bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distinctive Clinical Effects of Haemorrhagic Markers in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Authors: Jang Young Kyoung , Kim Hee Jin , Lee Jin San , Kim Yeo Jin , Kim Ko Woon , Kim Yeshin , Jang Hyemin , Lee Juyoun , Lee Jong Min , Kim Seung-Joo , Yu Kyung-Ho , Charidimou Andreas , Werring David J. , Kim Sung Tae , Na Duk L. , Seo Sang Won 
Published: November 2017

AbstractRestricted lobar cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and cortical superficial siderosis (CSS) are the characteristic markers of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). However, their effects on clinical features has not been evaluated well. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical implication of these markers in clinical-radiologically diagnosed CAA. A total of 372 patients with possible or probable CAA who met the modified Boston criteria were recruited in a memory clinic setting. Cortical thickness was measured using surface based methods. Presence of restricted multiple lobar CMBs were independently associated with cortical thinning across the entire cortical regions while presence of CSS was independently associated with cortical thinning primarily in the bilateral frontal region. Presence of restricted multiple lobar CMBs was associated with impairment in all cognitive domains such as attention, language, visuospatial, memory and frontal executive functions while presence of CSS was associated with attention and frontal dysfunction. The relationships of restricted multiple lobar CMBs or CSS with cognitive impairment were partially mediated by thinning in the corresponding cortical regions. Our findings suggested that restricted multiple lobar CMBs and CSS affect distinctive clinical features, providing new insights into potential mechanisms in CAA.
Insights into the species-specific metabolic engineering of glucosinolates in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) based on comparative genomic analysis
Authors: Wang Jinglei , Qiu Yang , Wang Xiaowu , Yue Zhen , Yang Xinhua , Chen Xiaohua , Zhang Xiaohui , Shen Di , Wang Haiping , Song Jiangping , He Hongju , Li Xixiang 
Published: November 2017

AbstractGlucosinolates (GSLs) and their hydrolysis products present in Brassicales play important roles in plants against herbivores and pathogens as well as in the protection of human health. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of species-specific GSLs and their hydrolysed products in Raphanus sativus L., we performed a comparative genomics analysis between R. sativus and Arabidopsis thaliana. In total, 144 GSL metabolism genes were identified, and most of these GSL genes have expanded through whole-genome and tandem duplication in R. sativus. Crucially, the differential expression of FMOGS-OX2 in the root and silique correlates with the differential distribution of major aliphatic GSL components in these organs. Moreover, MYB118 expression specifically in the silique suggests that aliphatic GSL accumulation occurs predominantly in seeds. Furthermore, the absence of the expression of a putative non-functional epithiospecifier (ESP) gene in any tissue and the nitrile-specifier (NSP) gene in roots facilitates the accumulation of distinctive beneficial isothiocyanates in R. sativus. Elucidating the evolution of the GSL metabolic pathway in R. sativus is important for fully understanding GSL metabolic engineering and the precise genetic improvement of GSL components and their catabolites in R. sativus and other Brassicaceae crops.
A Novel Multiplex HRM Assay to Detect Clopidogrel Resistance
Authors: Zhang Lichen , Ma Xiaowei , You Guoling , Zhang Xiaoqing , Fu Qihua 
Published: November 2017

AbstractClopidogrel is an antiplatelet medicine used to prevent blood clots in patients who have had a heart attack, stroke, or other symptoms. Variability in the clinical response to clopidogrel treatment has been attributed to genetic factors. In particular, five SNPs of rs4244285, rs4986893, rs12248560, rs662 and rs1045642 have been associated with resistance to clopidogrel therapy in Chinese population. This work involves the development of a multiplex high-resolution melting (HRM) assay to genotype all five of these loci in 2 tubes. Amplicons corresponding to distinct SNPs in a common tube were designed with the aid of uMelt prediction software to have different melting temperatures Tm by addition of a GC-rich tail to the 5′ end of the certain primers. Two kinds of commercial methods, Digital Fluorescence Molecular Hybridization (DFMH) and Sanger sequencing, were used as a control. Three hundred sixteen DFMH pretested samples from consecutive acute coronary syndrome patients were used for a blinded study of multiplex HRM. The sensitivity of HRM was 100% and the specificity was 99.93% reflecting detection of variants other than the known resistance SNPs. Multiplex HRM is an effective closed-tube, highly accurate, fast, and inexpensive method for genotyping the 5 clopidogrel resistance associated SNPs.
The directed evolution of ligand specificity in a GPCR and the unequal contributions of efficacy and affinity
Authors: Di Roberto Raphaël B. , Chang Belinda , Peisajovich Sergio G. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractG protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) must discriminate between hundreds of related signal molecules. In order to better understand how GPCR specificity can arise from a common promiscuous ancestor, we used laboratory evolution to invert the specificity of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating receptor Ste2. This GPCR normally responds weakly to the pheromone of the related species Kluyveromyces lactis, though we previously showed that mutation N216S is sufficient to make this receptor promiscuous. Here, we found that three additional substitutions, A265T, Y266F and P290Q, can act together to confer a novel specificity for K. lactis pheromone. Unlike wild-type Ste2, this new variant does not rely on differences in binding affinity to discriminate against its non-preferred ligand. Instead, the mutation P290Q is critical for suppressing the efficacy of the native pheromone. These two alternative methods of ligand discrimination were mapped to specific amino acid positions on the peptide pheromones. Our work demonstrates that changes in ligand efficacy can drive changes in GPCR specificity, thus obviating the need for extensive binding pocket re-modeling.
High corrosion resistance and weak corrosion anisotropy of an as-rolled Mg-3Al-1Zn (in wt.%) alloy with strong crystallographic texture
Authors: Wang B. J. , Xu D. K. , Xin Y. C. , Sheng L. Y. , Han E. H. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCombining with electrochemical corrosion measurements, immersion and hydrogen evolution testing performed in 0.9 wt.% NaCl solution at 37 °C, the corrosion resistance of an as-rolled Mg-3%Al-1%Zn alloy before and after a 3% compressive strain along the rolling direction was investigated. Results revealed that the corrosion behavior of differently oriented surfaces of the as-rolled samples with a strong basal texture was obviously different. Among them, the corrosion rate of sample surface with the orientation parallel to the normal direction (ND) of the plate was the fastest, the corrosion rate of sample surface with the orientation parallel to the rolling direction (RD) of the plate took the second place and the corrosion rate of sample surface with the orientation parallel to the transverse direction (TD) was the slowest. After being pre-strained, the activation of a high density of {10–12} twins could remarkably reduce the corrosion rate of surrounding α-Mg matrix and simultaneously weaken the corrosion anisotropy between differently oriented samples. The main reason was that similar to grain boundaries, twin boundaries acted as physical barriers to the corrosion attack. Moreover, the activated twins increased the protectiveness of surface films and then suppressed the micro corrosion couples occurred in twinned grains.
Efficacy and safety of low dose alteplase for intravenous thrombolysis in Asian stroke patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: Tan Ge , Wang Haijiao , Chen Sihan , Chen Deng , Zhu Lina , Xu Da , Zhang Yu , Liu Ling 
Published: November 2017

AbstractWhether low dose alteplase is comparable to standard dose in efficacy and safety for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in Asian stroke patients remains unverified. PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library Database from the beginning to June 30, 2017 were searched. IVT efficacy was measured by favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale scores of 0–1) at 3 months, and safety measured by mortality within 3 months and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). Pooled estimates were conducted using fixed- or random-effects model depending on heterogeneity. For SICH, studies were pooled separately according to different definitions. Twelve studies involving 7,905 participants were included. No association was found between alteplase dose and favorable outcome (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.78–1.14, P = 0.5; heterogeneity: P
hetero
= 0.01, I2 = 57.3%) and mortality (OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.74–1.02, P = 0.08; P
hetero
= 0.83, I2 = 0) using random- and fixed-effects models, respectively. Low dose alteplase was associated with lower SICH as defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke study (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.64–0.99, P = 0.04; P
hetero
= 0.57, I2 = 0) using fixed-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis could change the results significantly. Current limited evidence was insufficient to support the speculation that low dose alteplase was comparable to standard dose in thrombolytic efficacy and safety in Asian stroke patients.
Comparative Genomics of Color Morphs In the Coral Montastraea cavernosa
Authors: Jarett Jessica K. , MacManes Matthew D. , Morrow Kathleen M. , Pankey M. Sabrina , Lesser Michael P. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractMontastraea cavernosa is a common coral in the Caribbean basin found in several color morphs. To investigate the causes for brown and orange morphs we undertook a genomics approach on corals collected at the same time and depth in the Bahamas. The coral holobiont includes the host, symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.), and a diverse microbiome. While the coral host showed significant genetic differentiation between color morphs both the composition of the Symbiodinium spp. communities and the prokaryotic communities did not. Both targeted and global gene expression differences in the transcriptome of the host show no difference in fluorescent proteins while the metatranscriptome of the microbiome shows that pigments such as phycoerythrin and orange carotenoid protein of cyanobacterial origin are significantly greater in orange morphs, which is also consistent with the significantly greater number of cyanobacteria quantified by 16S rRNA reads and flow cytometry. The microbiome of orange color morphs expressed significantly more nitrogenase (nifH) transcripts consistent with their known ability to fix nitrogen. Both coral and Symbiodinium spp. transcriptomes from orange morphs had significantly increased expression of genes related to immune response and apoptosis, which may potentially be involved in maintaining and regulating the unique symbiont population in orange morphs.
Non-Invasive whole-body detection of complement activation using radionuclide imaging in a mouse model of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Sharif-Paghaleh Ehsan , Yap May Lin , Puhl Sarah-Lena , Badar Adam , Torres Julia Baguña , Chuamsaamarkkee Krisanat , Kampmeier Florian , Smith Richard A. , Clark James , Blower Philip J. , Sacks Steven , Mullen Gregory E. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractComplement activation is a recognised mediator of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion-injury (IRI) and cardiomyocytes are a known source of complement proteins including the central component C3, whose activation products can mediate tissue inflammation, cell death and profibrotic signalling. We investigated the potential to detect and quantify the stable covalently bound product C3d by external body imaging, as a marker of complement activation in heart muscle in a murine model of myocardial IRI. We used single-photon-emission-computed-tomography (SPECT) in conjunction with99mTechnecium-labelled recombinant complement receptor 2 (99mTc-rCR2), which specifically detects C3d at the site of complement activation. Compared to control imaging with an inactive CR2 mutant (99mTc-K41E CR2) or an irrelevant protein (99mTc-PSMA) or using99mTc-rCR2 in C3-deficient mice, the use of99mTc-rCR2 in complement-intact mice gave specific uptake in the reperfused myocardium. The heart to skeletal muscle ratio of99mTc-rCR2 was significantly higher than in the three control groups. Histological analysis confirmed specific uptake of99mTc-rCR2. Following therapeutic inhibition of complement C3 activation, we found reduced myocardial uptake of99mTc-rCR2. We conclude, therefore that99mTc-rCR2 imaging can be used for non-invasive detection of activated complement and in future could be exploited to quantify the severity of myocardial damage due to complement activation.
Au19M (M=Cr, Mn, and Fe) as magnetic copies of the golden pyramid
Authors: Tam Nguyen Minh , Cuong Ngo Tuan , Pham Hung Tan , Tung Nguyen Thanh 
Published: November 2017

AbstractAn investigation on structure, stability, and magnetic properties of singly doped Au19M (M=Cr, Mn, and Fe) clusters is carried out by means of density functional theory calculations. The studied clusters prefer forming magnetic versions of the unique tetrahedral Au20. Stable sextet Au19Cr is identified as the least reactive species and can be qualified as a magnetic superatom. Analysis on cluster electronic structures shows that the competition between localized and delocalized electronic states governs the stability and magnetic properties of Au19M clusters.
Isolation and functional identification of three cuticle protein genes during metamorphosis of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua
Authors: jan Saad , Liu Sisi , Hafeez Muhammad , Zhang Xiangmei , Dawar Farman Ullah , Guo Jiyun , Gao Chao , Wang Mo 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), is one of the major crop pests and is a target for current pest control approaches using insecticides. In this study three cuticular protein genes CPG316, CPG860 and CPG4855 have been cloned from 0 h pupal integument of S. exigua through race PCR Strategy. The deduced amino acid sequences were found to contain the RR-2 consensus region of other insect cuticular proteins and construct phylogenetic trees for each protein. Using quantitative RT-PCR, the developmental expression of the three genes through several larval and the early pupal stages was studied. All three genes contribute to the endocuticle although CPG316 may have a different role from the other two genes. All three newly isolated genes were analyzed and their functions were determined by using direct injection of the dsRNA into early 5th instar larvae. All genes are expressed in the larvae and early pupae but in different patterns. Furthermore, phenotypic results show that these genes have differing effects on the development of cuticle, its flexibility and a big role in metamorphosis in both larval and pupal stages.
Nanoparticle core stability and surface functionalization drive the mTOR signaling pathway in hepatocellular cell lines
Authors: Lunova Mariia , Prokhorov Andrey , Jirsa Milan , Hof Martin , Olżyńska Agnieszka , Jurkiewicz Piotr , Kubinová Šárka , Lunov Oleg , Dejneka Alexandr 
Published: November 2017

AbstractSpecifically designed and functionalized nanoparticles hold great promise for biomedical applications. Yet, the applicability of nanoparticles is critically predetermined by their surface functionalization and biodegradability. Here we demonstrate that amino-functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NH2), but not amino- or hydroxyl-functionalized silica particles, trigger cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7 cells. Importantly, biodegradability of nanoparticles plays a crucial role in regulation of essential cellular processes. Thus, biodegradable silica nanoparticles having the same shape, size and surface functionalization showed opposite cellular effects in comparison with similar polystyrene nanoparticles. At the molecular level, PS-NH2 obstruct and amino-functionalized silica nanoparticles (Si-NH2) activate the mTOR signalling in Huh7 and HepG2 cells. PS-NH2 induced time-dependent lysosomal destabilization associated with damage of the mitochondrial membrane. Solely in PS-NH2-treated cells, permeabilization of lysosomes preceded cell death. Contrary, Si-NH2 nanoparticles enhanced proliferation of HuH7 and HepG2 cells. Our findings demonstrate complex cellular responses to functionalized nanoparticles and suggest that nanoparticles can be used to control activation of mTOR signaling with subsequent influence on proliferation and viability of HuH7 cells. The data provide fundamental knowledge which could help in developing safe and efficient nano-therapeutics.
Gate driver for high power SiC modules: design considerations, development and experimental validation
Authors: Rujas Alejandro , López Víctor M. , Mir Luis , Nieva Txomin 
Published: November 2017

The introduction the full‐SiC (full silicon carbide) high power modules in the power semiconductors market makes necessary the development of new gate drivers suitable for its switching characteristics. The design considerations, challenges and implementation for high power SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field‐effect transistors is presented in this study. Aspects like voltage clamping, overcurrent/short‐circuit protection, different power supply voltage levels, gate circuit and soft off‐switching are addressed, considering the particularities that must be managed with SiC devices, like stray inductance and oscillations in switching transitions. All the gate drivers parts are designed without using programmable elements, that increase the complexity and cost of the gate driver design. Experimental results of the gate driver behaviour are also presented to validate the design. The approach proposes a modular gate driver divided into two parts. Firstly, a base driver (BD) board that depends on the electrical characteristics of the SiC module. Secondly, a core driver (CD) board, which can be considered ‘universal’ for any SiC power module with the same voltage operation level. For experimental validation, the proposed gate driver (BD + CD boards) is tested in two different power converters: a 50 kVA DC–AC inverter and a 100 kVA interleaved DC–DC converter.
Control strategy for wind power integration base on energy demand respond and distributed energy storage
Authors: Yan Xu , Lin Xiqiao , Qin Lijuan , Han Shuai , Gao Like , Yang Yiyun , Zeng Bo 
Published: November 2017

Wind power installed capacity has reached 169 GW by the end of 2016 in China. However, China's abandoned wind power generation has soared since 2014 and about 4.97 billion kWh was abandoned in 2016, which nearly equalled annual electricity consumption of Nanjing. The fluctuation of wind energy and coal power structure make large‐scale wind power integration more difficult. Distributed energy storage has been regarded as a key technology to improve renewable energy integration. This study analyses and compares several existing kinds of distributed energy storage for improving wind power integration. Then considering a mass of cogeneration units in north China, control strategy for wind power integration is proposed to reduce the peak regulation capacity for wind power integration. Control centre reduces the heat capacity of cogeneration units and control exchanged power of distributed energy storage systems with distribution network to obtain extra schedulable generated power. The affected users accordingly use heat pumps to compensate the lack of heat production from cogeneration. As a result, the peak‐valley load difference can be equivalently reduced to relieve peaking pressure for wind power integration.
Operation risk assessment of distribution network considering time dependence correlation coefficient
Authors: Xiao Tianying , Pei Wei , Ye Hua , Niu Geng , Xiao Hao , Qi Zhiping 
Published: November 2017

The accuracy and reliability of the risk assessment results plays an important role in accurately determining the operational status of the system and risk‐based optimal scheduling. To improve the accuracy of the risk evaluation results, a risk assessment method considering time‐dependent correlation between input random variables for distribution network is presented, validated, and applied. Firstly, a direct analysis on the correlation between random variables, such as distributed generation power fluctuations and the forecast error, is carried out, then a multiple‐variable generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity model based on dynamic correlation coefficient (DCC_MVGARCH) is proposed to calculate the time‐varying correlation coefficient. Secondly, the conditional power flow calculation is then implemented by using the Monte Carlo simulation method based on Latin hypercube sampling and Cholesky method. In addition, according to the results of the power flow calculation, the operational risk level of the system is evaluated by the voltage limit and the power limit. Finally, a modified IEEE 123‐bus power system with a certain penetration of wind turbine and photovoltaic power is employed to validate the proposed method. The effectiveness of the method is verified through the simulation results performed during a horizon of 5 and 15 min, respectively.
Relation between Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio and Presence and Severity of Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Kadihasanoglu Mustafa , Karabay Emre , Yucetas Ugur , Erkan Erkan , Ozbek Emin 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPrevious studies have evidenced that inflammation and endothelial dysfunction have a crucial role in erectile dysfunction (ED). Increased monocyte count or activity and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels have been associated with inflammation. The monocyte to HDL-C ratio (MHR) is a recently emerged indicator of inflammation. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MHR and ED. In this retrospective study, a total of 120 patients were enrolled, 60 of them having ED and 60 having a normal erectile function. The presence of ED was evaluated with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Patients with ED were compared with the control group for IIEF-5 and MHR. The mean ages of patients and controls were 55.6±5.53 and 56.42±6.63 years, respectively (p = 0.47). The risk factors for ED were similar between cases and controls. The total testosterone, glucose and creatinine levels did not differ between groups. While the HDL-C, LDL-C and triglyceride levels were similar between groups, the monocyte count (0.55±0.20 vs. 0.73±0.18, p < 0.0001) and MHR was significantly greater in patients with ED than in those without ED (1.31 vs. 1.77, p < 0.0001). MHR was significantly negatively correlated with IIEF-5 (p < 0.0001). To our knowledge, this is the first study that has shown a significant and independent association between elevated MHR and ED.