bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cdk1 phosphorylates the Rac activator Tiam1 to activate centrosomal Pak and promote mitotic spindle formation
Authors: Whalley Helen J. , Porter Andrew P. , Diamantopoulou Zoi , White Gavin R. M. , Castañeda-Saucedo Eduardo , Malliri Angeliki 
Published: June 2015

AbstractCentrosome separation is critical for bipolar spindle formation and the accurate segregation of chromosomes during mammalian cell mitosis. Kinesin-5 (Eg5) is a microtubule motor essential for centrosome separation, and Tiam1 and its substrate Rac antagonize Eg5-dependent centrosome separation in early mitosis promoting efficient chromosome congression. Here we identify S1466 of Tiam1 as a novel Cdk1 site whose phosphorylation is required for the mitotic function of Tiam1. We find that this phosphorylation of Tiam1 is required for the activation of group I p21-activated kinases (Paks) on centrosomes in prophase. Further, we show that both Pak1 and Pak2 counteract centrosome separation in a kinase-dependent manner and demonstrate that they act downstream of Tiam1. We also show that depletion of Pak1/2 allows cells to escape monopolar arrest by Eg5 inhibition, highlighting the potential importance of this signalling pathway for the development of Eg5 inhibitors as cancer therapeutics.
Rh D blood group conversion using transcription activator-like effector nucleases
Authors: Kim Young-Hoon , Kim Hyun O. , Baek Eun J. , Kurita Ryo , Cha Hyuk-Jin , Nakamura Yukio , Kim Hyongbum 
Published: June 2015

AbstractGroup O D-negative blood cells are universal donors in transfusion medicine and methods for converting other blood groups into this universal donor group have been researched. However, conversion of D-positive cells into D-negative is yet to be achieved, although conversion of group A or B cells into O cells has been reported. The Rh D blood group is determined by the RHD gene, which encodes a 12-transmembrane domain protein. Here we convert Rh D-positive erythroid progenitor cells into D-negative cells using RHD-targeting transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs). After transfection of TALEN-encoding plasmids, RHD-knockout clones are obtained. Erythroid-lineage cells differentiated from these knockout erythroid progenitor cells do not agglutinate in the presence of anti-D reagents and do not express D antigen, as assessed using flow cytometry. Our programmable nuclease-induced blood group conversion opens new avenues for compatible donor cell generation in transfusion medicine.
Quantum ferroelectricity in charge-transfer complex crystals
Authors: Horiuchi Sachio , Kobayashi Kensuke , Kumai Reiji , Minami Nao , Kagawa Fumitaka , Tokura Yoshinori 
Published: June 2015

AbstractQuantum phase transition achieved by fine tuning the continuous phase transition down to zero kelvin is a challenge for solid state science. Critical phenomena distinct from the effects of thermal fluctuations can materialize when the electronic, structural or magnetic long-range order is perturbed by quantum fluctuations between degenerate ground states. Here we have developed chemically pure tetrahalo-p-benzoquinones of n iodine and 4–n bromine substituents (QBr4–nIn, n=0–4) to search for ferroelectric charge-transfer complexes with tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). Among them, TTF–QBr2I2 exhibits a ferroelectric neutral–ionic phase transition, which is continuously controlled over a wide temperature range from near-zero kelvin to room temperature under hydrostatic pressure. Quantum critical behaviour is accompanied by a much larger permittivity than those of other neutral–ionic transition compounds, such as well-known ferroelectric complex of TTF–QCl4 and quantum antiferroelectric of dimethyl–TTF–QBr4. By contrast, TTF–QBr3I complex, another member of this compound family, shows complete suppression of the ferroelectric spin-Peierls-type phase transition.
The existence of bronchiectasis predicts worse prognosis in patients with COPD
Authors: Mao Bei , Lu Hai-Wen , Li Man-Hui , Fan Li-Chao , Yang Jia-Wei , Miao Xia-Yi , Xu Jin-Fu 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBronchiectasis is prevalent in patients with COPD. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics and prognostic value of bronchiectasis in patients with COPD in China. Data from patients diagnosed with COPD at the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital between January 2009 and December 2013 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. SPSS statistical software was used to analyze the data. Data from 896 patients with COPD were analyzed. Bronchiectasis was present in 311 patients. The isolation of pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) from sputum was the variable most significantly associated with the presence of bronchiectasis in patients with COPD (hazard ratio (HR), 2.93; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.35–6.37; P = 0.007). During follow-up (median of 21 months; interquartile range: 10-39 months), there were 75 deaths, of which 39 were in the bronchiectasis group. The presence of bronchiectasis (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.02–3.08; P = 0.043) was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality in patients with COPD. These results suggest that bronchiectasis in patients with COPD was associated with the isolation of PA from the sputum. Bronchiectasis was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in patients with COPD.
Nanoplasma Formation by High Intensity Hard X-rays
Authors: Tachibana T. , Jurek Z. , Fukuzawa H. , Motomura K. , Nagaya K. , Wada S. , Johnsson P. , Siano M. , Mondal S. , Ito Y. , Kimura M. , Sakai T. , Matsunami K. , Hayashita H. , Kajikawa J. , Liu X.-J. , Robert E. , Miron C. , Feifel R. , Marangos J. P. , Tono K. , Inubushi Y. , Yabashi M. , Son S.-K. , Ziaja B. , Yao M. , Santra R. , Ueda K. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractUsing electron spectroscopy, we have investigated nanoplasma formation from noble gas clusters exposed to high-intensity hard-x-ray pulses at ~5 keV. Our experiment was carried out at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA) facility in Japan. Dedicated theoretical simulations were performed with the molecular dynamics tool XMDYN. We found that in this unprecedented wavelength regime nanoplasma formation is a highly indirect process. In the argon clusters investigated, nanoplasma is mainly formed through secondary electron cascading initiated by slow Auger electrons. Energy is distributed within the sample entirely through Auger processes and secondary electron cascading following photoabsorption, as in the hard x-ray regime there is no direct energy transfer from the field to the plasma. This plasma formation mechanism is specific to the hard-x-ray regime and may, thus, also be important for XFEL-based molecular imaging studies. In xenon clusters, photo- and Auger electrons contribute more significantly to the nanoplasma formation. Good agreement between experiment and simulations validates our modelling approach. This has wide-ranging implications for our ability to quantitatively predict the behavior of complex molecular systems irradiated by high-intensity hard x-rays.
Tip-multi-breaking in Capillary Microfluidic Devices
Authors: Zhu Pingan , Kong Tiantian , Kang Zhanxiao , Tian Xiaowei , Wang Liqiu 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWe report tip-multi-breaking (TMB) mode of droplet breakup in capillary microfluidic devices. This new mode appears in a region embraced by Cai = 0 and lg(Cai) = − 8.371(Ca0) −7.36 with Ca0 varying from 0.35 to 0.63 on the Cai – Ca0 phase diagram, Cai and Ca0 being the capillary numbers of inner and outer fluids, respectively. The mode is featured with a periodic, constant-speed thinning of the inner liquid tip and periodic formation of a sequence of droplets. The droplet number n in a sequence is determined by and increases with outer phase capillary number and varies from two to over ten. The distribution of both pinch-off time and size of the droplets in a sequence is a geometric progression of common ratio that depends exclusively on and increases monotonically with the droplet number from its minimum value of 0.5 at n = 2 to its maximum value of 1 as n tends to infinity. These features can help identify the unique geometric morphology of droplet clusters and make them promising candidates for encryption and anti-fake identification.
Chimpanzees and bonobos differ in intrinsic motivation for tool use
Authors: Koops Kathelijne , Furuichi Takeshi , Hashimoto Chie 
Published: June 2015

AbstractTool use in nonhuman apes can help identify the conditions that drove the extraordinary expansion of hominin technology. Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives. Whereas chimpanzees are renowned for their tool use, bonobos use few tools and none in foraging. We investigated whetherextrinsic(ecological and social opportunities) orintrinsic(predispositions) differences explain this contrast by comparing chimpanzees at Kalinzu (Uganda) and bonobos at Wamba (DRC). We assessed ecological opportunities based on availability of resources requiring tool use. We examined potential opportunities for social learning in immature apes. Lastly, we investigated predispositions by measuring object manipulation and object play. Extrinsic opportunities did not explain the tool use difference, whereas intrinsic predispositions did. Chimpanzees manipulated and played more with objects than bonobos, despite similar levels of solitary and social play. Selection for increased intrinsic motivation to manipulate objects likely also played an important role in the evolution of hominin tool use.
Developing Seedless Growth of ZnO Micro/Nanowire Arrays towards ZnO/FeS2/CuI P-I-N Photodiode Application
Authors: Yang Zhi , Wang Minqiang , Shukla Sudhanshu , Zhu Yue , Deng Jianping , Ge Hu , Wang Xingzhi , Xiong Qihua 
Published: June 2015

AbstractA seedless hydrothermal method is developed to grow high density and vertically aligned ZnO micro/nanowire arrays with low defect density on metal films under the saturated nutrition solution. In particular, the mechanism of seedless method is discussed here. A buffer layer can be confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which may release the elastic strain between ZnO and substrate to achieve this highly mismatched heteroepitaxial structures. Based on ZnO micro/nanowire arrays with excellent wettability surface, we prepared ZnO-FeS2-CuI p-i-n photodiode by all-solution processed method with the high rectifying ratio of 197 at ±1 V. Under AM 1.5 condition, the Jsc of 0.5 mA/cm2, on-off current ratio of 371 and fast photoresponse at zero bias voltage were obtained. This good performance comes from excellent collection ability of photogenerated electrons and holes due to the increased depletion layer width for p-i-n structure. Finally, the high responsivity around 900 nm shows the potential as near infrared photodetectors applications.
Identification of the gene defect responsible for severe hypercholesterolaemia using whole-exome sequencing
Authors: Sun Li-Yuan , Zhang Yong-Biao , Jiang Long , Wan Ning , Wu Wen-Feng , Pan Xiao-Dong , Yu Jun , Zhang Feng , Wang Lu-Ya 
Published: June 2015

AbstractFamilial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a serious genetic metabolic disease. We identified a specific family in which the proband had typical homozygous phenotype of FH, but couldn’t detect any mutations in usual pathogenic genes using traditional sequencing. This study is the first attempt to use whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify the pathogenic genes in Chinese FH. The routine examinations were performed on all parentage members and WES on 5 members. We used bioinformatics methods to splice and filter out the pathogenic gene. Finally, Sanger sequencing and cDNA sequencing were used to verify the candidate genes. Half of parentage members had got hypercholesterolaemia. WES identified LDLR IVS8[−10] as a candidate mutation from 222,267 variations. The Sanger sequencing showed proband had a homozygous mutation inherited from his parents and this loci were cosegregated with FH phenotype. The cDNA sequencing revealed that this mutations caused abnormal shearing. This mutation was first identified in Chinese patients and this homozygous mutation is a new genetic type of FH. This is the first time that WES was used in Chinese FH patients. We detected a novel genetic type of LDLR homozygous mutation. WES is powerful tools to identify specific FH families with potentially pathogenic gene mutations.
Enhancing malaria diagnosis through microfluidic cell enrichment and magnetic resonance relaxometry detection
Authors: Fook Kong Tian , Ye Weijian , Peng Weng Kung , Wei Hou Han , Marcos  , Preiser Peter Rainer , Nguyen Nam-Trung , Han Jongyoon 
Published: June 2015

AbstractDespite significant advancements over the years, there remains an urgent need for low cost diagnostic approaches that allow for rapid, reliable and sensitive detection of malaria parasites in clinical samples. Our previous work has shown that magnetic resonance relaxometry (MRR) is a potentially highly sensitive tool for malaria diagnosis. A key challenge for making MRR based malaria diagnostics suitable for clinical testing is the fact that MRR baseline fluctuation exists between individuals, making it difficult to detect low level parasitemia. To overcome this problem, it is important to establish the MRR baseline of each individual while having the ability to reliably determine any changes that are caused by the infection of malaria parasite. Here we show that an approach that combines the use of microfluidic cell enrichment with a saponin lysis before MRR detection can overcome these challenges and provide the basis for a highly sensitive and reliable diagnostic approach of malaria parasites. Importantly, as little as 0.0005% of ring stage parasites can be detected reliably, making this ideally suited for the detection of malaria parasites in peripheral blood obtained from patients. The approaches used here are envisaged to provide a new malaria diagnosis solution in the near future.
Unveiling astrocytic control of cerebral blood flow with optogenetics
Authors: Masamoto Kazuto , Unekawa Miyuki , Watanabe Tatsushi , Toriumi Haruki , Takuwa Hiroyuki , Kawaguchi Hiroshi , Kanno Iwao , Matsui Ko , Tanaka Kenji F. , Tomita Yutaka , Suzuki Norihiro 
Published: June 2015

AbstractCortical neural activities lead to changes in the cerebral blood flow (CBF), which involves astrocytic control of cerebrovascular tone. However, the manner in which astrocytic activity specifically leads to vasodilation or vasoconstriction is difficult to determine. Here, cortical astrocytes genetically expressing a light-sensitive cation channel, channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), were transcranially activated with a blue laser while the spatiotemporal changes in CBF were noninvasively monitored with laser speckle flowgraphy in the anesthetised mouse cortex. A brief photostimulation induced a fast transient increase in CBF. The average response onset time was 0.7 ± 0.7 sec at the activation foci and this CBF increase spread widely from the irradiation spot with an apparent propagation speed of 0.8–1.1 mm/sec. The broad increase in the CBF could be due to a propagation of diffusible vasoactive signals derived from the stimulated astrocytes. Pharmacological manipulation showed that topical administration of a K+ channel inhibitor (BaCl2; 0.1–0.5 mM) significantly reduced the photostimulation-induced CBF responses, which indicates that the ChR2-evoked astrocytic activity involves K+ signalling to the vascular smooth muscle cells. These findings demonstrate a unique model for exploring the role of the astrocytes in gliovascular coupling using non-invasive, time-controlled, cell-type specific perturbations.
Evaluating batteries for advanced wildlife telemetry tags
Authors: Toledo Sivan 
Published: June 2015

The authors evaluate miniature batteries as potential power sources for advanced wildlife telemetry tags. These tags are often based on integrated ultrahigh frequency transceivers that are designed for wireless sensor networks and that consume 18–85 mA while receiving or transmitting. This current drain is challenging for many types of miniature batteries. The authors evaluate batteries both on actual tags and in a specialised synthetic‐load circuit. The evaluation focuses on the total amount of energy that the battery delivers until the tag fails, but the authors also investigate other important issues, such as the ability to withstand immersion in water. The main findings are that zinc‐air cells designed mainly for hearing aids perform extremely well in terms of effective energy density (but are hard to deploy), that lithium coin cells require a reservoir capacitor to deliver their rated energy (which is about half of that of zinc air with the same weight) and that rechargeable lithium polymer cells perform well even without a reservoir capacitor.
Reduction of toxic RNAs in myotonic dystrophies type 1 and type 2 by the RNA helicase p68/DDX5
Authors: Jones Karlie , Wei Christina , Schoser Benedikt , Meola Giovanni , Timchenko Nikolai , Timchenko Lubov 
Published: June 2015

Significance
Inherited multisystemic diseases, myotonic dystrophies type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2), are caused by long CUG and CCUG RNA repeats. The mutant RNA CCUG repeats should be degraded after intron excision; however, this RNA accumulates in cells, leading to pathology. Although mutant RNAs may be degraded with synthetic oligonucleotides, the identification of a cause of the increased stability of CUG and CCUG RNAs would help to improve the efficiency of their degradation. We found that the reduction of RNA helicase p68 in skeletal muscle biopsies of DM1 and DM2 patients contributes to the delay of degradation of the mutant RNAs. Our work suggests RNA helicase p68 as a therapeutic target in DM, correction of which improves degradation of the mutant RNAs, reducing DM pathology.
Unifying account of visual motion and position perception
Authors: Kwon Oh-Sang , Tadin Duje , Knill David C. 
Published: June 2015

Significance
In our visual environment, object motion is strongly correlated with changes in object position. However, there is no unifying computational framework that can account for both motion and position perception and their interactions. Here, we propose and test an object-tracking model that optimally integrates sensory signals with a realistic model of motion dynamics. The model accounts for several well-known visual illusions, including motion-induced position shifts, slow speed biases, and the curveball illusion. Moreover, the model also makes several novel and, in some cases, counterintuitive predictions about interdependencies between position and motion. In summary, we provide a unifying framework that reconceptualizes how the human visual system constructs coherent percepts from noisy position and motion signals.
Green spaces and cognitive development in primary schoolchildren
Authors: Dadvand Payam , Nieuwenhuijsen Mark J. , Esnaola Mikel , Forns Joan , Basagaña Xavier , Alvarez-Pedrerol Mar , Rivas Ioar , López-Vicente Mónica , De Castro Pascual Montserrat , Su Jason , Jerrett Michael , Querol Xavier , Sunyer Jordi 
Published: June 2015

Significance
Green spaces have a range of health benefits, but little is known in relation to cognitive development in children. This study, based on comprehensive characterization of outdoor surrounding greenness (at home, school, and during commuting) and repeated computerized cognitive tests in schoolchildren, found an improvement in cognitive development associated with surrounding greenness, particularly with greenness at schools. This association was partly mediated by reductions in air pollution. Our findings provide policymakers with evidence for feasible and achievable targeted interventions such as improving green spaces at schools to attain improvements in mental capital at population level.
Transcriptomics of critical period of visual cortical plasticity in mice
Authors: Benoit Jamie , Ayoub Albert E. , Rakic Pasko 
Published: June 2015

Significance
The critical period of activity-dependent plasticity is considered to be an essential step for the refinement of synaptic connections in the mammalian visual cortex. Gene expression profiling of this period in the mouse indicates that the expression of most genes changes concomitantly with the association areas and that only a small number are region-specific, opening the way to further study of their possible role during normal and pathological development of vision.
Rationally designed chemokine-based toxin targeting the viral G protein-coupled receptor US28 potently inhibits cytomegalovirus infection in vivo
Authors: Spiess Katja , Jeppesen Mads G. , Malmgaard-Clausen Mikkel , Krzywkowski Karen , Dulal Kalpana , Cheng Tong , Hjortø Gertrud M. , Larsen Olav , Burg John S. , Jarvis Michael A. , Garcia K. Christopher , Zhu Hua , Kledal Thomas N. , Rosenkilde Mette M. 
Published: June 2015

Significance
All drugs currently used for the clinical treatment of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection are associated with considerable adverse side effects and with the development of drug resistance that results in therapy failure. Here we describe a novel, rationally designed fusion toxin protein (FTP)-based strategy to target HCMV on the basis of its virally expressed G protein-coupled receptor (US28) and cognate chemokine ligand. Viral G protein-coupled receptors are expressed by a number of other clinically important viruses. We suggest that FTP-based molecules targeting virally expressed 7TM receptors may represent a new class of drugs amenable for development against complex viral pathogens.
Melodic sound enhances visual awareness of congruent musical notes, but only if you can read music
Authors: Lee Minyoung , Blake Randolph , Kim Sujin , Kim Chai-Youn 
Published: June 2015

Significance
When left and right eyes disagree about what is being viewed, the brain resolves the disagreement by compromise: Visual awareness alternates between the two eyes’ views over time. Called “binocular rivalry,” these alternations in awareness are widely thought to reveal the usually implicit inferential nature of visual processing. In this study, we found that the perceptual dynamics defining rivalry are influenced by abstract, relational properties between visual and auditory sequences comprising musical melodies. However, this bisensory interaction impacts only the amount of time a visual sequence dominates awareness, with audiovisual interaction being powerless to hasten a visual sequence’s emergence from invisibility into awareness. These findings situate the inferential processing putatively transpiring during rivalry prior to extraction of abstract, semantic information.