bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neural basis of negativity bias in the perception of ambiguous facial expression
Authors: Ito Takehito , Yokokawa Keita , Yahata Noriaki , Isato Ayako , Suhara Tetsuya , Yamada Makiko 
Published: March 2017

AbstractNegativity bias, which describes the tendency to interpret ambiguous stimuli or events as negative, is often observed in patients with depression and may prevent psychological well-being. Here, we used ambiguous facial stimuli, with negative (sad) and positive (happy) emotions simultaneously accessible, to examine neural activation during perceptual decision-making in healthy participants. The negativity bias was positively correlated with the activity of the bilateral pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) when ambiguous faces were perceived as sad versus happy. Additionally, the strength of the functional connectivity between the bilateral pgACC and the right dorsal ACC (dACC)/right thalamus was positively correlated with hopelessness, one of the core characteristics of depression. Given the role of the pgACC as a major site of depressive affect and the roles of the dACC and thalamus in conflict monitoring and vigilance, respectively, our results reveal valid and important neuroanatomical correlates of the association between negativity bias and hopelessness in the healthy individuals.
Comparison of Two Massively Parallel Sequencing Platforms using 83 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms for Human Identification
Authors: Apaga Dame Loveliness T. , Dennis Sheila E. , Salvador Jazelyn M. , Calacal Gayvelline C. , De Ungria Maria Corazon A. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe potential of Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) technology to vastly expand the capabilities of human identification led to the emergence of different MPS platforms that use forensically relevant genetic markers. Two of the MPS platforms that are currently available are the MiSeq® FGx™ Forensic Genomics System (Illumina) and the HID-Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM)™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific). These are coupled with the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep kit (Illumina) and the HID-Ion AmpliSeq™ Identity Panel (Thermo Fisher Scientific), respectively. In this study, we compared the genotyping performance of the two MPS systems based on 83 SNP markers that are present in both MPS marker panels. Results show that MiSeq® FGx™ has greater sample-to-sample variation than the HID-Ion PGM™ in terms of read counts for all the 83 SNP markers. Allele coverage ratio (ACR) values show generally balanced heterozygous reads for both platforms. Two and four SNP markers from the MiSeq® FGx™ and HID-Ion PGM™, respectively, have average ACR values lower than the recommended value of 0.67. Comparison of genotype calls showed 99.7% concordance between the two platforms.
Enhancement of CCL2 expression and monocyte migration by CCN1 in osteoblasts through inhibiting miR-518a-5p: implication of rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Authors: Chen Cheng-Yu , Fuh Lih-Jyh , Huang Chien-Chung , Hsu Chin-Jung , Su Chen-Ming , Liu Shan-Chi , Lin Yu-Min , Tang Chih-Hsin 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61 or CCN1), a secreted protein from the CCN family, is an important proinflammatory cytokine. Migration and infiltration of mononuclear cells to inflammatory sites play a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) is the key chemokine that regulates migration and infiltration of monocytes. Here, we examined the role of CCN1 in monocyte migration, and CCL2 expression in osteoblasts. We found higher levels of CCN1 and CCL2 in synovial fluid from RA patients compared with levels from non-RA controls. We also found that the CCN1-induced increase in CCL2 expression is mediated by the MAPK signaling pathway and that miR-518a-5p expression was negatively regulated by CCN1 via the MAPK cascade. In contrast, inhibition of CCN1 expression with lentiviral vectors expressing short hairpin RNA ameliorated articular swelling, cartilage erosion, and infiltration of monocytes in the ankle joints of mice with collagen-induced arthritis. Our study describes how CCN1 promotes monocyte migration by upregulating CCL2 expression in osteoblasts in RA disease. CCN1 could serve as a potential target for RA treatment.
Interspecific differences in how habitat degradation affects escape response
Authors: McCormick Mark I. , Allan Bridie J. M. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDegradation of habitats is widespread and a leading cause of extinctions. Our study determined whether the change in the chemical landscape associated with coral degradation affected the way three fish species use olfactory information to optimize their fast-start escape response. Water from degraded coral habitats affected the fast-start response of the three closely-related damselfishes, but its effect differed markedly among species. The Ward’s damselfish (Pomacentrus wardi) was most affected by water from degraded coral, and displayed shorter distances covered in the fast-start and slower escape speeds compared to fish in water from healthy coral. In the presence of alarm odours, which indicate an imminent threat, the Ambon damsel (P. amboinensis) displayed enhanced fast-start performance in water from healthy coral, but not when in water from degraded coral. In contrast, while the white-tailed damsel (P. chrysurus) was similarly primed by its alarm odour, the elevation of fast start performance was not altered by water from degraded coral. These species-specific responses to the chemistry of degraded water and alarm odours suggest differences in the way alarm odours interact with the chemical landscape, and differences in the way species balance information about threats, with likely impacts on the survival of affected species in degraded habitats.
Visualization of weak interactions between quantum dot and graphene in hybrid materials
Authors: Cao Shuo , Wang Jingang , Ding Yong , Sun Mengtao , Ma Fengcai 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe mechanisms of the weak interactions within hybrid materials such as quantum dot (QD) and graphene (GR) have important implications for the design of related optoelectronic devices. We characterize the weak interactions in hybrid QD-GR systems using a non-covalent interactions approach. For a single Cd13Se13 QD with a core-cage structure, the intensity of the steric repulsive strain in every Cd-Se spatial four-atom ring of the cage surface is stronger than that of the inter-core-cage structure. Van der Waals (vdW) interactions occur within the cavity of the cage and within the six-atom rings of the cage surface. The spatial repulsion strain and attractive interactions play a key role in stabilizing the structure of the monolayer graphene. Interestingly, the spatial six-atom ring of the single QD change into spatial four-atom rings of the QD in the hybrid system, accompanied by the translation of vdW interactions into steric repulsive interactions. We conclude that the vdW interactions with π extensions and the weak attractive interactions within local areas between the QD and graphene together stabilize the integral structure of the hybrid QD-GR system. These results explain of the formation mechanism and the stabilization of the components in QD-GR hybrid materials.
The effects of symmetrical arrangement on quantum metrology
Authors: Jin Yao 
Published: March 2017

AbstractAn obstacle for precision improvement in quantum metrology is the information loss causing by the unavoidable interaction between probe system and environment. Quantum fluctuations are environment no system can be isolated from and it will make the precision of initial parameter estimation of the probe atom decrease with time. After the typical time of the spontaneous decay of the probe atom, the precision is greatly damaged. However, quantum fluctuations can be modified. Our results show that if we put several ancillary atoms beside the probe atom in symmetrical arrangement, the probe atom will be affected by the ancillary atoms indirectly and the information loss of the probe atom causing by the quantum fluctuations will be partially avoided. We find that the retained precision after long time evolution can approaches to $$\tfrac{{\bf{9}}}{{\bf{16}}}$$

9

16

times of the initial precision in condition that the probe atom and three ancillary atoms are located in the vertex of regular tetrahedron.
High performance lithium-sulfur batteries for storing pulsed energy generated by triboelectric nanogenerators
Authors: Song Weixing , Wang Chao , Gan Baoheng , Liu Mengmeng , Zhu Jianxiong , Nan Xihui , Chen Ning , Sun Chunwen , Chen Jitao 
Published: March 2017

AbstractStoring pulsed energy harvested by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) from ambient mechanical motion is an important technology for obtaining sustainable, low-cost, and green power. Here, we introduce high-energy-density Li-S batteries with excellent performance for storing pulsed output from TENGs. The sandwich-structured sulfur composites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and polypyrrole serve as cathode materials that suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfides and thus preserve the structural stability of the cathode during Li-ion insertion and extraction. The charging time and energy storage efficiency of the Li-S batteries are directly affected by the rotation rates of the TENGs. The average storage efficiency of the batteries for pulsed output from TENGs can exceed 80% and even reach 93% at low discharge currents. The Li-S batteries also show excellent rate performance for storing pulsed energy at a high discharge current rate of 5 C. The high storage efficiency and excellent rate capability and cyclability demonstrate the feasibility of storing and exploiting pulsed energy provided by TENGs and the potential of Li-S batteries with high energy storage efficiency for storing pulsed energy harvested by TENGs.
Large-scale prediction of microRNA-disease associations by combinatorial prioritization algorithm
Authors: Yu Hua , Chen Xiaojun , Lu Lu 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIdentification of the associations between microRNA molecules and human diseases from large-scale heterogeneous biological data is an important step for understanding the pathogenesis of diseases in microRNA level. However, experimental verification of microRNA-disease associations is expensive and time-consuming. To overcome the drawbacks of conventional experimental methods, we presented a combinatorial prioritization algorithm to predict the microRNA-disease associations. Importantly, our method can be used to predict microRNAs (diseases) associated with the diseases (microRNAs) without the known associated microRNAs (diseases). The predictive performance of our proposed approach was evaluated and verified by the internal cross-validations and external independent validations based on standard association datasets. The results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves the impressive performance for predicting the microRNA-disease association with the Area Under receiver operation characteristic Curve (AUC), 86.93%, which is indeed outperform the previous prediction methods. Particularly, we observed that the ensemble-based method by integrating the predictions of multiple algorithms can give more reliable and robust prediction than the single algorithm, with the AUC score improved to 92.26%. We applied our combinatorial prioritization algorithm to lung neoplasms and breast neoplasms, and revealed their top 30 microRNA candidates, which are in consistent with the published literatures and databases.
Self-renewal and phenotypic conversion are the main physiological responses of macrophages to the endogenous estrogen surge
Authors: Pepe Giovanna , Braga Daniele , Renzi Tiziana A. , Villa Alessandro , Bolego Chiara , D’Avila Francesca , Barlassina Cristina , Maggi Adriana , Locati Massimo , Vegeto Elisabetta 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBeyond the physiology of reproduction, estrogen controls the homeostasis of several tissues. Although macrophages play a key role in tissue remodeling, the interplay with estrogen is still ill defined. Using a transcriptomic approach we first obtained a comprehensive list of genes that are differentially expressed in peritoneal macrophages in response to physiological levels of 17β-estradiol (E2) injected in intact female mice. Our data also showed the dynamic nature of the macrophage response to E2and pointed to specific biological programs induced by the hormone, with cell proliferation, immune response and wound healing being the most prominent functional categories. Indeed, the exogenous administration of E2and, more importantly, the endogenous hormonal surge proved to support macrophage proliferationin vivo, as shown by cell cycle gene expression, BrdU incorporation and cell number. Furthermore, E2promoted an anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving macrophage phenotype, which converged on the induction of genes related to macrophage alternative activation and on IL-10 expressionin vivo. Hormone action was maintained in an experimental model of peritoneal inflammation based on zymosan injection. These findings highlight a direct effect of estrogen on macrophage expansion and phenotypic adaptation in homeostatic conditions and suggest a role for this interplay in inflammatory pathologies.
Gene delivery to Nile tilapia cells for transgenesis and the role of PI3K-c2α in angiogenesis
Authors: Tonelli Fernanda Maria Policarpo , Lacerda Samyra Maria dos Santos Nassif , Procópio Marcela Santos , Lemos Breno Luiz Sales , de França Luiz Renato , Resende Rodrigo Ribeiro 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMicroinjection is commonly performed to achieve fish transgenesis; however, due to difficulties associated with this technique, new strategies are being developed. Here we evaluate the potential of lentiviral particles to genetically modify Nile tilapia cells to achieve transgenesis using three different approaches: spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) genetic modification and transplantation (SC), in vivo transduction of gametes (GT), and fertilised egg transduction (ET). The SC protocol using larvae generates animals with sustained production of modified sperm (80% of animals with 77% maximum sperm fluorescence [MSF]), but is a time-consuming protocol (sexual maturity in Nile tilapia is achieved at 6 months of age). GT is a faster technique, but the modified gamete production is temporary (70% of animals with 52% MSF). ET is an easier way to obtain mosaic transgenic animals compared to microinjection of eggs, but non-site-directed integration in the fish genome can be a problem. In this study, PI3Kc2α gene disruption impaired development during the embryo stage and caused premature death. The manipulator should choose a technique based on the time available for transgenic obtainment and if this generation is required to be continuous or not.
Hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction is a feature of Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia (GSDIa)
Authors: Farah Benjamin L. , Sinha Rohit A. , Wu Yajun , Singh Brijesh K. , Lim Andrea , Hirayama Masahiro , Landau Dustin J. , Bay Boon Huat , Koeberl Dwight D. , Yen Paul M. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractGlycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa, von Gierke disease) is the most common glycogen storage disorder. It is caused by the deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme which catalyses the final step of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. Clinically, GSDIa is characterized by fasting hypoglycaemia and hepatic glycogen and triglyceride overaccumulation. The latter leads to steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and the formation of hepatic adenomas and carcinomas. Currently, little is known about the function of various organelles and their impact on metabolism in GSDIa. Accordingly, we investigated mitochondrial function in cell culture and mouse models of GSDIa. We found impairments in oxidative phosphorylation and changes in TCA cycle metabolites, as well as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and deranged mitochondrial ultra-structure in these model systems. Mitochondrial content also was decreased, likely secondary to decreased mitochondrial biogenesis. These deleterious effects culminated in the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrate a role for mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of GSDIa, and identify a new potential target for the treatment of this disease. They also provide new insight into the role of carbohydrate overload on mitochondrial function in other hepatic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Raman Sensitive Degradation and Etching Dynamics of Exfoliated Black Phosphorus
Authors: Alsaffar Fadhel , Alodan Sarah , Alrasheed Abdul , Alhussain Abdulrahman , Alrubaiq Noura , Abbas Ahmad , Amer Moh. R. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractLayered black phosphorus has drawn much attention due to the existence of a band gap compared to the widely known graphene. However, environmental stability of black phosphorus is still a major issue, which hinders the realization of practical device applications. Here, we spatially Raman map exfoliated black phosphorus using confocal fast-scanning technique at different time intervals. We observe a Raman intensity modulation for "Equation missing", B2 g, and "Equation missing" modes. This Raman modulation is found to be caused by optical interference, which gives insights into the oxidation mechanism. Finally, we examine the fabrication compatible PMMA coating as a viable passivation layer. Our measurements indicate that PMMA passivated black phosphorus thin film flakes can stay pristine for a period of 19 days when left in a dark environment, allowing sufficient time for further nanofabrication processing. Our results shed light on black phosphorus degradation which can aid future passivation methods.
Polyphonic sonification of electrocardiography signals for diagnosis of cardiac pathologies
Authors: Kather Jakob Nikolas , Hermann Thomas , Bukschat Yannick , Kramer Tilmann , Schad Lothar R. , Zöllner Frank Gerrit 
Published: March 2017

AbstractElectrocardiography (ECG) data are multidimensional temporal data with ubiquitous applications in the clinic. Conventionally, these data are presented visually. It is presently unclear to what degree data sonification (auditory display), can enable the detection of clinically relevant cardiac pathologies in ECG data. In this study, we introduce a method for polyphonic sonification of ECG data, whereby different ECG channels are simultaneously represented by sound of different pitch. We retrospectively applied this method to 12 samples from a publicly available ECG database. We and colleagues from our professional environment then analyzed these data in a blinded way. Based on these analyses, we found that the sonification technique can be intuitively understood after a short training session. On average, the correct classification rate for observers trained in cardiology was 78%, compared to 68% and 50% for observers not trained in cardiology or not trained in medicine at all, respectively. These values compare to an expected random guessing performance of 25%. Strikingly, 27% of all observers had a classification accuracy over 90%, indicating that sonification can be very successfully used by talented individuals. These findings can serve as a baseline for potential clinical applications of ECG sonification.
NMR spectroscopy of single sub-nL ova with inductive ultra-compact single-chip probes
Authors: Grisi Marco , Vincent Franck , Volpe Beatrice , Guidetti Roberto , Harris Nicola , Beck Armin , Boero Giovanni 
Published: March 2017

AbstractNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy enables non-invasive chemical studies of intact living matter. However, the use of NMR at the volume scale typical of microorganisms is hindered by sensitivity limitations, and experiments on single intact organisms have so far been limited to entities having volumes larger than 5 nL. Here we show NMR spectroscopy experiments conducted on single intact ova of 0.1 and 0.5 nL (i.e. 10 to 50 times smaller than previously achieved), thereby reaching the relevant volume scale where life development begins for a broad variety of organisms, humans included. Performing experiments with inductive ultra-compact (1 mm2) single-chip NMR probes, consisting of a low noise transceiver and a multilayer 150 μm planar microcoil, we demonstrate that the achieved limit of detection (about 5 pmol of 1H nuclei) is sufficient to detect endogenous compounds. Our findings suggest that single-chip probes are promising candidates to enable NMR-based study and selection of microscopic entities at biologically relevant volume scales.
Identification of mangiferin as a potential Glucokinase activator by structure-based virtual ligand screening
Authors: Min Qiuxia , Cai Xinpei , Sun Weiguang , gao Fei , Li Zhimei , Zhang Qian , Wan Luo-Sheng , Li Hua , Chen Jiachun 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe natural product mangiferin (compound 7) has been identified as a potential glucokinase activator by structure-based virtual ligand screening. It was proved by enzyme activation experiment and cell-based assays in vitro, with potency in micromolar range. Meanwhile, this compound showed good antihyperglycemic activity in db/db mice without obvious side effects such as excessive hypoglycaemia.
Sets of serum exosomal microRNAs as candidate diagnostic biomarkers for Kawasaki disease
Authors: Jia Hong-Ling , Liu Chao-Wu , Zhang Li , Xu Wei-Jun , Gao Xue-Juan , Bai Jun , Xu Yu-Fen , Xu Ming-Guo , Zhang Gong 
Published: March 2017

AbstractAlthough Kawasaki disease is the main cause of acquired heart disease in children, no diagnostic biomarkers are available. We aimed to identify candidate biomarkers for diagnosing Kawasaki disease using serum exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs). Using frozen serum samples from a biobank, high-throughput microarray technologies, two-stage real-time quantitative PCR, and a self-referencing strategy for data normalization, we narrowed down the list of biomarker candidates to a set of 4 miRNAs. We further validated the diagnostic capabilities of the identified miRNAs (namely, CT(miR-1246)-CT(miR-4436b-5p) and CT(miR-197-3p)-CT(miR-671-5p)) in 79 samples from two hospitals. We found that this 4-miRNA set could distinguish KD patients from other febrile patients as well as from healthy individuals in a single pass, with a minimal rate of false positives and negatives. We thus propose, for the first time, that serum exosomal miRNAs represent candidate diagnostic biomarkers for Kawasaki disease. Additionally, we describe an effective strategy of screening for biomarkers of complex diseases even when little mechanistic knowledge is available.
Transcription factor NF-kappa B represses ANT1 transcription and leads to mitochondrial dysfunctions
Authors: Zhang Chen , Jiang Hui , Wang Pin , Liu Heng , Sun Xiulian 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMitochondria are intracellular organelles involved in cell survival and death, and dysfunctions of mitochondria are related to neurodegenerative diseases. As the most abundant protein in the mitochondrial inner membrane, adenine nucleotide translocator 1 (ANT1) plays a critical role in mitochondrial function, including the exchange of adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate (ATP/ADP) in mitochondria, basal proton leak and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Here, we show that ANT1 transcription is regulated by transcription factor NF-kappa B (NF-κB). NF-κB is bound to two NF-κB responsive elements (NREs) located at +1 to +20 bp and +41 to +61 bp in the ANT1 promoter. An NF-κB signalling stimulator, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), suppresses ANT1 mRNA and protein expression. Activation of NF-κB by TNFα impairs ATP/ADP exchange and decreases ATP production in mitochondria. Activation of NF-κB by TNFα decreases calcium induced mPTP opening, elevates mitochondrial potential and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in both T98G human glioblastoma cells and rat cortical neurons. These results demonstrate that NF-κB signalling may repress ANT1 gene transcription and impair mitochondrial functions.