bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Protocadherin-αC2 is required for diffuse projections of serotonergic axons
Authors: Katori Shota , Noguchi-Katori Yukiko , Okayama Atsushi , Kawamura Yoshimi , Luo Wenshu , Sakimura Kenji , Hirabayashi Takahiro , Iwasato Takuji , Yagi Takeshi 
Published: November 2017

AbstractSerotonergic axons extend diffuse projections throughout various brain areas, and serotonergic system disruption causes neuropsychiatric diseases. Loss of the cytoplasmic region of protocadherin-α (Pcdh-α) family proteins, products of the diverse clustered Pcdh genes, causes unbalanced distributions (densification and sparsification) of serotonergic axons in various target regions. However, which Pcdh-α member(s) are responsible for the phenotype is unknown. Here we demonstrated that Pcdh-αC2 (αC2), a Pcdh-α isoform, was highly expressed in serotonergic neurons, and was required for normal diffusion in single-axon-level analyses of serotonergic axons. The loss of αC2 from serotonergic neurons, but not from their target brain regions, led to unbalanced distributions of serotonergic axons. Our results suggest that αC2 expressed in serotonergic neurons is required for serotonergic axon diffusion in various brain areas. The αC2 extracellular domain displays homophilic binding activity, suggesting that its homophilic interaction between serotonergic axons regulates axonal density via αC2′s cytoplasmic domain.
MiR-30e inhibits tumor growth and chemoresistance via targeting IRS1 in Breast Cancer
Authors: Liu Min-min , Li Zhi , Han Xue-dong , Shi Jian-hua , Tu Dao-yuan , Song Wei , Zhang Jian , Qiu Xiao-lan , Ren Yi , Zhen Lin-lin 
Published: November 2017

AbstractMicroRNA-30e (miR-30e) is downregulated in various tumor types. However, its mechanism in inhibiting tumor growth of breast cancer remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that miR-30e was significantly downregulated in tumor tissues of breast cancer (BC) patients and cell lines, and overexpression of miR-30e inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. To understand the potential mechanism of miR-30e in inhibiting tumor growth, we showed that miR-30e blocked the activation of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways, and the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF via directly targeting IRS1. Moreover, miR-30e regulates cell proliferation, migration, invasion and increases chemosensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to paclitaxel by inhibiting its target IRS1. MiR-30e also inhibited tumor growth and suppressed expression of IRS1, AKT, ERK1/2 and HIF-1α in mouse xenograft tumors. To test the clinical relevance of these results, we used 40 pairs of BC tissues and adjacent normal tissues, analyzed the levels of miR-30e and IRS1 expression in these tissues, and found that miR-30e levels were significantly inversely correlated with IRS1 levels in these BC tissues, suggesting the important implication of our findings in translational application for BC diagnostics and treatment in the future.
FSCN1 gene polymorphisms: biomarkers for the development and progression of breast cancer
Authors: Wang Chao-Qun , Tang Chih-Hsin , Wang Yan , Jin Lulu , Wang Qian , Li Xiaoni , Hu Gui-Nv , Huang Bi-Fei , Zhao Yong-Ming , Su Chen-Ming 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBreast cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Fascin-1 (FSCN1) is an actin-binding protein found in mammalian cells, including endothelial, neuronal and mesenchymal cells. FSCN1 overexpression has been indicated in breast cancer patients. However, scant information is available regarding the association between FSCN1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk or prognosis of breast cancer. We report on the association between 6 SNPs of the FSCN1 gene (rs56156320, rs8772, rs3801004, rs2966447, rs852479 and rs1640233) and breast cancer susceptibility as well as clinical outcomes in 316 patients with breast cancer and in 222 healthy controls. Carriers of the AC or AC + CC allele of the variant rs56156320 were at greater risk of breast cancer compared with wild-type (AA) carriers. Moreover, carriers of at least one G allele in rs3801004 were likely to progress to stage III/IV disease and lymph node metastasis. Individuals with at least one T allele at FSCN1 SNP rs2966447 were at higher risk of developing pathologic grade G3 disease. Furthermore, individuals bearing the C/C haplotype at SNPs rs56156320 and rs3801004 had nearly twice the risk of breast cancer. Our results indicate that genetic variations in the FSCN1 gene may serve as an important predictor of early-stage breast cancer.
Keratin-water-NMF interaction as a three layer model in the human stratum corneum using in vivo confocal Raman microscopy
Authors: Choe ChunSik , Schleusener Johannes , Lademann Jürgen , Darvin Maxim E. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe secondary and tertiary structure of keratin and natural moisturizing factor (NMF) are of great importance regarding the water regulating functions in the stratum corneum (SC). In this in vivo study, the depth-dependent keratin conformation and its relationship to the hydrogen bonding states of water and its content in the SC, are investigated using confocal Raman microscopy. Based on the obtained depth-profiles for the β-sheet/α-helix ratio, the stability of disulphide bonds, the amount of cysteine forming disulphide bonds, the buried/exposed tyrosine and the folding/unfolding states of keratin, a “three layer model” of the SC, regarding the keratin-water-NMF interaction is proposed. At the uppermost layers (30–0% SC depth), the keratin filaments are highly folded, entailing limited water binding sites, and NMF is mostly responsible for binding water. At the intermediate layers (70–30% SC depth), the keratin filaments are unfolded, have the most water binding sites and are prone to swelling. At the bottom layers (100–80% SC depth), the water binding sites are already occupied with water and cannot swell substantially. The hydrogen bonding states of water molecules can only be explained by considering both, the molecular structure of keratin and the contribution of NMF as a holistic system.
β-adrenergic stimulation augments transmural dispersion of repolarization via modulation of delayed rectifier currents IKs and IKr in the human ventricle
Authors: Kang C. , Badiceanu A. , Brennan J. A. , Gloschat C. , Qiao Y. , Trayanova N. A. , Efimov I. R. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractLong QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited or drug induced condition associated with delayed repolarization and sudden cardiac death. The cardiac potassium channel, IKr, and the adrenergic-sensitive cardiac potassium current, IKs, are two primary contributors to cardiac repolarization. This study aimed to elucidate the role of β-adrenergic (β-AR) stimulation in mediating the contributions of IKr and IKs to repolarizing the human left ventricle (n = 18). Optical mapping was used to measure action potential durations (APDs) in the presence of the IKs blocker JNJ-303 and the IKr blocker E-4031. We found that JNJ-303 alone did not increase APD. However, under isoprenaline (ISO), both the application of JNJ-303 and additional E-4031 significantly increased APD. With JNJ-303, ISO decreased APD significantly more in the epicardium as compared to the endocardium, with subsequent application E-4031 increasing mid- and endocardial APD80 more significantly than in the epicardium. We found that β-AR stimulation significantly augmented the effect of IKs blocker JNJ-303, in contrast to the reduced effect of IKr blocker E-4031. We also observed synergistic augmentation of transmural repolarization gradient by the combination of ISO and E-4031. Our results suggest β-AR-mediated increase of transmural dispersion of repolarization, which could pose arrhythmogenic risk in LQTS patients.
Developmental evolution facilitates rapid adaptation
Authors: Lin Hui , Kazlauskas Romas J. , Travisano Michael 
Published: November 2017

AbstractDevelopmental evolution has frequently been identified as a mode for rapid adaptation, but direct observations of the selective benefits and associated mechanisms of developmental evolution are necessarily challenging to obtain. Here we show rapid evolution of greatly increased rates of dispersal by developmental changes when populations experience stringent selection. Replicate populations of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma citrinoviride underwent 85 serial transfers, under conditions initially favoring growth but not dispersal. T. citrinoviride populations shifted away from multicellular growth toward increased dispersal by producing one thousand times more single-celled asexual conidial spores, three times sooner than the ancestral genotype. Conidia of selected lines also germinated fifty percent faster. Gene expression changed substantially between the ancestral and selected fungi, especially for spore production and growth, demonstrating rapid evolution of tight regulatory control for down-regulation of growth and up-regulation of conidia production between 18 and 24 hours of growth. These changes involved both developmentally fixed and plastic changes in gene expression, showing that complex developmental changes can serve as a mechanism for rapid adaptation.
Chemopreventive effects of Ku-jin tea against AOM-induced precancerous colorectal lesions in rats and metabolomic analysis
Authors: Bi Wu , Liu Haibo , Shen Jie , Zhang Ling-hua , Li Pei , Peng Bing , Cao Li , Zhang Pengfei , He Chunnian , Xiao Peigen 
Published: November 2017

AbstractKu-jin tea (KJT) is a health beverage prepared from the leaves of the plant Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala that has been consumed in some regions of China for thousands of years. KJT contains high levels of anti-inflammatory and antioxidative compounds such as ginnalins, but little is known about the chemopreventive effect of KJT on colon cancer. In this study, we investigated the preventive effects of KJT on colon carcinogenesis using the azoxymethane (AOM)-induced precancerous colorectal lesion model in rats. The results showed that the number of aberrant crypts, aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and crypts/focus in rats of the KJT + AOM group were significantly decreased compared with rats of the AOM group (p < 0.01). Further exploration of the prevention mechanism of KJT by UPLC-QTOF/MS-based urinary metabolomics showed that 5 metabolic pathways were modulated, including purine metabolism and amino acid metabolism, in the group with KJT. In addition, the levels of the immunomodulatory cytokines IL-1α and IL-10 were significantly decreased, and the levels of IL-2 in the serum of AOM rats increased after KJT treatment. Our present data suggest that KJT can inhibit AOM-induced colonic ACF formation and might be a useful chemopreventive agent against colorectal carcinogenesis.
Association of serum sodium and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease: A meta-analysis and sysematic review
Authors: Sun Liguang , Hou Yue , Xiao Qingfei , Du Yujun 
Published: November 2017

AbstractStudies on the association of dysnatraemia with all-cause mortality risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have yielded inconsistent results. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association of hyponatremia or hypernatremia with all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients. An electronic literature search was performed in Web of Science, Pubmed and Embase databases from inception to March 2017 for available observational studies evaluating the association of dysnatraemia with all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients. Pooled hazard risk (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for hyponatremia or hypernatremia vs. normonatremia. Seven studies that enrolled 742,979 CKD patients were identified. Baseline hyponatremia (HR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.15–1.57), and not hypernatremia (HR 1.12; 95%: CI 0.93–1.34), was independently associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, when compared than the normonatremia category. In time-dependent analyses, both time-averaged hyponatremia (HR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.27–2.15) and hypernatremia (HR 1.41; 95% CI: 1.20–1.65) had a higher independent risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, subgroup analyses by type of patients, study design, sample size and follow-up duration revealed similar results across most of these analyses. Baseline hyponatremia and time-dependent hyponatremia or hypernatremia were independently associated with increased all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients.
Sublethal effects of imidacloprid on targeting muscle and ribosomal protein related genes in the honey bee Apis mellifera L.
Authors: Wu Yan-Yan , Luo Qi-Hua , Hou Chun-Sheng , Wang Qiang , Dai Ping-Li , Gao Jing , Liu Yong-Jun , Diao Qing-Yun 
Published: November 2017

AbstractA sublethal concentration of imidacloprid can cause chronic toxicity in bees and can impact the behavior of honey bees. The nectar- and water-collecting, and climbing abilities of bees are crucial to the survival of the bees and the execution of responsibilities in bee colonies. Besides behavioral impact, data on the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of imidacloprid, especially by the way of RNA-seq at the transcriptomic level, are limited. We treated Apis mellifera L. with sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid (0.1, 1 and 10 ppb) and determined the effect on behaviors and the transcriptomic changes. The sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid had a limited impact on the survival and syrup consumption of bees, but caused a significant increase in water consumption. Moreover, the climbing ability was significantly impaired by 10 ppb imidacloprid at 8 d. In the RNA-seq analysis, gene ontology (GO) term enrichment indicated a significant down-regulation of muscle-related genes, which might contribute to the impairment in climbing ability of bees. The enriched GO terms were attributed to the up-regulated ribosomal protein genes. Considering the ribosomal and extra-ribosomal functions of the ribosomal proteins, we hypothesized that imidacloprid also causes cell dysfunction. Our findings further enhance the understanding of imidacloprid sublethal toxicity.
Trophic and tectonic limits to the global increase of marine invertebrate diversity
Authors: Cermeño Pedro , Benton Michael J. , Paz Óscar , Vérard Christian 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe marine invertebrate fossil record provides the most comprehensive history of how the diversity of animal life has evolved through time. One of the main features of this record is a modest rise in diversity over nearly a half-billion years. The long-standing view is that ecological interactions such as resource competition and predation set upper limits to global diversity, which, in the absence of external perturbations, is maintained indefinitely at equilibrium. However, the effect of mechanisms associated with the history of the seafloor, and their influence on the creation and destruction of marine benthic habitats, has not been explored. Here we use statistical methods for causal inference to investigate the drivers of marine invertebrate diversity dynamics through the Phanerozoic. We find that diversity dynamics responded to secular variations in marine food supply, substantiating the idea that global species richness is regulated by resource availability. Once diversity was corrected for changes in food resource availability, its dynamics were causally linked to the age of the subducting oceanic crust. We suggest that the time elapsed between the formation (at mid-ocean ridges) and destruction (at subduction zones) of ocean basins influences the diversity dynamics of marine invertebrates and may have contributed to constrain their diversification.
CT dose reduction factors in the thousands using X-ray phase contrast
Authors: Kitchen Marcus J. , Buckley Genevieve A. , Gureyev Timur E. , Wallace Megan J. , Andres-Thio Nico , Uesugi Kentaro , Yagi Naoto , Hooper Stuart B. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPhase-contrast X-ray imaging can improve the visibility of weakly absorbing objects (e.g. soft tissues) by an order of magnitude or more compared to conventional radiographs. Combining phase retrieval with computed tomography (CT) can increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by up to two orders of magnitude over conventional CT at the same radiation dose, without loss of image quality. Our experiments reveal that as the radiation dose decreases, the relative improvement in SNR increases. We show that this enhancement can be traded for a reduction in dose greater than the square of the gain in SNR. Upon reducing the dose 300 fold, the phase-retrieved SNR was still up to 9.6 ± 0.2 times larger than the absorption contrast data with spatial resolution in the tens of microns. We show that this theoretically reveals the potential for dose reduction factors in the tens of thousands without loss in image quality, which would have a profound impact on medical and industrial imaging applications.
Dysbiosis of the microbiome in gastric carcinogenesis
Authors: Castaño-Rodríguez Natalia , Goh Khean-Lee , Fock Kwong Ming , Mitchell Hazel M. , Kaakoush Nadeem O. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe gastric microbiome has been proposed as an etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesis. We compared the gastric microbiota in subjects presenting with gastric cancer (GC, n = 12) and controls (functional dyspepsia (FD), n = 20) from a high GC risk population in Singapore and Malaysia. cDNA from 16S rRNA transcripts were amplified (515F-806R) and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq 2 × 250 bp chemistry. Increased richness and phylogenetic diversity but not Shannon’s diversity was found in GC as compared to controls. nMDS clustered GC and FD subjects separately, with PERMANOVA confirming a significant difference between the groups.H. pyloriserological status had a significant impact on gastric microbiome α-diversity and composition. Several bacterial taxa were enriched in GC, includingLactococcus,Veilonella, andFusobacteriaceae(FusobacteriumandLeptotrichia). Prediction of bacterial metabolic contribution indicated that serological status had a significant impact on metabolic function, while carbohydrate digestion and pathways were enriched in GC. Our findings highlight three mechanisms of interest in GC, including enrichment of pro-inflammatory oral bacterial species, increased abundance of lactic acid producing bacteria, and enrichment of short chain fatty acid production pathways.
RNA metabolism is the primary target of formamide in vivo
Authors: Hoyos-Manchado Rafael , Reyes-Martín Félix , Rallis Charalampos , Gamero-Estévez Enrique , Rodríguez-Gómez Pablo , Quintero-Blanco Juan , Bähler Jürg , Jiménez Juan , Tallada Víctor A. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe synthesis, processing and function of coding and non-coding RNA molecules and their interacting proteins has been the focus of a great deal of research that has boosted our understanding of key molecular pathways that underlie higher order events such as cell cycle control, development, innate immune response and the occurrence of genetic diseases. In this study, we have found that formamide preferentially weakens RNA related processes in vivo. Using a non-essential Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene deletion collection, we identify deleted loci that make cells sensitive to formamide. Sensitive deletions are significantly enriched in genes involved in RNA metabolism. Accordingly, we find that previously known temperature-sensitive splicing mutants become lethal in the presence of the drug under permissive temperature. Furthermore, in a wild type background, splicing efficiency is decreased and R-loop formation is increased in the presence of formamide. In addition, we have also isolated 35 formamide-sensitive mutants, many of which display remarkable morphology and cell cycle defects potentially unveiling new players in the regulation of these processes. We conclude that formamide preferentially targets RNA related processes in vivo, probably by relaxing RNA secondary structures and/or RNA-protein interactions, and can be used as an effective tool to characterize these processes.
Richness of compact radio sources in NGC 6334D to F
Authors: Medina S.-N. X. , Dzib S. A. , Tapia M. , Rodríguez L. F. , Loinard L. 
Published: November 2017

Context. The presence and properties of compact radio sources embedded in massive star forming regions can reveal important physical properties about these regions and the processes occurring within them. The NGC 6334 complex, a massive star forming region, has been studied extensively. Nevertheless, none of these studies has focused in its content in compact radio sources.
Aims. Our goal here is to report on a systematic census of the compact radio sources toward NGC 6334, and their characteristics. This will be used to attempt to define their very nature.
Methods. We used the VLA C band (4–8 GHz) archive data with 0.̋36 (500 AU) of spatial resolution and noise level of 50 μJy bm−1 to carry out a systematic search for compact radio sources within NGC 6334. We also searched for infrared counterparts to provide some constraints on the nature of the detected radio sources.
Results. A total of 83 compact sources and three slightly resolved sources were detected. Most of them are here reported for the first time. We found that 29 of these 86 sources have infrared counterparts and three are highly variable. Region D contains 18 of these sources. The compact source toward the center, in projection, of region E is also detected.
Conclusions. From statistical analyses, we suggest that the 83 reported compact sources are real and most of them are related to NGC 6334 itself. A stellar nature for 27 of them is confirmed by their IR emission. Compared with Orion, region D suffers a deficit of compact radio sources. The infrared nebulosities around two of the slightly resolved sources are suggested to be warm dust, and we argue that the associated radio sources trace free-free emission from ionized material. We confirm the thermal radio emission of the compact source in region E. However, its detection at infrared wavelengths implies that it is located in the foreground of the molecular cloud. Finally, three strongly variable sources are suggested to be magnetically active young stars.
Applying a decision tree framework in support of an ecosystem approach to fisheries: IndiSeas indicators in the North Sea
Authors: Lockerbie Emma M , Lynam Christopher P , Shannon Lynne J , Jarre Astrid 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
As one of the most economically important marine ecosystems, the North Sea has been impacted by numerous anthropogenic activities. A move towards an ecosystem approach to fisheries is key in developing sustainable fisheries in marine ecosystems. The application of a previously tested decision tree framework that employs a suite of indicators suggested in the IndiSeas project with additional indicators of environmental variability has been used in this study. Trends in indicators were used to identify ecosystem trends across three periods: 1983–1992, 1993–2003, and 2004–2010. A score-based approach was adopted, assigning scores to indicators based on direction and significance of trends. Ecological indicator scores were adjusted to account for impacts of fishing and environmental variability. Overall ecosystem scores assigned the ecosystem into one of five possible categories: improving, possibly improving, no improvement/deterioration, possibly deteriorating or deteriorating. Results indicated no improvement or deterioration over Period 1 (1983–1992); whereas Periods 2 (1993–2003) and 3 (2004–2010) showed a possible improvement of the ecosystem. Use of a structured decision tree framework, including extensive literature reviews and knowledge from ecosystem experts, allows the determination of ecosystem trends in a way consistent with ecological theory.