bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Involvement of the capsular GalXM-induced IL-17 cytokine in the control of Cryptococcus neoformans infection
Authors: LaRocque-de-Freitas Isabel Ferreira , Rocha Juliana Dutra B. , Nunes Marise Pinheiro , Oliveira Priscila Angelica V. , Nascimento Danielle de Oliveira , Freire-de-Lima Leonardo , Takiya Christina Maeda , Morrot Alexandre , Decote-Ricardo Debora , Previato Jose Osvaldo , DosReis George A. , Mendonça-Previato Lucia , Freire-de-Lima Celio Geraldo
Published: October 2018

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungus that can cause lethal brain infections in immunosuppressed individuals. Infection usually occurs via the inhalation of a spore or desiccated yeast which can then disseminate from the lung to the brain and other tissues. Dissemination and disease is largely influence by the production of copious amounts of cryptococcal polysaccharides, both which are secreted to the extracellular environment or assembled into a thick capsule surrounding the cell body. There are two important polysaccharides: glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) and galactoxylomannan, also called as glucuronoxylomanogalactan (GXMGal or GalXM). Although GXM is more abundant, GalXM has a more potent modulatory effect. In the present study, we show that GalXM is a potent activator of murine dendritic cells, and when co-cultured with T cells, induces a Th17 cytokine response. We also demonstrated that treating mice with GalXM prior to infection with C. neoformans protects from infection, and this phenomenon is dependent on IL-6 and IL-17. These findings help us understand the immune biology of capsular polysaccharides in fungal pathogenesis.
Progressive hearing loss in vitamin A-deficient mice which may be protected by the activation of cochlear melanocyte
Authors: Gi Mia , Shim Dae Bo , Wu Ling , Bok Jinwoong , Song Mee Hyun , Choi Jae Young
Published: October 2018

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) produces various pathologic phenotypes in humans and animals. However, evidence regarding the effect of VAD on hearing function has been inconsistent. In this study, we evaluated the effect of VAD on hearing function in two mouse models of VAD. Hearing ability was evaluated on the basis of auditory brainstem response from 3 to 20 weeks after birth in C57BL/6 (pigmented) and imprinting control region (albino) mice. The two mice strains were divided into the VAD (purified vitamin A-free diet from 7 days after pregnancy) and control (normal diet) groups. Albino VAD mice exhibited hearing loss after 6 weeks and became deaf at 18 weeks. Histological findings revealed degenerative changes in outer hair cells and neuronal loss in the spiral ganglion in albino VAD mice. In contrast, pigmented VAD mice, except those with middle-ear infection, showed no significant hearing loss. Interestingly, pigmented VAD mice exhibited melanocyte activation in the stria vascularis and upregulation of tyrosinase. Recovery of hearing after noise exposure was poorer in pigmented VAD mice than in control mice. In conclusion, complete VAD might be related to age-related or noise-induced hearing loss in mice, protection against which might involve melanocyte activation.
AtHKT1 gene regulating K+ state in whole plant improves salt tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants
Authors: Wang Li , Liu Yuhui , Feng Shoujiang , Wang Zhuoyu , Zhang Jinwen , Zhang Junlian , Wang Di , Gan Yantai
Published: November 2018

The status of K+ is important for plant health. However, little is known about if high-affinity potassium transporter HKTs may help K+ retention under salt stress. Here, we determined the effect of Arabidopsis thaliana transporter gene (AtHKT1) on the K+ status, Na+-induced toxicity, and salt tolerance in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Six AtHKT1 transformed tobacco lines (T1, T2, … T6) were contrasted with a non-transgenic plantlet at the whole-plant and molecule levels. AtHKT1 gene was expressed in the xylems of stem, root and leaf vein in the transgenic tobacco, with the line T3 having highest expression. At Day 15, in the 200 mmol L−1 NaCl stress treatment, the transgenic plants remained a healthy K+ status, while the control plants decreased K+ content by 70% and Na+ contents in leaves and stems were 1.7 times that in the transgenic line. The AtHKT1 expression enhanced the activities of SOD, CAT and POD, raised chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents and root activity, and decreased MDA and proline contents and electrolyte leakage destruction. The constitutive over-expression of AtHKT1 that helps maintain a healthy K+ status while reducing Na+ toxicity may serve as a possible mechanism in maximizing productivity of tobacco under salt stress.
β-Glucuronidases of opportunistic bacteria are the major contributors to xenobiotic-induced toxicity in the gut
Authors: Dashnyam Punsaldulam , Mudududdla Ramesh , Hsieh Tung-Ju , Lin Ting-Chien , Lin Hsien-Ya , Chen Peng-Yuan , Hsu Chia-Yi , Lin Chun-Hung
Published: October 2018

Gut bacterial β-D-glucuronidases (GUSs) catalyze the removal of glucuronic acid from liver-produced β-D-glucuronides. These reactions can have deleterious consequences when they reverse xenobiotic metabolism. The human gut contains hundreds of GUSs of variable sequences and structures. To understand how any particular bacterial GUS(s) contributes to global GUS activity and affects human health, the individual substrate preference(s) must be known. Herein, we report that representative GUSs vary in their ability to produce various xenobiotics from their respective glucuronides. To attempt to explain the distinct substrate preference, we solved the structure of a bacterial GUS complexed with coumarin-3-β-D-glucuronide. Comparisons of this structure with other GUS structures identified differences in loop 3 (or the α2-helix loop) and loop 5 at the aglycone-binding site, where differences in their conformations, hydrophobicities and flexibilities appear to underlie the distinct substrate preference(s) of the GUSs. Additional sequence, structural and functional analysis indicated that several groups of functionally related gut bacterial GUSs exist. Our results pinpoint opportunistic gut bacterial GUSs as those that cause xenobiotic-induced toxicity. We propose a structure-activity relationship that should allow both the prediction of the functional roles of GUSs and the design of selective inhibitors.
Biological interactions of biocompatible and water-dispersed MoS2 nanosheets with bacteria and human cells
Authors: Kaur Jasneet , Singh Manjot , Dell‘Aversana Carmela , Benedetti Rosaria , Giardina Paola , Rossi Manuela , Valadan Mohammadhassan , Vergara Alessandro , Cutarelli Anna , Montone Angela Michela Immacolata , Altucci Lucia , Corrado Federica , Nebbioso Angela , Altucci Carlo
Published: October 2018

Two dimensional materials beyond graphene such as MoS2 and WS2 are novel and interesting class of materials whose unique physico-chemical properties can be exploited in applications ranging from leading edge nanoelectronics to the frontiers between biomedicine and biotechnology. To unravel the potential of TMD crystals in biomedicine, control over their production through green and scalable routes in biocompatible solvents is critically important. Furthermore, considering multiple applications of eco-friendly 2D dispersions and their potential impact onto live matter, their toxicity and antimicrobial activity still remain an open issue. Herein, we focus on the current demands of 2D TMDs and produce high-quality, few-layered and defect-free MoS2 nanosheets, exfoliated and dispersed in pure water, stabilized up to three weeks. Hence, we studied the impact of this material on human cells by investigating its interactions with three cell lines: two tumoral, MCF7 (breast cancer) and U937 (leukemia), and one normal, HaCaT (epithelium). We observed novel and intriguing results, exhibiting evident cytotoxic effect induced in the tumor cell lines, absent in the normal cells in the tested conditions. The antibacterial action of MoS2 nanosheets is then investigated against a very dangerous gram negative bacterium, such as two types of Salmonellas: ATCC 14028 and wild-type Salmonella typhimurium. Additionally, concentration and layer-dependent modulation of cytotoxic effect is found both on human cells and Salmonellas.
Improving genetic transformation rates in honeybees
Authors: Otte M. , Netschitailo O. , Kaftanoglu O. , Wang Y. , Page R. E. , Beye M.
Published: November 2018

Functional genetic studies in honeybees have been limited by transformation tools that lead to a high rate of transposon integration into the germline of the queens. A high transformation rate is required to reduce screening efforts because each treated queen needs to be maintained in a separate honeybee colony. Here, we report on further improvement of the transformation rate in honeybees by using a combination of different procedures. We employed a hyperactive transposase protein (hyPBaseapis), we tripled the amount of injected transposase mRNAs and we injected embryos into the first third (anterior part) of the embryo. These three improvements together doubled the transformation rate from 19% to 44%. We propose that the hyperactive transposase (hyPBaseapis) and the other steps used may also help to improve the transformation rates in other species in which screening and crossing procedures are laborious.
Laminar profile of task-related plasticity in ferret primary auditory cortex
Authors: Francis Nikolas A. , Elgueda Diego , Englitz Bernhard , Fritz Jonathan B. , Shamma Shihab A.
Published: October 2018

Rapid task-related plasticity is a neural correlate of selective attention in primary auditory cortex (A1). Top-down feedback from higher-order cortex may drive task-related plasticity in A1, characterized by enhanced neural representation of behaviorally meaningful sounds during auditory task performance. Since intracortical connectivity is greater within A1 layers 2/3 (L2/3) than in layers 4–6 (L4–6), we hypothesized that enhanced representation of behaviorally meaningful sounds might be greater in A1 L2/3 than L4–6. To test this hypothesis and study the laminar profile of task-related plasticity, we trained 2 ferrets to detect pure tones while we recorded laminar activity across a 1.8 mm depth in A1. In each experiment we analyzed high-gamma local field potentials (LFPs) and multi-unit spiking in response to identical acoustic stimuli during both passive listening and active task performance. We found that neural responses to auditory targets were enhanced during task performance, and target enhancement was greater in L2/3 than in L4–6. Spectrotemporal receptive fields (STRFs) computed from both high-gamma LFPs and multi-unit spiking showed similar increases in auditory target selectivity, also greatest in L2/3. Our results suggest that activity within intracortical networks plays a key role in the underlying neural mechanisms of selective attention.
Temporal changes of Sall4 lineage contribution in developing embryos and the contribution of Sall4-lineages to postnatal germ cells in mice
Authors: Tahara Naoyuki , Kawakami Hiroko , Zhang Teng , Zarkower David , Kawakami Yasuhiko
Published: October 2018

Mutations in the SALL4 gene cause human syndromes with defects in multiple organs. Sall4 expression declines rapidly in post-gastrulation mouse embryos, and our understanding of the requirement of Sall4 in animal development is still limited. To assess the contributions of Sall4 expressing cells to developing mouse embryos, we monitored temporal changes of the contribution of Sall4 lineages using a Sall4 GFP-CreERT2 knock-in mouse line and recombination-dependent reporter lines. By administering tamoxifen at various time points we observed that the contributions of Sall4 lineages to the axial level were rapidly restricted from the entire body to the posterior part of the body. The contribution to forelimbs, hindlimbs, craniofacial structures and external genitalia also declined after gastrulation with different temporal dynamics. We also detected Sall4 lineage contributions to the extra-embryonic tissues, such as the yolk sac and umbilical cord, in a temporal manner. These Sall4 lineage contributions provide insights into potential roles of Sall4 during mammalian embryonic development. In postnatal males, long-term lineage tracing detected Sall4 lineage contributions to the spermatogonial stem cell pool during spermatogenesis. The Sall4 GFP-CreERT2 line can serve as a tool to monitor spatial-temporal contributions of Sall4 lineages as well as to perform gene manipulations in Sall4-expressing lineages.
Conversion of an amide to a high-energy thioester by Staphylococcus aureus sortase A is powered by variable binding affinity for calcium
Authors: Wang Xiao , Chen Jia-Liang , Otting Gottfried , Su Xun-Cheng
Published: October 2018

Thioesters are key intermediates in biology, which often are generated from less energy-rich amide precursors. Staphylococcus aureus sortase A (SrtA) is an enzyme widely used in biotechnology for peptide ligation. The reaction proceeds in two steps, where the first step involves the conversion of an amide bond of substrate peptide into a thioester intermediate with the enzyme. Here we show that the free energy required for this step is matched by an about 30-fold increase in binding affinity of a calcium ion at the calcium binding site of SrtA, which is remote from the thioester bond. The magnitude of this allosteric effect highlights the importance of calcium for the activity of SrtA. The increase in calcium binding affinity upon binding of substrate not only achieves catalytic formation of an energy-rich intermediate in the absence of nucleotide triphosphates or any tight non-covalent enzyme-substrate interactions, but is also accompanied by accumulation of the labile thioester intermediate, which makes it directly observable in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra.
Machine learning predicts individual cancer patient responses to therapeutic drugs with high accuracy
Authors: Huang Cai , Clayton Evan A. , Matyunina Lilya V. , McDonald L. DeEtte , Benigno Benedict B. , Vannberg Fredrik , McDonald John F.
Published: October 2018

Precision or personalized cancer medicine is a clinical approach that strives to customize therapies based upon the genomic profiles of individual patient tumors. Machine learning (ML) is a computational method particularly suited to the establishment of predictive models of drug response based on genomic profiles of targeted cells. We report here on the application of our previously established open-source support vector machine (SVM)-based algorithm to predict the responses of 175 individual cancer patients to a variety of standard-of-care chemotherapeutic drugs from the gene-expression profiles (RNA-seq or microarray) of individual patient tumors. The models were found to predict patient responses with >80% accuracy. The high PPV of our algorithms across multiple drugs suggests a potential clinical utility of our approach, particularly with respect to the identification of promising second-line treatments for patients failing standard-of-care first-line therapies.
The dissolution of temporal distance increases risk-taking: experimental evidence
Authors: Muda Rafał , Niszczota Paweł , Augustynowicz Paweł , Markiewicz Łukasz
Published: November 2018

Earlier research shows that delaying the realization of a lottery (temporal distance) increases risk tolerance. Presumably, this happens because temporal distance protects one from encountering the negative emotions produced when facing risk. However, no study has tested whether people that made a choice in the presence of temporal distance would actually change their decision later on (in the absence of temporal distance), towards the safer choice. To test this, 137 participants were subject to actual temporal distance, consisting of a four-week waiting period. To explore how each participant behaved “in the heat of the moment” (in the absence of temporal distance), we assessed their electrodermal activity and analysed self-description measures of susceptibility to affect. Participants had to choose between 40 lottery pairs (they could win up to the equivalent of about $400 US; the expected payout for each participant was about $12). Results showed that, contrary to expectations, participants tended to choose riskier lotteries after the waiting period. The results of an additional experiment suggest that this is not the result of prior exposure to the same set of lotteries, however, interestingly, an exploratory analysis showed that the main effect was driven by the behaviour of male participants. We discuss possible explanations for our surprising main finding and its implications for studies on temporal distance.
Quasi-phase-matched third harmonic generation in organic multilayers
Authors: Kim Jiung , Kumar CH. S. S. Pavan , Cha Myoungsik , Choi Heejoo , Kim Kyung-Jo , Peyghambarian N.
Published: October 2018

We report the first realization of quasi-phase-matched (QPM) third harmonic generation in isotropic polymer films. Spin-coated thin films of ethyl-violet molecules dispersed in a polymer host (EV) were used as cubic nonlinear optical media because of their transparency at both the fundamental (1230 nm) and the third harmonic (410 nm) wavelengths. A passive layer of a UV-curable material was formed to compensate the phase shift between the two light waves after propagating through each EV layer. We fabricated a series of samples with 1~4 EV layers (0~3 alternatingly coated passive layers). The third harmonic output power showed a quadratic increase with the number of layers, providing a strong evidence for successful quasi-phase-matching. A conversion efficiency of 0.15% was observed with a 190 fs pulse input.
Fingolimod-induced decrease in heart rate may predict subsequent decreasing degree of lymphocytes
Authors: Ikeda Tokunori , Kakuma Tatsuyuki , Watari Mari , Ando Yukio
Published: October 2018

Here, we determined whether degree of decreased heart rate due to fingolimod treatment correlates with decreasing degree of lymphocytes in relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In total, 30 patients with RRMS were treated with 0.5 mg fingolimod and their heart rate recorded every 30 minutes for 24 hours. Time trends of heart rate were characterised as three individual amplitudes and phase angles from three cosine curves using a mixed-effect model. Spearman’s correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to determine the effect of heart rate information on change in lymphocyte count pre- and post-fingolimod treatment. Moreover, the degree of decreased lymphocytes induced by fingolimod treatment on heart rate was compared between low and high influence groups. Positive correlation between amplitude from the second curve and difference in lymphocyte number (p = 0.006) was observed. Regression analysis was also significant (p = 0.002). Moreover, the second curve derived from the high amplitude group exhibited a greater decrease in lymphocyte number after fingolimod treatment than the low amplitude group (p < 0.001). We suggest that the degree of decreased lymphocytes after fingolimod treatment (main effect) may be predicted by estimating the influence of degree in heart rate (side effect).
Influence of irrigation conditions in the germination of plasma treated Nasturtium seeds
Authors: Molina Ricardo , López-Santos Carmen , Gómez-Ramírez Ana , Vílchez Alberto , Espinós Juan Pedro , González-Elipe Agustín R.
Published: October 2018

Plasma treatments had emerged as a useful technique to improve seed germination. In this work we investigate the influence of different irrigation conditions and plasma treatments on the germination of nasturtium seeds. During plasma treatment, seeds experience a progressive weight loss as a function of treatment time that has been associated to water release, a process that is more pronounced after longer plasma treatment times. Seeds treated for short times (<30 s) are able to germinate more efficiently than untreated specimen under hydric stress (drought conditions), while plasma treatments for longer times (up to 300 s) impaired germination independently on irrigation conditions. Characterization analysis of plasma treated seeds by FTIR-ATR, SEM/EDX and XPS showed that plasma treatment affected the chemical state of pericarp while, simultaneously, induced a considerable increase in the seeds water uptake capacity. The decrease in germination efficiency found after plasma treatment for long times, or for short times under optimum irrigation conditions, has been attributed to that the excess of water accumulated in the pericarp hampers the diffusion up to the embryo of other agents like oxygen which are deemed essential for germination.
Polydisperse Microparticle Transport and Deposition to the Terminal Bronchioles in a Heterogeneous Vasculature Tree
Authors: Islam Mohammad S. , Saha Suvash C. , Gemci Tevfik , Yang Ian A. , Sauret Emilie , Gu Y. T.
Published: October 2018

The atmospheric particles from different sources, and the therapeutic particles from various drug delivery devices, exhibit a complex size distribution, and the particles are mostly polydisperse. The limited available in vitro, and the wide range of in silico models have improved understanding of the relationship between monodisperse particle deposition and therapeutic aerosol transport. However, comprehensive polydisperse transport and deposition (TD) data for the terminal airways is still unavailable. Therefore, to benefit future drug therapeutics, the present numerical model illustrates detailed polydisperse particle TD in the terminal bronchioles for the first time. Euler-Lagrange approach and Rosin-Rammler diameter distribution is used for polydisperse particles. The numerical results show higher deposition efficiency (DE) in the right lung. Specifically, the larger the particle diameter (dp > 5 μm), the higher the DE at the bifurcation area of the upper airways is, whereas for the smaller particle (dp < 5 μm), the DE is higher at the bifurcation wall. The overall deposition pattern shows a different deposition hot spot for different diameter particle. These comprehensive lobe-specific polydisperse particle deposition studies will increase understanding of actual inhalation for particle TD, which could potentially increase the efficiency of pharmaceutical aerosol delivery at the targeted position of the terminal airways.
Abundance of molecular triple ionization by double Auger decay
Authors: Roos A. Hult , Eland J. H. D. , Andersson J. , Squibb R. J. , Koulentianos D. , Talaee O. , Feifel R.
Published: October 2018

Systematic measurements of electron emission following formation of single 1s or 2p core holes in molecules with C, O, F, Si, S and Cl atoms show that overall triple ionization can make up as much as 20% of the decay. The proportion of triple ionization is observed to follow a linear trend correlated to the number of available valence electrons on the atom bearing the initial core hole and on closest neighbouring atoms, where the interatomic distance is assumed to play a large role. The amounts of triple ionization (double Auger decay) after 1s or 2p core hole formation follow the same linear trend, which indicates that the hole identity is not a crucial determining factor in the number of electrons emitted. The observed linear trend for the percentage of double Auger decay follows a predictive line equation of the form DA = 0.415 · Nve + 5.46.
Compensatory conservation measures for an endangered caribou population under climate change
Authors: Bauduin Sarah , McIntire Eliot , St-Laurent Martin-Hugues , Cumming Steven G.
Published: October 2018

Future human land use and climate change may disrupt movement behaviors of terrestrial animals, thereby altering the ability of individuals to move across a landscape. Some of the expected changes result from processes whose effects will be difficult to alter, such as global climate change. We present a novel framework in which we use models to (1) identify the ecological changes from these difficult-to-alter processes, as well as (2) the potential conservation measures that are best able to compensate for these changes. We illustrated this framework with the case of an endangered caribou population in Québec, Canada. We coupled a spatially explicit individual-based movement model with a range of landscape scenarios to assess the impacts of varying degrees of climate change, and the ability of conservation actions to compensate for such impacts on caribou movement behaviors. We found that (1) climate change impacts reduced movement potential, and that (2) the complete restoration of secondary roads inside protected areas was able to fully offset this reduction, suggesting that road restoration would be an effective compensatory conservation action. By evaluating conservation actions via landscape use simulated by an individual-based model, we were able to identify compensatory conservation options for an endangered species facing climate change.
High volume fly ash mortar containing nano-calcium carbonate as a sustainable cementitious material: microstructure and strength development
Authors: Yang Huashan , Che Yujun , Leng Faguang
Published: October 2018

The mechanisms underlying the effects of nano-calcium carbonate (NC) on the strength of high volume fly ash (FA) mortar are discussed. Two NCs are used as 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight of cementitious materials. Hydrated products of fly ash mortar containing NC was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential thermal gravity (DTG) analysis. Results indicate that NC could improve strength of FA mortar due to the more rapid growth of hydrated products induced by NC through additional nucleation sites. Corresponding to the highest measured strength of FA mortar, the optimal contents of NC are around 2%. In addition, the presence of 2% NC improved the microstructure of FA mortar after 180 days due to the formation of calcium carbonaluminate hydrate.
PIWI proteins contribute to apoptosis during the UPR in human airway epithelial cells
Authors: Gebert Magdalena , Bartoszewska Sylwia , Janaszak-Jasiecka Anna , Moszyńska Adrianna , Cabaj Aleksandra , Króliczewski Jarosław , Madanecki Piotr , Ochocka Renata J. , Crossman David K. , Collawn James F. , Bartoszewski Rafal
Published: October 2018

Small noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) post-transcriptionally regulate a large portion of the human transcriptome. miRNAs have been shown to play an important role in the unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular adaptive mechanism that is important in alleviating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and promoting cell recovery. Another class of small noncoding RNAs, the Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) together with PIWI proteins, was originally shown to play a role as repressors of germline transposable elements. More recent studies, however, indicate that P-element induced WImpy proteins (PIWI proteins) and piRNAs also regulate mRNA levels in somatic tissues. Using genome-wide small RNA next generation sequencing, cell viability assays, and caspase activity assays in human airway epithelial cells, we demonstrate that ER stress specifically up-regulates total piRNA expression profiles, and these changes correlate with UPR-induced apoptosis as shown by up-regulation of two pro-apoptotic factor mRNAs, CHOP and NOXA. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of PIWIL2 and PIWIL4, two proteins involved in piRNA function, attenuates UPR-related cell death, inhibits piRNA expression, and inhibits the up-regulation of CHOP and NOXA mRNA expression. Hence, we provide evidence that PIWIL2 and PIWIL4 proteins, and potentially the up-regulated piRNAs, constitute a novel epigenetic mechanism that control cellular fate during the UPR.
The HamE scaffold positively regulates MpkB phosphorylation to promote development and secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Frawley Dean , Karahoda Betim , Sarikaya Bayram Özlem , Bayram Özgür
Published: November 2018

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are conserved signalling cascades in eukaryotes which regulate a myriad of processes in fungi from sexual reproduction to stress responses. These pathways rely on recruitment of three kinases on a scaffold protein to facilitate efficient kinase phosphorylation and subsequent downstream signalling to the nucleus. The model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans utilises a MAPK pathway termed the pheromone module to regulate both development and secondary metabolism. This complex consists of the MAP3K (SteC), MAP2K (MkkB), MAPK (MpkB) and adaptor protein SteD. To date, there has been no scaffold protein identified for this MAPK pathway. In this study, we characterised a protein termed HamE, which we propose as a scaffold that regulates kinase phosphorylation and signalling in the pheromone module. Mass spectrometry analysis and BIFC experiments revealed that HamE physically interacts with both MkkB and MpkB and transiently interacts with SteC. Deletion of hamE or any of the pheromone module kinases results in reduced sporulation and complete abolishment of cleistothecia production. Mutants also exhibited reductions in expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters, including the velvet complex and sterigmatocystin genes. HamE acts as a positive regulator of MpkB phosphorylation, allowing for HamE to subsequently regulate development and secondary metabolism.
Causal Evidence for the Dependence of the Magnitude Effect on Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Ballard Ian C. , Aydogan Gökhan , Kim Bokyung , McClure Samuel M.
Published: November 2018

Impulsivity refers to the tendency to insufficiently consider alternatives or to overvalue rewards that are available immediately. Impulsivity is a hallmark of human decision making with well documented health and financial ramifications. Numerous contextual changes and framing manipulations powerfully influence impulsivity. One of the most robust such phenomenon is the finding that people are more patient as the values of choice options are increased. This magnitude effect has been related to cognitive control mechanisms in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to transiently disrupt dlPFC neural activity. This manipulation dramatically reduced the magnitude effect, establishing causal evidence that the magnitude effect depends on dlPFC.
Automatic Verification of the Gradient Table in Diffusion-Weighted MRI Based on Fiber Continuity
Authors: Aganj Iman
Published: November 2018

In diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), the coordinate systems where the image and the diffusion gradients are represented may be inconsistent, thus impacting the quality of subsequent fiber tracking and connectivity analysis. Empirical verification of the reconstructed fiber orientations and subsequent correction of the gradient table (by permutation and flipping), both time-consuming tasks, are therefore often necessary. To save manual labor in studies involving dMRI, we introduce a new automatic gradient-table verification approach, which we propose to include in the dMRI processing pipeline. To that end, we exploit the concept of fiber continuity – the assumption that, in the fibrous tissue (such as the brain white matter), fiber bundles vary smoothly along their own orientations. Our tractography-free method tries all possible permutation and flip configurations of the gradient table, and in each case, assesses the consistency of the reconstructed fiber orientations with fiber continuity. Our algorithm then suggests the correct gradient table by choosing the configuration with the most consistent fiber orientations. We validated our method in 185 experiments on human brain dMRI data form three public data sources. The proposed algorithm identified the correct permutation and flip configuration for the gradient table in all the experiments.
Inducing controlled cell cycle arrest and re-entry during asexual proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites
Authors: van Biljon Riëtte , Niemand Jandeli , van Wyk Roelof , Clark Katherine , Verlinden Bianca , Abrie Clarissa , von Grüning Hilde , Smidt Werner , Smit Annél , Reader Janette , Painter Heather , Llinás Manuel , Doerig Christian , Birkholtz Lyn-Marié
Published: November 2018

The life cycle of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is tightly regulated, oscillating between stages of intense proliferation and quiescence. Cyclic 48-hour asexual replication of Plasmodium is markedly different from cell division in higher eukaryotes, and mechanistically poorly understood. Here, we report tight synchronisation of malaria parasites during the early phases of the cell cycle by exposure to DL-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), which results in the depletion of polyamines. This induces an inescapable cell cycle arrest in G1 (~15 hours post-invasion) by blocking G1/S transition. Cell cycle-arrested parasites enter a quiescent G0-like state but, upon addition of exogenous polyamines, re-initiate their cell cycle. This ability to halt malaria parasites at a specific point in their cell cycle, and to subsequently trigger re-entry into the cell cycle, provides a valuable framework to investigate cell cycle regulation in these parasites. We subsequently used gene expression analyses to show that re-entry into the cell cycle involves expression of Ca2+-sensitive (cdpk4 and pk2) and mitotic kinases (nima and ark2), with deregulation of the pre-replicative complex associated with expression of pk2. Changes in gene expression could be driven through transcription factors MYB1 and two ApiAP2 family members. This new approach to parasite synchronisation therefore expands our currently limited toolkit to investigate cell cycle regulation in malaria parasites.
Viscosity measurement of Xanthan–Poly(vinyl alcohol) mixture and its effect on the mechanical properties of the hydrogel for 3D modeling
Authors: Shimizu Yasutomo , Tanabe Tadao , Yoshida Hiroshi , Kasuya Motohiro , Matsunaga Tadao , Haga Yoichi , Kurihara Kazue , Ohta Makoto
Published: November 2018

Biomodels made of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) are demanded because they can represent the geometries and mechanical properties of human tissues realistically. Injecting and molding, commonly used in three-dimensional (3D) modeling, help to represent the blood vessels accurately. However, these techniques sometimes require higher pressures than the upper pressure limit of the dispensers for pouring in high viscosity materials; the material viscosity should therefore be lower. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the biomodels should be reproduced. This study proposes a PVA solution through the addition of xanthan gum (XG) for 3D modeling, which lowers liquid viscosity while maintaining the mechanical properties of biomodels. XG is known to facilitate the achievement of non-Newtonian fluidity; however, the effects of XG on a PVA solution and PVA hydrogel (PVA-H) are not confirmed. The viscosity measurement using 15 wt% PVA with XG solution (PVA/XG) shows that it will provide easier pouring than 17 wt% PVA solution. The tensile test using the PVA-H of PVA(15 wt%)/XG(0.2 wt%) reveals that the gel is comparable in Young’s modulus to 17 wt% PVA-H. X-ray diffraction shows the crystalline structures of the PVA/XG gel and PVA-H are identical. Thus, this PVA/XG would be useful for fabricating biomodels using injection molding techniques.
Depletion of regulatory T cells in ongoing paracoccidioidomycosis rescues protective Th1/Th17 immunity and prevents fatal disease outcome
Authors: Galdino Nayane A. L. , Loures Flávio V. , de Araújo Eliseu F. , da Costa Tania A. , Preite Nycolas W. , Calich Vera Lúcia G.
Published: November 2018

In human paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a primary fungal infection typically diagnosed when the disease is already established, regulatory T cells (Treg) cells are associated with disease severity. Experimental studies in pulmonary PCM confirmed the detrimental role of these cells, but in most studies, Tregs were depleted prior to or early during infection. These facts led us to study the effects of Treg cell depletion using a model of ongoing PCM. Therefore, Treg cell depletion was achieved by treatment of transgenic C57BL/6DTR/eGFP (DEREG) mice with diphtheria toxin (DT) after 3 weeks of intratracheal infection with 1 × 106Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeasts. At weeks 6 and 10 post-infection, DT-treated DEREG mice showed a reduced number of Treg cells associated with decreased fungal burdens in the lungs, liver and spleen, reduced tissue pathology and mortality. Additionally, an increased influx of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into the lungs and elevated production of Th1/Th17 cytokines was observed in DT-treated mice. Altogether, our data demonstrate for the first time that Treg cell depletion in ongoing PCM rescues infected hosts from progressive and potentially fatal PCM; furthermore, our data indicate that controlling Treg cells could be explored as a novel immunotherapeutic procedure.
Oxidant free conversion of alcohols to nitriles over Ni-based catalysts
Authors: Wang Yunzhu , Furukawa Shinya , Zhang Zhang , Torrente-Murciano Laura , Khan Saif A. , Yan Ning
Published: November 2018

Ni-Based catalysts converting various primary alcohols to nitriles in high yields under oxidant-free, low temperature conditions.
Six-coordinate [CoIII(L)2]z(z= 1−, 0, 1+) complexes of an azo-appendedo-aminophenolate in amidate(2−) and iminosemiquinonate π-radical (1−) redox-levels: the existence of valence-tautomerism
Authors: Rajput Amit , Sharma Anuj Kumar , Barman Suman K. , Lloret Francesc , Mukherjee Rabindranath
Published: November 2018

Synthesis and structural (molecular and electronic) analysis for [CoIII{(LAP)(LISQ)}˙3−] (1,S= 1/2), [CoIII{(LISQ)˙−}2][PF6]·2CH2Cl2(2,S= 0) and [CoIII(η5-C5H5)2][CoIII{(LAP)2−}2]·MeCN (3,S= 0) have been done.
Triply bridged dinuclear ruthenium complexes bearing alkylbis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine in the mixed-valence state of Ru(ii)–Ru(iii)
Authors: Misawa-Suzuki T. , Matsuya K. , Watanabe T. , Nagao H.
Published: October 2018

Five diruthenium complexes in the mixed-valence state of Ru(ii)–Ru(iii), triply bridged by halogeno and methoxido ligands, were newly synthesized and compared.
Two Ce3+ centers induced broadband emission in Y3Si6N11:Ce3+ yellow phosphor
Authors: Sun Dashuai , Zhang Liangliang , Hao Zhendong , Zhang Xia , Pan Guo-Hui , Wu Huajun , Luo Yongshi , He Shuai , Zhao Haifeng , Zhang Jiahua
Published: October 2018

A Ce2 emission center was found in Y3Si6N11:Ce3+ and the broad emission band was successfully decomposed into Ce1 and Ce2.
Pulsed electrochemical and electroless techniques for efficient removal of Sb and Pb from water
Authors: Mosivand Saba , Monzon Lorena M. A. , Kazeminezhad Iraj , Kumar Anup , Coey J. Michael D.
Published: November 2018

Two innovative electrochemical approaches for removing both antimony and lead from water using sacrificial iron sheets are reported; a pulsed method for fast coagulation and a slower electroless method with high efficiency, low cost and no requirement for electrical energy. The study covers laboratory samples and mine wastewater.
Blueberry, combined with probiotics, alleviates non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseviaIL-22-mediated JAK1/STAT3/BAX signaling
Authors: Zhu Juanjuan , Zhou Mingyu , Zhao Xueke , Mu Mao , Cheng Mingliang
Published: October 2018

Blueberry, combined with probiotics, improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease bothin vivoandin vitroby IL-22.
Identification and inhibitory activity against α-thrombin of a novel anticoagulant peptide derived from oyster (Crassostrea gigas) protein
Authors: Cheng Shuzhen , Tu Maolin , Chen Hui , Xu Zhe , Wang Ziye , Liu Hanxiong , Zhao Guanghua , Zhu Beiwei , Du Ming
Published: October 2018

A newly discovered anticoagulant peptide was isolated, purified and identified from the pepsin hydrolysate of oyster (Crassostrea gigas) which could potently prolong the activated partial thromboplastin time and the thrombin time.
A meal with mixed soy/whey proteins is as efficient as a whey meal in counteracting the age-related muscle anabolic resistance only if the protein content and leucine levels are increased
Authors: Jarzaguet Marianne , Polakof Sergio , David Jérémie , Migné Carole , Joubrel Gwénaële , Efstathiou Théo , Rémond Didier , Mosoni Laurent , Dardevet Dominique
Published: November 2018

With aging, skeletal muscle becomes resistant to the anabolic effect of dietary proteins and sarcopenia develops.
Continuous processing of phase-change materials into uniform nanoparticles for near-infrared-triggered drug release
Authors: Chen Qiaoshan , Zhu Chunlei , Huo Da , Xue Jiajia , Cheng Haoyan , Guan Baohong , Xia Younan
Published: November 2018

A facile method based on anti-solvent-induced precipitation in a fluidic device was developed to continuously process phase-change materials into uniform nanoparticles, together with the encapsulation of an anticancer drug and a near-infrared dye.
Engineered fluorescent carbon dots as promising immune adjuvants to efficiently enhance cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Luo Lijia , Liu Chuang , He Tao , Zeng Leyong , Xing Jie , Xia Yuanzhi , Pan Yuanwei , Gong Changyang , Wu Aiguo
Published: November 2018

Carbon dots, as vaccine adjuvants, have been firstly engineered for cancer immunotherapy, providing many possibilities for biomedical applications.
Reversal of tumor malignization and modulation of cell behaviors through genome editing mediated by a multi-functional nanovector
Authors: Liu Bo-Ya , He Xiao-Yan , Zhuo Ren-Xi , Cheng Si-Xue
Published: October 2018

A multi-functional nanovector was developed to deliver genome editing plasmids for modulation of cell behaviors and reversal of tumor malignization.
Reliability of rare-earth-doped infrared luminescent nanothermometers
Authors: Labrador-Páez Lucía , Pedroni Marco , Speghini Adolfo , García-Solé José , Haro-González Patricia , Jaque Daniel
Published: October 2018

Rare-earth-doped luminescent nanothermometers are not reliable as their emission spectra can be affected by numerous environmental and experimental factors.
Atomic-scale imaging of the ferrimagnetic/diamagnetic interface in Au-Fe3O4 nanodimers and correlated exchange-bias origin
Authors: Zhu Liu , Deng Xia , Hu Yang , Liu Jian , Ma Hongbin , Zhang Junli , Fu Jiecai , He Suisui , Wang Jun , Wang Baodui , Xue Desheng , Peng Yong
Published: October 2018

Magnetic phase transition was atomically imaged to govern the exchange bias effect in dumbbell-like ferrimagnetic/diamagnetic coupled Au/Fe3O4 nanodimers.
Synthesis and mass spectrometric analysis of disaccharides from methanolysis of heparan sulfate
Authors: He Qi Qi , Trim Paul J. , Snel Marten F. , Hopwood John J. , Ferro Vito
Published: October 2018

Heparan sulfate (HS) disaccharides were synthesized to identify HS methanolysis products by LC-MS/MS with applications for mucopolysaccharidosis disorders.
Synthesis and self-sensitized photo-oxidation of 2-fulleropyrrolines by palladium(ii)-catalyzed heteroannulation of [60]fullerene with benzoyl hydrazone esters
Authors: Zheng Tian , Shan Dong-Shi , Jin Bo , Peng Ru-Fang
Published: October 2018

A Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed N-heteroannulation reaction was exploited to synthesizeN-unsubstituted 2-fulleropyrrolines and the photo-oxidation of 2-fulleropyrrolines was first investigated.
Mechanisms of photoexcitation and photoionization in small water clusters
Authors: Suwannakham Parichart , Chaiwongwattana Sermsiri , Sagarik Kritsana
Published: October 2018

The S0 → S1 excitation leads to strong polarization and formation of [(H2O)2]+˙ from which both photoexcited and photoionized products are generated.
Basic ionic liquid as catalyst and surfactant: green synthesis of quinazolinone in aqueous media
Authors: Zhang Yaping , Zhen Bin , Li Hansheng , Feng Yaqing
Published: October 2018

[PRIm][OH] showed excellent catalytic properties in synthesis of quinazolinone in aqueous medium, owing to its excellent surfactivity and basicity.
Morphology-dependent pH-responsive release of hydrophilic payloads using biodegradable nanocarriers
Authors: Pramanik Sumit Kumar , Seneca Senne , Peters Martijn , D'Olieslaeger Lien , Reekmans Gunter , Vanderzande Dirk , Adriaensens Peter , Ethirajan Anitha
Published: October 2018

The morphology and release properties of aqueous core nanocapsules for the pH-responsive release of hydrophilic payload was investigated by systematically varying the number of biodegradable segments.
Facile synthesis of C–FeF2 nanocomposites from CFx: influence of carbon precursor on reversible lithium storage
Authors: Reddy M. Anji , Breitung Ben , Kiran Chakravadhanula Venkata Sai , Helen M. , Witte Ralf , Rongeat Carine , Kübel Christian , Hahn Horst , Fichtner Maximilian
Published: October 2018

Impact of the nature of carbon on the electrochemical performance of four C–FeF2 nanocomposites derived from CFx and Fe(CO)5.
Molten salt construction of stable oxygen vacancies on TiO2 for enhancement of visible light photocatalytic activity
Authors: Zou Yu , Yang Kaimeng , Chen Qirong , Wang Haitao , Meng Xiangfu
Published: October 2018

Stable blue TiO2 with exposed (001) facets was synthesized from pristine white TiO2via a one-step molten salt (MS) method.
Thermal annealing assisted synthesis of Sb@C yolk–shell microspheres for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Sun Feng , Ma Qingshan , Kong Ming , Zhou Xuefeng , Liu Yan , Zhou Bin , Zhang Ping , Zhang Wen-Hua
Published: October 2018

The interior space of the Sb@C yolk–shell structure has a significant influence on the electrochemical performance of the electrode material.
Chemo-photothermal effects of doxorubicin/silica–carbon hollow spheres on liver cancer
Authors: Chen Ying-Chi , Chiu Wen-Tai , Chang Chin , Wu Ping-Ching , Tu Ting-Yuan , Lin Hong-Ping , Chang Hsien-Chang
Published: October 2018

SCHSs were applied as vectors for drug delivery and thermal production under NIR laser irradiation. DOX-loaded SCHSs conjugated with ConA were found to kill liver cancer cells efficiently.
Gravitational spreading of granular paste droplets induced by mechanical vibrations
Authors: Gaudel Naïma , Kiesgen de Richter Sébastien
Published: November 2018

Vibrations allow the spreading of granular paste to be tuned by controlling its apparent viscosity.
Superpermeable nanoporous carbon-based catalytic membranes for electro-Fenton driven high-efficiency water treatment
Authors: Zhang Qi , Chen Shuo , Quan Xie , Liu Yan , Yu Hongtao , Wang Hua
Published: October 2018

Based on the Hagen–Poiseuille equation, theoretical membrane permeability is inversely and directly proportional to its thickness and pore-radius, respectively, indicating that a thin membrane with an effective pore-radius is extremely permeable.
Surface modification of porous PLGA scaffolds with plasma for preventing dimensional shrinkage and promoting scaffold–cell/tissue interactions
Authors: Liu Peiming , Sun Lian , Liu Pingying , Yu Wenqian , Zhang Qianhui , Zhang Weibing , Ma Jing , Liu Pingsheng , Shen Jian
Published: November 2018

An effective strategy for simultaneously tackling the dimensional shrinkage of a highly porous PLGA scaffold and improving the scaffold–tissue integration.
Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets as a multifunctional nanoplatform for photochemical internalization-enhanced photodynamic therapy
Authors: Liu Chaoqun , Qin Hongshuang , Kang Lihua , Chen Zhaowei , Wang Huan , Qiu Hao , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: October 2018

Through PES-induced HSP70 inhibition and photochemical internalization-mediated endo/lysosomal escape, much enhanced PDT efficiency was realized by a GCNS-PES-based nanoplatform.
Activating room temperature phosphorescence by organic materials using synergistic effects
Authors: Kong Xianggui , Wang Xinrui , Cheng Huimin , Zhao Yufei , Shi Wenying
Published: October 2018

We present a design principle to activate highly efficient organic room temperature phosphorescent (ORTP) of carbon dots (CDs), with layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as the host matrix, that utilizes three synergistic effects,i.e.structural confinement effect, heavy atom effect, and chemical bonding.