bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does the distribution frequency matter? A subgroup specific analysis of the effectiveness of the EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme in Germany comparing twice and thrice weekly deliveries
Authors: Haß Julia , Lischetzke Tanja , Hartmann Monika 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObjectiveThe present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of two different implementation forms of the EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS).DesignA quasi-experimental design was applied including a thrice as well as a twice weekly intervention group. Repeated 24 h dietary recalls were used to measure children’s fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake. Effects were analysed on days with and without F&V deliveries using hierarchical linear regression models.SettingTwelve primary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.SubjectsThird and fourth graders (n664).ResultsAverage daily F&V intake at pre-intervention was 0·84 frequencies in the thrice weekly intervention group, 0·90 frequencies in the twice weekly intervention group and 1·25 frequencies in the control group. Providing children thrice weekly with F&V increased children’s F&V intake on average by 0·96 (P<0·001) frequencies/d. The effects were higher on days with (1·07;P<0·001) than on days without (0·75;P<0·001) F&V deliveries. Distributing F&V twice weekly resulted in an increase of 0·75 (P<0·001) frequencies/d on average, again with higher effects on days with (1·30;P<0·001) than without (0·48;P<0·003) F&V deliveries. Subgroup analysis revealed some indications for differential effectiveness only in the twice weekly intervention group.ConclusionsThe SFVS with thrice or twice weekly deliveries of F&V led to a significant increase in children’s F&V intake on days with and without deliveries. The latter might provide an indication of positive long-term effects of the scheme. The scheme shows equal efficiency for almost all subgroups.
Octave-spanning coherent supercontinuum generation in silicon on insulator from 1.06 μm to beyond 2.4 μm
Authors: Singh Neetesh , Xin Ming , Vermeulen Diedrik , Shtyrkova Katia , Li Nanxi , Callahan Patrick T , Magden Emir Salih , Ruocco Alfonso , Fahrenkopf Nicholas , Baiocco Christopher , Kuo Bill P-P , Radic Stojan , Ippen Erich , Kärtner Franz X , Watts Michael R 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEfficient complementary metal-oxide semiconductor-based nonlinear optical devices in the near-infrared are in strong demand. Due to two-photon absorption in silicon, however, much nonlinear research is shifting towards unconventional photonics platforms. In this work, we demonstrate the generation of an octave-spanning coherent supercontinuum in a silicon waveguide covering the spectral region from the near- to shortwave-infrared. With input pulses of 18 pJ in energy, the generated signal spans the wavelength range from the edge of the silicon transmission window, approximately 1.06 to beyond 2.4 μm, with a −20 dB bandwidth covering 1.124–2.4 μm. An octave-spanning supercontinuum was also observed at the energy levels as low as 4 pJ (−35 dB bandwidth). We also measured the coherence over an octave, obtaining "Equation missing", in good agreement with the simulations. In addition, we demonstrate optimization of the third-order dispersion of the waveguide to strengthen the dispersive wave and discuss the advantage of having a soliton at the long wavelength edge of an octave-spanning signal for nonlinear applications. This research paves the way for applications, such as chip-scale precision spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, optical frequency metrology, frequency synthesis and wide-band wavelength division multiplexing in the telecom window.
Thermally stimulated exciton emission in Si nanocrystals
Authors: de Jong Elinore MLD , Rutjes Huub , Valenta Jan , Trinh M Tuan , Poddubny Alexander N , Yassievich Irina N , Capretti Antonio , Gregorkiewicz Tom 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIncreasing temperature is known to quench the excitonic emission of bulk silicon, which is due to thermally induced dissociation of excitons. Here, we demonstrate that the effect of temperature on the excitonic emission is reversed for quantum-confined silicon nanocrystals. Using laser-induced heating of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO2, we achieved a more than threefold (>300%) increase in the radiative (photon) emission rate. We theoretically modeled the observed enhancement in terms of the thermally stimulated effect, taking into account the massive phonon production under intense illumination. These results elucidate one more important advantage of silicon nanostructures, illustrating that their optical properties can be influenced by temperature. They also provide an important insight into the mechanisms of energy conversion and dissipation in ensembles of silicon nanocrystals in solid matrices. In practice, the radiative rate enhancement under strong continuous wave optical pumping is relevant for the possible application of silicon nanocrystals for spectral conversion layers in concentrator photovoltaics.
N6-methyladenosine links RNA metabolism to cancer progression
Authors: Dai Dongjun , Wang Hanying , Zhu Liyuan , Jin Hongchuan , Wang Xian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractN6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant mRNA modification. With the development of antibody-based sequencing technologies and the findings of m6A-related “writers”, “erasers”, and “readers”, the relationships between m6A and mRNA metabolism are emerging. The m6A modification influences almost every step of RNA metabolism that comprises mRNA processing, mRNA exporting from nucleus to cytoplasm, mRNA translation, mRNA decay, and the biogenesis of long-non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (miRNA). Recently, more and more studies have found m6A is associated with cancer, contributing to the self-renewal of cancer stem cell, promotion of cancer cell proliferation, and resistance to radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Inhibitors of m6A-related factors have been explored, and some of them were identified to inhibit cancer progression, indicating that m6A could be a target for cancer therapy. In this review, we are trying to summarize the regulation and function of m6A in human carcinogenesis.
Dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 as a promising therapeutic strategy against paclitaxel-resistant gastric cancer via targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway
Authors: Chen Dongshao , Lin Xiaoting , Zhang Cheng , Liu Zhentao , Chen Zuhua , Li Zhongwu , Wang Jingyuan , Li Beifang , Hu Yanting , Dong Bin , Shen Lin , Ji Jiafu , Gao Jing , Zhang Xiaotian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPaclitaxel (PTX) is widely used in the front-line chemotherapy for gastric cancer (GC), but resistance limits its use. Due to the lack of proper models, mechanisms underlying PTX resistance in GC were not well studied. Using established PTX-resistant GC cell sublines HGC-27R, we for the first time integrated biological traits and molecular mechanisms of PTX resistance in GC. Data revealed that PTX-resistant GC cells were characterized by microtubular disorders, an EMT phenotype, reduced responses to antimitotic drugs, and resistance to apoptosis (marked by upregulated β-tubulin III, vimentin, attenuated changes in G2/M molecules or pro-apoptotic factors in response to antimitotic drugs or apoptotic inducers, respectively). Activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase, the serine/threonine kinase Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were also observed, which might be the reason for above phenotypic alternations. In vitro data suggested that targeting these pathways were sufficient to elicit antitumor responses in PTX-resistant GC, in which the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 displayed higher therapeutic efficiency than the mTOR inhibitor everolimus or the MEK inhibitor AZD6244. Antitumor effects of BEZ235 were also confirmed in mice bearing HGC-27R tumors. Thus, these data suggest that PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK pathway inhibition, especially PI3K/mTOR dual blockade, might be a promising therapeutic strategy against PTX-resistant GC.
The responsively decreased PKM2 facilitates the survival of pancreatic cancer cells in hypoglucose
Authors: Li Xiang , Deng Shichang , Liu Mingliang , Jin Yan , Zhu Shuai , Deng Shijiang , Chen Jingyuan , He Chi , Qin Qi , Wang Chunyou , Zhao Gang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCancer cells predominantly produce energy at a high rate of glycolysis even in aerobic environment. It is termed as Warburg effect and is necessary for the tumorigenesis. Studies showed pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a key regulator of the Warburg effect, is overexpressed and involved in numerous cancers. However, the expression and function of PKM2 in pancreatic cancer (PC) remain undefined. Our results showed that PKM2 is overexpressed in the PC tissue compared to the peritumoral tissue. Unexpected, the downregulation of PKM2 did not affect the proliferation, invasion, and chemoresistance of PC cells. Since pancreatic cancer is a hypovascular tumor with comparably insufficient energy supply, we further investigate the relationship between PKM2 and hypoglucose. Interestingly, we further discovered that decreased expression of PKM2 was detected in PC samples with lower microvessel density as well as in PC cells treated with hypoglucose condition (0.5 mM). Furthermore, the downregulation of PKM2 facilitated, while the upregulation of PKM2 inhibited, PC cells survival during hypoglucose. We further revealed that the repressed PKM2 induced autophagy, high NADPH/NADP ratio, and biomacromolecule production, but reduced ROS accumulation. Moreover, AMPKα1 knockdown repressed the autophagy and survival of PC cells during hypoglucose, which were promoted by PKM2 knockdown. Collectively, our study indicates that decreased PKM2 diverts glucose metabolism to biomacromolecule accumulation and antioxidants generation during glucose deprivation. This metabolism alteration elevates AMPKα1-dependent autophagy, which facilitates PC cell survival during glucose deprivation. Therefore, functions of PKM2 are complicated and cannot be defined as oversimplified promoter or inhibitor in PC.
Desensitized chimeric antigen receptor T cells selectively recognize target cells with enhanced antigen expression
Authors: Han Chungyong , Sim Su-Jung , Kim Seon-Hee , Singh Rohit , Hwang Sunhee , Kim Yu I. , Park Sang H. , Kim Kwang H. , Lee Don G. , Oh Ho S. , Lee Sangeun , Kim Young H. , Choi Beom K. , Kwon Byoung S. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an effective method for treating specific cancers. CARs are normally designed to recognize antigens, which are highly expressed on malignant cells but not on T cells. However, when T cells are engineered with CARs that recognize antigens expressed on the T cell surface, CAR T cells exhibit effector function on other T cells, which results in fratricide, or killing of neighboring T cells. Here, using human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR)-targeted CAR T cells, we show that weak affinity between CAR and HLA-DR reduces fratricide and induces sustained CAR downregulation, which consequently tunes the avidity of CAR T cells, leading to desensitization. We further demonstrate that desensitized CAR T cells selectively kill Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells with enhanced HLA-DR expression, while sparing normal B cells. Our study supports an avidity-tuning strategy that permits sensing of antigen levels by CAR T cells.
Differentiated surface fungal communities at point of harvest on apple fruits from rural and peri-urban orchards
Authors: Shen Youming , Nie Jiyun , Li Zhixia , Li Haifei , Wu Yonglong , Dong Yafeng , Zhang Jianyi 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe diverse fungal communities that colonize fruit surfaces are closely associated with fruit development, preservation and quality control. However, the overall fungi adhering to the fruit surface and the inference of environmental factors are still unknown. Here, we characterized the fungal signatures on apple surfaces by sequencing internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region. We collected the surface fungal communities from apple fruits cultivated in rural and peri-urban orchards. A total of 111 fungal genera belonging to 4 phyla were identified, showing remarkable fungal diversity on the apple surface. Comparative analysis of rural samples harboured higher fungal diversity than those from peri-urban orchards. In addition, fungal composition varied significantly across apple samples. At the genus level, the protective genera Coniothyrium, Paraphaeosphaeria and Periconia were enriched in rural samples. The pathogenic genera Acremonium, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Tilletiposis were enriched in peri-urban samples. Our findings indicate that rural samples maintained more diverse fungal communities on apple surfaces, whereas peri-urban-planted apple carried potential pathogenic risks. This study sheds light on ways to improve fruit cultivation and disease prevention practices.
Periconception onset diabetes is associated with embryopathy and fetal growth retardation, reproductive tract hyperglycosylation and impaired immune adaptation to pregnancy
Authors: Brown Hannah M. , Green Ella S. , Tan Tiffany C. Y. , Gonzalez Macarena B. , Rumbold Alice R. , Hull M. Louise , Norman Robert J. , Packer Nicolle H. , Robertson Sarah A. , Thompson Jeremy G. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDiabetes has been linked with impaired fertility but the underlying mechanisms are not well defined. Here we use a streptozotocin-induced diabetes mouse model to investigate the cellular and biochemical changes in conceptus and maternal tissues that accompany hyperglycaemia. We report that streptozotocin treatment before conception induces profound intra-cellular protein β-O-glycosylation (O-GlcNAc) in the oviduct and uterine epithelium, prominent in early pregnancy. Diabetic mice have impaired blastocyst development and reduced embryo implantation rates, and delayed mid-gestation growth and development. Peri-conception changes are accompanied by increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine Trail, and a trend towards increased Il1a, Tnf and Ifng in the uterus, and changes in local T-cell dynamics that skew the adaptive immune response to pregnancy, resulting in 60% fewer anti-inflammatory regulatory T-cells within the uterus-draining lymph nodes. Activation of the heat shock chaperones, a mechanism for stress deflection, was evident in the reproductive tract. Additionally, we show that the embryo exhibits elevated hyper-O-GlcNAcylation of both cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins, associated with activation of DNA damage (ɣH2AX) pathways. These results advance understanding of the impact of peri-conception diabetes, and provide a foundation for designing interventions to support healthy conception without propagation of disease legacy to offspring.
Body ownership and the four-hand illusion
Authors: Chen Wen-Yeo , Huang Hsu-Chia , Lee Yen-Tung , Liang Caleb 
Published: January 2018

AbstractRecent studies of the rubber hand illusion (RHI) have shown that the sense of body ownership is constrained by several factors and yet is still very flexible. However, exactly how flexible is our sense of body ownership? In this study, we address this issue by investigating the following question: is it possible that one may have the illusory experience of owning four hands? Under visual manipulation, the participant adopted the experimenter’s first-person perspective (1PP) as if it was his/her own. Sitting face to face, the participant saw four hands—the experimenter’s two hands from the adopted 1PP together with the subject’s own two hands from the adopted third-person perspective (3PP). We found that: (1) the four-hand illusion did not occur in the passive four-hand condition. (2) In the active four-hand condition, the participants tapped their index fingers, imitated by the experimenter. When tactile stimulations were not provided, the key illusion was not induced, either. (3) Strikingly, once all four hands began to act with the same pattern and received synchronous tactile stimulations at the same time, many participants felt as if they had two more hands. These results show that the sense of body ownership is much more flexible than most researchers have suggested.
Subclinical and overt hypothyroidism is associated with reduced glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria: a large cross-sectional population study
Authors: Chang Yi-Cheng , Chang Chia Hsuin , Yeh Yi-Chun , Chuang Lee-Ming , Tu Yu-Kang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractSubclinical hypothyroidism has been associated with dyslipidemia, hypertension, and increased risk of coronary artery disease. However, limited is known for its effect on renal function. Here we aimed to investigate whether subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria in the general population. A cross-sectional cohort of 74,356 adults aged ≥20 year participating in voluntary health examinations without previous thyroid diseases were recruited in Taiwan. The mean eGFR of persons with euthyroidism, subclinical, and overt hypothyroidism are 87.99, 83.46, and 72.22 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively (P-for- trend < 0.001). The proportion of proteinuria in persons with euthyroidism, subclinical and overt hypothyroidism is 1.29%, 2.2%, and 2.97%, respectively (P-for-trend: 0.001). The odds ratio of CKD for subclinical, clinical, and all hypothyroidism is 2.04 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.67-2.50) and 7.61 (95% CI: 4.92-11.77), and 2.41 (95% CI: 2.01–2.89), respectively as compared to euthyroidism. These odd ratios remained significant after further adjustments. The odds ratios for proteinuria is 2.04 (95% CI: 1.67–2.50), 7.61 (95% CI: 4.92–11.77), and 2.41 (95% CI: 2.01–2.89) for subclinical, clinical, and total hypothyroidism, respectively, although the odds ratios were attenuated after further adjustment. Our results suggest subclinical hypothyroidism is a novel risk factor of reduced renal function but not proteinuria.
The membrane tethered transcription factor EcbZIP17 from finger millet promotes plant growth and enhances tolerance to abiotic stresses
Authors: Ramakrishna Chopperla , Singh Sonam , Raghavendrarao Sangala , Padaria Jasdeep C. , Mohanty Sasmita , Sharma Tilak Raj , Solanke Amolkumar U. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe occurrence of various stresses, as the outcome of global climate change, results in the yield losses of crop plants. Prospecting of genes in stress tolerant plant species may help to protect and improve their agronomic performance. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) is a valuable source of superior genes and alleles for stress tolerance. In this study, we isolated a novel endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane tethered bZIP transcription factor from finger millet, EcbZIP17. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing this gene showed better vegetative growth and seed yield compared with wild type (WT) plants under optimal growth conditions and confirmed upregulation of brassinosteroid signalling genes. Under various abiotic stresses, such as 250 mM NaCl, 10% PEG6000, 400 mM mannitol, water withdrawal, and heat stress, the transgenic plants showed higher germination rate, biomass, primary and secondary root formation, and recovery rate, compared with WT plants. The transgenic plants exposed to an ER stress inducer resulted in greater leaf diameter and plant height as well as higher expression of the ER stress-responsive genes BiP, PDIL, and CRT1. Overall, our results indicated that EcbZIP17 improves plant growth at optimal conditions through brassinosteroid signalling and provide tolerance to various environmental stresses via ER signalling pathways.
Dysregulated fibronectin trafficking by Hsp90 inhibition restricts prostate cancer cell invasion
Authors: Armstrong Heather K. , Gillis Joanna L. , Johnson Ian R. D. , Nassar Zeyad D. , Moldovan Max , Levrier Claire , Sadowski Martin C. , Chin Mei Yieng , Tomlinson Guns Emma S. , Tarulli Gerard , Lynn David J. , Brooks Douglas A. , Selth Luke A. , Centenera Margaret M. , Butler Lisa M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe molecular chaperone Hsp90 is overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and is responsible for the folding, stabilization and maturation of multiple oncoproteins, which are implicated in PCa progression. Compared to first-in-class Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-allylamino-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) that were clinically ineffective, second generation inhibitor AUY922 has greater solubility and efficacy. Here, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of patient-derived PCa explants identified cytoskeletal organization as highly enriched with AUY922 treatment. Validation in PCa cell lines revealed that AUY922 caused marked alterations to cell morphology, and suppressed cell motility and invasion compared to vehicle or 17-AAG, concomitant with dysregulation of key extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin (FN1). Interestingly, while the expression of FN1 was increased by AUY922, FN1 secretion was significantly decreased. This resulted in cytosolic accumulation of FN1 protein within late endosomes, suggesting that AUY922 disrupts vesicular secretory trafficking pathways. Depletion of FN1 by siRNA knockdown markedly reduced the invasive capacity of PCa cells, phenocopying AUY922. These results highlight a novel mechanism of action for AUY922 beyond its established effects on cellular mitosis and survival and, furthermore, identifies extracellular matrix cargo delivery as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of aggressive PCa.
Internet Communication Disorder and the structure of the human brain: initial insights on WeChat addiction
Authors: Montag Christian , Zhao Zhiying , Sindermann Cornelia , Xu Lei , Fu Meina , Li Jialin , Zheng Xiaoxiao , Li Keshuang , Kendrick Keith M. , Dai Jing , Becker Benjamin 
Published: January 2018

AbstractWeChat represents one of the most popular smartphone-based applications for communication. Although the application provides several useful features that simplify daily life, a growing number of users spend excessive amounts of time on the application. This may lead to interferences with everyday life and even to addictive patterns of use. In the context of the ongoing discussion on Internet Communication Disorder (ICD), the present study aimed to better characterize the addictive potential of communication applications, using WeChat as an example, by examining associations between individual variations in tendencies towards WeChat addiction and brain structural variations in fronto-striatal-limbic brain regions. To this end levels of addictive tendencies, frequency of use and structural MRI data were assessed in n = 61 healthy participants. Higher tendencies towards WeChat addiction were associated with smaller gray matter volumes of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, a key region for monitoring and regulatory control in neural networks underlying addictive behaviors. Moreover, a higher frequency of the paying function was associated with smaller nucleus accumbens volumes. Findings were robust after controlling for levels of anxiety and depression. The present results are in line with previous findings in substance and behavioral addictions, and suggest a similar neurobiological basis in ICD.