bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment Performance: The Role of Learning
Authors: Lyles Marjorie , Li Dan , Yan Haifeng
Published: August 2016

We define the ‘Chinese way’ of internationalization as oriented toward experimental learning, in contrast to traditional internationalization models, such as the Uppsala model. Analyses of survey data of private Chinese firms that have made outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) show that only 50 percent follow the Uppsala model in which firms follow a staged approach. The other 50 percent follow more risky explorative OFDI approaches in which the firms learn on the ground experimentally from their OFDI. We further investigate how the founders’ congenital learning, firms’ inward international experience, potential absorptive capabilities, and motivations to learn, influence OFDI performance and how learning outcomes mediate these relationships. We show that the relationship between the firm’s potential absorptive capacity and its OFDI performance is fully mediated by what the firm learned from the OFDI project. Also the firm’s motivation to learn directly affects performance and is partially mediated by what the firm has learned.
WEAK DISHARMONY: SOME LESSONS FOR PROOF-THEORETIC SEMANTICS
Authors: DICHER BOGDAN
Published: August 2016

A logical constant is weakly disharmonious if its elimination rules are weaker than its introduction rules. Substructural weak disharmony is the weak disharmony generated by structural restrictions on the eliminations. I argue that substructural weak disharmony is not a defect of the constants which exhibit it. To the extent that it is problematic, it calls into question the structural properties of the derivability relation. This prompts us to rethink the issue of controlling the structural properties of a logic by means of harmony. I argue that such a control is possible and desirable. Moreover, it is best achieved by global tests of harmony.
Who wants to pay for deliberative democracy? The crowdfunders of the G1000 in Belgium
Authors: Jacquet Vincent , Reuchamps Min
Published: August 2016

Thanks to crowdfunding, deliberative mini-publics can be funded bottom-up to reach a wider support in the population and secure financial autonomy for their design. But who are the people willing to pay for deliberative democracy and why? This article answers this twofold question using an original survey with crowdfunders of the G1000 in Belgium. First, the financial support for deliberative democracy mainly comes from the more socially advantaged groups. But second, the crowdfunders largely diverge in their democratic preferences. Some are critical and favour any forms of alternative decision-making process, including technocratic forms. Others demonstrate a stronger attachment to electoral institutions and their political actors. Hence, the study of the crowdfunders of the G1000 shows that deliberative democracy attracts the support of citizens with different political orientations. This sheds light on the complex and intertwined links between a mini-public and its larger maxi-public.
Beneficial Action within Altruistic and Prosocial Behavior
Authors: Toumbourou John W.
Published: August 2016

This article integrates knowledge from health psychology, life course development, and social psychology to outline a theoretical framework for identifying, investigating, promoting, and evaluating beneficial action. Beneficial action is defined as a subset of prosocial (motivated to benefit others that may include self-interest) and altruistic (prosocial motivation without self-interest) behavior that uses consequential (scientific) knowledge to increase freedom within the global population. Beneficial action theory seeks to increase political and social actions that are planned and evaluated to ensure key tasks in human development. Central among these is the broadening of social identity to ensure that the human potential to use science to modify the natural environment achieves benefits for the global population. This article presents a theoretical framework for conceptualizing the psychological processes that underlie the development, application and evaluation of beneficial action for individuals and populations. The need to conceptualize beneficial action arises from 3 related observations. First, the certainty of knowledge of the beneficial outcome of a specific human action increases the moral motivation to engage in that action. For example, there is consensus among psychologists and other professions that it is unethical to engage in therapeutic practices that have evidence for neutral or harmful consequences. Second, due to the rapid increase in scientific knowledge, the range of human action that has scientifically ascertainable consequences is rapidly expanding. Third, advancing scientific knowledge means that human actions have increasingly powerful consequences for humanity and the natural world, warranting careful consideration of how to ensure global population benefits.
Iridium-based double perovskites for efficient water oxidation in acid media
Authors: Diaz-Morales Oscar , Raaijman Stefan , Kortlever Ruud , Kooyman Patricia J. , Wezendonk Tim , Gascon Jorge , Fu W. T. , Koper Marc T. M.
Published: August 2016

The development of active, cost-effective and stable oxygen-evolving catalysts is one of the major challenges for solar-to-fuel conversion towards sustainable energy generation. Iridium oxide exhibits the best available compromise between catalytic activity and stability in acid media, but it is prohibitively expensive for large-scale applications. Therefore, preparing oxygen-evolving catalysts with lower amounts of the scarce but active and stable iridium is an attractive avenue to overcome this economical constraint. Here we report on a class of oxygen-evolving catalysts based on iridium double perovskites which contain 32 wt% less iridium than IrO2 and yet exhibit a more than threefold higher activity in acid media. According to recently suggested benchmarking criteria, the iridium double perovskites are the most active catalysts for oxygen evolution in acid media reported until now, to the best of our knowledge, and exhibit similar stability to IrO2.
β-Catenin C-terminal signals suppress p53 and are essential for artery formation
Authors: Riascos-Bernal Dario F. , Chinnasamy Prameladevi , Cao Longyue , Dunaway Charlene M. , Valenta Tomas , Basler Konrad , Sibinga Nicholas E. S.
Published: August 2016

Increased activity of the tumour suppressor p53 is incompatible with embryogenesis, but how p53 is controlled is not fully understood. Differential requirements for p53 inhibitors Mdm2 and Mdm4 during development suggest that these control mechanisms are context-dependent. Artery formation requires investment of nascent endothelial tubes by smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Here, we find that embryos lacking SMC β-catenin suffer impaired arterial maturation and die by E12.5, with increased vascular wall p53 activity. β-Catenin-deficient SMCs show no change in p53 levels, but greater p53 acetylation and activity, plus impaired growth and survival. In vivo, SMC p53 inactivation suppresses phenotypes caused by loss of β-catenin. Mechanistically, β-catenin C-terminal interactions inhibit Creb-binding protein-dependent p53 acetylation and p53 transcriptional activity, and are required for artery formation. Thus in SMCs, the β-catenin C-terminus indirectly represses p53, and this function is essential for embryogenesis. These findings have implications for angiogenesis, tissue engineering and vascular disease.
Structural basis of metallo-β-lactamase, serine-β-lactamase and penicillin-binding protein inhibition by cyclic boronates
Authors: Brem Jürgen , Cain Ricky , Cahill Samuel , McDonough Michael A. , Clifton Ian J. , Jiménez-Castellanos Juan-Carlos , Avison Matthew B. , Spencer James , Fishwick Colin W. G. , Schofield Christopher J.
Published: August 2016

β-Lactamases enable resistance to almost all β-lactam antibiotics. Pioneering work revealed that acyclic boronic acids can act as ‘transition state analogue’ inhibitors of nucleophilic serine enzymes, including serine-β-lactamases. Here we report biochemical and biophysical analyses revealing that cyclic boronates potently inhibit both nucleophilic serine and zinc-dependent β-lactamases by a mechanism involving mimicking of the common tetrahedral intermediate. Cyclic boronates also potently inhibit the non-essential penicillin-binding protein PBP 5 by the same mechanism of action. The results open the way for development of dual action inhibitors effective against both serine- and metallo-β-lactamases, and which could also have antimicrobial activity through inhibition of PBPs.
Simplified three-dimensional tissue clearing and incorporation of colorimetric phenotyping
Authors: Sung Kevin , Ding Yichen , Ma Jianguo , Chen Harrison , Huang Vincent , Cheng Michelle , Yang Cindy F. , Kim Jocelyn T. , Eguchi Daniel , Di Carlo Dino , Hsiai Tzung K. , Nakano Atsushi , Kulkarni Rajan P.
Published: August 2016

Tissue clearing methods promise to provide exquisite three-dimensional imaging information; however, there is a need for simplified methods for lower resource settings and for non-fluorescence based phenotyping to enable light microscopic imaging modalities. Here we describe the simplified CLARITY method (SCM) for tissue clearing that preserves epitopes of interest. We imaged the resulting tissues using light sheet microscopy to generate rapid 3D reconstructions of entire tissues and organs. In addition, to enable clearing and 3D tissue imaging with light microscopy methods, we developed a colorimetric, non-fluorescent method for specifically labeling cleared tissues based on horseradish peroxidase conversion of diaminobenzidine to a colored insoluble product. The methods we describe here are portable and can be accomplished at low cost and can allow light microscopic imaging of cleared tissues, thus enabling tissue clearing and imaging in a wide variety of settings.
Isolation and evaluation of proteolytic actinomycete isolates as novel inducers of pearl millet downy mildew disease protection
Authors: Jogaiah Sudisha , Kurjogi Mahantesh , Govind Sharathchandra Ramasandra , Huntrike Shekar Shetty , Basappa Vedamurthy Ankala , Tran Lam-Son Phan
Published: August 2016

Native endophytic actinomycetes isolated from pearl millet roots were examined for their efficacy to protect pearl millet against downy mildew. Nineteen of 39 isolates were found to be proteolytic, of which 7 strains could directly suppress the sporangium formation of Sclerospora graminicola, the pearl millet downy mildew pathogen. Thus, mycelial suspensions containing either spores or cell-free extract of these 7 isolates were used for seed-coating and -soaking treatments to test for their induction of downy mildew resistance. Results indicated that seed-coating overall provided better protection to downy mildew than seed-soaking. In both treatments, the tested isolates demonstrated differential abilities in downy mildew disease protection, with Streptomyces griseus SJ_UOM-07-09 and Streptosporangium roseum SJ_UOM-18-09 showing the highest protection rates. Additionally, the levels of disease protection conferred by the actinomycetes were just slightly lower than that of the systemic fungicide Apron, suggesting their effectiveness. Further studies revealed that the more rapid root colonization by SJ_UOM-18-09 resulted in faster and higher induced resistance in comparison with SJ_UOM-07-09 under greenhouse conditions, indicating that SJ_UOM-18-09 was superior than SJ_UOM-07-09 in inducing resistance. Results from this study provide comprehensive information on biocontrol functions of SJ_UOM- 18-09 with great potential to control downy mildew disease in pearl millet.
Deciphering Variability of PKD1 and PKD2 in an Italian Cohort of 643 Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
Authors: Carrera Paola , Calzavara Silvia , Magistroni Riccardo , den Dunnen Johan T. , Rigo Francesca , Stenirri Stefania , Testa Francesca , Messa Piergiorgio , Cerutti Roberta , Scolari Francesco , Izzi Claudia , Edefonti Alberto , Negrisolo Susanna , Benetti Elisa , Alibrandi Maria Teresa Sciarrone , Manunta Paolo , Boletta Alessandra , Ferrari Maurizio
Published: August 2016

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary kidney disease. We analysed PKD1 and PKD2, in a large cohort of 440 unrelated Italian patients with ADPKD and 203 relatives by direct sequencing and MLPA. Molecular and detailed phenotypic data have been collected and submitted to the PKD1/PKD2 LOVD database. This is the first large retrospective study in Italian patients, describing 701 variants, 249 (35.5%) already associated with ADPKD and 452 (64.5%) novel. According to the criteria adopted, the overall detection rate was 80% (352/440). Novel variants with uncertain significance were found in 14% of patients. Among patients with pathogenic variants, in 301 (85.5%) the disease is associated with PKD1, 196 (55.7%) truncating, 81 (23%) non truncating, 24 (6.8%) IF indels, and in 51 (14.5%) with PKD2. Our results outline the high allelic heterogeneity of variants, complicated by the presence of variants of uncertain significance as well as of multiple variants in the same subject. Classification of novel variants may be particularly cumbersome having an important impact on the genetic counselling. Our study confirms the importance to improve the assessment of variant pathogenicity for ADPKD; to this point databasing of both clinical and molecular data is crucial.
The suppression of scale-free fMRI brain dynamics across three different sources of effort: aging, task novelty and task difficulty
Authors: Churchill Nathan W. , Spring Robyn , Grady Cheryl , Cimprich Bernadine , Askren Mary K. , Reuter-Lorenz Patricia A. , Jung Mi Sook , Peltier Scott , Strother Stephen C. , Berman Marc G.
Published: August 2016

There is growing evidence that fluctuations in brain activity may exhibit scale-free (“fractal”) dynamics. Scale-free signals follow a spectral-power curve of the form P(f ) ∝ f−β, where spectral power decreases in a power-law fashion with increasing frequency. In this study, we demonstrated that fractal scaling of BOLD fMRI signal is consistently suppressed for different sources of cognitive effort. Decreases in the Hurst exponent (H), which quantifies scale-free signal, was related to three different sources of cognitive effort/task engagement: 1) task difficulty, 2) task novelty, and 3) aging effects. These results were consistently observed across multiple datasets and task paradigms. We also demonstrated that estimates of H are robust across a range of time-window sizes. H was also compared to alternative metrics of BOLD variability (SDBOLD) and global connectivity (Gconn), with effort-related decreases in H producing similar decreases in SDBOLD and Gconn. These results indicate a potential global brain phenomenon that unites research from different fields and indicates that fractal scaling may be a highly sensitive metric for indexing cognitive effort/task engagement.
Efficient shortcuts to adiabatic passage for three-dimensional entanglement generation via transitionless quantum driving
Authors: He Shuang , Su Shi-Lei , Wang Dong-Yang , Sun Wen-Mei , Bai Cheng-Hua , Zhu Ai-Dong , Wang Hong-Fu , Zhang Shou
Published: August 2016

We propose an effective scheme of shortcuts to adiabaticity for generating a three-dimensional entanglement of two atoms trapped in a cavity using the transitionless quantum driving (TQD) approach. The key point of this approach is to construct an effective Hamiltonian that drives the dynamics of a system along instantaneous eigenstates of a reference Hamiltonian to reproduce the same final state as that of an adiabatic process within a much shorter time. In this paper, the shortcuts to adiabatic passage are constructed by introducing two auxiliary excited levels in each atom and applying extra cavity modes and classical fields to drive the relevant transitions. Thereby, the three-dimensional entanglement is obtained with a faster rate than that in the adiabatic passage. Moreover, the influences of atomic spontaneous emission and photon loss on the fidelity are discussed by numerical simulation. The results show that the speed of entanglement implementation is greatly improved by the use of adiabatic shortcuts and that this entanglement implementation is robust against decoherence. This will be beneficial to the preparation of high-dimensional entanglement in experiment and provides the necessary conditions for the application of high-dimensional entangled states in quantum information processing.
Regulation of proinflammatory genes by the circulating microRNA hsa-miR-939
Authors: McDonald Marguerite K. , Ramanathan Sujay , Touati Andrew , Zhou Yiqian , Thanawala Rushi U. , Alexander Guillermo M. , Sacan Ahmet , Ajit Seena K.
Published: August 2016

Circulating microRNAs are beneficial biomarkers because of their stability and dysregulation in diseases. Here we sought to determine the role of miR-939, a miRNA downregulated in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Hsa-miR-939 is predicted to target several proinflammatory genes, including IL-6, VEGFA, TNFα, NFκB2, and nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2A). Binding of miR-939 to the 3′ untranslated region of these genes was confirmed by reporter assay. Overexpression of miR-939 in vitro resulted in reduction of IL-6, NOS2A and NFκB2 mRNAs, IL-6, VEGFA, and NOS2 proteins and NFκB activation. We observed a significant decrease in the NOS substrate l-arginine in plasma from CRPS patients, suggesting reduced miR-939 levels may contribute to an increase in endogenous NOS2A levels and NO, and thereby to pain and inflammation. Pathway analysis showed that miR-939 represents a critical regulatory node in a network of inflammatory mediators. Collectively, our data suggest that miR-939 may regulate multiple proinflammatory genes and that downregulation of miR-939 in CRPS patients may increase expression of these genes, resulting in amplification of the inflammatory pain signal transduction cascade. Circulating miRNAs may function as crucial signaling nodes, and small changes in miRNA levels may influence target gene expression and thus disease.
Rapid discovery and identification of anti-inflammatory constituents from traditional Chinese medicine formula by activity index, LC-MS, and NMR
Authors: Wang Shufang , Wang Haiqiang , Liu Yining , Wang Yi , Fan Xiaohui , Cheng Yiyu
Published: August 2016

The traditional activity-guided approach has the shortcoming of low accuracy and efficiency in discovering active compounds from TCM. In this work, an approach was developed by integrating activity index (AI), liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to rapidly predict and identify the potential active constituents from TCM. This approach was used to discover and identify the anti-inflammatory constituents from a TCM formula, Gui-Zhi-Jia-Shao-Yao-Tang (GZJSYT). The AI results indicated that, among the 903 constituents detected in GZJSYT by LC-MS, 61 constituents with higher AI values were very likely to have anti-inflammatory activities. And eight potential active constituents of them were isolated and validated to have significant inhibitory effects against NO production on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell model. Among them, glycyrrhisoflavone (836), glisoflavanone (893) and isoangustone A (902) were reported to have anti-inflammatory effects for the first time. The proposed approach could be generally applicable for rapid and high efficient discovery of anti-inflammatory constituents from other TCM formulae or natural products.
A Highly Polymorphic Copy Number Variant in the NSF Gene is Associated with Cocaine Dependence
Authors: Cabana-Domínguez Judit , Roncero Carlos , Grau-López Lara , Rodríguez-Cintas Laia , Barral Carmen , Abad Alfonso C. , Erikson Galina , Wineinger Nathan E. , Torrico Bàrbara , Arenas Concepció , Casas Miquel , Ribasés Marta , Cormand Bru , Fernàndez-Castillo Noèlia
Published: August 2016

Cocaine dependence is a complex psychiatric disorder involving both genetic and environmental factors. Several neurotransmitter systems mediate cocaine’s effects, dependence and relapse, being the components of the neurotransmitter release machinery good candidates for the disorder. Previously, we identified a risk haplotype for cocaine dependence in the NSF gene, encoding the protein N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor essential for synaptic vesicle turnover. Here we examined the possible contribution to cocaine dependence of a large copy number variant (CNV) that encompasses part of the NSF gene. We performed a case-control association study in a discovery sample (359 cases and 356 controls) and identified an association between cocaine dependence and the CNV (P = 0.013), that was confirmed in the replication sample (508 cases and 569 controls, P = 7.1e-03) and in a pooled analysis (P = 1.8e-04), with an over-representation of low number of copies in cases. Subsequently, we studied the functional impact of the CNV on gene expression and found that the levels of two NSF transcripts were significantly increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) along with the number of copies of the CNV. These results, together with a previous study from our group, support the role of NSF in the susceptibility to cocaine dependence.
MtDNA analysis reveals enriched pathogenic mutations in Tibetan highlanders
Authors: Kang Longli , Zheng Hong-Xiang , Zhang Menghan , Yan Shi , Li Lei , Liu Lijun , Liu Kai , Hu Kang , Chen Feng , Ma Lifeng , Qin Zhendong , Wang Yi , Wang Xiaofeng , Jin Li
Published: August 2016

Tibetan highlanders, including Tibetans, Monpas, Lhobas, Dengs and Sherpas, are considered highly adaptive to severe hypoxic environments. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) might be important in hypoxia adaptation given its role in coding core subunits of oxidative phosphorylation. In this study, we employed 549 complete highlander mtDNA sequences (including 432 random samples) to obtain a comprehensive view of highlander mtDNA profile. In the phylogeny of a total of 36,914 sequences, we identified 21 major haplogroups representing founding events of highlanders, most of which were coalesced in 10 kya. Through founder analysis, we proposed a three-phase model of colonizing the plateau, i.e., pre-LGM Time (30 kya, 4.68%), post-LGM Paleolithic Time (16.8 kya, 29.31%) and Neolithic Time (after 8 kya, 66.01% in total). We observed that pathogenic mutations occurred far more frequently in 22 highlander-specific lineages (five lineages carrying two pathogenic mutations and six carrying one) than in the 6,857 haplogroups of all the 36,914 sequences (P = 4.87 × 10−8). Furthermore, the number of possible pathogenic mutations carried by highlanders (in average 3.18 ± 1.27) were significantly higher than that in controls (2.82 ± 1.40) (P = 1.89 × 10−4). Considering that function-altering and pathogenic mutations are enriched in highlanders, we therefore hypothesize that they may have played a role in hypoxia adaptation.
Multimaterial 4D Printing with Tailorable Shape Memory Polymers
Authors: Ge Qi , Sakhaei Amir Hosein , Lee Howon , Dunn Conner K. , Fang Nicholas X. , Dunn Martin L.
Published: August 2016

We present a new 4D printing approach that can create high resolution (up to a few microns), multimaterial shape memory polymer (SMP) architectures. The approach is based on high resolution projection microstereolithography (PμSL) and uses a family of photo-curable methacrylate based copolymer networks. We designed the constituents and compositions to exhibit desired thermomechanical behavior (including rubbery modulus, glass transition temperature and failure strain which is more than 300% and larger than any existing printable materials) to enable controlled shape memory behavior. We used a high resolution, high contrast digital micro display to ensure high resolution of photo-curing methacrylate based SMPs that requires higher exposure energy than more common acrylate based polymers. An automated material exchange process enables the manufacture of 3D composite architectures from multiple photo-curable SMPs. In order to understand the behavior of the 3D composite microarchitectures, we carry out high fidelity computational simulations of their complex nonlinear, time-dependent behavior and study important design considerations including local deformation, shape fixity and free recovery rate. Simulations are in good agreement with experiments for a series of single and multimaterial components and can be used to facilitate the design of SMP 3D structures.
Hypoxic repression of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity is necessary for metabolic reprogramming and growth of model tumours
Authors: Golias Tereza , Papandreou Ioanna , Sun Ramon , Kumar Bhavna , Brown Nicole V. , Swanson Benjamin J. , Pai Reetesh , Jaitin Diego , Le Quynh-Thu , Teknos Theodoros N. , Denko Nicholas C.
Published: August 2016

Tumour cells fulfil the bioenergetic and biosynthetic needs of proliferation using the available environmental metabolites. Metabolic adaptation to hypoxia causes decreased mitochondrial function and increased lactate production. This work examines the biological importance of the hypoxia-inducible inhibitory phosphorylations on the pyruvate dehydrogenase E1α subunit. Pancreatic cancer cell lines were genetically manipulated to alter the net phosphorylation of PDH E1α through reduced kinase expression or enhanced phosphatase expression. The modified cells were tested for hypoxic changes in phosphorylated E1α, mitochondrial metabolism and growth as xenografted tumours. Even though there are four PDHK genes, PDHK1 is essential for inhibitory PDH phosphorylation of E1α at serine 232, is partially responsible for modification of serines 293 and 300, and these phosphorylations are necessary for model tumour growth. In order to determine the clinical relevance, a cohort of head and neck cancer patient biopsies was examined for phosphorylated E1α and expression of PDHK1. Patients with detectable 232 phosphorylation or expression of PDHK1 tend to have worse clinical outcome. These data show that PDHK1 activity is unique and non-redundant in the family of PHDK enzymes and a PDHK1 specific inhibitor would therefore have anti-cancer activity with reduced chance of side effects from inhibition of other PDHKs.
Room-temperature synthesis of nanoporous 1D microrods of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with highly enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability
Authors: Pawar Rajendra C. , Kang Suhee , Park Jung Hyun , Kim Jong-ho , Ahn Sunghoon , Lee Caroline S.
Published: August 2016

A one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure having a porous network is an exceptional photocatalytic material to generate hydrogen (H2) and decontaminate wastewater using solar energy. In this report, we synthesized nanoporous 1D microrods of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) via a facile and template-free chemical approach at room temperature. The use of concentrated acids induced etching and lift-off because of strong oxidation and protonation. Compared with the bulk g-C3N4, the porous 1D microrod structure showed five times higher photocatalytic degradation performance toward methylene blue dye (MB) under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic H2 evolution of the 1D nanostructure (34 μmol g−1) was almost 26 times higher than that of the bulk g-C3N4 structure (1.26 μmol g−1). Additionally, the photocurrent stability of this nanoporous 1D morphology over 24 h indicated remarkable photocorrosion resistance. The improved photocatalytic activities were attributed to prolonged carrier lifetime because of its quantum confinement effect, effective separation and transport of charge carriers, and increased number of active sites from interconnected nanopores throughout the microrods. The present 1D nanostructure would be highly suited for photocatalytic water purification as well as water splitting devices. Finally, this facile and room temperature strategy to fabricate the nanostructures is very cost-effective.
Nanoscale studies link amyloid maturity with polyglutamine diseases onset
Authors: Ruggeri F. S. , Vieweg S. , Cendrowska U. , Longo G. , Chiki A. , Lashuel H. A. , Dietler G.
Published: August 2016

The presence of expanded poly-glutamine (polyQ) repeats in proteins is directly linked to the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease. However, the molecular and structural basis underlying the increased toxicity of aggregates formed by proteins containing expanded polyQ repeats remain poorly understood, in part due to the size and morphological heterogeneity of the aggregates they form in vitro. To address this knowledge gap and technical limitations, we investigated the structural, mechanical and morphological properties of fibrillar aggregates at the single molecule and nanometer scale using the first exon of the Huntingtin protein as a model system (Exon1). Our findings demonstrate a direct correlation of the morphological and mechanical properties of Exon1 aggregates with their structural organization at the single aggregate and nanometric scale and provide novel insights into the molecular and structural basis of Huntingtin Exon1 aggregation and toxicity.
Post-bronchiolitis wheezing is associated with toll-like receptor 9 rs187084 gene polymorphism
Authors: Nuolivirta Kirsi , Törmänen Sari , Teräsjärvi Johanna , Vuononvirta Juho , Koponen Petri , Korppi Matti , Helminen Merja , Peltola Ville , He Qiushui
Published: August 2016

Innate immunity receptors play a critical role in host defence, as well as in allergy and asthma. The aim of this exploratory study was to evaluate whether there are associations between TLR7 rs179008, TLR8 rs2407992, TLR9 rs187084 or TLR10 rs4129009 polymorphisms and viral findings, clinical characteristics or subsequent wheezing in infants with bronchiolitis. In all, 135 full-term infants were hospitalized for bronchiolitis at age less than 6 months: 129 of them were followed-up until the age of 1.5 years. The outcome measures were repeated wheezing, use of inhaled corticosteroids, atopic dermatitis during the first 1.5 years of life and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE). There were no significant associations between the genotypes or allele frequencies of TLR7 rs179008, TLR8 rs2407992, TLR9 rs187084 or TLR10 rs4129009 polymorphisms and clinical characteristics or the severity of bronchiolitis during hospitalization. During follow-up, repeated wheezing was more common in children with TLR9 rs187084 variant genotype CC (30.5%) than in children with TLR9 wild-type genotype TT (12.2%) (p = 0.02, aOR 2.73, 95% CI 1.02–7.29). The TLR10 rs4129009 minor allele G was associated with elevated total serum IgE. TLR9 rs187084 gene polymorphism may be associated with post-bronchiolitis wheezing and TLR10 rs4129009 gene polymorphism may be associated with atopy.
Singapore grouper iridovirus protein VP088 is essential for viral infectivity
Authors: Yuan Yongming , Wang Yunzhi , Liu Qizhi , Zhu Feng , Hong Yunhan
Published: August 2016

Viral infection is a great challenge in healthcare and agriculture. The Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) is highly infectious to numerous marine fishes and increasingly threatens mariculture and wildlife conservation. SGIV intervention is not available because little is known about key players and their precise roles in SGVI infection. Here we report the precise role of VP088 as a key player in SGIV infection. VP088 was verified as an envelope protein encoded by late gene orf088. We show that SGIV could be neutralized with an antibody against VP088. Depletion or deletion of VP088 significantly suppresses SGIV infection without altering viral gene expression and host responses. By precisely quantifying the genome copy numbers of host cells and virions, we reveal that VP088 deletion dramatically reduces SGIV infectivity through inhibiting virus entry without altering viral pathogenicity, genome stability and replication and progeny virus release. These results pinpoint that VP088 is a key player in SGIV entry and represents an ideal target for SGIV intervention.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis of nuclear genes suggests a Cenozoic over-water dispersal origin for the Cuban solenodon
Authors: Sato Jun J. , Ohdachi Satoshi D. , Echenique-Diaz Lazaro M. , Borroto-Páez Rafael , Begué-Quiala Gerardo , Delgado-Labañino Jorge L. , Gámez-Díez Jorgelino , Alvarez-Lemus José , Nguyen Son Truong , Yamaguchi Nobuyuki , Kita Masaki
Published: August 2016

The Cuban solenodon (Solenodon cubanus) is one of the most enigmatic mammals and is an extremely rare species with a distribution limited to a small part of the island of Cuba. Despite its rarity, in 2012 seven individuals ofS. cubanuswere captured and sampled successfully for DNA analysis, providing new insights into the evolutionary origin of this species and into the origins of the Caribbean fauna, which remain controversial. We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear genes (Apob,Atp7a,Bdnf,Brca1andRag1; total, 4,602 bp) from 35 species of the mammalian order Eulipotyphla. Based on Bayesian relaxed molecular clock analyses, the family Solenodontidae diverged from other eulipotyphlan in the Paleocene, after the bolide impact on the Yucatan Peninsula, andS. cubanusdiverged from the Hispaniolan solenodon (S. paradoxus) in the Early Pliocene. The strikingly recent divergence time estimates suggest thatS. cubanusand its ancestral lineage originated via over-water dispersal rather than vicariance events, as had previously been hypothesised.
Enhanced gas separation factors of microporous polymer constrained in the channels of anodic alumina membranes
Authors: Chernova Ekaterina , Petukhov Dmitrii , Boytsova Olga , Alentiev Alexander , Budd Peter , Yampolskii Yuri , Eliseev Andrei
Published: August 2016

New composite membranes based on porous anodic alumina films and polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) have been prepared using a spin-coating technique. According to scanning electron microscopy, partial penetration of polymer into the pores of alumina supports takes place giving rise to selective polymeric layers with fiber-like microstructure. Geometric confinement of rigid PIM-1 in the channels of anodic alumina causes reduction of small-scale mobility in polymeric chains. As a result, transport of permanent gases, such as CH4, becomes significantly hindered across composite membranes. Contrary, the transport of condensable gases (CO2, С4H10), did not significantly suffer from the confinement due to high solubility in the polymer matrix. This strategy enables enhancement of selectivity towards CO2 and C4H10 without significant loss of the membrane performance and seems to be prospective for drain and sweetening of natural gas.
Smartphone-enabled optofluidic exosome diagnostic for concussion recovery
Authors: Ko Jina , Hemphill Matthew A. , Gabrieli David , Wu Leon , Yelleswarapu Venkata , Lawrence Gladys , Pennycooke Wesley , Singh Anup , Meaney Dave F. , Issadore David
Published: August 2016

A major impediment to improving the treatment of concussion is our current inability to identify patients that will experience persistent problems after the injury. Recently, brain-derived exosomes, which cross the blood-brain barrier and circulate following injury, have shown great potential as a noninvasive biomarker of brain recovery. However, clinical use of exosomes has been constrained by their small size (30–100 nm) and the extensive sample preparation (>24 hr) needed for traditional exosome measurements. To address these challenges, we developed a smartphone-enabled optofluidic platform to measure brain-derived exosomes. Sample-to-answer on our chip is 1 hour, 10x faster than conventional techniques. The key innovation is an optofluidic device that can detect enzyme amplified exosome biomarkers and is read out using a smartphone camera. Using this approach, we detected and profiled GluR2+ exosomes in the post-injury state using both in vitro and murine models of concussion.
Red emission fluorescent probes for visualization of monoamine oxidase in living cells
Authors: Li Ling-Ling , Li Kun , Liu Yan-Hong , Xu Hao-Ran , Yu Xiao-Qi
Published: August 2016

Here we report two novel red emission fluorescent probes for the highly sensitive and selective detection of monoamine oxidase (MAO) with large Stokes shift (227 nm). Both of the probes possess solid state fluorescence and can accomplish the identification of MAO on test papers. The probe MAO-Red-1 exhibited a detection limit down to 1.2 μg mL−1 towards MAO-B. Moreover, the cleavage product was unequivocally conformedby HPLC and LCMS and the result was in accordance with the proposed oxidative deamination mechanism. The excellent photostability of MAO-Red-1 was proved both in vitro and in vivo through fluorescent kinetic experiment and laser exposure experiment of confocal microscopy, respectively. Intracellular experiments also confirmed the low cytotoxity and exceptional cell imaging abilities of MAO-Red-1. It was validated both in HeLa and HepG2 cells that MAO-Red-1 was capable of reporting MAO activity through the variation of fluorescence intensity.
Marked Sexual Dimorphism in the Role of the Ryanodine Receptor in a Model of Pain Chronification in the Rat
Authors: Ferrari Luiz F. , Khomula Eugen V. , Araldi Dionéia , Levine Jon D.
Published: August 2016

Hyperalgesic priming, an estrogen dependent model of the transition to chronic pain, produced by agonists at receptors that activate protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε), occurs in male but not in female rats. However, activation of second messengers downstream of PKCε, such as the ryanodine receptor, induces priming in both sexes. Since estrogen regulates intracellular calcium, we investigated the interaction between estrogen and ryanodine in the susceptibility to develop priming in females. The lowest dose of ryanodine able to induce priming in females (1 pg) is 1/100,000th that needed in males (100 ng), an effect dependent on the activation of ryanodine receptors. Treatment of female rats with antisense to estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), but not beta (ERβ), mRNA, prevented the induction of priming by low dose ryanodine and the ERα agonist, PPT, induced ryanodine receptor-dependent priming. In vitro application of ryanodine in low concentration (2 nM) to small DRG neurons cultured from females, significantly potentiated calcium release via ryanodine receptors induced by caffeine. This effect was only observed in IB4+ neurons, cultured in the presence of β-estradiol or PPT. Our results demonstrate a profound regulatory role of ERα in ryanodine receptor-dependent transition to chronic pain.
Genomic characterization of the Atlantic cod sex-locus
Authors: Star Bastiaan , Tørresen Ole K. , Nederbragt Alexander J. , Jakobsen Kjetill S. , Pampoulie Christophe , Jentoft Sissel
Published: August 2016

A variety of sex determination mechanisms can be observed in evolutionary divergent teleosts. Sex determination is genetic in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), however the genomic location or size of its sex-locus is unknown. Here, we characterize the sex-locus of Atlantic cod using whole genome sequence (WGS) data of 227 wild-caught specimens. Analyzing more than 55 million polymorphic loci, we identify 166 loci that are associated with sex. These loci are located in six distinct regions on five different linkage groups (LG) in the genome. The largest of these regions, an approximately 55 Kb region on LG11, contains the majority of genotypes that segregate closely according to a XX-XY system. Genotypes in this region can be used genetically determine sex, whereas those in the other regions are inconsistently sex-linked. The identified region on LG11 and its surrounding genes have no clear sequence homology with genes or regulatory elements associated with sex-determination or differentiation in other species. The functionality of this sex-locus therefore remains unknown. The WGS strategy used here proved adequate for detecting the small regions associated with sex in this species. Our results highlight the evolutionary flexibility in genomic architecture underlying teleost sex-determination and allow practical applications to genetically sex Atlantic cod.
Multiple independent transmission cycles of a tick-borne pathogen within a local host community
Authors: Jacquot Maude , Abrial David , Gasqui Patrick , Bord Severine , Marsot Maud , Masseglia Sébastien , Pion Angélique , Poux Valérie , Zilliox Laurence , Chapuis Jean-Louis , Vourc’h Gwenaël , Bailly Xavier
Published: August 2016

Many pathogens are maintained by multiple host species and involve multiple strains with potentially different phenotypic characteristics. Disentangling transmission patterns in such systems is often challenging, yet investigating how different host species contribute to transmission is crucial to properly assess and manage disease risk. We aim to reveal transmission cycles of bacteria within the Borrelia burgdorferi species complex, which include Lyme disease agents. We characterized Borrelia genotypes found in 488 infected Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected in the Sénart Forest located near Paris (France). These genotypes were compared to those observed in three sympatric species of small mammals and network analyses reveal four independent transmission cycles. Statistical modelling shows that two cycles involving chipmunks, an introduced species, and non-sampled host species such as birds, are responsible for the majority of tick infections. In contrast, the cycle involving native bank voles only accounts for a small proportion of infected ticks. Genotypes associated with the two primary transmission cycles were isolated from Lyme disease patients, confirming the epidemiological threat posed by these strains. Our work demonstrates that combining high-throughput sequence typing with networks tools and statistical modeling is a promising approach for characterizing transmission cycles of multi-host pathogens in complex ecological settings.
Prediction of a new ground state of superhard compound B6O at ambient conditions
Authors: Dong Huafeng , Oganov Artem R. , Wang Qinggao , Wang Sheng-Nan , Wang Zhenhai , Zhang Jin , Esfahani M. Mahdi Davari , Zhou Xiang-Feng , Wu Fugen , Zhu Qiang
Published: August 2016

Boron suboxide B6O, the hardest known oxide, has an R"Equation missing"m crystal structure (α-B6O) that can be described as an oxygen-stuffed structure of α-boron, or, equivalently, as a cubic close packing of B12 icosahedra with two oxygen atoms occupying all octahedral voids in it. Here we show a new ground state of this compound at ambient conditions, Cmcm-B6O (β-B6O), which in all quantum-mechanical treatments that we tested comes out to be slightly but consistently more stable. Increasing pressure and temperature further stabilizes it with respect to the known α-B6O structure. β-B6O also has a slightly higher hardness and may be synthesized using different experimental protocols. We suggest that β-B6O is present in mixture with α-B6O, and its presence accounts for previously unexplained bands in the experimental Raman spectrum.
Prediction of Filamentous Sludge Bulking using a State-based Gaussian Processes Regression Model
Authors: Liu Yiqi , Guo Jianhua , Wang Qilin , Huang Daoping
Published: August 2016

Activated sludge process has been widely adopted to remove pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, stable operation of activated sludge process is often compromised by the occurrence of filamentous bulking. The aim of this study is to build a proper model for timely diagnosis and prediction of filamentous sludge bulking in an activated sludge process. This study developed a state-based Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) model to monitor the filamentous sludge bulking related parameter, sludge volume index (SVI), in such a way that the evolution of SVI can be predicted over multi-step ahead. This methodology was validated with SVI data collected from one full-scale WWTP. Online diagnosis and prediction of filamentous bulking sludge with real-time SVI prediction was tested through a simulation study. The results showed that the proposed methodology was capable of predicting future SVIs with good accuracy, thus providing sufficient time for predicting and controlling filamentous sludge bulking.
Increased EZH2 and decreased osteoblastogenesis during local irradiation-induced bone loss in rats
Authors: Guo Changjun , Li Changwei , Yang Kai , Kang Hui , Xu Xiaoya , Xu Xiangyang , Deng Lianfu
Published: August 2016

Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat cancer patients but exhibits adverse effects, including insufficiency fractures and bone loss. Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Here, we reported local bone changes after single-dose exposure to137CSirradiation in rats. Femur bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone volume in the tibia were significantly decreased at 12 weeks after irradiation. Micro-CT results showed that tBMD, Tb.h and Tb.N were also significantly reduced at 12 weeks after irradiation exposure. ALP-positive OB.S/BS was decreased by 42.3% at 2 weeks after irradiation and was decreased by 50.8% at 12 weeks after exposure. In contrast to the decreased expression of Runx2 and BMP2, we found EZH2 expression was significantly increased at 2 weeks after single-dose137CSirradiation in BMSCs. Together, our results demonstrated that single-dose137CSirradiation induces BMD loss and the deterioration of bone microarchitecture in the rat skeleton. Furthermore, EZH2 expression increased and osteoblastogenesis decreased after irradiation. The underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation.
Advanced gas sensors based on substrate-integrated hollow waveguides and dual-color ring quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Tütüncü Erhan , Kokoric Vjekoslav , Szedlak Rolf , MacFarland Donald , Zederbauer Tobias , Detz Hermann , Andrews Aaron Maxwell , Schrenk Werner , Strasser Gottfried , Mizaikoff Boris
Published: August 2016

The first combination of a ring-shaped vertically emitting quantum cascade laser (riQCL) with a substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG) is presented.
Dynamics of ionic liquids in bulk and in confinement by means of1H NMR relaxometry – BMIM-OcSO4in an SiO2matrix as an example
Authors: Kruk Danuta , Wojciechowski Milosz , Brym Szczepan , Singh Rajendra Kumar
Published: August 2016

1H spin–lattice nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry is applied to reveal the mechanisms of the ionic dynamics of BMIM-OcSO4in bulk and in SiO2nano-confinement.
Single molecule study of samarium oxide nanoparticles as a purely heterogeneous catalyst for one-pot aldehyde chemistry
Authors: Hodgson Gregory K. , Impellizzeri Stefania , Scaiano Juan C.
Published: August 2016

Heterogeneous catalysis holds distinct advantages over homogeneous catalysis; however, it is only truly advantageous if unaffected by metal ion leaching or in situ formation of a soluble catalytically active species.
Synthesis and high proton conductive performance of a quaternary vanadomolybdotungstosilicic heteropoly acid
Authors: Cai Huaxue , Wu Xuefei , Wu Qingyin , Yan Wenfu
Published: August 2016

A novel quaternary vanadomolybdotungstosilicic heteropoly acid with excellent proton conductivity.
Protective effects of fish oil on pre-diabetes: a lipidomic analysis of liver ceramides in rats
Authors: Taltavull Núria , Ras Rosa , Mariné Sílvia , Romeu Marta , Giralt Montserrat , Méndez Lucía , Medina Isabel , Ramos-Romero Sara , Torres Josep L. , Nogués M. Rosa
Published: August 2016

n-3 PUFA (EPA/DHA 1 : 1) from fish oil modified the ceramide profile of the liver and reduced their total content in pre-diabetic rats.
Food protein-based phytosterol nanoparticles: fabrication and characterization
Authors: Cao Wen-Jun , Ou Shi-Yi , Lin Wei-Feng , Tang Chuan-He
Published: August 2016

Phytosterols are a group of plant sterols with well-recognized LDL-cholesterol lowering effects. The water solubility and bioaccessibility of these compounds can be greatly improved by encapsulation within food protein-based nanoparticles.