bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oxytocin enhances observational fear in mice
Authors: Pisansky Marc T. , Hanson Leah R. , Gottesman Irving I. , Gewirtz Jonathan C. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractEmpathy is fundamental to human relations, but its neural substrates remain largely unknown. Here we characterize the involvement of oxytocin in the capacity of mice to display emotional state-matching, an empathy-like behavior. When exposed to a familiar conspecific demonstrator in distress, an observer mouse becomes fearful, as indicated by a tendency to freeze and subsequent efforts to escape. Both intranasal oxytocin administration and chemogenetic stimulation of oxytocin neurons render males sensitive to the distress of an unfamiliar mouse. Acute intranasal oxytocin penetrates the brain and enhances cellular activity within the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas chronic administration produces long-term facilitation of observational fear and downregulates oxytocin receptor expression in the amygdala. None of these manipulations affect fear acquired as a result of direct experience with the stressor. Hence, these results implicate oxytocin in observational fear in mice (rather than fear itself) and provide new avenues for examining the neural substrates of empathy.
Ultrathin graphene oxide-based hollow fiber membranes with brush-like CO2-philic agent for highly efficient CO2 capture
Authors: Zhou Fanglei , Tien Huynh Ngoc , Xu Weiwei L. , Chen Jung-Tsai , Liu Qiuli , Hicks Ethan , Fathizadeh Mahdi , Li Shiguang , Yu Miao 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAmong the current CO2 capture technologies, membrane gas separation has many inherent advantages over other conventional techniques. However, fabricating gas separation membranes with both high CO2 permeance and high CO2/N2 selectivity, especially under wet conditions, is a challenge. In this study, sub-20-nm thick, layered graphene oxide (GO)-based hollow fiber membranes with grafted, brush-like CO2-philic agent alternating between GO layers are prepared by a facile coating process for highly efficient CO2/N2 separation under wet conditions. Piperazine, as an effective CO2-philic agent, is introduced as a carrier-brush into the GO nanochannels with chemical bonding. The membrane exhibits excellent separation performance under simulated flue gas conditions with CO2 permeance of 1,020 GPU and CO2/N2 selectivity as high as 680, demonstrating its potential for CO2 capture from flue gas. We expect this GO-based membrane structure combined with the facile coating process to facilitate the development of ultrathin GO-based membranes for CO2 capture.
Sexual recombination and increased mutation rate expedite evolution of Escherichia coli in varied fitness landscapes
Authors: Peabody V George L. , Li Hao , Kao Katy C. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSexual recombination and mutation rate are theorized to play different roles in adaptive evolution depending on the fitness landscape; however, direct experimental support is limited. Here we examine how these factors affect the rate of adaptation utilizing a “genderless” strain of Escherichia coli capable of continuous in situ sexual recombination. The results show that the populations with increased mutation rate, and capable of sexual recombination, outperform all the other populations. We further characterize two sexual and two asexual populations with increased mutation rate and observe maintenance of beneficial mutations in the sexual populations through mutational sweeps. Furthermore, we experimentally identify the molecular signature of a mating event within the sexual population that combines two beneficial mutations to generate a fitter progeny; this evidence suggests that the recombination event partially alleviates clonal interference. We present additional data suggesting that stochasticity plays an important role in the combinations of mutations observed.
Dynamic cortical representations of perceptual filling-in for missing acoustic rhythm
Authors: Cervantes Constantino Francisco , Simon Jonathan Z. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn the phenomenon of perceptual filling-in, missing sensory information can be reconstructed via interpolation or extrapolation from adjacent contextual cues by what is necessarily an endogenous, not yet well understood, neural process. In this investigation, sound stimuli were chosen to allow observation of fixed cortical oscillations driven by contextual (but missing) sensory input, thus entirely reflecting endogenous neural activity. The stimulus employed was a 5 Hz frequency-modulated tone, with brief masker probes (noise bursts) occasionally added. For half the probes, the rhythmic frequency modulation was moreover removed. Listeners reported whether the tone masked by each probe was perceived as being rhythmic or not. Time-frequency analysis of neural responses obtained by magnetoencephalography (MEG) shows that for maskers without the underlying acoustic rhythm, trials where rhythm was nonetheless perceived show higher evoked sustained rhythmic power than trials for which no rhythm was reported. The results support a model in which perceptual filling-in is aided by differential co-modulations of cortical activity at rates directly relevant to human speech communication. We propose that the presence of rhythmically-modulated neural dynamics predicts the subjective experience of a rhythmically modulated sound in real time, even when the perceptual experience is not supported by corresponding sensory data.
Full-scale experimental investigation of deposition and corrosion of pre-protector and 3rd superheater in a waste incineration plant
Authors: Ma Wenchao , Wenga Terrence , Zhang Nan , Chen Guanyi , Yan Beibei , Zhou Zhihua , Wu Xiao 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMunicipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is widely adopted as a waste management strategy and for the energy production. However, this technology experience grave deposition and corrosion of the boiler tubes due to high chlorine (~1.09wt.%) and alkali metal (Na, K) content in MSW. Little is known about the concentration profile of these corrosive elements in the deposits at different boiler locations. Therefore, a full-scale experimental investigation was conducted to determine the concentration profile of Cl, K, Na, S, and Ca in the deposits at pre-protector and compare with those at 3rd superheater during MSW combustion at a 36 MWe waste incineration plant (WIP) in Chengdu, China. The deposit samples were analyzed using wet chemical techniques, scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The concentrations of Na, K, and Cl were high in the deposits at pre-protector while S and Ca concentrations were high on the 3rd superheater. The pre-protector was severely corroded than the 3rd superheater. The governing mechanisms for the deposition and corrosion on these boiler locations were elucidated.
Acoustic Waveguide Eigenmode Solver Based on a Staggered-Grid Finite-Difference Method
Authors: Dostart Nathan , Liu Yangyang , Popović Miloš A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA numerical method of solving for the elastic wave eigenmodes in acoustic waveguides of arbitrary cross-section is presented. Operating under the assumptions of linear, isotropic materials, it utilizes a finite-difference method on a staggered grid to solve for the acoustic eigenmodes (field and frequency) of the vector-field elastic wave equation with a given propagation constant. Free, fixed, symmetry, and anti-symmetry boundary conditions are implemented, enabling efficient simulation of acoustic structures with geometrical symmetries and terminations. Perfectly matched layers are also implemented, allowing for the simulation of radiative (leaky) modes. The method is analogous to that in eigenmode solvers ubiquitously employed in electromagnetics to find waveguide modes, and enables design of acoustic waveguides as well as seamless integration with electromagnetic solvers for optomechanical device design. The accuracy of the solver is demonstrated by calculating eigenfrequencies and mode shapes for common acoustic modes across four orders of magnitude in frequency in several simple geometries and comparing the results to analytical solutions where available or to numerical solvers based on more computationally expensive methods. The solver is utilized to demonstrate a novel type of leaky-guided acoustic wave that couples simultaneously to two independent radiation channels (directions) with different polarizations – a ‘bi-leaky’ mode.
The development of spontaneous facial responses to others’ emotions in infancy: An EMG study
Authors: Kaiser Jakob , Crespo-Llado Maria Magdalena , Turati Chiara , Geangu Elena 
Published: December 2017

AbstractViewing facial expressions often evokes facial responses in the observer. These spontaneous facial reactions (SFRs) are believed to play an important role for social interactions. However, their developmental trajectory and the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms are still little understood. In the current study, 4- and 7-month old infants were presented with facial expressions of happiness, anger, and fear. Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure activation in muscles relevant for forming these expressions: zygomaticus major (smiling), corrugator supercilii (frowning), and frontalis (forehead raising). The results indicated no selective activation of the facial muscles for the expressions in 4-month-old infants. For 7-month-old infants, evidence for selective facial reactions was found especially for happy (leading to increased zygomaticus major activation) and fearful faces (leading to increased frontalis activation), while angry faces did not show a clear differential response. These results suggest that emotional SFRs may be the result of complex neurocognitive mechanisms which lead to partial mimicry but are also likely to be influenced by evaluative processes. Such mechanisms seem to undergo important developments at least until the second half of the first year of life.
Paper-based MoS2 nanosheet-mediated FRET aptasensor for rapid malaria diagnosis
Authors: Geldert Alisha , Kenry  , Lim Chwee Teck 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThere has been growing interest in the development of paper-based biosensors because their simplicity and low cost are attractive for point-of-care diagnosis, especially in low-resource areas. However, only a limited range of paper materials – primarily chromatography papers – have been incorporated into diagnostics thus far. Here, we investigate the performance of different types of paper in order to develop an aptamer- and MoS2 nanosheet-based sensor relying on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to signal the presence of a target protein. An aptamer which binds to a malarial biomarker, Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH), is chosen for this study, as point-of-care diagnostics would be especially advantageous in low-resource areas, such as those where malaria is prevalent. We observe that of all papers tested, a measurable and specific fluorescence recovery can only be produced on the sensor created with printer paper, while no significant fluorescence recovery is generated on sensors made from other types of paper, including chromatography, lens, and filter papers. Therefore, our findings demonstrate the importance of careful material selection for the development of a paper-based diagnostic test, and suggest that commercially-available products such as printer paper may serve as viable materials to develop cost-effective and simple diagnostics.
The Zn12O12 cluster-assembled nanowires as a highly sensitive and selective gas sensor for NO and NO2
Authors: Yong Yongliang , Su Xiangying , Zhou Qingxiao , Kuang Yanmin , Li Xiaohong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMotivated by the recent realization of cluster-assembled nanomaterials as gas sensors, first-principles calculations are carried out to explore the stability and electronic properties of Zn12O12 cluster-assembled nanowires and the adsorption behaviors of environmental gases on the Zn12O12-based nanowires, including CO, NO, NO2, SO2, NH3, CH4, CO2, O2 and H2. Our results indicate that the ultrathin Zn12O12 cluster-assembled nanowires are particularly thermodynamic stable at room temperature. The CO, NO, NO2, SO2, and NH3 molecules are all chemisorbed on the Zn12O12-based nanowires with reasonable adsorption energies, but CH4, CO2, O2 and H2 molecules are only physically adsorbed on the nanowire. The electronic properties of the Zn12O12-based nanowire present dramatic changes after the adsorption of the NO and NO2 molecules, especially their electric conductivity and magnetic properties, however, the other molecules adsorption hardly change the electric conductivity of the nanowire. Meanwhile, the recovery time of the nanowire sensor at T = 300 K is estimated at 1.5 μs and 16.7 μs for NO and NO2 molecules, respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivities of NO and NO2 are much larger than that of the other molecules. Our results thus conclude that the Zn12O12-based nanowire is a potential candidate for gas sensors with highly sensitivity for NO and NO2.
Fibroblasts play a potential role in bone destruction via osteopontin related caldesmon expression and polymerization in human non-functioning pituitary adenomas
Authors: Zhang Li-yang , Ge Xiao-lu , Li Zheng , Tang Yong-jian , Xiong Yuan-yuan , Li Xue-jun , Liu Jin-fang , Wanggou Si-yi , Li Chun-tao , Yang Kui , Chen Xin , Hu Zhong-Liang , Liu Yun-sheng , Liu Zhi-Xiong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractNon-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) are the most frequent pituitary tumors. The elucidation of the mechanisms of aggressive NFPAs in bone destruction is required in order to guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment of NFPAs. In the present study, we investigated the differential proteomics of fibroblasts isolated from clinical specimens of NFPAs with or without bone destruction. Proteomic analysis revealed a group of molecules associated with cytoskeleton organization, including caldesmon, were differentially expressed between fibroblasts isolated from bone destruction NFPAs (BD-NFPAs) and fibroblasts isolated from non-bone destruction NFPAs (NBD-NFPAs). The secreted proteins analysis found that osteopontin was significantly upregulated in BD-NFPAs fibroblasts. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of the NFPAs clinical samples showed that the expression of caldesmon in stromal cells and the expression of osteopontin in both tumor cells and stroma were significantly increased in BD-NFPAs. Taken together, our results indicate a possible way that osteopontin secreted from both NFPA cells and surrounding fibroblasts modify caldesmon expression and polymerization in fibroblasts, which may contribute to bone destruction in NFPA patients.
Room-Temperature Performance of Poly(Ethylene Ether Carbonate)-Based Solid Polymer Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries
Authors: Jung Yun-Chae , Park Myung-Soo , Kim Duck-Hyun , Ue Makoto , Eftekhari Ali , Kim Dong-Won 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAmorphous poly(ethylene ether carbonate) (PEEC), which is a copolymer of ethylene oxide and ethylene carbonate, was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of ethylene carbonate. This route overcame the common issue of low conductivity of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes at low temperatures, and thus the solid polymer electrolyte could be successfully employed at the room temperature. Introducing the ethylene carbonate units into PEEC improved the ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability and lithium transference number compared with PEO. A cross-linked solid polymer electrolyte was synthesized by photo cross-linking reaction using PEEC and tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate as a cross-linking agent, in the form of a flexible thin film. The solid-state Li/LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cell assembled with solid polymer electrolyte based on cross-linked PEEC delivered a high initial discharge capacity of 141.4 mAh g−1 and exhibited good capacity retention at room temperature. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using this solid polymer electrolyte in all-solid-state lithium batteries that can operate at ambient temperatures.
Constitutively elevated levels of SOCS1 suppress innate responses in DF-1 immortalised chicken fibroblast cells
Authors: Giotis E. S. , Ross C. S. , Robey R. C. , Nohturfft A. , Goodbourn S. , Skinner M. A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe spontaneously immortalised DF-1 cell line is rapidly replacing its progenitor primary chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) for studies on avian viruses such as avian influenza but no comprehensive study has as yet been reported comparing their innate immunity phenotypes. We conducted microarray analyses of DF-1 and CEFs, under both normal and stimulated conditions using chicken interferon-α (chIFN-α) and the attenuated infectious bursal disease virus vaccine strain PBG98. We found that DF-1 have an attenuated innate response compared to CEFs. Basal expression levels ofSuppressor of Cytokine Signalling 1(chSOCS1), a negative regulator of cytokine signalling in mammals, are 16-fold higher in DF-1 than in CEFs. The chSOCS1 “SOCS box” domain (which in mammals, interacts with an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex) is not essential for the inhibition of cytokine-induced JAK/STAT signalling activation in DF-1. Overexpression of SOCS1 in chIFN-α-stimulated DF-1 led to a relative decrease in expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs; MX1 and IFIT5) and increased viral yield in response to PBG98 infection. Conversely, knockdown of SOCS1 enhanced induction of ISGs and reduced viral yield in chIFN-α-stimulated DF-1. Consequently, SOCS1 reduces induction of the IFN signalling pathway in chicken cells and can potentiate virus replication.
Long-term nitrogen addition affects the phylogenetic turnover of soil microbial community responding to moisture pulse
Authors: Liu Chi , Yao Minjie , Stegen James C. , Rui Junpeng , Li Jiabao , Li Xiangzhen 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHow press disturbance (long-term) influences the phylogenetic turnover of soil microbial communities responding to pulse disturbances (short-term) is not fully known. Understanding the complex connections between the history of environmental conditions, assembly processes and microbial community dynamics is necessary to predict microbial response to perturbation. We started by investigating phylogenetic spatial turnover (based on DNA) of soil prokaryotic communities after long-term nitrogen (N) deposition and temporal turnover (based on RNA) of communities responding to pulse by conducting short-term rewetting experiments. The results showed that moderate N addition increased ecological stochasticity and phylogenetic diversity. In contrast, high N addition slightly increased homogeneous selection and decreased phylogenetic diversity. Examining the system with higher phylogenetic resolution revealed a moderate contribution of variable selection across the whole N gradient. The moisture pulse experiment showed that high N soils had higher rates of phylogenetic turnover across short phylogenetic distances and significant changes in community compositions through time. Long-term N input history influenced spatial turnover of microbial communities, but the dominant community assembly mechanisms differed across different N deposition gradients. We further revealed an interaction between press and pulse disturbances whereby deterministic processes were particularly important following pulse disturbances in high N soils.
Proteome-wide Analysis of Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in Developing Rice (Oryza sativa) Seeds
Authors: Meng Xiaoxi , Xing Shihai , Perez Loida M. , Peng Xiaojun , Zhao Qingyong , Redoña Edilberto D. , Wang Cailin , Peng Zhaohua 
Published: December 2017

AbstractLysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation is a recently identified protein post-translational modification that is known to affect the association between histone and DNA. However, non-histone protein lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation remains largely unexplored. Utilizing antibody-based affinity enrichment and nano-HPLC/MS/MS analyses of 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation peptides, we efficaciously identified 9,916 2-hydroxyisobutyryl lysine sites on 2,512 proteins in developing rice seeds, representing the first lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylome dataset in plants. Functional annotation analyses indicated that a wide variety of vital biological processes were preferably targeted by lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation, including glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, TCA cycle, starch biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, protein biosynthesis and processing. Our finding showed that 2-hydroxyisobutyrylated histone sites were conserved across plants, human, and mouse. A number of 2-hydroxyisobutyryl sites were shared with other lysine acylations in both histone and non-histone proteins. Comprehensive analysis of the lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation sites illustrated that the modification sites were highly sequence specific with distinct motifs, and they had less surface accessibility than other lysine residues in the protein. Overall, our study provides the first systematic analysis of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation proteome in plants, and it serves as an important resource for future investigations of the regulatory mechanisms and functions of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation.
Discrete and continuous character-based disparity analyses converge to the same macroevolutionary signal: a case study from captorhinids
Authors: Romano Marco , Brocklehurst Neil , Fröbisch Jörg 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe relationship between diversity and disparity during the evolutionary history of a clade provides unique insights into evolutionary radiations and the biological response to bottlenecks and to extinctions. Here we present the first comprehensive comparison of diversity and disparity of captorhinids, a group of basal amniotes that is important for understanding the early evolution of high-fiber herbivory. A new fully resolved phylogeny is presented, obtained by the inclusion of 31 morphometric characters. The new dataset is used to calculate diversity and disparity through the evolutionary history of the clade, using both discrete and continuous characters. Captorhinids do not show a decoupling between diversity and disparity, and are characterized by a rather symmetric disparity distribution, with a peak in occupied morphospace at about the midpoint of the clade’s evolutionary history (Kungurian). This peak represents a delayed adaptive radiation, identified by the first appearance of several high-fiber herbivores in the clade, along with numerous omnivorous taxa. The discrete characters and continuous morphometric characters indicate the same disparity trends. Therefore, we argue that in the absence of one of these two possible proxies, the disparity obtained from just one source can be considered robust and representative of a general disparity pattern.