bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TikTok y la prensa española
Authors: Díaz-Lucena Antonio , Mora De la Torre Victoria , Barrientos-Báez Almudena
Published: September 2024

Objective: to study the work that the Spanish press is carrying out on the social network for the exchange of audiovisual content, TikTok.
Design/Methodology: The research has been approached using a mixed approach. In the first phase, an empirical analysis of the data extracted from the TikTok accounts was carried out, quantifying the number of publications, views and interactions of the audience. In a second phase, a qualitative technique was applied, which was a semi-structured interview with the managers of these media to gather their feedback on the work carried out and their opinion on the future of this social network. The sample is made up of eight Spanish newspapers: four traditional newspapers (El País, La Vanguardia, ABC and El Mundo) and four native digital newspapers (20 Minutos, El Español, elDiario.es and El Huffpost). The timeframe for data collection was from October 2021 to September 2022 (12 months).
Results: Although the situation is changing, TikTok is currently not a preferred platform for the Spanish press. Its presence is mainly due to a strategy of increasing brand value, as well as increasing its influence on other generations further away from its control.
Limitations/implications: It is a platform that is changing month by month. It should continue to be monitored and studied on an ongoing basis because the adult audience is entering this social network to get information.
Originality/Contribution: The study of the positioning of the media on TikTok continues to be a pioneering topic because there are not too many works to date that are studying this subject, as well as its influence on its audience.
PROTAC-induced protein structural dynamics in targeted protein degradation
Authors: Wu Kingsley Y , Hung Ta I , Chang Chia-en A
Published: September 2024

PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) are small molecules that induce target protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. PROTACs recruit the target protein and E3 ligase; a critical first step is forming a ternary complex. However, while the formation of a ternary complex is crucial, it may not always guarantee successful protein degradation. The dynamics of the PROTAC-induced degradation complex play a key role in ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. In this study, we computationally modelled protein complex structures and dynamics associated with a series of PROTACs featuring different linkers to investigate why these PROTACs, all of which formed ternary complexes with Cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase and the target protein bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4BD1), exhibited varying degrees of degradation potency. We constructed the degradation machinery complexes with Culling-Ring Ligase 4A (CRL4A) E3 ligase scaffolds. Through atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we illustrated how PROTAC-dependent protein dynamics facilitating the arrangement of surface lysine residues of BRD4BD1 into the catalytic pocket of E2/ubiquitin cascade for ubiquitination. Despite featuring identical warheads in this PROTAC series, the linkers were found to affect the residue-interaction networks, and thus governing the essential motions of the entire degradation machine for ubiquitination. These findings offer a structural dynamic perspective on ligand-induced protein degradation, providing insights to guide future PROTAC design endeavors.
PROTAC-induced Protein Functional Dynamics in Targeted Protein Degradation
Authors: Wu Kingsley Y , Hung Ta I , Chang Chia-en A
Published: September 2024

PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) are small molecules that induce target protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. PROTACs recruit the target protein and E3 ligase; a critical first step is forming a ternary complex. However, while the formation a ternary complex is crucial, it may not always guarantee successful protein degradation. The dynamics of the PROTAC-induced degradation complex play a key role in ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. In this study, we computationally modelled protein complex structures and dynamics associated with a series of PROTACs featuring different linkers to investigate why these PROTACs, all of which formed ternary complexes with Cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase and the target protein bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4
BD1
), exhibited varying degrees of degradation potency. We constructed the degradation machinery complexes with Culling-Ring Ligase 4A (CRL4A) E3 ligase scaffolds. Through atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we illustrated how PROTAC-dependent protein dynamics facilitate the arrangement of surface lysine residues of BRD4
BD1
into the catalytic pocket of E2/ubiquitin for ubiquitination. Despite featuring identical warheads in this PROTAC series, the linkers were found to affect the residue- interaction networks, and thus governing the essential motions of the entire degradation machine for ubiquitination. These findings offer a dynamic perspective on ligand-induced protein degradation, providing insights to guide future PROTAC design endeavors.
Increasing the explainability and success in classification: many-objective classification rule mining based on chaos integrated SPEA2
Authors: Yildirim Suna , Alatas Bilal
Published: September 2024

Classification rule mining represents a significant field of machine learning, facilitating informed decision-making through the extraction of meaningful rules from complex data. Many classification methods cannot simultaneously optimize both explainability and different performance metrics at the same time. Metaheuristic optimization-based solutions, inspired by natural phenomena, offer a potential paradigm shift in this field, enabling the development of interpretable and scalable classifiers. In contrast to classical methods, such rule extraction-based solutions are capable of classification by taking multiple purposes into consideration simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, although there are limited studies on metaheuristic based classification, there is not any method that optimize more than three objectives while increasing the explainability and interpretability for classification task. In this study, data sets are treated as the search space and metaheuristics as the many-objective rule discovery strategy and study proposes a metaheuristic many-objective optimization-based rule extraction approach for the first time in the literature. Chaos theory is also integrated to the optimization method for performance increment and the proposed chaotic rule-based SPEA2 algorithm enables the simultaneous optimization of four different success metrics and automatic rule extraction. Another distinctive feature of the proposed algorithm is that, in contrast to classical random search methods, it can mitigate issues such as correlation and poor uniformity between candidate solutions through the use of a chaotic random search mechanism in the exploration and exploitation phases. The efficacy of the proposed method is evaluated using three distinct data sets, and its performance is demonstrated in comparison with other classical machine learning results.
Postauricular Myofibroma of the Facial Canal: A Case Report
Authors: Al-Alawneh Mohammad , Al-Ashqar Ra’ed , Kanaan Yazan , Alali Maulla , Odat Haitham
Published: September 2024

Myofibromatosis is a proliferative disorder characterized by the development of soft tissue neoplasms referred to as myofibromas that predominantly occur in infants and young children. These lesions have been described using varied terminologies since they were first reported in 1951. However, these neoplasms are histopathologically characterized by benign fibroblast and myofibroblast proliferation containing a biphasic presentation of spindle-shaped cells surrounding a central zone of less differentiated cells arranged in a hemangiopericytoma-like pattern in all cases. Usually, myofibromatosis occurs in children aged <2 years and is observed at birth in nearly 60% of cases. We report a rare case of myofibroma in an 8-year-old boy who presented with an approximately 6-month history of a left postauricular mass. Histopathological evaluation of the resected mass confirmed the diagnosis.
Response of African Eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) Varieties to Compost Tea in Sudan Savanna Agro-ecological Zone of Nigeria
Authors: S. Rufa’i, , H. D. Shaffa, , T. T. Bello, , H. M. Isa, , E. A. Shittu, , A. Lado,
Published: September 2024

Field trial was conducted during the rainy season of 2021 and dry season of 2021/2022 at Teaching and Research Farm of Bayero University Kano (latitude 110 58' N and longitude 80 26' E, 475m above sea level) in Sudan savannah region of Nigeria to study the response of African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) varieties to compost tea. The treatment consisted of two variety of African eggplant (Bello and F1 Djamba) and three rates of compost tea (0, 50 and 100 litre ha-1). The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The compost tea was applied in two equal split doses at 10 and 25 days after transplanting as soil drench. Data were collected on growth and yield attributes. Significant effects of variety and compost tea were observed on plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, leaf area index, total dry matter, net assimilation rate, days to 50% flowering, number of fruits, fruit diameter and fruit yield per hectare. The variety F1 Djamba produced higher fruits yield (3482.3kg ha-1) than Bello variety (2873.3kg ha-1). Similarly, compost tea at100litre ha-1 recorded higher fruit yield (3525.5kg ha-1) than the other rates. The significant interactions between eggplant varieties and compost tea on total dry matter, net assimilation rate, days to 50% flowering, number of fruits per plant and fruit yield were also recorded. For the combined season, application of compost tea at 100litre ha-1 on F1 Djamba variety (4118.8kg ha-1) resulted in higher fruit yield of eggplant variety. Therefore, the application of 50 -100 litres of compost tea on F1 Djamba variety of eggplant is recommended to farmers in the study area.
Behind the Screens: A Critical Analysis of the Roles of Guilds and Associations in Standardizing Contracts, Wages, and Enforcing Professionalism amongst Players in the Entertainment Industry
Authors: Samuel-Okon Amaka Debie
Published: September 2024

This study critically examines the evolving roles of guilds and associations in standardizing contracts, wages, and enforcing professionalism within the entertainment industry. Grounded in the framework of institutional theory, the research explores how these organizations adapt to and shape industry norms and practices in response to technological advancements and shifting economic landscapes. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative analysis of wage data with qualitative content analysis of industry documents. The quantitative component focuses on the impact of guild membership, employment conditions, and policy changes on wage structures, while the qualitative component analyzes themes from academic literature, conferences, and peer-reviewed articles sourced from guild and association websites. The findings reveal that guilds play a significant role in promoting fair wages, combating piracy, and influencing government policies, yet they face challenges in addressing the needs of freelancers and ensuring long-term economic sustainability for entertainment professionals. The study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of guild functions in the digital age, highlighting their continued relevance while identifying areas for improvement. Key recommendations include developing specialized programs for gig workers, implementing blockchain-based digital rights management, establishing an AI task force to monitor the integration of artificial intelligence in the industry, and creating industry-wide professional development initiatives.
Effect of Crop Establishments Methods and Nutrient Management on Productivity and Profitability of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Kumar Pardeep , Kumar Yogesh , Kumar Satendra , Singh S. P. , Kumar Mukesh
Published: September 2024

A field experiment was conducted at Crop Research Center, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, with compare the production potential under different crop establishment methods and nutrient management and also to find out the economic viability of this cultivar for soil quality. The treatments comprised of Main Plot Puddled Transplanted Rice (C1), Un-puddled Transplanted Rice (C2) and Raised-Bed Planting (C3) Sub Plot Control (N1), 100% NPK (150: 75:60) (N2), 50% RDN + FYM @15ton ha-1 (N3), 50% RDN + vermicompost @ 5ton ha-1 (N4), 50% RDN + FYM @15 ton ha-1 + Bio-stumulant G @ 20Kg ha-1 (N5) and 50% RDN + vermicompost @ 5 ton ha-1 + Bio-stumulant G @ 20Kg ha-1 (N6). revealed that crop establishment methods treatment C1 (Puddled Transplanted Rice) and Nutrient management N6 (50% RDN + vermicompost @ 5ton ha-1 + Bio-stumulant G @ 20Kg ha-1) exhibited significant influence on yield attributes and yields of rice as compared to the application of Un-Puddled Transplanted Rice and control treatment.
Research Development and Future Aspects of Quantum dot and Perovskite Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Kumar Pravendra , Brijesh  , Rudrani  , Gupta Sushmita
Published: September 2024

The sustainable development of human depends upon the clever use of natural resources. In this regard the renewable energy resources are very important for our energy demand. Various research groups are working to develop efficient, economical, and practical solar energy harnessing devices. The use of solar cells is commercially encouraged worldwide. Although, silicon based solar cells are commonly in use but they have some draw backs associated to them regarding with cost and manufacturing processes. In the present time, Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC), Perovskite Sensitized Solar Cells (PSSCs) and Quantum Dot Solar Cells (QDSSC) are new techniques which have some advantages over silicon based solar cells. Although, there are some limitations also associated with them. The present paper deals with the historical context, present development, structural information, working mechanism, limitations, advantages and future research trends of quantum dot and perovskite sensitized solar cells.
Global existence for reaction–diffusion systems with nonlinear diffusion and control of mass
Authors: Laamri El Haj , Pierre Michel
Published: March 2016

We prove here global existence in time of weak solutions for some reaction–diffusion systems with natural structure conditions on the nonlinear reactive terms which provide positivity of the solutions and uniform control of the total mass. The diffusion operators are nonlinear, in particular operators of the porous media type

u_{i}\mapsto −d_{i}\mathrm{\Delta }u_{i}^{m_{i}}

. Global existence is proved under the assumption that the reactive terms are bounded in

L^{1}

. This extends previous similar results obtained in the semilinear case when the diffusion operators are linear of type

u_{i}\mapsto −d_{i}\mathrm{\Delta }u_{i}

.
Evaluation of cytomegalovirus reactivation and tolerability in seropositive umbilical cord transplant patients after implementation of an intensive prevention strategy
Authors: Rinehart Matthew , Hochard Erica , Rockey Michelle , Abhyankar Sunil , Ganguly Siddhartha , Lin Tara , McGuirk Joseph , Shune Leyla , Singh Anurag , Aljitawi Omar
Published: March 2016

Objective/Background:

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes significant morbidity and mortality in CMV seropositive patients undergoing umbilical cord blood transplants (UCBT). Our study aimed to describe the incidence of CMV reactivation and burden of disease, as well as the tolerability of an intensive prevention strategy as compared to historical prevention.

Methods:

This was a retrospective chart review of 33 CMV seropositive patients that underwent UCBT. The intensive prevention strategy in UCBT consisted of ganciclovir 5 mg/kg/d intravenously or valganciclovir 900 mg by mouth daily initiated at the beginning of the conditioning regimen until Day –2. Then from Day –1 to Day +100, patients received valacyclovir 2 g by mouth three times daily, and from Day +101 to Day +365, acyclovir 800 mg by mouth twice daily. Historical standard prevention was acyclovir 800 mg by mouth twice daily initiated at the beginning of the conditioning regimen until Day +365.

Results:

Thirty-three patients were included from 2008 to 2014. There were no differences in the adverse effects experienced between the two regimens (p = .4). CMV reactivation occurred significantly later with intensive prevention (p = .003). The median CMV viral titer at reactivation was lower in the intensive versus the historic prevention (1,800 copies/mL and 2,700 copies/mL, respectively), but was not significantly different. CMV disease occurred significantly less often in the intensive group (p = .039).

Conclusion:

The results from this study indicate that the intensive prevention strategy was well tolerated, significantly delayed CMV reactivation, and patients had less CMV disease.
Malpositioned Central Venous Catheters: A Diagnostic Dilemma
Authors: Kumar U.S. Dinesh , Shivananda S. , Wali Murugesh
Published: March 2016

Central venous cannulation is routinely done to infuse inotropes, for measuring central venous pressure, for total parenteral infusion, for large-bore venous access, and for infusing chemotherapeutic drugs. Various complications like pneumothorax, hemothorax, chylothorax, malposition, and fracture of catheters are described after central venous cannulation. Malpostioning of a central venous catheter into an anomalously draining left-sided pulmonary vein is a rare complication. We report a case of a patient presenting for carotid body tumor excision in whom the central venous catheter was malpositioned who was found to have a partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the left lung.
Alteplase Use in Surface-Modified Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in a National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center: A Pharmacoeconomic Analysis
Authors: Musial Eric R. , Hamad Lamya , Wang Chong , Hare Ryan
Published: March 2016

Background: One of the most common complications of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is loss of line patency due to platelet adhesion to the device. A new technology called Endexo (Interface Biologics Inc, Toronto, ON, Canada) has been developed that has been shown to reduce platelet adhesion (in bench studies). The purpose of our study was to determine if the use of PICC lines manufactured with Endexo technology would use fewer alteplase doses such that the increased expense of these lines could be offset by a corresponding reduction in alteplase expense.

Methods: The control group received our standard-of-care PICC, the study group received the Endexo PICC, and all patients were followed for a maximum of 60 days postinsertion. Statistical and economic analyses were performed to determine whether a significant reduction in alteplase use was observed, and whether the increased cost of the new novel PICCs could be offset by a reduction in alteplase-related expense.

Results: Our study enrolled patients who underwent 157 PICC insertions in the control group and 145 PICC insertions in the study group. We found no statistical difference in average alteplase doses per line, number of PICCs requiring an alteplase dose, or time to first dose of alteplase between study groups. An economic analysis revealed that at our institution, adopting PICCs with Endexo technology would result in increased expenses.

Conclusions: In our patient population we were unable to observe a reduction in alteplase use to offset the increased costs of this novel PICC when catheters were followed for a maximum of 60 days postinsertion.
Dose‐dependent effect of ghrelin on gastric emptying in rats and the related mechanism of action
Authors: Cao Shu‐Guang , Wu Hao , Cai Zhen‐Zhai
Published: March 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the dose‐dependent effect of ghrelin on gastric emptying in rats and the related mechanism of action. Sixty Wistar rats were randomized into control and test groups, which respectively received intraperitoneal injection of normal saline and ghrelin at different doses (0.5 nmol/kg, 1.0 nmol/kg, 1.5 nmol/kg, 2.0 nmol/kg, and 2.5 nmol/kg). After 45 minutes, all rats were gavaged with semisolid paste. The gastric emptying rate was determined 30 minutes later, and the plasma cholecystokinin level was tested by radioimmunoassay. The mean gastric emptying rate in the test groups was significantly higher than in the control group (38.24 ± 7.15% and 27.18 ± 2.37%, respectively, p < 0.05). Medium and high doses of ghrelin (1.0 nmol/kg, 1.5 nmol/kg, 2.0 nmol/kg, and 2.5 nmol/kg), but not low dose (0.5 nmol/kg), accelerated the gastric emptying. In addition, the plasma cholecystokinin level in the test groups was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.01). The gastric emptying rate was positively correlated with the plasma cholecystokinin level (p < 0.01). Intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin at medium and high doses significantly accelerated gastric emptying in rats.
Classifying sanctions and designing a conceptual sanctioning process model for socio-technical systems
Authors: Nardin Luis G. , Balke-Visser Tina , Ajmeri Nirav , Kalia Anup K. , Sichman Jaime S. , Singh Munindar P.
Published: March 2016

We understand a socio-technical system (STS) as a cyber-physical system in which two or more autonomous parties interact via or about technical elements, including the parties’ resources and actions. As information technology begins to pervade every corner of human life, STSs are becoming ever more common, and the challenge ofgoverningSTSs is becoming increasingly important. We advocate a normative basis for governance, whereinnormsrepresent the standards of correct behaviour that each party in an STS expects from others. A major benefit of focussing on norms is that they provide a socially realistic view of interaction among autonomous parties that abstracts low-level implementation details. Overlaid on norms is the notion of asanctionas a negative or positive reaction to potentially any violation of or compliance with an expectation. Although norms have been well studied as regards governance for STSs, sanctions have not. Our understanding and usage of norms is inadequate for the purposes of governance unless we incorporate a comprehensive representation of sanctions.

We address the aforementioned gap by proposing (i) a sanction typology that reflects the relevant features of sanctions, and (ii) a conceptual sanctioning process model providing a functional structure for sanctioning in STS. We demonstrate our contributions via a motivating scenario from the domain of renewable energy trading.
Completeness ofNeisseria meningitidisreporting in New York City, 1989–2010
Authors: ARAKAKI L. , NGAI S. , WEISS D.
Published: March 2016

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) completeness of reporting has never been assessed in New York City (NYC). We conducted a capture–recapture study to assess completeness of reporting, comparing IMD reports made to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and records identified in the New York State hospital discharge database [Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS)] by ICD-9 codes from 1989 to 2010. Reporting completeness estimates were calculated for the entire study period, and stratified by year, age group, clinical syndrome, and reporting system. A chart review of hospital medical records from 2008 to 2010 was conducted to validate hospital coding and to adjust completeness estimates. Overall, 2194 unique patients were identified from DOHMH (n= 1300) and SPARCS (n= 1525); 631 (29%) were present in both. Completeness of IMD reporting was 41% [95% confidence interval (CI) 40–43]. Differences in completeness were found by age, clinical syndrome, and reporting system. The chart review found 33% of hospital records from 2008 to 2010 had no documentation of IMD. Removal of those records improved completeness of reporting to 51% (95% CI 49–53). Our data showed a low concordance between what is reported to DOHMH and what is coded by hospitals as IMD. Additional guidance to clinicians on IMD reporting criteria may improve completeness of IMD reporting.
Transparent fault tolerance for scalable functional computation
Authors: STEWART ROBERT , MAIER PATRICK , TRINDER PHIL
Published: March 2016

Reliability is set to become a major concern on emergent large-scale architectures. While there are many parallel languages, and indeed many parallel functional languages, very few address reliability. The notable exception is the widely emulated Erlang distributed actor model that provides explicit supervision and recovery of actors with isolated state. We investigate scalabletransparentfault tolerant functional computation withautomaticsupervision and recovery of tasks. We do so by developingHdpH-RS, a variant of the Haskell distributed parallel Haskell (HdpH) DSL with Reliable Scheduling. Extending the distributed work stealing protocol of HdpH for task supervision and recovery is challenging. To eliminate elusive concurrency bugs, we validate the HdpH-RS work stealing protocol using the SPIN model checker. HdpH-RS differs from the actor model in that its principal entities are tasks, i.e. independent stateless computations, rather than isolated stateful actors. Thanks to statelessness, fault recovery can be performed automatically and entirely hidden in the HdpH-RS runtime system. Statelessness is also key for proving a crucial property of the semantics of HdpH-RS: fault recovery does not change the result of the program, akin to deterministic parallelism. HdpH-RS provides a simple distributed fork/join-style programming model, with minimal exposure of fault tolerance at the language level, and a library of higher level abstractions such as algorithmic skeletons. In fact, the HdpH-RS DSL is exactly the same as the HdpH DSL, hence users can opt in or out of fault tolerant execution without any refactoring. Computations in HdpH-RS are always as reliable as the root node, no matter how many nodes and cores are actually used. We benchmark HdpH-RS on conventional clusters and an High Performance Computing platform: all benchmarks survive Chaos Monkey random fault injection; the system scales well e.g. up to 1,400 cores on the High Performance Computing; reliability and recovery overheads are consistently low even at scale.
EXTERNAL INFORMATION AND MONETARY POLICY TRANSMISSION IN NEW EU MEMBER STATES: RESULTS FROM FAVAR MODELS
Authors: Balabanova Zlatina , Brüggemann Ralf
Published: March 2016

We investigate the effects of monetary policy shocks in the new European Union (EU) member states the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. In contrast to existing studies, we explicitly account for external developments in European Monetary Union (EMU) countries and in other acceding countries. We do so by using factor-augmented vector autoregressive models that employ information from nonstationary factor time series. One set of VAR models includes factors obtained from a large cross section of time series from EMU countries, whereas another set includes factors obtained from other acceding countries. We find that including EMU factors does change impulse response patterns in some but not all acceding countries. In contrast, including factors from other acceding countries leads to substantial changes in impulse responses and to economically more plausible results. Overall, our analysis highlights that taking external economic developments properly into account is crucial for the analysis of monetary policy in the new EU member states.
Love at second sight: Sequential dependence of facial attractiveness in an on-line dating paradigm
Authors: Taubert Jessica , Van der Burg Erik , Alais David
Published: March 2016

Millions of people use online dating sites each day, scanning through streams of face images in search of an attractive mate. Face images, like most visual stimuli, undergo processes whereby the current percept is altered by exposure to previous visual input. Recent studies using rapid sequences of faces have found that perception of face identity is biased towards recently seen faces, promoting identity-invariance over time and this has been extended to perceived face attractiveness. In this paper we adapt the rapid sequence task to ask a question about mate selection pertinent in the digital age. We designed a binary task mimicking the selection interface currently popular in online dating websites in which observers typically make binary decisions (attractive or unattractive) about each face in a sequence of unfamiliar faces. Our findings show that binary attractiveness decisions are not independent: we are more likely to rate a face as attractive when the preceding face was attractive than when it was unattractive.
RepA-WH1, the agent of an amyloid proteinopathy in bacteria, builds oligomeric pores through lipid vesicles
Authors: Fernández Cristina , Núñez-Ramírez Rafael , Jiménez Mercedes , Rivas Germán , Giraldo Rafael
Published: March 2016

RepA-WH1 is a disease-unrelated protein that recapitulates in bacteria key aspects of human amyloid proteinopathies: i) It undergoes ligand-promoted amyloidogenesis in vitro; ii) its aggregates are able to seed/template amyloidosis on soluble protein molecules; iii) its conformation is modulated by Hsp70 chaperones in vivo, generating transmissible amyloid strains; and iv) causes proliferative senescence. Membrane disruption by amyloidogenic oligomers has been found for most proteins causing human neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report that, as for PrP prion and α-synuclein, acidic phospholipids also promote RepA-WH1 amyloidogenesis in vitro. RepA-WH1 molecules bind to liposomes, where the protein assembles oligomeric membrane pores. Fluorescent tracer molecules entrapped in the lumen of the vesicles leak through these pores and RepA-WH1 can then form large aggregates on the surface of the vesicles without inducing their lysis. These findings prove that it is feasible to generate in vitro a synthetic proteinopathy with a minimal set of cytomimetic components and support the view that cell membranes are primary targets in protein amyloidoses.
MTDH genetic variants in colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Gnosa Sebastian , Ticha Ivana , Haapaniemi Staffan , Sun Xiao-Feng
Published: March 2016

The colorectal carcinogenesis is a complex process encompassing genetic alterations. The oncoprotein AEG-1, encoded by the MTDH gene, was shown previously to be involved in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and the spectrum of MTDH variants in tumor tissue, and their relationship to clinicopathological variables in CRC patients. The study included tumors from 356 unselected CRC patients. Mutation analysis of the MTDH gene, including coding region and adjacent intronic sequences, was performed by direct DNA sequencing. The corresponding normal colorectal tissue was analyzed in the carriers of exonic variant to confirm germline or somatic origin. We detected 42 intronic variants, where 25 were novel. Furthermore, we found 8 exonic variants of which four, one missense (c.977C > G-germline) and three frameshift mutations (c.533delA-somatic, c.1340dupA-unknown origin, c.1731delA-unknown origin), were novel. In silico prediction analyses suggested four deleterious variants (c.232G > T, c.533delA, c.1340dupA, and c.1731delA). There were no correlations between the MTDH variants and tumor stage, differentiation or patient survival. We described several novel exonic and intronic variants of the MTDH gene. The detection of likely pathogenic truncating mutations and alterations in functional protein domains indicate their clinical significance, although none of the variants had prognostic potential.
Contrasting responses of water use efficiency to drought across global terrestrial ecosystems
Authors: Yang Yuting , Guan Huade , Batelaan Okke , McVicar Tim R. , Long Di , Piao Shilong , Liang Wei , Liu Bing , Jin Zhao , Simmons Craig T.
Published: March 2016

Drought is an intermittent disturbance of the water cycle that profoundly affects the terrestrial carbon cycle. However, the response of the coupled water and carbon cycles to drought and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we provide the first global synthesis of the drought effect on ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE = gross primary production (GPP)/evapotranspiration (ET)). Using two observational WUE datasets (i.e., eddy-covariance measurements at 95 sites (526 site-years) and global gridded diagnostic modelling based on existing observation and a data-adaptive machine learning approach), we find a contrasting response of WUE to drought between arid (WUE increases with drought) and semi-arid/sub-humid ecosystems (WUE decreases with drought), which is attributed to different sensitivities of ecosystem processes to changes in hydro-climatic conditions. WUE variability in arid ecosystems is primarily controlled by physical processes (i.e., evaporation), whereas WUE variability in semi-arid/sub-humid regions is mostly regulated by biological processes (i.e., assimilation). We also find that shifts in hydro-climatic conditions over years would intensify the drought effect on WUE. Our findings suggest that future drought events, when coupled with an increase in climate variability, will bring further threats to semi-arid/sub-humid ecosystems and potentially result in biome reorganization, starting with low-productivity and high water-sensitivity grassland.
The Effect of Excess Electron and hole on CO2 Adsorption and Activation on Rutile (110) surface
Authors: Yin Wen-Jin , Wen Bo , Bandaru Sateesh , Krack Matthias , Lau MW , Liu Li-Min
Published: March 2016

CO2 capture and conversion into useful chemical fuel attracts great attention from many different fields. In the reduction process, excess electron is of key importance as it participates in the reaction, thus it is essential to know whether the excess electrons or holes affect the CO2 conversion. Here, the first-principles calculations were carried out to explore the role of excess electron on adsorption and activation of CO2 on rutile (110) surface. The calculated results demonstrate that CO2 can be activated as CO2 anions or CO2 cation when the system contains excess electrons and holes. The electronic structure of the activated CO2 is greatly changed, and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of CO2 can be even lower than the conduction band minimum of TiO2, which greatly facilities the CO2 reduction. Meanwhile, the dissociation process of CO2 undergoes an activated CO2− anion in bend configuration rather than the linear, while the long crossing distance of proton transfer greatly hinders the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 on the rutile (110) surface. These results show the importance of the excess electrons on the CO2 reduction process.
SIK2 regulates fasting-induced PPARα activity and ketogenesis through p300
Authors: Zhang Zhen-Ning , Gong Lulu , Lv Sihan , Li Jian , Tai Xiaolu , Cao Wenqi , Peng Bing , Qu Shen , Li Weida , Zhang Chao , Luan Bing
Published: March 2016

Fatty acid oxidation and subsequent ketogenesis is one of the major mechanisms to maintain hepatic lipid homeostasis under fasting conditions. Fasting hormone glucagon has been shown to stimulate ketone body production through activation of PPARα; however, the signal pathway linking glucagon to PPARα is largely undiscovered. Here we report that a SIK2-p300-PPARα cascade mediates glucagon’s effect on ketogenesis. p300 interacts with PPARα through a conserved LXXLL motif and enhances its transcriptional activity. SIK2 disrupts p300-PPARα interaction by direct phosphorylation of p300 at Ser89, which in turn decreases PPARα-mediated ketogenic gene expression. Moreover, SIK2 phosphorylation defective p300 (p300 S89A) shows increased interaction with PPARα and abolishes suppression of SIK2 on PPARα-mediated ketogenic gene expression in liver. Taken together, our results unveil the signal pathway that mediates fasting induced ketogenesis to maintain hepatic lipid homeostasis.
Looking at the carcinogenicity of human insulin analogues via the intrinsic disorder prism
Authors: Redwan Elrashdy M. , Linjawi Moustafa H. , Uversky Vladimir N.
Published: March 2016

Therapeutic insulin, in its native and biosynthetic forms as well as several currently available insulin analogues, continues to be the protein of most interest to researchers. From the time of its discovery to the development of modern insulin analogues, this important therapeutic protein has passed through several stages and product generations. Beside the well-known link between diabetes and cancer risk, the currently used therapeutic insulin analogues raised serious concerns due to their potential roles in cancer initiation and/or progression. It is possible that structural variations in some of the insulin analogues are responsible for the appearance of new oncogenic species with high binding affinity to the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) receptor. The question we are trying to answer in this work is: are there any specific features of the distribution of intrinsic disorder propensity within the amino acid sequences of insulin analogues that may provide an explanation for the carcinogenicity of the altered insulin protein?
Comparative Proteomics Analysis Reveals L-Arginine Activates Ethanol Degradation Pathways in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Yan Guokai , Lestari Retno , Long Baisheng , Fan Qiwen , Wang Zhichang , Guo Xiaozhen , Yu Jie , Hu Jun , Yang Xingya , Chen Changqing , Liu Lu , Li Xiuzhi , Purnomoadi Agung , Achmadi Joelal , Yan Xianghua
Published: March 2016

L-Arginine (Arg) is a versatile amino acid that plays crucial roles in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. In this study, to investigate the alteration induced by Arg supplementation in proteome scale, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) based proteomic approach was employed to comparatively characterize the differentially expressed proteins between Arg deprivation (Ctrl) and Arg supplementation (+Arg) treated human liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. A total of 21 proteins were identified as differentially expressed proteins and these 21 proteins were all up-regulated by Arg supplementation. Six amino acid metabolism-related proteins, mostly metabolic enzymes, showed differential expressions. Intriguingly, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) based pathway analysis suggested that the three ethanol degradation pathways were significantly altered between Ctrl and +Arg. Western blotting and enzymatic activity assays validated that the key enzymes ADH1C, ALDH1A1 and ALDH2, which are mainly involved in ethanol degradation pathways, were highly differentially expressed and activated between Ctrl and +Arg in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, 10 mM Arg significantly attenuated the cytotoxicity induced by 100 mM ethanol treatment (P < 0.0001). This study is the first time to reveal that Arg activates ethanol degradation pathways in HepG2 cells.
Double hydrophosphination of alkynes promoted by rhodium: the key role of an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand
Authors: Di Giuseppe Andrea , De Luca Roberto , Castarlenas Ricardo , Pérez-Torrente Jesús J. , Crucianelli Marcello , Oro Luis A.
Published: March 2016

The stereoelectronic properties of the NHC ligand make possible the rhodium-catalysed double hydrophosphination of alkynes avoiding the catalyst deactivation by the diphosphine product.
Understanding the hydrogen bonds in ionic liquids and their roles in properties and reactions
Authors: Dong Kun , Zhang Suojiang , Wang Jianji
Published: March 2016

Experiments and calculations have provided strong evidence for the H-bonds and the roles in the properties and reactions of ILs. H-bonds influence ionic pairing, stacking and self-assembling, and further influence properties ILs. Using ILs as catalysts and solvents, many reactions can be activated by the presence of H-bonds, which reduce reaction barriers and stabilize transition states.
Local structures and TWC activity of Pd supported on Ni-substituted aluminium oxide borates
Authors: Nagao Yuki , Hamada Takafumi , Imamura Ayaka , Hinokuma Satoshi , Nakahara Yunosuke , Machida Masato
Published: March 2016

The Pd catalyst supported on Ni-substituted aluminum oxide borate (Ni–10A2B) achieved the highest catalytic activity under three-way catalysis conditions, where NO adsorption onto the Ni site promoted the reaction with hydrogen spilt over from Pd under rich conditions.
A smart strategy to fabricate Ru nanoparticle inserted porous carbon nanofibers as highly efficient levulinic acid hydrogenation catalysts
Authors: Yang Ying , Sun Cheng-Jun , Brown Dennis E. , Zhang Liqiang , Yang Feng , Zhao Hairui , Wang Yue , Ma Xiaohui , Zhang Xin , Ren Yang
Published: March 2016

Ru nanoparticle inserted porous carbon nanofibers were facilely fabricated and used as highly efficient levulinic acid hydrogenation catalysts.
Nanosized surface films on brass alloys by XPS and XAES
Authors: Cocco Federica , Elsener Bernhard , Fantauzzi Marzia , Atzei Davide , Rossi Antonella
Published: March 2016

Chemical state identification and quantification based on photoelectron spectra is challenging in the case of copper and zinc and their alloys.
PEG-modified upconversion nanoparticles for in vivo optical imaging of tumors
Authors: Generalova A. N. , Rocheva V. V. , Nechaev A. V. , Khochenkov D. A. , Sholina N. V. , Semchishen V. A. , Zubov V. P. , Koroleva A. V. , Chichkov B. N. , Khaydukov E. V.
Published: March 2016

Biocompatible PEG-containing UCNPs were designed for in vivo passive targeting of tumor associated with UCNP efficient accumulation and tumor contrast visualization.
Progress in the production of biomass-to-liquid biofuels to decarbonize the transport sector – prospects and challenges
Authors: Bhutto Abdul Waheed , Qureshi Khadija , Abro Rashid , Harijan Khanji , Zhao Zheng , Bazmi Aqeel Ahmed , Abbas Tauqeer , Yu Guangren
Published: March 2016

Annually the transport sector consumes a quarter of global primary energy and is responsible for related greenhouse gas emissions.
A novel route towards well-dispersed short nanofibers and nanoparticles via electrospinning
Authors: Ren Yaqi , Wang Shuguang , Liu Ruyang , Dai Jie , Liu Xiang , Yu Jie
Published: March 2016

A novel, simple, and widely applicable electrospinning–calcination–grinding route capable of preparing well-dispersed inorganic nanoparticles and short nanofibers is reported.
Porosity of silica Stöber particles determined by spin-echo small angle neutron scattering
Authors: Parnell S. R. , Washington A. L. , Parnell A. J. , Walsh A. , Dalgliesh R. M. , Li F. , Hamilton W. A. , Prevost S. , Fairclough J. P. A. , Pynn R.
Published: March 2016

Open and closed volume fractions determined for Stöber silica in deuterated and hydrogenous solvents.
Selective occupancy of methane by cage symmetry in TBAB ionic clathrate hydrate
Authors: Muromachi Sanehiro , Udachin Konstantin A. , Alavi Saman , Ohmura Ryo , Ripmeester John A.
Published: March 2016

Methane trapped in the two distinct dodecahedral cages of the ionic clathrate hydrate of TBAB was studied by single crystal XRD and MD simulation.
Synthesis of benzofurans via an acid catalysed transacetalisation/Fries-type O → C rearrangement/Michael addition/ring-opening aromatisation cascade of β-pyrones
Authors: Bankar Siddheshwar K. , Mathew Jopaul , Ramasastry S. S. V.
Published: March 2016

An unusual and facile approach for the synthesis of 2-benzofuranyl-3-hydroxyacetones from 6-acetoxy-β-pyrones and phenols is presented.
Effect of interlayer anions on [NiFe]-LDH nanosheet water oxidation activity
Authors: Hunter B. M. , Hieringer W. , Winkler J. R. , Gray H. B. , Müller A. M.
Published: March 2016

Water oxidation activity of nickel–iron layered double hydroxide ([NiFe]-LDH) nanosheet electrocatalysts is a function of interlayer anion basicity.
DNA catabolites in triathletes: effects of supplementation with an aronia–citrus juice (polyphenols-rich juice)
Authors: García-Flores Libia Alejandra , Medina Sonia , Cejuela-Anta Roberto , Martínez-Sanz José Miguel , Abellán Ángel , Genieser Hans-Gottfried , Ferreres Federico , Gil-Izquierdo Ángel
Published: March 2016

The combination of the intake of aronia–citrus juice with adequate training was able to influence in values of oxidative stress biomarkers.
Architecture of the CdIn2S4/graphene nano-heterostructure for solar hydrogen production and anode for lithium ion battery
Authors: Mahadadalkar Manjiri A. , Kale Sayali B. , Kalubarme Ramchandra S. , Bhirud Ashwini P. , Ambekar Jalindar D. , Gosavi Suresh W. , Kulkarni Milind V. , Park Chan-Jin , Kale Bharat B.
Published: March 2016

The multi-functionality of the hierarchical CdIn2S4/graphene nano-heterostructure prepared using a single step process, as an active photocatalyst for hydrogen production and as an anode for Li-ion batteries has been demonstrated.
CO2 fixation at atmospheric pressure: porous ZnSnO3 nanocrystals as a highly efficient catalyst for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates
Authors: Roy Susmita , Banerjee Biplab , Bhaumik Asim , Islam Sk. Manirul
Published: March 2016

Self-assembled, ultra small, porous zinc stannate nanocrystals have been synthesized, which catalyzes the formation of cyclic carbonates from various epoxide and CO2 under very mild reaction conditions.
High stability of the He atom confined in a U@C60 fullerene
Authors: Lei Yanyu , Wang Bo , Gao Yang , Jiang Wanrun , Xu Dexuan , Zhang Wei , Wang Zhigang
Published: March 2016

Electronic structure analysis highlights the high stability of He atom in the actinide metallofullerene U@C60.
Fabrication of stable homogeneous superhydrophobic HDPE/graphene oxide surfaces on zinc substrates
Authors: Lu Shixiang , Gao Haiyan , Wang Qian , Xu Wenguo , Szunerits Sabine , Boukherroub Rabah
Published: March 2016

Illustration of the preparation method of superhydrophobic surfaces on zinc substrates.
Carbon nanotube/polyimide bilayer thin films with high structural stability, optical transparency, and electric heating performance
Authors: Kim Young Ju , Yu Seong Jun , Jeong Young Gyu
Published: March 2016

Structurally stable and transparent MWCNT/polyimide bilayer film on a glass substrate.
Indacenodithienothiophene–naphthalene diimide copolymer as an acceptor for all-polymer solar cells
Authors: Xue Lingwei , Yang Yankang , Zhang Zhi-Guo , Dong Xinning , Gao Liang , Bin Haijun , Zhang Jing , Yang YunXu , Li Yongfang
Published: March 2016

With a low bandgap copolymer P(IDT-NDI) as an acceptor material and a medium bandgap polymer J51 as a donor material, efficient all-polymer solar cell are realized.
Diblock- and triblock-copolymer based mixed micelles with high tumor penetration in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Cao Xi , Zhou Xu , Wang Yu , Gong Tao , Zhang Zhi-Rong , Liu Renhe , Fu Yao
Published: March 2016

A series of self-assembled mixed micelles composed of TPGS and Pluronics were fabricated and their cellular uptake and exocytosis behaviors were studied in 2D cell and 3D tumor spheroid models.