bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brexit and Access to Legal Information
Authors: Green David Allen
Published: January 2018

The 6th Willi Steiner Memorial Lecture was delivered by David Allen Green and took place on 8 June 2017 during the Annual Conference of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) which was held in Manchester. His talk concerned libraries and public policy with particular reference to Brexit. He addressed the issues of how a debate like Brexit can be better informed and to what extent reliable legal and policy information makes any difference. In essence, he looks at how good information can help shape Brexit. This article is a later write-up from David's speaking notes. The lecture was, coincidentally, given on the same day as the general election.
Working Together to Provide a Library and Information Enquiry Service to Shell's Legal Community: a Story of Collaboration Between Client and Law Firm Part One: From the Client Perspective
Authors: Smith Hilary
Published: January 2018

This article and the one following are derived from a joint talk given at the BIALL Annual Conference 2017, held in Manchester. The title of the conference was ‘Together or apart? Effective ways of working’ and this talk described the collaboration between Shell's Legal Librarian, Hilary Smith, and Miriam Davies, Head of Library & Information at Norton Rose Fulbright, to provide an enquiry service to Shell's legal community. The service subsequently developed to include other law firms on Shell's legal panel. Topics covered include understanding the information needs of in-house lawyers, types of queries received, why involve law firms in providing such a service, the concept of added value and its importance in the client-law firm relationship, the setting up of the service, how it works in practice, how it is being used and key take away messages. In this article Hilary Smith takes a view from the client perspective.
Working Together to Provide a Library and Information Enquiry Service to Shell's Legal Community: a Story of Collaboration Between Client and Law Firm Part Two: From the Law Firm Perspective
Authors: Davies Miriam
Published: January 2018

This article and the previous one published in this issue of LIM are derived from a joint talk given at the BIALL Annual Conference 2017, which was held in Manchester. The title of the conference was ‘Together or apart? Effective ways of working’ and this talk described the collaboration between Shell's Legal Librarian, Hilary Smith, and Miriam Davies, Head of Library & Information at Norton Rose Fulbright, to provide an enquiry service to Shell's legal community. The service subsequently developed to include other law firms on Shell's legal panel. Topics covered include understanding the information needs of in-house lawyers, types of queries received, why involve law firms in providing such a service, the concept of added value and its importance in the client-law firm relationship, the setting up of the service, how it works in practice, how it is being used and key take away messages. In this article Miriam Davies takes a view from the law firm perspective.
How to Get Students into the Library: Revamping a University Library's Welcome Campaign
Authors: Walker Corryn
Published: January 2018

This paper is based on a parallel session presented at the BIALL Conference 2017 by Corryn Walker. The content focusses on a project undertaken by Manchester Metropolitan University Library during 2015/2016 to revamp their ‘Welcome and Induction’ programme. The project was coordinated by Corryn Walker and Elaine Cooke, both Deputy Library Services Managers. The article covers the background to, and motivation behind the project, its aims and objectives and the changes made to improve how the library welcomes new students to the service.
The first representative of Tipulomorpha (Diptera) from Early Eocene Cambay amber (India)
Authors: Kania Iwona , Krzemiński Wiesław , Stebner Frauke , Singh Hukam
Published: January 2018

The first representative of Tipulomorpha in Early Eocene Cambay amber from India is described. The new find belongs to the genus Dicranomyia in the family Limoniidae. This genus has a worldwide distribution today and is relatively common in Eocene Baltic amber. A new species belonging to the subgenus Dicranomyia is described as Dicranomyia (Dicranomyia) indica sp. nov.
Momentary Affect and the Optimism-Health Relationship
Authors: Rostalski Tim , Muehlan Holger , Schmidt Silke
Published: January 2018

Abstract. The aim of this intensive longitudinal study was to examine the moderating effect of affect on the optimism-health relationship and to separately consider valence and arousal, the basic dimensions of affect. For 14 days 45 students answered three times a day a questionnaire regarding affect and health status. Valence interacts with optimism in the prediction of health and tense arousal moderates the pessimism-health relationship. Findings provide support for the relevance of a two-factor model of dispositional optimism and the importance of separate consideration of the basic affect dimensions in the understanding of the processes between optimism and health.
Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to H5N1 plant-made virus-like particle vaccine are differentially impacted by alum and GLA-SE adjuvants in a Phase 2 clinical trial
Authors: Pillet Stéphane , Aubin Éric , Trépanier Sonia , Poulin Jean-François , Yassine-Diab Bader , ter Meulen Jan , Ward Brian J. , Landry Nathalie
Published: January 2018

The hemagglutinination inhibition (HI) response remains the gold standard used for the licensure of influenza vaccines. However, cell-mediated immunity (CMI) deserves more attention, especially when evaluating H5N1 influenza vaccines that tend to induce poor HI response. In this study, we measured the humoral response (HI) and CMI (flow cytometry) during a Phase II dose-ranging clinical trial (NCT01991561). Subjects received two intramuscular doses, 21 days apart, of plant-derived virus-like particles (VLP) presenting the A/Indonesia/05/2005 H5N1 influenza hemagglutinin protein (H5) at the surface of the VLP (H5VLP). The vaccine was co-administrated with Alhydrogel®or with a glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant-stable emulsion (GLA-SE). We demonstrated that low doses (3.75 or 7.5 μg H5VLP) of GLA-SE-adjuvanted vaccines induced HI responses that met criteria for licensure at both antigen doses tested. Alhydrogel adjuvanted vaccines induced readily detectable HI response that however failed to meet licensure criteria at any of three doses (10, 15 and 20 μg) tested. The H5VLP also induced a sustained (up to 6 months) polyfunctional and cross-reactive HA-specific CD4+T cell response in all vaccinated groups. Interestingly, the frequency of central memory Th1-primed precursor cells before the boost significantly correlated with HI titers 21 days after the boost. The ability of the low dose GLA-SE-adjuvanted H5VLP to elicit both humoral response and a sustained cross-reactive CMI in healthy adults is very attractive and could result in significant dose-sparing in a pandemic situation.
oriD structure controls RepD initiation during rolling-circle replication
Authors: Toleikis Algirdas , Webb Martin R. , Molloy Justin E.
Published: January 2018

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is often carried by circular DNA plasmids that are copied separately from the genomic DNA and can be passed to other bacteria, spreading the resistance. The chloramphenicol-resistance plasmid pC221 from Staphylococcus aureus is duplicated by a process called asymmetric rolling circle replication. It is not fully understood how the replication process is regulated but its initiation requires a plasmid-encoded protein called RepD that nicks one strand of the parent plasmid at the double-stranded origin of replication (oriD). Using magnetic tweezers to control the DNA linking number we found RepD nicking occurred only when DNA was negatively supercoiled and that binding of a non-nicking mutant (RepDY188F) stabilized secondary structure formation at oriD. Quenched-flow experiments showed the inverted complementary repeat sequence, ICRII, within oriD was most important for rapid nicking of intact plasmids. Our results show that cruciform formation at oriD is an important control for initiation of plasmid replication.
Multi-species coexistence in Lotka-Volterra competitive systems with crowding effects
Authors: Gavina Maica Krizna A. , Tahara Takeru , Tainaka Kei-ichi , Ito Hiromu , Morita Satoru , Ichinose Genki , Okabe Takuya , Togashi Tatsuya , Nagatani Takashi , Yoshimura Jin
Published: January 2018

Classical Lotka-Volterra (LV) competition equation has shown that coexistence of competitive species is only possible when intraspecific competition is stronger than interspecific competition, i.e., the species inhibit their own growth more than the growth of the other species. Note that density effect is assumed to be linear in a classical LV equation. In contrast, in wild populations we can observed that mortality rate often increases when population density is very high, known as crowding effects. Under this perspective, the aggregation models of competitive species have been developed, adding the additional reduction in growth rates at high population densities. This study shows that the coexistence of a few species is promoted. However, an unsolved question is the coexistence of many competitive species often observed in natural communities. Here, we build an LV competition equation with a nonlinear crowding effect. Our results show that under a weak crowding effect, stable coexistence of many species becomes plausible, unlike the previous aggregation model. An analysis indicates that increased mortality rate under high density works as elevated intraspecific competition leading to the coexistence. This may be another mechanism for the coexistence of many competitive species leading high species diversity in nature.
Efficient scalable production of therapeutic microvesicles derived from human mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Cha Jae Min , Shin Eun Kyoung , Sung Ji Hee , Moon Gyeong Joon , Kim Eun Hee , Cho Yeon Hee , Park Hyung Dal , Bae Hojae , Kim Jinseok , Bang Oh Young
Published: January 2018

Microvesicles (MVs) released by cells are involved in a multitude of physiological events as important mediators of intercellular communication. MVs derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contain various paracrine factors from the cells that primarily contribute to their therapeutic efficacy observed in numerous clinical trials. As nano-sized and bi-lipid layered vesicles retaining therapeutic potency equivalent to that of MSCs, MSC-derived MVs have been in focus as ideal medicinal candidates for regenerative medicine, and are preferred over MSC infusion therapy with their improved safety profiles. However, technical challenges in obtaining sufficient amounts of MVs have limited further progress in studies and clinical application. Of the multiple efforts to reinforce the therapeutic capacity of MSCs, few studies have reportedly examined the scale-up of MSC-derived MV production. In this study, we successfully amplified MV secretion from MSCs compared to the conventional culture method using a simple and efficient 3D-bioprocessing method. The MSC-derived MVs produced in our dynamic 3D-culture contained numerous therapeutic factors such as cytokines and micro-RNAs, and showed their therapeutic potency in in vitro efficacy evaluation. Our results may facilitate diverse applications of MSC-derived MVs from the bench to the bedside, which requires the large-scale production of MVs.
Hyper-hippocampal glycogen induced by glycogen loading with exhaustive exercise
Authors: Soya Mariko , Matsui Takashi , Shima Takeru , Jesmin Subrina , Omi Naomi , Soya Hideaki
Published: January 2018

Glycogen loading (GL), a well-known type of sports conditioning, in combination with exercise and a high carbohydrate diet (HCD) for 1 week enhances individual endurance capacity through muscle glycogen supercompensation. This exercise-diet combination is necessary for successful GL. Glycogen in the brain contributes to hippocampus-related memory functions and endurance capacity. Although the effect of HCD on the brain remains unknown, brain supercompensation occurs following exhaustive exercise (EE), a component of GL. We thus employed a rat model of GL and examined whether GL increases glycogen levels in the brain as well as in muscle, and found that GL increased glycogen levels in the hippocampus and hypothalamus, as well as in muscle. We further explored the essential components of GL (exercise and/or diet conditions) to establish a minimal model of GL focusing on the brain. Exercise, rather than a HCD, was found to be crucial for GL-induced hyper-glycogen in muscle, the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. Moreover, EE was essential for hyper-glycogen only in the hippocampus even without HCD. Here we propose the EE component of GL without HCD as a condition that enhances brain glycogen stores especially in the hippocampus, implicating a physiological strategy to enhance hippocampal functions.
Artificial chameleon skin that controls spectral radiation: Development of Chameleon Cool Coating (C3)
Authors: Gonome Hiroki , Nakamura Masashi , Okajima Junnosuke , Maruyama Shigenao
Published: January 2018

Chameleons have a diagnostic thermal protection that enables them to live under various conditions. Our developed special radiative control therefore is inspired by the chameleon thermal protection ability by imitating its two superposed layers as two pigment particles in one coating layer. One particle imitates a chameleon superficial surface for color control (visible light), and another particle imitates a deep surface to reflect solar irradiation, especially in the near-infrared region. Optical modeling allows us to optimally design the particle size and volume fraction. Experimental evaluation shows that the desired spectral reflectance, i.e., low in the VIS region and high in NIR region, can be achieved. Comparison between the measured and calculated reflectances shows that control of the particle size and dispersion/aggregation of particle cloud is important in improving the thermal-protection performance of the coating. Using our developed coating, the interior temperature decreases and the cooling load is reduced while keeping the dark tone of the object.
Meta-analysis of soil mercury accumulation by vegetables
Authors: Yu Haixin , Li Jing , Luan Yaning
Published: January 2018

Mercury pollution in soil poses serious risks to human health through consumption of contaminated vegetables. We used a meta-analysis to examine the mercury enrichment ability of different vegetables and the main factors affecting mercury uptake. We drew the following conclusions. (1) Plants with a lower bioconcentration factor (BCF) include cowpea, long bean, and radish, whereas plants with a higher BCF include green pepper, spinach, cabbage, and Chinese cabbage. (2) Leaf and cucurbit have the highest and lowest capacity, respectively, for mercury enrichment. (3) When soil pH is <6.5, mercury level uptake by the plant increases, whereas it decreases when the pH is >7.5, meaning that increased soil pH reduces mercury uptake in soil. (4) When soil organic matter (SOM) is lower than 20 g/kg, tuber plants have the highest and eggplant has the lowest mercury adsorption capacity, respectively. When SOM is 20–30 g/kg, cucurbit has the lowest and leaf the highest adsorption capacity, respectively. When SOM is higher than 30 g/kg, however, eggplant has the highest mercury adsorption capacity, but there were no significant differences among the five types of vegetables. We argue that this meta-analysis aids in selecting vegetables suitable for absorption of heavy metals from polluted soil.
Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125 produces 4-hydroxybenzoic acid that induces pyroptosis in human A459 lung adenocarcinoma cells
Authors: Sannino Filomena , Sansone Clementina , Galasso Christian , Kildgaard Sara , Tedesco Pietro , Fani Renato , Marino Gennaro , de Pascale Donatella , Ianora Adrianna , Parrilli Ermenegilda , Larsen Thomas Ostenfeld , Romano Giovanna , Tutino Maria Luisa
Published: January 2018

In order to exploit the rich reservoir of marine cold-adapted bacteria as a source of bioactive metabolites, ethyl acetate crude extracts of thirteen polar marine bacteria were tested for their antiproliferative activity on A549 lung epithelial cancer cells. The crude extract from Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125 was the most active in inhibiting cell proliferation. Extensive bioassay-guided purification and mass spectrometric characterization allowed the identification of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) as the molecule responsible for this bioactivity. We further demonstrate that 4-HBA inhibits A549 cancer cell proliferation with an IC50 value ≤ 1 μg ml−1, and that the effect is specific, since the other two HBA isomers (i.e. 2-HBA and 3-HBA) were unable to inhibit cell proliferation. The effect of 4-HBA is also selective since treatment of normal lung epithelial cells (WI-38) with 4-HBA did not affect cell viability. Finally, we show that 4-HBA is able to activate, at the gene and protein levels, a specific cell death signaling pathway named pyroptosis. Accordingly, the treatment of A549 cells with 4-HBA induces the transcription of (amongst others) caspase-1, IL1β, and IL18 encoding genes. Studies needed for the elucidation of mode of action of 4-HBA will be instrumental in depicting novel details of pyroptosis.
Control of neural crest induction by MarvelD3-mediated attenuation of JNK signalling
Authors: Vacca Barbara , Sanchez-Heras Elena , Steed Emily , Busson Sophie L. , Balda Maria S. , Ohnuma Shin-Ichi , Sasai Noriaki , Mayor Roberto , Matter Karl
Published: January 2018

Tight junctions are required for the formation of tissue barriers and function as suppressors of signalling mechanisms that control gene expression and cell behaviour; however, little is known about the physiological and developmental importance of such signalling functions. Here, we demonstrate that depletion of MarvelD3, a transmembrane protein of tight junctions, disrupts neural crest formation and, consequently, development of neural crest-derived tissues during Xenopus embryogenesis. Using embryos and explant cultures combined with a small molecule inhibitor or mutant mRNAs, we show that MarvelD3 is required to attenuate JNK signalling during neural crest induction and that inhibition of JNK pathway activation is sufficient to rescue the phenotype induced by MarvelD3 depletion. Direct JNK stimulation disrupts neural crest development, supporting the importance of negative regulation of JNK. Our data identify the junctional protein MarvelD3 as an essential regulator of early vertebrate development and neural crest induction and, thereby, link tight junctions to the control and timing of JNK signalling during early development.
Prevention of Retinal Degeneration in a Rat Model of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome
Authors: Fliesler Steven J. , Peachey Neal S. , Herron Josi , Hines Kelly M. , Weinstock Nadav I. , Ramachandra Rao Sriganesh , Xu Libin
Published: January 2018

Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) is a recessive human disease caused by defective cholesterol (CHOL) synthesis at the level of DHCR7 (7-dehydrocholesterol reductase), which normally catalyzes the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) to CHOL. Formation and abnormal accumulation of 7DHC and 7DHC-derived oxysterols occur in SLOS patients and in rats treated with the DHCR7 inhibitor AY9944. The rat SLOS model exhibits progressive and irreversible retinal dysfunction and degeneration, which is only partially ameliorated by dietary CHOL supplementation. We hypothesized that 7DHC-derived oxysterols are causally involved in this retinal degeneration, and that blocking or reducing their formation should minimize the phenotype. Here, using the SLOS rat model, we demonstrate that combined dietary supplementation with CHOL plus antioxidants (vitamins E and C, plus sodium selenite) provides better outcomes than dietary CHOL supplementation alone with regard to preservation of retinal structure and function and lowering 7DHC-derived oxysterol formation. These proof-of-principle findings provide a translational, pre-clinical framework for designing clinical trials using CHOL-antioxidant combination therapy as an improved therapeutic intervention over the current standard of care for the treatment of SLOS.
Role of METTL20 in regulating β-oxidation and heat production in mice under fasting or ketogenic conditions
Authors: Shimazu Tadahiro , Furuse Tamio , Balan Shabeesh , Yamada Ikuko , Okuno Shuzo , Iwanari Hiroko , Suzuki Takehiro , Hamakubo Takao , Dohmae Naoshi , Yoshikawa Takeo , Wakana Shigeharu , Shinkai Yoichi
Published: January 2018

METTL20 is a seven-β-strand methyltransferase that is localised to the mitochondria and tri-methylates the electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF) β subunit (ETFB) at lysines 200 and 203. It has been shown that METTL20 decreases the ability of ETF to extract electrons from medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (MCAD) and glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase in vitro. METTL20-mediated methylation of ETFB influences the oxygen consumption rate in permeabilised mitochondria, suggesting that METTL20-mediated ETFB methylation may also play a regulatory role in mitochondrial metabolism. In this study, we generated Mettl20 knockout (KO) mice to uncover the in vivo functions of METTL20. The KO mice were viable, and a loss of ETFB methylation was confirmed. In vitro enzymatic assays revealed that mitochondrial ETF activity was higher in the KO mice than in wild-type mice, suggesting that the KO mice had higher β-oxidation capacity. Calorimetric analysis showed that the KO mice fed a ketogenic diet had higher oxygen consumption and heat production. A subsequent cold tolerance test conducted after 24 h of fasting indicated that the KO mice had a better ability to maintain their body temperature in cold environments. Thus, METTL20 regulates ETF activity and heat production through lysine methylation when β-oxidation is highly activated.
Robust phenotype prediction from gene expression data using differential shrinkage of co-regulated genes
Authors: Zarringhalam Kourosh , Degras David , Brockel Christoph , Ziemek Daniel
Published: January 2018

Discovery of robust diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers is a key to optimizing therapeutic benefit for select patient cohorts - an idea commonly referred to as precision medicine. Most discovery studies to derive such markers from high-dimensional transcriptomics datasets are weakly powered with sample sizes in the tens of patients. Therefore, highly regularized statistical approaches are essential to making generalizable predictions. At the same time, prior knowledge-driven approaches have been successfully applied to the manual interpretation of high-dimensional transcriptomics datasets. In this work, we assess the impact of combining two orthogonal approaches for the discovery of biomarker signatures, namely (1) well-known lasso-based regression approaches and its more recent derivative, the group lasso, and (2) the discovery of significant upstream regulators in literature-derived biological networks. Our method integrates both approaches in a weighted group-lasso model and differentially weights gene sets based on inferred active regulatory mechanism. Using nested cross-validation as well as independent clinical datasets, we demonstrate that our approach leads to increased accuracy and generalizable results. We implement our approach in a computationally efficient, user-friendly R package called creNET. The package can be downloaded at https://github.com/kouroshz/creNethttps://github.com/kouroshz/creNet and is accompanied by a parsed version of the STRING DB data base.
Histology, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization reveal overlooked Ebola virus target tissues in the Ebola virus disease guinea pig model
Authors: Cooper Timothy K. , Huzella Louis , Johnson Joshua C. , Rojas Oscar , Yellayi Sri , Sun Mei G. , Bavari Sina , Bonilla Amanda , Hart Randy , Jahrling Peter B. , Kuhn Jens H. , Zeng Xiankun
Published: January 2018

Survivors of Ebola virus infection may become subclinically infected, but whether animal models recapitulate this complication is unclear. Using histology in combination with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in a retrospective review of a guinea pig confirmation-of-virulence study, we demonstrate for the first time Ebola virus infection in hepatic oval cells, the endocardium and stroma of the atrioventricular valves and chordae tendinae, satellite cells of peripheral ganglia, neurofibroblasts and Schwann cells of peripheral nerves and ganglia, smooth muscle cells of the uterine myometrium and vaginal wall, acini of the parotid salivary glands, thyroid follicular cells, adrenal medullary cells, pancreatic islet cells, endometrial glandular and surface epithelium, and the epithelium of the vagina, penis and, prepuce. These findings indicate that standard animal models for Ebola virus disease are not as well-described as previously thought and may serve as a stepping stone for future identification of potential sites of virus persistence.
The action of a negative allosteric modulator at the dopamine D2 receptor is dependent upon sodium ions
Authors: Draper-Joyce Christopher J. , Verma Ravi Kumar , Michino Mayako , Shonberg Jeremy , Kopinathan Anitha , Klein Herenbrink Carmen , Scammells Peter J. , Capuano Ben , Abramyan Ara M. , Thal David M. , Javitch Jonathan A. , Christopoulos Arthur , Shi Lei , Lane J. Robert
Published: January 2018

Sodium ions (Na+) allosterically modulate the binding of orthosteric agonists and antagonists to many class A G protein-coupled receptors, including the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R). Experimental and computational evidences have revealed that this effect is mediated by the binding of Na+ to a conserved site located beneath the orthosteric binding site (OBS). SB269652 acts as a negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of the D2R that adopts an extended bitopic pose, in which the tetrahydroisoquinoline moiety interacts with the OBS and the indole-2-carboxamide moiety occupies a secondary binding pocket (SBP). In this study, we find that the presence of a Na+ within the conserved Na+-binding pocket is required for the action of SB269652. Using fragments of SB269652 and novel full-length analogues, we show that Na+ is required for the high affinity binding of the tetrahydroisoquinoline moiety within the OBS, and that the interaction of the indole-2-carboxamide moiety with the SBP determines the degree of Na+-sensitivity. Thus, we extend our understanding of the mode of action of this novel class of NAM by showing it acts synergistically with Na+ to modulate the binding of orthosteric ligands at the D2R, providing opportunities for fine-tuning of modulatory effects in future allosteric drug design efforts.
Hyperbaric oxygen reduces inflammation, oxygenates injured muscle, and regenerates skeletal muscle via macrophage and satellite cell activation
Authors: Oyaizu Takuya , Enomoto Mitsuhiro , Yamamoto Naoki , Tsuji Kunikazu , Horie Masaki , Muneta Takeshi , Sekiya Ichiro , Okawa Atsushi , Yagishita Kazuyoshi
Published: January 2018

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO) promotes rapid recovery from soft tissue injuries. However, the healing mechanism is unclear. Here we assessed the effects of HBO on contused calf muscles in a rat skeletal muscle injury model. An experimental HBO chamber was developed and rats were treated with 100% oxygen, 2.5 atmospheres absolute for 2 h/day after injury. HBO reduced early lower limb volume and muscle wet weight in contused muscles, and promoted muscle isometric strength 7 days after injury. HBO suppressed the elevation of circulating macrophages in the acute phase and then accelerated macrophage invasion into the contused muscle. This environment also increased the number of proliferating and differentiating satellite cells and the amount of regenerated muscle fibers. In the early phase after injury, HBO stimulated the IL-6/STAT3 pathway in contused muscles. Our results demonstrate that HBO has a dual role in decreasing inflammation and accelerating myogenesis in muscle contusion injuries.
Pressure effect on impurity local vibrational mode and phase transitions in n-type iron-doped indium phosphide
Authors: Lin Chih-Ming , Hsu I-Jui , Lin Sin-Cheng , Chuang Yu-Chun , Chen Wei-Ting , Liao Yen-Fa , Juang Jenh-Yih
Published: January 2018

The evolution of iron local vibrational mode (Fe LVM) and phase transitions in n-type iron-doped indium phosphide (InP:Fe) were investigated at ambient temperature. In-situ angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that InP:Fe starts to transform from zinc-blende (ZB) to rock-salt (RS) structure around 8.2(2) GPa and completes around 16.0(2) GPa. The Raman shift of both transverse and longitudinal optical modes increases monotonically with increasing pressure, while their intensities become indiscernible at 11.6(2) GPa, suggesting that the pressure-induced phase transition is accompanied by significant metallization. In contrast, originally absent at ambient pressure, the Raman shift of Fe LVM appears at ∼420 cm−1 near 1.2 GPa and exhibits a dome shape behavior with increasing pressure, reaching a maximum value of ∼440 cm−1 around 5 GPa, with an apparent kink occurring around the ZB-RS transition pressure of ∼8.5(2) GPa. The Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) confirmed the tetrahedral site occupation of Fe3+ with a crystal field splitting parameter Δ
t
 = 38 kJ·mole−1. Our calculations indicate that the energy parameters governing the phase transition are Δt = 0.49 and Δ
o
 = 1.10 kJ·mole−1, respectively, both are much smaller than Δ
t
 = 38 kJ·mole−1 at ambient.
Selection and validation of reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression in Microsporum canis growing under different adhesion-inducing conditions
Authors: Ciesielska Anita , Stączek Paweł
Published: January 2018

Dermatophytes are the group of filamentous fungi infecting keratinized structures such as skin, hair, and nails. Knowledge about genes and molecular mechanisms responsible for pathogenicity, as well as other biological properties of Microsporum canis is still relatively poor. The qRT-PCR is a reliable technique for quantifying gene expression across various biological processes, and choosing a set of suitable reference genes to normalize the expression data is a crucial step of this technique. We investigated the suitability of nine candidate reference genes: β-act, β-tub, adp-rf, ef1-α, sdha, rpl2, mbp1, psm1, and rGTPa for gene expression analysis in the dermatophyte M. canis in response to different carbon sources, phosphate levels, and pH shifts - factors that are extremely important and necessary for growth of dermatophyte in the host tissue. The transcription stability of these genes was evaluated using NormFinder, geNorm, BestKeeper, and RefFinder software. Regarding expression stability, mbp1, β-act, and sdha were the most stable housekeeping genes which we recommend for future qRT-PCR studies on M. canis strains. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study on selection and validation of reference genes for qRT-PCR data normalization in M. canis growth in culture media which promote adhesion-inducing conditions.
A urine-dependent human urothelial organoid offers a potential alternative to rodent models of infection
Authors: Horsley Harry , Dharmasena Dhanuson , Malone-Lee James , Rohn Jennifer L.
Published: January 2018

Murine models describe a defined host/pathogen interaction for urinary tract infection, but human cell studies are scant. Although recent human urothelial organoid models are promising, none demonstrate long-term tolerance to urine, the natural substrate of the tissue and of the uropathogens that live there. We developed a novel human organoid from progenitor cells which demonstrates key structural hallmarks and biomarkers of the urothelium. After three weeks of transwell culture with 100% urine at the apical interface, the organoid stratified into multiple layers. The apical surface differentiated into enlarged and flattened umbrella-like cells bearing characteristic tight junctions, structures resembling asymmetric unit membrane plaques, and a glycosaminoglycan layer. The apical cells also expressed cytokeratin-20, a spatial feature of the mammalian urothelium. Urine itself was necessary for full development, and undifferentiated cells were urine-tolerant despite the lack of membrane plaques and a glycosaminoglycan layer. Infection with Enterococcus faecalis revealed the expected invasive outcome, including urothelial sloughing and the formation of intracellular colonies similar to those previously observed in patient cells. This new biomimetic model could help illuminate invasive behaviours of uropathogens, and serve as a reproducible test bed for disease formation, treatment and resolution in patients.
3,3′-Diaminobenzidine staining interferes with PCR-based DNA analysis
Authors: Dölle Christian , Bindoff Laurence A. , Tzoulis Charalampos
Published: January 2018

3,3′-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) is a widely used chromogen in histological staining methods and stained tissue is often used in downstream molecular analyses such as quantitative PCR (qPCR). Using microdissected muscle fibers from sequential muscle sections stained by DAB-dependent and -independent methods, we show that DAB exerts a strong inhibitory effect on qPCR-based mitochondrial DNA quantification. This effect introduces a significant bias in the estimation of mitochondrial DNA copy number and deletion levels between DAB-positive and -negative fibers. We reproduce our findings in microdissected neurons from human brain tissue, suggesting a general effect of DAB staining on PCR analyses independent of the underlying tissue or cell type. Using an exogenous DNA template added to tissue samples we provide evidence that DAB-staining predominantly interferes with the tissue-derived DNA template rather than inhibiting DNA polymerase activity. Our results suggest that DAB-based staining is incompatible with PCR-based quantification methods and some of the previously reported results employing this approach should be reconsidered.
Abnormal Speech Motor Control in Individuals with 16p11.2 Deletions
Authors: Demopoulos Carly , Kothare Hardik , Mizuiri Danielle , Henderson-Sabes Jennifer , Fregeau Brieana , Tjernagel Jennifer , Houde John F. , Sherr Elliott H. , Nagarajan Srikantan S.
Published: January 2018

Speech and motor deficits are highly prevalent (>70%) in individuals with the 600 kb BP4-BP5 16p11.2 deletion; however, the mechanisms that drive these deficits are unclear, limiting our ability to target interventions and advance treatment. This study examined fundamental aspects of speech motor control in participants with the 16p11.2 deletion. To assess capacity for control of voice, we examined how accurately and quickly subjects changed the pitch of their voice within a trial to correct for a transient perturbation of the pitch of their auditory feedback. When compared to controls, 16p11.2 deletion carriers show an over-exaggerated pitch compensation response to unpredictable mid-vocalization pitch perturbations. We also examined sensorimotor adaptation of speech by assessing how subjects learned to adapt their sustained productions of formants (speech spectral peak frequencies important for vowel identity), in response to consistent changes in their auditory feedback during vowel production. Deletion carriers show reduced sensorimotor adaptation to sustained vowel identity changes in auditory feedback. These results together suggest that 16p11.2 deletion carriers have fundamental impairments in the basic mechanisms of speech motor control and these impairments may partially explain the deficits in speech and language in these individuals.
Conflict-sensitive neurons gate interocular suppression in human visual cortex
Authors: Katyal Sucharit , Vergeer Mark , He Sheng , He Bin , Engel Stephen A.
Published: January 2018

Neural suppression plays an important role in cortical function, including sensory, memory, and motor systems. It remains, however, relatively poorly understood. A paradigmatic case arises when conflicting images are presented to the two eyes. These images can compete for awareness, and one is usually strongly suppressed. The mechanisms that resolve such interocular conflict remain unclear. Suppression could arise solely from “winner-take-all” competition between neurons responsive to each eye. Alternatively, suppression could also depend upon neurons detecting interocular conflict. Here, we provide physiological evidence in human visual cortex for the latter: suppression depends upon conflict-sensitive neurons. We recorded steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP), and used the logic of selective adaptation. The amplitude of SSVEP responses at intermodulation frequencies strengthened as interocular conflict in the stimulus increased, suggesting the presence of neurons responsive to conflict. Critically, adaptation to conflict both reduced this SSVEP effect, and increased the amount of conflict needed to produce perceptual suppression. The simplest account of these results is that interocular-conflict-sensitive neurons exist in human cortex: adaptation likely reduced the responsiveness of these neurons which in turn raised the amount of conflict required to produce perceptual suppression. Similar mechanisms may be used to resolve other varieties of perceptual conflict.
Hearing capacities and morphology of the auditory system in Serrasalmidae (Teleostei: Otophysi)
Authors: Mélotte Geoffrey , Parmentier Eric , Michel Christian , Herrel Anthony , Boyle Kelly
Published: January 2018

Like all otophysan fishes, serrasalmids (piranhas and relatives) possess a Weberian apparatus that improves their hearing capacities. We compared the hearing abilities among eight species of serrasalmids having different life-history traits: herbivorous vs. carnivorous and vocal vs. mute species. We also made 3D reconstructions of the auditory system to detect potential morphological variations associated with hearing ability. The hearing structures were similar in overall shape and position. All the species hear in the same frequency range and only slight differences were found in hearing thresholds. The eight species have their range of best hearing in the lower frequencies (50–900 Hz). In vocal serrasalmids, the range of best hearing covers the frequency spectrum of their sounds. However, the broad overlap in hearing thresholds among species having different life-history traits (herbivorous vs. carnivorous and vocal vs. non-vocal species) suggests that hearing ability is likely not related to the capacity to emit acoustic signals or to the diet, i.e. the ability to detect sounds is not associated with a given kind of food. The inner ear appears to be highly conservative in this group suggesting that it is shaped by phylogenetic history or by other kinds of constraints such as predator avoidance.
Guided cracking of electrodes by stretching prism-patterned membrane electrode assemblies for high-performance fuel cells
Authors: Ahn Chi-Yeong , Jang Segeun , Cho Yong-Hun , Choi Jiwoo , Kim Sungjun , Kim Sang Moon , Sung Yung-Eun , Choi Mansoo
Published: January 2018

Guided cracks were successfully generated in an electrode using the concentrated surface stress of a prism-patterned Nafion membrane. An electrode with guided cracks was formed by stretching the catalyst-coated Nafion membrane. The morphological features of the stretched membrane electrode assembly (MEA) were investigated with respect to variation in the prism pattern dimension (prism pitches of 20 μm and 50 μm) and applied strain (S ≈ 0.5 and 1.0). The behaviour of water on the surface of the cracked electrode was examined using environmental scanning electron microscopy. Guided cracks in the electrode layer were shown to be efficient water reservoirs and liquid water passages. The MEAs with and without guided cracks were incorporated into fuel cells, and electrochemical measurements were conducted. As expected, all MEAs with guided cracks exhibited better performance than conventional MEAs, mainly because of the improved water transport.
Bacterial growth sensing in microgels using pH-dependent fluorescence emission
Authors: Chandra Anil , Singh Neetu
Published: January 2018

Fast sensing of bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance by observing pH variation in microgels encapsulating bacteria and carbon dots.
Dean flow assisted cell ordering system for lipid profiling in single-cells using mass spectrometry
Authors: Huang Qiushi , Mao Sifeng , Khan Mashooq , Zhou Lin , Lin Jin-Ming
Published: January 2018

A Dean flow assisted ordering system connected to an ESI-MS to identify single-cells in a subpopulation by lipid profiling.
Elucidating the structure of a high-spin σ-phenyliron(iii) species in a live FeCl3–PhZnCl reaction system
Authors: Huang Zhiliang , Zhang Dongchao , Lee Jyh-Fu , Lei Aiwen
Published: January 2018

Characterization of σ-aryliron(iii) species in a live reaction system: an unknown sextet Ph(THF)FeCl2 species was well-characterized in a live FeCl3–PhZnCl reaction system for the first time by Raman, in situ IR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Anionic merocyanine dyes based on thiazol-2-hydrazides: reverse solvatochromism, preferential solvation and multiparametric approaches to spectral shifts
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Arindam , Mandal Krishna J. , Moorthy Jarugu Narasimha
Published: January 2018

Reverse solvatochromism, preferential solvation and multiparametric approaches to spectral shifts of (4-nitro/cyanophenyl)-substituted thiazol-2-hydrazide colored merocyanine dyes are presented.
Modeling the adsorption equilibrium of small-molecule gases on graphene: effect of the volume to surface ratio
Authors: Conti Simone , Cecchini Marco
Published: January 2018

The adsorption probability of molecules at surfaces depends on the available volume-to-surface ratio with important implications for 2D self-assembly.
Sequential ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) deposition of Bi4Ti3O12 on TiO2: an enhanced and stable photocatalytic system for water purification
Authors: Odling Gylen , Chatzisymeon Efthalia , Robertson Neil
Published: January 2018

A new method to produce bismuth titanate – titanium dioxide composites by modification of a TiO2 film deposited on a variety of different glass substrates is reported.
A new fluorescence turn-on chemosensor for nanomolar detection of Al3+ constructed from a pyridine–pyrazole system
Authors: Naskar Barnali , Das Kinsuk , Mondal Ramij R. , Maiti Dilip K. , Requena Alberto , Cerón-Carrasco José Pedro , Prodhan Chandraday , Chaudhuri Keya , Goswami Sanchita
Published: January 2018

A pyridine–pyrazole based fluorescence turn-on chemosensor provides access to selective detection of Al3+ in solution as well as in HepG2 living cells.
Novel amphiphilic conjugates of p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene with 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid in 1,3-alternate stereoisomeric form. Synthesis and chromatic properties in the presence of metal ions
Authors: Burilov Vladimir , Valiyakhmetova Alsu , Mironova Diana , Sultanova Elza , Evtugyn Vladimir , Osin Yuri , Katsyuba Sergey , Burganov Timur , Solovieva Svetlana , Antipin Igor
Published: January 2018

Functional polydiacetylene vesicles based on thiacalix[4]arene–10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid conjugates showed selective colorimetric response toward lanthanide ions.
Tris(2-hydroxyphenyl)triazasumanene: bowl-shaped excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophore coupled with aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE)
Authors: Kaewmati Patcharin , Yakiyama Yumi , Ohtsu Hiroyoshi , Kawano Masaki , Haesuwannakij Setsiri , Higashibayashi Shuhei , Sakurai Hidehiro
Published: January 2018

Tris(2-hydroxyphenyl)triazasumanene ((A)-(+)-1), a bowl-shaped molecule, which possesses 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)pyridine moieties, was successfully synthesised.
A circularly polarized luminescent organogel based on a Pt(ii) complex possessing phenylisoxazoles
Authors: Ikeda Toshiaki , Hirano Kyohei , Haino Takeharu
Published: January 2018

A CPL-active organogel was synthesized based on a helical stacked assembly of a Pt(ii) phenylbipyridine complex possessing phenylisoxazoles.
Two Cu(ii)-triadimenol complexes as potential fungicides: synergistic actions and DFT calculations
Authors: Li Jie , Liu Huiyu , Guo Zhaoqi , Yang Mingyan , Song Jirong , Ma Haixia
Published: January 2018

Two Cu(ii) complexes of triadimenol show greater antifungal activities than the ligand triadimenol. Moreover, the synergistic interactions and DFT calculations were both carried out to elucidate the reasons for the enhanced bioactivities.
Enhanced osteogenic activity of Ti alloy implants by modulating strontium configuration in their surface oxide layers
Authors: Xu Zhengjiang , Lu Huaifeng , Lu Jian , Lv Chen , Zhao Xiaobing , Wang Guocheng
Published: January 2018

Strontium configurations can modulate its release in the SrO–TiO2coating system, thus being able to control the interfacial osteogenesis.
Critical phenomena and estimation of the spontaneous magnetization from a mean field analysis of the magnetic entropy change in La0.7Ca0.1Pb0.2Mn0.95Al0.025Sn0.025O3
Authors: Dhahri Khadija , Dhahri N. , Dhahri J. , Taibi K. , Hlil E. K.
Published: January 2018

In the present work, we have studied the universal critical behavior in the perovskite-manganite compound La0.7Ca0.1Pb0.2Mn0.95Al0.025Sn0.025O3.
A low cost, superhydrophobic and superoleophilic hybrid kaolin-based hollow fibre membrane (KHFM) for efficient adsorption–separation of oil removal from water
Authors: Hubadillah Siti Khadijah , Kumar Preven , Dzarfan Othman Mohd Hafiz , Ismail A. F. , Rahman Mukhlis A. , Jaafar Juhana
Published: January 2018

This paper outlines a low cost, high performance superhydrophobic/superoleophilic KHFM through a simple sol–gel grafted method using TEOS and MTES for efficient adsorption–separation of oil removal from water.
Assembly of Na3V2(PO4)2F3@C nanoparticles in reduced graphene oxide enabling superior Na+ storage for symmetric sodium batteries
Authors: Yao Ye , Zhang Lu , Gao Yu , Chen Gang , Wang Chunzhong , Du Fei
Published: January 2018

Symmetrical full cell of NVPF@C@rGO as both cathode and anode could light the LED lamp successfully after the 25th charge–discharge cycle at 1C.
Efficient kinetic experiments in continuous flow microreactors
Authors: Aroh Kosi C. , Jensen Klavs F.
Published: January 2018

Transient temperature and flowrates in continuous flow reaction systems allows for the rapid generation of kinetic data.
Heterogeneous adhesion of cells on polymer surfaces with underlying amorphous/crystalline phases
Authors: Matsuno Hisao , Irie Shunya , Hirata Toyoaki , Matsuyama Ruriko , Oda Yukari , Masunaga Hiroyasu , Seki Yukiko , Aoshima Sadahito , Tanaka Keiji
Published: January 2018

Fibroblasts can identify crystalline/non-crystalline regions of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) existing beneath the surface poly(2-methoxyethyl vinyl ether) (PMOVE) layer.
Tungsten oxide ion gel-gated transistors: how structural and electrochemical properties affect the doping mechanism
Authors: S. Barbosa M. , M. B. Oliveira F. , Meng X. , Soavi F. , Santato C. , O. Orlandi M.
Published: January 2018

Electrolyte-gated transistors hold promise for applications in printable and flexible electronics.
A flexible and highly sensitive pressure sensor based on elastic carbon foam
Authors: Liu Weijie , Liu Nishuang , Yue Yang , Rao Jiangyu , Luo Cheng , Zhang Hang , Yang Congxing , Su Jun , Liu Zhitian , Gao Yihua
Published: January 2018

A highly sensitive pressure sensor based on elastic carbon foam with a fraction of cracked carbon microfibers.
Simulation and synthesis of Fe3O4–Au satellite nanostructures for optimised surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: Sun Zhenli , Du Jingjing , Duan Fengkui , He Kebin , Jing Chuanyong
Published: January 2018

Computational optimisation accurately predicted SERS effects in a Fe3O4–Au satellite system with potential predictive capabilities for other SERS substrate materials.