bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial of oral dydrogesterone supplementation in the management of preterm labor
Authors: Areeruk Wilasinee , Phupong Vorapong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral dydrogesterone on the recurrent uterine contraction in preterm labor. The secondary aims were to evaluate latency period, gestational age at delivery, pregnancy outcomes, neonatal outcomes, compliance and side effects. A randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial was conducted. Forty-eight pregnant women at 24–34 weeks gestation with preterm labor were either randomized to study group receiving tocolytic treatment combined with oral dydrogesterone (20 mg daily) or to placebo group receiving tocolytic treatment combined with oral placebo. Recurrent rates of uterine contraction were comparable between groups (87.5% vs 91.7%, p = 0.64). Latency periods were not different between dydrogesterone and placebo group (32.7 ± 20.2 days vs 38.2 ± 24.2 days, p = 0.39). There were also no differences in gestational age at delivery, pregnancy outcomes, neonatal outcomes, compliance and side effects. Adjuvant treatment with oral dydrogesterone 20 mg/day could not decrease the rates of recurrent uterine contraction and prolong latency period in preterm labor management when compared to placebo.
2- and 3-dimensional synthetic large-scale de novo patterning by mammalian cells through phase separation
Authors: Cachat Elise , Liu Weijia , Martin Kim C. , Yuan Xiaofei , Yin Huabing , Hohenstein Peter , Davies Jamie A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSynthetic biology provides an opportunity for the construction and exploration of alternative solutions to biological problems - solutions different from those chosen by natural life. To this end, synthetic biologists have built new sensory systems, cellular memories and alternative genetic codes. There is a growing interest in applying synthetic approaches to multicellular systems, especially in relation to multicellular self-organization. Here we describe a synthetic biological system that confers large-scalede novopatterning activity on 2-D and 3-D populations of mammalian cells. Instead of using the reaction-diffusion mechanisms common in real embryos, our system uses cadherin-mediated phase separation, inspired by the known phenomenon of cadherin-based sorting. An engineered self-organizing, large-scale patterning system requiring no prior spatial cue may be a significant step towards the construction of self-assembling synthetic tissues.
Lithium inhibits tumor lymphangiogenesis and metastasis through the inhibition of TGFBIp expression in cancer cells
Authors: Maeng Yong-Sun , Lee Rina , Lee Boram , Choi Seung-il , Kim Eung Kweon 
Published: February 2016

AbstractMetastasis is the main cause of mortality in cancer patients. Although there are many anti-cancer drugs targeting tumor growth, anti-metastatic agents are rarely developed. Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are crucial for cancer progression; in particular, lymphangiogenesis is pivotal for metastasis in cancer. Here we report that lithium inhibits colon cancer metastasis by blocking lymphangiogenesis. Lithium reduces the expression of transforming growth factor-β-induced protein (TGFBIp) in colon cancer cells by inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation via GSK3β inactivation. Moreover, lithium inhibits lymphatic endothelial cell migration, which is increased upon TGFBIp expression in tumor cells. Lithium had no significant effect on SW620 tumor growth in vitro and in vivo; however, it inhibited lymphangiogenesis in tumors. In tumor xenografts model, lithium was found to prevent metastasis to the lungs, liver and lymph nodes by inhibiting TGFBIp-induced tumor lymphangiogenesis. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a novel role of lithium in the inhibition of colon cancer metastasis by blocking TGFBIp expression and thereby TGFBIp-induced lymphangiogenesis, in primary tumors.
Effects of glucose metabolism during in vitro maturation on cytoplasmic maturation of mouse oocytes
Authors: Xie Hong-Li , Wang Yan-Bo , Jiao Guang-Zhong , Kong De-Ling , Li Qing , Li Hong , Zheng Liang-Liang , Tan Jing-He 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAlthough there are many reports on the effect of glucose metabolism on oocyte nuclear maturation, there are few studies on its effect on ooplasmic maturation. By manipulating glucose metabolism pathways using a maturation medium that could support oocyte nuclear maturation but only a limited blastocyst formation without glucose, this study determined effects of glucose metabolism pathways on ooplasmic maturation. During maturation of cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) with glucose, the presence of PPP inhibitor, DHEA or glycolysis inhibitor, iodoacetate significantly decreased blastocyst rates, intraoocyte glutathione and ATP. While blastocyst rates, GSH/GSSG ratio and NADPH were higher, ROS was lower significantly in COCs matured with iodoacetate than with DHEA. Fructose-6-phosphate overcame the inhibitory effect of DHEA on PPP. During maturation of COCs with pyruvate, electron transport inhibitor, rotenone or monocarboxylate transfer inhibitor, 4-CIN significantly decreased blastocyst rates. Cumulus-denuded oocytes had a limited capacity to use glucose or lactate, but they could use pyruvate to support maturation. In conclusion, whereas glycolysis promoted ooplasmic maturation mainly by supplying energy, PPP facilitated ooplasmic maturation to a greater extent by both reducing oxidative stress and supplying energy through providing fructose-6-phosphate for glycolysis. Pyruvate was transferred by monocarboxylate transporters and utilized through mitochondrial electron transport to sustain ooplasmic maturation.
A comparative study on the in vivo degradation of poly(L-lactide) based composite implants for bone fracture fixation
Authors: Wang Zongliang , Wang Yu , Ito Yoshihiro , Zhang Peibiao , Chen Xuesi 
Published: February 2016

AbstractComposite of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAP) surface grafted with poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) (g-HAP) showed improved interface compatibility and mechanical property for bone fracture fixation. In this paper, in vivo degradation of n-HAP/PLLA and g-HAP/PLLA composite implants was investigated. The mechanical properties, molecular weight, thermal properties as well as crystallinity of the implants were measured. The bending strength of the n- and g-HAP/PLLA composites showed a marked reduction from an initial value of 102 and 114 MPa to 33 and 24 MPa at 36 weeks, respectively. While the bending strength of PLLA was maintained at 80 MPa at 36 weeks compared with initial value of 107 MPa. The impact strength increased over time especially for the composites. Significant differences in the molecular weight were seen among all the materials and g-HAP/PLLA appeared the fastest rate of decrease than others. Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) results demonstrated that an apparently porous morphology full of pores and hollows were formed in the composites. The results indicated that the in vivo degradation of PLLA could be accelerated by the g-HAP nanoparticles. It implied that g-HAP/PLLA composites might be a candidate for human non-load bearing bone fracture fixation which needs high initial strength and fast degradation rate.
Pax6 in Collembola: Adaptive Evolution of Eye Regression
Authors: Hou Ya-Nan , Li Sheng , Luan Yun-Xia 
Published: February 2016

AbstractUnlike the compound eyes in insects, collembolan eyes are comparatively simple: some species have eyes with different numbers of ocelli (1 + 1 to 8 + 8) and some species have no apparent eye structures. Pax6is a universal master control gene for eye morphogenesis. In this study, full-lengthPax6cDNAs,Fc-Pax6andCd-Pax6, were cloned from an eyeless collembolan (Folsomia candida, soil-dwelling) and an eyed one (Ceratophysella denticulata, surface-dwelling), respectively. Their phylogenetic positions are between the twoPax6paralogs in insects,eyeless(ey) andtwin of eyeless(toy) and their protein sequences are more similar to Ey than to Toy. Both Fc-Pax6 and Cd-Pax6 could induce ectopic eyes inDrosophila, while Fc-Pax6 exhibited much weaker transactivation ability than Cd-Pax6. The C-terminus of collembolan Pax6 is indispensable for its transactivation ability and determines the differences of transactivation ability between Fc-Pax6 and Cd-Pax6. One of the possible reasons is thatFc-Pax6accumulated more mutations at some key functional sites of C-terminus under a lower selection pressure on eye development due to the dark habitats ofF. candida. The composite data provide a first molecular evidence for the monophyletic origin of collembolan eyes and indicate the eye degeneration of collembolans is caused by adaptive evolution.
Tunable electromagnetically induced transparency in coupled three-dimensional split-ring-resonator metamaterials
Authors: Han Song , Cong Longqing , Lin Hai , Xiao Boxun , Yang Helin , Singh Ranjan 
Published: February 2016

AbstractMetamaterials have recently enabled coupling induced transparency due to interference effects in coupled subwavelength resonators. In this work, we present a three dimensional (3-D) metamaterial design with six-fold rotational symmetry that shows electromagnetically induced transparency with a strong polarization dependence to the incident electromagnetic wave due to the ultra-sharp resonance line width as a result of interaction between the constituent meta-atoms. However, when the six-fold rotationally symmetric unit cell design was re-arranged into a fourfold rotational symmetry, we observed the excitation of a polarization insensitive dual-band transparency. Thus, the 3-D split-ring resonators allow new schemes to observe single and multi-band classical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparencies that has huge potential applications in slowing down light, sensing modalities and filtering functionalities either in the passive mode or the active mode where such effects could be tuned by integrating materials with dynamic properties.
Fertilizer regime impacts on abundance and diversity of soil fauna across a poplar plantation chronosequence in coastal Eastern China
Authors: Wang Shaojun , Chen Han Y. H. , Tan Yan , Fan Huan , Ruan Honghua 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSoil fauna are critical for ecosystem function and sensitive to the changes of soil fertility. The effects of fertilization on soil fauna communities, however, remain poorly understood. We examined the effects of fertilization form and quantity on the abundance, diversity and composition of soil fauna across an age-sequence of poplar plantations (i.e., 4-, 9- and 20-yr-old) in the coastal region of eastern China. We found that the effects of fertilization on faunal abundance, diversity, and composition differed among stand ages. Organic fertilizers increased the total abundance of soil fauna, whereas low level inorganic fertilizers imparted increases only in the 4- and 9-yr-old stands. The number of faunal groups did not change with fertilization, but Shannon’s and Margalef diversity indices increased under low level organic fertilization, and decreased under inorganic fertilization in the 9- and 20-yr-old stands. Community composition of soil fauna differed strongly with fertilization and stand age. The changes in soil fauna were strongly associated with the changes in microbial biomass carbon, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, and available phosphorus and potassium. Our findings suggest that the responses of soil fauna to fertilization may be mediated through the fertilization effects on soil nutrient availability.
The binding capability of plasma phospholipid transfer protein, but not HDL pool size, is critical to repress LPS induced inflammation
Authors: Yu Yang , Cui Yingjie , Zhao Yanan , Liu Shuai , Song Guohua , Jiao Peng , Li Bin , Luo Tian , Guo Shoudong , Zhang Xiangjian , Wang Hao , Jiang Xian-Cheng , Qin Shucun 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPhospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) participates in high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. Increased plasma PLTP activity was observed in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggered acute inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the exact role of PLTP in LPS induced inflammation. HDL pool size was shrunk both in PLTP deficient mice (PLTP−/−) and PLTP transgenic mice (PLTP-Tg). PLTP displayed a strong protective effect on lethal endotoxemia in mice survival study. Furthermore, after LPS stimulation, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in bone marrow derived macrophage (BMDM) from PLTP−/−, while decreased in BMDM from PLTP-Tg compared with BMDM from wild-type mice (WT). Moreover, LPS induced nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) activation was enhanced in PLTP−/− BMDM or PLTP knockdown RAW264.7. Conversely, PLTP overexpression countered the NFκB activation in LPS challenged BMDM. Additionally, the activation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) induced by LPS showed no alteration in PLTP−/− BMDM. Finally, PLTP could bind to LPS, attenuate the pro-inflammatory effects of LPS and improve the cell viability in vitro. To sum up, these findings elucidated that PLTP repressed LPS induced inflammation due to extracellular LPS binding capability and the protective effects were not related to HDL pool size in mice.
Quantifying the cooperative subunit action in a multimeric membrane receptor
Authors: Wongsamitkul Nisa , Nache Vasilica , Eick Thomas , Hummert Sabine , Schulz Eckhard , Schmauder Ralf , Schirmeyer Jana , Zimmer Thomas , Benndorf Klaus 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn multimeric membrane receptors the cooperative action of the subunits prevents exact knowledge about the operation and the interaction of the individual subunits. We propose a method that permits quantification of ligand binding to and activation effects of the individual binding sites in a multimeric membrane receptor. The power of this method is demonstrated by gaining detailed insight into the subunit action in olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated CNGA2 ion channels.
Comprehensive transcriptomic and proteomic characterization of human mesenchymal stem cells reveals source specific cellular markers
Authors: Billing Anja M. , Ben Hamidane Hisham , Dib Shaima S. , Cotton Richard J. , Bhagwat Aditya M. , Kumar Pankaj , Hayat Shahina , Yousri Noha A. , Goswami Neha , Suhre Karsten , Rafii Arash , Graumann Johannes 
Published: February 2016

AbstractMesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells with great potential in therapy, reflected by more than 500 MSC-based clinical trials registered with the NIH. MSC are derived from multiple tissues but require invasive harvesting and imply donor-to-donor variability. Embryonic stem cell-derived MSC (ESC-MSC) may provide an alternative, but how similar they are to ex vivo MSC is unknown. Here we performed an in depth characterization of human ESC-MSC, comparing them to human bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) as well as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) by transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and quantitative proteomics (nanoLC-MS/MS using SILAC). Data integration highlighted and validated a central role of vesicle-mediated transport and exosomes in MSC biology and also demonstrated, through enrichment analysis, their versatility and broad application potential. Particular emphasis was placed on comparing profiles between ESC-MSC and BM-MSC and assessing their equivalency. Data presented here shows that differences between ESC-MSC and BM-MSC are similar in magnitude to those reported for MSC of different origin and the former may thus represent an alternative source for therapeutic applications. Finally, we report an unprecedented coverage of MSC CD markers, as well as membrane associated proteins which may benefit immunofluorescence-based applications and contribute to a refined molecular description of MSC.
Comprehensive analysis of TCP transcription factors and their expression during cotton (Gossypium arboreum) fiber early development
Authors: Ma Jun , Liu Fang , Wang Qinglian , Wang Kunbo , Jones Don C. , Zhang Baohong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractTCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors implicated to perform a variety of physiological functions during plant growth and development. In the current study, we performed for the first time the comprehensive analysis of TCP gene family in a diploid cotton species, Gossypium arboreum, including phylogenetic analysis, chromosome location, gene duplication status, gene structure and conserved motif analysis, as well as expression profiles in fiber at different developmental stages. Our results showed that G. arboreum contains 36 TCP genes, distributing across all of the thirteen chromosomes. GaTCPs within the same subclade of the phylogenetic tree shared similar exon/intron organization and motif composition. In addition, both segmental duplication and whole-genome duplication contributed significantly to the expansion of GaTCPs. Many these TCP transcription factor genes are specifically expressed in cotton fiber during different developmental stages, including cotton fiber initiation and early development. This suggests that TCP genes may play important roles in cotton fiber development.
The sperm phospholipase C-ζ and Ca2+ signalling at fertilization in mammals
Authors: Swann Karl , Lai F. Anthony 
Published: February 2016

A series of intracellular oscillations in the free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is responsible for activating mammalian eggs at fertilization, thus initiating embryo development. It has been proposed that the sperm causes these Ca2+ oscillations after membrane fusion by delivering a soluble protein into the egg cytoplasm. We previously identified sperm-specific phospholipase C (PLC)-ζ as a protein that can trigger the same pattern of Ca2+ oscillations in eggs seen at fertilization. PLCζ appears to be the elusive sperm factor mediating egg activation in mammals. It has potential therapeutic use in infertility treatments to improve the rate of egg activation and early embryo development after intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. A stable form of recombinant human PLCζ could be a prototype for use in such in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. We do not yet understand exactly how PLCζ causes inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) production in eggs. Sperm PLCζ is distinct among mammalian PI-specific PLCs in that it is far more potent in triggering Ca2+ oscillations in eggs than other PLCs, but it lacks a PH domain that would otherwise be considered essential for binding to the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) substrate. PLCζ is also unusual in that it does not appear to interact with or hydrolyse plasma membrane PIP2. We consider how other regions of PLCζ may mediate its binding to PIP2 in eggs and how interaction of PLCζ with egg-specific factors could enable the hydrolysis of internal sources of PIP2.
RdgBα reciprocally transfers PA and PI at ER–PM contact sites to maintain PI(4,5)P2 homoeostasis during phospholipase C signalling in Drosophila photoreceptors
Authors: Cockcroft Shamshad , Garner Kathryn , Yadav Shweta , Gomez-Espinoza Evelyn , Raghu Padinjat 
Published: February 2016

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) is the precursor lipid for the synthesis of PI 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] at the plasma membrane (PM) and is sequentially phosphorylated by the lipid kinases, PI 4-kinase and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P)-5-kinase. Receptor-mediated hydrolysis of PI(4,5)P2 takes place at the PM but PI resynthesis occurs at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Thus PI(4,5)P2 resynthesis requires the reciprocal transport of two key intermediates, phosphatidic acid (PA) and PI between the ER and the PM. PI transfer proteins (PITPs), defined by the presence of the PITP domain, can facilitate lipid transfer between membranes; the PITP domain comprises a hydrophobic cavity with dual specificity but accommodates a single phospholipid molecule. The class II PITP, retinal degeneration type B (RdgB)α is a multi-domain protein and its PITP domain can bind and transfer PI and PA. In Drosophila photoreceptors, a well-defined G-protein-coupled phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) signalling pathway, phototransduction defects resulting from loss of RdgBα can be rescued by expression of the PITP domain provided it is competent for both PI and PA transfer. We propose that RdgBα proteins maintain PI(4,5)P2 homoeostasis after PLC activation by facilitating the reciprocal transport of PA and PI at ER–PM membrane contact sites.
Best for pleasure, not for business: evaluating recreational marine fisheries in West Africa using unconventional sources of data
Authors: Belhabib Dyhia , Campredon Pierre , Lazar Najih , Sumaila U. Rashid , Baye Braham Cheikh , Kane Elimane Abou , Pauly Daniel 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWest African recreational fisheries, previously overlooked, are often assumed to be insignificant, yet they are increasingly present on social media given anglers’ tendencies to document their experiences. It is important to catch the trend early on as recreational fisheries develop in order to support their sustainable development and to make the most of the alternative economic opportunities that they offer. Here, the recreational fisheries of 11 West African countries are assessed using tourist records from YouTube, blogs and other unconventional records. We introduce the concept of “Recreational-to-Commercial Ratio (RCR)”, that is, the market-equivalent value per tonne of recreational fish injected to the economy, which is similar to “willingness to pay” for fish caught for recreation. Since the recreational fisheries of West African countries gained popularity in the last few years, catches increased and reached a total of 34,000 t annually, none of which was reported in official fisheries statistics. Recreational catches through a total annual revenue of US$152 million had an RCR of approximately 7, which means that developing recreational fisheries would increase the value of fish (whether caught or released) sevenfold. These findings could have major implications for the economy and conservation of fish stocks in West African countries.
Genetic specificity of a plant–insect food web: Implications for linking genetic variation to network complexity
Authors: Barbour Matthew A. , Fortuna Miguel A. , Bascompte Jordi , Nicholson Joshua R. , Julkunen-Tiitto Riitta , Jules Erik S. , Crutsinger Gregory M. 
Published: February 2016

SignificanceWe know that the gain or loss of species can have cascading effects on food-web complexity; however, it is less clear whether the gain or loss of genetic variation within species, an often overlooked component of biodiversity, will similarly affect food-web structure. Here, we empirically identify how genetic variation within a host plant directly and indirectly affects its associated insect food web, resulting in distinct trophic interactions occurring on each host-plant genotype. Moreover, simulations of our empirical data suggest that higher levels of host-plant genetic variation lead to a more complex plant–insect food web. Our results suggest that preserving genetic variation within key species may be critical for maintaining complex and robust food webs under future environmental change.