bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improved In vivo Assessment of Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice using X-Ray Dark-Field Radiography
Authors: Yaroshenko Andre , Hellbach Katharina , Yildirim Ali Önder , Conlon Thomas M. , Fernandez Isis Enlil , Bech Martin , Velroyen Astrid , Meinel Felix G. , Auweter Sigrid , Reiser Maximilian , Eickelberg Oliver , Pfeiffer Franz 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive lung disease with a median life expectancy of 4–5 years after initial diagnosis. Early diagnosis and accurate monitoring of IPF are limited by a lack of sensitive imaging techniques that are able to visualize early fibrotic changes at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface. Here, we report a new x-ray imaging approach that directly visualizes the air-tissue interfaces in mice in vivo. This imaging method is based on the detection of small-angle x-ray scattering that occurs at the air-tissue interfaces in the lung. Small-angle scattering is detected with a Talbot-Lau interferometer, which provides the so-called x-ray dark-field signal. Using this imaging modality, we demonstrate-for the first time-the quantification of early pathogenic changes and their correlation with histological changes, as assessed by stereological morphometry. The presented radiography method is significantly more sensitive in detecting morphological changes compared with conventional x-ray imaging and exhibits a significantly lower radiation dose than conventional x-ray CT. As a result of the improved imaging sensitivity, this new imaging modality could be used in future to reduce the number of animals required for pulmonary research studies.
Aldioxa improves delayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric compliance, pathophysiologic mechanisms of functional dyspepsia
Authors: Asano Teita , Aida Shuji , Suemasu Shintaro , Tahara Kayoko , Tanaka Ken-ichiro , Mizushima Tohru 
Published: December 2015

AbstractDelayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric accommodation (decreased gastric compliance) play important roles in functional dyspepsia (FD). Here we screen for a clinically used drug with an ability to improve delayed gastric emptying in rats. Oral administration of aldioxa (dihydroxyaluminum allantoinate) partially improved clonidine- or restraint stress-induced delayed gastric emptying. Administration of allantoin, but not aluminium hydroxide, restored the gastric emptying. Both aldioxa and allantoin inhibited clonidine binding to the α-2 adrenergic receptor, suggesting that antagonistic activity of the allantoin moiety of aldioxa on this receptor is involved in the restoration of gastric emptying activity. Aldioxa or aluminium hydroxide but not allantoin restored gastric compliance with restraint stress, suggesting that aluminium hydroxide moiety is involved in this restoration. We propose that aldioxa is a candidate drug for FD, because its safety in humans has already been confirmed and its ameliorating effect on both of delayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric compliance are confirmed here.
Causal Inference and Explaining Away in a Spiking Network
Authors: Moreno-Bote Rubén , Drugowitsch Jan 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWhile the brain uses spiking neurons for communication, theoretical research on brain computations has mostly focused on non-spiking networks. The nature of spike-based algorithms that achieve complex computations, such as object probabilistic inference, is largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that a family of high-dimensional quadratic optimization problems with non-negativity constraints can be solved exactly and efficiently by a network of spiking neurons. The network naturally imposes the non-negativity of causal contributions that is fundamental to causal inference and uses simple operations, such as linear synapses with realistic time constants and neural spike generation and reset non-linearities. The network infers the set of most likely causes from an observation using explaining away, which is dynamically implemented by spike-based, tuned inhibition. The algorithm performs remarkably well even when the network intrinsically generates variable spike trains, the timing of spikes is scrambled by external sources of noise, or the network is mistuned. This type of network might underlie tasks such as odor identification and classification.
Formation of Enhanced Uniform Chiral Fields in Symmetric Dimer Nanostructures
Authors: Tian Xiaorui , Fang Yurui , Sun Mengtao 
Published: December 2015

AbstractChiral fields with large optical chirality are very important in chiral molecules analysis, sensing and other measurements. Plasmonic nanostructures have been proposed to realize such super chiral fields for enhancing weak chiral signals. However, most of them cannot provide uniform chiral near-fields close to the structures, which makes these nanostructures not so efficient for applications. Plasmonic helical nanostructures and blocked squares have been proved to provide uniform chiral near-fields, but structure fabrication is a challenge. In this paper, we show that very simple plasmonic dimer structures can provide uniform chiral fields in the gaps with large enhancement of both near electric fields and chiral fields under linearly polarized light illumination with polarization off the dimer axis at dipole resonance. An analytical dipole model is utilized to explain this behavior theoretically. 30 times of volume averaged chiral field enhancement is gotten in the whole gap. Chiral fields with opposite handedness can be obtained simply by changing the polarization to the other side of the dimer axis. It is especially useful in Raman optical activity measurement and chiral sensing of small quantity of chiral molecule.
Water filling and electric field-induced enhancement in the mechanical property of carbon nanotubes
Authors: Ye H. F. , Zheng Y. G. , Zhang Z. Q. , Chen Z. , Zhang H. W. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe effects of water filling and electric field on the mechanical property of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are investigated with molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results indicate that the water filling and electric field could enhance the elastic modulus but reduce the Poisson’s ratio of the CNTs. As for the buckling behaviors, a significant enhancement could be observed in the yield stress and average post-buckling stress of the CNTs. In particular, the enhancement in the yield stress induced by the water filling and electric field could be even higher than that resulted from the solid filling. Moreover, a transition mechanism from the rod instability to shell buckling is shown to explain the nonmonotonic variation of yield stress and the critical diameter can be tuned through filling the water molecules and applying the electric field. The present findings provide a valuable route for the optimized design and application of the nanoscale functional devices based on the water-filled CNTs.
Complexity of Heart Rate Variability Can Predict Stroke-In-Evolution in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients
Authors: Chen Chih-Hao , Huang Pei-Wen , Tang Sung-Chun , Shieh Jiann-Shing , Lai Dar-Ming , Wu An-Yu , Jeng Jiann-Shing 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAbout one-third of acute stroke patients may experience stroke-in-evolution, which is often associated with a worse outcome. Recently, we showed that multiscale entropy (MSE), a non-linear method for analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), is an early outcome predictor in non-atrial fibrillation (non-AF) stroke patients. We aimed to further investigate MSE as a predictor of SIE. We included 90 non-AF ischemic stroke patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Nineteen (21.1%) patients met the criteria of SIE, which was defined as an increase in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of ≥2 points within 3 days of admission. The MSE of HRV was analyzed from 1-hour continuous ECG signals during the first 24 hours of admission. The complexity index was defined as the area under the MSE curve. Compared with patients without SIE, those with SIE had a significantly lower complexity index value (21.3 ± 8.5 vs 26.5 ± 7.7, P = 0.012). After adjustment for clinical variables, patients with higher complexity index values were significantly less likely to have SIE (odds ratio = 0.897, 95% confidence interval 0.818–0.983, P = 0.020). In summary, early assessment of HRV by MSE can be a potential predictor of SIE in ICU-admitted non-AF ischemic stroke patients.
Enabling High Efficiency Nanoplasmonics with Novel Nanoantenna Architectures
Authors: Cohen Moshik , Shavit Reuven , Zalevsky Zeev 
Published: December 2015

AbstractSurface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are propagating excitations that arise from coupling of light with collective electron oscillations. Characterized by high field intensity and nanometric dimensions, SPPs fashion rapid expansion of interest from fundamental and applicative perspectives. However, high metallic losses at optical frequencies still make nanoplasmonics impractical when high absolute efficiency is paramount, with major challenge is efficient plasmon generation in deep nanoscale. Here we introduce the Plantenna, the first reported nanodevice with the potential of addressing these limitations utilizing novel plasmonic architecture. The Plantenna has simple 2D structure, ultracompact dimensions and is fabricated on Silicon chip for future CMOS integration. We design the Plantenna to feed channel (20 nm × 20 nm) nanoplasmonic waveguides, achieving 52% coupling efficiency with Plantenna dimensions of λ3/17,000. We theoretically and experimentally show that the Plantenna enormously outperforms dipole couplers, achieving 28 dB higher efficiency with broad polarization diversity and huge local field enhancement. Our findings confirm the Plantenna as enabling device for high efficiency plasmonic technologies such as quantum nanoplasmonics, molecular strong coupling and plasmon nanolasers.
Astronomical and Hydrological Perspective of Mountain Impacts on the Asian Summer Monsoon
Authors: He Bian , Wu Guoxiong , Liu Yimin , Bao Qing 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe Asian summer monsoon has great socioeconomic impacts. Understanding how the huge Tibetan and Iranian Plateaus affect the Asian summer monsoon is of great scientific value and has far-reaching significance for sustainable global development. One hypothesis considers the plateaus to be a shield for monsoon development in India by blocking cold-dry northerly intrusion into the tropics. Based on astronomical radiation analysis and numerical modeling, here we show that in winter the plateaus cannot block such a northerly intrusion; while in summer the daily solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface and the surface potential temperature to the north of the Tibetan Plateau, are higher than their counterparts to its south and such plateau shielding is not needed. By virtue of hydrological analysis, we show that the high energy near the surface required for continental monsoon development is maintained mainly by high water vapor content. Results based on potential vorticity–potential temperature diagnosis further demonstrate that it is the pumping of water vapor from sea to land due to the thermal effects of the plateaus that breeds the Asian continental monsoon.
A Linear Dose-Response Relationship between Fasting Plasma Glucose and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Shi Jianguo , Xiong Lijuan , Li Jiaoyuan , Cao Heng , Jiang Wen , Liu Bo , Chen Xueqin , Liu Cheng , Liu Ke , Wang Guobin , Cai Kailin 
Published: December 2015

AbstractFor many years, the question of whether hyperglycaemia, a manifestation of prediabetes, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, is a risk factor for colorectal cancer has been intensely studied. In fact, even after the conclusion of several prospective studies, the topic is still controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the dose-response relationship between blood glucose concentration and the incidence of colorectal cancer. A linear (P = 0.303 for non-linearity) dose-response relationship was observed between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and colorectal cancer risk without significant heterogeneity. The relative risk (RR) for colorectal cancer per 20 mg/dL increase in FPG was 1.015 (95% CI: 1.012–1.019,P = 0.000). In subgroup analyses, the pooled RRs for colon cancer (CC) and rectal cancer (RC) studies were 1.035 (95% CI 1.008–1.062,P = 0.011) and 1.031 (95% CI: 0.189–5.628,P = 0.972), respectively; in the analysis comparing men and women, the pooled RRs were 1.016 (95% CI: 1.012–1.020,P = 0.000) and 1.011 (95% CI: 0.995–1.027,P = 0.164), respectively. Sensitivity analyses using two methods showed similar results. In conclusion, there is a significant linear dose-response relationship between FPG and the incidence risk of colorectal cancer. For people with diabetes or prediabetes, controlling blood glucose might be useful to prevent colorectal cancer.
In vitro and in vivo screening for novel essential cell-envelope proteins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Fernández-Piñar Regina , Lo Sciuto Alessandra , Rossi Alice , Ranucci Serena , Bragonzi Alessandra , Imperi Francesco 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents a prototype of multi-drug resistant opportunistic pathogens for which novel therapeutic options are urgently required. In order to identify new candidates as potential drug targets, we combined large-scale transposon mutagenesis data analysis and bioinformatics predictions to retrieve a set of putative essential genes which are conserved in P. aeruginosa and predicted to encode cell envelope or secreted proteins. By generating unmarked deletion or conditional mutants, we confirmed the in vitro essentiality of two periplasmic proteins, LptH and LolA, responsible for lipopolysaccharide and lipoproteins transport to the outer membrane respectively and confirmed that they are important for cell envelope stability. LptH was also found to be essential for P. aeruginosa ability to cause infection in different animal models. Conversely, LolA-depleted cells appeared only partially impaired in pathogenicity, indicating that this protein likely plays a less relevant role during bacterial infection. Finally, we ruled out any involvement of the other six proteins under investigation in P. aeruginosa growth, cell envelope stability and virulence. Besides proposing LptH as a very promising drug target in P. aeruginosa, this study confirms the importance of in vitro and in vivo validation of potential essential genes identified through random transposon mutagenesis.
Id4 Marks Spermatogonial Stem Cells in the Mouse Testis
Authors: Sun Feng , Xu Qing , Zhao Danfeng , Degui Chen Charlie 
Published: December 2015

AbstractMammalian spermatogenesis is a classic adult stems cell–dependent process, supported by the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). However, the identification of SSCs and elucidation of their behaviors in undisturbed testis has long been a big challenge. Here, we generated a knock-in mouse model, Id4-2A-CreERT2-2A-tdTomato, which allowed us to mark Id4-expressing (Id4+) cells at different time pointsin situand track their behaviors across distinct developmental stages during steady-state and regenerating spermatogenesis. We found that Id4+cells continue to produce spermatogonia, spermatocytes and sperm in mouse testis, showing they are capable of self-renewal and have differentiation potential. Consistent with these findings, ablation of Id4+cells in mice results in a loss of spermatogenesis. Furthermore, developmental fate mapping reveals that Id4+SSCs originate from neonate Id4+gonocytes. Therefore, our results indicate that Id4 marks spermatogonial stem cells in the mouse testis.
MiR-181b regulates cisplatin chemosensitivity and metastasis by targeting TGFβR1/Smad signaling pathway in NSCLC
Authors: Wang Xiaoyuan , Chen Xuesong , Meng Qingwei , Jing Hu , Lu Hailing , Yang Yanmei , Cai Li , Zhao Yanbin 
Published: December 2015

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as important post-transcriptional regulators involved in various biological and pathological processes of cells, but their underlying mechanisms in chemosensitivity and metastasis have not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to identify miR-181b and its mechanism in the chemosensitivity and metastasis of NSCLC. We found that miR-181b expression levels were lower in A549/DDP cells compared with A549 cells. Functional assays showed that the overexpression of miR-181b inhibited proliferation, enhanced chemosensitivity to DDP, attenuated migration and metastatic ability in NSCLC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. TGFβR1 was subsequently identified as a novel functional target of miR-181b. TGFβR1 knockdown revealed similar effects as that of ectopic miR-181b expression, whereas overexpression of TGFβR1 rescued the function of miR-181b-mediated growth, chemosensitivity and metastasis in NSCLC cells. In addition, miR-181b could inactivate the TGFβR1/Smad signaling pathway. We also observed that decreased miR-181b expression and increased TGFβR1 expression were significantly associated with chemosensitivity to DDP and tumor metastasis in NSCLC patients. Consequently, miR-181b functions as a tumor suppressor and has an important role in proliferation, chemosensitivity to DDP and metastasis of NSCLC by targeting TGFβR1/Smad signaling pathway.
Soil recovery across a chronosequence of restored wetlands in the Florida Everglades
Authors: Wang Qibing , Li Yuncong , Zhang Min 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe restoration project in the Hole-in-the-Donut of Everglades National Park in Florida, USA is to reestablish native wetlands by complete removal of the invasive plants and the associated soil. However, there is little information available about changes in properties of the newly formed Marl soils in restored wetlands. In this study, we measured soil physicochemical properties, soil enzymatic activities and stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) in plants and soil organic carbon (SOC) in an undisturbed natural wetland (UNW) and three wetlands restored respectively in 1989, 1996 and 1999 (WR89, WR96 and WR99). The older restored wetlands (WR89 and WR96) are characterized by greater SOC and mineral nitrogen. The values of soil dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities in the four wetlands follow the order: UNW > WR89 > WR96 > WR99 and are consistent with changes in vegetation coverage. The principal component analysis shows that dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities are the vital variables contributing to the soil of UNW. The similar δ13C values of SOC and plants in the restored wetlands suggest the formation of SOC during restoration is mainly derived from the associated plants. These results indicate that the newly restored soils develop toward the soil in the UNW with time since restoration.
Prediction and Characterisation of the System Effects of Aristolochic Acid: A Novel Joint Network Analysis towards Therapeutic and Toxicological Mechanisms
Authors: Nie Wenna , Lv Yana , Yan Leyu , Chen Xi , Lv Haitao 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAristolochic acid (AA) is the major active component of medicinal plants from the Aristolochiaceae family of flowering plants widely utilized for medicinal purposes. However, the molecular mechanisms of AA systems effects remain poorly understood. Here, we employed a joint network analysis that combines network pharmacology, a protein–protein interaction (PPI) database, biological processes analysis and functional annotation analysis to explore system effects. Firstly, we selected 15 protein targets (14 genes) in the PubChem database as the potential target genes and used PPI knowledge to incorporate these genes into an AA-specific gene network that contains 129 genes. Secondly, we performed biological processes analysis for these AA-related targets using ClueGO, some of new targeted genes were randomly selected and experimentally verified by employing the Quantitative Real-Time PCR assay for targeting the systems effects of AA in HK-2 cells with observed dependency of concentration. Thirdly, the pathway-based functional enrichment analysis was manipulated using WebGestalt to identify the mostly significant pathways associated with AA. At last, we built an AA target pathway network of significant pathways to predict the system effects. Taken together, this joint network analysis revealed that the systematic regulatory effects of AA on multidimensional pathways involving both therapeutic action and toxicity.
A plasma cytokine and angiogenic factor (CAF) analysis for selection of bevacizumab therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Bai Long , Wang Feng , Zhang Dong-sheng , Li Cong , Jin Ying , Wang De-shen , Chen Dong-liang , Qiu Miao-zhen , Luo Hui-yan , Wang Zhi-qiang , Li Yu-hong , Wang Feng-hua , Xu Rui-hua 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThis study intends to identify biomarkers that could refine the selection of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) for bevacizumab treatment. Pretreatment 36 plasma cytokines and angiogenic factors (CAFs) were first measured by protein microarray analysis in patients who received first-line bevacizumab-containing therapies (discovery cohort, n = 64) and further evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients treated on regimens with or without bevacizumab (validation cohort, n = 186). Factor levels were correlated with clinical outcomes, predictive values were assessed using a treatment by marker interaction term in the Cox model. Patients with lower pretreatment levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or VEGF-A121 gain much more benefit from bevacizumab treatment as measured by progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), while angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) levels negatively correlated with PFS and response rate following bevacizumab (all adjusted interaction P < 0.05). A baseline CAF signature combining these three markers has greater predictive ability than individual markers. Signature-negative patients showed impaired survival following bevacizumab treatment (PFS, 7.3 vs 7.0 months; hazard ratio [HR] 1.03; OS, 29.9 vs 21.1 months, HR 1.33) compared with signature-positive patients (PFS, 6.5 vs 11.9 months, HR 0.52; OS, 28.0 vs 55.3 months, HR 0.67). These promising results warrant further prospective studies.
Reversion to an embryonic alternative splicing program enhances leukemia stem cell self-renewal
Authors: Holm Frida , Hellqvist Eva , Mason Cayla N. , Ali Shawn A. , Delos-Santos Nathaniel , Barrett Christian L. , Chun Hye-Jung , Minden Mark D. , Moore Richard A. , Marra Marco A. , Runza Valeria , Frazer Kelly A. , Sadarangani Anil , Jamieson Catriona H. M. 
Published: December 2015

Significance
In this study, we show for the first time, to our knowledge, that Muscleblind-like 3 (MBNL3) down-regulation in therapy-resistant human blast crisis leukemia stem cells (LSCs) is associated with activation of a human embryonic stem cell alternative splicing gene regulatory network involved in reprogramming and expression of a CD44 splice isoform, CD44 transcript variant 3. Targeting blast crisis LSCs with a human CD44 monoclonal antibody in combination with a potent breakpoint cluster region - ABL proto-oncogene 1, nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (BCR-ABL1) antagonist impairs LSC self-renewal in a niche-dependent manner and provides a compelling rationale for devising novel clinical combination LSC eradication strategies.