bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of long-term exposure to microgravity on the perception of upright
Authors: Harris Laurence R. , Jenkin Michael , Jenkin Heather , Zacher James E. , Dyde Richard T. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractGoing into space is a disorienting experience. Many studies have looked at sensory functioning in space but the multisensory basis of orientation has not been systematically investigated. Here, we assess how prolonged exposure to microgravity affects the relative weighting of visual, gravity, and idiotropic cues to perceived orientation. We separated visual, body, and gravity (when present) cues to perceived orientation before, during, and after long-term exposure to microgravity during the missions of seven astronauts on the International Space Station (mean duration 168 days) and measuring perceived vertical using the subjective visual vertical and the perceptual upright. The relative influence of each cue and the variance of their judgments were measured. Fourteen ground-based control participants performed comparable measurements over a similar period. The variance of astronauts’ subjective visual vertical judgments in the absence of visual cues was significantly larger immediately upon return to earth than before flight. Astronauts’ perceptual upright demonstrated a reduced reliance on visual cues upon arrival on orbit that re-appeared long after returning to earth. For earth-bound controls, the contributions of body, gravity, and vision remained constant throughout the year-long testing period. This is the first multisensory study of orientation behavior in space and the first demonstration of long-term perceptual changes that persist after returning to earth. Astronauts showed a plasticity in the weighting of perceptual cues to orientation that could form the basis for future countermeasures.
Investigation of simulated microgravity effects on Streptococcus mutans physiology and global gene expression
Authors: Orsini Silvia S. , Lewis April M. , Rice Kelly C. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAstronauts have been previously shown to exhibit decreased salivary lysozyme and increased dental calculus and gingival inflammation in response to space flight, host factors that could contribute to oral diseases such as caries and periodontitis. However, the specific physiological response of caries-causing bacteria such asStreptococcus mutansto space flight and/or ground-based simulated microgravity has not been extensively investigated. In this study, high aspect ratio vesselS. mutanssimulated microgravity and normal gravity cultures were assessed for changes in metabolite and transcriptome profiles, H2O2resistance, and competence in sucrose-containing biofilm media. Stationary phaseS. mutanssimulated microgravity cultures displayed increased killing by H2O2compared to normal gravity control cultures, but competence was not affected. RNA-seq analysis revealed that expression of 153 genes was up-regulated ≥2-fold and 94 genes down-regulated ≥2-fold during simulated microgravity high aspect ratio vessel growth. These included a number of genes located on extrachromosomal elements, as well as genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, translation, and stress responses. Collectively, these results suggest that growth under microgravity analog conditions promotes changes inS. mutansgene expression and physiology that may translate to an altered cariogenic potential of this organism during space flight missions.
Suppression of photon shot noise dephasing in a tunable coupling superconducting qubit
Authors: Zhang Gengyan , Liu Yanbing , Raftery James J. , Houck Andrew A. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe demonstrate the suppression of photon shot noise dephasing in a superconducting qubit by eliminating its dispersive coupling to the readout cavity. This is achieved in a tunable coupling qubit, where the qubit frequency and coupling rate can be controlled independently. We observe that the coherence time approaches twice the relaxation time and becomes less sensitive to thermal photon noise when the dispersive coupling rate is tuned from several MHz to 22 kHz. This work provides a promising building block in circuit quantum electrodynamics that can hold high coherence and be integrated into larger systems.
Phenotyping for the dynamics of field wheat root system architecture
Authors: Chen Xinxin , Ding Qishuo , Błaszkiewicz Zbigniew , Sun Jiuai , Sun Qian , He Ruiyin , Li Yinian 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe investigated a method to quantify field-state wheat RSA in a phenotyping way, depicting the 3D topology of wheat RSA in 14d periods. The phenotyping procedure, proposed for understanding the spatio-temporal variations of root-soil interaction and the RSA dynamics in the field, is realized with a set of indices of mm scale precision, illustrating the gradients of both wheat root angle and elongation rate along soil depth, as well as the foraging potential along the side directions. The 70d was identified as the shifting point distinguishing the linear root length elongation from power-law development. Root vertical angle in the 40 mm surface soil layer was the largest, but steadily decreased along the soil depth. After 98d, larger root vertical angle appeared in the deep soil layers. PAC revealed a stable root foraging potential in the 0–70d period, which increased rapidly afterwards (70–112d). Root foraging potential, explained by MaxW/MaxD ratio, revealed an enhanced gravitropism in 14d period. No-till post-paddy wheat RLD decreased exponentially in both depth and circular directions, with 90% roots concentrated within the top 20 cm soil layer. RER along soil depth was either positive or negative, depending on specific soil layers and the sampling time.
Intestinal microbiota as a tetrahydrobiopterin exogenous source in hph-1 mice
Authors: Belik Jaques , Shifrin Yulia , Arning Erland , Bottiglieri Teodoro , Pan Jingyi , Daigneault Michelle C. , Allen-Vercoe Emma 
Published: January 2017

AbstractTetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is a cofactor of a number of regulatory enzymes. Although there are no known BH4 exogenous sources, the tissue content of this biopterin increases with age in GTP cyclohydrolase 1-deficient hyperphenylalaninemia-1 (hph-1) mice. Since certain bacteria are known to generate BH4, we hypothesize that generation of this biopterin by the intestinal microbiota contributes to its tissue increase in hph-1 adult mice. The goal of this study was to comparatively evaluate hph-1 mice and wild-type C57Bl/6 controls for the presence of intestinal BH4-producing bacteria. Newborn and adult mice fecal material was screened for 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS-2) an enzyme only present in BH4-generating bacteria. Adult, but not newborn, wild-type control and hph-1 mouse fecal material contained PTPS-2 mRNA indicative of the presence of BH4-generating bacteria. Utilizing chemostat-cultured human fecal bacteria, we identified the PTPS-2-producing bacteria as belonging to the Actinobacteria phylum. We further confirmed that at least two PTPS-2-producing species, Adlercreutzia equolifaciens and Microbacterium schleiferi, generate BH4 and are present in hph-1 fecal material. In conclusion, intestinal Actinobacteria generate BH4. This finding has important translational significance, since manipulation of the intestinal flora in individuals with congenital biopterin deficiency may allow for an increase in total body BH4 content.
Katanin p80, NuMA and cytoplasmic dynein cooperate to control microtubule dynamics
Authors: Jin Mingyue , Pomp Oz , Shinoda Tomoyasu , Toba Shiori , Torisawa Takayuki , Furuta Ken’ya , Oiwa Kazuhiro , Yasunaga Takuo , Kitagawa Daiju , Matsumura Shigeru , Miyata Takaki , Tan Thong Teck , Reversade Bruno , Hirotsune Shinji 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHuman mutations in KATNB1 (p80) cause severe congenital cortical malformations, which encompass the clinical features of both microcephaly and lissencephaly. Although p80 plays critical roles during brain development, the underlying mechanisms remain predominately unknown. Here, we demonstrate that p80 regulates microtubule (MT) remodeling in combination with NuMA (nuclear mitotic apparatus protein) and cytoplasmic dynein. We show that p80 shuttles between the nucleus and spindle pole in synchrony with the cell cycle. Interestingly, this striking feature is shared with NuMA. Importantly, p80 is essential for aster formation and maintenance in vitro. siRNA-mediated depletion of p80 and/or NuMA induced abnormal mitotic phenotypes in cultured mouse embryonic fibroblasts and aberrant neurogenesis and neuronal migration in the mouse embryonic brain. Importantly, these results were confirmed in p80-mutant harboring patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and brain organoids. Taken together, our findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of severe microlissencephaly, in which p80 and NuMA delineate a common pathway for neurogenesis and neuronal migration via MT organization at the centrosome/spindle pole.
Association of nsv823469 copy number loss with decreased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary function in Chinese
Authors: Chen Xiaoliang , Lu Xiaoxiao , Chen Jiansong , Wu Di , Qiu Fuman , Xiong Huali , Pan Zihua , Yang Lei , Yang Binyao , Xie Chenli , Zhou Yifeng , Huang Dongsheng , Zhou Yumin , Lu Jiachun 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIt is highly possible that copy number variations (CNVs) in susceptible regions have effects on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) development, while long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) have been shown to cause COPD. We hypothesized that the common CNV, named nsv823469 located on 6p22.1, and covering lncRNAs (major histocompatibility complex, class I, A (HLA-A) and HLA complex group 4B (HCG4B)) has an effect on COPD risk. This association was assessed through a two-stage case-control study, and was further confirmed with COPD and pulmonary function-based family analyses, respectively. The copy number loss (0-copy/1-copy) of nsv823469 significantly decreased risk of COPD compared with normal (2-copy) (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.69–0.85). The loss allele, inducing copy number loss of nsv823469, has a tendency to transmit to offspring or siblings (P = 0.010) and is associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (P = 0.030). Furthermore, the copy number loss of nsv823469 in normal pulmonary tissue decreases the expression levels of HCG4B (r = 0.315, P = 0.031) and HLA-A (r = 0.296, P = 0.044). Our data demonstrates that nsv823469 plays a role in COPD and pulmonary function inheritance by potentially altering expression of HCG4B.
A novel toolbox for the in vitro assay of hepatitis D virus infection
Authors: Zhao Jing-Hua , Zhang Ya-Li , Zhang Tian-Ying , Yuan Lun-Zhi , Cheng Tong , Chen Pei-Jer , Yuan Quan , Xia Ning-Shao 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHepatitis D virus (HDV) is a defective RNA virus that requires the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its life cycle. The in vitro HDV infection system is widely used as a surrogate model to study cellular infection with both viruses owing to its practical feasibility. However, previous methods for running this system were less efficient for high-throughput screening and large-scale studies. Here, we developed a novel method for the production of infectious HDV by adenoviral vector (AdV)-mediated transduction. We demonstrated that the AdV-based method yields 10-fold higher viral titers than the transient-transfection approach. The HDV-containing supernatant derived from AdV-infected Huh7 cells can be used as the inoculum in infectivity assays without requiring further concentration prior to use. Furthermore, we devloped a chemiluminescent immunoassay (HDV-CLEIA) to quantitatively determine intracellular HDAg with a dynamic range of 5–11,000 pg/mL. HDV-CLEIA can be used as an alternative approach to assess HDV infection. The advantages of our updated methodology were demonstrated through in vitro HDV infection of HepaRG cells and by evaluating the neutralization activity using antibodies that target various regions of the HBV/HDV envelope proteins. Together, the methods presented here comprise a novel toolbox of in vitro assays for studying HDV infection.
Discovery and Mechanistic Characterization of Selective Inhibitors of H2S-producing Enzyme: 3-Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase (3MST) Targeting Active-site Cysteine Persulfide
Authors: Hanaoka Kenjiro , Sasakura Kiyoshi , Suwanai Yusuke , Toma-Fukai Sachiko , Shimamoto Kazuhito , Takano Yoko , Shibuya Norihiro , Terai Takuya , Komatsu Toru , Ueno Tasuku , Ogasawara Yuki , Tsuchiya Yukihiro , Watanabe Yasuo , Kimura Hideo , Wang Chao , Uchiyama Masanobu , Kojima Hirotatsu , Okabe Takayoshi , Urano Yasuteru , Shimizu Toshiyuki , Nagano Tetsuo 
Published: January 2017

AbstractVery recent studies indicate that sulfur atoms with oxidation state 0 or −1, called sulfane sulfurs, are the actual mediators of some physiological processes previously considered to be regulated by hydrogen sulfide (H2S). 3-Mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST), one of three H2S-producing enzymes, was also recently shown to produce sulfane sulfur (H2Sn). Here, we report the discovery of several potent 3MST inhibitors by means of high-throughput screening (HTS) of a large chemical library (174,118 compounds) with our H2S-selective fluorescent probe, HSip-1. Most of the identified inhibitors had similar aromatic ring-carbonyl-S-pyrimidone structures. Among them, compound 3 showed very high selectivity for 3MST over other H2S/sulfane sulfur-producing enzymes and rhodanese. The X-ray crystal structures of 3MST complexes with two of the inhibitors revealed that their target is a persulfurated cysteine residue located in the active site of 3MST. Precise theoretical calculations indicated the presence of a strong long-range electrostatic interaction between the persulfur anion of the persulfurated cysteine residue and the positively charged carbonyl carbon of the pyrimidone moiety of the inhibitor. Our results also provide the experimental support for the idea that the 3MST-catalyzed reaction with 3-mercaptopyruvate proceeds via a ping-pong mechanism.
Species-dependent variation in sensitivity of Microcystis species to copper sulfate: implication in algal toxicity of copper and controls of blooms
Authors: Wu Haiming , Wei Gaojie , Tan Xiao , Li Lin , Li Ming 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCopper sulfate is a frequently used reagent for Microcystis blooms control but almost all the previous works have used Microcystis aeruginosa as the target organism to determine dosages. The aim of this study was to evaluate interspecific differences in the responses of various Microcystis species to varying Cu2+ concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50 mg L−1). The half maximal effective concentration values for M. aeruginosa, M. wesenbergii, M. flos-aquae, and M. viridis were 0.16, 0.09, 0.49, and 0.45 mg L−1 Cu2+, respectively. This showed a species-dependent variation in the sensitivity of Microcystis species to copper sulfate. Malonaldehyde content did not decrease with increasing superoxide dismutase content induced by increasing Cu2+, suggesting that superoxide dismutase failed to reduce Cu2+ damage in Microcystis. Considering the risk of microcystin release when Microcystis membranes are destroyed as a result of Cu2+ treatment and the stimulation effects of a low level of Cu2+ on growth in various species, our results suggest that copper sulfate treatment for Microcystis control could be applied before midsummer when M. aeruginosa and M. viridis are not the dominant species and actual amount of Cu2+ used to control M. wesenbergii should be much greater than 0.10 mg L−1.
SOCS1 favors the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in melanoma, promotes tumor progression and prevents antitumor immunity by PD-L1 expression
Authors: Berzaghi R. , Maia V. S. C. , Pereira F. V. , Melo F. M. , Guedes M. S. , Origassa C. S. T. , Scutti J. B. , Matsuo A. L. , Câmara N. O. S. , Rodrigues E. G. , Travassos L. R. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractSilencing of SOCS1 protein with shRNAi lentivirus (shR-SOCS1) led to partial reversion of the tumorigenic phenotype of B16F10-Nex2 melanoma cells. SOCS1 silencing inhibited cell migration and invasion as well as in vitro growth by cell cycle arrest at S phase with increased cell size and nuclei. Down-regulation of SOCS1 decreased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, Ins-Rα, and fibroblast growth factor receptors. The present work aimed at analyzing the SOCS1 cell signaling and expression of proteins relevant to tumor development. An RNA microarray analysis of B16F10-Nex2 melanoma cells with SOCS1 silenced by shRNAi-SOCS1 was undertaken in comparison with cells transduced with the empty vector. Among 609 differentially expressed genes, c-Kit, Met and EphA3 cytokine/tyrosine-kinase (TK) receptors were down regulated. A significant decrease in the expression of TK receptors, the phosphorylation of mediators of ERK1/2 and p38 pathways and STAT3 (S727) were observed. Subcutaneous immunization with shR-SOCS1-transduced viable tumor cells rendered protection against melanoma in a syngeneic model, with decreased expression of PD-L1 and of matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs) and CD-10 in those cells. The present work shows the role of SOCS1 in murine melanoma development and the potential of SOCS1-silenced tumor cells in raising an effective anti-melanoma immune response.
Adductor canal block versus femoral nerve block for total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Wang Duan , Yang Yang , Li Qi , Tang Shen-Li , Zeng Wei-Nan , Xu Jin , Xie Tian-Hang , Pei Fu-Xing , Yang Liu , Li Ling-Li , Zhou Zong-Ke 
Published: January 2017

AbstractFemoral nerve blocks (FNB) can provide effective pain relief but result in quadriceps weakness with increased risk of falls following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Adductor canal block (ACB) is a relatively new alternative providing pure sensory blockade with minimal effect on quadriceps strength. The meta-analysis was designed to evaluate whether ACB exhibited better outcomes with respect to quadriceps strength, pain control, ambulation ability, and complications. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Wan Fang, China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and the Cochrane Database were searched for RCTs comparing ACB with FNB after TKAs. Of 309 citations identified by our search strategy, 12 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Compared to FNB, quadriceps maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) was significantly higher for ACB, which was consistent with the results regarding quadriceps strength assessed with manual muscle strength scale. Moreover, ACB had significantly higher risk of falling versus FNB. At any follow-up time, ACB was not inferior to FNB regarding pain control or opioid consumption, and showed better range of motion in comparison with FNB. ACB is superior to the FNB regarding sparing of quadriceps strength and faster knee function recovery. It provides pain relief and opioid consumption comparable to FNB and is associated with decreased risk of falls.
High-efficiency tri-band quasi-continuous phase gradient metamaterials based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons
Authors: Li Yongfeng , Ma Hua , Wang Jiafu , Pang Yongqiang , Zheng Qiqi , Chen Hongya , Han Yajuan , Zhang Jieqiu , Qu Shaobo 
Published: January 2017

AbstractA high-efficiency tri-band quasi-continuous phase gradient metamaterial is designed and demonstrated based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs). High-efficiency polarizaiton conversion transmission is firstly achieved via tailoring phase differece between the transmisive SSPP and the space wave in orthogonal directions. As an example, a tri-band circular-to-circular (CTC) polarization conversion metamateiral (PCM) was designed by a nonlinearly dispersive phase difference. Using such PCM unit cell, a tri-band quasi-continuous phase gradient metamaterial (PGM) was then realized by virtue of the Pancharatnam-Berry phase. The distribution of the cross-polarization transmission phase along the x-direction is continuous except for two infinitely small intervals near the phases 0° and 360°, and thus the phase gradient has definition at any point along the x-direction. The simulated normalized polarization conversion transmission spectrums together with the electric field distributions for circularly polarized wave and linearly polarized wave demonstrated the high-efficiency anomalous refraction of the quasi-continuous PGM. The experimental verification for the linearly polarized incidence was also provided.
The Impact of Contrastive Stress on Vowel Acoustics and Intelligibility in Dysarthria
Authors: Connaghan Kathryn P. , Patel Rupal 
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To compare vowel acoustics and intelligibility in words produced with and without contrastive stress by speakers with spastic (mixed-spastic) dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy (DYS
CP
) and healthy controls (HCs).

Method

Fifteen participants (9 men, 6 women; age
M
= 42 years) with DYS
CP
and 15 HCs (9 men, 6 women; age
M
= 36 years) produced sentences containing target words with and without contrastive stress. Forty-five healthy listeners (age
M
= 25 years) completed a vowel identification task of DYS
CP
productions. Vowel acoustics were compared across stress conditions and groups using 1st (F1) and 2nd (F2) formant measures. Perceptual intelligibility was compared across stress conditions and dysarthria severity.

Results
F1 and F2 significantly increased in stressed words for both groups, although the degree of change differed. Mean Euclidian distance between vowels also increased with stress. The relative probability of vowels falling within the target F1 × F2 space was greater for HCs but did not differ with stress. Stress production resulted in greater listener vowel identification accuracy for speakers with mild dysarthria.

Conclusions
Contrastive stress affected vowel formants for both groups. Perceptual results suggest that some speakers with dysarthria may benefit from a contrastive stress strategy to improve vowel intelligibility.
Overexpression of TIFY genes promotes plant growth in rice through jasmonate signaling
Authors: Hakata Makoto , Muramatsu Masayuki , Nakamura Hidemitsu , Hara Naho , Kishimoto Miho , Iida-Okada Keiko , Kajikawa Mariko , Imai-Toki Naoko , Toki Seiichi , Nagamura Yoshiaki , Yamakawa Hiromoto , Ichikawa Hiroaki 
Published: January 2017

Abstract
Because environmental stress can reduce crop growth and yield, the identification of genes that enhance agronomic traits is increasingly important. Previous screening of full-length cDNA overexpressing (FOX) rice lines revealed that OsTIFY11b, one of 20 TIFY proteins in rice, affects plant size, grain weight, and grain size. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of OsTIFY11b and nine other TIFY genes on the growth and yield of corresponding TIFY-FOX lines. Regardless of temperature, grain weight and culm length were enhanced in lines overexpressing TIFY11 subfamily genes, except OsTIFY11e. The TIFY-FOX plants exhibited increased floret number and reduced days to flowering, as well as reduced spikelet fertility, and OsTIFY10b, in particular, enhanced grain yield by minimizing decreases in fertility. We suggest that the enhanced growth of TIFY-transgenic rice is related to regulation of the jasmonate signaling pathway, as in Arabidopsis. Moreover, we discuss the potential application of TIFY overexpression for improving crop yield.