bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interactive effects between gaze direction and facial expression on attentional resources deployment: the task instruction and context matter
Authors: Ricciardelli Paola , Lugli Luisa , Pellicano Antonello , Iani Cristina , Nicoletti Roberto 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn three experiments, we tested whether the amount of attentional resources needed to process a face displaying neutral/angry/fearful facial expressions with direct or averted gaze depends on task instructions and face presentation. To this end, we used a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation paradigm in which participants in Experiment 1 were first explicitly asked to discriminate whether the expression of a target face (T1) with direct or averted gaze was angry or neutral and then to judge the orientation of a landscape (T2). Experiment 2 was identical to Experiment 1 except that participants had to discriminate the gender of the face of T1 and fearful faces were also presented randomly inter-mixed within each block of trials. Experiment 3 differed from Experiment 2 only because angry and fearful faces were never presented within the same block. The findings indicated that the presence of the attentional blink (AB) for face stimuli depends on specific combinations of gaze direction and emotional facial expressions and crucially revealed that the contextual factors (e.g., explicit instruction to process the facial expression and the presence of other emotional faces) can modify and even reverse the AB, suggesting a flexible and more contextualized deployment of attentional resources in face processing.
An automated framework for 3D serous pigment epithelium detachment segmentation in SD-OCT images
Authors: Sun Zhuli , Chen Haoyu , Shi Fei , Wang Lirong , Zhu Weifang , Xiang Dehui , Yan Chenglin , Li Liang , Chen Xinjian 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPigment epithelium detachment (PED) is an important clinical manifestation of multiple chorioretinal diseases, which can cause loss of central vision. In this paper, an automated framework is proposed to segment serous PED in SD-OCT images. The proposed framework consists of four main steps: first, a multi-scale graph search method is applied to segment abnormal retinal layers; second, an effective AdaBoost method is applied to refine the initial segmented regions based on 62 extracted features; third, a shape-constrained graph cut method is applied to segment serous PED, in which the foreground and background seeds are obtained automatically; finally, an adaptive structure elements based morphology method is applied to remove false positive segmented regions. The proposed framework was tested on 25 SD-OCT volumes from 25 patients diagnosed with serous PED. The average true positive volume fraction (TPVF), false positive volume fraction (FPVF), dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and positive predictive value (PPV) are 90.08%, 0.22%, 91.20% and 92.62%, respectively. The proposed framework can provide clinicians with accurate quantitative information, including shape, size and position of the PED region, which can assist clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Nano-thick calcium oxide armed titanium: boosts bone cells against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Cao Huiliang , Qin Hui , Zhao Yaochao , Jin Guodong , Lu Tao , Meng Fanhao , Zhang Xianlong , Liu Xuanyong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSince the use of systemic antibiotics for preventing acute biomaterial-associated infections (BAIs) may build up bacterial resistance and result in huge medical costs and unpredictable mortality, new precaution strategies are required. Here, it demonstrated that titanium armed with a nano-thick calcium oxide layer was effective on averting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in rabbits. The calcium oxide layer was constructed by, firstly, injecting of metallic calcium into titanium via a plasma immersion ion implantation process and then transforming the outer most surface into oxide by exposing to the atmosphere. Although the calcium oxide armed titanium had a relative low reduction rate (~74%) in growth of MRSA in vitro, it could markedly promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), restore local bone integration against the challenge of MRSA and decrease the incidence of MRSA infection with a rate of 100% (compared to the titanium control). This study demonstrated for the first time that calcium, as one of the major elements in a human body, could be engineered to avert MRSA infections, which is promising as a safe precaution of disinfection for implantable biomedical devices.
miR-155 acts as an anti-inflammatory factor in atherosclerosis-associated foam cell formation by repressing calcium-regulated heat stable protein 1
Authors: Li Xiaoyi , Kong Deyong , Chen Heming , Liu Shuiyi , Hu Hui , Wu Tangwei , Wang Jing , Chen Weiqun , Ning Yong , Li Yong , Lu Zhongxin 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAtherosclerosis (AS) is chronic inflammation in response to lipid accumulation. MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is being increasingly studied to evaluate its potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in many diseases. However, delineating the role of miR-155 in AS remains difficult. Here, we detected constitutive expression of several microRNAs (miRNAs) possibly associated with cardiovascular disease in foam cells and clinical specimens from patients with AS. Among them, we found that the level of miR-155 in foam cells was the most significantly elevated in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of miR-155 was elevated in the plasma and plaque of patients with AS. We also reported for the first time that miR-155 targets calcium-regulated heat stable protein 1 (CARHSP1), which regulates the stability of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNA. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanism by which the miR-155 level is elevated. miR-155 upregulation is due to transcriptional regulation by nuclear factor (NF)-κB, which is activated by the inflammatory factor TNF-α. In summary, increased miR-155 relieves chronic inflammation by a negative feedback loop and plays a protective role during atherosclerosis-associated foam cell formation by signaling through the miR-155–CARHSP1–TNF-α pathway.
Autotetraploid cell Line induced by SP600125 from crucian carp and its developmental potentiality
Authors: Zhou Yonghua , Wang Mei , Jiang Minggui , Peng Liangyue , Wan Cong , Liu Jinhui , Liu Wenbin , Zhao Rurong , Zhao Xiaoyang , Hu Wei , Liu Shaojun , Xiao Yamei 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPolyploidy has many advantages over diploidy, such as rapid growth, sterility and disease resistance and has been extensively applied in agriculture and aquaculture. Though generation of new polyploids via polyploidization has been achieved in plants by different ways, it is comparatively rare in animals. In this article, by a chemical compound, SP600125, polyploidization is induced in fish cells in vitro and a stable autotetraploid cell line has been generated from diploid fibroblast cells of crucian carp. As a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (Jnk) inhibitor, SP600125 does not function during the induction process of polyploidization. Instead, the p53 signal pathway might be involved. Using the SP600125-induced tetraploid cells and eggs of crucian carp as the donors and recipients, respectively, nuclear transplantation was conducted such that tetraploid embryos were obtained. It suggests that combining polyploidization and the somatic cell nuclear transfer technique (SCNT) is an efficient way to generate polyploidy and the presented method in this research for generating the tetraploid fish from diploid fish can provide a useful platform for polyploid breeding.
TPhP exposure disturbs carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the DNA damage repair system in zebrafish liver
Authors: Du Zhongkun , Zhang Yan , Wang Guowei , Peng Jianbiao , Wang Zunyao , Gao Shixiang 
Published: February 2016

AbstractTriphenyl phosphate is a high production volume organophosphate flame retardant that has been detected in multiple environmental media at increasing concentrations. The environmental and health risks of triphenyl phosphate have drawn attention because of the multiplex toxicity of this chemical compound. However, few studies have paid close attention to the impacts of triphenyl phosphate on liver metabolism. We investigated hepatic histopathological, metabolomic and transcriptomic responses of zebrafish after exposure to 0.050 mg/L and 0.300 mg/L triphenyl phosphate for 7 days. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant changes in the contents of glucose, UDP-glucose, lactate, succinate, fumarate, choline, acetylcarnitine, and several fatty acids. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that related pathways, such as the glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, PPAR signaling pathway and fatty acid elongation, were significantly affected. These results suggest that triphenyl phosphate exposure markedly disturbs hepatic carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in zebrafish. Moreover, DNA replication, the cell cycle, and non-homologous end-joining and base excision repair were strongly affected, thus indicating that triphenyl phosphate hinders the DNA damage repair system in zebrafish liver cells. The present study provides a systematic analysis of the triphenyl phosphate-induced toxic effects in zebrafish liver and demonstrates that low concentrations of triphenyl phosphate affect normal metabolism and cell cycle.
Natural variation in non-coding regions underlying phenotypic diversity in budding yeast
Authors: Salinas Francisco , de Boer Carl G. , Abarca Valentina , García Verónica , Cuevas Mara , Araos Sebastian , Larrondo Luis F. , Martínez Claudio , Cubillos Francisco A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractLinkage mapping studies in model organisms have typically focused their efforts in polymorphisms within coding regions, ignoring those within regulatory regions that may contribute to gene expression variation. In this context, differences in transcript abundance are frequently proposed as a source of phenotypic diversity between individuals, however, until now, little molecular evidence has been provided. Here, we examined Allele Specific Expression (ASE) in six F1 hybrids from Saccharomyces cerevisiae derived from crosses between representative strains of the four main lineages described in yeast. ASE varied between crosses with levels ranging between 28% and 60%. Part of the variation in expression levels could be explained by differences in transcription factors binding to polymorphic cis-regulations and to differences in trans-activation depending on the allelic form of the TF. Analysis on highly expressed alleles on each background suggested ASN1 as a candidate transcript underlying nitrogen consumption differences between two strains. Further promoter allele swap analysis under fermentation conditions confirmed that coding and non-coding regions explained aspartic and glutamic acid consumption differences, likely due to a polymorphism affecting Uga3 binding. Together, we provide a new catalogue of variants to bridge the gap between genotype and phenotype.
Sparse cliques trump scale-free networks in coordination and competition
Authors: Gianetto David A. , Heydari Babak 
Published: February 2016

AbstractCooperative behavior, a natural, pervasive and yet puzzling phenomenon, can be significantly enhanced by networks. Many studies have shown how global network characteristics affect cooperation; however, it is difficult to understand how this occurs based on global factors alone, low-level network building blocks, ormotifsare necessary. In this work, we systematically alter the structure of scale-free and clique networks and show, through a stochastic evolutionary game theory model, that cooperation on cliques increases linearly withcommunity motifcount. We further show that, for reactive stochastic strategies, network modularity improves cooperation in theanti-coordinationSnowdrift game and the Prisoner’s Dilemma game but not in the Stag Hunt coordination game. We also confirm the negative effect of the scale-free graph on cooperation when effective payoffs are used. On the flip side, clique graphs are highly cooperative across social environments. Adding cycles to the acyclic scale-free graph increases cooperation when multiple games are considered; however, cycles have the opposite effect on how forgiving agents are when playing the Prisoner’s Dilemma game.
Replication and shedding of MERS-CoV in Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis)
Authors: Munster Vincent J. , Adney Danielle R. , van Doremalen Neeltje , Brown Vienna R. , Miazgowicz Kerri L. , Milne-Price Shauna , Bushmaker Trenton , Rosenke Rebecca , Scott Dana , Hawkinson Ann , de Wit Emmie , Schountz Tony , Bowen Richard A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) highlights the zoonotic potential of Betacoronaviruses. Investigations into the origin of MERS-CoV have focused on two potential reservoirs: bats and camels. Here, we investigated the role of bats as a potential reservoir for MERS-CoV. In vitro, the MERS-CoV spike glycoprotein interacted with Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) receptor and MERS-CoV replicated efficiently in Jamaican fruit bat cells, suggesting there is no restriction at the receptor or cellular level for MERS-CoV. To shed light on the intrinsic host-virus relationship, we inoculated 10 Jamaican fruit bats with MERS-CoV. Although all bats showed evidence of infection, none of the bats showed clinical signs of disease. Virus shedding was detected in the respiratory and intestinal tract for up to 9 days. MERS-CoV replicated transiently in the respiratory and, to a lesser extent, the intestinal tracts and internal organs; with limited histopathological changes observed only in the lungs. Analysis of the innate gene expression in the lungs showed a moderate, transient induction of expression. Our results indicate that MERS-CoV maintains the ability to replicate in bats without clinical signs of disease, supporting the general hypothesis of bats as ancestral reservoirs for MERS-CoV.
Impact of sustainable feeds on omega-3 long-chain fatty acid levels in farmed Atlantic salmon, 2006–2015
Authors: Sprague M. , Dick J.R. , Tocher D.R. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAs the global population and its demand for seafood increases more of our fish will come from aquaculture. Farmed Atlantic salmon are a global commodity and, as an oily fish, contain a rich source of the health promoting long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Replacing the traditional finite marine ingredients, fishmeal and fish oil, in farmed salmon diets with sustainable alternatives of terrestrial origin, devoid of EPA and DHA, presents a significant challenge for the aquaculture industry. By comparing the fatty acid composition of over 3,000 Scottish Atlantic salmon farmed between 2006 and 2015, we find that terrestrial fatty acids have significantly increased alongside a decrease in EPA and DHA levels. Consequently, the nutritional value of the final product is compromised requiring double portion sizes, as compared to 2006, in order to satisfy recommended EPA + DHA intake levels endorsed by health advisory organisations. Nevertheless, farmed Scottish salmon still delivers more EPA + DHA than most other fish species and all terrestrial livestock. Our findings highlight the global shortfall of EPA and DHA and the implications this has for the human consumer and examines the potential of microalgae and genetically modified crops as future sources of these important fatty acids.
Friend or foe? Biological and ecological traits of the European ash dieback pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus in its native environment
Authors: Cleary Michelle , Nguyen Diem , Marčiulynienė Diana , Berlin Anna , Vasaitis Rimvys , Stenlid Jan 
Published: February 2016

AbstractHymenoscyphus fraxineus, an introduced ascomycete fungus and primary causal agent of European ash dieback, was investigated onFraxinus mandshuricatrees in its native range in Primorye region of Far East Russia. This evidence is the first report ofH. fraxineuson healthy, asymptomaticF. mandshuricatrees. High-throughput sequencing revealed 49 distinct fungal taxa associated with leaves ofF. mandshurica, 12 of which were identified to species level. Phyllosphere fungal assemblages were similar among sites despite being largely geographically distant. Many organisms comprising the foliar fungal community onF. mandshuricain Far East Russia have similarity to those reported inhabitingF. excelsiorin Europe based on previous studies. However,Mycosphaerellasp., the most dominant species in this study and detected in nearly all samples, was associated only withF. mandshurica. Genetic diversity ofH. fraxineuswas significantly higher in the Far East Russian population than in Europe. In contrast to its aggressive behaviour onFraxinus excelsiorin Europe,H. fraxineusappears to be a benign associate of indigenousF. mandshuricathat initially induces quiescent and asymptomatic infections in healthy trees prior to active host colonization normally associated with modification of host tissue during senescence.
Induction of site-specific chromosomal translocations in embryonic stem cells by CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Jiang Junfeng , Zhang Li , Zhou Xingliang , Chen Xi , Huang Guanyi , Li Fengsheng , Wang Ruizhe , Wu Nancy , Yan Youzhen , Tong Chang , Srivastava Sankalp , Wang Yue , Liu Houqi , Ying Qi-Long 
Published: February 2016

AbstractChromosomal translocation is the most common form of chromosomal abnormality and is often associated with congenital genetic disorders, infertility and cancers. The lack of cellular and animal models for chromosomal translocations, however, has hampered our ability to understand the underlying disease mechanisms and to develop new therapies. Here, we show that site-specific chromosomal translocations can be generated in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) via CRISPR/Cas9. Mouse ESCs carrying translocated chromosomes can be isolated and expanded to establish stable cell lines. Furthermore, chimeric mice can be generated by injecting these mESCs into host blastocysts. The establishment of ESC-based cellular and animal models of chromosomal translocation by CRISPR/Cas9 provides a powerful platform for understanding the effect of chromosomal translocation and for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Unraveling and engineering the production of 23,24-bisnorcholenic steroids in sterol metabolism
Authors: Xu Li-Qin , Liu Yong-Jun , Yao Kang , Liu Hao-Hao , Tao Xin-Yi , Wang Feng-Qing , Wei Dong-Zhi 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe catabolism of sterols in mycobacteria is highly important due to its close relevance in the pathogenesis of pathogenic strains and the biotechnological applications of nonpathogenic strains for steroid synthesis. However, some key metabolic steps remain unknown. In this study, the hsd4A gene from Mycobacterium neoaurum ATCC 25795 was investigated. The encoded protein, Hsd4A, was characterized as a dual-function enzyme, with both 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities in vitro. Using a kshAs-null strain of M. neoaurum ATCC 25795 (NwIB-XII) as a model, Hsd4A was further confirmed to exert dual-function in sterol catabolism in vivo. The deletion of hsd4A in NwIB-XII resulted in the production of 23,24-bisnorcholenic steroids (HBCs), indicating that hsd4A plays a key role in sterol side-chain degradation. Therefore, two competing pathways, the AD and HBC pathways, were proposed for the side-chain degradation. The proposed HBC pathway has great value in illustrating the production mechanism of HBCs in sterol catabolism and in developing HBCs producing strains for industrial application via metabolic engineering. Through the combined modification of hsd4A and other genes, three HBCs producing strains were constructed that resulted in promising productivities of 0.127, 0.109 and 0.074 g/l/h, respectively.
Host kinin B1 receptor plays a protective role against melanoma progression
Authors: Maria Andrea G. , Dillenburg-Pilla Patrícia , Reis Rosana I. , Floriano Elaine M. , Tefé-Silva Cristiane , Ramos Simone G. , Pesquero João B. , Nahmias Clara , Costa-Neto Claudio M. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractMelanoma is a very aggressive tumor that arises from melanocytes. Late stage and widely spread diseases do not respond to standard therapeutic approaches. The kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) participates in biological processes such as vasodilatation, pain and inflammatory response. However, the role of KKS in tumor formation and progression is not completely understood. The role of the host kinin B1 receptor in melanoma development was evaluated using a syngeneic melanoma model. Primary tumors and metastasis were respectively induced by injecting B16F10 melanoma cells, which are derived from C57BL/6 mice, subcutaneously or in the tail vein in wild type C57BL/6 and B1 receptor knockout mice (B1−/−). Tumors developed in B1−/− mice presented unfavorable prognostic factors such as increased incidence of ulceration, higher levels of IL-10, higher activation of proliferative pathways such as ERK1/2 and Akt, and increased mitotic index. Furthermore, in the metastasis model, B1−/− mice developed larger metastatic colonies in the lung and lower CD8+immune effector cells when compared with WT animals. Altogether, our results provide evidences that B1−/− animals developed primary tumors with multiple features associated with poor prognosis and unfavorable metastatic onset, indicating that the B1 receptor may contribute to improve the host response against melanoma progression.
Prognostic role of Gli1 expression in solid malignancies: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cheng Ji , Gao Jinbo , Tao Kaixiong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractGli1 is a downstream transcriptional factor of Sonic hedgehog pathway in mammalians, and has been recognized as a proliferative indicator of carcinogenesis. However, its actual role in prognosis among solid malignancies remains unclear. Therefore we performed this meta-analysis aiming to discover the correlation between Gli1 positivity and clinical prognosis in patients suffering from diverse carcinomas. A total of 39 studies containing 4496 cases were selected into our quantitative analysis via electronic database search. Original data of 3-year, 5-year, 10-year overall survival and disease-free survival were extracted and calculated using odds ratio and Mantel-Haenszel model. Subgroup analysis was also conducted to clarify the possible confounding factors. P < 0.05 was considered significant in statistics. Gli1 redundancy was associated with worse 3-year, 5-year, 10-year overall survival and disease-free survival in solid malignancies. Different source regions, sample-size, mean-age and detection approaches had no impact on the negative prognostic effect of Gli1 over-expression. Nevertheless, stratified by cancer type and subcellular localization, cytoplasmic Gli1 expression and Gli1 positivity in intracranial tumors was not correlated to poorer 3-year and 5-year prognosis. The over-expression of Gli1 is a credible indicator of poorer prognosis in most of solid malignancies, irrespective of intracranial tumors.
Koch fractal inductors printed on flexible substrate
Authors: Djuric S. 
Published: February 2016

Performance analysis of Koch fractal inductors, printed in ink‐jet technology, is presented. Koch fractal inductors are printed on a flexible polyimide film in two, three, four and eight layers, using silver nanoparticle ink as the conductor. It was shown that inductors performance improved with increasing the number of conductive layers. In addition, a coreless flexible transformer based on Koch fractal design is presented. The inductance and quality factor of the inductors and transformer windings were measured by impedance analyser in the frequency range from 1 to 250 MHz.