bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
AidP, a novel N-Acyl homoserine lactonase gene from Antarctic Planococcus sp.
Authors: See-Too Wah Seng , Ee Robson , Lim Yan-Lue , Convey Peter , Pearce David A. , Yin Wai-Fong , Chan Kok-Gan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractPlanococcus is a Gram-positive halotolerant bacterial genus in the phylum Firmicutes, commonly found in various habitats in Antarctica. Quorum quenching (QQ) is the disruption of bacterial cell-to-cell communication (known as quorum sensing), which has previously been described in mesophilic bacteria. This study demonstrated the QQ activity of a psychrotolerant strain, Planococcus versutus strain L10.15T, isolated from a soil sample obtained near an elephant seal wallow in Antarctica. Whole genome analysis of this bacterial strain revealed the presence of an N-acyl homoserine lactonase, an enzyme that hydrolyzes the ester bond of the homoserine lactone of N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHLs). Heterologous gene expression in E. coli confirmed its functions for hydrolysis of AHLs, and the gene was designated as aidP (autoinducer degrading gene from Planococcus sp.). The low temperature activity of this enzyme suggested that it is a novel and uncharacterized class of AHL lactonase. This study is the first report on QQ activity of bacteria isolated from the polar regions.
Reduced White Matter Integrity in Antisocial Personality Disorder: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Authors: Jiang Weixiong , Shi Feng , Liu Huasheng , Li Gang , Ding Zhongxiang , Shen Hui , Shen Celina , Lee Seong-Whan , Hu Dewen , Wang Wei , Shen Dinggang 
Published: February 2017

AbstractEmerging neuroimaging research suggests that antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) may be linked to abnormal brain anatomy, but little is known about possible impairments of white matter microstructure in ASPD, as well as their relationship with impulsivity or risky behaviors. In this study, we systematically investigated white matter abnormalities of ASPD using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures: fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). Then, we further investigated their correlations with the scores of impulsivity or risky behaviors. ASPD patients showed decreased FA in multiple major white matter fiber bundles, which connect the fronto-parietal control network and the fronto-temporal network. We also found AD/RD deficits in some additional white matter tracts that were not detected by FA. More interestingly, several regions were found correlated with impulsivity or risky behaviors in AD and RD values, although not in FA values, including the splenium of corpus callosum, left posterior corona radiate/posterior thalamic radiate, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. These regions can be the potential biomarkers, which would be of great interest in further understanding the pathomechanism of ASPD.
Comparative physiological and transcriptomic analyses provide integrated insight into osmotic, cold, and salt stress tolerance mechanisms in banana
Authors: Hu Wei , Ding Zehong , Tie Weiwei , Yan Yan , Liu Yang , Wu Chunlai , Liu Juhua , Wang Jiashui , Peng Ming , Xu Biyu , Jin Zhiqiang 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe growth, development, and production of banana plants are constrained by multiple abiotic stressors. However, it remains elusive for the tolerance mechanisms of banana responding to multiple abiotic stresses. In this study, we found that Fen Jiao (FJ) was more tolerant to osmotic, cold, and salt stresses than BaXi Jiao (BX) by phenotypic and physiological analyses. Comparative transcriptomic analyses highlighted stress tolerance genes that either specifically regulated in FJ or changed more than twofold in FJ relative to BX after treatments. In total, 933, 1644, and 133 stress tolerance genes were identified after osmotic, cold, and salt treatments, respectively. Further integrated analyses found that 30 tolerance genes, including transcription factor, heat shock protein, and E3 ubiquitin protein ligase, could be commonly regulated by osmotic, cold, and salt stresses. Finally, ABA and ROS signaling networks were found to be more active in FJ than in BX under osmotic, cold, and salt treatments, which may contribute to the strong stress tolerances of FJ. Together, this study provides new insights into the tolerance mechanism of banana responding to multiple stresses, thus leading to potential applications in the genetic improvement of multiple abiotic stress tolerances in banana.
Scale up and pharmacokinetic study of a novel mutated chimeric tissue plasminogen activator (mt-PA) in rats
Authors: Raigani Mozhgan , Rouini Mohammad-Reza , Golabchifar Ali-Akbar , Mirabzadeh Esmat , Vaziri Behrouz , Barkhordari Farzaneh , Davami Fatemeh , Mahboudi Fereidoun 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBecause of high mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases, various fibrinolytic agents with diverse pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties have been developed. A novel mutated chimeric tissue plasminogen activator (mt-PA) was developed by the removal of first three domains of t-PA, insertion of GHRP sequence and mutation towards resistance to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Mt-PA protein was expressed in Expi293F cells. The expression level of mt-PA was found to be 5000 IU/mL. Following purification, the pharmacokinetic properties of mt-PA were evaluated in three doses in rats. Data related to mt-PA were best fitted to two compartment model. With the increase in dose, the Area Under the plasma concentration-time Curve (AUC0→∞) increased. The elimination half-life (t1/2) of mt-PA was in the range of 19.1–26.1 min in three doses while that of Alteplase was 8.3 min. The plasma clearance (CLp) of mt-PA ranged from 3.8 to 5.9 mL/min in three doses, which was several times lower than that of Alteplase (142.6 mL/min). The mean residence time (MRT) of mt-PA ranged from 23.3–31.8 min in three doses, which was 4–5 times greater than that of Alteplase (6 min). Mt-PA showed extended half-life and mean residence time and is a good candidate for further clinical studies.
Environmentally friendly chitosan/PEI-grafted magnetic gelatin for the highly effective removal of heavy metals from drinking water
Authors: Li Bingbing , Zhou Feng , Huang Kai , Wang Yipei , Mei Surong , Zhou Yikai , Jing Tao 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe development of environmentally friendly sorbents with a high adsorption capacity is an essential problem in the removal of heavy metals from drinking water. In this study, magnetic gelatin was prepared using transglutaminase as a cross-linker, which could only catalyze an acyl-transfer reaction between lysine and glutamine residues of the gelatin and not affect other amino groups. Therefore, it was beneficial for the further modification based on the amino groups, and did not affect the spatial structure of gelatin, which can effectively prevent the embedding of active sites in the polymer matrix. After modification with the chitosan/polyethylenimine copolymers, the numbers of amino groups was greatly increased, and the magnetic composites exhibited a high adsorption capacity, excellent water compatibility and simple magnetic separation. The adsorption capacities of lead and cadmium were 341 mg g−1 and 321 mg g−1, respectively, which could be used for the removal of metal ions in drinking water.
New limits of secondary β-relaxation
Authors: Tripathy Satya N. , Rams-Baron Marzena , Wojnarowska Zaneta , Knapik-Kowalczuk Justyna , Paluch Marian 
Published: February 2017

AbstractGlass is an ultraviscous liquid that ceases to flow on a laboratory timescale but continues to relax on a geological timescale. Quintessentially, it has become hopeless for humans to explore the equilibrium behavior of glass, although the technology of glass making witness a remarkable advance. In this work, we propose a novel thermodynamic path to prepare a high density amorphous state of matter (carvedilol dihydrogen phosphate) using high pressure. In addition, we provide the impeccable experimental evidence of heterogeneous nature of secondary β-relaxation and probe its properties to understand the various aspects of pressure densified glass, such as dynamics, packing and disorder. These features are expected to provide new horizons to glass preparation and functional response to pharmaceutical applications.
Comparison of DP3 Signals Evoked by Comfortable 3D Images and 2D Images — an Event-Related Potential Study using an Oddball Task
Authors: Ye Peng , Wu Xiang , Gao Dingguo , Liang Haowen , Wang Jiahui , Deng Shaozhi , Xu Ningsheng , She Juncong , Chen Jun 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe horizontal binocular disparity is a critical factor for the visual fatigue induced by watching stereoscopic TVs. Stereoscopic images that possess the disparity within the ‘comfort zones’ and remain still in the depth direction are considered comfortable to the viewers as 2D images. However, the difference in brain activities between processing such comfortable stereoscopic images and 2D images is still less studied. The DP3 (differential P3) signal refers to an event-related potential (ERP) component indicating attentional processes, which is typically evoked by odd target stimuli among standard stimuli in an oddball task. The present study found that the DP3 signal elicited by the comfortable 3D images exhibits the delayed peak latency and enhanced peak amplitude over the anterior and central scalp regions compared to the 2D images. The finding suggests that compared to the processing of the 2D images, more attentional resources are involved in the processing of the stereoscopic images even though they are subjectively comfortable.
Decreased levels of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 are correlated with improved hypoglycemia in patients with insulinoma
Authors: Li Xu , Yu Haoyong , Yin Jun , Li Lianxi , Zhou Jian , Li Ming , Li Qing , Chen Haibing , Liu Fang , Bao Yuqian , Han Junfeng , Jia Weiping 
Published: February 2017

AbstractFibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) improves insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism in obese or diabetic animal models and has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent for treating T2DM, obesity, and their related complications. However, little is known about the changes of FGF21 levels in response to endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. To explore its relationship with parameters of glucose metabolism in patients with insulinoma, eleven subjects with pathological insulinoma and twenty-two healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Interestingly, we found that the serum FGF21 levels increased significantly in patients with insulinoma at baseline compared with the control group (381.36 ± 107.12 vs. 62.59 ± 10.48 pg/mL; P = 0.001). Furthermore, FGF21 was positively correlated with insulin (r = 0.80, P = 0.003) and proinsulin (r = 0.72, P = 0.012) in subjects with insulinoma. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that FGF21 was independently associated with insulin (β = 0.80, P = 0.003). In addition, FGF21 decreased significantly after surgery, and its change was still correlated positively with the changes in insulin (r = 0.61, P = 0.048) and proinsulin (r = 0.84, P = 0.001). These findings suggested that the serum FGF21 levels could be involved in a complex adaptive response to insulin secretion and glucose metabolism in humans.
The hidden perils of read mapping as a quality assessment tool in genome sequencing
Authors: Lehri B. , Seddon A. M. , Karlyshev A. V. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis article provides a comparative analysis of the various methods of genome sequencing focusing on verification of the assembly quality. The results of a comparative assessment of various de novo assembly tools, as well as sequencing technologies, are presented using a recently completed sequence of the genome of Lactobacillus fermentum 3872. In particular, quality of assemblies is assessed by using CLC Genomics Workbench read mapping and Optical mapping developed by OpGen. Over-extension of contigs without prior knowledge of contig location can lead to misassembled contigs, even when commonly used quality indicators such as read mapping suggest that a contig is well assembled. Precautions must also be undertaken when using long read sequencing technology, which may also lead to misassembled contigs.
Generation of Gross Chromosomal Rearrangements by a Single Engineered DNA Double Strand Break
Authors: Qiu Zhijun , Zhang Zhenhua , Roschke Anna , Varga Tamas , Aplan Peter D. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractGross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs), including translocations, inversions amplifications, and deletions, can be causal events leading to malignant transformation. GCRs are thought to be triggered by DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), which in turn can be spontaneous or induced by external agents (eg. cytotoxic chemotherapy, ionizing radiation). It has been shown that induction of DNA DSBs at two defined loci can produce stable balanced chromosomal translocations, however, a single engineered DNA DSB could not. Herein, we report that although a single engineered DNA DSB in H2AX “knockdown” cells did not generate GCRs, repair of a single engineered DNA DSB in fibroblasts that had ablated H2ax did produce clonal, stable GCRs, including balanced translocations and megabase-pair inversions. Upon correction of the H2ax deficiency, cells no longer generated GCRs following a single engineered DNA DSB. These findings demonstrate that clonal, stable GCRs can be produced by a single engineered DNA DSB in H2ax knockout cells, and that the production of these GCRs is ameliorated by H2ax expression.
Testicular Dnmt3 expression and global DNA methylation are down-regulated by gonadotropin releasing hormones in the ricefield eel Monopterus albus
Authors: Zhang Yize , Sun Xin , Zhang Lihong , Zhang Weimin 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn vertebrates, DNA methyltransferase 3 (Dnmt3) homologues are responsible for de novo DNA methylation and play important roles in germ cell development. In the present study, four dnmt3 genes, dnmt3aa, dnmt3ab, dnmt3ba and dnmt3bb.1, were identified in ricefield eels. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that all four dnmt3 mRNAs were detected broadly in tissues examined, with testicular expression at relatively high levels. In the testis, immunostaining for all four Dnmt3 forms was mainly localized to spermatocytes, which also contained highly methylated DNA. All three forms of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gnrh) in the ricefield eel were shown to decrease the expression of dnmt3 genes in the in vitro incubated testicular fragments through cAMP and IP3/Ca2+ pathways. Moreover, in vivo treatment of male fish with three forms of Gnrh decreased significantly the testicular Dnmt3 expression at both mRNA and protein levels, and the global DNA methylation levels. These results suggest that the expression of Dnmt3 and global DNA methylation in the testis of ricefield eels are potentially down-regulated by Gnrh, and reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of testicular Dnmt3 expression in vertebrates.
Copper treatment during storage reduces Phytophthora and Halophytophthora infection of Zostera marina seeds used for restoration
Authors: Govers Laura L. , van der Zee Els M. , Meffert Johan P. , van Rijswick Patricia C. J. , Man in ‘t Veld Willem A. , Heusinkveld Jannes H. T. , van der Heide Tjisse 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRestoration is increasingly considered an essential tool to halt and reverse the rapid decline of vital coastal ecosystems dominated by habitat-forming foundation species such as seagrasses. However, two recently discovered pathogens of marine plants, Phytophthora gemini and Halophytophthora sp. Zostera, can seriously hamper restoration efforts by dramatically reducing seed germination. Here, we report on a novel method that strongly reduces Phytophthora and Halophytophthora infection of eelgrass (Zostera marina) seeds. Seeds were stored in seawater with three different copper sulphate concentrations (0.0, 0.2, 2.0 ppm) crossed with three salinities (0.5, 10.0, 25.0 ppt). Next to reducing seed germination, infection significantly affected cotyledon colour: 90% of the germinated infected seeds displayed a brown cotyledon upon germination that did not continue development into the seedling stage, in contrast to only 13% of the germinated non-infected seeds. Copper successfully reduced infection up to 86% and the 0.2 ppm copper sulphate treatment was just as successful as the 2.0 ppm treatment. Infection was completely eliminated at low salinities, but green seed germination was also dramatically lowered by 10 times. We conclude that copper sulphate treatment is a suitable treatment for disinfecting Phytophthora or Halophytophthora infected eelgrass seeds, thereby potentially enhancing seed-based restoration success.
AMPK deficiency in chondrocytes accelerated the progression of instability-induced and ageing-associated osteoarthritis in adult mice
Authors: Zhou Sheng , Lu Wanli , Chen Liang , Ge Qiting , Chen Dongyang , Xu Zhihong , Shi Dongquan , Dai Jin , Li Jianxin , Ju Huangxian , Cao Yi , Qin Jinzhong , Chen Shuai , Teng Huajian , Jiang Qing 
Published: February 2017

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disease of the joints that is associated with both joint injury and ageing. Here, we investigated the role of the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in maintaining a healthy state of articular cartilage and in OA development. Using cartilage-specific, tamoxifen-inducible AMPKα1 conditional knockout (AMPKα1 cKO), AMPKα2 conditional knockout (AMPKα2 cKO) and AMPKα1α2 conditional double knockout (AMPKα cDKO) mice, we found that compared with wild-type (WT) littermates, mutant mice displayed accelerated severity of surgically induced OA, especially AMPKα cDKO mice. Furthermore, male but not female AMPKα cDKO mice exhibited severely spontaneous ageing-associated OA lesions at 12 months of age. The chondrocytes isolated from AMPKα cDKO mice resulted in an enhanced interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-stimulated catabolic response. In addition, upregulated expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), MMP-13 and phospho-nuclear factor-κB (phospho-NF-κB) p65 and increased levels of apoptotic markers were detected in the cartilage of AMPKα cDKO mice compared with their WT littermates in vivo. Thus, our findings suggest that AMPK activity in chondrocytes is important in maintaining joint homeostasis and OA development.
When to stop propranolol for infantile hemangioma
Authors: Chang Lei , Gu Yifei , Yu Zhang , Ying Hanru , Qiu Yajing , Ma Gang , Chen Hui , Jin Yunbo , Lin Xiaoxi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThere is no definitive conclusion regarding the optimal timing for terminating propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma (IH). A total of 149 patients who underwent detailed color Doppler ultrasound examination were included in this study. The characteristics and propranolol treatment of all patients were summarized and analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the lesion regression rate. Among the 149 patients, 38 were assigned to the complete regression group, and 111 were assigned to the partial regression group. The age at which propranolol treatment started, duration of follow-up after treatment discontinuation and rate of adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups. The duration of oral propranolol treatment was shorter in the complete regression group. The age at which propranolol was terminated was younger in the complete regression group, and this group had a lower recurrence rate. Propranolol is safe and effective for the treatment of IHs that require intervention, but it should be stopped at an appropriate time, which is determined primarily by the lesion regression rate after propranolol treatment. Ultrasound is helpful in determining when to stop propranolol for IH.
Comparative RNA-seq analysis of transcriptome dynamics during petal development in Rosa chinensis
Authors: Han Yu , Wan Huihua , Cheng Tangren , Wang Jia , Yang Weiru , Pan Huitang , Zhang Qixiang 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe developmental process that produces the ornate petals of the China rose (Rosa chinensis) is complex and is thought to depend on the balanced expression of a functionally diverse array of genes; however, the molecular basis of rose petal development is largely unknown. Here, petal growth of the R. chinensis cultivar ‘Old Blush’ was divided into four developmental stages, and RNA-seq technology was used to analyse the dynamic changes in transcription that occur as development progresses. In total, 598 million clean reads and 61,456 successfully annotated unigenes were obtained. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis comparing the transcriptomes of the developmental stages resulted in the identification of several potential candidate genes involved in petal development. DEGs involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, petal expansion, and phytohormone pathways were considered in depth, in addition to several candidate transcription factors. These results lay a foundation for future studies on the regulatory mechanisms underlying rose petal development and may be used in molecular breeding programs aimed at generating ornamental rose lines with desirable traits.
Broadband right‐angle transition from substrate integrated waveguide to rectangular waveguide
Authors: Zhang Guiyun , Yi Hao , Wang Shengshui , Han Minghua 
Published: February 2017

A broadband E‐plane right‐angle transition from a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) to a rectangular waveguide (RWG) is proposed. A stepped waveguide, a coupling aperture, and two inductive posts are applied to provide a good impedance matching between the SIW and the RWG. A back‐to‐back transition prototype is designed, fabricated, and measured at Ka‐band. Measured results show a good agreement with the simulated one: the insertion loss of a single transition is <0.6 dB and the return loss better than 15 dB is obtained from 32.6 to 38.1 GHz. The broadband transition can be used in front‐end circuits of millimetre‐wave communication, radar, and measurement systems.
Second octave power amplifier design based on resistive‐reactive series of continuous inverse modes
Authors: Tang Qinghua , Li Yanghua , Li Wenguang 
Published: February 2017

This Letter presents a methodology, which contains resistive‐reactive series of continuous inverse modes (Res.‐Rea. SCIMs), for the second octave power amplifier (PA) design. The bandwidth was extended by multiplying the current waveform of SCIMs with a cosine factor. The measurement of the proposed Res.‐Rea. SCIMs PA showed 67–78.8% drain efficiency and ∼10 W output power across a band of 0.5–2 GHz.
Comparative study of 2D‐OCDMA‐WDM system performance in 40‐Gb/s PON context
Authors: Mrabet Hichem , Dayoub Iyad , Attia Rabah 
Published: February 2017

In this study, a optical passive networks system‐based 2D‐optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is proposed. For the uplink, 2D‐prime hop system (PHS) codes and 2D‐HC are employed. Nonetheless, a WDM scheme is used for the downlink. The system is firstly analysed and the performances are then provided in terms of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) bit error rate (BER), Q‐factor and optical power budget as function of optical received power. The authors show that the proposed system can reach 40 Gb/s with a good BER value <10−10 when a vertical‐cavity surface‐emitting laser and an APD receiver are deployed in the optical network unit and optical line terminal, respectively. Moreover, it is shown that bit rate can be increased up to 150 Gb/s using 2D‐HC codes for the uplink. Finally, power budget for 524 network subscribers is achieved showing a long PON distance up to 41 Km with a maximum throughput equal to 285.1 Gb/s/Km using an emitted average power equal to 15 dBm.