bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale: Adaptation to Spanish
Authors: Boada-Grau Joan , Sánchez-García José Carlos , Viardot Eric , Boada-Cuerva Maria , Vigil-Colet Andreu
Published: July 2016

Entrepreneurship is linked to the perception of opportunities, to orientation, to attitudes, to the fear of failure and to entrepreneurial motivations. Entrepreneurial orientation is a fundamental construct for understanding the phenomenon of entrepreneurship. What is more, it is multidimensional and has attracted considerable attention from researchers in recent years. The objective of this study was to adapt the original 12-item English scale to Spanish and to analyze its psychometric properties. The participants in the present study were 925 Spanish employees (48.2% men, 51.5% women, M age = 42.49 years, SD age = 11.25) from the Autonomous Communities of Catalonia and Castilla-León. After applying an ESEM (RMSEA = .06; CFI = .97 and TLI = .95) a structure was determined made up of four factors which corroborated the structure of the original scale: Autonomy (α = .71 and CI = .68 – .73), Innovativeness (α = .70 and CI = .67 – .73), Risk Taking (α = .72 and CI = .68 – .74) and Competitive Aggressiveness (α = .70 and CI = .67 – .73). The four factors displayed suitable reliability. The study also found evidences of validity in relation to a series of external correlates and various scales which refer to workaholism, irritation and burnout. The scale presented here may prove useful for satisfactorily identifying, in Spanish, the entrepreneurial orientation of the working population.
Left Out:Policy Diffusion and the Exclusion of Black Workers from Unemployment Insurance
Authors: Rodems Richard , Shaefer H. Luke
Published: July 2016

Social scientists and historians have identified the exclusion of agricultural workers and domestic servants from social insurance programs during the New Deal as a cause of the racially divided US welfare state. The most prominent explanation for these exclusions is that they originated in a Southern-dominated congress and were deliberately designed to exclude a majority of African-American workers from the emerging welfare state. This article examines recent historical scholarship, archival evidence, and information on unemployment compensation programs internationally to situate this policy choice in a wider context. The exclusion of these categories of workers is consistent with the experience of other unemployment insurance programs. Given the close linkages between the technical experts who drafted the US legislation and their counterparts abroad, the exclusion of agricultural workers and domestic servants from unemployment insurance is best understood as an example of policy diffusion.
Serial Referendums on Alcohol Prohibition: A New Zealand Invention
Authors: Dostie Benoit , Dupré Ruth
Published: July 2016

The 1920s American prohibition of alcohol is notorious but not unique. Many countries experienced similar struggles. However, none went through such a protracted struggle as New Zealand, the only country to hold nationwide referendums on prohibition at every general election for almost eight decades from 1911 to 1987. Indeed, if the majority threshold of its first referendum in 1911 had been set at 50 percent instead of at 60 percent, New Zealand would have been the very first country in the world to become prohibitionist. In our empirical analysis, we focus on the first five of those referendums, held from 1911 to 1922, because the 1910s was the most critical period when the fight between Drys and Wets reached its highest intensity. We first investigate how the different referendum designs influenced voting patterns. This is possible because the district-level referendum results present rare features such as the participation rate by gender in 1911, the identification of the military votes in the two referendums of 1919, the option of prohibition with compensation in 1919, and from 1919, the addition of a state-control regime as a third option. Second, we estimate the effect of the main determinants of voting preferences identified in the historical and sociological literature on temperance and prohibition. Our results confirm the influence of two factors: (1) Evangelicals were more likely to be supporters of a total ban whereas Anglicans and Catholics were more moderate and (2) women were more likely to vote Dry.
The pro-oxidative drug WF-10 inhibits serial killing by primary human cytotoxic T-cells
Authors: Wabnitz G H , Balta E , Schindler S , Kirchgessner H , Jahraus B , Meuer S , Samstag Y
Published: July 2016

Cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) play an important role in many immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Targeting cytotoxicity of CTLs would allow to interfere with immune-mediated tissue destruction. Here we demonstrate that WF-10, a pro-oxidative compound, inhibits CTL-mediated cytotoxicity. WF-10 did not influence early steps of target-cell killing, but impaired the ability of CTLs to detach from the initial target cell and to move to a second target cell. This reduced serial killing was accompanied by stronger enrichment of the adhesion molecule LFA-1 in the cytolytic immune synapse. LFA-1 clustering requires activation of the actin-bundling protein L-plastin and was accordingly diminished in L-plastin knockdown cells. Interestingly, WF-10 likely acts through regulating L-plastin: (I) It induced L-plastin activation through phosphorylation leading to enhanced LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion, and, importantly, (II) WF-10 lost its influence on target-cell killing in L-plastin knockdown cells. Finally, we demonstrate that WF-10 can improve immunosuppression by conventional drugs. Thus, while cyclosporine A alone had no significant effect on cytotoxicity of CTLs, a combination of cyclosporine A and WF-10 blocked target-cell killing synergistically. Together, our findings suggest that WF-10 – either alone or in combination with conventional immunosuppressive drugs – may be efficient to control progression of diseases, in which CTLs are crucially involved.
Loss of BRCA1 or BRCA2 markedly increases the rate of base substitution mutagenesis and has distinct effects on genomic deletions
Authors: Zámborszky J , Szikriszt B , Gervai J Z , Pipek O , Póti Á , Krzystanek M , Ribli D , Szalai-Gindl J M , Csabai I , Szallasi Z , Swanton C , Richardson A L , Szüts D
Published: July 2016

Loss-of-function mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase the risk of cancer. Owing to their function in homologous recombination repair, much research has focused on the unstable genomic phenotype of BRCA1/2 mutant cells manifest mainly as large-scale rearrangements. We used whole-genome sequencing of multiple isogenic chicken DT40 cell clones to precisely determine the consequences of BRCA1/2 loss on all types of genomic mutagenesis. Spontaneous base substitution mutation rates increased sevenfold upon the disruption of either BRCA1 or BRCA2, and the arising mutation spectra showed strong and specific correlation with a mutation signature associated with BRCA1/2 mutant tumours. To model endogenous alkylating damage, we determined the mutation spectrum caused by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), and showed that MMS also induces more base substitution mutations in BRCA1/2-deficient cells. Spontaneously arising and MMS-induced insertion/deletion mutations and large rearrangements were also more common in BRCA1/2 mutant cells compared with the wild-type control. A difference in the short deletion phenotypes of BRCA1 and BRCA2 suggested distinct roles for the two proteins in the processing of DNA lesions, as BRCA2 mutants contained more short deletions, with a wider size distribution, which frequently showed microhomology near the breakpoints resembling repair by non-homologous end joining. An increased and prolonged gamma-H2AX signal in MMS-treated BRCA1/2 cells suggested an aberrant processing of stalled replication forks as the cause of increased mutagenesis. The high rate of base substitution mutagenesis demonstrated by our experiments is likely to significantly contribute to the oncogenic effect of the inactivation of BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Methylation of a panel of genes in peripheral blood leukocytes is associated with colorectal cancer
Authors: Luo Xiang , Huang Rong , Sun Hongru , Liu Yupeng , Bi Haoran , Li Jing , Yu Hongyuan , Sun Jiamei , Lin Shangqun , Cui Binbin , Zhao Yashuang
Published: July 2016

The relationship between the DNA methylation status of the CpG islands of multiple genes in blood leukocytes in CRC susceptibility and prognosis, as well as possible interactions with dietary factors on CRC risk are unclear. We carried out a case-control study including 421 CRC patients and 506 controls to examine the associations between six genes (AOX-1, RARB2, RERG, ADAMTS9, IRF4, and FOXE-1), multiple CpG site methylation (MCSM) and susceptibility to CRC. High-level MCSM (MCSM-H) was defined as methylation of greater than or equal to 2 of 5 candidate genes (except for RARB2); low-level MCSM (MCSM-L) was when 1 candidate gene was methylated; non-MCSM was when none of the candidate genes were methylated. Blood cell-derived DNA methylation status was detected using methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting analysis. The hypermethylation status of each individual gene was statistically significantly associated with CRC. MCSM status was also associated with CRC (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.15–2.05, P = 0.004). We observed interactions between a high level of dietary intake of cereals, pungent food, and stewed fish with brown sauce, age (older than 60 yrs), smoking and hypermethylation on risk of CRC. MCSM in peripheral blood DNA may be an important biomarker for susceptibility to CRC.
Potential Benefit of the Charge-Stabilized Nanostructure Saline RNS60 for Myelin Maintenance and Repair
Authors: Rao Vijayaraghava T. S. , Khan Damla , Jones Russell G. , Nakamura Diane S. , Kennedy Timothy E. , Cui Qiao-Ling , Rone Malena B. , Healy Luke M. , Watson Richard , Ghosh Supurna , Antel Jack P.
Published: July 2016

Myelin injury in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been attributed both to “outside-in” primary immune mediated and “inside-out” metabolic stress of oligodendrocyte (OL) related mechanisms. Subsequent remyelination is dependent on recruitment and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). RNS60 is a physically-modified saline containing charge-stabilized nanobubbles generated by subjecting normal saline to Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille (TCP) flow under elevated oxygen pressure. Administration of RNS60 has been shown to reduce the severity of EAE by dampening the immune response and myelin loss. Additionally, RNS60 has been demonstrated to enhance mitochondrial ATP synthesis in neurons. Here, we used post-natal rat derived OLs and OPCs to assess the impact of RNS60 on the response of OLs to metabolic stress in vitro (glucose-nutrient deprivation, referred to as ‘NG’) and on OPC differentiation capacity. Under the NG condition, our findings indicate that RNS60 decreases caspases 3/7 activation. Respirometric analyses revealed that RNS60 increased spare glycolytic capacity (SGC) under normal culture conditions. However, RNS60 enhanced OL spare respiratory capacity (SRC) when a metabolic stress was present. Furthermore, we show that RNS60 promotes OPC differentiation under physiological conditions. Our findings provide evidence for the potential therapeutic efficacy of RNS60 through the promotion of OL survival and OPC differentiation.
The Effect of Water and Confinement on Self-Assembly of Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids at Mica Interfaces
Authors: Cheng H.-W. , Dienemann J.-N. , Stock P. , Merola C. , Chen Y.-J. , Valtiner M.
Published: July 2016

Tuning chemical structure and molecular layering of ionic liquids (IL) at solid interfaces offers leverage to tailor performance of ILs in applications such as super-capacitors, catalysis or lubrication. Recent experimental interpretations suggest that ILs containing cations with long hydrophobic tails form well-ordered bilayers at interfaces. Here we demonstrate that interfacial bilayer formation is not an intrinsic quality of hydrophobic ILs. In contrast, bilayer formation is triggered by boundary conditions including confinement, surface charging and humidity present in the IL. Therefore, we performed force versus distance profiles using atomic force microscopy and the surface forces apparatus. Our results support models of disperse low-density bilayer formation in confined situations, at high surface charging and/or in the presence of water. Conversely, interfacial structuring of long-chain ILs in dry environments and at low surface charging is disordered and dominated by bulk structuring. Our results demonstrate that boundary conditions such as charging, confinement and doping by impurities have decisive influence on structure formation of ILs at interfaces. As such, these results have important implications for understanding the behavior of solid/IL interfaces as they significantly extend previous interpretations.
Correction: Corrigendum: Seven wood-inhabiting new species of the genus Trichoderma (Fungi, Ascomycota) in Viride clade
Authors: Qin Wen-Tao , Zhuang Wen-Ying
Published: July 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 27074; published online: 01 June 2016; updated: 25 July 2016 This Article contains errors in the Author Contributions Statement. “Conceived and designed the experiments: W.Y.Z. and W.T.Q. Performed the experiments, analyzed the data and wrote the paper: W.T.Q. Revised and approved the final version of the paper: W.
Herbicides do not ensure for higher wheat yield, but eliminate rare plant species
Authors: Gaba Sabrina , Gabriel Edith , Chadœuf Joël , Bonneu Florent , Bretagnolle Vincent
Published: July 2016

Weed control is generally considered to be essential for crop production and herbicides have become the main method used for weed control in developed countries. However, concerns about harmful environmental consequences have led to strong pressure on farmers to reduce the use of herbicides. As food demand is forecast to increase by 50% over the next century, an in-depth quantitative analysis of crop yields, weeds and herbicides is required to balance economic and environmental issues. This study analysed the relationship between weeds, herbicides and winter wheat yields using data from 150 winter wheat fields in western France. A Bayesian hierarchical model was built to take account of farmers’ behaviour, including implicitly their perception of weeds and weed control practices, on the effectiveness of treatment. No relationship was detected between crop yields and herbicide use. Herbicides were found to be more effective at controlling rare plant species than abundant weed species. These results suggest that reducing the use of herbicides by up to 50% could maintain crop production, a result confirmed by previous studies, while encouraging weed biodiversity. Food security and biodiversity conservation may, therefore, be achieved simultaneously in intensive agriculture simply by reducing the use of herbicides.
Rolling ball sifting algorithm for the augmented visual inspection of carotid bruit auscultation
Authors: Huang Adam , Lee Chung-Wei , Liu Hon-Man
Published: July 2016

Carotid bruits are systolic sounds associated with turbulent blood flow through atherosclerotic stenosis in the neck. They are audible intermittent high-frequency (above 200 Hz) sounds mixed with background noise and transmitted low-frequency (below 100 Hz) heart sounds that wax and wane periodically. It is a nontrivial task to extract both bruits and heart sounds with high fidelity for further computer-aided auscultation and diagnosis. In this paper we propose a rolling ball sifting algorithm that is capable to filter signals with a sharper frequency selectivity mechanism in the time domain. By rolling two balls (one above and one below the signal) of a suitable radius, the balls are large enough to roll over bruits and yet small enough to ride on heart sound waveforms. The high-frequency bruits can then be extracted according to a tangibility criterion by using the local extrema touched by the balls. Similarly, the low-frequency heart sounds can be acquired by a larger radius. By visualizing the periodicity information of both the extracted heart sounds and bruits, the proposed visual inspection method can potentially improve carotid bruit diagnosis accuracy.
Two hAT transposon genes were transferred from Brassicaceae to broomrapes and are actively expressed in some recipients
Authors: Sun Ting , Renner Susanne S. , Xu Yuxing , Qin Yan , Wu Jianqiang , Sun Guiling
Published: July 2016

A growing body of evidence is pointing to an important role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the evolution of higher plants. However, reports of HGTs of transposable elements (TEs) in plants are still scarce and only one case is known of a class II transposon horizontally transferred between grasses. To investigate possible TE transfers in dicots, we performed transcriptome screening in the obligate root parasite Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Orobanchaceae), data-mining in the draft genome assemblies of four other Orobanchaceae, gene cloning, gene annotation in species with genomic information and a molecular phylogenetic analysis. We discovered that the broomrape genera Phelipanche and Orobanche acquired two related nuclear genes (christened BO transposase genes), a new group of the hAT superfamily of class II transposons, from Asian Sisymbrieae or a closely related tribe of Brassicaceae, by HGT. The collinearity of the flanking genes, lack of a classic border structure and low expression levels suggest that BO transposase genes cannot transpose in Brassicaceae, whereas they are highly expressed in P. aegyptiaca.
Truly trapped rainbow by utilizing nonreciprocal waveguides
Authors: Liu Kexin , He Sailing
Published: July 2016

The concept of a “trapped rainbow” has generated considerable interest for optical data storage and processing. It aims to trap different frequency components of the wave packet at different positions permanently. However, all the previously proposed structures cannot truly achieve this effect, due to the difficulties in suppressing the reflection caused by strong intermodal coupling and distinguishing different frequency components simultaneously. In this article, we found a physical mechanism to achieve a truly “trapped rainbow” storage of electromagnetic wave. We utilize nonreciprocal waveguides under a tapered magnetic field to achieve this and such a trapping effect is stable even under fabrication disorders. We also observe hot spots and relatively long duration time of the trapped wave around critical positions through frequency domain and time domain simulations. The physical mechanism we found has a variety of potential applications ranging from wave harvesting and storage to nonlinearity enhancement.
Lysine Acetylation and Succinylation in HeLa Cells and their Essential Roles in Response to UV-induced Stress
Authors: Xu Hong , Chen Xuanyi , Xu Xiaoli , Shi Rongyi , Suo Shasha , Cheng Kaiying , Zheng Zhiguo , Wang Meixia , Wang Liangyan , Zhao Ye , Tian Bing , Hua Yuejin
Published: July 2016

Lysine acetylation and succinylation are major types of protein acylation that are important in many cellular processes including gene transcription, cellular metabolism, DNA damage response. Malfunctions in these post-translational modifications are associated with genome instability and disease in higher organisms. In this study, we used high-resolution nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with affinity purification to quantify the dynamic changes of protein acetylation and succinylation in response to ultraviolet (UV)-induced cell stress. A total of 3345 acetylation sites in 1440 proteins and 567 succinylation sites in 246 proteins were identified, many of which have not been reported previously. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these proteins are involved in many important biological processes, including cell signalling transduction, protein localization and cell metabolism. Crosstalk analysis between these two modifications indicated that modification switches might regulate protein function in response to UV-induced DNA damage. We further illustrated that FEN1 acetylation at different sites could lead to different cellular phenotypes, suggesting the multiple function involvement of FEN1 acetylation under DNA damage stress. These systematic analyses provided valuable resources and new insight into the potential role of lysine acetylation and succinylation under physiological and pathological conditions.
Erratum: Newly identified motifs in Candida albicans Cdr1 protein nucleotide binding domains are pleiotropic drug resistance subfamily-specific and functionally asymmetric
Authors: Rawal Manpreet Kaur , Banerjee Atanu , Shah Abdul Haseeb , Khan Mohammad Firoz , Sen Sobhan , Saxena Ajay Kumar , Monk Brian C. , Cannon Richard D. , Bhatnagar Rakesh , Mondal Alok Kumar , Prasad Rajendra
Published: July 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 27132; published online: 02 June 2016; updated: 25 July 2016 This Article contains a typographical error in Equation 1. should read:
A simple Gateway-assisted construction system of TALEN genes for plant genome editing
Authors: Kusano Hiroaki , Onodera Hitomi , Kihira Miho , Aoki Hiromi , Matsuzaki Hikaru , Shimada Hiroaki
Published: July 2016

TALEN is an artificial nuclease being applied for sequence-specific genome editing. For the plant genome editing, a pair of TALEN genes is expressed in the cells and a binary plasmid for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation should be assembled. We developed a novel procedure using the Gateway-assisted plasmids, named Emerald–Gateway TALEN system. We constructed entry vectors, pPlat plasmids, for construction of a desired TALEN gene using Platinum Gate TALEN kit. We also created destination plasmid, pDual35SGw1301, which allowed two TALEN genes to both DNA strands to recruit using Gateway technology. Resultant TALEN genes were evaluated by the single-strand annealing (SSA) assay in E. coli cells. By this assay, the TALENs recognized the corresponding targets in the divided luciferase gene and induced a specific recombination to generate an active luciferase gene. Using the TALEN genes constructed, we created a transformant potato cells in which a site-specific mutation occurred at the target site of the GBSS gene. This suggested that our system worked effectively and was applicable as a convenient tool for the plant genome editing.
Systemic localization of seven major types of carbohydrates on cell membranes by dSTORM imaging
Authors: Chen Junling , Gao Jing , Zhang Min , Cai Mingjun , Xu Haijiao , Jiang Junguang , Tian Zhiyuan , Wang Hongda
Published: July 2016

Carbohydrates on the cell surface control intercellular interactions and play a vital role in various physiological processes. However, their systemic distribution patterns are poorly understood. Through the direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) strategy, we systematically revealed that several types of representative carbohydrates are found in clustered states. Interestingly, the results from dual-color dSTORM imaging indicate that these carbohydrate clusters are prone to connect with one another and eventually form conjoined platforms where different functional glycoproteins aggregate (e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor, (EGFR) and band 3 protein). A thorough understanding of the ensemble distribution of carbohydrates on the cell surface paves the way for elucidating the structure-function relationship of cell membranes and the critical roles of carbohydrates in various physiological and pathological cell processes.
The 7 × 1 Fermi Surface Reconstruction in a Two-dimensional f -electron Charge Density Wave System: PrTe3
Authors: Lee Eunsook , Kim D. H. , Kim Hyun Woo , Denlinger J. D. , Kim Heejung , Kim Junwon , Kim Kyoo , Min B. I. , Min B. H. , Kwon Y. S. , Kang J.-S.
Published: July 2016

The electronic structure of a charge density wave (CDW) system PrTe3 and its modulated structure in the CDW phase have been investigated by employing ARPES, XAS, Pr 4 f RPES, and first-principles band structure calculation. Pr ions are found to be nearly trivalent, supporting the CDW instability in the metallic Te sheets through partial filling. Finite Pr 4 f spectral weight is observed near the Fermi level, suggesting the non-negligible Pr 4 f contribution to the CDW formation through the Pr 4 f -Te 5p hybridization. The two-fold symmetric features in the measured Fermi surface (FS) of PrTe3 are explained by the calculated FS for the assumed 7 × 1 CDW supercell formation in Te sheets. The shadow bands and the corresponding very weak FSs are observed, which originate from both the band folding due to the 3D interaction of Te sheets with neighboring Pr-Te layers and that due to the CDW-induced FS reconstruction. The straight vertical FSs are observed along kz , demonstrating the nearly 2D character for the near-EF states. The observed linear dichroism reveals the in-plane orbital character of the near-EF Te 5p states.
Effect of Oxygen-deficiencies on Resistance Switching in Amorphous YFe0.5Cr0.5O3−d films
Authors: Wang Xianjie , Hu Chang , Song Yongli , Zhao Xiaofeng , Zhang Lingli , Lv Zhe , Wang Yang , Liu Zhiguo , Wang Yi , Zhang Yu , Sui Yu , Song Bo
Published: July 2016

Herein, we demonstrate the contribution of the oxygen-deficiencies on the bipolar resistance switching (RS) properties of amorphous-YFe0.5Cr0.5O3−d (a-YFCO) films. The a-YFCO films were prepared under various oxygen pressures to tune the concentration of oxygen-deficiencies in the films. The XPS data verify that the oxygen-deficiencies increase with decreasing oxygen pressure. The RS property becomes more pronounced with more oxygen-deficiencies in a-YFCO films. Based on the Ohmic conduction measurements in the low resistance state, we confirm that the RS mechanism is related to the migration of oxygen-deficiencies. The enhanced RS and long retention in a-YFCO suggest a great potential for applications in nonvolatile memory devices.
Regulation of Tlx3 by Pax6 is required for the restricted expression of Chrnα3 in Cerebellar Granule Neuron progenitors during development
Authors: Divya Thulasi Sheela , Lalitha Soundararajan , Parvathy Surendran , Subashini Chandramohan , Sanalkumar Rajendran , Dhanesh Sivadasan Bindu , Rasheed Vazhanthodi Abdul , Divya Mundackal Sivaraman , Tole Shubha , James Jackson
Published: July 2016

Homeobox gene Tlx3 is known to promote glutamatergic differentiation and is expressed in post-mitotic neurons of CNS. Contrary to this here, we discovered that Tlx3 is expressed in the proliferating progenitors of the external granule layer in the cerebellum, and examined factors that regulate this expression. Using Pax6−/−Sey mouse model and molecular interaction studies we demonstrate Pax6 is a key activator of Tlx3 specifically in cerebellum, and induces its expression starting at embryonic day (E)15. By Postnatal day (PN)7, Tlx3 is expressed in a highly restricted manner in the cerebellar granule neurons of the posterior cerebellar lobes, where it is required for the restricted expression of nicotinic cholinergic receptor-α3 subunit (Chrnα3) and other genes involved in formation of synaptic connections and neuronal migration. These results demonstrate a novel role for Tlx3 and indicate that Pax6-Tlx3 expression and interaction is part of a region specific regulatory network in cerebellum and its deregulation during development could possibly lead to Autistic spectral disorders (ASD).
Drying soil in North China drove the outbreak range expansion of meadow moth by facilitating long-distance migration
Authors: Chen Xiao , Jiang Yuying , Kang Aiguo , Zhai Baoping
Published: July 2016

Studies of the mechanism underlying the range expansion of organisms have mainly focused on environmental conditions at the edges of species’ distributions, potentially ignoring other possible factors. Here, we demonstrated the outbreak range expansion of meadow moth from North China to Northeast China in the past three outbreak periods. We found that the negligible infestation in Northeast China in the 1950s could not be explained by local climatic conditions. However, the soil moisture in North China decreased distinctly from 1951 to 2011 and was significantly and positively correlated with the timing of the first adult peak on plateaus, meaning that the deterioration of habitat conditions could result in earlier peaks of adults in areas of high-elevation by stimulating the short-distance dispersal of adults from the plains to the plateaus. Adults peaking earlier have a stronger tendency to emigrate due to mismatched phenology. Hence, drying soil in North China caused the frequent long-distance migration of meadow moth after the 1970s and drove the outbreak range expansion. This study suggests that, for a migratory species, the deterioration of habitat conditions in overwintering areas might also influence the distribution of this species in breeding areas at high latitudes by facilitating migration activities.
Fuzzy nanostructure growth on Ta/Fe by He plasma irradiation
Authors: Kajita Shin , Ishida Tomoya , Ohno Noriyasu , Hwangbo Dogyun , Yoshida Tomoko
Published: July 2016

In this study, we show from helium (He) plasma irradiation to tantalum and iron surfaces that morphology changes in nanoscale occur on the both metals. In particular, from systematic irradiation experiments, it is identified that fuzzy nanostructures are grown on the both metals. The necessary conditions for the morphology changes are discussed based on the experimental results in terms of the helium migration, the physical sputtering and the shear modulus of materials. Because oxides or oxinitrides of iron and tantalum are thought of as visible light responsive photocatalytic materials, the present work shows wide potential of usage of plasmas as a tool to tailor photocatalytic materials.
In Vivo therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles with optical imaging reporter in tumor mice model
Authors: Kalimuthu Senthilkumar , Gangadaran Prakash , Li Xiu Juan , Oh Ji Min , Lee Ho Won , Jeong Shin Young , Lee Sang-Woo , Lee Jaetae , Ahn Byeong-Cheol
Published: July 2016

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as a therapeutic armor for cancer. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from MSCs have been evaluated for anticancer effects. In vivo targeting of EVs to the tumor is an essential requirement for successful therapy. Therefore, non-invasive methods of monitoring EVs in animal models are crucial for developing EV-based cancer therapies. The present study to develop bioluminescent EVs using Renilla luciferase (Rluc)-expressing MSCs. The EVs from MSC/Rluc cells (EV-MSC/Rluc) were visualized in a murine lung cancer model. The anticancer effects of EVs on Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and other cancer cells were assessed. EV-MSC/Rluc were visualized in vivo in the LLC-efffuc tumor model using optical imaging. The induction of apoptosis was confirmed with Annexin-V and propidium iodide staining. EV-MSC/Rluc and EV-MSCs showed a significant cytotoxic effect against LLC-effluc cells and 4T1; however, no significant effect on CT26, B16F10, TC1 cells. Moreover, EV-MSC/Rluc inhibited LLC tumor growth in vivo. EV-MSC/Rluc-mediated LLC tumor inhibitory mechanism revealed the decreased pERK and increased cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved PARP. We successfully developed luminescent EV-MSC/Rluc that have a therapeutic effect on LLC cells in both in vitro and in vivo. This bioluminescent EV system can be used to optimize EV-based therapy.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is associated with cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Yu Rwei-Ling , Tan Chun-Hsiang , Lu Ying-Che , Wu Ruey-Meei
Published: July 2016

Neurotransmitter degradation has been proposed to cause the accumulation of neurotoxic metabolites. The metabolism of these metabolites involves aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). The Asian-specific single nucleotide polymorphism rs671 causes reduced enzyme activity. This study aims to explore whether Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with reduced ALDH2 activity owing to the rs671 polymorphism are at risk for neuropsychological impairments. A total of 139 PD patients were recruited. Each participant was assessed for medical characteristics and their ALDH2 genotype. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale and the Frontal Behavioral Inventory were used to measure neuropsychological functions. We found that the MMSE scores were significantly lower in patients with inactive ALDH2 (U = 1873.5, p = 0.02). The presence of cognitive impairments was significantly more frequent in the inactive ALDH2 group (46.0%) than in the active ALDH2 group (26.3%) (χ2 = 5.886, p = 0.01). The inactive group showed significant deterioration in hobbies and exhibited more severe “disorganization” and “hyper-sexuality” behaviours. The additive effects of the allele on the development of cognitive impairments in PD patients may be an important finding that provides further insight into the pathogenic mechanism of cognitive dysfunction in PD.
One-Pot Synthesis of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic N-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots via Exfoliating and Disintegrating Graphite Flakes
Authors: Kuo Na-Jung , Chen Yu-Syuan , Wu Chien-Wei , Huang Chun-Yuan , Chan Yang-Hsiang , Chen I-Wen Peter
Published: July 2016

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have drawn tremendous attention on account of their numerous alluring properties and a wide range of application potentials. Here, we report that hydrophilic and hydrophobic N-doped GQDs can be prepared via exfoliating and disintegrating graphite flakes. Various spectroscopic characterizations including TEM, AFM, FTIR, PL, XPS and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the hydrophilic N-doped GQDs (IN-GQDs) and the hydrophobic N-doped GQDs (ON-GQDs) are mono-layered and multi-layered, respectively. In terms of practical aspects, the supercapacitor of an ON-GQDs/SWCNTs composite paper electrode was fabricated and exhibited an areal capacitance of 114 mF/cm2, which is more than 250% higher than the best reported value to date for a GQDs/carbon nanotube hybrid composite. For IN-GQDs applications, bio-memristor devices of IN-GQDs-albumen combination exhibited on/off current ratios in excess of 104 accompanied by stable switching endurance of over 250 cycles. The resistance stability of the high resistance state and the low resistance state could be maintained for over 104 s. Moreover, the IN-GQDs exhibited a superior quantum yield (34%), excellent stability of cellular imaging and no cytotoxicity. Hence, the solution-based method for synchronized production of IN-GQDs and ON-GQDs is a facile and processable route that will bring GQDs-based electronics and composites closer to actualization.
Medical applications of Cu, Zn, and S isotope effects
Authors: Albarede Francis , Télouk Philippe , Balter Vincent , Bondanese Victor P. , Albalat Emmanuelle , Oger Philippe , Bonaventura Paola , Miossec Pierre , Fujii Toshiyuki
Published: July 2016

Natural isotopic variations of metals in human blood and tissues turn out to be potent biomarkers of pathologies.
Fabrication of an “ion-imprinting” dual-emission quantum dot nanohybrid for selective fluorescence turn-on and ratiometric detection of cadmium ions
Authors: Wang Jing , Jiang Chenxing , Wang Xiaoqi , Wang Ligeng , Chen Aimin , Hu Jun , Luo Zhihui
Published: July 2016

A new CdTe@SiO2@CdSe nanohybrid was demonstrated for the ratiometric fluorescence detection of Cd2+via the turn-on model and “ion-imprinting” technique.
A molecularly imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor based on the mimetic enzyme catalytic effect for ultra-trace Ni2+ determination
Authors: Yang Bin , Li Jianping , Zhang Lianming , Xu Guobao
Published: July 2016

The complex of Ni-DMG acts as the template molecule modified on the MIP electrode surface. As a mimetic enzyme, it catalyses the oxidation of luminol to enhance the ECL signal. The ECL intensities produced by the luminol-H2O2 ECL system provide the basis for Ni2+ determination.
Macro-to-micro interfacing to microfluidic channels using 3D-printed templates: application to time-resolved secretion sampling of endocrine tissue
Authors: Brooks Jessica C. , Ford Katarena I. , Holder Dylan H. , Holtan Mark D. , Easley Christopher J.
Published: July 2016

3D-printed templates enabled sculpting of design-specific fluidic reservoirs into the bulk substrate of microfluidic devices used for culture and time-resolved sampling of islets and adipose tissue explants.
A sandwich-like strategy for the label-free detection of oligonucleotides by surface plasmon fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS)
Authors: Su Qiang , Nöll Gilbert
Published: July 2016

Cutting surface-bound optical molecular beacons results in a sandwich-like detection strategy with lower background fluorescence.
Stereoselective synthesis of strained cage compounds via gold-catalyzed allene functionalization
Authors: Alcaide Benito , Almendros Pedro , Cembellín Sara , Fernández Israel , Martínez del Campo Teresa
Published: July 2016

The diastereoselective synthesis of strained adducts that show cage-like structures has been accomplished directly from allenyl-β-lactams through gold catalysis. The sequence involving fragmentation of the β-lactam ring, isomerization of the allene moiety, and three consecutive carbocyclization reactions proceeds in a single operation.
(Hydro)peroxide ligands on colloidal cerium oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Damatov Delina , Mayer James M.
Published: July 2016

Hydrogen peroxide displaces capping ligands from soluble nanoceria and forms stable surface peroxo/hydroperoxo species.
Endocrine-specific NIR fluorophores for adrenal gland targeting
Authors: Ashitate Yoshitomo , Levitz Andrew , Park Min Ho , Hyun Hoon , Venugopal Vivek , Park GwangLi , El Fakhri Georges , Henary Maged , Gioux Sylvain , Frangioni John V. , Choi Hak Soo
Published: July 2016

The adrenal glands (AGs) are relatively small yet require definitive identification during their resection, or more commonly their avoidance.
Synthesis, aggregation-enhanced emission, polymorphism and piezochromism of TPE-cored foldamers with through-space conjugation
Authors: Zhuang Zeyan , Shen Pingchuan , Ding Siyang , Luo Wenwen , He Bairong , Nie Han , Wang Bohan , Huang Tianbai , Hu Rongrong , Qin Anjun , Zhao Zujin , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: July 2016

Alteration of intermolecular stacking geometry of a through-space conjugated foldamer gives rise to blue and cyan fluorescent crystals.
A surface-grafted thermoresponsive hydrogel in which the surface structure dominates the bulk properties
Authors: Matsukawa Ko , Masuda Tsukuru , Akimoto Aya Mizutani , Yoshida Ryo
Published: July 2016

A surface-grafted hydrogel was successfully synthesized by immobilization of the ATRP initiator at the surface region of the gel and the subsequent ARGET ATRP step.
Exchange coupled ferrite nanocomposites through chemical synthesis
Authors: Dai Qilin , Patel Ketan , Ren Shenqiang
Published: July 2016

Exchange coupling between magnetically hard and soft phases has the potential to yield a large gain in the energy product.
N-Oxides rescue Ru(v) in catalytic Griffith–Ley (TPAP) alcohol oxidations
Authors: Zerk Timothy J. , Moore Peter W. , Williams Craig M. , Bernhardt Paul V.
Published: July 2016

Electrochemistry of tetrapropylammonium perruthenate (TPAP) reveals that an unstable Ru(v) complex is reoxidised by amine N-oxides in catalytic Griffith–Ley alcohol oxidations.
Synthesis and application of hexagonal perovskite BaNiO3 with quadrivalent nickel under atmospheric and low-temperature conditions
Authors: Lee Jin Goo , Hwang Ho Jung , Kwon Ohchan , Jeon Ok Sung , Jang Jeongseok , Shul Yong-Gun
Published: July 2016

A hexagonal perovskite BaNiO3 with unusually high-valence nickel(iv) was synthesized under atmospheric and low-temperature conditions by an ethylenediamine-derived wet-chemical route.
Charge carrier transport and lifetimes in n-type and p-type phosphorene as 2D device active materials: an ab initio study
Authors: Tea E. , Hin C.
Published: July 2016

Electron and hole non-radiative lifetimes in phosphorene are investigated by first principles calculations.
Photoluminescence study of time- and spatial-dependent light induced trap de-activation in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films
Authors: Fu Xiao , Jacobs Daniel A. , Beck Fiona J. , Duong The , Shen Heping , Catchpole Kylie R. , White Thomas P.
Published: July 2016

Confocal photoluminescence microscopy is applied to investigate the time and spatial characteristics of light-induced trap de-activation in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films.
Computational insight into the catalytic implication of head/tail-first orientation of arachidonic acid in human 5-lipoxygenase: consequences for the positional specificity of oxygenation
Authors: Saura Patricia , Maréchal Jean-Didier , Masgrau Laura , Lluch José M. , González-Lafont Àngels
Published: July 2016

Using a multi-scale approach to search for the arachidonic acid binding modes that determine the catalytic specificity of human 5-LOX.
Hydrogen bond competition in the ethanol–methanol dimer
Authors: Finneran Ian A. , Carroll P. Brandon , Mead Griffin J. , Blake Geoffrey A.
Published: July 2016

Previous theoretical work on the ethanol–methanol dimer has been inconclusive in predicting the preferred hydrogen bond donor/acceptor configuration.
Correction: Photochemical etiology of promising ancestors of the RNA nucleobases
Authors: Brister M. M. , Pollum M. , Crespo-Hernández C. E.
Published: July 2016

Correction for ‘Photochemical etiology of promising ancestors of the RNA nucleobases’ by M. M. Brister et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c6cp00639f.
An aminopyrimidine-functionalized cage-based metal–organic framework exhibiting highly selective adsorption of C2H2 and CO2 over CH4
Authors: Jiao Jingjing , Dou Li , Liu Huimin , Chen Fengli , Bai Dongjie , Feng Yunlong , Xiong Shunshun , Chen De-Li , He Yabing
Published: July 2016

An aminopyrimidine-functionalized cage-based metal–organic framework has been synthesized, which exhibited exceptionally high C2H2 and CO2 uptake as well as impressive adsorption selectivities towards C2H2 and CO2 over CH4.
Recombination control in high-performance quantum dot-sensitized solar cells with a novel TiO2/ZnS/CdS/ZnS heterostructure
Authors: Lee Young-Seok , Gopi Chandu V. V. M. , Venkata-Haritha Mallineni , Kim Hee-Je
Published: July 2016

A superior photovoltaic performance is obtained with a TiO2/ZnS/CdS/ZnS heterostructure with controlled recombination.
Bimetallic salen aluminum complexes: cooperation between reactive centers in the ring-opening polymerization of lactides and epoxides
Authors: Isnard Florence , Lamberti Marina , Lettieri Luana , D'auria Ilaria , Press Konstantin , Troiano Rubina , Mazzeo Mina
Published: July 2016

In dinuclear aluminum complexes, opportunely designed to have proximal coordinative pockets, the communication between the two reactive centers allows enhanced catalytic performances.
A unified set of experimental organometallic data used to evaluate modern theoretical methods
Authors: Raju Rajesh K. , Bengali Ashfaq A. , Brothers Edward N.
Published: July 2016

We applied a test set of ligand dissociation enthalpies derived entirely from a unified experimental approach to evaluate the efficacy of various methods for modeling organometallic chemistry.
Deciphering the binding behaviours of BSA using ionic AIE-active fluorescent probes
Authors: Tong Jiaqi , Hu Ting , Qin Anjun , Sun Jing Zhi , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: July 2016

The binding behaviours of a transport protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), in its native, unfolding and refolding states have been probed by monitoring the emission changes of two exogenous AIE-active fluorescent probes,M2andM3, which are designed to be anionic and cationic, respectively. Due to their AIE properties, bothM2andM3display emission enhancement when bound to the hydrophobic cavity of BSA. The binding site ofM2andM3is found to be subdomain IIA. Then, the BSA +M2and BSA +M3systems are utilized to fluorescently signal the conformation changes of BSA caused by various external stimuli, including thermally or chemically induced denaturation. The data confirmed the multi-step unfolding process and the existence of a molten-globule intermediate state. The unfolding process consists of the rearrangement of subdomain IIA, the exposure of a negatively charged binding site in domain I that prefers interacting with cationic species, and the transformation of the molten-globule intermediate into the final random coil. The anionic and cationic modifications of the probes enable us to observe that electrostatic interactions play a role in the folding and unfolding of BSA.
Hydrogen peroxide/dimethyl carbonate: a green system for epoxidation of N-alkylimines and N-sulfonylimines. One-pot synthesis of N-alkyloxaziridines from N-alkylamines and (hetero)aromatic aldehydes
Authors: Kraïem Jamil , Ghedira Donia , Ollevier Thierry
Published: July 2016

A green method for epoxidation of imines using an environmentally benign oxidant system, H2O2/dimethyl carbonate, was developed.
Microfluidic production of multiple emulsions and functional microcapsules
Authors: Lee Tae Yong , Choi Tae Min , Shim Tae Soup , Frijns Raoul A. M. , Kim Shin-Hyun
Published: July 2016

This review discusses the current state of the art in the microfluidic-based production of multiple-emulsion drops and functional microcapsules.
Biomolecular proteomics discloses ATP synthase as the main target of the natural glycoside deglucoruscin
Authors: del Gaudio Federica , Festa Carmen , Mozzicafreddo Matteo , Vasaturo Michele , Casapullo Agostino , De Marino Simona , Riccio Raffaele , Monti Maria Chiara
Published: July 2016

Extracts ofRuscus aculeatusare rich of deglucoruscin, a spirostanol glycoside, which is able to interact with ATP synthase and modulate its activity.
Weak interactions within nitryl halide heterodimers
Authors: Quiñonero David , Bauzá Antonio , Sánchez-Sanz Goar , Trujillo Cristina , Alkorta Ibon , Elguero José
Published: July 2016

Nitryl halides (XNO2, X = F, Cl, Br and I) are versatile molecules that exhibit several types of interactions within XNO2:YNO2 heterodimers mainly governed by dispersion.
NMR detection of chirality and enantiopurity of amines by using benzene tricarboxamide-based hydrogelators as chiral solvating agents
Authors: Jung Sung Ho , Kim Ka Young , Ahn Ahreum , Lee Shim Sung , Choi Myong Yong , Jaworski Justyn , Jung Jong Hwa
Published: July 2016

The use of gelator 1D as a means for NMR-based determination of the enantiopurity and chirality of amines.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-aryl-1,6-dihydro-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamines as antiplasmodial antifolates
Authors: Lourens Anna C. U. , Gravestock David , van Zyl Robyn L. , Hoppe Heinrich C. , Kolesnikova Natasha , Taweechai Supannee , Yuthavong Yongyuth , Kamchonwongpaisan Sumalee , Rousseau Amanda L.
Published: July 2016

One-pot multistep synthesis of 1,6-dihydro-1,3,5-triazines displaying potent antiplasmodial activityin vitro.
Intracellular pH sensing using polymeric micelle containing tetraphenylethylene-oxazolidine
Authors: Qi Qingkai , Li Yue , Yan Xiaoyu , Zhang Fengli , Jiang Shan , Su Jing , Xu Bin , Fu Xueqi , Sun Liankun , Tian Wenjing
Published: July 2016

The self-assembled polymeric micelle can be used as an effective probe for intracellular pH detection by switching its luminescence from cyan to red with high selectivity and contrast.
Caffeine and nicotine in 3% NaCl solution with CO2as corrosion inhibitors for low carbon steel
Authors: Espinoza-Vázquez A. , Rodríguez-Gómez F. J.
Published: July 2016

Caffeine and nicotine are excellent corrosion inhibitors under static conditions in low carbon steel immersed in 3% NaCl + CO2.
Eco-friendly grinding synthesis of a double-layered nanomaterial and the correlation between its basicity, calcination and catalytic activity in the green synthesis of novel fused pyrimidines
Authors: Sahu Pramod K.
Published: July 2016

The synthesis of hydrotalcite using Al : Mg molar ratios of 1.0 : 3.0 by a grinding method at room temperature is reported.