bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A CD44v+ subpopulation of breast cancer stem-like cells with enhanced lung metastasis capacity
Authors: Hu Jing , Li Gang , Zhang Peiyuan , Zhuang Xueqian , Hu Guohong 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of cancer cells responsible for tumor growth, and recent evidence suggests that CSCs also contribute to cancer metastasis. However, the heterogeneity of CSCs in metastasis capacities is still unclear in breast cancer. Here we show that among the CD24−/CD44+ breast CSCs, a subset expressing the variant isoform of CD44 (CD44v) displays significantly higher capacity of lung metastasis than that expressing the standard CD44 isoform CD44s. Increasing or reducing the CD44v/CD44s ratio of breast cancer cells by regulating the expression of epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) leads to promotion or suppression of lung metastasis without influencing cancer cell stemness. Directly suppressing CD44v expression significantly alleviates the metastasis burden in lungs. Mechanically, CD44v, but not CD44s, responds to osteopontin (OPN) in the lung environment to enhance cancer cell invasiveness and promote lung metastasis. In clinical samples expression of ESRP1 and CD44v, rather than CD44s or total CD44, positively correlates with distant metastasis. Overall, our data identify a subset of metastatic breast CSCs characterized by CD44v expression, and suggest that CD44v and ESRP1 might be better prognosis markers and therapeutic targets for breast cancer metastasis.
Experimental violation of local causality in a quantum network
Authors: Carvacho Gonzalo , Andreoli Francesco , Santodonato Luca , Bentivegna Marco , Chaves Rafael , Sciarrino Fabio 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBell’s theorem plays a crucial role in quantum information processing and thus several experimental investigations of Bell inequalities violations have been carried out over the years. Despite their fundamental relevance, however, previous experiments did not consider an ingredient of relevance for quantum networks: the fact that correlations between distant parties are mediated by several, typically independent sources. Here, using a photonic setup, we investigate a quantum network consisting of three spatially separated nodes whose correlations are mediated by two distinct sources. This scenario allows for the emergence of the so-called non-bilocal correlations, incompatible with any local model involving two independent hidden variables. We experimentally witness the emergence of this kind of quantum correlations by violating a Bell-like inequality under the fair-sampling assumption. Our results provide a proof-of-principle experiment of generalizations of Bell’s theorem for networks, which could represent a potential resource for quantum communication protocols.
Iridium-catalysed regioselective borylation of carboranes via direct B–H activation
Authors: Cheng Ruofei , Qiu Zaozao , Xie Zuowei 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCarboranes are carbon–boron molecular clusters, which can be viewed as three-dimensional analogues to benzene. They are finding many applications in medicine, materials and organometallic chemistry. On the other hand, their exceptional thermal and chemical stabilities, as well as 3D structures, make them very difficult to be functionalized, in particular the regioselective functionalization of BH vertex among ten similar B–H bonds. Here we report a very efficient iridium-catalysed borylation of cage B(3,6)–H bonds of o-carboranes with excellent yields and regioselectivity using bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2pin2) as a reagent. Selective cage B(4)–H borylation has also been achieved by introducing a bulky TBDMS (tert-butyldimethylsilyl) group to one cage carbon vertex. The resultant 3,6-(Bpin)2-o-carboranes are useful synthons for the synthesis of a wide variety of B(3,6)-difunctionalized o-carboranes bearing cage B–X (X=O, N, C, I and Br) bonds.
Porewater salinity reveals past lake-level changes in Lake Van, the Earth’s largest soda lake
Authors: Tomonaga Yama , Brennwald Matthias S. , Livingstone David M. , Kwiecien Olga , Randlett Marie-Ève , Stockhecke Mona , Unwin Katie , Anselmetti Flavio S. , Beer Jürg , Haug Gerald H. , Schubert Carsten J. , Sturm Mike , Kipfer Rolf 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn closed-basin lakes, sediment porewater salinity can potentially be used as a conservative tracer to reconstruct past fluctuations in lake level. However, until now, porewater salinity profiles did not allow quantitative estimates of past lake-level changes because, in contrast to the oceans, significant salinity changes (e.g., local concentration minima and maxima) had never been observed in lacustrine sediments. Here we show that the salinity measured in the sediment pore water of Lake Van (Turkey) allows straightforward reconstruction of two major transgressions and a major regression that occurred during the last 250 ka. We observed strong changes in the vertical salinity profiles of the pore water of the uppermost 100 m of the sediments in Lake Van. As the salinity balance of Lake Van is almost at steady-state, these salinity changes indicate major lake-level changes in the past. In line with previous studies on lake terraces and with seismic and sedimentological surveys, we identify two major transgressions of up to +105 m with respect to the current lake level at about 135 ka BP and 248 ka BP starting at the onset of the two previous interglacials (MIS5e and MIS7), and a major regression of about −200 m at about 30 ka BP during the last ice age.
Immune evasion of Borrelia miyamotoi: CbiA, a novel outer surface protein exhibiting complement binding and inactivating properties
Authors: Röttgerding Florian , Wagemakers Alex , Koetsveld Joris , Fingerle Volker , Kirschfink Michael , Hovius Joppe W. , Zipfel Peter F. , Wallich Reinhard , Kraiczy Peter 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBorrelia (B.) miyamotoi, an emerging tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete, resists complement-mediated killing. To decipher the molecular principles of immune evasion, we sought to identify determinants contributing to complement resistance. Employing bioinformatics, we identified a gene encoding for a putative Factor H-binding protein, termed CbiA (complementbinding andinhibitory protein A). Functional analyses revealed that CbiA interacted with complement regulator Factor H (FH), C3, C3b, C4b, C5, and C9. Upon binding to CbiA, FH retained its cofactor activity for Factor I-mediated inactivation of C3b. The Factor H-binding site within CbiA was mapped to domain 20 whereby the C-terminus of CbiA was involved in FH binding. Additionally, CbiA directly inhibited the activation of the classical pathway and the assembly of the terminal complement complex. Of importance, CbiA displayed inhibitory activity when ectopically produced in serum-sensitiveB. gariniiG1, rendering this surrogate strain resistant to human serum. In addition, long-termin vitrocultivation lead to an incremental loss of thecbiAgene accompanied by an increase in serum susceptibility. In conclusion, our data revealed a dual strategy ofB. miyamotoito efficiently evade complement via CbiA, which possesses complement binding and inhibitory activities.
Influence of maternal overweight, obesity and gestational weight gain on the perinatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Miao Miao , Dai Mei , Zhang Yue , Sun Fang , Guo Xirong , Sun Guiju 
Published: March 2017

AbstractTo assess the associations between maternal body mass index (BMI) as well as gestational weight gain (GWG) and pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This is a retrospective analysis involving 832 nulliparous women complicated with GDM. Multivariate logistic and restricted cubic logistic regression were used to investigate the association of interest. Overall, 178 (21.4%) women were overweight or obese, and 298 (35.2%) exhibited excessive GWG. Compared with women of normal weight, high pre-pregnancy BMI resulted in a higher risk of cesarean section with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.95 (95% confidence interval being 1.29–2.96) for overweight group and 3.26 (1.57–6.76) for obese group. Similarly, the respective aORs were 4.10 (1.56–10.81) and 9.78 (2.91–32.85) for gestational hypertension, 2.02 (1.05–3.88) and 8.04 (3.46–18.66) for macrosomia, 2.14 (1.40–3.26) and 3.34 (1.69–6.60) for large for gestational age (LGA). Compared with adequate GWG, excessive GWG increased the incidence of cesarean section (1.60, 1.15–2.23) and macrosomia (1.94, 1.11–3.38), while inadequate GWG reduced the incidence of LGA (0.29, 0.17–0.51). High pre-pregnancy BMI and excessive GWG were associated with higher incidence of LGA, as well as other adverse outcomes in women with GDM. Narrower guidelines on GWG might offer extra safety benefit in gestational diabetic population.
Transcription factors of Schizophyllum commune involved in mushroom formation and modulation of vegetative growth
Authors: Pelkmans Jordi F. , Patil Mohini B. , Gehrmann Thies , Reinders Marcel J. T. , Wösten Han A. B. , Lugones Luis G. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMushrooms are the most conspicuous fungal structures. Transcription factors (TFs) Bri1 and Hom1 of the model fungus Schizophyllum commune are involved in late stages of mushroom development, while Wc-2, Hom2, and Fst4 function early in development. Here, it is shown that Bri1 and Hom1 also stimulate vegetative growth, while biomass formation is repressed by Wc-2, Hom2, and Fst4. The Δbri1Δbri1 and the Δhom1Δhom1 strains formed up to 0.6 fold less biomass when compared to wild-type, while Δwc-2Δwc-2, Δhom2Δhom2, and Δfst4Δfst4 strains formed up to 2.8 fold more biomass. Inactivation of TF gene tea1, which was downregulated in the Δwc-2Δwc-2, Δhom2Δhom2, and Δfst4Δfst4 strains, resulted in a strain that was severely affected in mushroom development and that produced 1.3 fold more biomass than the wild-type. In contrast, introducing a constitutive active version of hom2 that had 4 predicted phosphorylation motifs eliminated resulted in radial growth inhibition and prompt fructification in both Δhom2 and wild-type strains, even in sterile monokaryons. Together, it is concluded that TFs involved in mushroom formation also modulate vegetative growth. Among these TFs is the homeodomain protein Hom2, being the first time that this class of regulatory proteins is implicated in repression of vegetative growth in a eukaryote.
Systems-level understanding of ethanol-induced stresses and adaptation in E. coli
Authors: Cao Huansheng , Wei Du , Yang Yuedong , Shang Yu , Li Gaoyang , Zhou Yaoqi , Ma Qin , Xu Ying 
Published: March 2017

AbstractUnderstanding ethanol-induced stresses and responses in biofuel-producing bacteria at systems level has significant implications in engineering more efficient biofuel producers. We present a computational study of transcriptomic and genomic data of both ethanol-stressed and ethanol-adapted E. coli cells with computationally predicated ethanol-binding proteins and experimentally identified ethanol tolerance genes. Our analysis suggests: (1) ethanol damages cell wall and membrane integrity, causing increased stresses, particularly reactive oxygen species, which damages DNA and reduces the O2 level; (2) decreased cross-membrane proton gradient from membrane damage, coupled with hypoxia, leads to reduced ATP production by aerobic respiration, driving cells to rely more on fatty acid oxidation, anaerobic respiration and fermentation for ATP production; (3) the reduced ATP generation results in substantially decreased synthesis of macromolecules; (4) ethanol can directly bind 213 proteins including transcription factors, altering their functions; (5) all these changes together induce multiple stress responses, reduced biosynthesis, cell viability and growth; and (6) ethanol-adapted E. coli cells restore the majority of these reduced activities through selection of specific genomic mutations and alteration of stress responses, ultimately restoring normal ATP production, macromolecule biosynthesis, and growth. These new insights into the energy and mass balance will inform design of more ethanol-tolerant strains.
Volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying chloride channel blockers protect against high glucose-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes via autophagy activation
Authors: Wang Lin , Shen Mingzhi , Guo Xiaowang , Wang Bo , Xia Yuesheng , Wang Ning , Zhang Qian , Jia Lintao , Wang Xiaoming 
Published: March 2017

AbstractHyperglycemia is a well-characterized contributing factor for cardiac dysfunction and heart failure among diabetic patients. Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes plays a major role during the onset and pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nonetheless, the molecular machinery underlying hyperglycemia-induced cardiac damage and cell death remains elusive. In the present study, we found that chloride channel blockers, 4,4′-diisothiocya-natostilbene-2,2′- disulfonic acid (DIDS) and 4-(2-butyl-6,7-dichlor-2-cyclopentyl-indan-1-on-5-yl) oxybutyric acid (DCPIB), inhibited high glucose-activated volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying (VSOR) Cl− channel and improved the viability of cardiomyocytes. High glucose induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by suppressing the autophagic stress, which can be reversed via blockade of VSOR Cl− channel. VSOR activation in high glucose-treated cardiomyocytes was attributed to increased intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Taken together, our study unraveled a role of VSOR chloride currents in impaired autophagy and increased apoptosis of high glucose-exposed cardiomyocyte, and has implications for a therapeutic potential of VSOR chloride channel blockers in DCM.
White Matter Repair After Extracellular Vesicles Administration in an Experimental Animal Model of Subcortical Stroke
Authors: Otero-Ortega Laura , Laso-García Fernando , Gómez-de Frutos María del Carmen , Rodríguez-Frutos Berta , Pascual-Guerra Jorge , Fuentes Blanca , Díez-Tejedor Exuperio , Gutiérrez-Fernández María 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMesenchymal stem cells have previously been shown to mediate brain repair after stroke; they secrete 50–100 nm complexes called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which could be responsible for provoking neurovascular repair and functional recovery. EVs have been observed by electron microscopy and NanoSight, and they contain associated proteins such as CD81 and Alix. This purified, homogeneous population of EVs was administered intravenously after subcortical stroke in rats. To evaluate the EVs effects, we studied the biodistribution, proteomics analysis, functional evaluation, lesion size, fiber tract integrity, axonal sprouting and white matter repair markers. We found that a single administration of EVs improved functional recovery, fiber tract integrity, axonal sprouting and white matter repair markers in an experimental animal model of subcortical stroke. EVs were found in the animals’ brain and peripheral organs after euthanasia. White matter integrity was in part restored by EVs administration mediated by molecular repair factors implicated in axonal sprouting, tract connectivity, remyelination and oligodendrogenesis. These findings are associated with improved functional recovery. This novel role for EVs presents a new perspective in the development of biologics for brain repair.
Role of polar nanoregions with weak random fields in Pb-based perovskite ferroelectrics
Authors: Helal M. A. , Aftabuzzaman M. , Tsukada S. , Kojima S. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn relaxor ferroelectrics, the role of randomly orientated polar nanoregions (PNRs) with weak random fields (RFs) is one of the most puzzling issues of materials science. The relaxation time of polarization fluctuations of PNRs, which manifests themselves as a central peak (CP) in inelastic light scattering, is the important physical quantity to understand the dynamics of PNRs. Here, the angular and temperature dependences of depolarized and polarized CPs in 0.44Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.56PbTiO3single crystals with weak RFs have been studied by Raman and Brillouin scattering, respectively. The CPs observed in Raman scattering show the very clear angular dependence which is consistent with the local tetragonal symmetry. It is different from the well-known local rhombohedral symmetry with strong RFs for Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3. In Brillouin scattering, depolarized and polarized CPs show two relaxation processes corresponding to transverse and longitudinal fluctuations of PNRs. The remarkable slowing down towards the Curie temperature was observed for transverse fluctuations in local tetragonal symmetry.
Evolution of the chitin synthase gene family correlates with fungal morphogenesis and adaption to ecological niches
Authors: Liu Ran , Xu Chuan , Zhang Qiangqiang , Wang Shiyi , Fang Weiguo 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe fungal kingdom potentially has the most complex chitin synthase (CHS) gene family, but evolution of the fungal CHS gene family and its diversification to fulfill multiple functions remain to be elucidated. Here, we identified the full complement of CHSs from 231 fungal species. Using the largest dataset to date, we characterized the evolution of the fungal CHS gene family using phylogenetic and domain structure analysis. Gene duplication, domain recombination and accretion are major mechanisms underlying the diversification of the fungal CHS gene family, producing at least 7 CHS classes. Contraction of the CHS gene family is morphology-specific, with significant loss in unicellular fungi, whereas family expansion is lineage-specific with obvious expansion in early-diverging fungi. ClassV and ClassVII CHSs with the same domain structure were produced by the recruitment of domains PF00063 and PF08766 and subsequent duplications. Comparative analysis of their functions in multiple fungal species shows that the emergence of ClassV and ClassVII CHSs is important for the morphogenesis of filamentous fungi, development of pathogenicity in pathogenic fungi, and heat stress tolerance in Pezizomycotina fungi. This work reveals the evolution of the fungal CHS gene family, and its correlation with fungal morphogenesis and adaptation to ecological niches.
Emigration dynamics of cockroaches under different disturbance regimes do not depend on individual personalities
Authors: Planas-Sitjà I. , Laurent Salazar M. O. , Sempo G. , Deneubourg J. L. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractGroup-level properties, such as collective movements or decisions, can be considered an outcome of the interplay between individual behavior and social interactions. However, the respective influences of individual preferences and social interactions are not evident. In this research, we study the implications of behavioral variability on the migration dynamics of a group of gregarious insects (Periplaneta americana) subjected to two different disturbance regimes (one without disturbances and another one with high frequency of disturbances). The results indicate that individuals presented consistent behavior during the nighttime (active phase of cockroaches) in both conditions. Moreover, we used a modeling approach to test the role of personality during the migration process. The model considers identical individuals (no personality) without memory and no direct inter-attraction between individuals. The agreement between theoretical and experimental results shows that behavioral variability play a secondary role during migration dynamics. Our results showing individual personality during the nighttime (spontaneous decision to forage) but not during the emigration process (induced by environmental disturbances) highlight the plasticity of personality traits.
Fast detection of tobacco mosaic virus infected tobacco using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Peng Jiyu , Song Kunlin , Zhu Hongyan , Kong Wenwen , Liu Fei , Shen Tingting , He Yong 
Published: March 2017

AbstractTobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the most devastating viruses to crops, which can cause severe production loss and affect the quality of products. In this study, we have proposed a novel approach to discriminate TMV-infected tobacco based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Two different kinds of tobacco samples (fresh leaves and dried leaf pellets) were collected for spectral acquisition, and partial least squared discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) was used to establish classification models based on full spectrum and observed emission lines. The influences of moisture content on spectral profile, signal stability and plasma parameters (temperature and electron density) were also analysed. The results revealed that moisture content in fresh tobacco leaves would worsen the stability of analysis, and have a detrimental effect on the classification results. Good classification results were achieved based on the data from both full spectrum and observed emission lines of dried leaves, approaching 97.2% and 88.9% in the prediction set, respectively. In addition, support vector machine (SVM) could improve the classification results and eliminate influences of moisture content. The preliminary results indicate that LIBS coupled with chemometrics could provide a fast, efficient and low-cost approach for TMV-infected disease detection in tobacco leaves.
Lineage divergence, local adaptation across a biogeographic break, and artificial transport, shape the genetic structure in the ascidian Pyura chilensis
Authors: Segovia Nicolás I. , Gallardo-Escárate Cristian , Poulin Elie , Haye Pilar A. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMarine benthic organisms inhabit a heterogeneous environment in which connectivity between populations occurs mainly through dispersive larval stages, while local selective pressures acting on early life history stages lead to non-random mortality, shaping adaptive genetic structure. In order to test the influence of local adaptation and neutral processes in a marine benthic species with low dispersal, in this study we used Genotyping by Sequencing technology to compare the neutral and putatively selected signals (neutral and outlier loci, respectively) in SNPs scattered throughout the genome in six local populations of the commercially exploited ascidian Pyura chilensis along the southeast Pacific coast (24°–42°S). This species is sessile as an adult, has a short-lived larval stage, and may also be dispersed by artificial transport as biofouling. We found that the main signal in neutral loci was a highly divergent lineage present at 39°S, and a subjacent signal that indicated a separation at 30°S (north/south), widely reported in the area. North/south separation was the main signal in outlier loci, and the linage divergence at 39°S was subjacent. We conclude that the geographic structure of the genetic diversity of outlier and neutral loci was established by different strengths of environmental, historical and anthropogenic factors.