bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of Trace Minerals on Wound Healing of Footpad Dermatitis in Broilers
Authors: Chen Juxing , Tellez Guillermo , Escobar Jeffery , Vazquez-Anon Mercedes 
Published: May 2017

AbstractFootpad dermatitis (FPD) is used in the poultry industry as an animal welfare criterion to determine stocking density. Trace minerals (TM) play a role in skin integrity and wound healing. This study evaluated the impact of TM on FPD and consisted of 3 treatments supplemented with 0 (NTM), low (LTM) and high (HTM) TM levels in the same basal diet. On d21, 71% birds in all treatments developed mild FPD and pens were top-dressed with dry litter to promote FPD healing. Compared to NTM, LTM reduced area under the curve (AUC) of FPD lesion scores during d21–42, HTM reduced the AUC of FPD lesion scores during d7–21 and d21–42. LTM improved growth performance on d14, HTM improved growth performance on d14 and d28. LTM and/or HTM increased gene expression of VEGF, TIMP3, TIMP4, MMP13, ITGA2, ITGA3 and CD40, which promoted collagen synthesis, deposition and organization; cell migration, matrix remodeling, and angiogenesis. LTM and/or HTM increased inflammation by upregulating TNFα and IL-1β during the early wound healing phase and reduced inflammation by downregulating IL-1β during the late wound healing phase. Our findings showed that TM not only improved growth performance but also reduced FPD development by promoting FPD wound healing.
Ecological relevance of skeletal fatty acid concentration and composition in Mediterranean scleractinian corals
Authors: Samorì Chiara , Caroselli Erik , Prada Fiorella , Reggi Michela , Fermani Simona , Dubinsky Zvy , Goffredo Stefano , Falini Giuseppe 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe intra-skeletal fatty acid concentration and composition of four Mediterranean coral species, namely Cladocora caespitosa, Balanophyllia europaea, Astroides calycularis and Leptopsammia pruvoti, were examined in young and old individuals living in three different locations of the Mediterranean Sea. These species are characterized by diverse levels of organization (solitary or colonial) and trophic strategies (symbiotic or non-symbiotic). Fatty acids have manifold fundamental roles comprehensive of membrane structure fluidity, cell signaling and energy storage. For all species, except for B. europaea, the intra-skeletal fatty acid concentration was significantly higher in young individuals than in old ones. Moreover, fatty acid concentration was higher in colonial corals than in solitary ones and in the symbiotic corals compared to non-symbiotic ones. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that palmitic acid (16:0) was the most abundant fatty acid, followed by stearic (18:0) in order of concentration. Oleic acid (18:1) was detected as the third main component only in skeletons from symbiotic corals. These results suggest that, in the limits of the studied species, intra-skeletal fatty acid composition and concentration may be used for specific cases as a proxy of level of organization and trophic strategy, and eventually coral age.
Molecular and functional characterization of the BMPR2 gene in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Pousada Guillermo , Lupo Vincenzo , Cástro-Sánchez Sheila , Álvarez-Satta María , Sánchez-Monteagudo Ana , Baloira Adolfo , Espinós Carmen , Valverde Diana 
Published: May 2017

AbstractPulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive disease that causes the obstruction of precapillary pulmonary arteries and a sustained increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. The aim was to analyze functionally the variants found in the BMPR2 gene and to establish a genotype-phenotype correlation. mRNA expression studies were performed using pSPL3 vector, studies of subcellular localization were performed using pEGFP-N1 vector and luciferase assays were performed using pGL3-Basic vector. We have identified 30 variants in the BMPR2 gene in 27 of 55 patients. In 16 patients we detected pathogenic mutations. Minigene assays revealed that 6 variants (synonymous, missense) result in splicing defect. By immunofluorescence assay, we observed that 4 mutations affect the protein localization. Finally, 4 mutations located in the 5′UTR region showed a decreased transcriptional activity in luciferase assays. Genotype-phenotype correlation, revealed that patients with pathogenic mutations have a more severe phenotype (sPaP p = 0.042, 6MWT p = 0.041), a lower age at diagnosis (p = 0.040) and seemed to have worse response to phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitors (p = 0.010). Our study confirms that in vitro expression analysis is a suitable approach in order to investigate the phenotypic consequences of the nucleotide variants, especially in cases where the involved genes have a pattern of expression in tissues of difficult access.
Validation of reference genes for the normalization of the RT-qPCR gene expression of virulence genes of Erwinia amylovora in apple shoots
Authors: Kałużna Monika , Kuras Anita , Puławska Joanna 
Published: May 2017

AbstractTo study the expression of pathogenicity-related genes inErwinia amylovora, seven candidate reference genes (ffh,glyA,gyrA,proC,pykA,recA,rpoB) were selected and validated with the following five different mathematic algorithms: geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, the delta CT method and the RefFinder web-based tool. An overall comprehensive ranking output from each of the selected software programs revealed thatproCandrecA, followed byffhandpykA, were the most stably expressed genes and can be recommended for the normalization of RT-qPCR data. A combination of the three reference genes,proC,recAandffh, allowed for the accurate expression analysis ofamsBandhrpNgenes and the calculation of their fold change inE. amylovoraafter its infection of susceptible and resistant apple cultivars. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study presenting a list of the most suitable reference genes for use in the relative quantification of target gene expression inE. amylovora in planta, selected on the basis of a multi-algorithm analysis.
Efficacy and tolerability of chemotherapy in Chinese patients with AIDS-related Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: An observational study
Authors: Xiao Jiang , Du Shuxu , Dai Guorui , Gao Guiju , Yang Di , Zhao Hongxin 
Published: May 2017

AbstractWe evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of chemotherapy in HIV-infected patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) receiving CHOP ± R (n = 17) or Burkitt lymphoma (BL) receiving CODOX-M/IVAC ± R (n = 15). The study was conducted in Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 2009 to August 2015. The following grade 4 adverse effects were observed in BL and DLBCL patients, respectively: neutropenia (80% versus 47.1%), anaemia (46.7% versus 5.9%), thrombocytopenia (53.3% versus 11.8%), bacterial pneumonia (33.3% versus 5.9%), and sepsis (20% versus 5.9%) (p < 0.05). In the BL group, 10 (66.7%) patients died from treatment-related or tumour-related causes, 5 (33.3%) achieved complete response, 1 achieved partial response (6.7%), and 7 developed progressive disease. The 1-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 33.3%. Of the DLBCL patients, 3 (17.6%) died from treatment-related causes, 14 (82.4%) achieved complete response, and 3 had progressive disease. The 1-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 82.4%. The strongest risk factor for death was relapse between chemotherapy cycles (adjusted hazard ratio = 47.3; 95%CI, 4.2–528.6, p = 0.002). Initiating antiretroviral therapy before chemotherapy failed to improve overall survival. DLBCL patients demonstrated good responses and survival outcomes, while BL patients could not tolerate chemotherapy due to more severe toxicity, and showed poor responses and survival outcomes.
Genetic variation and phylogeographic structure of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, based on mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers
Authors: Wang Xing-Ya , Yang Xian-Ming , Lu Bin , Zhou Li-Hong , Wu Kong-Ming 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAphis gossypii, one of the most important agricultural pests in the world, can cause serious economic losses in the main crop-producing areas. To clarify issues such as the genetic differentiation, genetic structure, and demographic history ofA. gossypiipopulations, we used 10 nuclear microsatellite loci (SSR) and two mitochondrial gene sequences (COIandCytb) to investigate genetic diversity and population structure ofA. gossypiipopulations that were collected from 33 sampling sites in China from different climatic zones. SSR and mtDNA data suggested low to moderate levels of genetic diversity. A star-shaped network of mtDNA haplotypes indicated that the maternal ancestor of China cotton aphids likely originated in Xinjiang. The POPTREE, STRUCTURE and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed two genetic clusters: an eastern and a western region group. Isolation by distance (IBD) results showed a positive correlation between geographic distance and genetic distance in the vast eastern region but not in the western region. Neutrality testing and mismatch distribution analysis provided strong evidence for a recent rapid expansion in most populations. Genetic bottleneck was not detected inA. gossypiipopulations of China. The present work can help us to develop strategies for managing this pest.
Mesporous 3C-SiC Hollow Fibers
Authors: Liu Yangwen , Hou Huilin , He Xinbo , Yang Weiyou 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIn the present work, for the first time, we reported the exploration of mesoporous 3C-SiC hollow fibers via single-spinneret electrospinning of polyureasilazane (PSN) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution followed by high-temperature pyrolysis treatment. The resultant products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and N2 adsorption. The as-prepared hollow fibers with totally mesoporous walls were uniformly sized in diameter and high purity in morphology. They were composed of single-crystalline 3C-SiC nanoparticles with a surface area of 21.75 m2/g and average pore diameter of ~34 nm. The PSN concentration played a determined role on the formation of hollow fibers rather than the conventional solid counterparts, enabling their growth in a tunable manner. A possible mechanism was proposed for the formation of mesoporous SiC hollow fiber.
PDE3 inhibitor and EGCG combination treatment suppress cancer stem cell properties in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kumazoe Motofumi , Takai Mika , Hiroi Shun , Takeuchi Chieri , Yamanouchi Maasa , Nojiri Takashi , Onda Hiroaki , Bae Jaehoon , Huang Yuhui , Takamatsu Kanako , Yamashita Shuya , Yamada Shuhei , Kangawa Kenji , Takahashi Takashi , Tanaka Hiroshi , Tachibana Hirofumi 
Published: May 2017

AbstractRecurrence following chemotherapy is observed in the majority of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be involved in PDAC recurrence and metastasis. However, an efficient approach to targeting pancreatic CSCs remains to be established. Here we show that in cancer cells overexpressing the 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR)-dependent cyclic GMP (cGMP) inducer, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) and a phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibitor in combination significantly suppressed the Forkhead box O3 and CD44 axis, which is indispensable for the CSC properties of PDAC. We confirmed that the EGCG and PDE3 inhibitor in combination strongly suppressed tumour formation and liver metastasis in vivo. We also found that a synthesized EGCG analog capable of inducing strong cGMP production drastically suppressed the CSC properties of PDAC and extended the survival period in vivo. In conclusion, the combination treatment of EGCG and a PDE3 inhibitor as a strong cGMP inducer could be a potential treatment candidate for the eradication of CSCs of PDAC.
Dramatic improvement of strain hardening and ductility to 95% in highly-deformable high-strength duplex lightweight steels
Authors: Sohn Seok Su , Song Hyejin , Kwak Jai-Hyun , Lee Sunghak 
Published: May 2017

AbstractFerrite + austenite duplex lightweight steels have been actively developed by adding low-density Al for overcoming a limitation of stiffness deterioration by a traditional approach to obtain a weight reduction. Multiple-stage deformation mechanism in lightweight steels, i.e., simultaneous formation of deformation-induced martensite and deformation twin and additional plasticity by twinning, has been nominated as an attractive strategy, but shows a steady flow behavior with early plastic instability. Here, we present a newly designed Fe-0.3C-9Mn-5Al steel in order to obtain an optimal level of stability of austenite and a resultant outstanding combination of tensile strength and ductility, e.g., 874 MPa and 72%, together with sufficiently high strain hardening. These enhanced properties are attributed to the decreased austenite stability by controlling the austenite size and alloying partitioning due to variation in austenite fraction inside duplex microstructures. The present work gives a promise for structural applications requiring both reduced specific weight and remarkable deformability.
Minimum toe clearance: probing the neural control of locomotion
Authors: Killeen Tim , Easthope Christopher S. , Demkó László , Filli Linard , Lőrincz Lilla , Linnebank Michael , Curt Armin , Zörner Björn , Bolliger Marc 
Published: May 2017

AbstractMinimum toe clearance (MTC) occurs during a highly dynamic phase of the gait cycle and is associated with the highest risk of unintentional contact with obstacles or the ground. Age, cognitive function, attention and visual feedback affect foot clearance but how these factors interact to influence MTC control is not fully understood. We measured MTC in 121 healthy individuals aged 20–80 under four treadmill walking conditions; normal walking, lower visual field restriction and two Stroop colour/word naming tasks of two difficulty levels. Competition for cognitive and attentional resources from the Stroop task resulted in significantly lower mean MTC in older adults, with the difficult Stroop task associated with a higher frequency of extremely low MTC values and subsequently an increased modelled probability of tripping in this group. While older adults responded to visual restriction by markedly skewing MTC distributions towards higher values, this condition was also associated with frequent, extremely low MTC values. We reveal task-specific, age-dependent patterns of MTC control in healthy adults. Age-related differences are most pronounced during heavy, distracting cognitive load. Analysis of critically-low MTC values during dual-task walking may have utility in the evaluation of locomotor control and fall risk in older adults and patients with motor control deficits.
Crystal structure of TAZ-TEAD complex reveals a distinct interaction mode from that of YAP-TEAD complex
Authors: Kaan Hung Yi Kristal , Chan Siew Wee , Tan Siew Kim Joyce , Guo Fusheng , Lim Chun Jye , Hong Wanjin , Song Haiwei 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe Hippo pathway is a tumor suppressor pathway that is implicated in the regulation of organ size. The pathway has three components: the upstream regulatory factors, the kinase core, and the downstream transcriptional machinery, which consists of YAP, TAZ (transcription co-activators) and TEAD (transcription factor). Formation of YAP/TAZ-TEAD complexes leads to the transcription of growth-promoting genes. Herein, we report the crystal structure of TAZ-TEAD4 complex, which reveals two binding modes. The first is similar to the published YAP-TEAD structure. The second is a unique binding mode, whereby two molecules of TAZ bind to and bridge two molecules of TEAD4. We validated the latter using cross-linking and multi-angle light scattering. Using siRNA, we showed that TAZ knockdown leads to a decrease in TEAD4 dimerization. Lastly, results from luciferase assays, using YAP/TAZ transfected or knockdown cells, give support to the non-redundancy of YAP/TAZ co-activators in regulating gene expression in the Hippo pathway.
Protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine selectively inhibits proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Lin Wanjun , Huang Jiajun , Yuan Zhongwen , Feng Senling , Xie Ying , Ma Wenzhe 
Published: May 2017

AbstractTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer lacking targeted therapy currently. Recent studies imply that protein kinase C may play important roles in TNBC development and could be a specific target. In this study, we evaluated the anti-proliferative activity of PKC inhibitor chelerythrine on a panel of breast cancer cell lines. Chelerythrine selectively inhibited the growth of TNBC cell lines compared to non-TNBC cell lines as demonstrated by in vitro cell proliferation assay and colony formation assay, as well as evidenced by in vivo xenograft assay. The selective anti-proliferative effect of chelerythrine was associated with induction of apoptosis in TNBC cell lines. We further demonstrated that PKN2, one of the PKC subtypes, was highly expressed in TNBC cell lines, and knocking down PKN2 in TNBC cells inhibited colony formation and xenograft growth. This indicates that PKN2 is required for the survival of TNBC cells, and could be the target mediates the selective activity of chelerythrine. Finally, combination of chelerythrine and chemotherapy reagent taxol showed synergistic/additive effect on TNBC cell lines. Our results suggest chelerythrine or other PKC inhibitors may be promising regimens for TNBC tumors.
Comparative analysis of Dendrobium plastomes and utility of plastomic mutational hotspots
Authors: Zhitao Niu , Shuying Zhu , Jiajia Pan , Ludan Li , Jing Sun , Xiaoyu Ding 
Published: May 2017

AbstractDendrobium is one of the largest genera in Orchidaceae, comprising about 800–1500 species mainly distributed in tropical Asia, Australasia, and Australia. There are 74 species and two varieties of this genus in China. Because of their ornamental and commercial value, Dendrobium orchids have been studied at low taxonomic levels. However, structural changes and effective mutational hotspots of Dendrobium plastomes have rarely been documented. Here, 30 Dendrobium plastomes were compared, comprising 25 newly sequenced in this study and five previously published. Except for their differences in NDH genes, these plastomes shared identical gene content and order. Comparative analyses revealed that the variation in size of Dendroubium plastomes was associated with dramatically changed length of InDels. Furthermore, ten loci were identified as the top-ten mutational hotspots, whose sequence variability was almost unchanged with more than 10 plastomes sampled, suggesting that they may be powerful markers for Dendrobium species. In addition, primer pairs of 47 polymorphic microsatellites were developed. After assessing the mean BS values of all combinations derived from the top-ten hotspots, we recommend that the combination of five hotspots—trnT-trnL, rpl32-trnL, clpP-psbB, trnL intron, and rps16-trnQ—should be used in the phylogenetic and identification studies of Dendrobium.
Maternal immune activation results in complex microglial transcriptome signature in the adult offspring that is reversed by minocycline treatment
Authors: Mattei D , Ivanov A , Ferrai C , Jordan P , Guneykaya D , Buonfiglioli A , Schaafsma W , Przanowski P , Deuther-Conrad W , Brust P , Hesse S , Patt M , Sabri O , Ross T L , Eggen B J L , Boddeke E W G M , Kaminska B , Beule D , Pombo A , Kettenmann H , Wolf S A 
Published: May 2017

AbstractMaternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of developing psychiatric pathologies in later life. This link may be bridged by a defective microglial phenotype in the offspring induced by MIA, as microglia have key roles in the development and maintenance of neuronal signaling in the central nervous system. The beneficial effects of the immunomodulatory treatment with minocycline on schizophrenic patients are consistent with this hypothesis. Using the MIA mouse model, we found an altered microglial transcriptome and phagocytic function in the adult offspring accompanied by behavioral abnormalities. The changes in microglial phagocytosis on a functional and transcriptional level were similar to those observed in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease hinting to a related microglial phenotype in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Minocycline treatment of adult MIA offspring reverted completely the transcriptional, functional and behavioral deficits, highlighting the potential benefits of therapeutic targeting of microglia in psychiatric disorders.
Highly reliable automotive integrated protection circuit for human body model ESD of +6 kV, over voltage, and reverse voltage
Authors: Cho S. , Lee D. , Ali I. , Kim S. , Pu Y. , Yoo S. , Lee K. 
Published: May 2017

In this Letter, a highly reliable automotive integrated protection circuit for human body model electrostatic discharge (ESD) of + 6 kV with an over voltage of 8.2–16 V and a reverse voltage of −16 to 0 V is presented. In the automotive application, the reliability of the electronic device is important. In order to increase the reliability, a protection circuit is proposed to preserve the chip from over or reverse voltage. In contrast to the conventional comparator‐based protection circuits, only MOSFET and resistors are applied in this Letter. Especially, at the reverse voltage protection mode, the potential zeroing method is applied to block the latch up and break down in the MOSFET. In addition, to protect the chip from static electricity, the ESD is combined with the protection circuit. This circuit is implemented on chip in a 0.18 µm CMOS technology and the area of the fabricated circuit is 680 × 330 µm. The proposed circuit is operated to protect the chip from external voltage between 8.2 and 16 V or between −16 and 0 V.
Under Pressure: Intraluminal Filling Pressures of Postpartum Hemorrhage Tamponade Balloons
Authors: Antony Kathleen , Racusin Diana , Belfort Michael , Dildy Gary 
Published: May 2017

Objective Uterine tamponade by fluid-filled balloons is now an accepted method of controlling postpartum hemorrhage. Available tamponade balloons vary in design and material, which affects the filling attributes and volume at which they rupture. We aimed to characterize the filling capacity and pressure-volume relationship of various tamponade balloons.
Study Design Balloons were filled with water ex vivo. Intraluminal pressure was measured incrementally (every 10 mL for the Foley balloons and every 50 mL for all other balloons). Balloons were filled until they ruptured or until 5,000 mL was reached.
Results The Foley balloons had higher intraluminal pressures than the larger-volume balloons. The intraluminal pressure of the Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (gastric balloon) was initially high, but it decreased until shortly before rupture occurred. The Bakri intraluminal pressure steadily increased until rupture occurred at 2,850 mL. The condom catheter, BT-Cath, and ebb all had low intraluminal pressures. Both the BT-Cath and the ebb remained unruptured at 5,000 mL.
Conclusion In the setting of acute hemorrhage, expeditious management is critical. Balloons that have a low intraluminal pressure-volume ratio may fill more rapidly, more easily, and to greater volumes. We found that the BT-Cath, the ebb, and the condom catheter all had low intraluminal pressures throughout filling.