bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coming clean on neutrality and independence: The need to assess the application of humanitarian principles
Authors: Schenkenberg van Mierop Ed
Published: December 2015

Neutrality and independence continue to be part of the four core humanitarian principles, in addition to humanity and impartiality. Promoting these principles needs to go hand in hand with efforts to apply and implement them. Applying neutrality and independence is a considerable undertaking. This article explains the various aspects of these two principles that are crucial for understanding and applying them. The author suggests that these aspects should be taken into account in assessing whether humanitarian organizations are managing to uphold the principles. In turn, these assessments will enable humanitarian organizations and other stakeholders in humanitarian action to understand what the opportunities and obstacles are in applying independence and neutrality.
Caractérisation de l’élevage familial de la poule locale (Gallus gallus) dans la région de Trarza en Mauritanie
Authors: Ould Ahmed M. , N'Daw A.
Published: December 2015

Cette étude a été entreprise dans trois villages de la région de Trarza en Mauritanie, afin de caractériser la poule locale. Dans les trois villages enquêtés tous les éleveurs ont été interviewés suivant un questionnaire rédigé en français et traduit oralement enhassanyaou enpoular(langues nationales) si nécessaire. Au total, 56 ménages ont été enquêtés et 260 oiseaux (69 coqs et 191 poules) ont été pesés et mesurés. Il ressort de l’étude que l'aviculture familiale est une activité sous la responsabilité des femmes. Malgré son importance socio-économique, elle n'est pas considérée comme une activité principale chez les enquêtés. L'alimentation, la santé et la faible productivité des poules ont été déclarées comme les principales préoccupations des éleveurs. L’âge moyen des poules à l'entrée en ponte est de 6 mois. Le poids moyen des mâles est de 1324 ± 249 g. Celui des femelles est de 1028 ± 229 g. Le poids moyen pour les deux sexes confondus est de 1107 ± 268 g. Le poids moyen de l’œuf est de 31 ± 4,81 g. Le poids moyen de poussin d'un jour est de 26 ± 6,03 g. Toutes les mensurations corporelles considérées sont plus élevées significativement (p < 0,05) chez les mâles. La variabilité observée des caractères permet d'envisager des possibilités de sélection de souches répondant aux besoins des éleveurs. Chez la poule locale le plumage est très varié et présente plusieurs colorations.
Loss of STAT1 protects hair cells from ototoxicity through modulation of STAT3, c-Jun, Akt, and autophagy factors
Authors: Levano S , Bodmer D
Published: December 2015

Hair cell damage is a side effect of cisplatin and aminoglycoside use. The inhibition or attenuation of this process is a target of many investigations. There is growing evidence that STAT1 deficiency decreases cisplatin-mediated ototoxicity; however, the role of STAT function and the molecules that act in gentamicin-mediated toxicity have not been fully elucidated. We used mice lacking STAT1 to investigate the effect of STAT1 ablation in cultured organs treated with cisplatin and gentamicin. Here we show that ablation of STAT1 decreased cisplatin toxicity and attenuated gentamicin-mediated hair cell damage. More TUNEL-positive hair cells were observed in explants of wild-type mice than that of STAT1−/− mice. Although cisplatin increased serine phosphorylation of STAT1 in wild-type mice and diminished STAT3 expression in wild-type and STAT1−/− mice, gentamicin increased tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in STAT1−/− mice. The early inflammatory response was manifested in the upregulation of TNF-α and IL-6 in cisplatin-treated explants of wild-type and STAT1−/− mice. Expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was altered in cisplatin-treated explants, upregulated in wild-type explants, and downregulated in STAT1−/− explants. Cisplatin and gentamicin triggered the activation of c-Jun. Activation of Akt was observed in gentamicin-treated explants from STAT1−/− mice. Increased levels of the autophagy proteins Beclin-1 and LC3-II were observed in STAT1−/− explants. These data suggest that STAT1 is a central player in mediating ototoxicity. Gentamicin and cisplatin activate different downstream factors to trigger ototoxicity. Although cisplatin and gentamicin triggered inflammation and activated apoptotic factors, the absence of STAT1 allowed the cells to overcome the effects of these drugs.
Effects of PI3K inhibitor NVP-BKM120 on overcoming drug resistance and eliminating cancer stem cells in human breast cancer cells
Authors: Hu Y , Guo R , Wei J , Zhou Y , Ji W , Liu J , Zhi X , Zhang J
Published: December 2015

The multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype often accompanies activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway, which renders a survival signal to withstand cytotoxic anticancer drugs and enhances cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics. As a result, PI3K/AKT-blocking approaches have been proposed as antineoplastic strategies, and inhibitors of PI3K/AKT are currently being trailed clinically in breast cancer patients. However, the effects of PI3K inhibitors on MDR breast cancers have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, the tumorigenic properties of three MDR breast cancer cell lines to a selective inhibitor of PI3K, NVP-BKM120 (BKM120), were assessed. We found that BKM120 showed a significant cytotoxic activity on MDR breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. When doxorubicin (DOX) was combined with BKM120, strong synergistic antiproliferative effect was observed. BKM120 activity induced the blockage of PI3K/AKT signaling and NF-κB expression, which in turn led to activate caspase-3/7 and caspase-9 and changed the expression of several apoptosis-related gene expression. Furthermore, BKM120 effectively eliminated CSC subpopulation and reduced sphere formation of these drug-resistant cells. Our findings indicate that BKM120 partially overcomes the MDR phenotype in chemoresistant breast cancer through cell apoptosis induction and CSC abolishing, which appears to be mediated by the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB axis. This offers a strong rationale to explore the therapeutic strategy of using BKM120 alone or in combination for chemotherapy-nonresponsive breast cancer patients.
Cigarette toxicity triggers Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy by affecting mtDNA copy number, oxidative phosphorylation and ROS detoxification pathways
Authors: Giordano L , Deceglie S , d'Adamo P , Valentino M L , La Morgia C , Fracasso F , Roberti M , Cappellari M , Petrosillo G , Ciaravolo S , Parente D , Giordano C , Maresca A , Iommarini L , Del Dotto V , Ghelli A M , Salomao S R , Berezovsky A , Belfort R , Sadun A A , Carelli V , Loguercio Polosa P , Cantatore P
Published: December 2015

Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), the most frequent mitochondrial disease, is associated with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutations affecting Complex I subunits, usually homoplasmic. This blinding disorder is characterized by incomplete penetrance, possibly related to several genetic modifying factors. We recently reported that increased mitochondrial biogenesis in unaffected mutation carriers is a compensatory mechanism, which reduces penetrance. Also, environmental factors such as cigarette smoking have been implicated as disease triggers. To investigate this issue further, we first assessed the relationship between cigarette smoke and mtDNA copy number in blood cells from large cohorts of LHON families, finding that smoking was significantly associated with the lowest mtDNA content in affected individuals. To unwrap the mechanism of tobacco toxicity in LHON, we exposed fibroblasts from affected individuals, unaffected mutation carriers and controls to cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). CSC decreased mtDNA copy number in all cells; moreover, it caused significant reduction of ATP level only in mutated cells including carriers. This implies that the bioenergetic compensation in carriers is hampered by exposure to smoke derivatives. We also observed that in untreated cells the level of carbonylated proteins was highest in affected individuals, whereas the level of several detoxifying enzymes was highest in carriers. Thus, carriers are particularly successful in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity. After CSC exposure, the amount of detoxifying enzymes increased in all cells, but carbonylated proteins increased only in LHON mutant cells, mostly from affected individuals. All considered, it appears that exposure to smoke derivatives has a more deleterious effect in affected individuals, whereas carriers are the most efficient in mitigating ROS rather than recovering bioenergetics. Therefore, the identification of genetic modifiers that modulate LHON penetrance must take into account also the exposure to environmental triggers such as tobacco smoke.
Cellular prion protein promotes post-ischemic neuronal survival, angioneurogenesis and enhances neural progenitor cell homing via proteasome inhibition
Authors: Doeppner T R , Kaltwasser B , Schlechter J , Jaschke J , Kilic E , Bähr M , Hermann D M , Weise J
Published: December 2015

Although cellular prion protein (PrPc) has been suggested to have physiological roles in neurogenesis and angiogenesis, the pathophysiological relevance of both processes remain unknown. To elucidate the role of PrPc in post-ischemic brain remodeling, we herein exposed PrPc wild type (WT), PrPc knockout (PrP−/−) and PrPc overexpressing (PrP+/+) mice to focal cerebral ischemia followed by up to 28 days reperfusion. Improved neurological recovery and sustained neuroprotection lasting over the observation period of 4 weeks were observed in ischemic PrP+/+ mice compared with WT mice. This observation was associated with increased neurogenesis and angiogenesis, whereas increased neurological deficits and brain injury were noted in ischemic PrP−/− mice. Proteasome activity and oxidative stress were increased in ischemic brain tissue of PrP−/− mice. Pharmacological proteasome inhibition reversed the exacerbation of brain injury induced by PrP−/−, indicating that proteasome inhibition mediates the neuroprotective effects of PrPc. Notably, reduced proteasome activity and oxidative stress in ischemic brain tissue of PrP+/+ mice were associated with an increased abundance of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and PACAP-38, which are known stimulants of neural progenitor cell (NPC) migration and trafficking. To elucidate effects of PrPc on intracerebral NPC homing, we intravenously infused GFP+ NPCs in ischemic WT, PrP−/− and PrP+/+ mice, showing that brain accumulation of GFP+ NPCs was greatly reduced in PrP−/− mice, but increased in PrP+/+ animals. Our results suggest that PrPc induces post-ischemic long-term neuroprotection, neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the ischemic brain by inhibiting proteasome activity.
Giant negative magnetoresistance induced by the chiral anomaly in individual Cd3As2 nanowires
Authors: Li Cai-Zhen , Wang Li-Xian , Liu Haiwen , Wang Jian , Liao Zhi-Min , Yu Da-Peng
Published: December 2015

Dirac electronic materials beyond graphene and topological insulators have recently attracted considerable attention. Cd3As2 is a Dirac semimetal with linear dispersion along all three momentum directions and can be viewed as a three-dimensional analogue of graphene. By breaking of either time-reversal symmetry or spatial inversion symmetry, the Dirac semimetal is believed to transform into a Weyl semimetal with an exotic chiral anomaly effect, however the experimental evidence of the chiral anomaly is still missing in Cd3As2. Here we show a large negative magnetoresistance with magnitude of −63% at 60 K and −11% at 300 K in individual Cd3As2 nanowires. The negative magnetoresistance can be modulated by gate voltage and temperature through tuning the density of chiral states at the Fermi level and the inter-valley scatterings between Weyl nodes. The results give evidence of the chiral anomaly effect and are valuable for understanding the Weyl fermions in Dirac semimetals.
Ternary structure reveals mechanism of a membrane diacylglycerol kinase
Authors: Li Dianfan , Stansfeld Phillip J. , Sansom Mark S. P. , Keogh Aaron , Vogeley Lutz , Howe Nicole , Lyons Joseph A. , Aragao David , Fromme Petra , Fromme Raimund , Basu Shibom , Grotjohann Ingo , Kupitz Christopher , Rendek Kimberley , Weierstall Uwe , Zatsepin Nadia A. , Cherezov Vadim , Liu Wei , Bandaru Sateesh , English Niall J. , Gati Cornelius , Barty Anton , Yefanov Oleksandr , Chapman Henry N. , Diederichs Kay , Messerschmidt Marc , Boutet Sébastien , Williams Garth J. , Marvin Seibert M. , Caffrey Martin
Published: December 2015

Diacylglycerol kinase catalyses the ATP-dependent conversion of diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid in the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. The small size of this integral membrane trimer, which has 121 residues per subunit, means that available protein must be used economically to craft three catalytic and substrate-binding sites centred about the membrane/cytosol interface. How nature has accomplished this extraordinary feat is revealed here in a crystal structure of the kinase captured as a ternary complex with bound lipid substrate and an ATP analogue. Residues, identified as essential for activity by mutagenesis, decorate the active site and are rationalized by the ternary structure. The γ-phosphate of the ATP analogue is positioned for direct transfer to the primary hydroxyl of the lipid whose acyl chain is in the membrane. A catalytic mechanism for this unique enzyme is proposed. The active site architecture shows clear evidence of having arisen by convergent evolution.
Cdk1 orders mitotic events through coordination of a chromosome-associated phosphatase switch
Authors: Qian Junbin , Beullens Monique , Huang Jin , De Munter Sofie , Lesage Bart , Bollen Mathieu
Published: December 2015

RepoMan is a scaffold for signalling by mitotic phosphatases at the chromosomes. During (pro)metaphase, RepoMan-associated protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A-B56 regulate the chromosome targeting of Aurora-B kinase and RepoMan, respectively. Here we show that this task division is critically dependent on the phosphorylation of RepoMan by protein kinase Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1), which reduces the binding of PP1 but facilitates the recruitment of PP2A-B56. The inactivation of Cdk1 in early anaphase reverses this phosphatase switch, resulting in the accumulation of PP1-RepoMan to a level that is sufficient to catalyse its own chromosome targeting in a PP2A-independent and irreversible manner. Bulk-targeted PP1-RepoMan also inactivates Aurora B and initiates nuclear-envelope reassembly through dephosphorylation-mediated recruitment of Importin β. Bypassing the Cdk1 regulation of PP1-RepoMan causes the premature dephosphorylation of its mitotic-exit substrates in prometaphase. Hence, the regulation of RepoMan-associated phosphatases by Cdk1 is essential for the timely dephosphorylation of their mitotic substrates.
Paving the way to nanoionics: atomic origin of barriers for ionic transport through interfaces
Authors: Frechero M. A. , Rocci M. , Sánchez-Santolino G. , Kumar Amit , Salafranca J. , Schmidt Rainer , Díaz-Guillén M. R. , Durá O. J. , Rivera-Calzada A. , Mishra R. , Jesse Stephen , Pantelides S. T. , Kalinin Sergei V. , Varela M. , Pennycook S. J. , Santamaria J. , Leon C.
Published: December 2015

The blocking of ion transport at interfaces strongly limits the performance of electrochemical nanodevices for energy applications. The barrier is believed to arise from space-charge regions generated by mobile ions by analogy to semiconductor junctions. Here we show that something different is at play by studying ion transport in a bicrystal of yttria (9% mol) stabilized zirconia (YSZ), an emblematic oxide ion conductor. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) provides structure and composition at atomic resolution, with the sensitivity to directly reveal the oxygen ion profile. We find that Y segregates to the grain boundary at Zr sites, together with a depletion of oxygen that is confined to a small length scale of around 0.5 nm. Contrary to the main thesis of the space-charge model, there exists no evidence of a long-range O vacancy depletion layer. Combining ion transport measurements across a single grain boundary by nanoscale electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM), broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements and density functional calculations, we show that grain-boundary-induced electronic states act as acceptors, resulting in a negatively charged core. Besides the possible effect of the modified chemical bonding, this negative charge gives rise to an additional barrier for ion transport at the grain boundary.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of grapevine in response to copper stress
Authors: Leng Xiangpeng , Jia Haifeng , Sun Xin , Shangguan Lingfei , Mu Qian , Wang Baoju , Fang Jinggui
Published: December 2015

Grapevine is one of the most economically important and widely cultivated fruit crop worldwide. With the industrialization and the popular application of cupric fungicides in grape industry, copper stress and copper pollution are also the factors affecting grape production and berry and wine quality. Here, 3,843 transcripts were significantly differently expressed genes in response to Cu stress by RNA-seq, which included 1,892 up-regulated and 1,951 down-regulated transcripts. During this study we found many known and novel Cu-induced and -repressed genes. Biological analysis of grape samples were indicated that exogenous Cu can influence chlorophylls metabolism and photosynthetic activities of grapevine. Most ROS detoxification systems, including antioxidant enzyme, stress-related proteins and secondary metabolites were strongly induced. Concomitantly, abscisic acid functioned as a negative regulator in Cu stress, in opposite action to ethylene, auxin, jasmonic acid and brassinolide. This study also identified a set of Cu stress specifically activated genes coding copper transporter, P1B-type ATPase, multidrug transporters. Overall, this work was carried out to gain insights into the copper-regulated and stress-responsive mechanisms in grapevine at transcriptome level. This research can also provide some genetic information that can help us in better vinery management and breeding Cu-resistant grape cultivars.
TRAIL-R2 Superoligomerization Induced by Human Monoclonal Agonistic Antibody KMTR2
Authors: Tamada Taro , Shinmi Daisuke , Ikeda Masahiro , Yonezawa Yasushi , Kataoka Shiro , Kuroki Ryota , Mori Eiji , Motoki Kazuhiro
Published: December 2015

The fully human monoclonal antibody KMTR2 acts as a strong direct agonist for tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2), which is capable of inducing apoptotic cell death without cross-linking. To investigate the mechanism of direct agonistic activity induced by KMTR2, the crystal structure of the extracellular region of TRAIL-R2 and a Fab fragment derived from KMTR2 (KMTR2-Fab) was determined to 2.1 Å resolution. Two KMTR2-Fabs assembled with the complementarity-determining region 2 of the light chain via two-fold crystallographic symmetry, suggesting that the KMTR2-Fab assembly tended to enhance TRAIL-R2 oligomerization. A single mutation at Asn53 to Arg located at the two-fold interface in the KMTR2 resulted in a loss of its apoptotic activity, although it retained its antigen-binding activity. These results indicate that the strong agonistic activity, such as apoptotic signaling and tumor regression, induced by KMTR2 is attributed to TRAIL-R2 superoligomerization induced by the interdimerization of KMTR2.
Resistance to dual-gene Bt maize in Spodoptera frugiperda: selection, inheritance and cross-resistance to other transgenic events
Authors: Santos-Amaya Oscar F. , Rodrigues João V. C. , Souza Thadeu C. , Tavares Clébson S. , Campos Silverio O. , Guedes Raul N.C. , Pereira Eliseu J.G.
Published: December 2015

Transgenic crop “pyramids” producing two or moreBacillus thuringiensis(Bt) toxins active against the same pest are used to delay evolution of resistance in insect pest populations. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were performed with fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda, to characterize resistance to Bt maize producing Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab and test some assumptions of the “pyramid” resistance management strategy. Selection of a field-derived strain ofS. frugiperdaalready resistant to Cry1F maize with Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab maize for ten generations produced resistance that allowed the larvae to colonize and complete the life cycle on these Bt maize plants. Greenhouse experiments revealed that the resistance was completely recessive (Dx = 0), incomplete, autosomal and without maternal effects or cross-resistance to the Vip3Aa20 toxin produced in other Bt maize events. This profile of resistance supports some of the assumptions of the pyramid strategy for resistance management. However, laboratory experiments with purified Bt toxin and plant leaf tissue showed that resistance to Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2 maize further increased resistance to Cry1Fa, which indicates that populations of fall armyworm have high potential for developing resistance to some currently available pyramided maize used against this pest, especially where resistance to Cry1Fa was reported in the field.
Relation of retinal blood flow and retinal oxygen extraction during stimulation with diffuse luminance flicker
Authors: Palkovits Stefan , Lasta Michael , Told Reinhard , Schmidl Doreen , Werkmeister René , Cherecheanu Alina Popa , Garhöfer Gerhard , Schmetterer Leopold
Published: December 2015

Cerebral and retinal blood flow are dependent on local neuronal activity. Several studies quantified the increase in cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption during activity. In the present study we investigated the relation between changes in retinal blood flow and oxygen extraction during stimulation with diffuse luminance flicker and the influence of breathing gas mixtures with different fractions of O2 (FiO2; 100% 15% and 12%). Twenty-four healthy subjects were included. Retinal blood flow was studied by combining measurement of vessel diameters using the Dynamic Vessel Analyser with measurements of blood velocity using laser Doppler velocimetry. Oxygen saturation was measured using spectroscopic reflectometry and oxygen extraction was calculated. Flicker stimulation increased retinal blood flow (57.7 ± 17.8%) and oxygen extraction (34.6 ± 24.1%; p < 0.001 each). During 100% oxygen breathing the response of retinal blood flow and oxygen extraction was increased (p < 0.01 each). By contrast, breathing gas mixtures with 12% and 15% FiO2 did not alter flicker–induced retinal haemodynamic changes. The present study indicates that at a comparable increase in blood flow the increase in oxygen extraction in the retina is larger than in the brain. During systemic hyperoxia the blood flow and oxygen extraction responses to neural stimulation are augmented. The underlying mechanism is unknown.
Physical Modeling of Gate-Controlled Schottky Barrier Lowering of Metal-Graphene Contacts in Top-Gated Graphene Field-Effect Transistors
Authors: Mao Ling-Feng , Ning Huansheng , Huo Zong-Liang , Wang Jin-Yan
Published: December 2015

A new physical model of the gate controlled Schottky barrier height (SBH) lowering in top-gated graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) under saturation bias condition is proposed based on the energy conservation equation with the balance assumption. The theoretical prediction of the SBH lowering agrees well with the experimental data reported in literatures. The reduction of the SBH increases with the increasing of gate voltage and relative dielectric constant of the gate oxide, while it decreases with the increasing of oxide thickness, channel length and acceptor density. The magnitude of the reduction is slightly enhanced under high drain voltage. Moreover, it is found that the gate oxide materials with large relative dielectric constant (>20) have a significant effect on the gate controlled SBH lowering, implying that the energy relaxation of channel electrons should be taken into account for modeling SBH in GFETs.
Autophagic degradation of aquaporin-2 is an early event in hypokalemia-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
Authors: Khositseth Sookkasem , Uawithya Panapat , Somparn Poorichaya , Charngkaew Komgrid , Thippamom Nattakan , Hoffert Jason D. , Saeed Fahad , Michael Payne D. , Chen Shu-Hui , Fenton Robert A. , Pisitkun Trairak
Published: December 2015

Hypokalemia (low serum potassium level) is a common electrolyte imbalance that can cause a defect in urinary concentrating ability, i.e., nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), but the molecular mechanism is unknown. We employed proteomic analysis of inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD) from rats fed with a potassium-free diet for 1 day. IMCD protein quantification was performed by mass spectrometry using a label-free methodology. A total of 131 proteins, including the water channel AQP2, exhibited significant changes in abundance, most of which were decreased. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that many of the down-regulated proteins were associated with the biological processes of generation of precursor metabolites and energy, actin cytoskeleton organization and cell-cell adhesion. Targeted LC-MS/MS and immunoblotting studies further confirmed the down regulation of 18 selected proteins. Electron microscopy showed autophagosomes/autophagolysosomes in the IMCD cells of rats deprived of potassium for only 1 day. An increased number of autophagosomes was also confirmed by immunofluorescence, demonstrating co-localization of LC3 and Lamp1 with AQP2 and several other down-regulated proteins in IMCD cells. AQP2 was also detected in autophagosomes in IMCD cells of potassium-deprived rats by immunogold electron microscopy. Thus, enhanced autophagic degradation of proteins, most notably including AQP2, is an early event in hypokalemia-induced NDI.
Pathway-Based Genome-Wide Association Studies for Two Meat Production Traits in Simmental Cattle
Authors: Fan Huizhong , Wu Yang , Zhou Xiaojing , Xia Jiangwei , Zhang Wengang , Song Yuxin , Liu Fei , Chen Yan , Zhang Lupei , Gao Xue , Gao Huijiang , Li Junya
Published: December 2015

Most single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by genome-wide association studies (GWAS), explain only a small fraction of phenotypic variation. Pathway-based GWAS were proposed to improve the proportion of genes for some human complex traits that could be explained by enriching a mass of SNPs within genetic groups. However, few attempts have been made to describe the quantitative traits in domestic animals. In this study, we used a dataset with approximately 7,700,000 SNPs from 807 Simmental cattle and analyzed live weight and longissimus muscle area using a modified pathway-based GWAS method to orthogonalise the highly linked SNPs within each gene using principal component analysis (PCA). As a result, of the 262 biological pathways of cattle collected from the KEGG database, the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic synapse pathway and the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathway were significantly associated with the two traits analyzed. The GABAergic synapse pathway was biologically applicable to the traits analyzed because of its roles in feed intake and weight gain. The proposed method had high statistical power and a low false discovery rate, compared to those of the smallest P-value and SNP set enrichment analysis methods.
Immobilization of myoglobin on Au nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotube/polytyramine composite as a mediator-free H2O2 and nitrite biosensor
Authors: Vilian A. T. Ezhil , Veeramani Vediyappan , Chen Shen-Ming , Madhu Rajesh , Kwak Cheol Hwan , Huh Yun Suk , Han Young-Kyu
Published: December 2015

A novel composite film was designed for use as a highly selective mediator-free amperometric biosensor and a method was created for accomplishing direct electrochemistry of myoglobin on a multi-walled carbon nanotube and tyramine-modified composite decorated with Au nanoparticles on a glassy carbon electrode. The ultraviolet-visible and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results showed that myoglobin retained its native conformation in the interaction with Au-PTy-f-MWCNT. The surface coverage of Mb-heme-Fe(II)/(III) immobilized on Au-PTy-f-MWCNT and the heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant were 2.12 × 10−9 mol cm−2 and 4.86 s−1, respectively, indicating a higher loading capacity of the nanocomposite for direct electron transfer of Mb onto the electrode surface. The proposed Mb/Au-PTy-f-MWCNT biofilm exhibited excellent electrocatalytic behavior toward the reduction of H2O2 and the oxidation of nitrite with linear ranges of 2 to 5000 μM and 1 to 8000 μM and lower detection limits of 0.01 μM and 0.002 μM, respectively. An apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of 0.12 mM indicated that the Mb immobilized on the Au-PTy-f-MWCNT film retained its native activity. This biosensor can be successfully applied to detect H2O2 and nitrite in disinfectant cream, eye drops, pickle juice and milk samples.
Albumin adsorption on CoCrMo alloy surfaces
Authors: Yan Yu , Yang Hongjuan , Su Yanjing , Qiao Lijie
Published: December 2015

Proteins can adsorb on the surface of artificial joints immediately after being implanted. Although research studying protein adsorption on medical material surfaces has been carried out, the mechanism of the proteins’ adsorption which affects the corrosion behaviour of such materials still lacks in situ observation at the micro level. The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on CoCrMo alloy surfaces was studied in situ by AFM and SKPFM as a function of pH and the charge of CoCrMo alloy surfaces. Results showed that when the specimens were uncharged, hydrophobic interaction could govern the process of the adsorption rather than electrostatic interaction and BSA molecules tended to adsorb on the surfaces forming a monolayer in the side-on model. Results also showed that adsorbed BSA molecules could promote the corrosion process for CoCrMo alloys. When the surface was positively charged, the electrostatic interaction played a leading role in the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption occurred at the isoelectric point (pH 4.7) of BSA.
Strong, Multi-Scale Heterogeneity in Earth’s Lowermost Mantle
Authors: Tkalčić Hrvoje , Young Mallory , Muir Jack B. , Davies D. Rhodri , Mattesini Maurizio
Published: December 2015

The core mantle boundary (CMB) separates Earth’s liquid iron outer core from the solid but slowly convecting mantle. The detailed structure and dynamics of the mantle within ~300 km of this interface remain enigmatic: it is a complex region, which exhibits thermal, compositional and phase-related heterogeneity, isolated pockets of partial melt and strong variations in seismic velocity and anisotropy. Nonetheless, characterising the structure of this region is crucial to a better understanding of the mantle’s thermo-chemical evolution and the nature of core-mantle interactions. In this study, we examine the heterogeneity spectrum from a recent P-wave tomographic model, which is based upon trans-dimensional and hierarchical Bayesian imaging. Our tomographic technique avoids explicit model parameterization, smoothing and damping. Spectral analyses reveal a multi-scale wavelength content and a power of heterogeneity that is three times larger than previous estimates. Inter alia, the resulting heterogeneity spectrum gives a more complete picture of the lowermost mantle and provides a bridge between the long-wavelength features obtained in global S-wave models and the short-scale dimensions of seismic scatterers. The evidence that we present for strong, multi-scale lowermost mantle heterogeneity has important implications for the nature of lower mantle dynamics and prescribes complex boundary conditions for Earth’s geodynamo.
Biochemical toxicity and DNA damage of imidazolium-based ionic liquid with different anions in soil on Vicia faba seedlings
Authors: Liu Tong , Zhu Lusheng , Wang Jinhua , Wang Jun , Zhang Jun , Sun Xi , Zhang Cheng
Published: December 2015

In the present study, the toxic effects of 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Omim]Cl), 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([Omim]Br) and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Omim]BF4) in soil on Vicia faba (V. faba) seedlings at 0, 100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg kg−1 were assessed for the first time at the cellular and molecular level. Moreover, the toxicity of these three ionic liquids (ILs) was evaluated and the influence of anions on the toxicity of the ILs was assessed. The results showed that even at 100 mg kg−1, the growth of V. faba seedlings was inhibited after exposure to the three ILs and the inhibitory effect was enhanced with increasing concentrations of the three ILs. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was increased after exposure to the three ILs, which resulted in lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and oxidative damage in the cells of the V. faba seedlings. In addition, the anion structure could influence the toxicity of ILs and toxicity of the three tested ILs decreased in the following order: [Omim]BF4 > [Omim]Br > [Omim]Cl. Moreover, oxidative damage is the primary mechanism by which ILs exert toxic effects on crops and ILs could reduce the agricultural productivity.
Assessing the pollution risk of soil Chromium based on loading capacity of paddy soil at a regional scale
Authors: Qu Mingkai , Li Weidong , Zhang Chuanrong , Huang Biao , Zhao Yongcun
Published: December 2015

The accumulation of a trace metal in rice grain is not only affected by the total concentration of the soil trace metal, but also by crop variety and related soil properties, such as soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM) and so on. However, these factors were seldom considered in previous studies on mapping the pollution risk of trace metals in paddy soil at a regional scale. In this study, the spatial nonstationary relationships between rice-Cr and a set of perceived soil properties (soil-Cr, soil pH and SOM) were explored using geographically weighted regression; and the relationships were then used for calculating the critical threshold (CT) of soil-Cr concentration that may ensure the concentration of rice-Cr being below the permissible limit. The concept of “loading capacity” (LC) for Cr in paddy soil was then defined as the difference between the CT and the real concentration of Cr in paddy soil, so as to map the pollution risk of soil-Cr to rice grain and assess the risk areas in Jiaxing city, China. Compared with the information of the concentration of the total soil-Cr, such results are more valuable for spatial decision making in reducing the accumulation of rice-Cr at a regional scale.
Synthesis and modification of monodisperse silica microspheres for UPLC separation of C60 and C70
Authors: Yu Bing , Cong Hailin , Xue Lei , Tian Chao , Xu Xiaodan , Peng Qiaohong , Yang Shujing
Published: December 2015

Using a modified Stöber method, monodisperse silica microspheres with average diameters from 1 μm to 2 μm are synthesized as UPLC column fillers. With a column as short as 50 mm, the 1.5 μm C18-modified silica stationary phase can separate C60 and C70 in 7 minutes with ultra high efficiency.
Switchable dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for lead enrichment: a green alternative to classical extraction techniques
Authors: Naeemullah Naeemullah , Shah Faheem , Kazi Tasneem Gul , Afridi Hassan Imran , Khan Abdur Rahman , Arain Sadaf Sadia , Arain Mariam Shahzadi , Panhwar Abdul Haleem
Published: December 2015

Switchable dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (SDLLME): A new tool for the extraction of trace Pb.
Nano-formulation of a photosensitizer using a DNA tetrahedron and its potential for in vivo photodynamic therapy
Authors: Kim Kyoung-Ran , Bang Duhee , Ahn Dae-Ro
Published: December 2015

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cytotoxic treatment using singlet oxygen produced by photosensitizers.
Selenomethionine, p-cyanophenylalanine pairs provide a convenient, sensitive, non-perturbing fluorescent probe of local helical structure
Authors: Peran Ivan , Watson Matthew D. , Bilsel Osman , Raleigh Daniel P.
Published: December 2015

Selenomethionine is a short range quencher of p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence and these residues provide a site-specific probe of protein helical structure.
A naphthalimide derived fluorescent sensor for solid-phase screening of cucurbit[7]uril–guest interactions
Authors: Aryal Gyan Hari , Battle Cooper Hawkins , Grusenmeyer Tod A. , Zhu Mengyuan , Jayawickramarajah Janarthanan
Published: December 2015

A fluorescent sensor displaying a significant increase in emission upon binding CB[7] was developed and utilized in a surface-bound displacement assay for the rapid detection of CB[7] encapsulation of therapeutically relevant drug classes.
Synthesis and catalytic applications of C3-symmetric tris(triazolyl)methanol ligands and derivatives
Authors: Etayo Pablo , Ayats Carles , Pericàs Miquel A.
Published: December 2015

Recently introduced tris(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methanols and derivatives (TTM ligands) have become a valuable subclass ofC3-symmetric tripodal ligands for transition metal-mediated reactions.
Plasmonic Au nanoparticles embedding enhances the activity and stability of CdS for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Yu Guiyang , Wang Xiang , Cao Jungang , Wu Shujie , Yan Wenfu , Liu Gang
Published: December 2015

A semiconductor fabricated by embedding plasmonic Au nanoparticles into CdS exhibits a high activity and stability for photocatalytic H2evolution. This composite structure could take full advantage of electromagnetic fields at the surface of the Au nanoparticles under visible light illumination.
The proton-controlled synthesis of unprecedented diol functionalized Anderson-type POMs
Authors: Zhang Jiangwei , Li Qi , Zeng Mengyan , Huang Yichao , Zhang Jin , Hao Jian , Wei Yongge
Published: December 2015

A series of organically-derived Anderson POMs, {[R1CR2(CH2O)2]CrMo6O18(OH)4}3−, with unprecedented diol functionalized mode are reported herein. Such a diol functionalization mode not only works for some specific triol ligands but also can readily be extended to the diol ligands.
Exceptional H2 sorption characteristics in a Mg2+-based metal–organic framework with small pores: insights from experimental and theoretical studies
Authors: Pham Tony , Forrest Katherine A. , Falcão Eduardo H. L. , Eckert Juergen , Space Brian
Published: December 2015

A combined experimental and theoretical study of H2 sorption in α-[Mg3(O2CH)6] revealed a number of different sorption sites with distinct rotational tunnelling transitions.
Electric-field and strain-tunable electronic properties of MoS2/h-BN/graphene vertical heterostructures
Authors: Zan Wenyan , Geng Wei , Liu Huanxiang , Yao Xiaojun
Published: December 2015

The structural and electronic properties of vertical heterostructures (MoS2/BN/graphene) are sensitive to applied vertical electric fields and strain.
Centrohexaindane: six benzene rings mutually fixed in three dimensions – solid-state structure and six-fold nitration
Authors: Kuck Dietmar , Linke Jens , Teichmann Lisa Christin , Barth Dieter , Tellenbröker Jörg , Gestmann Detlef , Neumann Beate , Stammler Hans-Georg , Bögge Hartmut
Published: December 2015

The solid-state structure of centrohexaindane,1, and the sixfold nitration of this three-dimensional polycyclic and topologically nonplanar hydrocarbon is reported.
Gold catalysis in total synthesis – recent achievements
Authors: Pflästerer Daniel , Hashmi A. Stephen K.
Published: December 2015

The most recent achievements of gold catalysed transformations applied in total synthesis of natural products are reviewed and analysed.
Atmospheric ethanol in London and the potential impacts of future fuel formulations
Authors: Dunmore Rachel E. , Whalley Lisa K. , Sherwen Tomás , Evans Mathew J. , Heard Dwayne E. , Hopkins James R. , Lee James D. , Lewis Alastair C. , Lidster Richard T. , Rickard Andrew R. , Hamilton Jacqueline F.
Published: December 2015

There is growing global consumption of non-fossil fuels such as ethanol made from renewable biomass. Previous studies have shown that one of the main air quality disadvantages of using ethanol blended fuels is a significant increase in the production of acetaldehyde, an unregulated and toxic pollutant. Most studies on the impacts of ethanol blended gasoline have been carried out in the US and Brazil, with much less focus on the UK and Europe. We report time resolved measurements of ethanol in London during the winter and summer of 2012. In both seasons the mean mixing ratio of ethanol was around 5 ppb, with maximum values over 30 ppb, making ethanol currently the most abundant VOC in London air. We identify a road transport related source, with ‘rush-hour’ peaks observed. Ethanol is strongly correlated with other road transport-related emissions, such as small aromatics and light alkanes, and has no relationship to summer biogenic emissions. To determine the impact of road transport-related ethanol emission on secondary species (i.e. acetaldehyde and ozone), we use both a chemically detailed box model (incorporating the Master Chemical Mechanism, MCM) and a global and nested regional scale chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem), on various processing time scales. Using the MCM model, only 16% of the modelled acetaldehyde was formed from ethanol oxidation. However, the model significantly underpredicts the total levels of acetaldehyde, indicating a missing primary emission source, that appears to be traffic-related. Further support for a primary emission source comes from the regional scale model simulations, where the observed concentrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde can only be reconciled with the inclusion of large primary emissions. Although only constrained by one set of observations, the regional modelling suggests a European ethanol source similar in magnitude to that of ethane (∼60 Gg per year) and greater than that of acetaldehyde (∼10 Gg per year). The increased concentrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde from primary emissions impacts both radical and NOx cycling over Europe, resulting in significant regional impacts on NOy speciation and O3 concentrations, with potential changes to human exposure to air pollutants.
Flexible sensors for biomedical technology
Authors: Vilela Diana , Romeo Agostino , Sánchez Samuel
Published: December 2015

We provide a selected overview of three types of flexible sensors that have been recently applied to biomedical and healthcare purposes through direct application on the human skin.
Fabrication of a nutrient delivery system of docosahexaenoic acid nanoemulsions via high energy techniques
Authors: Karthik P. , Anandharamakrishnan C.
Published: December 2015

A high energy nanoemulsification technique has been developed to encapsulate docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), with the major objective of enhancing its chemical and kinetic stability for a substantial storage period.
Optimization of key factors affecting biohydrogen production from microcrystalline cellulose by the co-culture of Clostridium acetobutylicum X9 + Ethanoigenens harbinense B2
Authors: Bao Hongxu , Chen Chunxiao , Jiang Lei , Liu Yichen , Shen Manli , Liu Wenzong , Wang Aijie
Published: December 2015

The strains X9 + B2 were co-cultured in several serum bottles and hydrogen was gathered via a series of graduated cylinders.
Analysis of electron transfer dynamics in mixed community electroactive microbial biofilms
Authors: Virdis Bernardino , Millo Diego , Donose Bogdan C. , Lu Yang , Batstone Damien J. , Krömer Jens O.
Published: December 2015

Electrochemically active microbial biofilms are capable to produce electric current when grown onto electrodes. This work investigates the dynamics of electron transfer inside the biofilm as well as at the biofilm/electrode interface.
Targeting human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA with curcumin and its synthesized analogues under molecular crowding conditions
Authors: Jha Niki S. , Mishra Satyendra , Mamidi Ashalatha S. , Mishra Archita , Jha Shailendra K. , Surolia Avadhesha
Published: December 2015

The formation of telomeric G-quadruplexes has been shown to inhibit telomerase activity.
Ester production from bio-based dicarboxylates via direct downstream catalysis: succinate and 2,5-furandicarboxylate dimethyl esters
Authors: López-Garzón Camilo S. , van der Wielen Luuk A. M. , Straathof Adrie J. J.
Published: December 2015

Two culture broths, one containing succinate produced de novo byC. glutamicumand the other containing 2,5-furandicarboxylate produced by whole cell biotransformation of 5-HMF by a recombinantP. putida, were used for dimethyl ester production.
A facilely fabricated in vivo hypertrophic scar model through continuous gradient elastic tension
Authors: Cheng Liying , Sun Xiaoming , Yu Jia , Guo Qianping , Jin Rong , Sun Baoshan , Shi Yaoming , Cui Wenguo , Zhang Yuguang
Published: December 2015

In this study, a facile, reproducible, and economical rat HScs model was successfully fabricated, driven through elastic tension.
Efficient removal of transition metal ions using poly(amidoxime) ligand from polymer grafted kenaf cellulose
Authors: Rahman Md Lutfor , Sarkar Shaheen M. , Yusoff Mashitah Mohd , Abdullah Mohd Harun
Published: December 2015

A broad peak of the reflectance spectra at 700 nm was created when Cu(ii) ions (6 to 18 ppm) is adsorbed by ligand whereas blank polymeric ligand does not. Colour optimization of Cu(ii)-complex and HR-TEM micrograph are shown in figure inset.
Voltammetric determination of an antipsychotic agent trifluoperazine at a boron-doped diamond electrode in human urine
Authors: Stanković D. , Dimitrijević T. , Kuzmanović D. , Krstić M. P. , Petković B. B.
Published: December 2015

Differential pulse voltammetric determination of antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine on boron-doped diamond electrode.
Self-assembled nc-Si-QD/a-SiC thin films from planar ICP-CVD plasma without H2-dilution: a combination of wide optical gap, high conductivity and preferred 〈220〉 crystallographic orientation, uniquely appropriate for nc-Si solar cells
Authors: Das Debajyoti , Kar Debjit
Published: December 2015

Spontaneous miniaturization and rapid synthesis of self-assembled nc-Si-QDs of 〈220〉 orientation in high crystalline nc-Si-QD/a-SiC thin films of high conductivity and wide optical gap is obtained in ICP-CVD, from (SiH4 + CH4)-plasma, without H2-dilution.
Magnetofluidic control of the breakup of ferrofluid droplets in a microfluidic Y-junction
Authors: Li Huajun , Wu Yining , Wang Xiaoda , Zhu Chunying , Fu Taotao , Ma Youguang
Published: December 2015

Breakup of the ferrofluid droplets at the Y-junction divergence under various flow rate ratios.
Enhancement of performance and sulfur resistance of ceria-doped V/Sb/Ti by sulfation for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia
Authors: Kwon Dong Wook , Chang Hong Sung
Published: December 2015

A ceria-doped V/Sb/Ti catalyst prepared by sulfation was investigated for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3.
Metal-cladding directly defined active integrated optical waveguide device based on erbium-containing polymer
Authors: Zheng Yang , Chen Changming , Gu Yunlong , Wang Jihou , Yang Shouzhuo , Fei Xu , Wang Xibin , Yi Yunji , Sun Xiaoqiang , Wang Fei , Zhang Daming
Published: December 2015

The Er-containing polymer is synthesized by free-radical polymerization. Based on the copolymer, metal-cladding directly defined waveguide technique is proposed. The technique is advantageous to realize the multi-functional integrated circuits.
Mortierella alpina feed supplementation enriched hen eggs with DHA and AA
Authors: Dai Peng , Chen Haiqin , Yang Bo , Wang Hongchao , Yang Qin , Zhang Hao , Chen Wei , Chen Yong Q.
Published: December 2015

Eggs enriched with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are considered an important nutrition source.
Cytotoxicity of fluorographene
Authors: Teo Wei Zhe , Sofer Zdeněk , Šembera Filip , Janoušek Zbyněk , Pumera Martin
Published: December 2015

Fluorinated graphenes (F-G) might inevitably be released into the environment through disposal and wearing of future commercial products incorporated with F-G. Therefore, we determined their cytotoxicity in this study.