bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes of Canadian long-term care residents
Authors: Keller Heather H. , Lengyel Christina , Carrier Natalie , Slaughter Susan E. , Morrison Jill , Duncan Alison M. , Steele Catriona M. , Duizer Lisa , Brown K. Stephen , Chaudhury Habib , Yoon Minn N. , Boscart Veronique , Heckman George , Villalon Lita
Published: February 2018

This study determines the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes consumed by long-term care (LTC) residents. This cross-sectional study was completed in thirty-two LTC homes in four Canadian provinces. Weighed and estimated food and beverage intake were collected over 3 non-consecutive days from 632 randomly selected residents. Nutrient intakes were adjusted for intra-individual variation and compared with the Dietary Reference Intakes. Proportion of participants, stratified by sex and use of modified (MTF) or regular texture foods, with intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) or Adequate Intake (AI), were identified. Numbers of participants that met these adequacy values with use of micronutrient supplements was determined. Mean age of males (n 197) was 85·2 (sd 7·6) years and females (n 435) was 87·4 (sd 7·8) years. In all, 33 % consumed MTF; 78·2 % (males) and 76·1 % (females) took at least one micronutrient pill. Participants on a MTF had lower intake for some nutrients (males=4; females=8), but also consumed a few nutrients in larger amounts than regular texture consumers (males=4; females =1). More than 50 % of participants in both sexes and texture groups consumed inadequate amounts of folate, vitamins B6, Ca, Mg and Zn (males only), with >90 % consuming amounts below the EAR/AI for vitamin D, E, K, Mg (males only) and K. Vitamin D supplements resolved inadequate intakes for 50–70 % of participants. High proportions of LTC residents have intakes for nine of twenty nutrients examined below the EAR or AI. Strategies to improve intake specific to these nutrients are needed.
Finite Groups Whose Common-Divisor Graph is Regular
Authors: Ghaffarzadeh Mehdi , Ghasemi Mohsen , Lewis Mark L.
Published: February 2018

Let G be a finite group, and write cd (G) for the set of degrees of irreducible characters of G. The common-divisor graph Γ(G) associated with G is the graph whose vertex set is cd (G)∖{1} and there is an edge between distinct vertices a and b, if (a, b) > 1. In this paper we prove that if Γ(G) is a k-regular graph for some k ⩾ 0, then for the solvable groups, either Γ(G) is a complete graph of order k + 1 or Γ(G) has two connected components which are complete of the same order and for the non-solvable groups, either k = 0 and cd(G) = cd(PSL2(2f)), where f ⩾ 2 or Γ(G) is a 4-regular graph with six vertices and cd(G) = cd(Alt7) or cd(Sym7).
Early postoperative remodelling following repair of tetralogy of Fallot utilising unsedated cardiac magnetic resonance: a pilot study
Authors: DiLorenzo Michael P. , Goldmuntz Elizabeth , Nicolson Susan C. , Fogel Mark A. , Mercer-Rosa Laura
Published: February 2018

Introduction

The right ventricular adaptations early after surgery in infants with tetralogy of Fallot are important to understand the changes that occur later on in life; this physiology has not been fully delineated. We sought to assess early postoperative right ventricular remodelling in patients with tetralogy of Fallot by cardiac MRI.

Materials and method

Subjects with tetralogy of Fallot under 1 year of age were recruited following complete surgical repair for tetralogy of Fallot. Protocol-based cardiac MRI to assess anatomy, function, and flows was performed before hospital discharge using the feed and sleep technique, an unsedated imaging technique.

Results

MRI was completed in 16 subjects at a median age of 77 days (interquartile range 114). There was normal ventricular ejection fraction and indexed right ventricular end-diastolic volume (48±13 cc/m2), but elevated right ventricular mass (z score 6.2±2.4). Subjects requiring a transannular patch or right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit had moderate pulmonary insufficiency (regurgitant fraction 27±16%).

Discussion

Early right ventricular remodelling after surgical repair for tetralogy of Fallot is characterised by significant pulmonary regurgitation, right ventricular hypertrophy, and lack of dilation. Performing cardiac MRI using the feed and sleep technique is feasible in infants younger than 5 months. These results might open new avenues to study longitudinal right ventricular changes in tetralogy of Fallot and to further explore the utility of unsedated MRI in patients with other types of CHDs.
A Quantitative Look at United Nations’ Global Vision for 2030
Authors: Witman Sarah
Published: February 2018

Achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals will require research, negotiation, and careful planning.
Expanded diversity of microbial groups that shape the dissimilatory sulfur cycle
Authors: Anantharaman Karthik , Hausmann Bela , Jungbluth Sean P , Kantor Rose S , Lavy Adi , Warren Lesley A , Rappé Michael S , Pester Michael , Loy Alexander , Thomas Brian C , Banfield Jillian F
Published: February 2018

A critical step in the biogeochemical cycle of sulfur on Earth is microbial sulfate reduction, yet organisms from relatively few lineages have been implicated in this process. Previous studies using functional marker genes have detected abundant, novel dissimilatory sulfite reductases (DsrAB) that could confer the capacity for microbial sulfite/sulfate reduction but were not affiliated with known organisms. Thus, the identity of a significant fraction of sulfate/sulfite-reducing microbes has remained elusive. Here we report the discovery of the capacity for sulfate/sulfite reduction in the genomes of organisms from 13 bacterial and archaeal phyla, thereby more than doubling the number of microbial phyla associated with this process. Eight of the 13 newly identified groups are candidate phyla that lack isolated representatives, a finding only possible given genomes from metagenomes. Organisms from Verrucomicrobia and two candidate phyla, Candidatus Rokubacteria and Candidatus Hydrothermarchaeota, contain some of the earliest evolved dsrAB genes. The capacity for sulfite reduction has been laterally transferred in multiple events within some phyla, and a key gene potentially capable of modulating sulfur metabolism in associated cells has been acquired by putatively symbiotic bacteria. We conclude that current functional predictions based on phylogeny significantly underestimate the extent of sulfate/sulfite reduction across Earth’s ecosystems. Understanding the prevalence of this capacity is integral to interpreting the carbon cycle because sulfate reduction is often coupled to turnover of buried organic carbon. Our findings expand the diversity of microbial groups associated with sulfur transformations in the environment and motivate revision of biogeochemical process models based on microbial community composition.
Long non-coding RNAs in ischemic stroke
Authors: Bao Mei-Hua , Szeto Vivian , Yang Burton B. , Zhu Shu-zhen , Sun Hong-Shuo , Feng Zhong-Ping
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Uncovering the cellular and molecular pathophysiological processes in stroke have been a top priority. Long non-coding (lnc) RNAs play critical roles in different kinds of diseases. In recent years, a bulk of aberrantly expressed lncRNAs have been screened out in ischemic stroke patients or ischemia insulted animals using new technologies such as RNA-seq, deep sequencing, and microarrays. Nine specific lncRNAs, antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL), metastasis-associate lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), N1LR, maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), H19, CaMK2D-associated transcript 1 (C2dat1), Fos downstream transcript (FosDT), small nucleolar RNA host gene 14 (SNHG14), and taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1), were found increased in cerebral ischemic animals and/or oxygen-glucose deprived (OGD) cells. These lncRNAs were suggested to promote cell apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, and cell death. Our Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis predicted that MEG3, H19, and MALAT1 might also be related to functions such as neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and inflammation through mechanisms of gene regulation (DNA transcription, RNA folding, methylation, and gene imprinting). This knowledge may provide a better understanding of the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in ischemic stroke. Further elucidating the functions and mechanisms of these lncRNAs in biological systems under normal and pathological conditions may lead to opportunities for identifying biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets of ischemic stroke.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease severity is modulated by transglutaminase type 2
Authors: Piacentini Mauro , Baiocchini Andrea , Del Nonno Franca , Melino Gerry , Barlev Nickolai A. , Rossin Federica , D’Eletto Manuela , Falasca Laura
Published: February 2018

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most important liver diseases worldwide. Currently, no effective treatment is available, and NAFLD pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) is a ubiquitous enzyme whose dysregulation is implicated in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Here we examined the impact of TG2 on NAFLD progression using the high-fat-diet-induced model in both wild-type and TG2-deficient mice. Animals were fed with a standard chow diet or a high-fat diet (42% of the energy from fat) for 16 weeks. Results demonstrated that the absence of a functional enzyme, which causes the impairment of autophagy/mitophagy, leads to worsening of disease progression. Data were confirmed by pharmacological inhibition of TG2 in WT animals. In addition, the analysis of human liver samples from NAFLD patients validated the enzyme’s involvement in the liver fat disease pathogenesis. Our findings strongly suggest that TG2 activation may offer protection in the context of NAFLD, thus representing a novel therapeutic target for tackling the NAFLD progression.
ALS-related human cortical and motor neurons survival is differentially affected by Sema3A
Authors: Birger Anastasya , Ottolenghi Miri , Perez Liat , Reubinoff Benjamin , Behar Oded
Published: February 2018

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cell death of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). The cause of MN cell loss is not completely understood but involves both cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous mechanisms. Numerous molecules have been implicated to be involved in the death of MNs. One such candidate is semaphorin 3A (Sema3A). In ALS patients, Sema3A was shown to be significantly upregulated in the motor cortex and downregulated in the spinal cord. In the mouse, Sema3A was shown to be an axon repellent molecule for MNs. Sema3A could also induce death of different neuronal types that are also repelled by it, including sensory, sympathetic, retinal, and cortical neurons. In contrast, astrocyte-specific knockout of Sema3A results in motor neuron cell death, consistent with the idea that Sema3A is a survival factor for mouse motor neurons. Here, we tested the response of human cortical neurons and spinal cord MNs to Sema3A. We found that Sema3A enhances the survival of spinal cord MNs. In contrast, Sema3A reduces the survival of cortical neurons. Thus, both upregulation of Sema3A in the cortex, or downregulation in the spinal cord of ALS patients is likely to directly contribute to MNs cell loss in ALS patients.
Predictive and preventive significance of AMPK activation on hepatocarcinogenesis in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Yang Xiaoli , Liu Yan , Li Menghui , Wu Hao , Wang Yunbing , You Yu , Li Peizhi , Ding Xiong , Liu Chang’an , Gong Jianping
Published: February 2018

Metformin has been demonstrated to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Metformin acts mainly by phosphorylation of AMPK. However, the phosphorylation status of AMPK and its role in the prediction and prevention of HCC in cirrhotic patients remains unclear. The phosphorylation status of AMPK (Thr172) was determined by immunostaining in tissue microarrays of 426 cirrhotic liver tissues. Low expression of p-AMPK was observed in 94 (22.1%) cases. The median follow-up time was 87 months. HCC occurrence probability at 1/3/5/10 years after Hassab procedure was 3.1/9.6/13.8/30.6% in patients with p-AMPK low expression and 0/0.3/0.3/8% in patients with p-AMPK high expression, respectively. HCC occurrence risk was significantly higher in patients with p-AMPK low expression in univariable analysis (HR, 6.25; 95% CI: 3.36–11.60; P < 0.001) and multivariable analysis (HR, 6.0; 95% CI: 3.24–11.10; P < 0.001). An independent external cohort validated the significance of p-AMPK low expression. In addition, in vivo experiments demonstrated that AMPK activation status was negatively related to HCC occurrence and blocking autophagy by chloroquine counteracted the protective effect of AMPK phosphorylation. These results present novel insight into a critical predictive role of AMPK activation in hepatocarcinogenesis and AMPK activation seems to be a potential target for the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis.
S100A4 promotes lung tumor development through β-catenin pathway-mediated autophagy inhibition
Authors: Hou Shasha , Tian Tian , Qi Dianwen , Sun Kaiji , Yuan Qi , Wang Ziling , Qin Zhihai , Wu Zhenlong , Chen Zhinan , Zhang Jinhua
Published: February 2018

Autophagy has emerged as a critical pathway in tumor development. S100A4 plays important roles in tumor metastasis, but its role in regulating autophagy has not been well characterized. In this study, we found that S100A4 was significantly upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. Clinical investigation demonstrated that high expression level of S100A4 was associated with tumor size and advanced tumor grades of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Moreover, our results revealed that extracellular S100A4 or overexpression of S100A4 inhibited starvation-induced autophagy and promoted cell proliferation in lung cancer cells in vitro; whereas small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated suppression of S100A4 increased autophagy and reduced cell viability in both A549 and LLC cells. Additionally, S100A4 inhibited starvation-induced autophagy to promote tumor cell viability via the Wnt pathway. Increased expression of β-catenin consistently led to a decreased LC3-II protein abundance. Further, the inhibitory effect of S100A4 on autophagy and its promotion role in cell proliferation was abolished in A549 and LLC cells using the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)-specific inhibitor (FPS-ZM1). S100A4-deficient mice showed retarded tumor development. This effect was well correlated with increased expression of autophagy markers. Our findings demonstrate that S100A4 promotes lung tumor development through inhibiting autophagy in a β-catenin signaling and S100A4 receptor RAGE-dependent manner, which provides a novel mechanism of S100A4-associated promotion of tumor development.
Nuclear factor 90 promotes angiogenesis by regulating HIF-1α/VEGF-A expression through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in human cervical cancer
Authors: Zhang Wenqian , Xiong Zhengai , Wei Tianqin , Li Qiumeng , Tan Ying , Ling Li , Feng Xiushan
Published: February 2018

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), a fundamental component of angiogenesis, provides nutrients and oxygen to solid tumors, and enhances tumor cell survival, invasion, and migration. Nuclear factor 90 (NF90), a double-stranded RNA-binding protein, is strongly expressed in several human cancers, promotes tumor growth by reducing apoptosis, and increasing cell cycle process. The mechanisms by which cervical cancer cells inducing VEGF-A expression and angiogenesis upon NF90 upregulation remain to be fully established. We demonstrated that NF90 is upregulated in human cervical cancer specimens and the expression of NF90 is paralleled with that of VEGF-A under hypoxia. The expressions of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and VEGF-A are downregulated upon NF90 knockdown, which can be rescued by ectopic expression of NF90. Suppression of NF90 decreases the tube formation and cell migration of HUVECs. Moreover, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway participates in the regulation. Knockdown of NF90 also reduces the tumor growth and angiogenesis of cervical cancer cell line in the mouse xenograft model. Taken together, suppression of NF90 in cervical cancer cell lines can decrease VEGF-A expression, inhibit angiogenesis, and reduce tumorigenic capacity in vivo.
Analysis of cardiomyocyte clonal expansion during mouse heart development and injury
Authors: Sereti Konstantina-Ioanna , Nguyen Ngoc B. , Kamran Paniz , Zhao Peng , Ranjbarvaziri Sara , Park Shuin , Sabri Shan , Engel James L. , Sung Kevin , Kulkarni Rajan P. , Ding Yichen , Hsiai Tzung K. , Plath Kathrin , Ernst Jason , Sahoo Debashis , Mikkola Hanna K.A. , Iruela-Arispe M. Luisa , Ardehali Reza
Published: February 2018

The cellular mechanisms driving cardiac tissue formation remain poorly understood, largely due to the structural and functional complexity of the heart. It is unclear whether newly generated myocytes originate from cardiac stem/progenitor cells or from pre-existing cardiomyocytes that re-enter the cell cycle. Here, we identify the source of new cardiomyocytes during mouse development and after injury. Our findings suggest that cardiac progenitors maintain proliferative potential and are the main source of cardiomyocytes during development; however, the onset of αMHC expression leads to reduced cycling capacity. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals a proliferative, “progenitor-like” population abundant in early embryonic stages that decreases to minimal levels postnatally. Furthermore, cardiac injury by ligation of the left anterior descending artery was found to activate cardiomyocyte proliferation in neonatal but not adult mice. Our data suggest that clonal dominance of differentiating progenitors mediates cardiac development, while a distinct subpopulation of cardiomyocytes may have the potential for limited proliferation during late embryonic development and shortly after birth.
Enhancing Hi-C data resolution with deep convolutional neural network HiCPlus
Authors: Zhang Yan , An Lin , Xu Jie , Zhang Bo , Zheng W. Jim , Hu Ming , Tang Jijun , Yue Feng
Published: February 2018

Although Hi-C technology is one of the most popular tools for studying 3D genome organization, due to sequencing cost, the resolution of most Hi-C datasets are coarse and cannot be used to link distal regulatory elements to their target genes. Here we develop HiCPlus, a computational approach based on deep convolutional neural network, to infer high-resolution Hi-C interaction matrices from low-resolution Hi-C data. We demonstrate that HiCPlus can impute interaction matrices highly similar to the original ones, while only using 1/16 of the original sequencing reads. We show that the models learned from one cell type can be applied to make predictions in other cell or tissue types. Our work not only provides a computational framework to enhance Hi-C data resolution but also reveals features underlying the formation of 3D chromatin interactions.
Induction of long-lived room temperature phosphorescence of carbon dots by water in hydrogen-bonded matrices
Authors: Li Qijun , Zhou Ming , Yang Mingyang , Yang Qingfeng , Zhang Zhixun , Shi Jing
Published: February 2018

Phosphorescence shows great potential for application in bioimaging and ion detection because of its long-lived luminescence and high signal-to-noise ratio, but establishing phosphorescence emission in aqueous environments remains a challenge. Herein, we present a general design strategy that effectively promotes phosphorescence by utilising water molecules to construct hydrogen-bonded networks between carbon dots (CDs) and cyanuric acid (CA). Interestingly, water molecules not only cause no phosphorescence quenching but also greatly enhance the phosphorescence emission. This enhancement behaviour can be explained by the fact that the highly ordered bound water on the CA particle surface can construct robust bridge-like hydrogen-bonded networks between the CDs and CA, which not only effectively rigidifies the C=O bonds of the CDs but also greatly enhances the rigidity of the entire system. In addition, the CD-CA suspension exhibits a high phosphorescence lifetime (687 ms) and is successfully applied in ion detection based on its visible phosphorescence.
Tailed giant Tupanvirus possesses the most complete translational apparatus of the known virosphere
Authors: Abrahão Jônatas , Silva Lorena , Silva Ludmila Santos , Khalil Jacques Yaacoub Bou , Rodrigues Rodrigo , Arantes Thalita , Assis Felipe , Boratto Paulo , Andrade Miguel , Kroon Erna Geessien , Ribeiro Bergmann , Bergier Ivan , Seligmann Herve , Ghigo Eric , Colson Philippe , Levasseur Anthony , Kroemer Guido , Raoult Didier , La Scola Bernard
Published: February 2018

Here we report the discovery of two Tupanvirus strains, the longest tailed Mimiviridae members isolated in amoebae. Their genomes are 1.44–1.51 Mb linear double-strand DNA coding for 1276–1425 predicted proteins. Tupanviruses share the same ancestors with mimivirus lineages and these giant viruses present the largest translational apparatus within the known virosphere, with up to 70 tRNA, 20 aaRS, 11 factors for all translation steps, and factors related to tRNA/mRNA maturation and ribosome protein modification. Moreover, two sequences with significant similarity to intronic regions of 18 S rRNA genes are encoded by the tupanviruses and highly expressed. In this translation-associated gene set, only the ribosome is lacking. At high multiplicity of infections, tupanvirus is also cytotoxic and causes a severe shutdown of ribosomal RNA and a progressive degradation of the nucleus in host and non-host cells. The analysis of tupanviruses constitutes a new step toward understanding the evolution of giant viruses.
A low cost and high performance polymer donor material for polymer solar cells
Authors: Sun Chenkai , Pan Fei , Bin Haijun , Zhang Jianqi , Xue Lingwei , Qiu Beibei , Wei Zhixiang , Zhang Zhi-Guo , Li Yongfang
Published: February 2018

The application of polymer solar cells requires the realization of high efficiency, high stability, and low cost devices. Here we demonstrate a low-cost polymer donor poly[(thiophene)-alt-(6,7-difluoro-2-(2-hexyldecyloxy)quinoxaline)] (PTQ10), which is synthesized with high overall yield of 87.4% via only two-step reactions from cheap raw materials. More importantly, an impressive efficiency of 12.70% is obtained for the devices with PTQ10 as donor, and the efficiency of the inverted structured PTQ10-based device also reaches 12.13% (certificated to be 12.0%). Furthermore, the as-cast devices also demonstrate a high efficiency of 10.41% and the devices exhibit insensitivity of active layer thickness from 100 nm to 300 nm, which is conductive to the large area fabrication of the devices. In considering the advantages of low cost and high efficiency with thickness insensitivity, we believe that PTQ10 will be a promising polymer donor for commercial application of polymer solar cells.
A Genetic Screen for Investigating the Human Lysosomal CystineTransporter, Cystinosin
Authors: Deshpande Anup Arunrao , Shukla Anuj , Bachhawat Anand Kumar
Published: February 2018

Cystinosin, a lysosomal transporter is involved in the efflux of cystine from the lysosome to the cytosol. Mutations in the human cystinosin gene (CTNS) cause cystinosis, a recessive autosomal disorder. Studies on cystinosin have been limited by the absence of a robust genetic screen. In the present study we have developed a dual strategy for evaluating cystinosin function that is amenable to rapid genetic analysis. We show that human cystinosin expressed in this yeast confers growth on cystine when the protein is mistargeted to the plasma membrane by the deletion of the C-terminal targeting signal, GYQDL. We also screened a vacuolar protein sorting deletion library, and subsequently created multiple vps deletion mutants for kinetic studies. The double deletion, vps1Δvps17Δ, greatly enhanced uptake. This enabled validation by kinetic studies, including first studies on the WT CTNS protein (that contained the GYQDL motif). Using this screen we isolated several gain of function mutants, G131S/D, G309S/D, A137V, G197R, S270T, L274F and S312N showing enhanced growth on low concentrations of cystine. Kinetic analysis yielded insights into the role of the residues (including one of the patient mutations, G197R). The results indicate that the screen could be effectively used for interrogating and understanding the CTNS protein.
Genome-scale examination of NBS-encoding genes in blueberry
Authors: Die Jose V. , Román Belén , Qi Xinpeng , Rowland Lisa J.
Published: February 2018

Blueberry is an important crop worldwide. It is, however, susceptible to a variety of diseases, which can lead to losses in yield and fruit quality. Although screening studies have identified resistant germplasm for some important diseases, still little is known about the molecular basis underlying that resistance. The most predominant type of resistance (R) genes contains nucleotide binding site and leucine rich repeat (NBS-LRR) domains. The identification and characterization of such a gene family in blueberry would enhance the foundation of knowledge needed for its genetic improvement. In this study, we searched for and found a total of 106 NBS-encoding genes (including 97 NBS-LRR) in the current blueberry genome. The NBS genes were grouped into eleven distinct classes based on their domain architecture. More than 22% of the NBS genes are present in clusters. Ten genes were mapped onto seven linkage groups. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these genes into two major clusters based on their structural variation, the first cluster having toll and interleukin-1 like receptor (TIR) domains and most of the second cluster containing a coiled-coil domain. Our study provides new insight into the NBS gene family in blueberry and is an important resource for the identification of functional R-genes.
Magnesium enhances the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells by inhibiting activated macrophage-induced inflammation
Authors: Hu Tu , Xu Haitao , Wang Chongyang , Qin Hui , An Zhiquan
Published: February 2018

Magnesium deficiency increases the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which is consistently accompanied by the sensitization of cells such as neutrophils, macrophages and endothelial cells. We investigated the potential of magnesium to regulate macrophage polarization and macrophage-induced inflammation with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) activation and further elucidated whether these effects impact the inhibitory functions of activated macrophage-induced inflammation on cartilage regeneration. The results showed that magnesium inhibited the activation of macrophages, as indicated by a significant reduction in the percentage of CCR7-positive cells, while the percentage of CD206-positive cells decreased to a lesser degree. After activation, both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were down-regulated at the mRNA level and certain cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10) were decreased in the cell supernatant with the addition of magnesium. Moreover, magnesium decreased the nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) to impede its activation. A modified micromass culture system was applied to assess the effects of activated macrophage-conditioned medium with or without magnesium treatment on the chondrogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Magnesium enhanced the chondrogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by reversing the adverse effects of activated macrophage-induced inflammation.
The influence of riverine barriers, climate, and topography on the biogeographic regionalization of Amazonian anurans
Authors: Godinho Marcela Brasil de Castro , da Silva Fernando Rodrigues
Published: February 2018

We evaluated five non-mutually exclusive hypotheses driving the biogeographic regions of anuran species in the Amazonia. We overlaid extent-of-occurrence maps for anurans 50 × 50 km cells to generate a presence–absence matrix. This matrix was subjected to a cluster analysis to identify the pattern and number of biogeographic regions for the dataset. Then, we used multinomial logistic regression models and deviance partitioning to explore the relative importance of contemporary and historical climate variables, topographic complexity, riverine barriers and vegetation structure in explaining the biogeographic regions identified. We found seven biogeographic regions for anurans in the Amazonia. The major rivers in the Amazonia made the largest contribution to explaining the variability in anuran biogeographic regions, followed by climate variables and topography. The barrier effect seems to be strong for some rivers, such as the Amazon and Madeira, but other Amazonia rivers appear to not be effective barriers. Furthermore, climate and topographical variables provide an environmental gradient driving the species richness and anuran range-size distributions. Therefore, our results provide a spatially explicit framework that could be used to address conservation and management issues of anuran diversity for the largest tropical forests in the world.
Tailoring the structures and photonic properties of low-dimensional organic materials by crystal engineering
Authors: Li Qing , Jin Wang , Chu Manman , Zhang Wei , Gu Jianmin , Shahid Bilal , Chen Aibing , Yu Yifeng , Qiao Shanlin , Zhao Yong Sheng
Published: February 2018

By adding a protic solvent (such as methanol) into the solvent to control the growth kinetic processes, two kinds of low-dimensional organic structures of DCF molecule have been selectively fabricated to apply for active optical waveguides.
Dissection of the effects that govern thioglucoside and thiomannoside reactivity
Authors: Heuckendorff Mads , Poulsen Lulu Teressa , Hedberg Christinne , Jensen Henrik H.
Published: February 2018

The effects that govern the reactivity of various glycosyl donors of phenyl and ethyl thioglycoside-type were successfully separated.
Assessing phase discrimination via the segmentation of an elemental energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy map: a case study of Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te2S
Authors: Byrnes J. B. , Gazder A. A. , Aminorroaya Yamini S.
Published: February 2018

The present case study critically assesses the efficacy of a previously proposed segmentation methodology as a means to discriminate phases via post-processing the image of an elemental map.
Electronic properties of phosphorene nanoribbons with nanoholes
Authors: Sun Lin , Zhang Zhen Hua , Wang Hao , Li Mo
Published: February 2018

Using first-principles calculation based on density-functional theory, the electronic properties of monolayer black phosphorus nanoribbons (PNRs) with and without punched nanoholes (PNRPNHs) and their mechanical stability are studied systematically.
Identification of a selective DNA ligase for accurate recognition and ultrasensitive quantification of N6-methyladenosine in RNA at one-nucleotide resolution
Authors: Liu Weiliang , Yan Jingli , Zhang Zhenhao , Pian Hongru , Liu Chenghui , Li Zhengping
Published: February 2018

Here we establish an ultrasensitive quantitation assay for accurately determining N6-methyladenosine at one-nucleotide resolution in RNA.
Nanopore-induced host–guest charge transfer phenomena in a metal–organic framework
Authors: Yamamoto S. , Pirillo J. , Hijikata Y. , Zhang Z. , Awaga K.
Published: February 2018

Using the “crystal sponge” approach, weak organic electron donor molecules were impregnated and evenly distributed in a crystal of a metal–organic framework (MOF), with the self-assembly of the donor–acceptor pairs with electron acceptor ligands. The nanopores of the MOF confined them and induced a charge transfer phenomenon, which would not occur between donor and acceptor molecules in a bulk scale.
Evaluating the resilience of superhydrophobic materials using the slip-length concept
Authors: Xu H. , Crick C. R. , Poole R. J.
Published: February 2018

The work presented details a comprehensive, quantitatively reproducible, and universal assessment method for superhydrophobic materials using the slip-length evaluation.
Quantitatively monitoring oxygen variation in endoplasmic reticulum with a fluorophore–phosphor energy transfer cassette
Authors: Bian Hui , Song Xinbo , Li Ning , Man Huizi , Xiao Yi
Published: February 2018

EET cassetteIr-Np-OHhas been constructed by connecting an Ir(iii) complex as acceptor to a naphthalimide dye as donor.
Selected anthraquinones as potential free radical scavengers and P-glycoprotein inhibitors
Authors: Jeremić S. , Amić A. , Stanojević-Pirković M. , Marković Z.
Published: February 2018

In this article, we estimated the scavenger capacity of six selected anthraquinones toward free radicals and their efficacy as inhibitors of P-glycoproteins.
Fabrication of a magnetite/diazonium functionalized-reduced graphene oxide hybrid as an easily regenerated adsorbent for efficient removal of chlorophenols from aqueous solution
Authors: Shen Xiaoqin , Chen Xiaolei , Sun Dejun , Wu Tao , Li Yujiang
Published: February 2018

A magnetite/diazonium functionalized-reduced graphene oxide hybrid is an easily regenerated and recyclable adsorbent for removal of chlorophenols from aqueous solution.
Efficient synthesis of ether phosphonates using trichloroacetimidate and acetate coupling methods
Authors: Fathalla Walid. , Ali Ibrahim. A. I. , Pazdera Pavel.
Published: February 2018

An efficient method for the synthesis of various ether phosphonates by trichloroacetimidate and acetate coupling methods is described.
Facile surface modification of CH3NH3PbI3 films leading to simultaneously improved efficiency and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells
Authors: Zhu Hongmei , Huang Boyuan , Wu Shaohang , Xiong Zhenzhong , Li Jiangyu , Chen Wei
Published: February 2018

Surface modification based on 4-DMABA allows for the enhancement of efficiency and stability of an inverted perovskite solar cell. This is ascribed to the passivation of the surface traps and recombination suppression, and to the hydrophobic surface capping layer, respectively.
High performance as-cast semitransparent polymer solar cells
Authors: Huang He , Li Xiaojun , Zhong Lian , Qiu Beibei , Yang Yankang , Zhang Zhi-Guo , Zhang Zhanjun , Li Yongfang
Published: February 2018

Semi-transparent polymer solar cells (ST-PSCs) were fabricated with PTB7-Th as donor and ITVfIC as acceptor, and the as-cast ST-PSC shows a higher efficiency of 8.21% with AT of 33.7%.
Design of asymmetric benzodithiophene based wide band-gap conjugated polymers toward efficient polymer solar cells promoted by a low boiling point additive
Authors: Li Yonghai , Duan Linrui , Liu Deyu , Chen Weichao , Bao Xichang , Zhen Hongyu , Liu Huizhou , Yang Renqiang
Published: February 2018

Here, we reported two conjugated photovoltaic materials based on asymmetric benzodithiophene units and presented a low boiling point additive to optimize devices.
Flexible room-temperature volatile organic compound sensors based on reduced graphene oxide–WO3·0.33H2O nano-needles
Authors: Perfecto Tarcísio M. , Zito Cecilia A. , Mazon Talita , Volanti Diogo P.
Published: February 2018

Isopropanol sensors on flexible PET substrates presented high-performance at room-temperature in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and mechanical stability.
Significantly enhanced and precisely modeled thermal conductivity in polyimide nanocomposites with chemically modified graphene via in situ polymerization and electrospinning-hot press technology
Authors: Guo Yongqiang , Xu Genjiu , Yang Xutong , Ruan Kunpeng , Ma Tengbo , Zhang Qiuyu , Gu Junwei , Wu Yalan , Liu Hu , Guo Zhanhu
Published: February 2018

Significantly improved thermal conductivities and a more accurate thermal conductivity model were achieved.
A modified, hypoallergenic variant of the Ricinus communis Ric c1 protein retains biological activity
Authors: Pacheco-Soares Thaís , de Oliveira Carvalho André , da Silva Araújo Jucélia , da Silva de Souza Giliane , Machado Olga L.T.
Published: February 2018

Ric c1, an allergenic protein from castor oil plants (Ricinus communis), is an insect α-amylase inhibitor that has become an occupational allergen. Ric c1 can cross-react with allergens from wheat, soybean, peanut, shrimp, fish, gluten, house dust, tobacco and air fungus, thereby amplifying the concern and risks caused by castor oil plants (COP) allergens. Two continuous IgE-binding epitopes were identified in Ric c1, both containing glutamic acid residues involved in IgE-binding and allergic challenges. We produced recombinant Ric c1 (rRic c1) in Escherichia coli, using primers from foliar castor oil plant DNA, and a mutant (Glu-Leu) recombinant protein (mrRic c1) in the same system using synthetic genes. rRic c1 preserved both allergenic and α-amylase inhibitory properties, and mrRic c1 drastically reduced allergenic properties. These results can help to establish meaningful relationships between structure, defence and allergenicity, important steps for producing engineered plants and developing new approaches for immunotherapy.
A fusion protein composed of the DSL domain of Dll1 and RGD motif protects cryptic stem cells in irradiation injury
Authors: Sun Zhi-Jian , Zhang Yi-Zhe , Liu Fan , Chen Juan-Juan , Chen Dong-Xue , Liu Hong-Bao , Liang Liang , Han Hua
Published: February 2018

Intestine is vulnerable to irradiation injury, which induces cell death and compromises regeneration of intestinal crypts. It is well accepted that cryptic stem cells, which are responsible for cryptic regeneration under physiological and pathological conditions, are controlled by multiple cell-intrinsic and environmental signals such as Notch signaling. Therefore, in the present study, we tested whether a soluble Notch ligand tethered to endothelial cells—mD1R—the Delta–Serrate–Lag2 (DSL) domain of mouse Notch ligand Delta-like1 fused with a RGD motif could protect cryptic cells from irradiation-induced intestinal injury. The result showed that administration of mD1R, which activated Notch signaling in intestinal cells, ameliorated loss of body weight and reduction of cryptic structures in intestine after total body irradiation (TBI) in mice. Histological staining showed that injection of mD1R after TBI promoted cryptic cell proliferation and reduced cell apoptosis in crypts. Immunofluorescence staining and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR showed that mD1R increased the level of Lgr5, Bmi1, Olfactomedin-4 (OLFM4), and IRIG1 in crypts, suggesting a protective effect on cryptic stem and progenitor cells after irradiation. Moreover, we found that administration of mD1R increased the number of Paneth cells and the mRNA level of Defa1, and the number Alcian Blue+ Goblet cells decreased first and then increased after irradiation, suggesting that mD1R promoted the maturation of the intestinal crypt after irradiation injury. Our data suggested that mD1R could serve as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of irradiation-induced intestinal injury.
Regularised estimation for ARMAX process with measurements subject to outliers
Authors: Yin Le , Liu Shuo , Gao Hui
Published: February 2018

ARMAX models are widely used in control engineering for both system description and control design. They can accurately describe a large class of real processes with relatively low complexity, but do not take into account observation errors, which can be particularly important in applications like filtering and fault diagnosis. Due to the intrinsic dependence in ARMAX process output, a single outlier may contaminate multiple data entries and completely spoil the conventional least‐squares estimate. In this study, the authors develop a novel Moving Horizon Estimator that is not only robust to outliers but also able to reveal outliers. By utilising the fact that outliers are extreme errors that occur infrequently, the estimation problem is formulated as a least‐squares optimisation problem with outliers explicitly modelled and regularised with ‐norm to induce sparsity. A coordinate descent‐based solver is developed to obtain iterative algorithms with guaranteed convergence and closed‐form solution available to each coordinate sub‐problem per iteration. Due to the explicit modelling of outlier vectors, the impact of an outlier on multiple time instants can be estimated and mitigated. Simulation tests demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively cope with outliers, even for the case when the commonly used Huber's M ‐estimation approach breaks down.
Assessing abundance and catch selectivity of Octopus cyanea by the artisanal fishery in Lakshadweep islands, India
Authors: Nair Aditi , Dutta Sutirtha , Apte Deepak , Kulkarni Balasaheb
Published: February 2018

Subsistence fishery for cephalopods contributes significantly to the local economy of several Asian, African and island states. In addition to being unregulated and undocumented, recent studies indicate that low-scale fisheries can have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems. In the Lakshadweep islands, men, women and children have been involved in spear fishing for octopus for a long time, but there is a paucity of information on the biology and fishery of the octopus species in Indian waters. In this study, we estimated the population abundance, morphometry and sex ratio of Octopus cyanea. Moreover, we examined whether the current octopus spear fishing activity displayed size or sex selectivity, given that larger individuals are easier to spot and brooding females spend more time in crevices. O. cyanea surveys were conducted by snorkeling in the lagoons of Kavaratti and Agatti islands between November 2008 and April 2012. The estimated mean density of O. cyanea was 3 and 2.5 individuals per hectare in Agatti and Kavaratti, respectively. Individual mean weight was 923.36 g and 846.26 g in Agatti and Kavaratti and the male:female sex ratio 1.35:1 and 3.8:1, respectively. Comparison between visual counts and fisheries landings indicated that fishing effort was concentrated in areas of high juvenile abundance but without female-bias. Constructing a long-term database of fishery catches will help with stock assessment and understanding the factors that influence octopus populations. Implementation of a lower size limit of 500 g would act as a precautionary measure against catching very small octopuses.
X-ray diffraction, cements and environment, three worlds in one.
Authors: De la Torre Angeles G. , Londono-Zuluaga Diana , Zea-Garcia Jesus D. , García-Maté Marta , Álvarez-Pinazo Gema , Aranda Miguel A. G. , Santacruz Isabel , Cuesta Ana , León-Reina Laura , Franco Francisco , Tobón Jorge I.
Published: February 2018

This keynote lecture will be focused on the strategies for reducing CO2 emissions in the cement production. Concretely, the production of ecocements with optimised formulations that yield reductions in CO2 emissions of up to 25%, when compared to OPC production. Phase assemblage has to be carefully optimised to be competitive and these new ecocements should develop compressive strengths of at least 50 MPa at 28 days of hydration. Optimised compositions of several ecocements will be discussed, but all of them are ye'elimite or calcium sulphoaluminate containing ones: belite-ye'elimite-ferrite (BYF), belite-alite-ye'elimite (BAY) and ye'elimite rich ones (CSA). The clinkering temperature of BYF and BAY has to be established to obtain the targeted phase assemblages. Moreover, the stabilisation of alpha-forms of belite is needed to develop high mechanical strengths at early ages. The benefits of the use of waste materials (such as fly ash or slag) as additions to ecocements are three-fold: lower CO2 emissions due to clinker replacement; valorisation of “useless” products that need a lot of landscape and the consequent efficient consumption of raw materials; and to enhance mechanical properties of the corresponding mortars. The design of appropriate CSA, BYF and BAY mortars, with the final aim of knowing and controlling the hydration mechanisms, will be presented. Particularly, the role of i) type and amount of set regulator (gypsum, anhydrite, etc.), ii) water/cement ratio (w/c); iii) superplasticiser; and iv) pozzolanic additions will be discussed. The role of these parameters in the microstructure and hydraulic behaviour has been investigated through traditional techniques as well as advanced synchrotron characterisation. The formers include laboratory/synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction combined with Rietveld methodology (to obtain phase assemblage), electron microscopy techniques for paste microstructure determination, rheological studies (to control the effect of the different additives, w/c ratio and setting time retarders) and mechanical tests (setting times, compressive strengths and dimensional stability). The latters comprise a group of techniques available at synchrotrons such as: i) high temperature x-ray diffraction for clinkering studies and ii) total scattering data to be analysed by pair distribution function, PDF.
Prestressing Concrete with CFRP Composites for Sustainability and Corrosion-Free Applications
Authors: Belarbi A. , Reda M. , Poudel P. , Tahsiri H. , Dawood M. , Gencturk B.
Published: February 2018

Advancement in material science has enabled the engineers to enhance the strength and long-term behavior of concrete structures. The conventional approach is to use steel for prestressed bridge girders. Despite having good ductility and strength, beams prestressed with steel are susceptible to corrosion when subjected to environmental exposure. The corrosion of the prestressing steel reduces load carrying capacity of the prestressed member and result in catastrophic failures. In the last decades, more durable composite materials such as Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer (AFRP), Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) have been implemented in concrete structures as a solution to this problem. Among these materials, CFRP stands out as a primary prestressing reinforcement, which has the potential to replace steel and provide corrosion free prestressed bridge girders. Despite its promise, prestressing CFRP has not frequently been used for bridge construction worldwide. The major contributing factor to the lack of advancement of this promising technology in the United States (U.S.) is the lack of comprehensive design specifications. Apart from a limited number of guides, manuals, and commentaries, there is currently no standard or comprehensive design guideline available to bridge engineers in the U.S. for the design of concrete structures prestressed with CFRP systems. The main goal is to develop design guidelines in AASHTO-LRFD format for concrete bridge girders with prestressing CFRP materials. The guidelines are intended to address the limitation in current AASHTO-LRFD Bridge Design Specifications which is applicable for prestressed bridge girders with steel strands. To accomplish this goal, some of the critical parameters that affect the design and long-term behavior of prestressed concrete bridge girders with prestressing CFRP systems are identified and included in the research work. This paper presents preliminary results of an experimental study that is part of a National Highway Co-operative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) project.