application, the principle of parameter transformation was summarized into three kinds of case listed in Table 1, which were all demonstrated numerically with concrete examples by finite-difference time-domain method. This formula will be conducive to the development of applications based on microsphere, such as photonic nano-jet lithography, microsphere nano-scope.
The lower pT limit of deep hydrocarbon synthesis by CaCO3 aqueous reduction
Authors: Mukhina E. , Kolesnikov A. , Kutcherov V. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe deep abiogenic synthesis of hydrocarbons is possible under the conditions of the asthenosphere. We have found that this process can also occur under the mineral and thermobaric conditions of subducting slabs. We have investigated the abiogenic synthesis of hydrocarbon systems at pressures of 2.0–6.6 GPa and temperatures of 250–600 °C. The determined lower thermobaric limit of the reaction at 280–300 °C and 2–3 GPa corresponds to a depth of 70–80 km during cold subduction. The hydrocarbon fluid formed in the slab can migrate upwards through the network of faults and fractures to form petroleum deposits.
EEG machine learning for accurate detection of cholinergic intervention and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Simpraga Sonja , Alvarez-Jimenez Ricardo , Mansvelder Huibert D. , van Gerven Joop M. A. , Groeneveld Geert Jan , Poil Simon-Shlomo , Linkenkaer-Hansen Klaus 
Published: July 2017

AbstractMonitoring effects of disease or therapeutic intervention on brain function is increasingly important for clinical trials, albeit hampered by inter-individual variability and subtle effects. Here, we apply complementary biomarker algorithms to electroencephalography (EEG) recordings to capture the brain’s multi-faceted signature of disease or pharmacological intervention and use machine learning to improve classification performance. Using data from healthy subjects receiving scopolamine we developed an index of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist (mAChR) consisting of 14 EEG biomarkers. This mAChR index yielded higher classification performance than any single EEG biomarker with cross-validated accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and precision ranging from 88–92%. The mAChR index also discriminated healthy elderly from patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, an index optimized for AD pathophysiology provided a better classification. We conclude that integrating multiple EEG biomarkers can enhance the accuracy of identifying disease or drug interventions, which is essential for clinical trials.