bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Bax inhibitor MrBI-1 regulates heat tolerance, apoptotic-like cell death and virulence in Metarhizium robertsii
Authors: Chen Yixiong , Duan Zhibing , Chen Peilin , Shang Yanfang , Wang Chengshu 
Published: May 2015

AbstractBax inhibitor 1 (BI-1) is a highly conserved protein originally identified as a suppressor of the proapoptotic protein Bax to inhibit cell death in animals and plants. The orthologs of BI-1 are widely distributed in filamentous fungi but their functions remain largely unknown. Herein, we report the identification and characterizations of MrBI-1, an ortholog of BI-1, in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. First, we found that MrBI-1 could partially rescue mammalian Bax-induced cell death in yeast. Deletion of MrBI-1 impaired fungal development, virulence and heat tolerance in M. robertsii. We also demonstrated that inactivation of MrBI-1 reduced fungal resistance to farnesol but not to hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that MrBI-1 contributes to antiapoptotic-like cell death via the endoplasmic reticulum stress-signaling pathway rather than the classical mitochondrium-dependent pathway. In particular, we found that unlike the observations in yeasts and plants, expression of mammalian Bax did not lead to a lethal effect in M. robertsii; however, it did aggravate the fungal apoptotic effect of farnesol. The results of this study advance our understanding of BI-1-like protein functions in filamentous fungi.
The Oxidant Role of 4-Hydroxynonenal in Corneal Epithelium
Authors: Chen Longlong , Zong Rongrong , Zhou Jing , Ge Lianping , Zhou Tong , Ma Jian-xing , Liu Zuguo , Zhou Yueping 
Published: May 2015

Abstract4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE or HNE) is a main endogenous product of cellular lipid peroxidation in tissues and is reported to play pathogenic roles in eye diseases. Here we investigated the association between 4-HNE and oxidative stress in the corneal epithelium. 4-HNE suppressed the cell viability of human corneal epithelial cells (HCE) in a concentration dependent manner. 4-HNE significantly increased the level of 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT), a marker of oxidative stress, in HCE cells and corneal epithelium of rats by immunofluorescent staining and Western blot analysis. To its underlying mechanistic on ROS system, 4-HNE elevated the ROS generation enzyme NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and induced the activation of NF-E2–related factor-2 (NRF2) and its downstream effectors: NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) (NQO1) and glutathione S-transferase P (GSTP). Furthermore, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant and ROS scavenger, antagonized the inhibitory and oxidant effects of 4-HNE on the corneal epithelial cells. In conclusion, 4-HNE plays an oxidant role in the corneal epithelium and this work provides a new strategy for the pathogenesis and treatment of corneal diseases.
Polyphyly of nuclear lamin genes indicates an early eukaryotic origin of the metazoan-type intermediate filament proteins
Authors: Kollmar Martin 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe nuclear lamina is a protein meshwork associated with the inner side of the nuclear envelope contributing structural, signalling and regulatory functions. Here, I report on the evolution of an important component of the lamina, the lamin intermediate filament proteins, across the eukaryotic tree of life. The lamins show a variety of protein domain and sequence motif architectures beyond the classical α-helical rod, nuclear localisation signal, immunoglobulin domain and CaaX motif organisation, suggesting extension and adaptation of functions in many species. I identified lamin genes not only in metazoa and Amoebozoa as previously described, but also in other opisthokonts including Ichthyosporea and choanoflagellates, in oomycetes, a sub-family of Stramenopiles and in Rhizaria, implying that they must have been present very early in eukaryotic evolution if not even the last common ancestor of all extant eukaryotes. These data considerably extend the current perception of lamin evolution and have important implications with regard to the evolution of the nuclear envelope.
RiboTALE: A modular, inducible system for accurate gene expression control
Authors: Rai Navneet , Ferreiro Aura , Neckelmann Alexander , Soon Amy , Yao Andrew , Siegel Justin , Facciotti Marc T. , Tagkopoulos Ilias 
Published: May 2015

AbstractA limiting factor in synthetic gene circuit design is the number of independent control elements that can be combined together in a single system. Here, we present RiboTALEs, a new class of inducible repressors that combine the specificity of TALEs with the ability of riboswitches to recognize exogenous signals and differentially control protein abundance. We demonstrate the capacity of RiboTALEs, constructed through different combinations of TALE proteins and riboswitches, to rapidly and reproducibly control the expression of downstream targets with a dynamic range of 243.7 ± 17.6-fold, which is adequate for many biotechnological applications.
Molecularly Targeted Therapy of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Xenografts with Radio-iodinated Anti-VEGFR2 Murine-Human Chimeric Fab
Authors: Huang Jianfei , Tang Qi , Wang Changjun , Yu Huixin , Feng Zhenqing , Zhu Jin 
Published: May 2015

AbstractVascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is traditionally regarded as an important therapeutic target in a wide variety of malignancies, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously generated a murine-human anti-VEGFR2 chimeric Fab (cFab), named FA8H1, which has the potential to treat VEGFR2-overexpressing solid tumors. Here, we investigated whether FA8H1 can be used as a carrier in molecularly targeted therapy in HCC xenograft models. FA8H1 was labeled with131I and two HCC xenograft models were generated using BEL-7402 (high VEGFR2-expressing) and SMMC-7721 (low VEGFR2-expressing) cells, which were selected from five HCC cell lines. The biodistribution of131I-FA8H1 was determined in both models by Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography and therapeutic effects were monitored in nude mice bearing BEL-7402 xenografts. Finally, we determined the involvement of necrosis and apoptotic pathways in treated mice using immunohistochemistry.131I-FA8H1 levels were dramatically reduced in blood and other viscera. The therapeutic effect of131I-labeled FA8H1 in the BEL-7402 model was significantly better than that by131I and FA8H1 alone. We observed extensive necrosis in the treated tumors and both FasL and caspase 3 were up-regulated. Thus,131I-anti-VEGFR2 cFab has the potential to be used for molecularly targeted treatment of HCC overexpressing VEGFR2.
Irrelevant tactile stimulation biases visual exploration in external coordinates
Authors: Ossandón José P. , König Peter , Heed Tobias 
Published: May 2015

AbstractWe evaluated the effect of irrelevant tactile stimulation on humans’ free-viewing behavior during the exploration of complex static scenes. Specifically, we address the questions of (1) whether task-irrelevant tactile stimulation presented to subjects’ hands can guide visual selection during free viewing; (2) whether tactile stimulation can modulate visual exploratory biases that are independent of image content and task goals; and (3) in which reference frame these effects occur. Tactile stimulation to uncrossed and crossed hands during the viewing of static images resulted in long-lasting modulation of visual orienting responses. Subjects showed a well-known leftward bias during the early exploration of images and this bias was modulated by tactile stimulation presented at image onset. Tactile stimulation, both at image onset and later during the trials, biased visual orienting toward the space ipsilateral to the stimulated hand, both in uncrossed and crossed hand postures. The long-lasting temporal and global spatial profile of the modulation of free viewing exploration by touch indicates that cross-modal cues produce orienting responses, which are coded exclusively in an external reference frame.
Activation of the TOR Signalling Pathway by Glutamine Regulates Insect Fecundity
Authors: Zhai Yifan , Sun Zhongxiang , Zhang Jianqing , Kang Kui , Chen Jie , Zhang Wenqing 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe target of rapamycin (TOR) positively controls cell growth in response to nutrients such as amino acids. However, research on the specific nutrients sensed by TOR is limited. Glutamine (Gln), a particularly important amino acid involved in metabolism in organisms, is synthesised and catalysed exclusively by glutamine synthetase (GS) and our previous studies have shown that Gln may regulate fecundity in vivo levels of the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens. Until now, it has remained unclear whether Gln activates or inhibits the TOR signalling pathway. Here, we performed the combined analyses of iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification) and DGE (tag-based digital gene expression) data in N.lugens at the protein and transcript levels after GS RNAi and we found that 52 pathways overlap, including the TOR pathway. We further experimentally demonstrate that Gln activates the TOR pathway by promoting the serine/threonine protein kinase AKT and inhibiting the 5′AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK phosphorylation activity in the pest. Furthermore, TOR regulates the fecundity of N. lugens probably by mediating vitellogenin (Vg) expression. This work is the first report that Gln activates the TOR pathway in vivo.
Highly efficient red OLEDs using DCJTB as the dopant and delayed fluorescent exciplex as the host
Authors: Zhao Bo , Zhang Tianyou , Chu Bei , Li Wenlian , Su Zisheng , Wu Hairuo , Yan Xingwu , Jin Fangming , Gao Yuan , Liu Chengyuan 
Published: May 2015

AbstractIn this manuscript, we demonstrated a highly efficient DCJTB emission with delayed fluorescent exciplex TCTA:3P-T2T as the host. For the 1.0% DCJTB doped concentration, a maximum luminance, current efficiency, power efficiency and EQE of 22,767 cd m−2, 22.7 cd A−1, 21.5 lm W−1 and 10.15% were achieved, respectively. The device performance is the best compared to either red OLEDs with traditional fluorescent emitter or traditional red phosphor of Ir(piq)3 doped into CBP host. The extraction of so high efficiency can be explained as the efficient triplet excitons up-conversion of TCTA:3P-T2T and the energy transfer from exciplex host singlet state to DCJTB singlet state.
Diabetic silkworms for evaluation of therapeutically effective drugs against type II diabetes
Authors: Matsumoto Yasuhiko , Ishii Masaki , Hayashi Yohei , Miyazaki Shinya , Sugita Takuya , Sumiya Eriko , Sekimizu Kazuhisa 
Published: May 2015

AbstractWe previously reported that sugar levels in the silkworm hemolymph, i.e., blood, increase immediately (within 1 h) after intake of a high-glucose diet and that the administration of human insulin decreases elevated hemolymph sugar levels in silkworms. In this hyperglycemic silkworm model, however, administration of pioglitazone or metformin, drugs used clinically for the treatment of type II diabetes, have no effect. Therefore, here we established a silkworm model of type II diabetes for the evaluation of anti-diabetic drugs such as pioglitazone and metformin. Silkworms fed a high-glucose diet over a long time-period (18 h) exhibited a hyperlipidemic phenotype. In these hyperlipidemic silkworms, phosphorylation of JNK, a stress-responsive protein kinase, was enhanced in the fat body, an organ that functionally resembles the mammalian liver and adipose tissue. Fat bodies isolated from hyperlipidemic silkworms exhibited decreased sensitivity to human insulin. The hyperlipidemic silkworms have impaired glucose tolerance, characterized by high fasting hemolymph sugar levels and higher hemolymph sugar levels in a glucose tolerance test. Administration of pioglitazone or metformin improved the glucose tolerance of the hyperlipidemic silkworms. These findings suggest that the hyperlipidemic silkworms are useful for evaluating the hypoglycemic activities of candidate drugs against type II diabetes.
Multidimensional stationary probability distribution for interacting active particles
Authors: Maggi Claudio , Marconi Umberto Marini Bettolo , Gnan Nicoletta , Di Leonardo Roberto 
Published: May 2015

AbstractWe derive the stationary probability distribution for a non-equilibrium system composed by an arbitrary number of degrees of freedom that are subject to Gaussian colored noise and a conservative potential. This is based on a multidimensional version of the Unified Colored Noise Approximation. By comparing theory with numerical simulations we demonstrate that the theoretical probability density quantitatively describes the accumulation of active particles around repulsive obstacles. In particular, for two particles with repulsive interactions, the probability of close contact decreases when one of the two particle is pinned. Moreover, in the case of isotropic confining potentials, the radial density profile shows a non trivial scaling with radius. Finally we show that the theory well approximates the “pressure” generated by the active particles allowing to derive an equation of state for a system of non-interacting colored noise-driven particles.
Non-Linear Optical Flow Cytometry Using a Scanned, Bessel Beam Light-Sheet
Authors: Collier Bradley B. , Awasthi Samir , Lieu Deborah K. , Chan James W. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractModern flow cytometry instruments have become vital tools for high-throughput analysis of single cells. However, as issues with the cellular labeling techniques often used in flow cytometry have become more of a concern, the development of label-free modalities for cellular analysis is increasingly desired. Non-linear optical phenomena (NLO) are of growing interest for label-free analysis because of the ability to measure the intrinsic optical response of biomolecules found in cells. We demonstrate that a light-sheet consisting of a scanned Bessel beam is an optimal excitation geometry for efficiently generating NLO signals in a microfluidic environment. The balance of photon density and cross-sectional area provided by the light-sheet allowed significantly larger two-photon fluorescence intensities to be measured in a model polystyrene microparticle system compared to measurements made using other excitation focal geometries, including a relaxed Gaussian excitation beam often used in conventional flow cytometers.
Oocyte quality is decreased in women with minimal or mild endometriosis
Authors: Xu Bo , Guo Nan , Zhang Xiao-min , Shi Wei , Tong Xian-hong , Iqbal Furhan , Liu Yu-sheng 
Published: May 2015

AbstractEndometriosis, a pathological condition in which the endometrium grows outside the uterus, is one of the most common causes of female infertility; it is diagnosed in 25–40% of infertile women. The mechanism by which endometriosis affects the fertility of females remains largely unknown. We examined the ultrastructure of oocytes from patients with minimal or mild endometriosis and control females undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the physiological significance of oocyte quality for patients with minimal or mild endometriosis. The TEM results revealed that the oocytes from women with minimal or mild endometriosis exhibited abnormal mitochondrial structure and decreased mitochondria mass. Quantitative real time PCR analysis revealed that the mitochondrial DNA copy number was significantly reduced in the oocytes from women with minimal or mild endometriosis compared with those of the control subjects. Our results suggest that decreased oocyte quality because of impaired mitochondrial structure and functions probably an important factor affecting the fertility of endometriosis patients.
32 Gbit/s QPSK transmission at 385 GHz using coherent fibre‐optic technologies and THz double heterodyne detection
Authors: Ducournau G. , Engenhardt K. , Szriftgiser P. , Bacquet D. , Zaknoune M. , Kassi R. , Lecomte E. , Lampin J.‐F. 
Published: May 2015

The first quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) data link at 385 GHz, using a photonic‐based terahertz (THz) emission and a double heterodyne THz detection, is reported. The QPSK signalling is investigated up to 16 Gbaud (32 Gbit/s) on a short range distance, with 20 µW received power levels.
Responses of Coastal Largemouth Bass to Episodic Hypoxia
Authors: Brown Daniel T. , Aday D. Derek , Rice James A. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe river systems inhabited by coastal populations of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides in North Carolina and along the Atlantic and Gulf coast regions exhibit episodic (i.e., several times per year) fluctuations in environmental conditions (e.g., dissolved oxygen [DO]). Laboratory studies have documented the effects of low DO (hypoxia) on Largemouth Bass, yet few field studies have examined these effects in open systems. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of episodic hypoxia on Largemouth Bass distribution, survival, and feeding success in an open coastal system. We collected 45 Largemouth Bass from four tributaries of the Chowan River and tagged them with acoustic transmitters. Fish movements were monitored using active tracking and passive receivers, and these data were compared with DO levels recorded in the tributaries and main‐stem Chowan River. We found that tagged Largemouth Bass exhibited avoidance behavior at DO concentrations below 1.8 mg/L, with some seeking higher DO in the main stem or near tributary mouths during hypoxic events in the tributaries. The natural mortality rate of Largemouth Bass was low compared with rates reported in other studies, indicating that Largemouth Bass in coastal systems are able to survive hypoxic events. Analysis of stomach contents collected during hypoxic and non‐hypoxic periods indicated that Largemouth Bass had less food in their stomachs under hypoxic conditions; however, the CPUE (fish/h of pedal time) of potential prey fishes was not lower during hypoxic periods relative to non‐hypoxic periods, and thus a change in foraging opportunities did not appear to drive Largemouth Bass movement.
Enhanced secretion of natto phytase by Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Tsuji Shogo , Tanaka Kosei , Takenaka Shinji , Yoshida Ken-ichi 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
Phytases comprise a group of phosphatases that trim inorganic phosphates from phytic acid (IP6). In this study, we aimed to achieve the efficient secretion of phytase by Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis laboratory standard strain 168 and its derivatives exhibit no phytase activity, whereas a natto starter secretes phytase actively. The natto phytase gene was cloned into strain RIK1285, a protease-defective derivative of 168, to construct a random library of its N-terminal fusions with 173 different signal peptides (SPs) identified in the 168 genome. The library was screened to assess the efficiency of phytase secretion based on clear zones around colonies on plates, which appeared when IP6 was hydrolyzed. The pbp SP enhanced the secretion of the natto phytase most efficiently, i.e. twice that of the original SP. Thus, the secreted natto phytase was purified and found to remove up to 3 phosphates from IP6.
The Sato-Tate law for Drinfeld modules
Authors: Zywina David 
Published: May 2015

We prove an analogue of the Sato-Tate conjecture for Drinfeld modules. Using ideas of Drinfeld, J.-K. Yu showed that Drinfeld modules satisfy some Sato-Tate law, but did not describe the actual law. More precisely, for a Drinfeld module

ϕ
\phi

defined over a field

L
L

, he constructs a continuous representation

ρ
∞

:

W
L

→

D
×

\rho _\infty \colon W_L \to D^\times

of the Weil group of

L
L

into a certain division algebra, which encodes the Sato-Tate law. When

ϕ
\phi

has generic characteristic and

L
L

is finitely generated, we shall describe the image of

ρ
∞

\rho _\infty

up to commensurability. As an application, we give improved upper bounds for the Drinfeld module analogue of the Lang-Trotter conjecture.
xHeinz: an algorithm for mining cross-species network modules under a flexible conservation model
Authors: El-Kebir Mohammed , Soueidan Hayssam , Hume Thomas , Beisser Daniela , Dittrich Marcus , Müller Tobias , Blin Guillaume , Heringa Jaap , Nikolski Macha , Wessels Lodewyk F. A. , Klau Gunnar W. 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
Motivation: Integrative network analysis methods provide robust interpretations of differential high-throughput molecular profile measurements. They are often used in a biomedical context—to generate novel hypotheses about the underlying cellular processes or to derive biomarkers for classification and subtyping. The underlying molecular profiles are frequently measured and validated on animal or cellular models. Therefore the results are not immediately transferable to human. In particular, this is also the case in a study of the recently discovered interleukin-17 producing helper T cells (Th17), which are fundamental for anti-microbial immunity but also known to contribute to autoimmune diseases.
Results: We propose a mathematical model for finding active subnetwork modules that are conserved between two species. These are sets of genes, one for each species, which (i) induce a connected subnetwork in a species-specific interaction network, (ii) show overall differential behavior and (iii) contain a large number of orthologous genes. We propose a flexible notion of conservation, which turns out to be crucial for the quality of the resulting modules in terms of biological interpretability. We propose an algorithm that finds provably optimal or near-optimal conserved active modules in our model. We apply our algorithm to understand the mechanisms underlying Th17 T cell differentiation in both mouse and human. As a main biological result, we find that the key regulation of Th17 differentiation is conserved between human and mouse.
Availability and implementation: xHeinz, an implementation of our algorithm, as well as all input data and results, are available at http://software.cwi.nl/xheinz and as a Galaxy service at http://services.cbib.u-bordeaux2.fr/galaxy in CBiB Tools.
Contact: gunnar.klau@cwi.nl
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Early post-settlement mortality of the scallop Pecten fumatus and the role of algal mats as a refuge from predation
Authors: Mendo T. , Lyle J. M. , Moltschaniwskyj N. A. , Semmens J. M. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractEarly post-settlement mortality is one of the main processes determining distribution and abundance patterns of marine benthic invertebrates. Most scallops have an attached phase as spat before they release the byssus and move onto the soft sediments. Thus, spat differ from other stages of life in their use of microhabitat, lack of mobility, and therefore in their vulnerability to mortality processes such as predation. However, the contribution of predation to explain levels of mortality experienced by spat and early juvenile scallops is unknown. Complex habitats such as seagrasses and algae provide a substrate upon which spat can attach and might confer an advantage as a refuge from predation. This study investigates the contribution of early post-settlement predation on abundance of Pecten fumatus and determines the role of the algae Hincksia sordida as a refuge from predation. Data were collected using field observations, a predator exclusion experiment, and tethering techniques. Mortality of up to 85% during the first weeks after settlement appeared to have prevented the establishment of an adult population at our study site. Mats of the macroalgae H. sordida provided a settlement substrate for P. fumatus spat. However, increased algal biomass did not provide greater protection from predation to juvenile scallops than lower algal biomass. Our study suggests that prey survival in submersed vegetation is likely to be dynamic among years, and affected by prey behaviour and density as well as the characteristics of the submerged vegetation.