bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transmembrane chemokines act as receptors in a novel mechanism termed inverse signaling
Authors: Hattermann Kirsten , Gebhardt Henrike , Krossa Sebastian , Ludwig Andreas , Lucius Ralph , Held-Feindt Janka , Mentlein Rolf
Published: January 2016

The transmembrane chemokines CX3CL1/fractalkine and CXCL16 are widely expressed in different types of tumors, often without an appropriate expression of their classical receptors. We observed that receptor-negative cancer cells could be stimulated by the soluble chemokines. Searching for alternative receptors we detected that all cells expressing or transfected with transmembrane chemokine ligands bound the soluble chemokines with high affinity and responded by phosphorylation of intracellular kinases, enhanced proliferation and anti-apoptosis. This activity requires the intracellular domain and apparently the dimerization of the transmembrane chemokine ligand. Thus, shed soluble chemokines can generate auto- or paracrine signals by binding and activating their transmembrane forms. We term this novel mechanism “inverse signaling”. We suppose that inverse signaling is an autocrine feedback and fine-tuning system in the communication between cells that in tumors supports stabilization and proliferation.
Eighteenth century Yersinia pestis genomes reveal the long-term persistence of an historical plague focus
Authors: Bos Kirsten I , Herbig Alexander , Sahl Jason , Waglechner Nicholas , Fourment Mathieu , Forrest Stephen A , Klunk Jennifer , Schuenemann Verena J , Poinar Debi , Kuch Melanie , Golding G Brian , Dutour Olivier , Keim Paul , Wagner David M , Holmes Edward C , Krause Johannes , Poinar Hendrik N
Published: January 2016

The 14th–18th century pandemic of Yersinia pestis caused devastating disease outbreaks in Europe for almost 400 years. The reasons for plague’s persistence and abrupt disappearance in Europe are poorly understood, but could have been due to either the presence of now-extinct plague foci in Europe itself, or successive disease introductions from other locations. Here we present five Y. pestis genomes from one of the last European outbreaks of plague, from 1722 in Marseille, France. The lineage identified has not been found in any extant Y. pestis foci sampled to date, and has its ancestry in strains obtained from victims of the 14th century Black Death. These data suggest the existence of a previously uncharacterized historical plague focus that persisted for at least three centuries. We propose that this disease source may have been responsible for the many resurgences of plague in Europe following the Black Death.
Characterization of molecular beam epitaxy grown β-Nb2N films and AlN/β-Nb2N heterojunctions on 6H-SiC substrates
Authors: Nepal Neeraj , Katzer D. Scott , Meyer David J. , Downey Brian P. , Wheeler Virginia D. , Storm David F. , Hardy Matthew T.
Published: January 2016

β-Nb2N films and AlN/β-Nb2N heterojunctions were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on 6H-SiC. The epitaxial nature and β-Nb2N phase were determined by symmetric and asymmetric high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) measurements, and were confirmed by grazing incidence diffraction measurements using synchrotron photons. Measured lattice parameters and the in-plane stress of β-Nb2N on 6H-SiC were c = 5.0194 Å, a = 3.0558 Å, and 0.2 GPa, respectively. The HRXRD, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy revealing epitaxial growth of AlN/β-Nb2N heterojunctions have identical orientations with the substrate, abrupt interfaces, and bi-axial stress of 0.88 GPa, respectively. The current finding opens up possibilities for the next generation of high-power devices that cannot be fabricated at present.
Collimated microfiber spectroscopy for optical characterization of disordered porous anodic alumina
Authors: Yoneda Satoshi , Kimura Saho , Yamaguchi Akira , Kimura Daiki , Ohkoshi Yutaka , Yamanaka Shigeru , Usami Hisanao
Published: January 2016

A novel collimated microfiber spectroscopy technique using an optical fiber probe with microball lens was developed to observe the photonic crystalline characteristics of porous anodized alumina (PAA) slabs with disordered arrays of holes. Transmittance spectra of the PAA slab observed by the microfiber probe with ball lens showed a broad valley at ∼410 nm; conversely, no significant valley was observed by an ordinary microfiber spectroscope without ball lens. The broad valley was comparable with that observed in a spectrum simulated for a model based on a scanning electron microscopy image of the PAA slab by using the finite-difference time-domain method.
Construction of coaxial ZnSe/ZnO p–n junctions and their photovoltaic applications
Authors: Zhang Xiwei , Meng Dan , Hu Dan , Tang Zhenjie , Niu Xiaoping , Yu Fengjun , Ju Lin
Published: January 2016

Coaxial ZnSe/ZnO nanostructures were fabricated by coating a ZnO thin film on the surface of presynthesized p-type ZnSe 1D nanostructures by a sputtering method. Owing to the n-type behavior of ZnO resulting from intrinsic defects, coaxial ZnSe/ZnO p–n junctions were realized and showed a pronounced rectifying behavior. Photovoltaic devices based on the coaxial ZnSe/ZnO p–n junction showed a power conversion efficiency of 1.24% and a large open-circuit voltage of 0.87 V under UV light. The large bandgaps of ZnSe and ZnO and the high quality of the ZnSe/ZnO interface were considered to be related to the high performance of the devices.
Focusing dynamics of finite-sized particles in confined microfluidic channels
Authors: Xiang Nan , Huang Di , Cheng Jie , Chen Ke , Zhang Xinjie , Tang Wenlai , Ni Zhonghua
Published: January 2016

We investigated the focusing dynamics of finite-sized particles in spiral microfluidic channels. The experimental results demonstrated that, unlike for the dynamics of point-sized particles, the Dean flow contributes little to the lateral migration of finite-sized particles. With interests in applying inertial focusing to biomedical applications, the dynamics of finite-sized tumor cells with an added deformability feature were explored and compared with the dynamics of rigid particles. It was found that the deformation of the cells would slow down the inward shifting of the focused cell array. This improved understanding may serve as an important supplement to the knowledge of existing inertial focusing mechanisms.
Low-temperature annealing behavior of iron-related deep levels in n-type silicon wafers
Authors: Onaka-Masada Ayumi , Kadono Takeshi , Mitsugi Noritomo , Kurita Kazunari
Published: January 2016

The iron-related deep levels in n-type silicon and their thermal stabilities were investigated by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Three deep energy levels at E
c − 0.35, E
c − 0.41, and E
c − 0.48 eV were observed and classified into two types from the annealing behavior at room temperature and a low temperature of 200 °C. We found for the first time that only one iron-related deep level at E
c − 0.35 eV was highly stable at room temperature and 200 °C, while other iron-related deep levels were unstable. We also found that the concentration of the deep energy level at E
c − 0.41 eV gradually decreased at room temperature. These results suggest that the origin of the thermally stable level at E
c − 0.35 eV is attributed to the substitutional iron-related level, and those of the thermally unstable levels at E
c − 0.41 and E
c − 0.48 eV are attributed to interstitial iron-related complexes such as iron-acceptor pairs in p-type silicon.
Rat liver regeneration following ablation with irreversible electroporation
Authors: Golberg Alexander , Bruinsma Bote G. , Jaramillo Maria , Yarmush Martin L. , Uygun Basak E.
Published: January 2016

During the past decade, irreversible electroporation (IRE) ablation has emerged as a promising tool for the treatment of multiple diseases including hepatic cancer. However, the mechanisms behind the tissue regeneration following IRE ablation have not been investigated. Our results indicate that IRE treatment immediately kills the cells at the treatment site preserving the extracellular architecture, in effect causing in vivo decellularization. Over the course of 4 weeks, progenitor cell differentiation, through YAP and notch pathways, together with hepatocyte expansion led to almost complete regeneration of the ablated liver leading to the formation of hepatocyte like cells at the ablated zone. We did not observe significant scarring or tumor formation at the regenerated areas 6 months post IRE. Our study suggests a new model to study the regeneration of liver when the naïve extracellular matrix is decellularized in vivo with completely preserved extracellular architecture.
Revisiting the Zingiberales: using multiplexed exon capture to resolve ancient and recent phylogenetic splits in a charismatic plant lineage
Authors: Sass Chodon , Iles William J.D. , Barrett Craig F. , Smith Selena Y. , Specht Chelsea D.
Published: January 2016

The Zingiberales are an iconic order of monocotyledonous plants comprising eight families with distinctive and diverse floral morphologies and representing an important ecological element of tropical and subtropical forests. While the eight families are demonstrated to be monophyletic, phylogenetic relationships among these families remain unresolved. Neither combined morphological and molecular studies nor recent attempts to resolve family relationships using sequence data from whole plastomes has resulted in a well-supported, family-level phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships. Here we approach this challenge by leveraging the complete genome of one member of the order,Musa acuminata, together with transcriptome information from each of the other seven families to design a set of nuclear loci that can be enriched from highly divergent taxa with a single array-based capture of indexed genomic DNA. A total of 494 exons from 418 nuclear genes were captured for 53 ingroup taxa. The entire plastid genome was also captured for the same 53 taxa. Of the total genes captured, 308 nuclear and 68 plastid genes were used for phylogenetic estimation. The concatenated plastid and nuclear dataset supports the position of Musaceae as sister to the remaining seven families. Moreover, the combined dataset recovers known intra- and inter-family phylogenetic relationships with generally high bootstrap support. This is a flexible and cost effective method that gives the broader plant biology community a tool for generating phylogenomic scale sequence data in non-model systems at varying evolutionary depths.
Comparative morphology of the mouthparts of the megadiverse South African monkey beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini): feeding adaptations and guild structure
Authors: Karolyi Florian , Hansal Teresa , Krenn Harald W. , Colville Jonathan F.
Published: January 2016

Although anthophilous Coleoptera are regarded to be unspecialised flower-visiting insects, monkey beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini) represent one of the most important groups of pollinating insects in South Africa’s floristic hotspot of the Greater Cape Region. South African monkey beetles are known to feed on floral tissue; however, some species seem to specialise on pollen and/or nectar. The present study examined the mouthpart morphology and gut content of various hopliine species to draw conclusions on their feeding preferences. According to the specialisations of their mouthparts, the investigated species were classified into different feeding groups. Adaptations to pollen-feeding included a well-developed, toothed molar and a lobe-like, setose lacinia mobilis on the mandible as well as curled hairs or sclerotized teeth on the galea of the maxillae. Furthermore, elongated mouthparts were interpreted as adaptations for nectar feeding. Floral- and folial-tissue feeding species showed sclerotized teeth on the maxilla, but the lacinia was mostly found to be reduced to a sclerotized ledge. While species could clearly be identified as floral or folial tissue feeding, several species showed intermediate traits suggesting both pollen and nectar feeding adaptations. Mismatches found between mouthpart morphology and previously reported flower visiting behaviours across different genera and species requires alternative explanations, not necessarily associated with feeding preferences. Although detailed examinations of the mouthparts allowed conclusions about the feeding preference and flower-visiting behaviour, additional morphological and behavioural investigations, combined with greater taxon sampling and phylogenetic data, are still necessary to fully understand hopliine host plant relationships, related to monkey beetle diversity.
Molecular diversity of bacteria in commercially available “Spirulina” food supplements
Authors: Vardaka Elisabeth , Kormas Konstantinos A. , Katsiapi Matina , Genitsaris Savvas , Moustaka-Gouni Maria
Published: January 2016

The cyanobacteriumArthrospirais among the most well-known food supplements worldwide known as “Spirulina.” While it is a widely recognized health-promoting natural product, there are no reports on the molecular diversity of commercially available brands of “Spirulina” supplements and the occurrence of other cyanobacterial and heterotrophic bacterial microorganisms in these products. In this study, 454-pyrosequencing analysis of the total bacterial occurrence in 31 brands of “Spirulina” dietary supplements from the Greek market was applied for the first time. In all samples, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) ofArthrospira platensiswere the predominant cyanobacteria. Some products contained additional cyanobacterial OTUs including a few known potentially toxic taxa. Moreover, 469 OTUs were detected in all 31 products collectively, with most of them being related to the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. All samples included heterotrophic bacterial OTUs, ranging from 9–157 per product. Among the most common OTUs were ones closely related to taxa known for causing health issues (i.e.,Pseudomonas,Flavobacterium,Vibrio,Aeromonas,Clostridium,Bacillus,Fusobacterium,Enterococcus). The observed high cyanobacterial and heterotrophic bacterial OTUs richness in the final product is a point for further research on the growth and processing ofArthrospirabiomass for commercial purposes.
Cross-platform normalization of microarray and RNA-seq data for machine learning applications
Authors: Thompson Jeffrey A. , Tan Jie , Greene Casey S.
Published: January 2016

Large, publicly available gene expression datasets are often analyzed with the aid of machine learning algorithms. Although RNA-seq is increasingly the technology of choice, a wealth of expression data already exist in the form of microarray data. If machine learning models built from legacy data can be applied to RNA-seq data, larger, more diverse training datasets can be created and validation can be performed on newly generated data. We developed Training Distribution Matching (TDM), which transforms RNA-seq data for use with models constructed from legacy platforms. We evaluated TDM, as well as quantile normalization, nonparanormal transformation, and a simplelog2transformation, on both simulated and biological datasets of gene expression. Our evaluation included both supervised and unsupervised machine learning approaches. We found that TDM exhibited consistently strong performance across settings and that quantile normalization also performed well in many circumstances. We also provide a TDM package for the R programming language.
Ex Vivo Assessment of Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer Using Shear Wave Elastography
Authors: Kilic Fahrettin , Velidedeoglu Mehmet , Ozturk Tulin , Kandemirli Sedat Giray , Dikici Atilla Suleyman , Er Mehmet Emin , Aydogan Fatih , Kantarci Fatih , Yilmaz Mehmet Halit
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Axillary lymph node status is one of the important prognostic factors in early‐stage breast cancer. Despite the combined use of sonography, fine‐needle aspiration, and sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection, there is a gap between the potential effectiveness of those techniques and current success to determine the axillary lymph node status. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the baseline accuracy of shear wave elastography for differentiation of benign versus malignant SLNs in an ex vivo artifact‐free environment.

Methods

Thirty patients with breast cancer scheduled for SLN dissection were enrolled prospectively after informed consent and Institutional Review Board approval were obtained. After dissection, lymph nodes were embedded in ultrasound gel and examined with grayscale sonography and shear wave elastography. Findings were compared to histopathologic results.

Results

A total of 64 SLNs obtained from the 30 patients were evaluated. Twelve of them (18.8%) were metastatic, and 52 (81.2%) were benign. The mean cortical thickness (benign versus metastatic, 1.6 versus 4.4 mm), short‐axis length (4.63 versus 7.50 mm), cortical stiffness (10.7 versus 25.5 kPa), and hilar stiffness (7.5 versus 11.3 kPa) were statistically higher in metastatic lymph nodes (P ≤ .02). Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve values for these variables were 0.814, 0.768, 0.786, and 0.759, respectively. Cortical thickness was found to have the highest diagnostic performance, followed by cortical stiffness.

Conclusions

Shear wave elastography can be used with grayscale sonography for evaluation of cases to decide on needle biopsy sampling. However, it cannot be used as a replacement for fine‐needle aspiration or SLN dissection.
Point‐of‐Care Ultrasound Findings Associated With Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Preto-Zamperlini Marcela , Weerdenburg Kirstin , Zamperlini-Netto Gabriele , Fischer Jason W.
Published: January 2016

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare disease characterized by clonal proliferation of Langerhans‐type cells, causing local or systemic effects. One of the most affected sites in children is the skull. We describe 2 cases of children presenting to the pediatric emergency department with symptoms isolated to the scalp and the point‐of‐care focused skull ultrasound findings, which assisted in the diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis in both cases.
Chemoenzymatic synthesis of 6‐phospho‐cyclophellitol as a novel probe of 6‐phospho‐β‐glucosidases
Authors: Kwan David H. , Jin Yi , Jiang Jianbing , Chen Hong‐Ming , Kötzler Miriam P. , Overkleeft Herman S. , Davies Gideon J. , Withers Stephen G.
Published: January 2016

Covalent, mechanism‐based inhibitors of glycosidases are valuable probe molecules for visualizing enzyme activities in complex systems. We, here, describe the chemoenzymatic synthesis of 6‐phospho‐cyclophellitol and evaluate its behaviour as a mechanism‐based inactivator of the Streptococcus pyogenes 6‐phospho‐β‐glucosidase from CAZy family GH1. We further present the three‐dimensional structure of the inactivated enzyme, which reveals the constellation of active site residues responsible for the enzyme's specificity and confirms the covalent nature of the inactivation.
The northward march of summer low cloudiness along the California coast
Authors: Clemesha Rachel E. S. , Gershunov Alexander , Iacobellis Sam F. , Williams A. Park , Cayan Daniel R.
Published: January 2016

A new satellite‐derived low cloud retrieval reveals rich spatial texture and coherent space‐time propagation in summertime California coastal low cloudiness (CLC). Throughout the region, CLC is greatest during May–September but has considerable monthly variability within this summer season. On average, June is cloudiest along the coast of southern California and northern Baja, Mexico, while July is cloudiest along northern California's coast. Over the course of the summer, the core of peak CLC migrates northward along coastal California, reaching its northernmost extent in late July/early August, then recedes while weakening. The timing and movement of the CLC climatological structure is related to the summer evolution of lower tropospheric stability and both its component parts, sea surface temperature and potential temperature at 700 hPa. The roughly coincident seasonal timing of peak CLC with peak summertime temperatures translates into the strongest heat‐modulating capacity of CLC along California's north coast.
Reconstruction of long‐term aerosol optical depth series with sunshine duration records
Authors: Sanchez‐Romero A. , Sanchez‐Lorenzo A. , González J. A. , Calbó J.
Published: January 2016

We report the suitability of sunshine duration (SD) records as a proxy for the reconstruction of atmospheric aerosol content, for which little information exists, especially prior to the 1980s. Specifically, we have treated cloudless summer days in 16 stations throughout Spain. For almost all sites we find statistically significant relationships between aerosol optical depth (AOD) and daily SD. The correlation coefficient presents a mean value of −0.72, and slope values of the linear regressions are within the range [−0.11, −0.36]. The relationships are used to generate AOD series back to the 1960s (to the 1920s for Madrid). These reconstructed series show an increase in AOD from the mid‐1960s to the 1980s, followed by a decrease until the present, in agreement with changes in anthropogenic aerosol emissions and with opposite trends of solar irradiance. The method can be used to reconstruct AOD from the late nineteenth century at many stations worldwide.
Unsolved problems in plasmasphere refilling
Authors: Gallagher D. L. , Comfort R. H.
Published: January 2016

The plasmasphere is a cold (~1 eV) plasma at middle to low magnetic latitudes surrounding the Earth. Its shape is dominated by Earth's magnetic field and its cross‐field motion is dominated by electric fields. It is a highly coupled part of the inner magnetosphere. Storm time conditions erode the outer plasmasphere, transporting that plasma into the dayside magnetosheath region, leaving behind a region of greatly reduced plasma density that will refill from ionospheric outflow. The processes involved in refilling remain incompletely understood. In this commentary, outstanding questions about plasmaspheric refilling are summarized in the context of recent publications.
Baseline results of the NeuroNEXT spinal muscular atrophy infant biomarker study
Authors: Kolb Stephen J. , Coffey Christopher S. , Yankey Jon W. , Krosschell Kristin , Arnold W. David , Rutkove Seward B. , Swoboda Kathryn J. , Reyna Sandra P. , Sakonju Ai , Darras Basil T. , Shell Richard , Kuntz Nancy , Castro Diana , Iannaccone Susan T. , Parsons Julie , Connolly Anne M. , Chiriboga Claudia A. , McDonald Craig , Burnette W. Bryan , Werner Klaus , Thangarajh Mathula , Shieh Perry B. , Finanger Erika , Cudkowicz Merit E. , McGovern Michelle M. , McNeil D. Elizabeth , Finkel Richard , Kaye Edward , Kingsley Allison , Renusch Samantha R. , McGovern Vicki L. , Wang Xueqian , Zaworski Phillip G. , Prior Thomas W. , Burghes Arthur H.M. , Bartlett Amy , Kissel John T. ,   the NeuroNEXT Clinical Trial Network and on behalf of the NN101 SMA Biomarker Investigators
Published: January 2016

Objective

This study prospectively assessed putative promising biomarkers for use in assessing infants with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Methods

This prospective, multi‐center natural history study targeted the enrollment of SMA infants and healthy control infants less than 6 months of age. Recruitment occurred at 14 centers within the NINDS National Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) Network. Infant motor function scales and putative electrophysiological, protein and molecular biomarkers were assessed at baseline and subsequent visits.

Results

Enrollment began November, 2012 and ended September, 2014 with 26 SMA infants and 27 healthy infants enrolled. Baseline demographic characteristics of the SMA and control infant cohorts aligned well. Motor function as assessed by the Test for Infant Motor Performance Items (TIMPSI) and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP‐INTEND) revealed significant differences between the SMA and control infants at baseline. Ulnar compound muscle action potential amplitude (CMAP) in SMA infants (1.4 ± 2.2 mV) was significantly reduced compared to controls (5.5 ± 2.0 mV). Electrical impedance myography (EIM) high‐frequency reactance slope (Ohms/MHz) was significantly higher in SMA infants than controls SMA infants had lower survival motor neuron (SMN) mRNA levels in blood than controls, and several serum protein analytes were altered between cohorts.

Interpretation

By the time infants were recruited and presented for the baseline visit, SMA infants had reduced motor function compared to controls. Ulnar CMAP, EIM, blood SMN mRNA levels, and serum protein analytes were able to distinguish between cohorts at the enrollment visit.
Polymorphism and Amplified Spontaneous Emission in a Dicyano‐Distyrylbenzene Derivative with Multiple Trifluoromethyl Substituents: Intermolecular Interactions in Play
Authors: Varghese Shinto , Park Sang Kyu , Casado Santiago , Resel Roland , Wannemacher Reinhold , Lüer Larry , Park Soo Young , Gierschner Johannes
Published: January 2016

Intermolecular interactions are decisive in controlling optoelectronic properties of molecular materials. Polymorphism in one and the same material gives a unique opportunity to gain a direct insight into the intermolecular contributions. Here, stimulated emission properties in two polymorphs of a dicyanodistyrylbenzene derivative with multiple trifluoromethyl groups in the terminal rings are investigated, and are correlated to the intermolecular arrangement and resulting excitonic coupling. The polymorphs have distinctly different emission behavior with one emitting in the blue, while the other emits in the green. Only the blue polymorph exhibits light amplification with an apparent threshold of spectral narrowing about 100 μJ cm−2. The green polymorph fails to exhibit any gain even at two orders of magnitude higher excitation fluence. Pump–probe studies indicate a more extended excited state absorption toward the emission region in the green polymorph compared to the blue, allowing net gain only on a subpicosecond (ps) time scale, too short for the observation of amplified spontaneous emission. This is attributed to intermolecular breathing/shearing modes coupled to the electronic transition due to strong π–π overlap in the green polymorph. These observations emphasize the significance of intermolecular interactions in controlling the optical properties as well as light amplification processes in organic conjugated materials.
Manipulation of Disodium Rhodizonate: Factors for Fast‐Charge and Fast‐Discharge Sodium‐Ion Batteries with Long‐Term Cyclability
Authors: Wang Chengliang , Fang Yaoguo , Xu Yang , Liang Liying , Zhou Min , Zhao Huaping , Lei Yong
Published: January 2016

Organic sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) are one of the most promising alternatives of current commercial inorganic lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) especially in the foreseeable large‐scale flexible and wearable electronics. However, only a few reports are involving organic SIBs so far. To achieve fast‐charge and fast‐discharge performance and the long‐term cycling suitable for practical applications, is still challenging. Here, important factors for high performance SIBs especially with high capacity and long‐term cyclability under fast‐charge and fast‐discharge process are investigated. It is found that controlling the solubility through molecular design and determination of the electrochemical window is essential to eliminate dissolution of the electrode material, resulting in improved cyclability. The results show that poly(vinylidenedifluoride) will decompose during the charge/discharge process, indicating the significance of the binder for achieving high cyclability. Beside of these, it is also shown that decent charge transport and ionic diffusion are beneficial to the fast‐charge and fast‐discharge batteries. For instance, the flake morphology facilitates the ionic diffusion and thereby can lead to a capacitive effect that is favorable to fast charge and fast discharge.
Magnetic‐Field‐Directed Self‐Assembly of Programmable Mesoscale Shapes
Authors: Ye Longfei , Pearson Tanner , Dolbashian Cory , Pstrak Philip , Mohtasebzadeh A. R. , Fellows Ben , Mefford O. Thompson , Crawford Thomas M.
Published: January 2016

User‐programmed meso‐ to microscale 2D shapes using magnetic nanoparticles as building blocks with magnetic‐field‐directed self‐assembly are created. The assembly templates are magnetically recorded using perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media. The results demonstrate that PMR can template user‐designed features in two dimensions down to 30 nm in size, i.e., the nanoparticle diameter. It has been also shown that the nanoparticles assemble onto transitions between oppositely magnetized regions in the medium. At these transitions, the magnetic field gradients are extremely large (25 MT m−1 2 nm above the medium) and change rapidly with height (≈1015 T/m/m within 20 nm of the surface). It is found that 30 nm diameter particles assemble into 1–2 layers with feature widths ranging from 30 to 350 nm. It is hypothesized that large lateral growth can occur because the magnetic forces parallel to the disk extend up to 150 nm on either side of a recorded transition, falling off more slowly with distance than the vertical magnetic forces. Once lateral growth saturates, a second layer of nanoparticles begins to assemble on top of the first layer, suggesting strong potential for controlling layer‐by‐layer assembly through appropriate design of the medium and its resulting field gradient profiles.
Targeting Warburg Effect in Cancers with PEGylated Glucose
Authors: Narayanan Karthikeyan , Erathodiyil Nandanan , Gopalan Began , Chong Shiya , Wan Andrew C. A. , Ying Jackie Y.
Published: January 2016

In highly proliferative cancer cells, energy is predominantly produced by a high rate of glycolysis, followed by lactic acid fermentation, despite the availability of oxygen – an observation known as the Warburg effect. As a consequence, cells employing this glycolytic pathway require high uptake of glucose and increased metabolic rates to maintain their proliferation. It has been hypothesized that by blocking glucose uptake using modified glucose molecules, apoptosis in the cancer cells can be induced. In this study, it has been showed that several poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐modified glucose compounds could reduce cell proliferation in various cancer cell lines by a phenomenon that blocked the availability of the glucose transporters and reduced AKT1 (serine/threonine‐specific protein kinase) activation. Xenograft cancer models that are intravenously administered with glucose‐conjugated branched PEG (GBrP) daily for 14 d show little tumor development, as compared to the control group without GBrP treatment. The toxicological effects and the pharmacokinetics of the PEGylated glucose are studied in rodents. The PEGylated glucose exerts no systemic toxicity at 40 mg kg−1 dosage. However, doses above 80 mg kg−1 show dose‐dependent toxicity in all the organs analyzed. The present results suggest PEGylated glucose as a promising “metabolic therapy” approach for the treatment of cancer.
A cross‐sectional survey of occupational history as a wildland firefighter and health
Authors: Semmens Erin O. , Domitrovich Joseph , Conway Kathrene , Noonan Curtis W.
Published: January 2016

Background

Little is known regarding the impact of long‐term wildland firefighting on health. Our objective was to investigate associations between duration of wildland firefighting experience and the prevalence of self‐reported health outcomes.

Methods

We ascertained employment, health, and demographic information on 499 current wildland firefighters (WLFFs) via questionnaire.

Results

Relative to those with less than 10 years of experience as a WLFF, those with 10–19 years of experience had significantly greater odds of having ever been diagnosed with hypertension, as did those with 20 or more years of experience. Significant associations were observed for report of physician‐diagnosed heart arrhythmia and previous knee surgery.

Conclusions

We observed significant links between a greater number of years as a WLFF and self‐report of two subclinical cardiovascular risk factors as well as markers of musculoskeletal health. Additional studies are needed to determine if findings can be generalized to all WLFFs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:330–335, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dissolution of starch in urea/NaOH aqueous solutions
Authors: Hu JianBo , Cheng Fei , Lin Yi , Zhao Kang , Zhu PuXin
Published: January 2016

Dissolution of starch in urea/NaOH aqueous solutions was studied by using polarizing microscope and viscometry. The experimental results revealed that starch could dissolve in urea (2–20 wt %) and NaOH (10–1 wt %) aqueous solutions at temperature ranging from −12 to 25 °C, where the optimized dissolution condition was in the aqueous solution of mixed urea 14% and NaOH 4% at 0 °C for 30 min or above. Under the conditions, the starch solubility could be 99.0 and 92.1% as the starch weight percent was 1 and 10%, respectively. Measurements for the molecular weight and amylose content of the starch before and after the dissolution indicated that there was no serious degradation during the process. The results from determinations of X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and rapid visco analysis revealed that the recovered starch from the starch solutions was an amorphous solid with a part of V‐type pattern (single‐helix). The urea/NaOH aqueous solvent may have potential significance for starch processing and modification. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43390.
Solid‐state polymerization and characterization of a copolyamide based on adipic acid, 1,4‐butanediamine, and 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid
Authors: Endah Yohana Kurnia , Han Sang Hoon , Kim Jae Hoon , Kim Nak‐Kyoon , Kim Woo Nyon , Lee Hong‐Shik , Lee Hyunjoo
Published: January 2016

2,5‐Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a promising biobased alternative material to terephthalic acid. In this study, three types of poly(butylene adipamide) (PA‐4,6) containing 10, 20, and 30 mol % of poly(butylene‐2,5‐furandicarboxylamide) (PA‐4,F) were synthesized through consecutive prepolymerization and solid‐state polymerization (SSP). The incorporation of a 10 mol % PA‐4,F component into PA‐4,6 resulted in slight increases in the intrinsic viscosity (IV) and glass‐transition temperature (Tg) after 12 h of SSP at 220 °C. When the SSP temperature and reaction time increased, IV increased proportionally. The highest IV value of 0.75 was obtained by 48 h of SSP at 240 °C, whereas increases in the PA‐4,F content to 20 and 30 mol % gave rise to decreases in IV, Tg, and melting temperature; this interrupted the increase in SSP temperature. The thermal decomposition temperature of the PA‐4,F‐incorporated polyamide was lower than that with PA‐4,6 because of the lower thermal stability of the FDCA component. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43391.
Polymerization efficiency of bulk‐fill dental resin composites with different curing modes
Authors: Dionysopoulos Dimitrios , Tolidis Kosmas , Gerasimou Paris
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four different curing modes on the polymerization efficiency of eight bulk‐fill composites. Five specimens for each material were prepared for Vickers hardness measurements. The measurements were performed at 0 and 2 or 4 mm from the top of the surface of the specimens 24 h after photopolymerization. Statistical analysis was performed with one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests at a level of significance of a = 0.05 where a is the the level of significance. The light‐curing mode affected the microhardness in all depths, but this influence was material‐dependent (pmat < 0.001), where pmat is the probability to be affected by the material. The Vickers hardness numbers of the tested composites at 0 mm ranged from 9.32 ± 0.87 to 72.58 ± 6.52 and those of the tested composites at 4 mm ranged from 5.48 ± 0.32 to 54.34 ± 2.27. The clinician has to be aware of the technical characteristics of the materials and light‐curing units (LCUs) to use the most appropriate combination of LCU, composite material, and application technique. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43392.
Computational study on the drug resistance mechanism of HCV NS3 protease to BMS‐605339
Authors: Wang Huiqun , Guo Chenchen , Chen Bo‐Zhen , Ji Mingjuan
Published: January 2016

NS3 protease plays a vital role in the replication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). BMS‐605339 is a novel linear tetra‐peptide α‐ketoamide inhibitor of NS3 protease and shows specificity for HCV NS3 protease genotype 1a and genotype 1b. Mutation at the key site 168 of the HCV NS3 protease can induce resistance to BMS‐605339, which greatly affects the antiviral therapy efficacy to hepatitis C. In the present study, we employed molecular dynamics simulations, free energy calculations, and free energy decomposition to explore the drug resistance mechanism of BMS‐605339 due to the three representative mutations D168C/Y/V. The free energy decomposition analysis indicates that the decrease in the binding affinity is mainly attributed to the decrease in both van der Waals and electrostatic interactions. After detailed analysis of our calculated results, we observed that the break of the salt bridge between residues 155 and 168 caused by the mutations D168C/Y/V is the original reason for the decrease in the binding ability between BMS‐605339 and the mutant NS3 proteases. The obtained results will reveal the drug resistance mechanism between BMS‐605339 and the mutant NS3 proteases, and provide valuable clue for designing novel and more potent drugs to HCV NS3 protease.
Establishment of a mammalian expression system for recombinant [–2]proPSA and a specific antibody against the truncated leader peptide
Authors: Hwang Dobeen , Yoon Aerin , Kim Soohyun , Kim Hyori , Chung Junho
Published: January 2016

A truncated precursor form of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), [–2]proPSA, is a well‐known biomarker for prostate cancer. To develop a biomarker assay, highly purified [–2]proPSA is required as a standard reference and for generation of a specific antibody. In this study, we generated an efficient mammalian expression system for producing a recombinant [–2]proPSA‐human kappa constant domain (Cκ) fusion protein. N‐terminal amino acid sequencing using Edman degradation demonstrated that over 95% of the recombinant protein produced is [–2]proPSA, thereby showing for the first time that recombinant [–2]proPSA can be produced as a major fraction. We also generated a recombinant chicken antibody specific to [–2]proPSA but not cross‐reactive to recombinant [–7]proPSA‐Cκ, [–5]proPSA‐Cκ, and PSA purified from human seminal fluid in enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot analysis. Also, the recombinant chicken antibody reacted to recombinant [–2]proPSA protein bound to an anti‐PSA antibody coated on the micrometer plate in a sandwich ELISA. All of these results suggest that the N‐terminus of the [–2]proPSA‐Cκ fusion protein resides on the exterior of the protein, thus allowing exposure to the antibody.
Occupational exposure to magnetic fields and breast cancer among Canadian men
Authors: Grundy Anne , Harris Shelley A. , Demers Paul A. , Johnson Kenneth C. , Agnew David A. ,   Canadian Cancer Registries Epidemiology Research Group, Villeneuve Paul J.
Published: January 2016

Occupational magnetic field (MF) exposure has been suggested as a risk factor for breast cancer in both men and women. Due to the rarity of this disease in men, most epidemiologic studies investigating this relationship have been limited by small sample sizes. Herein, associations of several measures of occupational MF exposure with breast cancer in men were investigated using data from the population‐based case–control component of the Canadian National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System. Lifetime job histories were provided by 115 cases and 570 controls. Average MF exposure of individual jobs was classified into three categories (<0.3, 0.3 to <0.6, or ≥0.6 μT) through expert blinded review of participant's lifetime occupational histories. The impact of highest average and cumulative MF exposure, as well as exposure duration and specific exposure‐time windows, on cancer risk was examined using logistic regression. The proportion of cases (25%) with a highest average exposure of ≥0.3 μT was higher than among controls (22%). We found an elevated risk of breast cancer in men who were exposed to ≥0.6 μT (odds ratio [OR] = 1.80, 95% CI = 0.82–3.95) when compared to those with exposures <0.3 μT. Those exposed to occupational MF fields for at least 30 years had a nearly threefold increase in risk of breast cancer (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 0.98–7.82) when compared to those with background levels of exposure. Findings for the other time‐related MF variables were inconsistent. Our analysis, in one of the largest case–control studies of breast cancer in men conducted to date, provides limited support for the hypothesis that exposure to MF increases the risk breast cancer in men.
Incidence and outcome of osteonecrosis in children and adolescents after intensive therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Authors: Padhye Bhavna , Dalla‐Pozza Luciano , Little David , Munns Craig
Published: January 2016

Osteonecrosis (ON), a significant complication following treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), has a profound impact on quality of life of ALL survivors. We studied incidence and outcome of ON in patients treated on or according to Australian and New Zealand Children's Haematology/ Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) study 8 at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. The study involved retrospective chart review of the patients. ON was defined by development of symptoms and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. From 2002–2011, 251 patients (143M, 108F, 59 Standard Risk (SR), 159 Medium Risk (MR) 5 High Risk (HR), and 28 Very high risk (VHR)) were treated according to study 8. Eighteen (7M, 11F, 2 SR, 12 MR, 4 VHR) patients developed ON (7.2%). Median age at diagnosis was 13.05 years(4.3–16.7). Incidence of ON in patients > 10 years at diagnosis was 29%. Six out of 18 patients developed ON after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Median time from diagnosis to the development of ON following chemotherapy for ALL was 1.15 years (range 0.25–2.12). Most patients were treated with intravenous Zoledronic acid. At last follow‐up, three patients had undergone arthroplasty, two patients were symptom free, and the remaining 13 patients reported persistent pain with activity. A majority of patients with ON of the hips had radiological progression. Overall, 7% of patients with ALL developed ON. Age >10 years was the most important risk factor. At last follow‐up, 70% of patients had persistent symptoms. Although Zoledronic acid improved pain, most patients with ON of the hips had radiological progression.
A Covalent Cysteine‐Targeting Kinase Inhibitor of Ire1 Permits Allosteric Control of Endoribonuclease Activity
Authors: Waller Daniel D. , Jansen Gregor , Golizeh Makan , Martel‐Lorion Chloe , Dejgaard Kurt , Shiao Tze Chieh , Mancuso John , Tsantrizos Youla S. , Roy René , Sebag Michael , Sleno Lekha , Thomas David Y.
Published: January 2016

The unfolded protein response (UPR) initiated by the transmembrane kinase/ribonuclease Ire1 has been implicated in a variety of diseases. Ire1, with its unique position in the UPR, is an ideal target for the development of therapies; however, the identification of specific kinase inhibitors is challenging. Recently, the development of covalent inhibitors has gained great momentum because of the irreversible deactivation of the target. We identified and determined the mechanism of action of the Ire1‐inhibitory compound UPRM8. MS analysis revealed that UPRM8 inhibition occurs by covalent adduct formation at a conserved cysteine at the regulatory DFG+2 position in the Ire1 kinase activation loop. Mutational analysis of the target cysteine residue identified both UPRM8‐resistant and catalytically inactive Ire1 mutants. We describe a novel covalent inhibition mechanism of UPRM8, which can serve as a lead for the rational design and optimization of inhibitors of human Ire1.
Keep your eye on…
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: January 2016

The adverse outcomes of dual use of marijuana and alcohol in adolescence

The importance of involving the parent in treating disruptive behavior disorders
Antidepressant use during pregnancy linked to autism risk
Authors: Canady Valerie
Published: January 2016

Prenatal exposure to antidepressants during the second or third trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children whose mothers have a history of depression, researchers have found.
Lessons of resilience provided by refugee children
Authors: Lewis Carol , Nugent Nicole , Pelland Doreen
Published: January 2016

As the number of families seeking refuge has skyrocketed, questions have been raised throughout the world community about what it means to grant refuge and resettlement and how this can affect the communities that become the new homes for resettled families. Arguably, something that is missing from the public discourse is a discussion about how refugee families may truly and deeply benefit Americans. As providers working in the Hasbro Children's Hospital Refugee Health Clinic in Providence, Rhode Island, we have had the privilege to experience firsthand the ways that refugee families can enrich and teach the larger communities where they are resettled. In this commentary, we want to share perspectives that we have found that our refugee families bring to their daily lives — perspectives we believe can be enriching to the communities where they are resettled.
DBU and DBU‐Derived Ionic Liquid Synergistic Catalysts for the Conversion of Carbon Dioxide/Carbon Disulfide to 3‐Aryl‐2‐oxazolidinones/[1,3]Dithiolan‐2‐ylidenephenyl‐ amine
Authors: Wang Binshen , Luo Zhoujie , Elageed Elnazeer H. M. , Wu Shi , Zhang Yongya , Wu Xiaopei , Xia Fei , Zhang Guirong , Gao Guohua
Published: January 2016

An intermolecular synergistic catalytic combination of 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) and a DBU‐derived bromide ionic liquid has been developed for the conversion of CO2, epoxides, and amines under metal‐ and solvent‐free conditions. Various 3‐aryl‐2‐oxazolidinones are produced in moderate to excellent yields within a short reaction time. NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations demonstrate that DBU as a hydrogen bond acceptor and the ionic liquid as a hydrogen bond donor activate the substrates cooperatively by inducing hydrogen bonds to promote the reaction effectively. Based on these results, a possible reaction mechanism on the synergistic catalysis of DBU and the ionic liquid is proposed. In addition, the reaction of CS2, ethylene oxide, and aniline catalyzed by the combination of DBU and the DBU‐derived ionic liquid also proceeds smoothly, which opens a hitherto unreported route to [1,3]dithiolan‐2‐ylidenephenylamine in a straightforward way.