bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogenous Effect of Risk Factors on Breast Cancer across the Breast Density Categories in a Korean Screening Population
Authors: Park Boyoung , Lim Se-Eun , Ahn HyoJin , Yoon Junghyun , Choi Yun Su
Published: May 2020

We evaluated the heterogeneity of the effect of known risk factors on breast cancer development based on breast density by using the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). In total, 4,898,880 women, aged 40–74 years, who participated in the national breast cancer screening program in 2009–2010 were followed up to December 2018. Increased age showed a heterogeneous association with breast cancer (1-year hazard ratio (HR) = 0.92, 1.00 (reference), 1.03, and 1.03 in women with BI-RADS density category 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively; P-heterogeneity < 0.001). More advanced age at menopause increased breast cancer risk in all BI-RADS categories. This was more prominent in women with BI-RADS density category 1 but less prominent in women in other BI-RADS categories (P-heterogeneity = 0.009). In postmenopausal women, a family history of breast cancer, body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, and smoking showed a heterogeneous association with breast cancer across all BI-RADS categories. Other risk factors including age at menarche, menopause, hormone replacement therapy after menopause, oral contraceptive use, and alcohol consumption did not show a heterogeneous association with breast cancer across the BI-RADS categories. Several known risk factors of breast cancer had a heterogeneous effect on breast cancer development across breast density categories, especially in postmenopausal women.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma and CT Assessment of Therapy Response: The Value of Combining Multiple Criteria
Authors: Ambrosini Roberta , Balli Maria Carolina , Laganà Marta , Bertuletti Martina , Bottoni Luca , Vaccher Filippo , Cosentini Deborah , Di Terlizzi Marco , Sigala Sandra , Grisanti Salvatore , Tiberio Guido Alberto Massimo , Berruti Alfredo , Grazioli Luigi
Published: May 2020

We evaluated tumor response at Computed Tomography (CT) according to three radiologic criteria: RECIST 1.1, CHOI and tumor volume in 34 patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) submitted to standard chemotherapy. These three criteria agreed in defining partial response, stable or progressive disease in 24 patients (70.5%). Partial response (PR) was observed in 29.4%, 29.4% and 41.2% of patients according to RECIST 1.1, CHOI and tumor volume, respectively. It was associated with a favorable prognosis, regardless of the criterion adopted. The concordance of all the 3 criteria in defining the disease response identified 8 patients (23.5%) which displayed a very good prognosis: median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) 14.9 and 37.7 months, respectively. Seven patients (20.6%) with PR assessed by one or two criteria, however, still had a better prognosis than non-responding patients, both in terms of PFS: median 12.3 versus 9.9 months and OS: 21 versus 12.2, respectively. In conclusions, the CT assessment of disease response of ACC patients to chemotherapy with 3 different criteria is feasible and allows the identification of a patient subset with a more favorable outcome. PR with at least one criterion can be useful to early identify patients that deserve continuing the therapy.
Role of microRNA 690 in Mediating Angiotensin II Effects on Inflammation and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Menikdiwela Kalhara R. , Ramalingam Latha , Abbas Mostafa M. , Bensmail Halima , Scoggin Shane , Kalupahana Nishan S. , Palat Asha , Gunaratne Preethi , Moustaid-Moussa Naima
Published: May 2020

Overactivation of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) during obesity disrupts adipocyte metabolic homeostasis and induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammation; however, underlying mechanisms are not well known. We propose that overexpression of angiotensinogen (Agt), the precursor protein of RAS in adipose tissue or treatment of adipocytes with Angiotensin II (Ang II), RAS bioactive hormone, alters specific microRNAs (miRNA), that target ER stress and inflammation leading to adipocyte dysfunction. Epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) from B6 wild type (Wt) and transgenic male mice overexpressing Agt (Agt-Tg) in adipose tissue and adipocytes treated with Ang II were used. Small RNA sequencing and microarray in WAT identified differentially expressed miRNAs and genes, out of which miR-690 and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MAP2K3) were validated as significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, in Agt-Tg, and in Ang II-treated adipocytes compared to respective controls. Additionally, the direct regulatory role of miR-690 on MAP2K3 was confirmed using mimic, inhibitors and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Downstream protein targets of MAP2K3 which include p38, NF-κB, IL-6 and CHOP were all reduced. These results indicate a critical post-transcriptional role for miR-690 in inflammation and ER stress. In conclusion, miR-690 plays a protective function and could be a useful target to reduce obesity.
Cancer Stem Cell Functions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Comprehensive Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Liu Yu-Chin , Yeh Chau-Ting , Lin Kwang-Huei
Published: May 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cause of cancer-related mortality owing to resistance to traditional treatments and tumor recurrence after therapy, which leads to poor therapeutic outcomes. Cancer stem cells (CSC) are a small subset of tumor cells with the capability to influence self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. A number of surface markers for liver cancer stem cell (LCSC) subpopulations (EpCAM, CD133, CD44, CD13, CD90, OV-6, CD47, and side populations) in HCC have been identified. LCSCs play critical roles in regulating HCC stemness, self-renewal, tumorigenicity, metastasis, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance via genetic mutations, epigenetic disruption, signaling pathway dysregulation, or alterations microenvironment. Accumulating studies have shown that biomarkers for LCSCs contribute to diagnosis and prognosis prediction of HCC, supporting their utility in clinical management and development of therapeutic strategies. Preclinical and clinical analyses of therapeutic approaches for HCC using small molecule inhibitors, oncolytic measles viruses, and anti-surface marker antibodies have demonstrated selective, efficient, and safe targeting of LCSC populations. The current review focuses on recent reports on the influence of LCSCs on HCC stemness, tumorigenesis, and multiple drug resistance (MDR), along with LCSC-targeted therapeutic strategies for HCC.
CUL4-DDB1-CRBN E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Regulates Proteostasis of ClC-2 Chloride Channels: Implication for Aldosteronism and Leukodystrophy
Authors: Fu Ssu-Ju , Hu Meng-Chun , Peng Yi-Jheng , Fang Hsin-Yu , Hsiao Cheng-Tsung , Chen Tsung-Yu , Jeng Chung-Jiuan , Tang Chih-Yung
Published: May 2020

Voltage-gated ClC-2 channels are essential for chloride homeostasis. Complete knockout of mouse ClC-2 leads to testicular degeneration and neuronal myelin vacuolation. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutations in the ClC-2-encoding human CLCN2 gene are linked to the genetic diseases aldosteronism and leukodystrophy, respectively. The protein homeostasis (proteostasis) mechanism of ClC-2 is currently unclear. Here, we aimed to identify the molecular mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation of ClC-2, and to explore the pathophysiological significance of disease-associated anomalous ClC-2 proteostasis. In both heterologous expression system and native neuronal and testicular cells, ClC-2 is subject to significant regulation by cullin-RING E3 ligase-mediated polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The cullin 4 (CUL4)-damage-specific DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1)-cereblon (CRBN) E3 ubiquitin ligase co-exists in the same complex with and promotes the degradation of ClC-2 channels. The CRBN-targeting immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide and the cullin E3 ligase inhibitor MLN4924 promotes and attenuates, respectively, proteasomal degradation of ClC-2. Analyses of disease-related ClC-2 mutants reveal that aldosteronism and leukodystrophy are associated with opposite alterations in ClC-2 proteostasis. Modifying CUL4 E3 ligase activity with lenalidomide and MLN4924 ameliorates disease-associated ClC-2 proteostasis abnormality. Our results highlight the significant role and therapeutic potential of CUL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase in regulating ClC-2 proteostasis.
Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma and Erythrocytes in Sickle Mice Points to Altered Nociceptive Pathways
Authors: Dembélé Klétigui Casimir , Mintz Thomas , Veyrat-Durebex Charlotte , Chabrun Floris , Chupin Stéphanie , Tessier Lydie , Simard Gilles , Henrion Daniel , Mirebeau-Prunier Delphine , Chao de la Barca Juan Manuel , Tharaux Pierre-Louis , Reynier Pascal
Published: May 2020

Few data-driven metabolomic approaches have been reported in sickle cell disease (SCD) to date. We performed a metabo-lipidomic study on the plasma and red blood cells of a steady-state mouse model carrying the homozygous human hemoglobin SS, compared with AS and AA genotypes. Among the 188 metabolites analyzed by a targeted quantitative metabolomic approach, 153 and 129 metabolites were accurately measured in the plasma and red blood cells, respectively. Unsupervised PCAs (principal component analyses) gave good spontaneous discrimination between HbSS and controls, and supervised OPLS-DAs (orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analyses) provided highly discriminant models. These models confirmed the well-known deregulation of nitric oxide synthesis in the HbSS genotype, involving arginine deficiency and increased levels of dimethylarginines, ornithine, and polyamines. Other discriminant metabolites were newly evidenced, such as hexoses, alpha-aminoadipate, serotonin, kynurenine, and amino acids, pointing to a glycolytic shift and to the alteration of metabolites known to be involved in nociceptive pathways. Sharp remodeling of lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylcholines, and sphingomyelins was evidenced in red blood cells. Our metabolomic study provides an overview of the metabolic remodeling induced by the sickle genotype in the plasma and red blood cells, revealing a biological fingerprint of altered nitric oxide, bioenergetics and nociceptive pathways.
Taurine Stimulates Thermoregulatory Genes in Brown Fat Tissue and Muscle without an Influence on Inguinal White Fat Tissue in a High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mouse Model
Authors: Kim Kyoung Soo , Doss Hari Madhuri , Kim Hee-Jin , Yang Hyung-In
Published: May 2020

This study was conducted to investigate if taurine supplementation stimulates the induction of thermogenic genes in fat tissues and muscles and decipher the mechanism by which taurine exerts its anti-obesity effect in a mildly obese ICR (CD-1®) mouse model. Three groups of ICR mice were fed a normal chow diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with 2% taurine in drinking water for 28 weeks. The expression profiles of various genes were analyzed by real time PCR in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT), inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), and the quadriceps muscles of the experimental groups. Genes that are known to regulate thermogenesis like PGC-1α, UCP-1, Cox7a1, Cox8b, CIDE-A, and β1-, β2-, and β3-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) were found to be differentially expressed in the three tissues. These genes were expressed at a very low level in iWAT as compared to BAT and muscle. Whereas, HFD increased the expression of these genes. Taurine supplementation stimulated the expression of UCP-1, Cox7a1, and Cox8b in BAT and only Cox7a1 in muscle, while there was a decrease in iWAT. In contrast, fat deposition-related genes, monoamine oxidases (MAO)-A, and -B, and lipin-1, were decreased by taurine supplementation only in iWAT and not in BAT or muscle. In conclusion, the potential anti-obesity effects of taurine may be partly due to upregulated thermogenesis in BAT, energy metabolism of muscle, and downregulated fat deposition in iWAT.
The Changing Epidemiology of Cystic Fibrosis: Incidence, Survival and Impact of the CFTR Gene Discovery
Authors: Scotet Virginie , L’Hostis Carine , Férec Claude
Published: May 2020

Significant advances in the management of cystic fibrosis (CF) in recent decades have dramatically changed the epidemiology and prognosis of this serious disease, which is no longer an exclusively pediatric disease. This paper aims to review the changes in the incidence and survival of CF and to assess the impact of the discovery of the responsible gene (the CFTR gene) on these changes. The incidence of CF appears to be decreasing in most countries and patient survival, which can be monitored by various indicators, has improved substantially, with an estimated median age of survival of approximately50 years today. Cloning of the CFTR gene 30 years ago and efforts to identify its many mutations have greatly improved the management of CF. Implementation of genetic screening policies has enabled earlier diagnosis (via newborn screening), in addition to prevention within families or in the general population in some areas (via prenatal diagnosis, family testing or population carrier screening). In the past decade, in-depth knowledge of the molecular bases of CF has also enabled the emergence of CFTR modulator therapies which have led to major clinical advances in the treatment of CF. All of these phenomena have contributed to changing the face of CF. The advent of targeted therapies has paved the way for precision medicine and is expected to further improve survival in the coming years.
Imprinting of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Transcriptome Persists even after Treatment in Patients with Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Lemaitre Léa , Do Souto Ferreira Laura , Joubert Marie-Véronique , Avet-Loiseau Hervé , Martinet Ludovic , Corre Jill , Couderc Bettina
Published: May 2020

Introduction. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell neoplasm characterized by clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells (MM cells) in the bone-marrow (BM) compartment. BM mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) from newly diagnosed MM patients were shown to be involved in MM pathogenesis and chemoresistance. The patients displayed a distinct transcriptome and were functionally different from healthy donors’ (HD) MSC. Our aim was to determine whether MM–MSC also contributed to relapse. Methods. We obtained and characterized patients’ MSC samples at diagnosis, two years after intensive treatment, without relapse and at relapse. Results. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differences in gene expression between HD and MM-MSC, whatever the stage of the disease. An easier differentiation towards adipogenesis at the expense of osteoblatogeneis was observed, even in patients displaying a complete response to treatment. Although their transcriptome was similar, we found that MSC from relapsed patients had an increased immunosuppressive ability, compared to those from patients in remission. Conclusion. We demonstrated that imprinting of MSC transcriptome demonstrated at diagnosis of MM, persisted even after the apparent disappearance of MM cells induced by treatment, suggesting the maintenance of a local context favorable to relapse.
Age-Dependent Metabolic Profiles Unravel the Metabolic Relationships within and between Flax Leaves (Linum usitatissimum)
Authors: Pontarin Nicole , Molinié Roland , Mathiron David , Tchoumtchoua Job , Bassard Solène , Gagneul David , Thiombiano Benjamin , Demailly Hervé , Fontaine Jean-Xavier , Guillot Xavier , Sarazin Vivien , Quéro Anthony , Mesnard François
Published: May 2020

Flax for oil seed is a crop of increasing popularity, but its cultivation needs technical improvement. Important agronomic traits such as productivity and resistance to stresses are to be regarded as the result of the combined responses of individual organs and their inter-communication. Ultimately, these responses directly reflect the metabolic profile at the cellular level. Above ground, the complexity of the plant phenotype is governed by leaves at different developmental stages, and their ability to synthesise and exchange metabolites. In this study, the metabolic profile of differently-developed leaves was used firstly to discriminate flax leaf developmental stages, and secondly to analyse the allocation of the metabolites within and between leaves. For this purpose, the concentration of 52 metabolites, both primary and specialized, was followed by gas chromatography (GC-) and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in alternate pairs of flax leaves. On the basis of their metabolic content, three populations of leaves in different growth stages could be distinguished. Primary and specialized metabolites showed characteristic distribution patterns, and compounds similarly evolving with leaf age could be grouped by the aid of the Kohonen self-organising map (SOM) algorithm. Ultimately, visualisation of the correlations between metabolites via hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) allowed the assessment of the metabolic fluxes characterising different leaf developmental stages, and the investigation of the relationships between primary and specialized metabolites.
Metabolomics Study on Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic E. coli with Closely Related Genomes with a Focus on Yersiniabactin and Its Known and Novel Derivatives
Authors: Schulz Mareike , Gaitanoglou Vasiliki , Mantel Olena , Hövelmann Yannick , Hübner Florian , Dobrindt Ulrich , Humpf Hans-Ulrich
Published: May 2020

The Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains Nissle 1917 (EcN), 83972 and CFT073 are closely related but differ in their phenotypes and pathogenicity. The aim of this study was to compare the metabolome of these strains based on metabolomic data analysis of bacterial samples using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The strains were cultivated in minimum essential medium at 37 °C for 6 h. The sterilized culture supernatant was analyzed, followed by data processing to create feature lists, and statistical analysis to identify discriminating features in the metabolomes of the three strains. Metabolites were identified using the exact masses, isotope patterns, and fragmentation spectra. The results showed that the metabolome of EcN differs significantly from the metabolomes of E. coli 83972 and CFT073. Based on the analysis, yersiniabactin (Ybt), its metal complexes, and its known structural derivatives escherichelin and ulbactin B were identified as discriminating features; the latter has not been described for E. coli before. Additionally, novel Ytb derivatives were found and tentatively identified by LC-MS/HRMS. All these metabolites were determined in significantly higher levels in the metabolome of EcN compared to E. coli 83972, which may explain a large part of the observed differences of the metabolomes.
Modern Strategies for Heterocycle Synthesis
Authors: Favi Gianfranco
Published: May 2020

Heterocycles constitute the largest and most diverse family of organic compounds that have received extensive interest owing to their popularity in many natural products, pharmaceuticals, and materials [...]
Characterization of Ionic Liquid Lignins Isolated from Spruce Wood with 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate and Methyl Sulfate and Their Binary Mixtures with DMSO
Authors: Belesov Artyom V. , Ladesov Anton V. , Pikovskoi Ilya I. , Faleva Anna V. , Kosyakov Dmitry S.
Published: May 2020

Ionic liquids (ILs) based on 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (bmim) cation have proved to be promising solvents for the fractionation of plant biomass with the production of cellulose and lignin. This study deals with the characterization of lignins isolated from coniferous (spruce) wood using [bmim]OAc and [bmim]MeSO4 ionic liquids and their binary mixtures with DMSO (80:20). Molecular weight distributions, functional composition, and structural features of IL lignins were studied by size-exclusion chromatography, NMR spectroscopy (1D and 2D) and atmospheric pressure photoionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. It was shown that the interaction of ILs with lignin leads to significant chemical changes in the biopolymer; a decrease in the degree of polymerization and in the content of free phenolic hydroxyl groups due to alkylation, the disappearance (in the case of [bmim]OAc) of carbonyl groups and a significant destruction of β-O-4 bonds. The chemical reactions between lignin and 1-butyl-3-methylidazolium cation with covalent binding of ionic liquids or products of their decomposition is evidenced by the presence of a large number of nitrogen-containing oligomers in IL lignins.
Exposure Time Impact on the Geomechanical Characteristics of Sandstone Formation during Horizontal Drilling
Authors: Gamal Hany , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Abdulraheem Abdulazeez , Al Majed Abdulaziz
Published: May 2020

The rock geomechanical properties are the key parameters for designing the drilling and fracturing operations and for programing the geomechanical earth models. During drilling, the horizontal-section drilling fluids interact with the reservoir rocks in different exposure time, and to date, there is no comprehensive work performed to study the effect of the exposure time on the changes in sandstone geomechanical properties. The objective of this paper is to address the exposure time effect on sandstone failure parameters such as unconfined compressive strength, tensile strength, acoustic properties, and dynamic elastic moduli while drilling horizontal sections using barite-weighted water-based drilling fluid. To simulate the reservoir conditions, Buff Berea sandstone core samples were exposed to the drilling fluid (using filter press) under 300 psi differential pressure and 200 °F temperature for different exposure times (up to 5 days). The rock characterization and geomechanical parameters were evaluated as a function of the exposure time. Scratch test was implemented to evaluate rock strength, while ultrasonic pulse velocity was used to obtain the sonic data to estimate dynamic elastic moduli. The rock characterization was accomplished by X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscope. The study findings showed that the rock compression and tensile strengths reduced as a function of exposure time (18% and 19% reduction for tensile strength and unconfined compression strength, respectively, after 5 days), while the formation damage displayed an increasing trend with time. The sonic results demonstrated an increase in the compressional and shear wave velocities with increasing exposure time. All the dynamic elastic moduli showed an increasing trend when extending the exposure time except Poisson’s ratio which presented a constant behavior after 1 day. Nuclear magnetic resonance results showed 41% porosity reduction during the five days of mud interaction. Scanning electron microscope images showed that the rock internal surface topography and internal integrity changed with exposure time, which supported the observed strength reduction and sonic variation. A new set of empirical correlations were developed to estimate the dynamic elastic moduli and failure parameters as a function of the exposure time and the porosity with high accuracy.
Adsorption of Sulfamethazine Drug onto the Modified Derivatives of Carbon Nanotubes at Different pH
Authors: Mohamed Ameen Hiba , Kunsági-Máté Sándor , Noveczky Péter , Szente Lajos , Lemli Beáta
Published: May 2020

The sulfamethazine drug interaction with carbon nanotubes was investigated with the aim of improving the adsorption capacity of the adsorptive materials. Experiments were performed to clarify how the molecular environment affects the adsorption process. Single-walled carbon nanotubes have a higher removal efficiency of sulfamethazine than pristine or functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Although the presence of cyclodextrin molecules improves the solubility of sulfamethazine, it reduces the adsorption capacity of the carbon nanotube towards the sulfamethazine drug and, therefore, inhibits the removal of these antibiotic pollutants from waters by carbon nanotubes.
Characteristics of New Peptides GQLGEHGGAGMG, GEHGGAGMGGGQFQPV, EQGFLPGPEESGR, RLARAGLAQ, YGNPVGGVGH, and GNPVGGVGHGTTGT as Inhibitors of Enzymes Involved in Metabolic Syndrome and Antimicrobial Potential
Authors: Złotek Urszula , Jakubczyk Anna , Rybczyńska-Tkaczyk Kamila , Ćwiek Paula , Baraniak Barbara , Lewicki Sławomir
Published: May 2020

The aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxic properties, influence on enzyme activity involved in metabolic syndrome, and antimicrobial activity of synthetic peptides with GQLGEHGGAGMG, GEHGGAGMGGGQFQPV, EQGFLPGPEESGR, RLARAGLAQ, YGNPVGGVGH, and GNPVGGVGHGTTGT sequences. Peptides have no cytotoxic effect on cells. The highest inhibitory effect on angiotensin converting enzyme I was noted for peptide GT-14 (IC50 = 525.63 µg/mL). None of the tested peptides had an influence on α-glucosidase. The highest α-amylase and lipase inhibitory activity was noted for GG-12 (IC50 = 56.72 and 60.62 µg/mL, respectively). The highest lipoxidase inhibitory activity was determined for peptide ER-13 (IC50 = 84.35 µg/mL). Peptide RQ-9 was characterized by the highest COX inhibitory activity (0.31 and 4.77 µg/mL for COX-1 and COX-2, respectively). Only peptide RQ-9 inhibited S. enteritidis ATCC 4931 growth (42–48%) in all tested concentrations (15.62–250 mg/mL).
Suitable Polymeric Coatings to Avoid Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Hybridization in Printed Patterns of Photothermally Responsive Gold Nanoinks
Authors: Pallavicini Piersandro , De Vita Lorenzo , Merlin Francesca , Milanese Chiara , Borzenkov Mykola , Taglietti Angelo , Chirico Giuseppe
Published: May 2020

When using gold nanoparticle (AuNP) inks for writing photothermal readable secure information, it is of utmost importance to obtain a sharp and stable shape of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption bands in the prints. The T increase at a given irradiation wavelength (ΔTλ) is the retrieved information when printed patterns are interrogated with a laser source. As ΔTλ is proportional to the absorbance at the wavelength λ, any enlargement or change of the absorbance peak shape in a printed pattern would lead to wrong or unreliable reading. With the aim of preparing AuNP inks suitable for inkjet printing of patterns with stable and reliable photothermal reading, we prepared liquid solutions of spherical AuNP coated with a series of different polymers and with or without additional dispersant. The optical stability of the inks and of the printed patterns were checked by monitoring the shape changes of the sharp LSPR absorption band of AuNP in the visible (λmax 519 nm) along weeks of ageing. AuNP coated with neutral polyethylenglycol thiols (HS-PEG) of mw 2000–20000 showed a strong tendency to rapidly agglomerate in the dry prints. The close contact between agglomerated AuNP resulted in the loss of the pristine shape of the LSPR band, that flattened and enlarged with the further appearance of a second maximum in the Near IR, due to plasmon hybridization. The tendency to agglomerate was found directly proportional to the PEG mw. Addition of the ethylcellulose (EC) dispersant to inks resulted in an even stronger and faster tendency to LSPR peak shape deformation in the prints due to EC hydrophobicity, that induced AuNP segregation and promoted agglomeration. The introduction of a charge on the AuNP coating revelead to be the correct way to avoid agglomeration and obtain printed patterns with a sharp LSPR absorption band, stable with ageing. While the use of a simple PEG thiol with a terminal negative charge, HS-PEGCOO(−) (mw 3000), was not sufficient, overcoating with the positively charged polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and further overcoating with the negatively charged polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) yielded AuNP@HS-PEGCOO(−)/PAH(+) and AuNP@HS-PEGCOO(−)/PAH(+)/PSS(−), both giving stable prints. With these inks we have shown that it is possible to write photothermally readable secure information. In particular, the generation of reliable three-wavelength photothemal barcodes has been demonstrated.
Antitumor Activity of New Olivacine Derivatives
Authors: Piasny Janusz , Wiatrak Benita , Dobosz Agnieszka , Tylińska Beata , Gębarowski Tomasz
Published: May 2020

Olivacine is an alkaloid-containing pyridocarbazole structure. It is isolated from the bark of the evergreen timber tree, Aspidosperma olivaceum. Its well-documented anticancer activity led to the synthesis of new derivatives, which are semisynthetic and fully synthetic pyridocarbazoles. This study aimed to evaluate the potential antineoplastic activity of four newly synthesized olivacine derivatives. Multidrug resistance is a common phenomenon causing failure in the chemotherapy of many tumors. It is mainly related to increased function of P-glycoprotein, an efflux pump removing cytostatic out of the cells. The cell lines used in the study were colorectal carcinoma cell lines: LoVo (doxorubicin-sensitive) and LoVo/DX (doxorubicin-resistant). The NHDF cell line was used to assess cell viability. First, the cells were incubated with olivacine derivatives. In the next step, the following assays were performed: DCF-DA assay, MTT assay, rhodamine 123 assay, detection of apoptosis, proliferation inhibition-mitotic index. The tested compounds showed higher antineoplastic potential and lower toxicity than the reference compound ellipticine. The results indicate that the new olivacine derivatives are good candidates for future anticancer drugs.
Epoxidation of Kraft Lignin as a Tool for Improving the Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Adhesive
Authors: Gouveia Julia R. , Garcia Guilherme E. S. , Antonino Leonardo Dalseno , Tavares Lara B. , dos Santos Demetrio J.
Published: May 2020

Owing to its chemical structure, wide availability and renewable nature, lignin is a promising candidate for the partial replacement of fossil-based raw material in the synthesis of epoxy resins. Its poor compatibility has been reported to be one of the main drawbacks in this domain. On the other hand, a well-established modification method for lignin epoxidation has been used for many years for the improvement of lignin compatibility. However, the extent of the effect of lignin epoxidation on the improvement of bio-based epoxy mechanical properties, applied as adhesives, is still an open question in the literature. In this context, a pristine and industrial grade kraft lignin (AKL) was reacted with epichlorohydrin to yield epoxidized lignin (E-AKL) in this work. Afterwards, AKL or E-AKL were separately blended with petroleum-based epoxy resin at 15 and 30 wt% and cured with a commercial amine. The adhesive curing kinetic was evaluated using a novel technique for thermal transition characterization, Temperature Modulated Optical Refractometry (TMOR); the results showed that the incorporation of AKL reduces the crosslinking rate, and that this effect is overcome by lignin modification. Mechanical tests revealed an improvement of impact and practical adhesion strength for samples containing 15 wt% of E-AKL. These results elucidate the effect of lignin epoxidation on the application of lignin-based epoxy adhesives, and might support the further development and application of these bio-based materials.
Design, Synthesis, Antitumor Activity and Molecular Docking Study of Novel 5-Deazaalloxazine Analogs
Authors: Mahmoud Sawsan , Samaha Doaa , Mohamed Mosaad S. , Abou Taleb Nageh A. , Elsawy Mohamed A. , Nagamatsu Tomohisa , Ali Hamed I.
Published: May 2020

Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are the most potential therapeutic targets for cancer. Herein, we present a sound rationale for synthesis of a series of novel 2-(methylthio), 2-(substituted alkylamino), 2-(heterocyclic substituted), 2-amino, 2,4-dioxo and 2-deoxo-5-deazaalloxazine derivatives by applying structure-based drug design (SBDD) using AutoDock 4.2. Their antitumor activities against human CCRF-HSB-2, KB, MCF-7 and HeLa have been investigated in vitro. Many 5-deazaalloxazine analogs revealed high selective activities against MCF-7 tumor cell lines (IC50: 0.17–2.17 µM) over HeLa tumor cell lines (IC50 > 100 µM). Protein kinase profiling revealed that compound 3h induced multi- targets kinase inhibition including −43% against (FAK), −40% against (CDKI) and −36% against (SCR). Moreover, the Annexin-V/PI apoptotic assay elucidate that compound 3h showed 33% and potentially 140% increase in early and late apoptosis to MCF-7 cells respectively, compared to the control. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) and molecular docking study using PTK as a target enzyme for the synthesized 7-deazaalloaxazine derivatives were investigated as potential antitumor agents. The AutoDock binding affinities of the 5-deazaalloxazine analogs into c-kit PTK (PDB code: 1t46) revealed reasonable correlations between their AutoDock binding free energy and IC50.
A Comparative Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of HCMV-Infected Cells Highlights pUL138 as a Multifunctional Protein
Authors: Li Yang , Shang Weijuan , Xiao Gengfu , Zhang Lei-Ke , Zheng Congyi
Published: May 2020

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread virus that can establish life-long latent infection in large populations. The establishment of latent infection prevents HCMV from being cleared by host cells, and HCMV reactivation from latency can cause severe disease and death in people with immature or compromised immune systems. To establish persistent and latent infection in healthy individuals, HCMV encodes a large array of proteins that can modulate different components and pathways of host cells. It has been reported that pUL138 encoded by the UL133-UL138 polycistronic locus promotes latent infection in primary CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) infected in vitro. In this study, recombinant HCMV HanUL138del was constructed by deleting the UL138 locus of Han, a clinical HCMV strain. Then, a comparative quantitative proteomic analysis of Han- and HanUL138del-infected MRC5 cells was performed to study the effect of pUL138 on host cells in the context of HCMV infection. Our results indicated that, during the early phase of HCMV infection, the innate immune response was differentially activated, while during the late phase of HCMV infection, multiple host proteins were differentially expressed between Han- and HanUL138del-infected cells, and these proteins are involved in the oxidation-reduction process, ER to Golgi vesicle-mediated transport, and extracellular matrix organization. Among these proteins, STEAP3, BORCS7, FAM172A, RELL1, and WDR48 were further demonstrated to affect HCMV infection. Our study provides a systematic view of the effect of pUL138 on the host cell proteome and highlights the proposition that multiple biological processes or host factors may be involved in the overall role of the UL133-UL138 polycistronic locus in HCMV persistence.
Current Insights into Migratory Endoparasitism: Deciphering the Biology, Parasitism Mechanisms, and Management Strategies of Key Migratory Endoparasitic Phytonematodes
Authors: Mathew Reny , Opperman Charles H.
Published: May 2020

Despite their physiological differences, sedentary and migratory plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) share several commonalities. Functional characterization studies of key effectors and their targets identified in sedentary phytonematodes are broadly applied to migratory PPNs, generalizing parasitism mechanisms existing in distinct lifestyles. Despite their economic significance, host–pathogen interaction studies of migratory endoparasitic nematodes are limited; they have received little attention when compared to their sedentary counterparts. Because several migratory PPNs form disease complexes with other plant-pathogens, it is important to understand multiple factors regulating their feeding behavior and lifecycle. Here, we provide current insights into the biology, parasitism mechanism, and management strategies of the four-key migratory endoparasitic PPN genera, namely Pratylenchus, Radopholus, Ditylenchus, and Bursaphelenchus. Although this review focuses on these four genera, many facets of feeding mechanisms and management are common across all migratory PPNs and hence can be applied across a broad genera of migratory phytonematodes.
Burkholderia Phytofirmans PsJN Stimulate Growth and Yield of Quinoa under Salinity Stress
Authors: Yang Aizheng , Akhtar Saqib Saleem , Fu Qiang , Naveed Muhammad , Iqbal Shahid , Roitsch Thomas , Jacobsen Sven-Erik
Published: May 2020

One of the major challenges in agriculture is to ensure sufficient and healthy food availability for the increasing world population in near future. This requires maintaining sustainable cultivation of crop plants under varying environmental stresses. Among these stresses, salinity is the second most abundant threat worldwide after drought. One of the promising strategies to mitigate salinity stress is to cultivate halotolerant crops such as quinoa. Under high salinity, performance can be improved by plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). Among PGPB, endophytic bacteria are considered better in stimulating plant growth compared to rhizosphere bacteria because of their ability to colonize both in plant rhizosphere and plant interior. Therefore, in the current study, a pot experiment was conducted in a controlled greenhouse to investigate the effects of endophytic bacteria i.e., Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN on improving growth, physiology and yield of quinoa under salinity stress. At six leaves stage, plants were irrigated with saline water having either 0 (control) or 400 mM NaCl. The results indicated that plants inoculated with PsJN mitigated the negative effects of salinity on quinoa resulting in increased shoot biomass, grain weight and grain yield by 12%, 18% and 41% respectively, over un-inoculated control. Moreover, inoculation with PsJN improved osmotic adjustment and ion homeostasis ability. In addition, leaves were also characterized for five key reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging enzyme in response to PsJN treatment. This showed higher activity of catalase (CAT) and dehydroascobate reductase (DHAR) in PsJN-treated plants. These findings suggest that inoculation of quinoa seeds with Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN could be used for stimulating growth and yield of quinoa in highly salt-affected soils.
Solanales Stem Biomechanical Properties Are Primarily Determined by Morphology Rather Than Internal Structural Anatomy and Cell Wall Composition
Authors: Shtein Ilana , Koyfman Alex , Schwartz Amnon , Popper Zoë A. , Bar-On Benny
Published: May 2020

Self-supporting plants and climbers exhibit differences in their structural and biomechanical properties. We hypothesized that such fundamental differences originate at the level of the material properties. In this study, we compared three non-woody members of the Solanales exhibiting different growth habits: (1) a self-supporting plant (potato, Solanum tuberosum), (2) a trailing plant (sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas), and (3) a twining climber (morning glory, Ipomoea tricolor). The mechanical properties investigated by materials analyses were combined with structural, biochemical, and immunohistochemical analyses. Generally, the plants exhibited large morphological differences, but possessed relatively similar anatomy and cell wall composition. The cell walls were primarily composed of hemicelluloses (~60%), with α-cellulose and pectins constituting ~25% and 5–8%, respectively. Immunohistochemistry of specific cell wall components suggested only minor variation in the occurrence and localization between the species, although some differences in hemicellulose distribution were observed. According to tensile and flexural tests, potato stems were the stiffest by a significant amount and the morning glory stems were the most compliant and showed differences in two- and three-orders of magnitude; the differences between their effective Young’s (Elastic) modulus values (geometry-independent parameter), on the other hand, were substantially lower (at the same order of magnitude) and sometimes not even significantly different. Therefore, although variability exists in the internal anatomy and cell wall composition between the different species, the largest differences were seen in the morphology, which appears to be the primary determinant of biomechanical function. Although this does not exclude the possibility of different mechanisms in other plant groups, there is apparently less constraint to modifying stem morphology than anatomy and cell wall composition within the Solanales.
Progress and Challenges in the Improvement of Ornamental Plants by Genome Editing
Authors: Ahn Chang Ho , Ramya Mummadireddy , An Hye Ryun , Park Pil Man , Kim Yae-Jin , Lee Su Young , Jang Seonghoe
Published: May 2020

Biotechnological approaches have been used to modify the floral color, size, and fragrance of ornamental plants, as well as to increase disease resistance and vase life. Together with the advancement of whole genome sequencing technologies, new plant breeding techniques have rapidly emerged in recent years. Compared to the early versions of gene editing tools, such as meganucleases (MNs), zinc fingers (ZFNs), and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) is capable of altering a genome more efficiently and with higher accuracy. Most recently, new CRISPR systems, including base editors and prime editors, confer reduced off-target activity with improved DNA specificity and an expanded targeting scope. However, there are still controversial issues worldwide for the recognition of genome-edited plants, including whether genome-edited plants are genetically modified organisms and require a safety evaluation process. In the current review, we briefly summarize the current progress in gene editing systems and also introduce successful/representative cases of the CRISPR system application for the improvement of ornamental plants with desirable traits. Furthermore, potential challenges and future prospects in the use of genome-editing tools for ornamental plants are also discussed.
Synthesis, Modification and Characterization of Antimicrobial Textile Surface Containing ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Martinaga Pintarić L. , Somogi Škoc M. , Ljoljić Bilić V. , Pokrovac I. , Kosalec I. , Rezić I.
Published: May 2020

In this research, a textile surface was modified by the sol–gel methodology with a new antimicrobial coating containing nanoparticles active against bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation power (40 to 90 kHz), the concentration of reagents (nanoparticles, precursor and acids) and time (15 to 72 min) were investigated in relation to the structure, morphology and antimicrobial activity of coatings with zinc oxide nanoparticles. The relationship between the sonocatalytic performance and structure of the resultant modification was established by using various techniques, such as FTIR spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy with an EDX detector (SEM-EDX), thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and antimicrobial effects were determined on selected model microorganisms. The homogeneity of layers with ZnO nanoparticles on samples was increased by increasing the ultrasonic irradiation power and time. The ultrasonic irradiation unify did not only unify both the structure and the morphology of samples, it also prevented the agglomeration of the nanoparticles. Moreover, under optimal conditions, an antimicrobial coating with ZnO nanoparticles, active against bacterial species S. aureus and E. coli was efficiently prepared. Results of the Time-kill methodology revieled excellent results starting after 6 hours of exposal to antimicrobialy functionalized cellulose polymer.
Manufacture of Platform Chemicals from Pine Wood Polysaccharides in Media Containing Acidic Ionic Liquids
Authors: López Mar , Vila Carlos , Santos Valentín , Parajó Juan Carlos
Published: May 2020

Pinus pinaster wood samples were subjected to chemical processing for manufacturing furans and organic acids from the polysaccharide fractions (cellulose and hemicellulose). The operation was performed in a single reaction stage at 180 or 190 °C, using a microwave reactor. The reaction media contained wood, water, methyl isobutyl ketone, and an acidic ionic liquid, which acted as a catalyst. In media catalyzed with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, up to 60.5% pentosan conversion into furfural was achieved, but the conversions of cellulose and (galacto) glucomannan in levulinic acid were low. Improved results were achieved when AILs bearing a sulfonated alkyl chain were employed as catalysts. In media containing 1-(3-sulfopropyl)-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate as a catalyst, near quantitative conversion of pentosans into furfural was achieved at a short reaction time (7.5 min), together with 32.8% conversion of hexosans into levulinic acid. Longer reaction times improved the production of organic acids, but resulted in some furfural consumption. A similar reaction pattern was observed in experiments using 1-(3-sulfobutyl)-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate as a catalyst.
Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties of Structural Conductive ABS Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling
Authors: Lai Wenwen , Wang Yan , He Junkun
Published: May 2020

To obtain excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials, the design of microstructures has been considered as an effective method to adjust EMW absorption performance. Owing to its inherent capability of effectively fabricating materials with complex various structures, three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been regarded as a powerful tool to design EMW absorbers with plentiful microstructures for the adjustment of EMW absorption performance. In this work, five samples with various microstructures were prepared via fused deposition modeling (FDM). An analysis method combining theoretical simulation calculations with experimental measurements was adopted to investigate EMW absorbing properties of all samples. The wood-pile-structural sample possessed wider effective absorption bandwidth (EAB; reflection loss (RL) < − 10 dB, for over 90% microwave absorption) of 5.43 GHz and generated more absorption bands (C-band and Ku-band) as compared to the honeycomb-structural sample at the same thickness. Designing various microstructures via FDM proved to be a convenient and feasible method to fabricate absorbers with tunable EMW absorption properties, which provides a novel path for the preparation of EMW absorption materials with wider EAB and lower RL.
Effect of Radial Moisture Distribution on Frequency Domain Dielectric Response of Oil-Polymer Insulation Bushing
Authors: Zhang Daning , Long Guanwei , Li Yang , Mu Haibao , Zhang Guanjun
Published: May 2020

In order to realize the diagnosis of water distribution, this paper analyzes the interface polarization and macroscopic space charge polarization mechanism when the water distribution is non-uniform. The experimental results of this paper and bushing show that when the moisture distribution is non-uniform, there is a significant loss peak in the tanδ-f curve. The loss peak shifts to higher frequencies as the non-uniformity coefficient increases. There are common intersection points between multiple tanδ-f curves. Further, this paper realizes the diagnosis of the location of moisture distribution through Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS) testing of different voltages and different wiring methods based on the macroscopic space charge polarization. In the single-cycle FDS test, when the positive electrode is first added to the area with higher moisture content, the amplitude of the tanδ-f curve is smaller. The tanδ-f curves under different wiring methods constitute a “ring-shaped” loss peak. As the voltage increases, the peak value of the loss peak shifts to the lower frequency band. As the temperature increases, the peak value of the loss peak shifts to higher frequencies. Based on the above rules and mechanism analysis, this research provides a new solution for the evaluation of moisture content of oil-immersed polymers equipment.