bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of neuregulin-1 administration on neurogenesis in the adult mouse hippocampus and characterization of immature neurons along the septotemporal axis
Authors: Mahar Ian , MacIsaac Angus , Kim John Junghan , Qiang Calvin , Davoli Maria Antonietta , Turecki Gustavo , Mechawar Naguib 
Published: July 2016

AbstractAdult hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with learning and affective behavioural regulation. Its diverse functionality is segregated along the septotemporal axis from the dorsal to ventral hippocampus. However, features distinguishing immature neurons in these regions have yet to be characterized. Additionally, although we have shown that administration of the neurotrophic factor neuregulin-1 (NRG1) selectively increases proliferation and overall neurogenesis in the mouse ventral dentate gyrus (DG), likely through ErbB3, NRG1’s effects on intermediate neurogenic stages in immature neurons are unknown. We examined whether NRG1 administration increases DG ErbB3 phosphorylation. We labeled adultborn cells using BrdU, then administered NRG1 to examinein vivoneurogenic effects on immature neurons with respect to cell survival, morphology and synaptogenesis. We also characterized features of immature neurons along the septotemporal axis. We found that neurogenic effects of NRG1 are temporally and subregionally specific to proliferation in the ventral DG. Particular morphological features differentiate immature neurons in the dorsal and ventral DG and cytogenesis differed between these regions. Finally, we identified synaptic heterogeneity surrounding the granule cell layer. These results indicate neurogenic involvement of NRG1-induced antidepressant-like behaviour is particularly associated with increased ventral DG cell proliferation and identify novel distinctions between dorsal and ventral hippocampal neurogenic development.
Insights into the abundance and diversity of abyssal megafauna in a polymetallic-nodule region in the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone
Authors: Amon Diva J. , Ziegler Amanda F. , Dahlgren Thomas G. , Glover Adrian G. , Goineau Aurélie , Gooday Andrew J. , Wiklund Helena , Smith Craig R. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThere is growing interest in mining polymetallic nodules in the abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific. Nonetheless, benthic communities in this region remain poorly known. The ABYSSLINE Project is conducting benthic biological baseline surveys for the UK Seabed Resources Ltd. exploration contract area (UK-1) in the CCZ. Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle, we surveyed megafauna at four sites within a 900 km2 stratum in the UK-1 contract area, and at a site ~250 km east of the UK-1 area, allowing us to make the first estimates of abundance and diversity. We distinguished 170 morphotypes within the UK-1 contract area but species-richness estimators suggest this could be as high as 229. Megafaunal abundance averaged 1.48 ind. m−2. Seven of 12 collected metazoan species were new to science, and four belonged to new genera. Approximately half of the morphotypes occurred only on polymetallic nodules. There were weak, but statistically significant, positive correlations between megafaunal and nodule abundance. Eastern-CCZ megafaunal diversity is high relative to two abyssal datasets from other regions, however comparisons with CCZ and DISCOL datasets are problematic given the lack of standardised methods and taxonomy. We postulate that CCZ megafaunal diversity is driven in part by habitat heterogeneity.
Genetic variants associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis and subgroup analysis
Authors: Wu Ling , Cui Long , Tam Wing Hung , Ma Ronald C. W. , Wang Chi Chiu 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPrevious studies have demonstrated that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) share common genetic polymorphisms. We conducted meta-analysis and subgroup analysis of all available variants and determined the effects of confounding and experimental components on the genetic association of GDM. Any case-controlled or cohort studies with genotype distribution compared GDM cases with controls were included. In total, 28 articles including 8,204 cases and 15,221 controls for 6 polymorphisms were studied. rs10830963(MTNR1B), rs7903146(TCF7L2), and rs1801278(IRS1) were significantly associated with the increased GDM risk. The association of rs4402960(IGF2BP2) and rs1800629(TNF-α) was significant only when the studies with control allele frequency deviation and publication bias were excluded. Further subgroup analysis showed the risk alleles of rs7903146(TCF7L2) and rs1801282(PPARG) were significantly associated with the GDM risk only in Asian, but not in Caucasian population. The OGTT test using 100 g, but not 75 g; and genotype detection by other assays, but not Taqman method, were also significantly associated with increased GDM risk in rs1801278(IRS1) and rs7903146(TCF7L2). Overall GDM was associated with rs10830963(MTNR1B), rs7903146(TCF7L2), and rs1801278(IRS1), but only rs7903146(TCF7L2) and rs1801282(PPARG) were significant in Asian populations. While rs1801278(IRS1) and rs7903146(TCF7L2) were significantly affected by OGTT protocol and genotyping methods.
Mitofusin 2 regulates the oocytes development and quality by modulating meiosis and mitochondrial function
Authors: Liu Qun , Kang Lina , Wang Lingjuan , Zhang Ling , Xiang Wenpei 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMitofusin-2 (Mfn2), one of the mitochondrial dynamic proteins plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of mitochondrial morphology and function. However, it is unknown if Mfn2 influences the quality of oocytes in the process of development by modulating mitochondrial function in vitro. In this study, immature oocytes were transfected with Mfn2-siRNA for 16 h. We found that the expression level of the Mfn2 gene was significantly lower than those of the control group. The rates of maturation and fertility were also found to have declined. Moreover, mitochondrial structure and function, especially the morphogenesis of spindles, were observed as abnormal during meiosis. Thus, the above findings indicate that down-regulation of Mfn2 may have an impact on the maturation and fertilization of immature oocytes in vitro by modulating meiosis and mitochondrial function.
Expression of the inhibitory Ly49E receptor is not critically involved in the immune response against cutaneous, pulmonary or liver tumours
Authors: Filtjens Jessica , Keirsse Jiri , Van Ammel Els , Taveirne Sylvie , Van Acker Aline , Kerre Tessa , Taghon Tom , Vandekerckhove Bart , Plum Jean , Van Ginderachter Jo A. , Leclercq Georges 
Published: July 2016

AbstractNatural killer (NK) lymphocytes are part of the innate immune system and are important in immune protection against tumourigenesis. NK cells display a broad repertoire of activating and inhibitory cell surface receptors that regulate NK cell activity. The Ly49 family of NK receptors is composed of several members that recognize major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) or MHC-I-related molecules. Ly49E is a unique inhibitory member, being triggered by the non-MHC-I-related protein urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) in contrast to the known MHC-I-triggering of the other inhibitory Ly49 receptors. Ly49E also has an uncommon expression pattern on NK cells, including high expression on liver DX5− NK cells. Furthermore, Ly49E is the only Ly49 member expressed by epidermal γδ T cells. As γδ T cells and/or NK cells have been shown to be involved in the regulation of cutaneous, pulmonary and liver malignancies and as uPA is involved in tumourigenesis, we investigated the role of the inhibitory Ly49E receptor in the anti-tumour immune response. We demonstrate that, although Ly49E is highly expressed on epidermal γδ T cells and liver NK cells, this receptor does not play a major role in the control of skin tumour formation or in lung and liver tumour development.
Intake of Phthalate-tainted Foods and Serum Thyroid Hormones in Taiwanese Children and Adolescents
Authors: Tsai Hui-Ju , Wu Chia-Fang , Tsai Yi-Chun , Huang Po-Chin , Chen Mei-Lien , Wang Shu-Li , Chen Bai-Hsiun , Chen Chu-Chih , Wu Wen-Chiu , Hsu Pi-Shan , Hsiung Chao A. , Wu Ming-Tsang 
Published: July 2016

AbstractOn April-May, 2011, phthalates, mainly Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were deliberately added to a variety of foodstuff as a substitute emulsifier in Taiwan. This study investigated the relationship between DEHP-tainted foodstuffs exposure and thyroid function in possibly affected children and adolescents. Two hundred fifty participants <18 years possibly exposed to DEHP were enrolled in this study between August 2012 and January 2013. Questionnaires were used to collect details on their past exposure to DEHP-tainted food items. Blood and urine samples were collected for biochemical workups to measure current exposure derived from three urinary DEHP metabolites using a creatinine excretion-based model. More than half of 250 participants were estimated to be exposed to DEHP-tainted foods found to exceed the recommend tolerable daily intake of DEHP established by the European Food Safety Authority (<50 μg/kg/day). The median daily DEHP intake (DDI) among those 250 participants was 46.52 μg/kg/day after multiple imputation. This value was ~10-fold higher than the current median DEHP intake (4.46 μg/kg/day, n = 240). Neither past nor current DEHP exposure intensity was significantly associated with serum thyroid profiles. Future studies may want to follow the long-term health effects of this food scandal in affected children and adolescents.
Realistic Silver Optical Constants for Plasmonics
Authors: Jiang Yajie , Pillai Supriya , Green Martin A. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractSilver remains the preferred conductor for optical and near-infrared plasmonics. Many high-profile studies focus exclusively on performance simulation in such applications. Almost invariably, these use silver optical data either from Palik’s 1985 handbook or, more frequently, an earlier Johnson and Christy (J&C) tabulation. These data are inconsistent, making it difficult to ascertain the reliability of the simulations. The inconsistency stems from challenges in measuring representative properties of pristine silver, due to tarnishing on air exposure. We demonstrate techniques, including use of silicon-nitride membranes, to access the full capabilities of multiple-angle, spectrometric-ellipsometry to generate an improved data set, representative of overlayer-protected, freshly-deposited silver films on silicon-nitride and glass.
Computational discovery of Epstein-Barr virus targeted human genes and signalling pathways
Authors: Mei Suyu , Zhang Kun 
Published: July 2016

AbstractEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays important roles in the origin and the progression of human carcinomas, e.g. diffuse large B cell tumors, T cell lymphomas, etc. Discovering EBV targeted human genes and signaling pathways is vital to understand EBV tumorigenesis. In this study we propose a noise-tolerant homolog knowledge transfer method to reconstruct functional protein-protein interactions (PPI) networks between Epstein-Barr virus and Homo sapiens. The training set is augmented via homolog instances and the homolog noise is counteracted by support vector machine (SVM). Additionally we propose two methods to define subcellular co-localization (i.e. stringent and relaxed), based on which to further derive physical PPI networks. Computational results show that the proposed method achieves sound performance of cross validation and independent test. In the space of 648,672 EBV-human protein pairs, we obtain 51,485 functional interactions (7.94%), 869 stringent physical PPIs and 46,050 relaxed physical PPIs. Fifty-eight evidences are found from the latest database and recent literature to validate the model. This study reveals that Epstein-Barr virus interferes with normal human cell life, such as cholesterol homeostasis, blood coagulation, EGFR binding, p53 binding, Notch signaling, Hedgehog signaling, etc. The proteome-wide predictions are provided in the supplementary file for further biomedical research.
Low-Energy Amorphization of Ti1Sb2Te5 Phase Change Alloy Induced by TiTe2 Nano-Lamellae
Authors: Ding Keyuan , Rao Feng , Lv Shilong , Cheng Yan , Wu Liangcai , Song Zhitang 
Published: July 2016

AbstractIncreasing SET operation speed and reducing RESET operation energy have always been the innovation direction of phase change memory (PCM) technology. Here, we demonstrate that ∼87% and ∼42% reductions of RESET operation energy can be achieved on PCM cell based on stoichiometric Ti1Sb2Te5 alloy, compared with Ge2Sb2Te5 and non-stoichiometric Ti0.4Sb2Te3 based PCM cells at the same size, respectively. The Ti1Sb2Te5 based PCM cell also shows one order of magnitude faster SET operation speed compared to that of the Ge2Sb2Te5 based one. The enhancements may be caused by substantially increased concentration of TiTe2 nano-lamellae in crystalline Ti1Sb2Te5 phase. The highly electrical conduction and lowly thermal dissipation of the TiTe2 nano-lamellae play a major role in enhancing the thermal efficiency of the amorphization, prompting the low-energy RESET operation. Our work may inspire the interests to more thorough understanding and tailoring of the nature of the (TiTe2)n(Sb2Te3)m pseudobinary system which will be advantageous to realize high-speed and low-energy PCM applications.
Gap-plasmon based broadband absorbers for enhanced hot-electron and photocurrent generation
Authors: Lu Yuhua , Dong Wen , Chen Zhuo , Pors Anders , Wang Zhenlin , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPlasmonic hot-electron generation has recently come into focus as a new scheme for solar energy conversion. So far, however, due to the relatively narrow bandwidth of the surface plasmon resonances and the insufficient resonant light absorption, most of plasmonic photocatalysts show narrow-band spectral responsivities and small solar energy conversion efficiencies. Here we experimentally demonstrate that a three-layered nanostructure, consisting of a monolayer gold-nanoparticles and a gold film separated by a TiO2 gap layer (Au-NPs/TiO2/Au-film), is capable of near-completely absorbing light within the whole visible region. We show that the Au-NPs/TiO2/Au-film device can take advantage of such strong and broadband light absorption to enhance the generation of hot electrons and thus the photocurrent under visible irradiation. As compared to conventional plasmonic photocatalysts such as Au-NPs/TiO2 nanostructures, a 5-fold-enhanced incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency is achieved within the entire wavelength range 450–850 nm in the Au-NPs/TiO2/Au-film device. Simulations show good agreements with the experimental results, demonstrating that only the plasmon-induced losses contribute to the enhanced photocurrent generation of the Au-NPs/TiO2/Au-film device.
Surface modification of hollow magnetic Fe3O4@NH2-MIL-101(Fe) derived from metal-organic frameworks for enhanced selective removal of phosphates from aqueous solution
Authors: Li Yan , Xie Qiying , Hu Qian , Li Chengping , Huang Zhangjie , Yang Xiangjun , Guo Hong 
Published: July 2016

AbstractHollow magnetic Fe3O4@NH2-MIL-101(Fe) derived from metal-organic frameworks are fabricated through a general facile strategy. The synthetic parameters are regulated to control the shape of the as-prepared samples. The concentration of phosphates decreased sharply from the initial 0.60 to 0.045 mg.L−1 with the exposure time in 50 minutes. The correlation between the most significant parameters such as contact time, adsorbent dose, pH, as well as adsorption capacities was optimized and the effects of these parameters on the removal efficiency of phosphates were investigated. Surface functionalization of magnetic hollow materials is a well-designed way to bridge the gap between high adsorption activity, excellent separation and recovery of phosphates from the water treatment system. Therefore, it exhibits a remarkable selective removal of phosphates from aqueous solution.
Discovering Pair-wise Synergies in Microarray Data
Authors: Chen Yuan , Cao Dan , Gao Jun , Yuan Zheming 
Published: July 2016

AbstractInformative gene selection can have important implications for the improvement of cancer diagnosis and the identification of new drug targets. Individual-gene-ranking methods ignore interactions between genes. Furthermore, popular pair-wise gene evaluation methods, e.g. TSP and TSG, are helpless for discovering pair-wise interactions. Several efforts to discover pair-wise synergy have been made based on the information approach, such as EMBP and FeatKNN. However, the methods which are employed to estimate mutual information, e.g. binarization, histogram-based and KNN estimators, depend on known data or domain characteristics. Recently, Reshef et al. proposed a novel maximal information coefficient (MIC) measure to capture a wide range of associations between two variables that has the property of generality. An extension from MIC(X; Y) to MIC(X1; X2; Y) is therefore desired. We developed an approximation algorithm for estimating MIC(X1; X2; Y) where Y is a discrete variable. MIC(X1; X2; Y) is employed to detect pair-wise synergy in simulation and cancer microarray data. The results indicate that MIC(X1; X2; Y) also has the property of generality. It can discover synergic genes that are undetectable by reference feature selection methods such as MIC(X; Y) and TSG. Synergic genes can distinguish different phenotypes. Finally, the biological relevance of these synergic genes is validated with GO annotation and OUgene database.
Acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain: A meta-analysis and meta-regression of sham-controlled randomized clinical trials
Authors: Yuan Qi-ling , Wang Peng , Liu Liang , Sun Fu , Cai Yong-song , Wu Wen-tao , Ye Mao-lin , Ma Jiang-tao , Xu Bang-bang , Zhang Yin-gang 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe aims of this systematic review were to study the analgesic effect of real acupuncture and to explore whether sham acupuncture (SA) type is related to the estimated effect of real acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain. Five databases were searched. The outcome was pain or disability immediately (≤1 week) following an intervention. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Meta-regression was used to explore possible sources of heterogeneity. Sixty-three studies (6382 individuals) were included. Eight condition types were included. The pooled effect size was moderate for pain relief (59 trials, 4980 individuals, SMD −0.61, 95% CI −0.76 to −0.47; P < 0.001) and large for disability improvement (31 trials, 4876 individuals, −0.77, −1.05 to −0.49; P < 0.001). In a univariate meta-regression model, sham needle location and/or depth could explain most or all heterogeneities for some conditions (e.g., shoulder pain, low back pain, osteoarthritis, myofascial pain and fibromyalgia); however, the interactions between subgroups via these covariates were not significant (P < 0.05). Our review provided low-quality evidence that real acupuncture has a moderate effect (approximate 12-point reduction on the 100-mm visual analogue scale) on musculoskeletal pain. SA type did not appear to be related to the estimated effect of real acupuncture.
Regulation of actin dynamics by WNT-5A: implications for human airway smooth muscle contraction
Authors: Koopmans Tim , Kumawat Kuldeep , Halayko Andrew J , Gosens Reinoud 
Published: July 2016

AbstractA defining feature of asthma is airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), which underlies the exaggerated bronchoconstriction response of asthmatics. The role of the airway smooth muscle (ASM) in AHR has garnered increasing interest over the years, but how asthmatic ASM differs from healthy ASM is still an active topic of debate. WNT-5A is increasingly expressed in asthmatic ASM and has been linked with Th2-high asthma. Due to its link with calcium and cytoskeletal remodelling, we propose that WNT-5A may modulate ASM contractility. We demonstrated that WNT-5A can increase maximum isometric tension in bovine tracheal smooth muscle strips. In addition, we show that WNT-5A is preferentially expressed in contractile human airway myocytes compared to proliferative cells, suggesting an active role in maintaining contractility. Furthermore, WNT-5A treatment drives actin polymerisation, but has no effect on intracellular calcium flux. Next, we demonstrated that WNT-5A directly regulates TGF-β1-induced expression of α-SMA via ROCK-mediated actin polymerization. These findings suggest that WNT-5A modulates fundamental mechanisms that affect ASM contraction and thus may be of relevance for AHR in asthma.
Cu isotopic signature in blood serum of liver transplant patients: a follow-up study
Authors: Lauwens Sara , Costas-Rodríguez Marta , Van Vlierberghe Hans , Vanhaecke Frank 
Published: July 2016

AbstractEnd-stage liver disease (ESLD) is life-threatening and liver transplantation (LTx) is the definitive treatment with good outcomes. Given the essential role of hepatocytes in Cu homeostasis, the potential of the serum Cu isotopic composition for monitoring a patient’s condition post-LTx was evaluated. For this purpose, high-precision Cu isotopic analysis of blood serum of ESLD patients pre- and post-LTx was accomplished via multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). The Cu isotopic composition of the ESLD patients was fractionated in favour of the lighter isotope (by about −0.50‰). Post-LTx, a generalized normalization of the Cu isotopic composition was observed for the patients with normal liver function, while it remained light when this condition was not reached. A strong decrease in the δ65Cu value a longer term post-LTx seems to indicate the recurrence of liver failure or cancer. The observed trend in favour of the heavier Cu isotopic composition post-LTx seems to be related with the restored biosynthetic capacity of the liver, the restored hepatic metabolism and/or the restored biliary secretion pathways. Thus, Cu isotopic analysis could be a valuable tool for the follow-up of liver transplant patients and for establishing the potential recurrence of liver failure.
Fabrication and Manipulation of Ciliary Microrobots with Non-reciprocal Magnetic Actuation
Authors: Kim Sangwon , Lee Seungmin , Lee Jeonghun , Nelson Bradley J. , Zhang Li , Choi Hongsoo 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMagnetically actuated ciliary microrobots were designed, fabricated and manipulated to mimic cilia-based microorganisms such as paramecia. Full three-dimensional (3D) microrobot structures were fabricated using 3D laser lithography to form a polymer base structure. A nickel/titanium bilayer was sputtered onto the cilia part of the microrobot to ensure magnetic actuation and biocompatibility. The microrobots were manipulated by an electromagnetic coil system, which generated a stepping magnetic field to actuate the cilia with non-reciprocal motion. The cilia beating motion produced a net propulsive force, resulting in movement of the microrobot. The magnetic forces on individual cilia were calculated with various input parameters including magnetic field strength, cilium length, applied field angle, actual cilium angle, etc. and the translational velocity was measured experimentally. The position and orientation of the ciliary microrobots were precisely controlled and targeted particle transportation was demonstrated experimentally.