bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global and regional importance of the direct dust-climate feedback
Authors: Kok Jasper F. , Ward Daniel S. , Mahowald Natalie M. , Evan Amato T. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractFeedbacks between the global dust cycle and the climate system might have amplified past climate changes. Yet, it remains unclear what role the dust–climate feedback will play in future anthropogenic climate change. Here, we estimate the direct dust–climate feedback, arising from changes in the dust direct radiative effect (DRE), using a simple theoretical framework that combines constraints on the dust DRE with a series of climate model results. We find that the direct dust–climate feedback is likely in the range of −0.04 to +0.02 Wm −2 K−1, such that it could account for a substantial fraction of the total aerosol feedbacks in the climate system. On a regional scale, the direct dust–climate feedback is enhanced by approximately an order of magnitude close to major source regions. This suggests that it could play an important role in shaping the future climates of Northern Africa, the Sahel, the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Human caspase-4 detects tetra-acylated LPS and cytosolic Francisella and functions differently from murine caspase-11
Authors: Lagrange Brice , Benaoudia Sacha , Wallet Pierre , Magnotti Flora , Provost Angelina , Michal Fanny , Martin Amandine , Di Lorenzo Flaviana , Py Bénédicte F. , Molinaro Antonio , Henry Thomas 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCaspase-4/5 in humans and caspase-11 in mice bind hexa-acylated lipid A, the lipid moeity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to induce the activation of non-canonical inflammasome. Pathogens such as Francisella novicida express an under-acylated lipid A and escape caspase-11 recognition in mice. Here, we show that caspase-4 drives inflammasome responses to F. novicida infection in human macrophages. Caspase-4 triggers F. novicida-mediated, gasdermin D-dependent pyroptosis and activates the NLRP3 inflammasome. Inflammasome activation could be recapitulated by transfection of under-acylated LPS from different bacterial species or synthetic tetra-acylated lipid A into cytosol of human macrophage. Our results indicate functional differences between human caspase-4 and murine caspase-11. We further establish that human Guanylate-binding proteins promote inflammasome responses to under-acylated LPS. Altogether, our data demonstrate a broader reactivity of caspase-4 to under-acylated LPS than caspase-11, which may have important clinical implications for management of sepsis.
Skin-inspired highly stretchable and conformable matrix networks for multifunctional sensing
Authors: Hua Qilin , Sun Junlu , Liu Haitao , Bao Rongrong , Yu Ruomeng , Zhai Junyi , Pan Caofeng , Wang Zhong Lin 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMechanosensation electronics (or Electronic skin, e-skin) consists of mechanically flexible and stretchable sensor networks that can detect and quantify various stimuli to mimic the human somatosensory system, with the sensations of touch, heat/cold, and pain in skin through various sensory receptors and neural pathways. Here we present a skin-inspired highly stretchable and conformable matrix network (SCMN) that successfully expands the e-skin sensing functionality including but not limited to temperature, in-plane strain, humidity, light, magnetic field, pressure, and proximity. The actualized specific expandable sensor units integrated on a structured polyimide network, potentially in three-dimensional (3D) integration scheme, can also fulfill simultaneous multi-stimulus sensing and achieve an adjustable sensing range and large-area expandability. We further construct a personalized intelligent prosthesis and demonstrate its use in real-time spatial pressure mapping and temperature estimation. Looking forward, this SCMN has broader applications in humanoid robotics, new prosthetics, human–machine interfaces, and health-monitoring technologies.
Regulatory T cells trigger effector T cell DNA damage and senescence caused by metabolic competition
Authors: Liu Xia , Mo Wei , Ye Jian , Li Lingyun , Zhang Yanping , Hsueh Eddy C. , Hoft Daniel F. , Peng Guangyong 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDefining the suppressive mechanisms used by regulatory T (Treg) cells is critical for the development of effective strategies for treating tumors and chronic infections. The molecular processes that occur in responder T cells that are suppressed by Treg cells are unclear. Here we show that human Treg cells initiate DNA damage in effector T cells caused by metabolic competition during cross-talk, resulting in senescence and functional changes that are molecularly distinct from anergy and exhaustion. ERK1/2 and p38 signaling cooperate with STAT1 and STAT3 to control Treg-induced effector T-cell senescence. Human Treg-induced T-cell senescence can be prevented via inhibition of the DNA damage response and/or STAT signaling in T-cell adoptive transfer mouse models. These studies identify molecular mechanisms of human Treg cell suppression and indicate that targeting Treg-induced T-cell senescence is a checkpoint for immunotherapy against cancer and other diseases associated with Treg cells.
A prebiotic template-directed peptide synthesis based on amyloids
Authors: Rout Saroj K. , Friedmann Michael P. , Riek Roland , Greenwald Jason 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe prebiotic replication of information-coding molecules is a central problem concerning life’s origins. Here, we report that amyloids composed of short peptides can direct the sequence-selective, regioselective and stereoselective condensation of amino acids. The addition of activated DL-arginine and DL-phenylalanine to the peptide RFRFR-NH2 in the presence of the complementary template peptide Ac-FEFEFEFE-NH2 yields the isotactic product FRFRFRFR-NH2, 1 of 64 possible triple addition products, under conditions in which the absence of template yields only single and double additions of mixed stereochemistry. The templating mechanism appears to be general in that a different amyloid formed by (Orn)V(Orn)V(Orn)V(Orn)V-NH2 and Ac-VDVDVDVDV-NH2 is regioselective and stereoselective for N-terminal, L-amino-acid addition while the ornithine-valine peptide alone yields predominantly sidechain condensation products with little stereoselectivity. Furthermore, the templating reaction is stable over a wide range of pH (5.6–8.6), salt concentration (0–4 M NaCl), and temperature (25–90 °C), making the amyloid an attractive model for a prebiotic peptide replicating system.
Zika Virus in Salivary Glands of Five Different Species of Wild-Caught Mosquitoes from Mexico
Authors: Elizondo-Quiroga Darwin , Medina-Sánchez Aarón , Sánchez-González Jorge M. , Eckert Kristen Allison , Villalobos-Sánchez Erendira , Navarro-Zúñiga Antonio Rigoberto , Sánchez-Tejeda Gustavo , Correa-Morales Fabián , González-Acosta Cassandra , Arias Carlos F. , López Susana , del Ángel Rosa María , Pando-Robles Victoria , Elizondo-Quiroga Armando E. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractZika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen, and Aedes aegypti has been identified as the main vector of the disease. Other mosquito species in the Aedes and Culex genera have been suggested to have the potential for being competent vectors based on experimental exposition of mosquitoes to an infectious blood meal containing ZIKV. Here, we report the isolation in cell culture of ZIKV obtained from different body parts of wild-caught female mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti, Ae. vexans, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. coronator, and Cx. tarsalis) and whole male mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus) in Mexico. Importantly, this is the first report that shows the presence of the virus in the salivary glands of the wild-caught female mosquitoes species, Cx. coronator, Cx. tarsalis, and Ae. vexans. Our findings strongly suggest that all the species reported herein are potential vectors for ZIKV.
Mesoscale Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction: geometrical tailoring of the magnetochirality
Authors: Volkov Oleksii M. , Sheka Denis D. , Gaididei Yuri , Kravchuk Volodymyr P. , Rößler Ulrich K. , Fassbender Jürgen , Makarov Denys 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCrystals with broken inversion symmetry can host fundamentally appealing and technologically relevant periodical or localized chiral magnetic textures. The type of the texture as well as its magnetochiral properties are determined by the intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which is a material property and can hardly be changed. Here we put forth a method to create new artificial chiral nanoscale objects with tunable magnetochiral properties from standard magnetic materials by using geometrical manipulations. We introduce a mesoscale Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction that combines the intrinsic spin-orbit and extrinsic curvature-driven DMI terms and depends both on the material and geometrical parameters. The vector of the mesoscale DMI determines magnetochiral properties of any curved magnetic system with broken inversion symmetry. The strength and orientation of this vector can be changed by properly choosing the geometry. For a specific example of nanosized magnetic helix, the same material system with different geometrical parameters can acquire one of three zero-temperature magnetic phases, namely, phase with a quasitangential magnetization state, phase with a periodical state and one intermediate phase with a periodical domain wall state. Our approach paves the way towards the realization of a new class of nanoscale spintronic and spinorbitronic devices with the geometrically tunable magnetochirality.
Role of Macromolecular Crowding on the Intracellular Diffusion of DNA Binding Proteins
Authors: Dey Pinki , Bhattacherjee Arnab 
Published: January 2018

AbstractRecent experiments suggest that cellular crowding facilitates the target search dynamics of proteins on DNA, the mechanism of which is not yet known. By using large scale computer simulations, we show that two competing factors, namely the width of the depletion layer that separates the crowder cloud from the DNA molecule and the degree of protein-crowder crosstalk, act in harmony to affect the target search dynamics of proteins. The impacts vary from nonspecific to specific target search regime. During a nonspecific search, dynamics of a protein is only minimally affected, whereas, a significantly different behaviour is observed when the protein starts forming a specific protein-DNA complex. We also find that the severity of impacts largely depends upon physiological crowder concentration and deviation from it leads to attenuation in the binding kinetics. Based on extensive kinetic study and binding energy landscape analysis, we further present a comprehensive molecular description of the search process that allows us to interpret the experimental findings.
JmjC domain proteins modulate circadian behaviors and sleep in Drosophila
Authors: Shalaby Nevine A. , Pinzon Jorge H. , Narayanan Anjana S. , Jin Eugene Jennifer , Ritz Morgan P. , Dove Rachel J. , Wolfenberg Heike , Rodan Aylin R. , Buszczak Michael , Rothenfluh Adrian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractJumonji (JmjC) domain proteins are known regulators of gene expression and chromatin organization by way of histone demethylation. Chromatin modification and remodeling provides a means to modulate the activity of large numbers of genes, but the importance of this class of predicted histone-modifying enzymes for different aspects of post-developmental processes remains poorly understood. Here we test the function of all 11 non-lethal members in the regulation of circadian rhythms and sleep. We find loss of every Drosophila JmjC gene affects different aspects of circadian behavior and sleep in a specific manner. Together these findings suggest that the majority of JmjC proteins function as regulators of behavior, rather than controlling essential developmental programs.
A Single Dose of Modified Vaccinia Ankara expressing Ebola Virus Like Particles Protects Nonhuman Primates from Lethal Ebola Virus Challenge
Authors: Domi Arban , Feldmann Friederike , Basu Rahul , McCurley Nathanael , Shifflett Kyle , Emanuel Jackson , Hellerstein Michael S. , Guirakhoo Farshad , Orlandi Chiara , Flinko Robin , Lewis George K. , Hanley Patrick W. , Feldmann Heinz , Robinson Harriet L. , Marzi Andrea 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEbola virus (EBOV), isolate Makona, was the causative agent of the West African epidemic devastating predominantly Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from 2013–2016. While several experimental vaccine and treatment approaches have been accelerated through human clinical trials, there is still no approved countermeasure available against this disease. Here, we report the construction and preclinical efficacy testing of a novel recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine expressing the EBOV-Makona glycoprotein GP and matrix protein VP40 (MVA-EBOV). GP and VP40 form EBOV-like particles and elicit protective immune responses. In this study, we report 100% protection against lethal EBOV infection in guinea pigs after prime/boost vaccination with MVA-EBOV. Furthermore, this MVA-EBOV protected macaques from lethal disease after a single dose or prime/boost vaccination. The vaccine elicited a variety of antibody responses to both antigens, including neutralizing antibodies and antibodies with antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activity specific for GP. This is the first report that a replication-deficient MVA vector can confer full protection against lethal EBOV challenge after a single dose vaccination in macaques.
Development and optimization of a differentiated airway epithelial cell model of the bovine respiratory tract
Authors: Cozens Daniel , Grahame Edward , Sutherland Erin , Taylor Geraldine , Berry Catherine C. , Davies Robert L. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCattle are subject to economically-important respiratory tract infections by various bacterial and viral pathogens and there is an urgent need for the development of more realistic in vitro models of the bovine respiratory tract to improve our knowledge of disease pathogenesis. In the present study, we have optimized the culture conditions in serum-free medium that allow bovine bronchial epithelial cells (BBECs) grown at an air-liquid interface to differentiate into a three-dimensional epithelium that is highly representative of the bovine airway. Epidermal growth factor was required to trigger both proliferation and differentiation of BBECs whilst retinoic acid was also essential for mucociliary differentiation. Triiodothyronine was demonstrated not to be important for the differentiation of BBECs. Oxygen concentration had a minimal effect although optimal ciliation was achieved when BBECs were cultured at 14% oxygen tension. Insert pore-density had a significant effect on the growth and differentiation of BBECs; a high-pore-density was required to trigger optimum differentiation. The established BBEC model will have wide-ranging applications for the study of bacterial and viral infections of the bovine respiratory tract; it will contribute to the development of improved vaccines and therapeutics and will reduce the use of cattle in in vivo experimentation.
Universal Transient Dynamics of Electrowetting Droplets
Authors: Vo Quoc , Su Haibin , Tran Tuan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDroplet spreading on substrates by electrowetting exhibits either of the two transient behaviours: one characterised by contact line oscillation, and the other one by slow spreading dynamics. The transition between these behaviours remains elusive due to the current limited understanding of the spreading dynamics on the hydrodynamical and electrical properties of electrowetting systems. To understand this transition we propose a model capturing the transition’s occurrence based on both the hydrodynamical and electrical parameters. We derive the critical viscosity at which the transition occurs and reveal its subtle and often hidden dependence on the electrowetting dynamics. We find and experimentally verify that the condition for minimization of droplets’ actuation time is only achieved at the transition. Particularly, the transition time as a function of damping ratio exhibits the general feature of Kramers’ reaction-rate theory.
The crystal structure of D-xylonate dehydratase reveals functional features of enzymes from the Ilv/ED dehydratase family
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Mubinur , Andberg Martina , Koivula Anu , Rouvinen Juha , Hakulinen Nina 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe Ilv/ED dehydratase protein family includes dihydroxy acid-, gluconate-, 6-phosphogluconate- and pentonate dehydratases. The members of this family are involved in various biosynthetic and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. Here, we describe the first crystal structure of D-xylonate dehydratase from Caulobacter crescentus (CcXyDHT) at 2.7 Å resolution and compare it with other available enzyme structures from the IlvD/EDD protein family. The quaternary structure of CcXyDHT is a tetramer, and each monomer is composed of two domains in which the N-terminal domain forms a binding site for a [2Fe-2S] cluster and a Mg2+ ion. The active site is located at the monomer-monomer interface and contains residues from both the N-terminal recognition helix and the C-terminus of the dimeric counterpart. The active site also contains a conserved Ser490, which probably acts as a base in catalysis. Importantly, the cysteines that participate in the binding and formation of the [2Fe-2S] cluster are not all conserved within the Ilv/ED dehydratase family, which suggests that some members of the IlvD/EDD family may bind different types of [Fe-S] clusters.
EPHB6 and testosterone in concert regulate epinephrine release by adrenal gland chromaffin cells
Authors: Wang Yujia , Shi Wei , Blanchette Alexandre , Peng Junzheng , Qi Shijie , Luo Hongyu , Ledoux Jonathan , Wu Jiangping 
Published: January 2018

AbstractErythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular receptor (EPH) B6 (EPHB6) is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family. We previously demonstrated that EPHB6 knockout reduces catecholamine secretion in male but not female mice, and castration reverses this phenotype. We showed here that male EPHB6 knockout adrenal gland chromaffin cells presented reduced acetylcholine-triggered Ca2+ influx. Such reduction depended on the non-genomic effect of testosterone. Increased large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel current densities were recorded in adrenal gland chromaffin cells from male EPHB6 knockout mice but not from castrated knockout or female knockout mice. Blocking of the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel in adrenal gland chromaffin cells from male knockout mice corrected their reduced Ca2+ influx. We conclude that the absence of EPHB6 and the presence of testosterone would lead to augmented large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel currents, which limit voltage-gated calcium channel opening in adrenal gland chromaffin cells. Consequently, acetylcholine-triggered Ca2+ influx is reduced, leading to lower catecholamine release in adrenal gland chromaffin cells from male knockout mice. This explains the reduced resting-state blood catecholamine levels, and hence the blood pressure, in male but not female EPHB6 knock mice. These findings have certain clinical implications.
The characterization of the circadian clock in the olive fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae) reveals a Drosophila-like organization
Authors: Bertolini Enrico , Kistenpfennig Christa , Menegazzi Pamela , Keller Alexander , Koukidou Martha , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the single most important pest for the majority of olive plantations. Oxitec’s self-limiting olive fly technology (OX3097D-Bol) offers an alternative management approach to this insect pest. Because of previously reported asynchrony in the mating time of wild and laboratory strains, we have characterized the olive fly circadian clock applying molecular, evolutionary, anatomical and behavioural approaches. Here we demonstrate that the olive fly clock relies on a Drosophila melanogaster-like organization and that OX3097D-Bol carries a functional clock similar to wild-type strains, confirming its suitability for operational use.
First description of behavior and immune system relationship in fish
Authors: Kirsten Karina , Fior Débora , Kreutz Luiz Carlos , Barcellos Leonardo José Gil 
Published: January 2018

AbstractConsidering the intriguing relationship between immune system and behavior recently described in mammals, and the lack of information of this relationship in fish, here we describe for the first time the interaction between the immune system and social and exploratory behavior in zebrafish. Fish high responders to novelty (HRN) presented a proinflammatory profile, with increased IL-1β and reduced IL-10 expression compared to fish low responders to novelty (LRN). Likewise, fish less responsive to social stimuli have a reduced expression of INF-γ. We show that fish with different behavior patterns have differences in the immune response. Our findings indicate that the interplay between immune system and behavior in zebrafish is similar to that found in mammalian models and that zebrafish should be considered as a potential model organism to study the relationship between immune system and behavior.
Using intracellular markers to identify a novel set of surface markers for live cell purification from a heterogeneous hIPSC culture
Authors: Paik Elizabeth J. , O’Neil Alison L. , Ng Shi-Yan , Sun Chicheng , Rubin Lee L. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHuman embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide sources for midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neural progenitors (NPCs) for cell therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. However, the well-known line-to-cell line variability in the differentiation capacity of individual cell lines needs to be improved for the success of this therapy. To address this issue, we sought to identify mDA NPC specific cell surface markers for fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Through RNA isolation after sorting for NPCs based on staining for cell-specific transcription factors followed by microarray, we identified two positive cell surface markers (CORIN and CD166) and one negative cell surface marker (CXCR4) for mDA NPC sorting. These three markers can enrich floor plate NPCs to 90% purity, and the sorted NPCs more efficiently differentiate to mature dopaminergic neurons compared to unsorted or CORIN+ alone mDA NPCs. This surface marker identification strategy can be used broadly to facilitate isolation of cell subtypes of interest from heterogeneous cultures.
Baicalin modulates NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling in porcine aortic vascular endothelial cells Infected by Haemophilus parasuis Causing Glässer’s disease
Authors: Fu Shulin , Liu Huashan , Xu Lei , Qiu Yinsheng , Liu Yu , Wu Zhongyuan , Ye Chun , Hou Yongqing , Hu Chien-An Andy 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHaemophilus parasuis (H. parasuis)can cause vascular inflammatory injury, but the molecular basis of this effect remains unclear. In this study,we investigated the effect of the anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant agent, baicalin, on the nuclear factor (NF)-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway in pig primary aortic vascular endothelial cells. Activation of the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway was induced inH. parasuis-infected cells. However, baicalin reduced the production of reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, and activation of the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway in infected cells. These results revealed that baicalin can inhibitH. parasuis-induced inflammatory responses in porcine aortic vascular endothelial cells, and may thus offer a novel strategy for controlling and treatingH. parasuisinfection. Furthermore, the results suggest that piglet primary aortic vascular endothelial cells may provide an experimental model for future studies ofH. parasuisinfection.