bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deciphering bifidobacterial-mediated metabolic interactions and their impact on gut microbiota by a multi-omics approach
Authors: Turroni Francesca , Milani Christian , Duranti Sabrina , Mancabelli Leonardo , Mangifesta Marta , Viappiani Alice , Lugli Gabriele Andrea , Ferrario Chiara , Gioiosa Laura , Ferrarini Alberto , Li Jia , Palanza Paola , Delledonne Massimo , van Sinderen Douwe , Ventura Marco
Published: February 2016

The intricacies of cooperation and competition between microorganisms are poorly investigated for particular components of the gut microbiota. In order to obtain insights into the manner by which different bifidobacterial species coexist in the mammalian gut, we investigated possible interactions between four human gut commensals, Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010, Bifidobacterium adolescentis 22L, Bifidobacterium breve 12L and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC15697, in the intestine of conventional mice. The generated information revealed various ecological/metabolic strategies, including glycan-harvesting, glycan-breakdown and cross-feeding behavior, adopted by bifidobacteria in the highly competitive environment of the mammalian intestine. Introduction of two or multiple bifidobacterial strains caused a clear shift in the microbiota composition of the murine cecum. Whole-genome transcription profiling coupled with metagenomic analyses of single, dual or multiple associations of bifidobacterial strains revealed an expansion of the murine gut glycobiome toward enzymatic degradation of plant-derived carbohydrates, such as xylan, arabinoxylan, starch and host-derived glycan substrates. Furthermore, these bifidobacterial communities evoked major changes in the metabolomic profile of the microbiota as observed by shifts in short chain fatty acid production and carbohydrate availability in the murine cecum. Overall, these data support an ecological role of bifidobacteria acting directly or through cross-feeding activities in shaping the gut murine microbiome to instigate an enrichment of saccharolytic microbiota.
Correction: Corrigendum: Drosophila Rif1 is an essential gene and controls late developmental events by direct interaction with PP1-87B
Authors: Sreesankar Easwaran , Bharathi Vellaichamy , Mishra Rakesh K. , Mishra Krishnaveni
Published: February 2016

Rif1, identified as a regulator of telomerase in yeast, is an evolutionarily conserved protein and functions in diverse processes including telomere length regulation, epigenetic gene regulation, anti-checkpoint activity, DNA repair and establishing timing of firing at replication origins. Previously we had identified that all Rif1 homologues have PP1 interacting SILK-RVxF motif. In the present study, we show that Drosophila Rif1 is essential for normal fly development and loss of dRif1 impairs temporal regulation of initiation of DNA replication. In multiple tissues dRif1 colocalizes with HP1, a protein known to orchestrate timing of replication in fly. dRif1 associates with chromosomes in a mitotic stage-dependent manner coinciding with dephosphorylation of histones. Ectopic expression of dRif1 causes enlarged larval imaginal discs and early pupal lethality which is completely reversed by co-expression of PP1 87B, the major protein phosphatase in Drosophila, indicating genetic and functional interaction. These findings suggest that dRif1 is an adaptor for PP1 and functions by recruiting PP1 to multiple sites on the chromosome.
D-sorbitol-induced phase control of TiO2 nanoparticles and its application for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Shaikh Shoyebmohamad F. , Mane Rajaram S. , Min Byoung Koun , Hwang Yun Jeong , Joo Oh-shim
Published: February 2016

Using a simple hydrothermal synthesis, the crystal structure of TiO2 nanoparticles was controlled from rutile to anatase using a sugar alcohol, D-sorbitol. Adding small amounts of D-sorbitol to an aqueous TiCl4 solution resulted in changes in the crystal phase, particle size and surface area by affecting the hydrolysis rate of TiCl4. These changes led to improvements of the solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) fabricated using these nanoparticles. A postulated reaction mechanism concerning the role of D-sorbitol in the formation of rutile and anatase was proposed. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C NMR spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering analyses were used to better understand the interaction between the Ti precursor and D-sorbitol. The crystal phase and size of the synthesized TiO2 nanocrystallites as well as photovoltaic performance of the DSSC were examined using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and photocurrent density-applied voltage spectroscopy measurement techniques. The DSSC fabricated using the anatase TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of D-sorbitol, exhibited an enhanced η (6%, 1.5-fold improvement) compared with the device fabricated using the rutile TiO2 synthesized without D-sorbitol.
New insights into the Plasmodium vivax transcriptome using RNA-Seq
Authors: Zhu Lei , Mok Sachel , Imwong Mallika , Jaidee Anchalee , Russell Bruce , Nosten Francois , Day Nicholas P. , White Nicholas J. , Preiser Peter R. , Bozdech Zbynek
Published: February 2016

Historically seen as a benign disease, it is now becoming clear that Plasmodium vivax can cause significant morbidity. Effective control strategies targeting P. vivax malaria is hindered by our limited understanding of vivax biology. Here we established the P. vivax transcriptome of the Intraerythrocytic Developmental Cycle (IDC) of two clinical isolates in high resolution by Illumina HiSeq platform. The detailed map of transcriptome generates new insights into regulatory mechanisms of individual genes and reveals their intimate relationship with specific biological functions. A transcriptional hotspot of vir genes observed on chromosome 2 suggests a potential active site modulating immune evasion of the Plasmodium parasite across patients. Compared to other eukaryotes, P. vivax genes tend to have unusually long 5′ untranslated regions and also present multiple transcription start sites. In contrast, alternative splicing is rare in P. vivax but its association with the late schizont stage suggests some of its significance for gene function. The newly identified transcripts, including up to 179 vir like genes and 3018 noncoding RNAs suggest an important role of these gene/transcript classes in strain specific transcriptional regulation.
Functionalization-induced changes in the structural and physical properties of amorphous polyaniline: a first-principles and molecular dynamics study
Authors: Chen X. P. , Liang Q. H. , Jiang J. K. , Wong Cell K. Y. , Leung Stanley Y. Y. , Ye H. Y. , Yang D. G. , Ren T. L.
Published: February 2016

In this paper, we present a first-principles and molecular dynamics study to delineate the functionalization-induced changes in the local structure and the physical properties of amorphous polyaniline. The results of radial distribution function (RDF) demonstrate that introducing -SO3−Na+ groups at phenyl rings leads to the structural changes in both the intrachain and interchain ordering of polyaniline at shorter distances (≤5 Å). An unique RDF feature in 1.8–2.1 Å regions is usually observed in both the interchain and intrachain RDF profiles of the -SO3−Na+ substituted polymer (i.e. Na-SPANI). Comparative studies of the atom-atom pairs, bond structures, torsion angles and three-dimensional structures show that EB-PANI has much better intrachain ordering than that of Na-SPANI. In addition, investigation of the band gap, density of states (DOS) and absorption spectra indicates that the derivatization at ring do not substantially alter the inherent electronic properties but greatly change the optical properties of polyaniline. Furthermore, the computed diffusion coefficient of water in Na-SPANI is smaller than that of EB-PANI. On the other hand, the Na-SPANI shows a larger density than that of EB-PANI. The computed RDF profiles, band gaps, absorption spectra and diffusion coefficients are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data.
A randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial of oral dydrogesterone supplementation in the management of preterm labor
Authors: Areeruk Wilasinee , Phupong Vorapong
Published: February 2016

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral dydrogesterone on the recurrent uterine contraction in preterm labor. The secondary aims were to evaluate latency period, gestational age at delivery, pregnancy outcomes, neonatal outcomes, compliance and side effects. A randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial was conducted. Forty-eight pregnant women at 24–34 weeks gestation with preterm labor were either randomized to study group receiving tocolytic treatment combined with oral dydrogesterone (20 mg daily) or to placebo group receiving tocolytic treatment combined with oral placebo. Recurrent rates of uterine contraction were comparable between groups (87.5% vs 91.7%, p = 0.64). Latency periods were not different between dydrogesterone and placebo group (32.7 ± 20.2 days vs 38.2 ± 24.2 days, p = 0.39). There were also no differences in gestational age at delivery, pregnancy outcomes, neonatal outcomes, compliance and side effects. Adjuvant treatment with oral dydrogesterone 20 mg/day could not decrease the rates of recurrent uterine contraction and prolong latency period in preterm labor management when compared to placebo.
2- and 3-dimensional synthetic large-scale de novo patterning by mammalian cells through phase separation
Authors: Cachat Elise , Liu Weijia , Martin Kim C. , Yuan Xiaofei , Yin Huabing , Hohenstein Peter , Davies Jamie A.
Published: February 2016

Synthetic biology provides an opportunity for the construction and exploration of alternative solutions to biological problems - solutions different from those chosen by natural life. To this end, synthetic biologists have built new sensory systems, cellular memories and alternative genetic codes. There is a growing interest in applying synthetic approaches to multicellular systems, especially in relation to multicellular self-organization. Here we describe a synthetic biological system that confers large-scalede novopatterning activity on 2-D and 3-D populations of mammalian cells. Instead of using the reaction-diffusion mechanisms common in real embryos, our system uses cadherin-mediated phase separation, inspired by the known phenomenon of cadherin-based sorting. An engineered self-organizing, large-scale patterning system requiring no prior spatial cue may be a significant step towards the construction of self-assembling synthetic tissues.
Lithium inhibits tumor lymphangiogenesis and metastasis through the inhibition of TGFBIp expression in cancer cells
Authors: Maeng Yong-Sun , Lee Rina , Lee Boram , Choi Seung-il , Kim Eung Kweon
Published: February 2016

Metastasis is the main cause of mortality in cancer patients. Although there are many anti-cancer drugs targeting tumor growth, anti-metastatic agents are rarely developed. Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are crucial for cancer progression; in particular, lymphangiogenesis is pivotal for metastasis in cancer. Here we report that lithium inhibits colon cancer metastasis by blocking lymphangiogenesis. Lithium reduces the expression of transforming growth factor-β-induced protein (TGFBIp) in colon cancer cells by inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation via GSK3β inactivation. Moreover, lithium inhibits lymphatic endothelial cell migration, which is increased upon TGFBIp expression in tumor cells. Lithium had no significant effect on SW620 tumor growth in vitro and in vivo; however, it inhibited lymphangiogenesis in tumors. In tumor xenografts model, lithium was found to prevent metastasis to the lungs, liver and lymph nodes by inhibiting TGFBIp-induced tumor lymphangiogenesis. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a novel role of lithium in the inhibition of colon cancer metastasis by blocking TGFBIp expression and thereby TGFBIp-induced lymphangiogenesis, in primary tumors.
Effects of glucose metabolism during in vitro maturation on cytoplasmic maturation of mouse oocytes
Authors: Xie Hong-Li , Wang Yan-Bo , Jiao Guang-Zhong , Kong De-Ling , Li Qing , Li Hong , Zheng Liang-Liang , Tan Jing-He
Published: February 2016

Although there are many reports on the effect of glucose metabolism on oocyte nuclear maturation, there are few studies on its effect on ooplasmic maturation. By manipulating glucose metabolism pathways using a maturation medium that could support oocyte nuclear maturation but only a limited blastocyst formation without glucose, this study determined effects of glucose metabolism pathways on ooplasmic maturation. During maturation of cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) with glucose, the presence of PPP inhibitor, DHEA or glycolysis inhibitor, iodoacetate significantly decreased blastocyst rates, intraoocyte glutathione and ATP. While blastocyst rates, GSH/GSSG ratio and NADPH were higher, ROS was lower significantly in COCs matured with iodoacetate than with DHEA. Fructose-6-phosphate overcame the inhibitory effect of DHEA on PPP. During maturation of COCs with pyruvate, electron transport inhibitor, rotenone or monocarboxylate transfer inhibitor, 4-CIN significantly decreased blastocyst rates. Cumulus-denuded oocytes had a limited capacity to use glucose or lactate, but they could use pyruvate to support maturation. In conclusion, whereas glycolysis promoted ooplasmic maturation mainly by supplying energy, PPP facilitated ooplasmic maturation to a greater extent by both reducing oxidative stress and supplying energy through providing fructose-6-phosphate for glycolysis. Pyruvate was transferred by monocarboxylate transporters and utilized through mitochondrial electron transport to sustain ooplasmic maturation.
A comparative study on the in vivo degradation of poly(L-lactide) based composite implants for bone fracture fixation
Authors: Wang Zongliang , Wang Yu , Ito Yoshihiro , Zhang Peibiao , Chen Xuesi
Published: February 2016

Composite of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAP) surface grafted with poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) (g-HAP) showed improved interface compatibility and mechanical property for bone fracture fixation. In this paper, in vivo degradation of n-HAP/PLLA and g-HAP/PLLA composite implants was investigated. The mechanical properties, molecular weight, thermal properties as well as crystallinity of the implants were measured. The bending strength of the n- and g-HAP/PLLA composites showed a marked reduction from an initial value of 102 and 114 MPa to 33 and 24 MPa at 36 weeks, respectively. While the bending strength of PLLA was maintained at 80 MPa at 36 weeks compared with initial value of 107 MPa. The impact strength increased over time especially for the composites. Significant differences in the molecular weight were seen among all the materials and g-HAP/PLLA appeared the fastest rate of decrease than others. Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) results demonstrated that an apparently porous morphology full of pores and hollows were formed in the composites. The results indicated that the in vivo degradation of PLLA could be accelerated by the g-HAP nanoparticles. It implied that g-HAP/PLLA composites might be a candidate for human non-load bearing bone fracture fixation which needs high initial strength and fast degradation rate.
Pax6 in Collembola: Adaptive Evolution of Eye Regression
Authors: Hou Ya-Nan , Li Sheng , Luan Yun-Xia
Published: February 2016

Unlike the compound eyes in insects, collembolan eyes are comparatively simple: some species have eyes with different numbers of ocelli (1 + 1 to 8 + 8) and some species have no apparent eye structures. Pax6is a universal master control gene for eye morphogenesis. In this study, full-lengthPax6cDNAs,Fc-Pax6andCd-Pax6, were cloned from an eyeless collembolan (Folsomia candida, soil-dwelling) and an eyed one (Ceratophysella denticulata, surface-dwelling), respectively. Their phylogenetic positions are between the twoPax6paralogs in insects,eyeless(ey) andtwin of eyeless(toy) and their protein sequences are more similar to Ey than to Toy. Both Fc-Pax6 and Cd-Pax6 could induce ectopic eyes inDrosophila, while Fc-Pax6 exhibited much weaker transactivation ability than Cd-Pax6. The C-terminus of collembolan Pax6 is indispensable for its transactivation ability and determines the differences of transactivation ability between Fc-Pax6 and Cd-Pax6. One of the possible reasons is thatFc-Pax6accumulated more mutations at some key functional sites of C-terminus under a lower selection pressure on eye development due to the dark habitats ofF. candida. The composite data provide a first molecular evidence for the monophyletic origin of collembolan eyes and indicate the eye degeneration of collembolans is caused by adaptive evolution.
Tunable electromagnetically induced transparency in coupled three-dimensional split-ring-resonator metamaterials
Authors: Han Song , Cong Longqing , Lin Hai , Xiao Boxun , Yang Helin , Singh Ranjan
Published: February 2016

Metamaterials have recently enabled coupling induced transparency due to interference effects in coupled subwavelength resonators. In this work, we present a three dimensional (3-D) metamaterial design with six-fold rotational symmetry that shows electromagnetically induced transparency with a strong polarization dependence to the incident electromagnetic wave due to the ultra-sharp resonance line width as a result of interaction between the constituent meta-atoms. However, when the six-fold rotationally symmetric unit cell design was re-arranged into a fourfold rotational symmetry, we observed the excitation of a polarization insensitive dual-band transparency. Thus, the 3-D split-ring resonators allow new schemes to observe single and multi-band classical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparencies that has huge potential applications in slowing down light, sensing modalities and filtering functionalities either in the passive mode or the active mode where such effects could be tuned by integrating materials with dynamic properties.
Fertilizer regime impacts on abundance and diversity of soil fauna across a poplar plantation chronosequence in coastal Eastern China
Authors: Wang Shaojun , Chen Han Y. H. , Tan Yan , Fan Huan , Ruan Honghua
Published: February 2016

Soil fauna are critical for ecosystem function and sensitive to the changes of soil fertility. The effects of fertilization on soil fauna communities, however, remain poorly understood. We examined the effects of fertilization form and quantity on the abundance, diversity and composition of soil fauna across an age-sequence of poplar plantations (i.e., 4-, 9- and 20-yr-old) in the coastal region of eastern China. We found that the effects of fertilization on faunal abundance, diversity, and composition differed among stand ages. Organic fertilizers increased the total abundance of soil fauna, whereas low level inorganic fertilizers imparted increases only in the 4- and 9-yr-old stands. The number of faunal groups did not change with fertilization, but Shannon’s and Margalef diversity indices increased under low level organic fertilization, and decreased under inorganic fertilization in the 9- and 20-yr-old stands. Community composition of soil fauna differed strongly with fertilization and stand age. The changes in soil fauna were strongly associated with the changes in microbial biomass carbon, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, and available phosphorus and potassium. Our findings suggest that the responses of soil fauna to fertilization may be mediated through the fertilization effects on soil nutrient availability.
The binding capability of plasma phospholipid transfer protein, but not HDL pool size, is critical to repress LPS induced inflammation
Authors: Yu Yang , Cui Yingjie , Zhao Yanan , Liu Shuai , Song Guohua , Jiao Peng , Li Bin , Luo Tian , Guo Shoudong , Zhang Xiangjian , Wang Hao , Jiang Xian-Cheng , Qin Shucun
Published: February 2016

Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) participates in high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. Increased plasma PLTP activity was observed in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggered acute inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the exact role of PLTP in LPS induced inflammation. HDL pool size was shrunk both in PLTP deficient mice (PLTP−/−) and PLTP transgenic mice (PLTP-Tg). PLTP displayed a strong protective effect on lethal endotoxemia in mice survival study. Furthermore, after LPS stimulation, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in bone marrow derived macrophage (BMDM) from PLTP−/−, while decreased in BMDM from PLTP-Tg compared with BMDM from wild-type mice (WT). Moreover, LPS induced nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) activation was enhanced in PLTP−/− BMDM or PLTP knockdown RAW264.7. Conversely, PLTP overexpression countered the NFκB activation in LPS challenged BMDM. Additionally, the activation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) induced by LPS showed no alteration in PLTP−/− BMDM. Finally, PLTP could bind to LPS, attenuate the pro-inflammatory effects of LPS and improve the cell viability in vitro. To sum up, these findings elucidated that PLTP repressed LPS induced inflammation due to extracellular LPS binding capability and the protective effects were not related to HDL pool size in mice.
Quantifying the cooperative subunit action in a multimeric membrane receptor
Authors: Wongsamitkul Nisa , Nache Vasilica , Eick Thomas , Hummert Sabine , Schulz Eckhard , Schmauder Ralf , Schirmeyer Jana , Zimmer Thomas , Benndorf Klaus
Published: February 2016

In multimeric membrane receptors the cooperative action of the subunits prevents exact knowledge about the operation and the interaction of the individual subunits. We propose a method that permits quantification of ligand binding to and activation effects of the individual binding sites in a multimeric membrane receptor. The power of this method is demonstrated by gaining detailed insight into the subunit action in olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated CNGA2 ion channels.
Comprehensive transcriptomic and proteomic characterization of human mesenchymal stem cells reveals source specific cellular markers
Authors: Billing Anja M. , Ben Hamidane Hisham , Dib Shaima S. , Cotton Richard J. , Bhagwat Aditya M. , Kumar Pankaj , Hayat Shahina , Yousri Noha A. , Goswami Neha , Suhre Karsten , Rafii Arash , Graumann Johannes
Published: February 2016

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells with great potential in therapy, reflected by more than 500 MSC-based clinical trials registered with the NIH. MSC are derived from multiple tissues but require invasive harvesting and imply donor-to-donor variability. Embryonic stem cell-derived MSC (ESC-MSC) may provide an alternative, but how similar they are to ex vivo MSC is unknown. Here we performed an in depth characterization of human ESC-MSC, comparing them to human bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) as well as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) by transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and quantitative proteomics (nanoLC-MS/MS using SILAC). Data integration highlighted and validated a central role of vesicle-mediated transport and exosomes in MSC biology and also demonstrated, through enrichment analysis, their versatility and broad application potential. Particular emphasis was placed on comparing profiles between ESC-MSC and BM-MSC and assessing their equivalency. Data presented here shows that differences between ESC-MSC and BM-MSC are similar in magnitude to those reported for MSC of different origin and the former may thus represent an alternative source for therapeutic applications. Finally, we report an unprecedented coverage of MSC CD markers, as well as membrane associated proteins which may benefit immunofluorescence-based applications and contribute to a refined molecular description of MSC.
Comprehensive analysis of TCP transcription factors and their expression during cotton (Gossypium arboreum) fiber early development
Authors: Ma Jun , Liu Fang , Wang Qinglian , Wang Kunbo , Jones Don C. , Zhang Baohong
Published: February 2016

TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors implicated to perform a variety of physiological functions during plant growth and development. In the current study, we performed for the first time the comprehensive analysis of TCP gene family in a diploid cotton species, Gossypium arboreum, including phylogenetic analysis, chromosome location, gene duplication status, gene structure and conserved motif analysis, as well as expression profiles in fiber at different developmental stages. Our results showed that G. arboreum contains 36 TCP genes, distributing across all of the thirteen chromosomes. GaTCPs within the same subclade of the phylogenetic tree shared similar exon/intron organization and motif composition. In addition, both segmental duplication and whole-genome duplication contributed significantly to the expansion of GaTCPs. Many these TCP transcription factor genes are specifically expressed in cotton fiber during different developmental stages, including cotton fiber initiation and early development. This suggests that TCP genes may play important roles in cotton fiber development.
17O and 33S NMR Spectroscopy of Small Molecules in the Gas Phase
Authors: Makulski Włodzimierz
Published: February 2016

17O and 33S NMR are demanding methods in experimental work, especially when the measurements are performed for gaseous samples. Nevertheless the oxygen and sulfur measurements in the gas phase are presently possible due to significant improvements in technical instrumentations e.g. higher fields generated in superconducting magnets, better sensitivity of NMR probes and development of various pulse sequences. The main achievements in gas phase 17O and 33S NMR research into simple organic and inorganic compounds are reviewed and recent experimental and theoretical works involving the nuclear magnetic shielding, indirect spin–spin coupling constants and other parameters, which can be deduced from simple 17O and 33S spectra, are examined. The important results of shielding calculations are mentioned. Recently the calculations were jointly used with the gas phase experiments for the determination of new values for the 17O and 33S nuclear magnetic dipole moments. As shown the most difficult challenges for theoretical methods are spin–spin coupling predictions. Several examples of such calculations along with experimental results are given in this chapter. In a few cases, we also present the experimental results for liquids, which can reflect the presence of intermolecular interactions in oxygen and sulfur NMR spectra.
Optical Hyperpolarization of Noble Gases for Medical Imaging
Authors: Pałasz Tadeusz , Tomanek Bogusław
Published: February 2016

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of human or animal lungs became possible with the application of hyperpolarized noble gases, such as 3He or 129Xe. This method allows obtaining information on lung morphology and functionality. Introduction of hyperpolarized noble gases provided as well a new tool for non-medical applications such as neutron filters or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy studies in porous materials. The high polarization of noble gases is possible using so-called optical pumping methods. In this chapter the two most common polarization techniques of noble gases (3He and 129Xe), spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) and metastability exchange optical pumping (MEOP) are presented. Variations of these methods delivering higher 3He and 129Xe polarization including hybrid SEOP or MEOP in standard conditions and in elevated pressure and high magnetic fields are also reported. A short description of the equipment used for gas polarization is also provided.
Ex vivo expansion of circulating lung tumor cells based on one-step microfluidics-based immunomagnetic isolation
Authors: Wang Zhihua , Wu Wenjun , Wang Zhuo , Tang Ying , Deng Yuliang , Xu Ling , Tian Jianhui , Shi Qihui
Published: February 2016

This paper reports a method to preserve the high viability of CTCs and enrich isolated CTCs in a small volume of culture medium for successful ex vivo expansion.
Isosteric and fluorescent DNA base pair formed by 4-amino-phthalimide and 2,4-diaminopyrimidine: melting, structure, and THz polar solvation dynamics
Authors: Dehmel L. , Berndt F. , Weinberger M. , Sajadi M. , Ioffe I. , Wagenknecht H.-A. , Ernsting N. P.
Published: February 2016

An artificial base pair in duplex DNA, formed by 2,4-diaminopyrimidine and fluorescent 4-aminophthalimide C-nucleosides, is characterized spectroscopically, for use in femtosecond solvation dynamics.
Understanding the effect of the nature of the nucleobase in the loops on the stability of the i-motif structure
Authors: Benabou Sanae , Garavís Miguel , Lyonnais Sébastien , Eritja Ramon , González Carlos , Gargallo Raimundo
Published: February 2016

The nature of bases in the loops affects the acid–base and thermal stability of i-motif structures.
Gate modulation of proton transport in a nanopore
Authors: Mei Lanju , Yeh Li-Hsien , Qian Shizhi
Published: February 2016

Gate modulation of proton transport in a pH-regulated nanopore is investigated by considering the electric double layer overlap effect.
Synthesis of borocarbonitride from a multifunctional Cu(i) boron imidazolate framework
Authors: Wen Tian , Chen Er-Xia , Zhang De-Xiang , Zhang Jian
Published: February 2016

A multifunctional Cu(i) boron imidazole framework (BIF-36) not only directly reduced noble trimetal Au–Ag–Pd nanoparticles and turned into borocarbonitride material after carbonisation, but also showed redox-triggered reversible crystal structural transformation.
Controlled single-cell deposition and patterning by highly flexible hollow cantilevers
Authors: Martinez Vincent , Forró Csaba , Weydert Serge , Aebersold Mathias J. , Dermutz Harald , Guillaume-Gentil Orane , Zambelli Tomaso , Vörös János , Demkó László
Published: February 2016

Flexible SU-8 cantilevers with integrated microchannels have been fabricated to build complex cell cultures via controlled single-cell deposition and removal.
Biopolymer hybrid electrodes for scalable electricity storage
Authors: Admassie S. , Ajjan F. N. , Elfwing A. , Inganäs O.
Published: February 2016

Powering the future, while maintaining a cleaner environment and a strong socioeconomic growth, is going to be one of the biggest challenges faced by mankind in the 21st century.
1,4-Dihydrophosphinolines and their complexes with group 10 metals
Authors: Klingenberg Margarita A. , Bogachenkov Alexander S. , Kinzhalov Mikhail A. , Vasilyev Aleksander V. , Boyarskiy Vadim P.
Published: February 2016

Syntheses and characterizations of novel 1,4-dihydrophosphinolines and their complexes with Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) are described.
Construction of enantioenriched polysubstituted hexahydropyridazines via a sequential multicatalytic process merging palladium catalysis and aminocatalysis
Authors: Marques A.-S. , Giardinetti M. , Marrot J. , Coeffard V. , Moreau X. , Greck C.
Published: February 2016

The powerful combination of organic and metal catalysis in a single vessel allowed the formation of enantioenriched polysubstituted cyclic 6-membered hydrazines bearing a quaternary stereocenter in good yields and selectivities.
One-pot preparation of BAB triblock copolymer nano-objects through bifunctional macromolecular RAFT agent mediated dispersion polymerization
Authors: Qu Yaqing , Wang Shuang , Khan Habib , Gao Chengqiang , Zhou Heng , Zhang Wangqing
Published: February 2016

Nano-assemblies of a BAB triblock copolymer containing a solvophilic A block and two solvophobic B blocks were prepared through dispersion RAFT polymerization.
A QSPR study on the liquid crystallinity of five-ring bent-core molecules using decision trees, MARS and artificial neural networks
Authors: Antanasijević Jelena , Antanasijević Davor , Pocajt Viktor , Trišović Nemanja , Fodor-Csorba Katalin
Published: February 2016

We present an approach for the prediction of liquid crystallinity of five-ring bent-core molecules. Reported classifiers can be also used for the estimation of influence of structural modifications on LC phase formation and its stability.
Mesoporous Co3O4@carbon composites derived from microporous cobalt-based porous coordination polymers for enhanced electrochemical properties in supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Shuang , Wang Ting , Shi Ying , Liu Guang , Li Jinping
Published: February 2016

In this work, mesoporous Co3O4@carbon composites were prepared through a simple, one-step, carbonization of microporous cobalt-based porous coordination polymer ZSA-1.
New approach for the reduction of graphene oxide with triphenylphosphine dihalide
Authors: Shin Hong-Suk , Kim Ki Woong , Kang Yong-goo , Myung Sung , Kim Jong Seung , An Ki-Seok , Lee Ill Young , Lee Sun Sook
Published: February 2016

We developed a one-flask method for the thermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) with triphenylphosphine dihalide (Ph3PX2) at 180 °C.
Facile synthesis of β-MnO2/polypyrrole nanorods and their enhanced lithium-storage properties
Authors: Wang Meng , Yang Qianxu , Zhang Tiandong , Zhu Baokun , Li Guangda
Published: February 2016

The β-MnO2/PPy composites were synthesized through in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The β-MnO2/PPy exhibit excellent cycling performance and rate capability when used as anode for LIBs.
The characterization of graphene prepared using a nickel film catalyst pre-deposited to fused silica
Authors: Song Xianglian , Song Lixin , Chen Xiaoying , Zhang Tao
Published: February 2016

The segregation of carbon atoms on a nickel film surface.
A novel carbazole-based mitochondria-targeted ratiometric fluorescent probe for bisulfite in living cells
Authors: Wang Gang , Chen Hao , Chen Xiuli , Xie Yongmei
Published: February 2016

A novel carbazole–indolium based mitochondria-targeted ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed, which could selectively respond to bisulfite among other sulfur-containing species in living cells.
Interaction of Cu+ with cytosine and formation of i-motif-like C–M+–C complexes: alkali versus coinage metals
Authors: Gao Juehan , Berden Giel , Rodgers M. T. , Oomens Jos
Published: February 2016

Dimeric metal ion complexes of cytosine C–M+–C display divergent coordination motifs for coinage versus alkali metal ions.
Spin-polarized Dirac cones and topological nontriviality in a metal–organic framework Ni2C24S6H12
Authors: Wei Lin , Zhang Xiaoming , Zhao Mingwen
Published: February 2016

Ni2C24S6H12: a spin-polarized semi-metal with Dirac cones and topologically nontrivial quantum anomalous Hall states.
Controlling an electrostatic repulsion by oppositely charged surfactants towards positively charged fluorescent gold nanoclusters
Authors: Corpuz Ryan D. , Ishida Yohei , Yonezawa Tetsu
Published: February 2016

An anionic surfactant enabled the first accomplish of cationic-thiolate protected fluorescent gold nanoclusters by chemical reduction.
Amorphous SiO2 surface models: energetics of the dehydroxylation process, strain, ab initio atomistic thermodynamics and IR spectroscopic signatures
Authors: Comas-Vives Aleix
Published: February 2016

Realistic amorphous SiO2 models of 2.1 × 2.1 nm with silanol densities ranging 1.1–7.2 OH per nm2 are obtained by means of ab initio calculations via the dehydroxylation of a fully hydroxylated silica surface.
Clathrochelates meet phosphorus. New thio- and phosphorylation reactions of an iron(ii) dichloroclathrochelate precursor and preparation of its first phosphorus(iii)-containing macrobicyclic derivative
Authors: Artyushin Oleg I. , Matveeva Ekaterina V. , Vologzhanina Anna V. , Voloshin Yan Z.
Published: February 2016

(Thio)phosphorylation of an iron(ii) dichloroclathrochelate gave PV,Cl- and PV,PV-substituted cage complexes, undergoing chemical reduction to their phosphorus(iii)-containing derivatives.
Probing the electrochemical properties of biopolymer modified EMD nanoflakes through electrodeposition for high performance alkaline batteries
Authors: Biswal Avijit , Minakshi Manickam , Tripathy Bankim Chandra
Published: February 2016

A novel biopolymer approach has been made to electrodeposit manganese dioxide from manganese sulphate in a sulphuric acid bath containing chitosan in the absence and presence of glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent.
Rhodium-catalyzed ortho C–H bond activation of arylamines for the synthesis of quinoline carboxylates
Authors: Gadakh Sunita K. , Dey Soumen , Sudalai A.
Published: February 2016

A diverse catalytic approach for the synthesis of quinoline derivatives via Rh catalyzed ortho C–H activation of aryl amines with alkynic esters is described.
Fabrication and origin of flame retarding glass fiber/bismaleimide resin composites with high thermal stability, good mechanical properties, and a low dielectric constant and loss for high frequency copper clad laminates
Authors: Zhang Zhiyong , Yuan Li , Liang Guozheng , Gu Aijuan
Published: February 2016

High performance glass fiber reinforced resin composites were fabricated by designing structures of fiber and resin with unique hyperbranched polysiloxane.
Dealuminated BEA zeolite for selective synthesis of five-membered cyclic acetal from glycerol under ambient conditions
Authors: Venkatesha N. J. , Bhat Y. S. , Jai Prakash B. S.
Published: February 2016

BEA zeolite is modified using phenoldisulfonic acid to change catalyst characteristics, which helps to form a single cyclic product. A new term called volume space acidity (VSA) provides volume space available for dioxane to dioxalane rearrangement.
From chlorite dismutase towards HemQ–the role of the proximal H-bonding network in haeme binding
Authors: Hofbauer Stefan , Howes Barry D. , Flego Nicola , Pirker Katharina F. , Schaffner Irene , Mlynek Georg , Djinović-Carugo Kristina , Furtmüller Paul G. , Smulevich Giulietta , Obinger Christian
Published: February 2016

Chlorite dismutase (Cld) and HemQ are structurally and phylogenetically closely related haeme enzymes differing fundamentally in their enzymatic properties. Clds are able to convert chlorite into chloride and dioxygen, whereas HemQ is proposed to be involved in the haeme b synthesis of Gram-positive bacteria. A striking difference between these protein families concerns the proximal haeme cavity architecture. The pronounced H-bonding network in Cld, which includes the proximal ligand histidine and fully conserved glutamate and lysine residues, is missing in HemQ. In order to understand the functional consequences of this clearly evident difference, specific hydrogen bonds in Cld from ‘Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii’ (NdCld) were disrupted by mutagenesis. The resulting variants (E210A and K141E) were analysed by a broad set of spectroscopic (UV–vis, EPR and resonance Raman), calorimetric and kinetic methods. It is demonstrated that the haeme cavity architecture in these protein families is very susceptible to modification at the proximal site. The observed consequences of such structural variations include a significant decrease in thermal stability and also affinity between haeme b and the protein, a partial collapse of the distal cavity accompanied by an increased percentage of low-spin state for the E210A variant, lowered enzymatic activity concomitant with higher susceptibility to self-inactivation. The high-spin (HS) ligand fluoride is shown to exhibit a stabilizing effect and partially restore wild-type Cld structure and function. The data are discussed with respect to known structure–function relationships of Clds and the proposed function of HemQ as a coprohaeme decarboxylase in the last step of haeme biosynthesis in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria.
α-Glucan biosynthesis and the GlgE pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Bornemann Stephen
Published: February 2016

It has long been reported that Mycobacterium tuberculosis is capable of synthesizing the α-glucan glycogen. However, what makes this bacterium stand out is that it coats itself in a capsule that mainly consists of a glycogen-like α-glucan. This polymer helps the pathogen evade immune responses. In 2010, the biosynthesis of α-glucans has been shown to not only involve the classical enzymes of glycogen metabolism but also a distinct GlgE pathway. Since then, this pathway has attracted attention not least in terms of the quest for new inhibitors that could be developed into new treatments for tuberculosis. Some lines of recent inquiry have shed a lot of light on to how GlgE catalyses the polymerization of α-glucan, using α-maltose 1-phosphate (M1P) as a building block and how the pathways are regulated. Nevertheless, many unanswered questions remain regarding the synthesis and role of α-glucans in mycobacteria and the numerous other bacteria that possess the GlgE pathway.
Enzymes of yeast polyphosphate metabolism: structure, enzymology and biological roles
Authors: Gerasimaitė Rūta , Mayer Andreas
Published: February 2016

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is found in all living organisms. The known polyP functions in eukaryotes range from osmoregulation and virulence in parasitic protozoa to modulating blood coagulation, inflammation, bone mineralization and cellular signalling in mammals. However mechanisms of regulation and even the identity of involved proteins in many cases remain obscure. Most of the insights obtained so far stem from studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we provide a short overview of the properties and functions of known yeast polyP metabolism enzymes and discuss future directions for polyP research.
Regulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3/Akt signalling by inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases
Authors: Eramo Matthew J. , Mitchell Christina A.
Published: February 2016

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) generated lipid signals, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2, are both required for the maximal activation of the serine/threonine kinase proto-oncogene Akt. The inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases (5-phosphatases) hydrolyse the 5-position phosphate from the inositol head group of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 to yield PtdIns(3,4)P2. Extensive work has revealed several 5-phosphatases inhibit PI3K-driven Akt signalling, by decreasing PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 despite increasing cellular levels of PtdIns(3,4)P2. The roles that 5-phosphatases play in suppressing cell proliferation and transformation are slow to emerge; however, the 5-phosphatase PIPP [proline-rich inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase; inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (INPP5J)] has recently been identified as a putative tumour suppressor in melanoma and breast cancer and SHIP1 [SH2 (Src homology 2)-containing inositol phosphatase 1] inhibits haematopoietic cell proliferation. INPP5E regulates cilia stability and INPP5E mutations have been implicated ciliopathy syndromes. This review will examine 5-phosphatase regulation of PI3K/Akt signalling, focussing on the role PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 5-phosphatases play in developmental diseases and cancer.
Beta galactosidases in Arabidopsis and tomato–a mini review
Authors: Chandrasekar Balakumaran , van der Hoorn Renier A.L.
Published: February 2016

Beta galactosidases (BGALs) are glycosyl hydrolases that remove terminal β-D-galactosyl residues from β-D-galactosides. There are 17 predicted BGAL genes in the genomes of both Arabidopsis (BGAL1–17) and tomato (TBG1–17). All tested BGALs have BGAL activity but their distinct expression profiles and ancient phylogenetic separation indicates that these enzymes fulfil diverse, non-redundant roles in plant biology. The majority of these BGALs are predicted to have signal peptide and thought to act during cell wall-related biological processes. Interestingly, deletion of BGAL6 and BGAL10 in Arabidopsis causes reduced mucilage release during seed imbibition and shorter siliques respectively, whereas TBG4 depletion by RNAi decreases in fruit softening in tomato. The majority of plant BGALs remain to be characterized.
The sperm phospholipase C-ζ and Ca2+ signalling at fertilization in mammals
Authors: Swann Karl , Lai F. Anthony
Published: February 2016

A series of intracellular oscillations in the free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is responsible for activating mammalian eggs at fertilization, thus initiating embryo development. It has been proposed that the sperm causes these Ca2+ oscillations after membrane fusion by delivering a soluble protein into the egg cytoplasm. We previously identified sperm-specific phospholipase C (PLC)-ζ as a protein that can trigger the same pattern of Ca2+ oscillations in eggs seen at fertilization. PLCζ appears to be the elusive sperm factor mediating egg activation in mammals. It has potential therapeutic use in infertility treatments to improve the rate of egg activation and early embryo development after intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. A stable form of recombinant human PLCζ could be a prototype for use in such in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. We do not yet understand exactly how PLCζ causes inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) production in eggs. Sperm PLCζ is distinct among mammalian PI-specific PLCs in that it is far more potent in triggering Ca2+ oscillations in eggs than other PLCs, but it lacks a PH domain that would otherwise be considered essential for binding to the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) substrate. PLCζ is also unusual in that it does not appear to interact with or hydrolyse plasma membrane PIP2. We consider how other regions of PLCζ may mediate its binding to PIP2 in eggs and how interaction of PLCζ with egg-specific factors could enable the hydrolysis of internal sources of PIP2.
Role of inorganic polyphosphate in mammalian cells: from signal transduction and mitochondrial metabolism to cell death
Authors: Angelova Plamena R. , Baev Artyom Y. , Berezhnov Alexey V. , Abramov Andrey Y.
Published: February 2016

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a polymer compromised of linearly arranged orthophosphate units that are linked through high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds. The chain length of this polymer varies from five to several thousand orthophosphates. PolyP is distributed in the most of the living organisms and plays multiple functions in mammalian cells, it is important for blood coagulation, cancer, calcium precipitation, immune response and many others. Essential role of polyP is shown for mitochondria, from implication into energy metabolism and mitochondrial calcium handling to activation of permeability transition pore (PTP) and cell death. PolyP is a gliotransmitter which transmits the signal in astrocytes via activation of P2Y1 receptors and stimulation of phospholipase C. PolyP-induced calcium signal in astrocytes can be stimulated by different lengths of this polymer but only long chain polyP induces mitochondrial depolarization by inhibition of respiration and opening of the PTP. It leads to induction of astrocytic cell death which can be prevented by inhibition of PTP with cyclosporine A. Thus, medium- and short-length polyP plays role in signal transduction and mitochondrial metabolism of astrocytes and long chain of this polymer can be toxic for the cells.