bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Altered expression of miR-181a and miR-146a does not change the expression of surface NCRs in human NK cells
Authors: Rady Mona , Watzl Carsten , Claus Maren , Khorshid Ola , Mahran Laila , Abou-Aisha Khaled 
Published: February 2017

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating gene expression and immune responses. Of interest, miR-181a and miR-146a are key players in regulating immune responses and are among the most abundant miRNAs expressed in NK cells. Bioinformatically, we predicted miR-181a to regulate the expression of the natural cytotoxicity receptor NCR2 by seeded interaction with the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR). Whereas, miR-146a expression was not significantly different (P = 0.7361), miR-181a expression was, on average 10-fold lower in NK cells from breast cancer patients compared to normal subjects; P < 0.0001. Surface expression of NCR2 was detected in NK cells from breast cancer patients (P = 0.0384). While cytokine receptor-induced NK cell activation triggered overexpression of miR-146a when stimulated with IL-2 (P = 0.0039), IL-15 (P = 0.0078), and IL-12/IL-18 (P = 0.0072), expression of miR-181a was not affected. Overexpression or knockdown of miR-181a or miR-146a in primary cultured human NK cells did not affect the level of expression of any of the three NCRs; NCR1, NCR2 or NCR3 or NK cell cytotoxicity. Expression of miR-181a and miR-146a did not correlate to the expression of the NCRs in NK cells from breast cancer patients or cytokine-stimulated NK cells from healthy subjects.
Comparative genomics of Vibrio campbellii strains and core species of the Vibrio Harveyi clade
Authors: Ke Huei-Mien , Prachumwat Anuphap , Yu Chun-Ping , Yang Yi-Ting , Promsri Sutitcha , Liu Kuan-Fu , Lo Chu-Fang , Lu Mei-Yeh Jade , Lai Mei-Chin , Tsai Isheng J. , Li Wen-Hsiung 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe core of the Vibrio Harveyi clade contains V. harveyi, V. campbellii, V. owensii, V. jasicida, and V. rotiferianus. They are well recognized aquatic animal pathogens, but misclassification has been common due to similarities in their rDNA sequences and phenotypes. To better understand their evolutionary relationships and functional features, we sequenced a shrimp pathogen strain V. harveyi 1114GL, reclassified it as V. campbellii and compared this and 47 other sequenced Vibrio genomes in the Harveryi clade. A phylogeny based on 1,775 genes revealed that both V. owensii and V. jasicida were closer to V. campbellii than to V. harveyi and that V. campbellii strains can be divided into two distinct groups. Species-specific genes such as intimin and iron acquisition genes were identified in V. campbellii. In particular, the 1114GL strain contains two bacterial immunoglobulin-like genes for cell adhesion with 22 Big_2 domains that have been extensively reshuffled and are by far the most expanded among all species surveyed in this study. The 1114GL strain differed from ATCC BAA-1116 by ~9% at the synonymous sites, indicating high diversity within V. campbellii. Our study revealed the characteristics of V. campbellii in the Harveyi clade and the genetic basis for their wide-spread pathogenicity.
Blockade to pathological remodeling of infarcted heart tissue using a porcupine antagonist
Authors: Moon Jesung , Zhou Huanyu , Zhang Li-shu , Tan Wei , Liu Ying , Zhang Shanrong , Morlock Lorraine K. , Bao Xiaoping , Palecek Sean P. , Feng Jian Q. , Williams Noelle S. , Amatruda James F. , Olson Eric N. , Bassel-Duby Rhonda , Lum Lawrence 
Published: February 2017

Significance
A significant factor influencing longevity and quality of life in heart attack survivors is the extent of adverse tissue remodeling in injured heart tissue, which impedes mechanical function and accelerates the progression of heart failure. Despite the general consensus that mitigating fibrotic responses would delay the onset of heart failure and improve heart function after a heart attack, there currently are no agents that directly target this pathological process available for heart disease management. Here we demonstrate that chemical inhibition of the Wnt acyltransferase Porcupine results in improvements in heart function following myocardial infarction in mice. Our findings advocate for the development of Porcupine inhibitors as proregenerative agents in the heart and other tissues.
EBI3 regulates the NK cell response to mouse cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Jensen Helle , Chen Shih-Yu , Folkersen Lasse , Nolan Garry P. , Lanier Lewis L. 
Published: February 2017

SignificanceNatural killer (NK) cells play a key role in early viral control of CMV replication and in shaping the adaptive immune response. Despite an early control, CMV persists by exploiting host immune inhibitory pathways. Here, we describe a previously unidentified pathway wherein the cytokine Epstein–Barr virus-induced 3 (EBI3) affects the establishment of mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) latency. We also show that both human and mouse NK cells express EBI3 and the EBI3 receptor, gp130, after stimulation. MCMV-infected EBI3-deficient mice showed decreased IL-10 production by NK cells, increased dendritic cell maturation and activation of CD8+T cells, and significantly diminished viral loads in the salivary glands and oral lavage. Together, our results provide insight into how CMV establishes latent infection.
Identification of the active protein in rice bran protein having an inhibitory activity of cholesterol micellar solubility
Authors: Wang Jilite , Shimada Masaya , Nagaoka Satoshi 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
In our previous study, rice bran protein (RBP) inhibited cholesterol micellar solubility in vitro and decreased serum cholesterol level in rats. In the present study, RBP was separated and purified by size-exclusion chromatography and reversed-phase chromatography. The active protein of RBP related to cholesterol micellar solubility was identified as lectin and non-specific lipid-transfer protein 1 using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis.
Optical Readout Method for Solid State Dosemeters
Authors: McDonald J.C. , Eichner F.N. , Stahl K.A. , Miller S.D. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The readout of solid state dosemeters is usually accomplished by heating to produce thermoluminescence. This technique has several disadvantages including stressing the dosemeter crystals, melting Teflon enclosures, and destroying the thin dosemeters designed for beta particle measurements. An optical readout method is being developed to avoid these difficulties. Standard dosemeters were irradiated to a dose of approximately 0.02 Sv with 137Cs gamma rays. The dosemeters were then irradiated with light produced by a high intensity xenon lamp. Various wavelength bands, from the ultraviolet through the visible and to the near infrared, were used. The degree of trap emptying was found to be proportional to the total optical power incident. With the intensities used in the preliminary experiments, over 90% trap emptying was achieved. This new technique will prove useful for dosemeters that are encased in plastic for automatic processing. The details of this optical readout method, along with some possible applications in neutron and beta dosimetry are described.
Natural Radioactivity in the Principal Constituents of French River Ecosystems
Authors: Descamps B. , Foulquier L. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The study is based on data covering the water, sediments, plants and fish sampled over a 20-year period at 15 stations along French rivers. Three geographic zones were investigated: one containing a uranium mining complex (Zone 1), another including five major rivers along which nuclear power plants are sited (Zone II) and a third unaffected by nuclear activities (Zone III). Natural radioactivity basically involves 238U, 226Ra and 210Pb in the uranium series, 232Th from the thorium series, 40K and 7Be. The natural radioactivity in Zone II is not different from Zone III, and is thus unaffected by waste discharges from nuclear power plants. The most abundant radionuclide is 40K, while the other nuclides are often found in trace amounts near the detection threshold of the analysis method used (Ge gamma spectrometry with a 15-hour counting period). The 226Ra and 238U concentrations observed in Zone I are at least an order of magnitude higher than in the other two zones due to authorised waste discharges from the Lodève mining complex, but only a small stream is affected. The measured 226Ra concentrations would result in an annual whole body committed dose equivalent attributable to a 200 g weekly fish consumption from this stream of 4.4 x 10-5 Sv.y-1, or 0.86% of the maximum permissible dose (5 mSv).
Microscopic Spatial Inhomogeneity of Radiopharmaceutical Deposition in Mammalian Tissues: Dosimetry at the Cellular Level and Comparison with Conventional Dosimetry
Authors: Makrigiorgos G.M. , Baranowska-Kortylewicz J. , Van den Abbeele A.D. , Ito S. , Vinter D.W. , Adelstein S.J. , Kassis A.I. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
An experimental and a theoretical examination of the validity of the dosimetric assumptions of conventional internal dosimetry at the cellular level has been performed. Conventional dosimetry assumes a homogeneous distribution of radioactivity over the organ of interest. Experiments were carried out to derive in a quantitative manner the distribution of intravenously injected 99Tcm-labelled albumin colloid (Microlite) in mouse spleen and lung. Using tritium autoradiography, Microlite was found to concentrate highly and nearly exclusively in the macrophages of the reticloendothelial system in the organs examined. These cells comprise about 1 to 2% of the spleen volume and about 0.1 to 1% of the lung volume. The intracellular-to-extracellular radionuclide concentration was measured using a quantitative videodensitometer, and the fraction of the mouse organ volume occupied by the radiolabelled macrophages was derived from enlarged autoradiographs. The data were supplied as input to a recently developed model of dosimetry for individual cells in a multicellular cluster (representing an 'organ') which was assumed to contain 99Tcm-labelled Microlite. The program accounts for differences in intracellular and extracellular concentration of radioactivity and for selective uptake of the radionuclide by specific cells in the cluster (in the present case, macrophages): finally it compares the dose estimates for the labelled cells to the ones predicted assuming a homogeneous deposition of 99Tcm-labelled Microlite over the whole cellular cluster volume (conventional approach). It is demonstrated that conventional dosimetry under-estimates the dose received by the 99Tcm-Microlite labelled cells by factors of 10 to 50 and 15 to 60 for human spleen and lung, respectively. The implications for both the diagnostic and the therapeutic use of radiopharmaceuticals is discussed.
Kinetic Analysis of Al2O3:Mg,Y Glow Curves
Authors: Peto Á. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The thermoluminescence of differently doped Al2O3:Mg, Y phosphors was measured in the 6.5 Gy - 6.5 kGy dose range. The glow curves were deconvoluted using a computerised least squares fitting method. The results show at least four different peaks, contributing to the thermoluminescence of Al2O3:Mg,Y in the 300-800 K temperature region. Most of the peaks are second order, indicating strong retrapping of the thermally untrapped charge carriers. Trap parameters for the deconvoluted glow peaks are given.
The Optical Dating of Sediments Using Quartz
Authors: Smith B.W. , Rhodes E.J. , Stokes S. , Spooner N.A. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The technique of optical dating has been applied to quartz extracts from geological and archaeological sediments. The method involves measurement of the luminescence emitted when the quartz is optically stimulated, and yields the time which has elapsed since the sediments were last deposited. The luminescence originates from charge in traps associated with the 325 oC TL peak, and the kinetics of charge movement have been carefully considered in the formulation of the dating procedure. A cross-comparison of the optical dates with alternative dating evidence is presented, giving strong indication that the technique is reliable and can be applied to both wind- and water-borne sediments in the age range one thousand to one hundred thousand years. In some circumstances younger dates can be obtained.
Dose Algorithms for Personal Thermoluminescence Dosimetry
Authors: Moscovitch (INVITED) M. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Dose algorithms are used in thermoluminescence personnel dosimetry for the interpretation of the dosemeter response in terms of a risk related quantity, i.e. dose equivalent. Significant advances have been made in recent years to improve calibration methodology and dose calculation algorithms. This process was accelerated in the United States by the need to meet mandatory accreditation requirements. A family of empirical algorithms was recently developed, which are based on parametrisation of the response of the dosemeter to various pure and mixed fields. The empirical algorithms are especially effective in mixed low energy photon and beta fields and are capable of identifying the radiation field types and applying appropriate energy correction factors. These algorithms have been in routine use for several years in large scale personnel dosimetry programmes. The accuracy of the dose estimation has been demonstrated in several independent official blind tests and has been shown to meet the requirements of the US Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Programme. Experience gained and lessons learned during this period of testing and practical use are discussed.
Electron Emission Cross Sections for Collisions of Dressed Ions with Atomic and Molecular Targets
Authors: Toburen L.H. , DuBois R.D. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
As ions pass through matter at sufficiently low impact energies, less than a few hundred keV.u-1, electrons are captured by the ion. Subsequent collisions can remove these, or other, projectile electrons from the ion. Although the actual energy lost by the projectile during charge changing collisions may be quite small, captured electrons may have a profound affect on the ionisation efficiency of the moving particle. For distant collisions involving high energy ions, the primary effect of bound projectile electrons is to screen the projectile nuclear charge and therby reduce the probability for energy loss. As the ion slows to below a few hundred keV.u-1, however, rather than simply screen the projectile nuclear charge, the 'incident' bound electrons tend to contribute to the target ionisation and the probability for target ionisation may actually be enhanced with respect to that expected for an incident fully stripped ion. This can be particularly important for neutral particle impact because of the larger number of bound electrons involved. Studies with hydrogen, helium and carbon ions and neutrals show that the cross sections for ejection of low-energy electrons (1-20 eV) by neutral atoms is comparable to, or greater than, those for equal velocity proton impact and that the cross sections for ejecting fast electrons (binary encounter electrons) are also increased by the presence of bound projectile electrons.
Electret Dosemeters for Tritium Beta Rays
Authors: Miki T. , Ikeya M. , Matsuyama M. , Watanabe K. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The decrease of the electret charge by exposure to gaseous tritium was studied in order to develop an electret personnel dosemeter for tritium. The electret charge decreases in proportion to the product of the tritium activity and the exposure time, corresponding to the theoretical response of electret dosemeters in the ionisation chamber mode. The sensitivity is high enough to be of practical use. Several outstanding problems, especially the compensation of the contribution from atmospheric radon to the electret charge reduction, are discussed. A hybrid type electret dosemeter is proposed to compensate for the contribution of atmospheric radon and background gamma rays.
Distinct contributions by frontal and parietal cortices support working memory
Authors: Mackey Wayne E. , Curtis Clayton E. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAlthough subregions of frontal and parietal cortex both contribute and coordinate to support working memory (WM) functions, their distinct contributions remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that perturbations to topographically organized human frontal and parietal cortex during WM maintenance cause distinct but systematic distortions in WM. The nature of these distortions supports theories positing that parietal cortex mainly codes for retrospective sensory information, while frontal cortex codes for prospective action.AcknowledgementsThe US National Institutes of Health (R01 EY016407 to C.E.C.) and the National Science Foundation (Graduate Research Fellowship Program to W.E.M.) supported the research.Author ContributionsW.E.M and C.E.C. designed the experiment, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript.Conflict of interest:The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Boredom begets creativity: a solution to the exploitation-exploration trade-off in predictive coding
Authors: Gomez-Ramirez Jaime , Costa Tommaso 
Published: February 2017

AbstractHere, we investigate whether systems that minimize prediction error e.g. predictive coding, can also show creativity, or on the contrary, prediction error minimization unqualifies for the design of systems that respond in creative ways to non recurrent problems. We argue that there is a key ingredient that has been overlooked by researchers that needs to be incorporated to understand intelligent behavior in biological and technical systems. This ingredient is boredom. We propose a mathematical model based on the Black-Scholes-Merton equation which provides mechanistic insights into the interplay between boredom and prediction pleasure as the key drivers of behavior.
Integrative Deep Models for Alternative Splicing
Authors: Jha Anupama , Gazzara Matthew R. , Barash Yoseph 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAdvancements in sequencing technologies have highlighted the role of alternative splicing (AS) in increasing transcriptome complexity. This role of AS, combined with the relation of aberrant splicing to malignant states, motivated two streams of research, experimental and computational. The First involves a myriad of techniques such as RNA-Seq and CLIP-Seq to identify splicing regulators and their putative targets. The second involves probabilistic models, also known as splicing codes, which infer regulatory mechanisms and predict splicing outcome directly from genomic sequence. To date, these models have utilized only expression data. In this work we address two related challenges: Can we improve on previous models for AS outcome prediction and can we integrate additional sources of data to improve predictions for AS regulatory factors. We perform a detailed comparison of two previous modeling approaches, Bayesian and Deep Neural networks, dissecting the confounding effects of datasets and target functions. We then develop a new target function for AS prediction and show that it significantly improves model accuracy. Next, we develop a modeling framework to incorporate CLIP-Seq, knockdown and over-expression experiments, which are inherently noisy and suffer from missing values. Using several datasets involving key splice factors in mouse brain, muscle and heart we demonstrate both the prediction improvements and biological insights offered by our new models. Overall, the framework we propose offers a scalable integrative solution to improve splicing code modeling as vast amounts of relevant genomic data become available.Availability:code and data will be available on Github following publication.
An investigation into the investment decision-making practices of South African institutional investors
Authors: Nsibande Mduduzi , Boshoff Douw Gert Brand 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe South African listed property market has changed its legal basis from property loan stock companies and property unit trusts to adopt the more familiar international structure, real estate investment trusts. The main distinction is how shareholding is structured and investment returns are paid out to shareholders, which results in a different tax treatment. It is hoped that this change would attract more foreign investment, but it is questionable if this is sufficient to convince global investors who, amidst a seeming worsening of the stability in the political and economic environment, would probably need more insight into aspects such as investment decision making within these South African organisations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachUsing a balanced scorecard (BSC) framework, this study investigates the relevance of investment decision-making frameworks in South Africa. A survey using a sample of institutional investors that are included in the South African Property Market Index was conducted.FindingsThe study found similarities in decision-making priorities of South African institutional investors to those of previous studies. With the focus on retail property, tenant mix and secondary to that, quality of the centre management team is found to be important for forecasting expected returns in a retail investment decision environment. Diversification strategies were found to have similar results to previous studies, leaning more towards geographic location than economic location. Further, the study suggested the use of a BSC framework, linking the financial information and different financial ratios to nonfinancial aspects that need specific consideration in a retail investment environment.Research limitations/implicationsRetail property is considered to be of particular concern due to the business enterprise value that could be created if superior management techniques are applied. The investment decision stage concerned with forecasting expected returns relies on financial and quantitative models such as those derived from Modern Portfolio Theory. In a shopping mall environment, however, future performance is driven by nonfinancial factors, for example, tenant mix and superior customer experience. Therefore, forecasting expected returns in a retail environment requires a nuanced approach relative to other commercial property sectors.Originality/valueThe paper is considered to be original in its analysis of the retail real estate market in South Africa. This offers new insight into retail properties specifically, but also how investors in South Africa react to decision-making practices. This adds value in the internationalisation of the property market and the consistency and transparent practices applied globally.
Visualizing Digital Forensic Datasets: A Proof of Concept
Authors: Tassone Christopher F.R. , Martini Ben , Choo Kim‐Kwang Raymond 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDigital forensic visualization is an understudied area despite its potential to achieve significant improvements in the efficiency of an investigation, criminal or civil. In this study, a three‐stage forensic data storage and visualization life cycle is presented. The first stage is the decoding of data, which involves preparing both structured and unstructured data for storage. In the storage stage, data are stored within our proposed database schema designed for ensuring data integrity and speed of storage and retrieval. The final stage is the visualization of stored data in a manner that facilitates user interaction. These functionalities are implemented in a proof of concept to demonstrate the utility of the proposed life cycle. The proof of concept demonstrates the utility of the proposed approach for the storage and visualization of digital forensic data.