bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The after-hours circadian mutant has reduced phenotypic plasticity in behaviors at multiple timescales and in sleep homeostasis
Authors: Maggi Silvia , Balzani Edoardo , Lassi Glenda , Garcia-Garcia Celina , Plano Andrea , Espinoza Stefano , Mus Liudmila , Tinarelli Federico , Nolan Patrick M. , Gainetdinov Raul R. , Balci Fuat , Nieus Thierry , Tucci Valter 
Published: December 2017

AbstractCircadian clock is known to adapt to environmental changes and can significantly influence cognitive and physiological functions. In this work, we report specific behavioral, cognitive, and sleep homeostatic defects in the after hours (Afh) circadian mouse mutant, which is characterized by lengthened circadian period. We found that the circadian timing irregularities in Afh mice resulted in higher interval timing uncertainty and suboptimal decisions due to incapability of processing probabilities. Our phenotypic observations further suggested that Afh mutants failed to exhibit the necessary phenotypic plasticity for adapting to temporal changes at multiple time scales (seconds-to-minutes to circadian). These behavioral effects of Afh mutation were complemented by the specific disruption of the Per/Cry circadian regulatory complex in brain regions that govern food anticipatory behaviors, sleep, and timing. We derive statistical predictions, which indicate that circadian clock and sleep are complementary processes in controlling behavioral/cognitive performance during 24 hrs. The results of this study have pivotal implications for understanding how the circadian clock modulates sleep and behavior.
Effects of resistance exercise on endothelial progenitor cell mobilization in women
Authors: Ribeiro Fernando , Ribeiro Ilda P. , Gonçalves Ana C. , Alves Alberto J. , Melo Elsa , Fernandes Raquel , Costa Rui , Sarmento-Ribeiro Ana B. , Duarte José A. , Carreira Isabel M. , Witkowski Sarah , Oliveira José 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise at different intensities on the mobilization of circulating EPCs over 24 hours in women. In addition, the angiogenic factors stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured as potential mechanisms for exercise-induced EPCs mobilization. Thirty-eight women performed a resistance exercise session at an intensity of 60% (n = 13), 70% (n = 12) or 80% (n = 13) of one repetition maximum. Each session was comprised of three sets of 12 repetitions of four exercises: bench press, dumbbell curl, dumbbell squat, and standing dumbbell upright row. Blood was sampled at baseline and immediately, 6 hours, and 24 hours post-exercise. Circulating EPC and levels of VEGF, HIF-1α and EPO were significantly higher after exercise (P < 0.05). The change in EPCs from baseline was greatest in the 80% group (P < 0.05), reaching the highest at 6 hours post-exercise. The change in EPCs from baseline to 6 hours post-exercise was correlated with the change in VEGF (r = 0.492, P = 0.002) and HIF-1α (r = 0.388, P = 0.016). In general, a dose-response relationship was observed, with the highest exercise intensities promoting the highest increases in EPCs and angiogenic factors.
Comparing Stroop-like and Simon Effects on Perceptual Features
Authors: Scerrati Elisa , Lugli Luisa , Nicoletti Roberto , Umiltà Carlo 
Published: December 2017

AbstractStroop-like and Simon tasks produce two sources of interference in human information processing. Despite being logically similar, it is still debated whether the conflicts ensuing from the two tasks are resolved by the same or different mechanisms. In the present study, we compare two accounts of the Stroop-like effect. According to the Perceptual Account, the Stroop-like effect is due to Stimulus-Stimulus congruence. According to the Decisional Account, the Stroop-like effect results from the same mechanisms that produce the Simon effect, that is, Stimulus-Response compatibility. In two experiments we produced Stroop-like and Simon effects by presenting left/right-located stimuli consisting of a colored square surrounded by a frame of the same color as the square or of a different color. Results showed that discriminating either the color of the square (Experiment 1) or that of the frame (Experiment 2) yielded additive Stroop-like and Simon effects. In addition, the patterns of temporal distributions of the two effects were different. These results support the Perceptual Account of the Stroop-like effect and the notion that the Stroop-like effect and the Simon effect occur at different processing stages and are attributable to different mechanisms.
Impact of the G84E variant on HOXB13 gene and protein expression in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded prostate tumours
Authors: FitzGerald Liesel M. , Raspin Kelsie , Marthick James R. , Field Matt A. , Malley Roslyn C. , Thomson Russell J. , Blackburn Nicholas B. , Banks Annette , Charlesworth Jac C. , Donovan Shaun , Dickinson Joanne L. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe HOXB13 G84E variant is associated with risk of prostate cancer (PCa), however the role this variant plays in PCa development is unknown. This study examined 751 cases, 450 relatives and 355 controls to determine the contribution of this variant to PCa risk in Tasmania and investigated HOXB13 gene and protein expression in tumours from nine G84E heterozygote variant and 13 wild-type carriers. Quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that HOXB13 gene and protein expression did not differ between tumour samples from variant and wild-type carriers. Allele-specific transcription revealed that two of seven G84E carriers transcribed both the variant and wild-type allele, while five carriers transcribed the wild-type allele. Methylation of surrounding CpG sites was lower in the variant compared to the wild-type allele, however overall methylation across the region was very low. Notably, tumour characteristics were less aggressive in the two variant carriers that transcribed the variant allele compared to the five that did not. This study has shown that HOXB13 expression does not differ between tumour tissue of G84E variant carriers and non-carriers. Intriguingly, the G84E variant allele was rarely transcribed in carriers, suggesting that HOXB13 expression may be driven by the wild-type allele in the majority of carriers.
Global inactivation of carboxylesterase 1 (Ces1/Ces1g) protects against atherosclerosis in Ldlr
−/− mice
Authors: Xu Jiesi , Xu Yang , Xu Yanyong , Yin Liya , Zhang Yanqiao 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAtherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the western world. Increased plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels are major risk factors for this disease. Carboxylesterase 1 (Ces1/Ces1g) has been shown to play a role in metabolic control. So far, the role of mouse Ces1/Ces1g deficiency in atherosclerosis is not elucidated. We generated Ces1/Ces1g−/− mice. Compared to wild-type mice, Ces1/Ces1g−/− mice had reduced plasma cholesterol levels. We then generated Ces1g−/−Ldlr−/− double knockout (DKO) mice, which were fed a Western diet for 16 weeks. Compared to Ldlr−/− mice, DKO mice displayed decreased plasma cholesterol and TG levels and reduced atherosclerotic lesions. Interestingly, knockdown of hepatic Ces1/Ces1g in Apoe−/− mice resulted in hyperlipidemia and exacerbated Western diet-induced atherogenesis. Mechanistically, global inactivation of Ces1/Ces1g inhibited intestinal cholesterol and fat absorption and Niemann-Pick C1 like 1 expression, and increased macrophage cholesterol efflux by inducing ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1) and ABCG1. Ces1/Ces1g ablation also promoted M2 macrophage polarization and induced hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and sterol 12α-hydroxylase expression. In conclusion, global loss of Ces1/Ces1g protects against the development of atherosclerosis by inhibiting intestinal cholesterol and triglyceride absorption and promoting macrophage cholesterol efflux.
CRISPR/Cas9-based knockouts reveal that CpRLP1 is a negative regulator of the sex pheromone PR-IP in the Closterium peracerosum-strigosum-littorale complex
Authors: Kanda Naho , Ichikawa Machiko , Ono Ayaka , Toyoda Atsushi , Fujiyama Asao , Abe Jun , Tsuchikane Yuki , Nishiyama Tomoaki , Sekimoto Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHeterothallic strains of the Closterium peracerosum-strigosum-littorale (C. psl.) complex have two sexes, mating-type plus (mt+) and mating-type minus (mt−). Conjugation between these two sexes is regulated by two sex pheromones, protoplast-release-inducing protein (PR-IP) and PR-IP Inducer, which are produced by mt+ and mt− cells, respectively. PR-IP mediates the release of protoplasts from mt− cells during mating. In this study, we examined the mechanism of action of CpRLP1 (receptor-like protein 1), which was previously identified in a cDNA microarray analysis as one of the PR-IP-inducible genes. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated CpRLP1 knockout mutants in mt− cells of the C. psl. complex. When the knockout mt− cells were mixed with wild-type mt+ cells, conjugation was severely reduced. Many cells released protoplasts without pairing, suggesting a loss of synchronization between the two mating partners. Furthermore, the knockout mutants were hypersensitive to PR-IP. We conclude that CpRLP1 is a negative regulator of PR-IP that regulates the timing of protoplast release in conjugating C. psl. cells. As the first report of successful gene knockout in the class Charophyceae, this study provides a basis for research aimed at understanding the ancestral roles of genes that are indispensable for the development of land plants.
Transition phase clothing strategies and their effect on body temperature and 100‐m swimming performance
Authors: Galbraith Andy , Willmott Aimee 
Published: December 2017

AbstractObjective: Effective warm‐ups are attributed to several temperature‐related mechanisms. Strategies during the transition phase, preceding swimming competition, have been shown to prolong temperature‐related warm‐up effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different clothing strategies during the transition phase, on subsequent 100‐m maximal swimming performance. Methods: Nine competitive swimmers (3 female, 21 ± 3 yrs; 6 male 20 ± 2 yrs, mean performance standard 702 FINA Points, mean 100‐m seasons best time 61.54 s) completed their own 30‐min individual pool warm‐up, followed by 7‐min changing time and a 30‐min transition phase, straight into a 100‐m maximal effort time‐trial. During the transition phase, swimmers remained seated, either wearing warm or limited clothing. Swimmers returned 1 week later, where clothing conditions were alternated. Results: Post‐transition phase skin and core temperature remained higher in the warm clothing condition compared to the limited clothing condition (Mean Core: 36.90 ± 0.17°C, 36.61 ± 0.15°C, P < .01; Mean Skin: 33.49 ± 0.59°C, 31.94 ± 0.59°C, P < .01). One hundred‐metre finish times were 0.6% faster in the warm clothing condition compared to the limited clothing condition (62.63 ± 7.69 s, 63.00 ± 7.75 s, P < .01). Conclusion: Wearing warm clothing during a 30‐min transition phase improved swimming performance by 0.6%, compared to limited clothing.
Global social policy: an application of welfare state theory
Authors: Holden Chris 
Published: December 2017

AbstractGlobal social policy (GSP) takes different forms from those of national welfare states, since it depends on the activities of an array of international organisations and transnational actors. Three broad theoretical approaches have dominated the literature on national welfare state development: those focused on processes of economic development, industrialisation and urbanisation; those focused on class struggle and political mobilisation; and those focused on the effects of political institutions. This article applies each of these broad theoretical approaches to the development of GSP in order to illuminate the nature of GSP, its likely future development, and the constraints upon such development. It is concluded that the dominant forms taken by GSP will continue to be piecemeal, minimalist and essentially neoliberal for as long as an effective global political movement in favour of a more extensive GSP is absent.
gene2drug: a computational tool for pathway-based rational drug repositioning
Authors: Napolitano Francesco , Carrella Diego , Mandriani Barbara , Pisonero-Vaquero Sandra , Sirci Francesco , Medina Diego L , Brunetti-Pierri Nicola , di Bernardo Diego 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMotivationDrug repositioning has been proposed as an effective shortcut to drug discovery. The availability of large collections of transcriptional responses to drugs enables computational approaches to drug repositioning directly based on measured molecular effects.ResultsWe introduce a novel computational methodology for rational drug repositioning, which exploits the transcriptional responses following treatment with small molecule. Specifically, given a therapeutic target gene, a prioritization of potential effective drugs is obtained by assessing their impact on the transcription of genes in the pathway(s) including the target. We performed in silico validation and comparison with a state-of-art technique based on similar principles. We next performed experimental validation in two different real-case drug repositioning scenarios: (i) upregulation of the glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT), which has been shown to induce reduction of oxalate levels in a mouse model of primary hyperoxaluria, and (ii) activation of the transcription factor TFEB, a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy, whose modulation may be beneficial in neurodegenerative disorders.Availability and implementationA web tool for Gene2drug is freely available at http://gene2drug.tigem.it. An R package is under development and can be obtained from https://github.com/franapoli/gep2pep.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Physics-based data analysis for wind turbine condition monitoring
Authors: Luo Huageng 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This article presents methodologies for improving wind turbine condition monitoring using physics-based data analysis techniques. The unique operating conditions of the wind turbine drivetrain are described, and the complex kinematics of the gearbox is analyzed in detail. The pros and cons of the current wind turbine condition monitoring system (CMS) are evaluated. To improve the wind turbine CMS capability, it is suggested to use linear models with unsteady excitations, instead of using nonlinear and nonstationary process models, when dealing the wind turbine dynamics response model. An analysis is undertaken of the damage excitation mechanisms cause for various components in a gearbox, especially for those associated with lower-speed shafts. Physics (mechanics)-based data analysis methods are presented for different component damage excitation mechanisms. Validation results, using the wind farm and manufacturing floor data, are reported.
A Characterization of Ordinary Abelian Varieties by the Frobenius Push-Forward of the Structure Sheaf II
Authors: Ejiri Sho , Sannai Akiyoshi 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn this paper, we prove that a smooth projective variety X of characteristic p > 0 is an ordinary abelian variety if and only if KX is pseudo-effective and $F_{*}^{e}{\mathcal {O}}_{X}$ splits into a direct sum of line bundles for an integer e with pe > 2.
Iran’s roads: mitigating the most serious threat to the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus
Authors: Parchizadeh Jamshid , Gatta Maria , Bencini Roberta , Qashqaei Ali Turk , Adibi Mohammad Ali , Williams Samual T. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWildlife-vehicle collisions are an important cause of mortality for many species, and the number of collisions is expected to grow rapidly as the global road network quickly expands over the next few decades. Wildlife-vehicle collisions also have the potential to be extremely detrimental to small wildlife populations, such as the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), with only 43 individuals remaining in the wild. We assessed the spatial distribution of road mortalities between 2004 and 2016 to identify roadkill hotspots involving Asiatic cheetahs in Iran using network kernel density estimation. A total of sixteen cheetah fatalities due to wildlife-vehicle collisions were recorded, and we identified six road fragments as roadkill hotspots. Efforts to reduce wildlife-cheetah collisions should be targeted in the densest hotspots. We review the options available to achieve this, and we recommend a strategic shift away from the ineffective warning signage currently used, and instead suggest adopting an evidence-based approach focusing on installing wildlife crossing structures in conjunction with fencing in roadkill hotspots. These measures will help to enhance the conservation status of the Asiatic cheetah, as the current high level of mortality of Asiatic cheetahs on Iran’s roads could have potentially dramatic impacts on this critically endangered subspecies.
Evolutionary stability of topologically associating domains is associated with conserved gene regulation
Authors: Krefting Jan , Andrade-Navarro Miguel A. , Ibn-Salem Jonas 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe human genome is highly organized in the three-dimensional nucleus. Chromosomes fold locally into topologically associating domains (TADs) defined by increased intra-domain chromatin contacts. TADs contribute to gene regulation by restricting chromatin interactions of regulatory sequences, such as enhancers, with their target genes. Disruption of TADs can result in altered gene expression and is associated to genetic diseases and cancers. However, it is not clear to which extent TAD regions are conserved in evolution and whether disruption of TADs by evolutionary rearrangements can alter gene expression.ResultsHere, we hypothesize that TADs represent essential functional units of genomes, which are selected against rearrangements during evolution. We investigate this using whole-genome alignments to identify evolutionary rearrangement breakpoints of different vertebrate species. Rearrangement breakpoints are strongly enriched at TAD boundaries and depleted within TADs across species. Furthermore, using gene expression data across many tissues in mouse and human, we show that genes within TADs have more conserved expression patterns. Disruption of TADs by evolutionary rearrangements is associated with changes in gene expression profiles, consistent with a functional role of TADs in gene expression regulation.ConclusionsTogether, these results indicate that TADs are conserved building blocks of genomes with regulatory functions that are often reshuffled as a whole instead of being disrupted by rearrangements.
A eDNA-qPCR assay to non-invasively detect the presence of the parasiteSchistocephalus solidusinside its threespine stickleback host
Authors: Suzanne Berger Chloé , Aubin-Horth Nadia 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTDetecting the presence of a parasite within its host is crucial to the study of host-parasite interactions. TheSchistocephalus solidus- threespine stickleback pair has been studied extensively to investigate host phenotypic alterations associated with a parasite with a complex life cycle. This cestode is localized inside the stickleback’s abdominal cavity and can be visually detected only once it passes a mass threshold. We present a non-invasive quantitative PCR approach based on detection of environmental DNA from the worm(eDNA),sampled in the fish abdominal cavity. Using this approach on two fish populations (n=151), 98% of fish were correctly assigned to theirS. solidusinfection status. There was a significant correlation between eDNA concentration and total parasitic mass. We also assessed ventilation rates as a complimentary mean to detect infection. Our eDNA detection method gives a reliable presence/absence response and its future use for quantitative assessment is promising.
The effect of single pyramidal neuron firing across and within layers in mouse V1
Authors: Meyer Jochen , Golshani Peyman , Smirnakis Stelios M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe influence of cortical cell spiking activity on nearby cells has been studied extensively in vitro. Less is known, however, about the impact of single cell firing on local cortical networks in vivo. In a pioneering study, Kwan et al. (Kwan et al., 2012) reported that in mouse layer 2/3 (L2/3), under anesthesia, stimulating a single pyramidal cell recruits ~1.7% of neighboring pyramidal units. Here we employ two-photon calcium imaging, in conjunction with single-cell patch clamp stimulation, to probe, in both the awake and lightly anesthetized states, how i) activating single L2/3 pyramidal neurons recruits neighboring units within L2/3 and from layer 4 (L4) to L2/3, and whether ii) activating single pyramidal neurons changes population activity in local circuit. To do this, it was essential to develop an algorithm capable of quantifying how sensitive the calcium signal is at detecting effectively recruited units (“followers”). This algorithm allowed us to estimate the chance of detecting a follower as a function of the probability that an epoch of stimulation elicits one extra action potential (AP) in the follower cell. Using this approach, we found only a small fraction (<0.75%) of L2/3 cells to be significantly activated within a radius of ~200 μm from a stimulated neighboring L2/3 pyramidal cell. This fraction did not change significantly in the awake versus the lightly anesthetized state, nor when stimulating L2/3 versus underlying L4 pyramidal neurons. These numbers are in general agreement with, though lower than, the percentage of neighboring cells (2.1%) reported by Kwan et al. to be activated upon stimulating single L2/3 pyramidal neurons under anesthesia (Kwan et al., 2012). Interestingly, despite the small number of individual units found to be reliably driven, we did observe a modest but significant elevation in aggregate population responses compared to sham stimulation. This underscores the distributed impact that single cell stimulation has on neighboring microcircuit responses, revealing only a small minority of relatively strongly connected partners.One Sentence SummaryPatch-clamp stimulation in conjunction with 2-photon imaging shows that activating single layer-2/3 or layer-4 pyramidal neurons produces few (<1% of local units) reliable singlecell followers in L2/3 of mouse area V1, either under light anesthesia or in quiet wakefulness: instead, single cell stimulation was found to elevate aggregate population activity in a weak but highly distributed fashion.