bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sirtinol, a Sir2 protein inhibitor, affects stem cell maintenance and root development in Arabidopsis thaliana by modulating auxin-cytokinin signaling components
Authors: Singh Sharmila , Singh Alka , Yadav Sandeep , Gautam Vibhav , Singh Archita , Sarkar Ananda K. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn Arabidopsis thaliana, besides several key transcription factors and chromatin modifiers, phytohormones auxin and cytokinin play pivotal role in shoot and root meristem maintenance, and lateral root (LR) development. Sirtinol, a chemical inhibitor of Sir2 proteins, is known to promote some auxin induced phenotypes in Arabidopsis. However, its effect on plant stem cell maintenance or organ formation remained unaddressed. Here we show that sirtinol affects meristem maintenance by altering the expression of key stem cell regulators, cell division and differentiation by modulating both auxin and cytokinin signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression of shoot stem cell niche related genes WUSCHEL (WUS) and CLAVATA3 (CLV3) was upregulated, whereas SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) was downregulated in sirtinol treated seedlings. The expression level and domain of key root stem cell regulators PLETHORA (PLTs) and WUS-Related Homeobox 5 (WOX5) were altered in sirtinol treated roots. Sirtinol affects LR development by disturbing proper auxin transport and maxima formation, similar to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Sirtinol also affects LR formation by altering cytokinin biosynthesis and signaling genes in roots. Therefore, sirtinol affects shoot and root growth, meristem maintenance and LR development by altering the expression of cytokinin-auxin signaling components, and regulators of stem cells, meristems, and LRs.
Analysis of Craniocardiac Malformations in Xenopus using Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Deniz Engin , Jonas Stephan , Hooper Michael , N. Griffin John , Choma Michael A. , Khokha Mustafa K. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBirth defects affect 3% of children in the United States. Among the birth defects, congenital heart disease and craniofacial malformations are major causes of mortality and morbidity. Unfortunately, the genetic mechanisms underlying craniocardiac malformations remain largely uncharacterized. To address this, human genomic studies are identifying sequence variations in patients, resulting in numerous candidate genes. However, the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis for most candidate genes are unknown. Therefore, there is a need for functional analyses in rapid and efficient animal models of human disease. Here, we coupled the frog Xenopus tropicalis with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to create a fast and efficient system for testing craniocardiac candidate genes. OCT can image cross-sections of microscopic structures in vivo at resolutions approaching histology. Here, we identify optimal OCT imaging planes to visualize and quantitate Xenopus heart and facial structures establishing normative data. Next we evaluate known human congenital heart diseases: cardiomyopathy and heterotaxy. Finally, we examine craniofacial defects by a known human teratogen, cyclopamine. We recapitulate human phenotypes readily and quantify the functional and structural defects. Using this approach, we can quickly test human craniocardiac candidate genes for phenocopy as a critical first step towards understanding disease mechanisms of the candidate genes.
Direct observation of nucleation in the bulk of an opaque sample
Authors: Xu Chaoling , Zhang Yubin , Godfrey Andrew , Wu Guilin , Liu Wenjun , Tischler Jonathan Z. , Liu Qing , Juul Jensen Dorte 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRemarkably little is known about the physical phenomena leading to nucleation of new perfect crystals within deformed metals during annealing, in particular how and where volumes with nearly perfect lattices evolve from structures filled with dislocations, and how local variations at the micrometer length scale affect this nucleation process. We present here the first experimental measurements that relate directly nucleation of recrystallization to the local deformation microstructure in the bulk of a sample of cold rolled aluminum, further deformed locally by a hardness indentation. White beam differential aperture X-ray microscopy is used for the measurements, allowing us to map a selected gauge volume in the bulk of the sample in the deformed state, then anneal the sample and map the exact same gauge volume in the annealed state. It is found that nuclei develop at sites of high stored energy and they have crystallographic orientations from those present in the deformed state. Accordingly we suggest that for each nucleus the embryonic volume arises from a structural element contained within the voxels identified with the same orientation. Possible nucleation mechanisms are discussed and the growth potentials of the nuclei are also analyzed and discussed.
Simultaneous laser excitation of backward volume and perpendicular standing spin waves in full-Heusler Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 films
Authors: Chen Zhifeng , Yan Yong , Li Shufa , Xu Xiaoguang , Jiang Yong , Lai Tianshu 
Published: February 2017

AbstractSpin-wave dynamics in full-Heusler Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 films are studied using all-optical pump-probe magneto-optical polar Kerr spectroscopy. Backward volume magnetostatic spin-wave (BVMSW) mode is observed in films with thickness ranging from 20 to 100 nm besides perpendicular standing spin-wave (PSSW) mode, and found to be excited more efficiently than the PSSW mode. The field dependence of the effective Gilbert damping parameter appears especial extrinsic origin. The relationship between the lifetime and the group velocity of BVMSW mode is revealed. The frequency of BVMSW mode does not obviously depend on the film thickness, but the lifetime and the effective damping appear to do so. The simultaneous excitation of BVMSW and PSSW in Heusler alloy films as well as the characterization of their dynamic behaviors may be of interest for magnonic and spintronic applications.
Non-blind acoustic invisibility by dual layers of homogeneous single-negative media
Authors: Gao He , Zhu Yi-fan , Fan Xu-dong , Liang Bin , Yang Jing , Cheng Jian-Chun 
Published: February 2017

AbstractNon-blind invisibility cloaks allowing the concealed object to sense the outside world have great application potentials such as in high-precision sensing or underwater camouflage. However the existing designs based on coordinate transformation techniques need complicated spatially-varying negative index or intricate multi-layered configurations, substantially increasing the difficulty in practical realization. Here we report on the non-blind acoustic invisibility for a circular object in free space with simple distribution of cloak parameters. The mechanism is that, instead of utilizing the transformation acoustics technique, we develop the analytical formulae for fast prediction of the scattering from the object and then use an evolutionary optimization to retrieve the desired cloak parameters for minimizing the scattered field. In this way, it is proven possible to break through the fundamental limit of complementary condition that must be satisfied by the effective parameters of the components in transformation acoustics-based cloaks. Numerical results show that the resulting cloak produces a non-bflind invisibility as perfect as in previous designs, but only needs two layers with homogenous single-negative parameters. With full simplification in parameter distribution and broken symmetry in complementary relationship, our scheme opens new route to free-space non-blind invisibility, taking a significant step towards real-world application of cloaking devices.
Brain fingerprints of olfaction: a novel structural method for assessing olfactory cortical networks in health and disease
Authors: Fjaeldstad A. , Fernandes H. M. , Van Hartevelt T. J. , Gleesborg C. , Møller A. , Ovesen T. , Kringelbach M. L. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractOlfactory deficits are a common (often prodromal) symptom of neurodegenerative or psychiatric disorders. As such, olfaction could have great potential as an early biomarker of disease, for example using neuroimaging to investigate the breakdown of structural connectivity profile of the primary olfactory networks. We investigated the suitability for this purpose in two existing neuroimaging maps of olfactory networks. We found problems with both existing neuroimaging maps in terms of their structural connectivity to known secondary olfactory networks. Based on these findings, we were able to merge the existing maps to a new template map of olfactory networks with connections to all key secondary olfactory networks. We introduce a new method that combines diffusion tensor imaging with probabilistic tractography and pattern recognition techniques. This method can obtain comprehensive and reliable fingerprints of the structural connectivity underlying the neural processing of olfactory stimuli in normosmic adults. Combining the novel proposed method for structural fingerprinting with the template map of olfactory networks has great potential to be used for future neuroimaging investigations of olfactory function in disease. With time, the proposed method may even come to serve as structural biomarker for early detection of disease.
Hematopoietic pannexin 1 function is critical for neuropathic pain
Authors: Weaver Janelle L. , Arandjelovic Sanja , Brown Gregory , K. Mendu Suresh , S. Schappe Michael , Buckley Monica W. , Chiu Yu-Hsin , Shu Shaofang , Kim Jin K. , Chung Joyce , Krupa Julia , Jevtovic-Todorovic Vesna , Desai Bimal N. , Ravichandran Kodi S. , Bayliss Douglas A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractNeuropathic pain symptoms respond poorly to available therapeutics, with most treated patients reporting unrelieved pain and significant impairment in daily life. Here, we show that Pannexin 1 (Panx1) in hematopoietic cells is required for pain-like responses following nerve injury in mice, and a potential therapeutic target. Panx1 knockout mice (Panx1−/−) were protected from hypersensitivity in two sciatic nerve injury models. Bone marrow transplantation studies show that expression of functional Panx1 in hematopoietic cells is necessary for mechanical hypersensitivity following nerve injury. Reconstitution of irradiated Panx1 knockout mice with hematopoietic Panx1−/− cells engineered to re-express Panx1 was sufficient to recover hypersensitivity after nerve injury; this rescue required expression of a Panx1 variant that can be activated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Finally, chemically distinct Panx1 inhibitors blocked development of nerve injury-induced hypersensitivity and partially relieved this hypersensitivity after it was established. These studies indicate that Panx1 expressed in immune cells is critical for pain-like effects following nerve injury in mice, perhaps via a GPCR-mediated activation mechanism, and suggest that inhibition of Panx1 may be useful in treating neuropathic pain.
Prognostic Significance of Left Ventricular Mass Index and Renal Function Decline Rate in Chronic Kidney Disease G3 and G4
Authors: Huang Jiun-Chi , Chen Szu-Chia , Tsai Yi-Chun , Kuo I-Ching , Chiu Yi-Wen , Chang Jer-Ming , Hwang Shang-Jyh , Chen Hung-Chun 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe effect of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline rate on outcome prediction in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. We included 306 CKD G3 and G4 patients with LVMI assessed through echocardiography. Rapid decline in renal function was defined as the eGFR slope <−3 mL/min/1.73 m2/year. Patients were stratified into four groups using sex-specific median values of LVMI and rapid eGFR decline. The composite outcome was progression to maintenance dialysis or death. 32 patients had the composite outcome during a median follow-up of 2.7 years. In multivariate Cox analysis, compared with patients with non-rapid eGFR decline and lower LVMI, those with non-rapid eGFR decline and higher LVMI (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.908, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.304–26.780), rapid eGFR decline and lower LVMI (HR: 12.737, 95% CI = 2.297–70.636), and rapid eGFR decline and higher LVMI (HR: 15.249, 95% CI = 3.365–69.097) had an increased risk of progression to adverse outcomes. LVMI and eGFR decline synergistically effect the prognostic implications in CKD G3 and G4 patients.
Revealing homogeneous plastic deformation in dendrite-reinforced Ti-based metallic glass composites under tension
Authors: Wu F. F. , Wei J. S. , Chan K. C. , Chen S. H. , Zhao R. D. , Zhang G. A. , Wu X. F. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe tensile plastic deformation of dendrite-reinforced Ti-based metallic glass composites (MGCs) was investigated. It was found that there is a critical normalized strain-hardening rate (NSHR) that determines the plastic stability of MGCs: if the NSHR is larger than the critical value, the plastic deformation of the MGCs will be stable, i.e. the necking and strain localization can be effectively suppressed, resulting in homogeneous plastic elongation. In addition, dendrite-reinforce MGCs are verified as being intrinsically ductile, and can be used as good coatings for improving the surface properties of pure titanium or titanium alloys. These findings are helpful in designing, producing, and using MGCs with improved performance properties.
Psychological stress and risk of incident atrial fibrillation in men and women with known atrial fibrillation genetic risk scores
Authors: Svensson Thomas , Kitlinski Mariusz , Engström Gunnar , Melander Olle 
Published: February 2017

AbstractPsychological stress has been reported as a possible trigger of atrial fibrillation (AF). No studies have investigated whether any association between stress and AF could be modified by genetic susceptibility to AF (AF-genetic risk score (AF-GRS)). 8765 men and 13,543 women from the Malmö Diet Cancer Study, a population-based cohort, were included in the analyses. A variable representing stress was constructed from questions measuring job strain, and from one question assessing non-occupational stress. Cox proportional hazards regression models were adjusted for known covariates of AF. Mean follow-up times and number of recorded incident AF were 14.2 years and 1116 events for men, and 15.1 years and 932 events for women. Among women, high stress was associated with AF in the age adjusted model (hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.47) but not following multivariable adjustment (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.95–1.39). Stress was not associated with incident AF in men. AF-GRS was significantly associated with incident AF for both genders. Stress did not interact significantly with genetic susceptibility to AF in men or women. Chronic stress is not associated with long-term incident hospital diagnosed AF. This association does not appear to be modified by genetic susceptibility to AF.
Handgrip strength cutoff for cardiometabolic risk index among Colombian children and adolescents: The FUPRECOL Study
Authors: Ramírez-Vélez Robinson , Peña-Ibagon Jhonatan Camilo , Martínez-Torres Javier , Tordecilla-Sanders Alejandra , Correa-Bautista Jorge Enrique , Lobelo Felipe , García-Hermoso Antonio 
Published: February 2017

AbstractEvidence shows an association between muscular strength (MS) and health among young people, however low muscular strength cut points for the detection of high metabolic risk in Latin-American populations are scarce. The aim of this study was twofold: to explore potential age- and sex-specific thresholds of MS, for optimal cardiometabolic risk categorization among Colombian children and adolescents; and to investigate whether cardiometabolic risk differed by MS group by applying the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) cut point. MS was estimated by using a handle dynamometer on 1,950 children and adolescents from Colombia, using MS relative to weight (handgrip strength/body mass). A metabolic risk score was computed from the following components: waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL-c, glucose, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. ROC analysis showed a significant discriminatory accuracy of MS in identifying the low/high metabolic risk in children and adolescents and in both genders. In children, the handgrip strength/body mass levels for a low metabolic risk were 0.359 and 0.376 in girls and boys, respectively. In adolescents, these points were 0.440 and 0.447 in girls and boys, respectively. In conclusion, the results suggest an MS level relative to weight for having a low metabolic risk, which could be used to identify youths at risk.
Outcome of Sentinel Hospital-based and CDC-based ART Service Delivery: A Prospective Open Cohort of People Living with HIV in China
Authors: Ning Chuanyi , Smith Kumi M. , McCann Chase D. , Hu Fengyu , Lan Yun , Zhang Fuchun , Liang Hao , Zhao Jinmin , Tucker Joseph D. , Cai Weiping 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe primary objective of this study was to obtain insights into the outcomes of people living with HIV who accessed services through HIV/AIDS sentinel hospital-based and ART service delivery in China. Post-hoc analyses of an open cohort from an observational database of 22 qualified HIV/AIDS sentinel hospital-based and two CDC-based drug delivery facilities (DDFs) in Guangdong Province was completed. Linkage to care, mortality and survival rates were calculated according to WHO criteria. 12,966 individuals received ART from HIV/AIDS sentinel hospitals and 1,919 from DDFs, with linkage to care rates of 80.7% and 79.9%, respectively (P > 0.05). Retention rates were 94.1% and 84.0% in sentinel hospitals and DDFs, respectively (P < 0.01). Excess mortality was 1.4 deaths/100 person-years (95% CI: 1.1, 1.8) in DDFs compared to 0.4 deaths/100 person-years (95% CI: 0.3, 0.5) in hospitals (P < 0.01). A Cox-regression analysis revealed that mortality was much higher in patients receiving ART from the DDFs than sentinel hospitals, with an adjusted HR of 3.3 (95% CI: 2.3, 4.6). A crude HR of treatment termination in DDFs was 7.5 fold higher (95% CI: 6.3, 9.0) compared to sentinel hospitals. HIV/AIDS sentinel hospital had better retention, and substantially lower mortality compared to DDFs.
Reproductive strategies of the coral Turbinaria reniformis in the northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea)
Authors: Rapuano Hanna , Brickner Itzchak , Shlesinger Tom , Meroz-Fine Efrat , Tamir Raz , Loya Yossi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractHere we describe for the first time the reproductive biology of the scleractinian coralTurbinaria reniformisstudied during three years at the coral reefs of Eilat and Aqaba. We also investigated the possibility of sex change in individually tagged colonies followed over a period of 12 years.T. reniformiswas found to be a stable gonochorist (no detected sex change) that reproduces by broadcast spawning 5–6 nights after the full moon of June and July. Spawning was highly synchronized between individuals in the field and in the lab. Reproduction ofT. reniformisis temporally isolated from the times at which most other corals reproduce in Eilat. Its relatively long reproductive cycle compared to other hermaphroditic corals may be due to the high reproductive effort associated with the production of eggs by gonochoristic females. Sex ratio in both the Aqaba and Eilat coral populations deviated significantly from a 1:1 ratio. The larger number of males than of females may provide a compensation for sperm limitation due to its dilution in the water column. We posit that such sex allocation would facilitate adaptation within gonochoristic species by increasing fertilization success in low density populations, constituting a phenomenon possibly regulated by chemical communication.
Eda haplotypes in three-spined stickleback are associated with variation in immune gene expression
Authors: Robertson Shaun , Bradley Janette E. , MacColl Andrew D. C. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractHaplotypes underlying local adaptation and speciation are predicted to have numerous phenotypic effects, but few genes involved have been identified, with much work to date concentrating on visible, morphological, phenotypes. The link between genes controlling these adaptive morphological phenotypes and the immune system has seldom been investigated, even though changes in the immune system could have profound adaptive consequences. TheEdagene in three-spined stickleback is one of the best studied major adaptation genes; it directly controls bony plate architecture and has been associated with additional aspects of adaptation to freshwater. Here, we exposed F2 hybrids, used to separateEdagenotype from genetic background, to contrasting conditions in semi-natural enclosures. We demonstrate an association between theEdahaplotype block and the expression pattern of key immune system genes. Furthermore, low plated fish grew less and experienced higher burdens of a common ectoparasite with fitness consequences. Little is currently known about the role of the immune system in facilitating adaptation to novel environments, but this study provides an indication of its potential importance.
A Mendelian randomization study of the effect of calcium on coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and their risk factors
Authors: Xu Lin , Lin Shi Lin , Schooling C. Mary 
Published: February 2017

AbstractMeta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest calcium could have adverse effects on cardiovascular disease, although these findings are controversial. To clarify, we assessed whether people with genetically higher calcium had a higher risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI) and their risk factors. We used a two-sample Mendelian randomization study. We identified genetic variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)) that independently contributed to serum calcium at genome-wide significance which we applied to large extensively genotyped studies of CAD, MI, diabetes, lipids, glycaemic traits and adiposity to obtain unconfounded estimates, with body mass index (BMI) as a control outcome. Based on 4 SNPs each 1 mg/dl increase in calcium was positively associated with CAD (odds ratio (OR) 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–2.17), MI (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.06–2.35), LDL-cholesterol (0.21 standard deviations, 95% CI 0.01–0.4), total cholesterol (0.21 standard deviations, 95% CI 0.03-0.38) and possibly triglycerides (0.19 standard deviations, 95% CI −0.1–0.48), but was unlikely related to BMI although the estimate lacked precision. Sensitivity analysis using 13 SNPs showed a higher risk for CAD (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.14–3.08). Our findings, largely consistent with the experimental evidence, suggest higher serum calcium may increase the risk of CAD.
Modeling of amorphous SiCxO6/5 by classical molecular dynamics and first principles calculations
Authors: Liao Ningbo , Zhang Miao , Zhou Hongming , Xue Wei 
Published: February 2017

AbstractPolymer-derived silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) presents excellent performance for high temperature and lithium-ion battery applications. Current experiments have provided some information on nano-structure of SiCO, while it is very challenging for experiments to take further insight into the molecular structure and its relationship with properties of materials. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) based on empirical potential and first principle calculation were combined to investigate amorphous SiCxO6/5ceramics. The amorphous structures of SiCO containing silicon-centered mix bond tetrahedrons and free carbon were successfully reproduced. The calculated radial distribution, angular distribution and Young’s modulus were validated by current experimental data, and more details on molecular structure were discussed. The change in the slope of Young’s modulus is related to the glass transition temperature of the material. The proposed modeling approach can be used to predict the properties of SiCO with different compositions.