bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One‐Step Solvent‐Free Production of a Spermaceti Analogue Using Commercial Immobilized Lipases
Authors: Serrano‐Arnaldos Mar , Bastida Josefa , Máximo Fuensanta , Ortega‐Requena Salvadora , Montiel Claudia
Published: January 2018

The enzymatic synthesis of fine chemicals is a promising approach to overcome the major problems of the traditional chemical routes and implement eco‐friendly and low energy consuming industrial processes. This work introduces for the first time the one‐step production of an analogue of the sperm whale's spermaceti in a vacuum, solvent‐free system. With the aim of easing the industrial feasibility of the process, two commercial biocatalysts with appropriate technical properties were tested. Results pointed out that under optimal conditions, both commercial immobilized derivatives (Lipozyme® RM IM and CalB immo Plus) gave excellent results as they can be reused up to 15 batches without a noticeable loss of their activity, obtaining conversions of ∼98% in two hours. This green and sustainable process might be economically competitive and leads to a product that meets the all specifications required for its cosmetic use and that can be labeled as “natural”, increasing its added value.
Modernize your office with technology that helps staff, students
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: January 2018

When Joe Hickman became registrar at the University of Montana about four‐and‐a‐half years ago, the office relied heavily on paper processes. Many of the staff members spent their days printing out transcripts and processing paper forms. And the paper processes were inconvenient for students.
Decision‐Making in Management of the Complex Trauma Patient: Changing the Mindset of the non‐trauma Surgeon
Authors: Sonesson Linda , Boffard Kenneth , Lundberg Lars , Rydmark Martin , Karlgren Klas
Published: January 2018

Background

European surgeons are frequently subspecialized and trained primarily in elective surgical techniques. As trauma leaders, they may occasionally have to deal with complex polytrauma, advanced management techniques, differing priorities, and the need for multidisciplinary care. There is a lack of expertise, experience, and a low trauma volume, as well as a lack of research, with limited support as to the decision‐making and teaching challenges present. We studied what experienced trauma experts describe as the challenges that are specific to the advanced surgical decision‐making required, whether civilian, humanitarian, or military.

Methods

Design‐based research using combined methods including interviews, reviews of authentic trauma cases, and video‐recorded resuscitations performed at a high‐volume civilian academic trauma center.

Results

Several educational dilemmas were identified: (1) thinking physiologically, (2) the application of damage control resuscitation and surgery, (3) differing priorities and time management, (4) impact of environment, (5) managing limited resources, (6) lack of general surgical skills, (7) different cultural behavior, and (8) ethical issues.

Conclusion

The challenges presented, and the educational domains identified, constitute a basis for improved development of education and training in complex surgical decision‐making. This study contributes new knowledge about the mindset required for decision‐making in patients with complex multisystem trauma and competing priorities of care. This is, especially important in countries having a low intensity of trauma in both military and civilian environments, and consequential limited skills, and lack of expertise. Guidelines focused on the same decision‐making process, using virtual patients and blended learning, can be developed.
Healing capillary films
Authors: Zheng Zhong , Fontelos Marco A. , Shin Sangwoo , Dallaston Michael C. , Tseluiko Dmitri , Kalliadasis Serafim , Stone Howard A.
Published: January 2018

Consider the dynamics of a healing film driven by surface tension, that is, the inward spreading process of a liquid film to fill a hole. The film is modelled using the lubrication (or thin-film) approximation, which results in a fourth-order nonlinear partial differential equation. We obtain a self-similar solution describing the early-time relaxation of an initial step-function condition and a family of self-similar solutions governing the finite-time healing. The similarity exponent of this family of solutions is not determined purely from scaling arguments; instead, the scaling exponent is a function of the finite thickness of the prewetting film, which we determine numerically. Thus, the solutions that govern the finite-time healing are self-similar solutions of the second kind. Laboratory experiments and time-dependent computations of the partial differential equation are also performed. We compare the self-similar profiles and exponents, obtained by matching the estimated prewetting film thickness, with both measurements in experiments and time-dependent computations near the healing time, and we observe good agreement in each case.
High-speed visualization of vortical cavitation using synchrotron radiation
Authors: Karathanassis Ioannis K. , Koukouvinis Phoevos , Kontolatis Efstathios , Lee Zhilong , Wang Jin , Mitroglou Nicholas , Gavaises Manolis
Published: January 2018

High-speed X-ray phase-contrast imaging of the cavitating flow developing within an axisymmetric throttle orifice has been conducted using high-flux synchrotron radiation. A white X-ray beam with energy of 6 keV was utilized to visualize the highly turbulent flow at 67 890 frames per second with an exposure time of 347 ns. The working medium employed was commercial diesel fuel at flow conditions characterized by Reynolds and cavitation numbers in the range of 18 000–35 500 and 1.6–7.7, respectively. Appropriate post-processing of the obtained side-view radiographs enabled the detailed illustration of the interface topology of the arising vortical cavity. In addition, the visualization temporal and spatial resolution allowed the correlation of the prevailing flow conditions to the periodicity of cavitation onset and collapse, to the magnitude of the underlying vortical motion, as well as to the local turbulence intensity.
Replacing carbohydrate during a glucose challenge with the egg white portion or whole eggs protects against postprandial impairments in vascular endothelial function in prediabetic men by limiting increases in glycaemia and lipid peroxidation
Authors: McDonald Joshua D. , Chitchumroonchokchai Chureeporn , Li Jinhui , Mah Eunice , Labyk Allison N. , Reverri Elizabeth J. , Ballard Kevin D. , Volek Jeff S. , Bruno Richard S.
Published: January 2018

Eggs attenuate postprandial hyperglycaemia (PPH), which transiently impairs vascular endothelial function (VEF). We hypothesised that co-ingestion of a glucose challenge with egg-based meals would protect against glucose-induced impairments in VEF by attenuating PPH and oxidative stress. A randomised, cross-over study was conducted in prediabetic men (n20) who ingested isoenegertic meals (1674 kJ (400 kcal)) containing 100 g glucose (GLU), or 75 g glucose with 1·5 whole eggs (EGG), seven egg whites (WHITE) or two egg yolks (YOLK). At 30 min intervals for 3 h, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), plasma glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin (CCK), lipids (total, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol; TAG), F2-isoprostanes normalised to arachidonic acid (F2-IsoPs/AA), and methylglyoxal were assessed. In GLU, FMD decreased at 30–60 min and returned to baseline levels by 90 min. GLU-mediated decreases in FMD were attenuated at 30–60 min in EGG and WHITE. Compared with GLU, FMDAUCwas higher in EGG and WHITE only. Relative to baseline, glucose increased at 30–120 min in GLU and YOLK but only at 30–90 min in EGG and WHITE. GlucoseAUCand insulinAUCwere also lower in EGG and WHITE only. However, CCKAUCwas higher in EGG and WHITE compared with GLU. Compared with GLU, F2-IsoPs/AAAUCwas lower in EGG and WHITE but unaffected by YOLK. Postprandial lipids and methylglyoxal did not differ between treatments. Thus, replacing a portion of a glucose challenge with whole eggs or egg whites, but not yolks, limits postprandial impairments in VEF by attenuating increases in glycaemia and lipid peroxidation.
‘Sit and tilt’ preparation for subscapular system free flaps
Authors: Mark J , Patwa H , Costello M S , Patil Y
Published: January 2018

Background:

The ablation of advanced head and neck cancer often results in large three-dimensional defects that require free tissue transfer to optimally address functional and cosmetic issues. The subscapular system is a highly versatile donor site for flaps used for head and neck reconstruction. Traditional methods of harvesting subscapular flaps require repositioning and re-preparing, which significantly increases the operative time and prevents simultaneous harvesting of the flap.

Method:

This paper presents our experience of a single-stage ‘sit and tilt’ technique, which provides a convenient method for harvesting subscapular system free flaps without significant repositioning.

Results and conclusion:

This technique was used for a variety of head and neck defects, and body habitus did not seem to affect free tissue harvesting. It is hoped that utilisation of this preparation and harvesting technique will make head and neck surgeons more willing to take advantage of the subscapular system.
Objects, Place and People: Community Organization in Southern Britain in the First Millennium bc
Authors: Davies Alex
Published: January 2018

This paper seeks to understand how identity was constructed and communities were constituted in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age of parts of central and southern Britain. A holistic approach is favoured, finding patterns within each period that cross different types of evidence. These patterns can be related to underlying social and conceptual logic systems. It is argued that in the Late Bronze Age communities were relatively fluid and lineage played only a minor role in defining identity. Early Iron Age society was more concerned with ancestral genealogy and inter-generational inheritance. By the Middle Iron Age, this developed to the stage where smaller groups displayed increasing autonomy from each other. These social differences can account for many of the dissimilarities in the archaeological records of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Despite contrasting methods of community organization, assessing contiguous periods under the same theoretical and methodological frameworks has proved a useful analytical device.
LOGICALITY AND MEANING
Authors: SAGI GIL
Published: January 2018

In standard model-theoretic semantics, the meaning of logical terms is said to be fixed in the system while that of nonlogical terms remains variable. Much effort has been devoted to characterizing logical terms, those terms that should be fixed, but little has been said on their role in logical systems: on what fixing their meaning precisely amounts to. My proposal is that when a term is considered logical in model theory, what gets fixed is itsintensionrather than its extension. I provide a rigorous way of spelling out this idea, and show that it leads to a graded account of logicality: the less structure a term requires in order for its intension to be fixed, the more logical it is. Finally, I focus on the class of terms that are invariant under isomorphisms, as they render themselves more easily to mathematical treatment. I propose a mathematical measure for the logicality of such terms based on their associated Löwenheim numbers.
Individuals with currently untreated mental illness: causal beliefs and readiness to seek help
Authors: Stolzenburg S. , Freitag S. , Evans-Lacko S. , Speerforck S. , Schmidt S. , Schomerus G.
Published: January 2018

Aims.

Many people with mental illness do not seek professional help. Beliefs about the causes of their current health problem seem relevant for initiating treatment. Our aim was to find out to what extent the perceived causes of current untreated mental health problems determine whether a person considers herself/himself as having a mental illness, perceives need for professional help and plans to seek help in the near future.

Methods.

In a cross-sectional study, we examined 207 untreated persons with a depressive syndrome, all fulfilling criteria for a current mental illness as confirmed with a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). The sample was recruited in the community using adverts, flyers and social media. We elicited causal explanations for the present problem, depression literacy, self-identification as having a mental illness, perceived need for professional help, help-seeking intentions, severity of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire – Depression), and whether respondents had previously sought mental healthcare.

Results.

Most participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a mood disorder (n = 181, 87.4%) and/or neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (n = 120, 58.0%) according to the ICD-10. N = 94 (45.4%) participants had never received mental health treatment previously. Exploratory factor analysis of a list of 25 different causal explanations resulted in five factors: biomedical causes, person-related causes, childhood trauma, current stress and unhealthy behaviour. Attributing the present problem to biomedical causes, person-related causes, childhood trauma and stress were all associated with stronger self-identification as having a mental illness. In persons who had never received mental health treatment previously, attribution to biomedical causes was related to greater perceived need and stronger help-seeking intentions. In those with treatment experience, lower attribution to person-related causes and stress were related to greater perceived need for professional help.

Conclusions.

While several causal explanations are associated with self-identification as having a mental illness, only biomedical attributions seem to be related to increase perceived need and help-seeking intentions, especially in individuals with no treatment experiences. Longitudinal studies investigating causal beliefs and help-seeking are needed to find out how causal attributions guide help-seeking behaviour. From this study it seems possible that portraying professional mental health treatment as not being restricted to biomedical problems would contribute to closing the treatment gap for mental disorders.
Sexualisierte Gewalt im Maßregelvollzug
Authors: Peiffer Wolfgang , Gerke Andreas , Hecht Muriel
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Das pflegerische und therapeutische Stationskonzept im Maßregelvollzug wird beschrieben. Es werden die Herausforderungen der psychiatrisch-pflegerischen Arbeit mit forensischen Patienten erläutert. Zuletzt berichtet ein langjährig untergebrachter Patient in einem Interview von seinem Stationsalltag sowie seinen Veränderungen und Schwierigkeiten während der Unterbringung.
Sexuelle Übergriffe zum Thema machen
Authors: Hahn Sabine
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Werner Tschan ist promovierter Mediziner und Facharzt für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie. Seit 1985 ist er im Fachgebiet tätig, seit 1990 in eigener Praxis. Sein Schwerpunkt ist die Psychotraumatologie sowie sexuelle Übergriffe durch psychiatrisch Tätige.
Neuanfang – Teilhabe für die Psychiatrie in Deutschland
Authors: Ließem Hansgeorg
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Spätestens seit Hans Vaihingers „Philosophie des Als Ob“ sind wir uns bewusst geworden, dass die menschliche Gesellschaft keinen ungestörten Zugang zur Realität braucht, um sich sozial zu organisieren. Es reicht eine allgemein akzeptierte Verständigung darüber, was als Wirklichkeit genommen werden soll. So sind sich viele in unserem Land schon lange darüber einig, dass uns die ganze Welt um unser Gesundheitswesen beneidet. Einen beachtenswerten Zeugen für diesen „Welt-Neid“ können wir nicht anführen. Doch wozu auch? Nicht die Welt braucht diese Fiktion, sondern wir selbst.
Schmerz – Herausforderung für die Pflege
Authors: Endrikat Switlana
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Schmerzen sind in der Pflege ein häufig anzutreffendes Phänomen. Eine Herausforderung für das pflegerische Schmerzmanagement stellt die Gruppe von Menschen mit somatoformen Schmerzstörungen dar. Diese Störung bezeichnet Schmerzen, die sich durch organische Veränderungen nicht hinreichend erklären lassen, sondern eher auf psychosozialen Belastungen beruhen. Die Behandlung dieser Patienten erweist sich als sehr schwierig, da sie einen Zusammenhang zu den psychosozialen Schmerzkomponenten nicht wahrnehmen und auf eine organische Ursache ihrer Schmerzen beharren. Menschen mit somatoformen Schmerzstörungen finden sich in allen Versorgungsbereichen des Gesundheitswesens.
Anschaulich Psychiatrie näherbringen
Authors: Müller Christoph
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Mehr als vier Jahrzehnte hat Curd Nickel am Niederrhein mit psychisch und neurologisch erkrankten Menschen sowie mit Behinderten gearbeitet. In dieser Zeit hat der gelernte Krankenpfleger und Heilpädagoge viel erlebt – mit den ihm anvertrauten Kranken und Behinderten, mit Kolleginnen und Kollegen, mit den Institutionen. Schon in der Zeit vor seinem Ruhestand hat er Ernst gemacht mit einer Aussage, die langjährig in der psychiatrischen Pflege erfahrene Kolleginnen und Kollegen von sich geben: „Ich könnte Bücher schreiben mit meinen zahllosen Erlebnissen und Erfahrungen.“ Christoph Müller, der bekanntlich die Leidenschaften psychiatrische Pflege, Lesen und Schreiben mit Curd Nickel teilt, hat den persönlichen Austausch gesucht.
Expression of inflammasome proteins and inflammasome activation occurs in human, but not in murine keratinocytes
Authors: Sand Jennifer , Haertel Eric , Biedermann Thomas , Contassot Emmanuel , Reichmann Ernst , French Lars E. , Werner Sabine , Beer Hans-Dietmar
Published: January 2018

Inflammasomes are multimeric protein complexes that assemble upon sensing of a variety of stress factors. Their formation results in caspase-1-mediated activation and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines pro-interleukin(IL)-1β and -18, which induce an inflammatory response. Inflammation is supported by a lytic form of cell death, termed pyroptosis. Innate immune cells, such as macrophages or dendritic cells, express and activate inflammasomes. However, it has also been demonstrated that human primary keratinocytes activate different types of inflammasomes in vitro, for example, upon UVB irradiation or viral infection. Keratinocytes are the main cell type of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the body, and form a protective barrier consisting of a stratified multi-layered epithelium. In human, gain-of-function mutations of theNLRP1gene cause syndromes mediated by inflammasome activation in keratinocytes that are characterised by skin inflammation and skin cancer susceptibility. Here we demonstrate that murine keratinocytes do not activate inflammasomes in response to stimuli, which induce IL-1β and -18 secretion by human keratinocytes. Whereas murine keratinocytes produced caspase-1 and proIL-18, expression of the inflammasome proteins Nlrp1, Nlrp3, Aim2, Asc, and proIL-1β was, compared to human keratinocytes or murine dendritic cells, very low or even undetectable. Priming of murine keratinocytes with cytokines commonly used for induction of proIL-1β and inflammasome protein expression did not rescue inflammasome activation. Nevertheless, UVB-induced inflammation and neutrophil recruitment in murine skin was dependent on IL-1β and caspase-1. However, also under these conditions, we did not detect expression of proIL-1β by keratinocytes in murine skin, but by immune cells. These results demonstrate a higher immunological competence of human compared to murine keratinocytes, which is reflected by stress-induced IL-1β secretion that is mediated by inflammasomes. Therefore, keratinocytes in human skin can exert immune functions, which are carried out by professional immune cells in murine skin.
Dual suppression of inner and outer mitochondrial membrane functions augments apoptotic responses to oncogenic MAPK inhibition
Authors: Serasinghe Madhavika N. , Gelles Jesse D. , Li Kent , Zhao Lauren , Abbate Franco , Syku Marie , Mohammed Jarvier N. , Badal Brateil , Rangel Cuahutlehuanitzin A. , Hoehn Kyle L. , Celebi Julide Tok , Chipuk Jerry Edward
Published: January 2018

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibitors show promise in treating melanoma, but are unsuccessful in achieving long-term remission. Concordant with clinical data, BRAFV600E melanoma cells eliminate glycolysis upon inhibition of BRAFV600E or MEK with the targeted therapies Vemurafenib or Trametinib, respectively. Consequently, exposure to these therapies reprograms cellular metabolism to increase mitochondrial respiration and restrain cell death commitment. As the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is sub-organellar site of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) is the major site of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein function, we hypothesized that suppressing these critical mitochondrial membrane functions would be a rational approach to maximize the pro-apoptotic effect of MAPK inhibition. Here, we demonstrate that disruption of OXPHOS with the mitochondria-specific protonophore BAM15 promotes the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis only when oncogenic MAPK signaling is inhibited. Based on RNA-sequencing analyses of nevi and primary melanoma samples, increased pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family expression positively correlates with high-risk disease suggesting a highly active anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein repertoire likely contributes to worse outcome. Indeed, combined inhibition of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 repertoire with BH3-mimetics, OXPHOS, and oncogenic MAPK signaling induces fulminant apoptosis and eliminates clonogenic survival. Altogether, these data suggest that dual suppression of IMM and OMM functions may unleash the normally inadequate pro-apoptotic effects of oncogenic MAPK inhibition to eradicate cancer cells, thus preventing the development of resistant disease, and ultimately, supporting long-term remission.
Ultrasensitive reversible chromophore reaction of BODIPY functions as high ratio double turn on probe
Authors: Hu Dehui , Zhang Tao , Li Shayu , Yu Tianjun , Zhang Xiaohui , Hu Rui , Feng Jiao , Wang Shuangqing , Liang Tongling , Chen Jianming , Sobenina Lyubov N. , Trofimov Boris A. , Li Yi , Ma Jinshi , Yang Guoqiang
Published: January 2018

Chromophore reactions with changes to conjugation degree, especially those between the conjugated and unconjugated state, will bring a large spectral variation. To realize such a process, a meso-naked BODIPY (MNBOD) with two electron-withdrawing groups around the core is designed and synthesized. The resulting system is extremely sensitive to bases. The red, highly fluorescent solution readily becomes colorless and non-fluorescent after base addition; however, the color and fluorescence can be totally and instantly restored by addition of acid or formaldehyde. Analyses show that two identical MNBODs are connected by a C–C single bond (sp3) at the meso-position through a radical reaction that results in an unconjugated, colorless dimer complexed with bases. When the bases are consumed, the dimer immediately dissociates into the red, highly fluorescent, conjugated MNBOD monomer. With 260 nm spectral change and over 120,000 turn-on ratio, this chromophore-reaction can be utilized as a sensitive reaction-based dual-signal probe.
Single-cell variability in multicellular organisms
Authors: Smith Stephen , Grima Ramon
Published: January 2018

Noisy gene expression is of fundamental importance to single cells, and is therefore widely studied in single-celled organisms. Extending these studies to multicellular organisms is challenging since their cells are generally not isolated, but individuals in a tissue. Cell–cell coupling via signalling, active transport or pure diffusion, ensures that tissue-bound cells are neither fully independent of each other, nor an entirely homogeneous population. In this article, we show that increasing the strength of coupling between cells can either increase or decrease the single-cell variability (and, therefore, the heterogeneity of the tissue), depending on the statistical properties of the underlying genetic network. We confirm these predictions using spatial stochastic simulations of simple genetic networks, and experimental data from animal and plant tissues. The results suggest that cell–cell coupling may be one of several noise-control strategies employed by multicellular organisms, and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of multicellular behaviour.
Controllable population dynamics in Landau-quantized graphene
Authors: Ding Chunling , Yu Rong , Hao Xiangying , Zhang Duo
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we carry out a theoretical investigation on the population dynamics of graphene system under continuous-wave (cw) laser and chirped pulse excitation. Results of our numerical simulations reveal that complete population transfer from an initially occupied ground state to the initially unoccupied excited states can be achieved by choosing appropriate values of the chirp rate, the laser field intensity and frequency, as well as other system parameters. Also, we observe coherent Rabi-like population oscillations between the initial ground state and the excited final state. It is induced by the combined effect of cw and chirped-pulse laser fields. These results will contribute to the understanding of carrier-carrier and carrier-phonon interactions in graphene system, and may find applications in graphene-based high-speed electronic and optoelectronic devices.
A stand-alone fiber-coupled single-photon source
Authors: Schlehahn Alexander , Fischbach Sarah , Schmidt Ronny , Kaganskiy Arsenty , Strittmatter André , Rodt Sven , Heindel Tobias , Reitzenstein Stephan
Published: January 2018

In this work, we present a stand-alone and fiber-coupled quantum-light source. The plug-and-play device is based on an optically driven quantum dot delivering single photons via an optical fiber. The quantum dot is deterministically integrated in a monolithic microlens which is precisely coupled to the core of an optical fiber via active optical alignment and epoxide adhesive bonding. The rigidly coupled fiber-emitter assembly is integrated in a compact Stirling cryocooler with a base temperature of 35 K. We benchmark our practical quantum device via photon auto-correlation measurements revealing g(2)(0) = 0.07 ± 0.05 under continuous-wave excitation and we demonstrate triggered non-classical light at a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The long-term stability of our quantum light source is evaluated by endurance tests showing that the fiber-coupled quantum dot emission is stable within 4% over several successive cool-down/warm-up cycles. Additionally, we demonstrate non-classical photon emission for a user-intervention-free 100-hour test run and stable single-photon count rates up to 11.7 kHz with a standard deviation of 4%.
Proteomic evidences for microcystin-RR-induced toxicological alterations in mice liver
Authors: Rai Ashutosh Kumar , Chaturvedi Rupesh , Kumar Ashok
Published: January 2018

This study deals with the isolation and purification of an important variant of microcystins namely microcystin-RR (MCYST-RR) fromMicrocystis aeruginosaand reports its effects on mice liver protein profile and cellular functions. Protein profiling by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed changes in the number and accumulation of protein spots in liver of mice treated with different concentrations of MCYST-RR. Untreated (control) mice liver showed 368 protein spots while the number was 355, 348 and 332 in liver of mice treated with 200, 300 and 400 µg kg body wt−1of MCYST-RR respectively. Altogether 102, 97, and 92 spots were differentially up-accumulated and 93, 91, and 87 spots were down- accumulated respectively with the treatment of 200, 300, 400 µg kg body wt−1. Eighteen differentially accumulated proteins present in all the four conditions were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Of these eighteen proteins, 12 appeared to be involved in apoptosis/toxicological manifestations. Pathway analysis by Reactome and PANTHER database also mapped the identified proteins to programmed cell death/apoptosis clade. That MCYST-RR induces apoptosis in liver tissues was also confirmed by DNA fragmentation assay. Results of this study elucidate the proteomic basis for the hepatotoxicity of MCYST-RR which is otherwise poorly understood till date.
Gene annotation bias impedes biomedical research
Authors: Haynes Winston A. , Tomczak Aurelie , Khatri Purvesh
Published: January 2018

We found tremendous inequality across gene and protein annotation resources. We observed that this bias leads biomedical researchers to focus on richly annotated genes instead of those with the strongest molecular data. We advocate that researchers reduce these biases by pursuing data-driven hypotheses.
IL-36/LXR axis modulates cholesterol metabolism and immune defense to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Ahsan Fadhil , Maertzdorf Jeroen , Guhlich-Bornhof Ute , Kaufmann Stefan H. E. , Moura-Alves Pedro
Published: January 2018

Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) is a life-threatening pathogen in humans. Bacterial infection of macrophages usually triggers strong innate immune mechanisms, including IL-1 cytokine secretion. The newer member of the IL-1 family, IL-36, was recently shown to be involved in cellular defense againstMtb. To unveil the underlying mechanism of IL-36 induced antibacterial activity, we analyzed its role in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism, together with the involvement of Liver X Receptor (LXR) in this process. We report that, inMtb-infected macrophages, IL-36 signaling modulates cholesterol biosynthesis and efflux via LXR. Moreover, IL-36 induces the expression of cholesterol-converting enzymes and the accumulation of LXR ligands, such as oxysterols. Ultimately, both IL-36 and LXR signaling play a role in the regulation of antimicrobial peptides expression and inMtbgrowth restriction. These data provide novel evidence for the importance of IL-36 and cholesterol metabolism mediated by LXR in cellular host defense againstMtb.
Population genetic structure of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae): host-driven genetic differentiation in China
Authors: Meng Lixue , Wang Yongmo , Wei Wen-Hua , Zhang Hongyu
Published: January 2018

The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is a major pest in citrus production, transmitting Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. It has spread widely across eastern and southern China. Unfortunately, little is known about the genetic diversity and population structure of D. citri, making pest control difficult. In this study, nine specifically developed SSR markers and three known mitochondrial DNA were used for population genetics study of D. citri using 225 samples collected from all 7 distribution regions in China. Based on the SSR data, D. citri was found highly diverse with a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.50, and three subgroups were structured by host plant: (i) Shatangju, NF mandarin and Ponkan; (ii) Murraya paniculata and Lemon; (iii) Citrus unshiu, Bingtangcheng, Summer orange and Navel. No significant genetic differences were found with mtDNA data. We suggested the host-associated divergence is likely to have occurred very recently. A unimodal distribution of paired differences, the negative and significant Tajima’s D and Fu’s F
S
parameters among mtDNA suggested a recent demographic expansion. The extensive citrus cultivation and increased suitable living habitat was recommended as a key for this expansion event.
Interaction between hippocampal-prefrontal plasticity and thalamic-prefrontal activity
Authors: Bueno-Junior Lezio S. , Peixoto-Santos José E. , Ruggiero Rafael N. , Ávila Milton A. V. , Marques Danilo B. , Lopes-Aguiar Cleiton , Leite João P.
Published: January 2018

The prefrontal cortex integrates a variety of cognition-related inputs, either unidirectional, e.g., from the hippocampal formation, or bidirectional, e.g., with the limbic thalamus. While the former is usually implicated in synaptic plasticity, the latter is better known for regulating ongoing activity. Interactions between these processes via prefrontal neurons are possibly important for linking mnemonic and executive functions. Our work further elucidates such dynamics usingin vivoelectrophysiology in rats. First, we report that electrical pulses into CA1/subiculum trigger late-onset (>400 ms) firing responses in the medial prefrontal cortex, which are increased after induction of long-term potentiation. Then, we show these responses to be attenuated by optogenetic control of the paraventricular/mediodorsal thalamic area. This suggests that recruitment and plasticity of the hippocampal-prefrontal pathway is partially related to the thalamic-prefrontal loop. When dysfunctional, this interaction may contribute to cognitive deficits, psychotic symptoms, and seizure generalization, which should motivate future studies combining behavioural paradigms and long-range circuit assessment.
GGA2 interacts with EGFR cytoplasmic domain to stabilize the receptor expression and promote cell growth
Authors: Uemura Takefumi , Kametaka Satoshi , Waguri Satoshi
Published: January 2018

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and its downregulation upon ligand binding have been extensively documented. However, the mechanisms by which cells maintain steady-state EGFR expression remain poorly understood. Here, we report a novel role of Golgi-localized, γ-adaptin ear-containing, ADP ribosylation factor-binding protein 2 (GGA2) in the control of EGFR turnover. Whereas GGA1- or GGA3-depletion increased EGFR expression, GGA2-depletion by RNAi greatly reduced steady-state expression of EGFR, reflecting enhanced lysosomal degradation of EGFR. Subsequent pull-down assays showed interactions of VHS-GAT domains from three GGAs with the cytoplasmic juxtamembrane region (jxt) of EGFR, which was dependent on N108 in the VHS domain. Proximity ligation assay also revealed the steady-state interaction between GGA2 and EGFR in situ. Moreover, reduced expression of EGFR in GGA2-depleted cells was reversed by additional depletion of GGA1 or GGA3, suggesting that GGA1 and GGA3 promote EGFR degradation. In addition, GGA2-depleted cells had reduced EGF signaling and cell proliferation in cell culture and xenograft experiments. Finally, GGA2 was upregulated in 30.8% of human hepatocellular carcinomas and 23.3% of colorectal cancers. Together, these results indicate that GGA2 supports cell growth by interacting with EGFR for sustaining the receptor expression.
Distinct domain switching in Nd0.05Ce0.95CoIn5 at low and high fields
Authors: Mazzone D. G. , Yadav R. , Bartkowiak M. , Gavilano J. L. , Raymond S. , Ressouche E. , Lapertot G. , Kenzelmann M.
Published: January 2018

Nd0.05Ce0.95CoIn5 features a magnetic field-driven quantum phase transition that separates two antiferromagnetic phases with an identical magnetic structure inside the superconducting condensate. Using neutron diffraction we demonstrate that the population of the two magnetic domains in the two phases is affected differently by the rotation of the magnetic field in the tetragonal basal plane. In the low-field SDW-phase the domain population is only weakly affected while in the high-field Q-phase they undergo a sharp switch for fields around the a-axis. Our results provide evidence that the anisotropic spin susceptibility in both phases arises ultimately from spin-orbit interactions but are qualitatively different in the two phases. This provides evidence that the electronic structure is changed at the quantum phase transition, which yields a modified coupling between magnetism and superconductivity in the Q-phase.
Unanticipated functional diversity among the TatA-type components of the Tat protein translocase
Authors: Eimer Ekaterina , Kao Wei-Chun , Fröbel Julia , Blümmel Anne-Sophie , Hunte Carola , Müller Matthias
Published: January 2018

Twin-arginine translocation (Tat) systems transport folded proteins that harbor a conserved arginine pair in their signal peptides. They assemble from hexahelical TatC-type and single-spanning TatA-type proteins. Many Tat systems comprise two functionally diverse, TatA-type proteins, denominated TatA and TatB. Some bacteria in addition express TatE, which thus far has been characterized as a functional surrogate of TatA. For the Tat system of Escherichia coli we demonstrate here that different from TatA but rather like TatB, TatE contacts a Tat signal peptide independently of the proton-motive force and restricts the premature processing of a Tat signal peptide. Furthermore, TatE embarks at the transmembrane helix five of TatC where it becomes so closely spaced to TatB that both proteins can be covalently linked by a zero-space cross-linker. Our results suggest that in addition to TatB and TatC, TatE is a further component of the Tat substrate receptor complex. Consistent with TatE being an autonomous TatAB-type protein, a bioinformatics analysis revealed a relatively broad distribution of the tatE gene in bacterial phyla and highlighted unique protein sequence features of TatE orthologs.
Defining the Akt1 interactome and its role in regulating the cell cycle
Authors: Duggal Shweta , Jailkhani Noor , Midha Mukul Kumar , Agrawal Namita , Rao Kanury V. S. , Kumar Ajay
Published: January 2018

Cell growth and proliferation are two diverse processes yet always linked. Akt1, a serine/threonine kinase, is a multi-functional protein implicated in regulation of cell growth, survival and proliferation. Though it has a role in G1/S progression, the manner by which Akt1 controls cell cycle and blends cell growth with proliferation is not well explored. In this study, we characterize the Akt1 interactome as the cell cycle progresses from G0 to G1/S and G2 phase. For this, Akt1-overexpressing HEK293 cells were subjected to AP-MS. To distinguish between individual cell cycle stages, cells were cultured in the light, medium and heavy labelled SILAC media. We obtained 213 interacting partners of Akt1 from these studies. GO classification revealed that a significant number of proteins fall into functional classes related to cell growth or cell cycle processes. Of these, 32 proteins showed varying association with Akt1 in different cell cycle stages. Further analyses uncovered a subset of proteins showing counteracting effects so as to tune stage-specific progression through the cycle. Thus, our study provides some novel perspectives on Akt1-mediated regulation of the cell cycle and offers the framework for a detailed resolution of the downstream cellular mechanisms that are mediated by this kinase.
Validation and Comparison of a Model of the Effect of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal Wetlands
Authors: Mogensen Laura A. , Rogers Kerrylee
Published: January 2018

Models are used to project coastal wetland distribution under future sea-level rise scenarios to assist decision-making. Model validation and comparison was used to investigate error and uncertainty in the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model, a readily available model with minimal validation, particularly for wetlands beyond North America. Accurate parameterisation is required to improve the performance of the model, and indeed any spatial model. Consideration of tidal attenuation further enhances model performance, particularly for coastal wetlands located within estuaries along wave-dominated coastlines. The model does not simulate vegetation changes that are known to occur, particularly when sedimentation exceeds rates of sea-level rise resulting in shoreline progradation. Model performance was reasonable over decadal timescales, decreasing as the time-scale of retrospection increased due to compounding of errors. Comparison with other deterministic models showed reasonable agreement by 2100. However, given the uncertainty of the future and the unpredictable nature of coastal wetlands, it is difficult to ascertain which model could be realistic enough to meet its intended purpose. Model validation and comparison are useful for assessing model efficacy and parameterisation, and should be applied before application of any spatially explicit model of coastal wetland response to sea-level rise.
Understanding the effect of wet etching on damage resistance of surface scratches
Authors: Da Costa Fernandes Benoit , Pfiffer Mathilde , Cormont Philippe , Dussauze Marc , Bousquet Bruno , Fargin Evelyne , Neauport Jerome
Published: January 2018

Fused silica optics often exhibit surface scratches after polishing that radically reduce their damage resistance at the wavelength of 351 nm in the nanosecond regime. Consequently, chemical treatments after polishing are often used to increase the damage threshold and ensure a safe operation of these optics in large fusion-scale laser facilities. Here, we investigate the reasons for such an improvement. We study the effect of an HF-based wet etching on scratch morphology and propose a simple analytic model to reflect scratch widening during etching. We also use a finite element model to evaluate the effect of the morphological modification induced by etching on the electric field distribution in the vicinity of the scratch. We evidence that this improvement of the scratch damage resistance is due to a reduction of the electric field enhancement. This conclusion is supported by secondary electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of damage sites initiated on scratches after chemical treatment.
Hollow nanostructures of metal oxides as next generation electrode materials for supercapacitors
Authors: Sharma Vikas , Singh Inderjeet , Chandra Amreesh
Published: January 2018

Hollow nanostructures of copper oxides help to stabilize appreciably higher electrochemical characteristics than their solid counter parts of various morphologies. The specific capacitance values, calculated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge-discharge (CD) studies, are found to be much higher than the values reported in literature for copper oxide particles showing  intriguing morphologies or even composites with trendy systems like CNTs, rGO, graphene, etc. The proposed cost-effective synthesis route makes these materials industrially viable for application in alternative energy storage devices. The improved electrochemical response can be attributed to effective access to the higher number of redox sites that become available on the surface, as well as in the cavity of the hollow particles. The ion transport channels also facilitate efficient de-intercalation, which results in the enhancement of cyclability and Coulombic efficiency. The charge storage mechanism in copper oxide structures is also proposed in the paper.
Removal of prolyl oligopeptidase reduces alpha-synuclein toxicity in cells and in vivo
Authors: Svarcbahs Reinis , Julku Ulrika H. , Norrbacka Susanna , Myöhänen Timo T.
Published: January 2018

Prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) inhibition by small-molecule inhibitors can reduce alpha-synuclein (aSyn) aggregation, a key player in Parkinson’s disease pathology. However, the significance of PREP protein for aSyn aggregation and toxicity is not known. We studied this in vivo by using PREP knock-out mice with viral vector injections of aSyn and PREP. Animal behavior was studied by locomotor activity and cylinder tests, microdialysis and HPLC were used to analyze dopamine levels, and different aSyn forms and loss of dopaminergic neurons were studied by immunostainings. Additionally, PREP knock-out cells were used to characterize the impact of PREP and aSyn on autophagy, proteasomal system and aSyn secretion. PREP knock-out animals were nonresponsive to aSyn-induced unilateral toxicity but combination of PREP and aSyn injections increased aSyn toxicity. Phosphorylated p129, proteinase K resistant aSyn levels and tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells were decreased in aSyn and PREP injected knock-out animals. These changes were accompanied by altered dopamine metabolite levels. PREP knock-out cells showed reduced response to aSyn, while cells were restored to wild-type cell levels after PREP overexpression. Taken together, our data suggests that PREP can enhance aSyn toxicity in vivo.
Delayed onset of autoreactive antibody production and M2-skewed macrophages contribute to improved survival of TACI deficient MRL-Fas/Lpr mouse
Authors: Liu Lunhua , Allman Windy Rose , Coleman Adam Steven , Takeda Kazuyo , Lin Tsai-Lien , Akkoyunlu Mustafa
Published: January 2018

Anti-B cell activating factor belonging to TNF-family (BAFF) antibody therapy is indicated for the treatment of patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We hypothesized that the BAFF receptor, transmembrane activator and calcium-modulator and cyclophilin interactor (TACI) may be responsible for the generation of antibody secreting plasma cells in SLE. To test this hypothesis, we generated TACI deficient MRL-Fas/Lpr (LPR-TACI−/−) mouse. TACI deficiency resulted in improved survival of MRL-Fas/Lpr mice and delayed production of anti-dsDNA and anti-SAM/RNP antibodies. There was also a delay in the onset of proteinuria and the accumulation of IgG and inflammatory macrophages (Mϕs) in the glomeruli of young LPR-TACI−/− mice compared to wild-type mice. Underscoring the role of TACI in influencing Mϕ phenotype, the transfer of Mϕs from 12-week-old LPR-TACI−/− mice to age-matched sick wild-type animals led to a decrease in proteinuria and improvement in kidney pathology. The fact that, in LPR-TACI−/− mouse a more pronounced delay was in IgM and IgG3 autoreactive antibody isotypes and the kinetics of follicular helper T (Tfh) cell-development was comparable between the littermates suggest a role for TACI in T cell-independent autoantibody production in MRL-Fas/Lpr mouse prior to the onset of T cell-dependent antibody production.
Palisade cell shape affects the light-induced chloroplast movements and leaf photosynthesis
Authors: Gotoh Eiji , Suetsugu Noriyuki , Higa Takeshi , Matsushita Tomonao , Tsukaya Hirokazu , Wada Masamitsu
Published: January 2018

Leaf photosynthesis is regulated by multiple factors that help the plant to adapt to fluctuating light conditions. Leaves of sun-light-grown plants are thicker and contain more columnar palisade cells than those of shade-grown plants. Light-induced chloroplast movements are also essential for efficient leaf photosynthesis and facilitate efficient light utilization in leaf cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that leaves of most of the sun-grown plants exhibited no or very weak chloroplast movements and could accomplish efficient photosynthesis under strong light. To examine the relationship between palisade cell shape, chloroplast movement and distribution, and leaf photosynthesis, we used an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, angustifolia (an), which has thick leaves that contain columnar palisade cells similar to those in the sun-grown plants. In the highly columnar cells of an mutant leaves, chloroplast movements were restricted. Nevertheless, under white light condition (at 120 µmol m−2 s−1), the an mutant plants showed higher chlorophyll content per unit leaf area and, thus, higher light absorption by the leaves than the wild type, which resulted in enhanced photosynthesis per unit leaf area. Our findings indicate that coordinated regulation of leaf cell shape and chloroplast movement according to the light conditions is pivotal for efficient leaf photosynthesis.