bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluorophore labeling of a cell-penetrating peptide significantly alters the mode and degree of biomembrane interaction
Authors: Hedegaard Sofie Fogh , Derbas Mohammed Sobhi , Lind Tania Kjellerup , Kasimova Marina Robertnova , Christensen Malene Vinther , Michaelsen Maria Høtoft , Campbell Richard A. , Jorgensen Lene , Franzyk Henrik , Cárdenas Marité , Nielsen Hanne Mørck
Published: April 2018

The demand for highly efficient macromolecular drugs, used in the treatment of many severe diseases, is continuously increasing. However, the hydrophilic character and large molecular size of these drugs significantly limit their ability to permeate across cellular membranes and thus impede the drugs in reaching their target sites in the body. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) have gained attention as promising drug excipients, since they can facilitate drug permeation across cell membranes constituting a major biological barrier. Fluorophores are frequently covalently conjugated to CPPs to improve detection, however, the ensuing change in physico-chemical properties of the CPPs may alter their biological properties. With complementary biophysical techniques, we show that the mode of biomembrane interaction may change considerably upon labeling of the CPP penetratin (PEN) with a fluorophore. Fluorophore-PEN conjugates display altered modes of membrane interaction with increased insertion into the core of model cell membranes thereby exerting membrane-thinning effects. This is in contrast to PEN, which localizes along the head groups of the lipid bilayer, without affecting the thickness of the lipid tails. Particularly high membrane disturbance is observed for the two most hydrophobic PEN conjugates; rhodamine B or 1-pyrene butyric acid, as compared to the four other tested fluorophore-PEN conjugates.
Author Correction: Sex differences in the C57BL/6 model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Authors: Dibbern Jannike , Eggers Lars , Schneider Bianca E.
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Comparative genomics provides insights into the lifestyle and reveals functional heterogeneity of dark septate endophytic fungi
Authors: Knapp Dániel G. , Németh Julianna B. , Barry Kerrie , Hainaut Matthieu , Henrissat Bernard , Johnson Jenifer , Kuo Alan , Lim Joanne Hui Ping , Lipzen Anna , Nolan Matt , Ohm Robin A. , Tamás László , Grigoriev Igor V. , Spatafora Joseph W. , Nagy László G. , Kovács Gábor M.
Published: April 2018

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are a form-group of root endophytic fungi with elusive functions. Here, the genomes of two common DSE of semiarid areas, Cadophora sp. and Periconia macrospinosa were sequenced and analyzed with another 32 ascomycetes of different lifestyles. Cadophora sp. (Helotiales) and P. macrospinosa (Pleosporales) have genomes of 70.46 Mb and 54.99 Mb with 22,766 and 18,750 gene models, respectively. The majority of DSE-specific protein clusters lack functional annotation with no similarity to characterized proteins, implying that they have evolved unique genetic innovations. Both DSE possess an expanded number of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes), including plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs). Those were similar in three other DSE, and contributed a signal for the separation of root endophytes in principal component analyses of CAZymes, indicating shared genomic traits of DSE fungi. Number of secreted proteases and lipases, aquaporins, and genes linked to melanin synthesis were also relatively high in our fungi. In spite of certain similarities between our two DSE, we observed low levels of convergence in their gene family evolution. This suggests that, despite originating from the same habitat, these two fungi evolved along different evolutionary trajectories and display considerable functional differences within the endophytic lifestyle.
Radiosensitization by Marine Sponge Agelas sp. Extracts in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells with Autophagy Induction
Authors: Choi Changhoon , Son Arang , Lee Hyi-Seung , Lee Yeon-Ju , Park Hee Chul
Published: April 2018

Although radiation therapy is an effective treatment modality in many cancers, there is an urgent need to develop therapeutic drugs capable of overcoming radioresistance or minimizing normal tissue toxicity. A wide variety of marine-derived bioactive compounds have been screened for anti-cancer drug discovery, but little is known regarding radiation therapy applications. In this study, six different extracts of marine sponges collected from the Micronesian sea were screened for anti-cancer and radiosensitizing activity. Two extracts derived from Agelas sponges collected off the coast of Kosrae and Chuuk, the Federated States of Micronesia significantly decreased clonogenic survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells after exposure to ionizing radiation (IR). The Agelas extracts augmented IR-induced apoptosis and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was increased via unfolded protein response stimulation, which induced autophagy. N-acetylcysteine, a ROS scavenger, diminished ER stress and autophagy induction effects. This result indicated that Agelas extracts may sensitize HCC cells to IR via ROS overproduction in vitro. Our findings suggest that the Agelas sp. may have potential utility in radiosensitizer development.
Tunable Transmission and Deterministic Interface states in Double-zero-index Acoustic Metamaterials
Authors: Zhao Wei , Yang Yuting , Tao Zhi , Hang Zhi Hong
Published: April 2018

Following the seminal work by Dubois et al. (Nat. Commun. 8, 14871 (2017)), we study a double-zero-index acoustic metamaterial with triangular lattice. By varying the height and diameter of air scatterers inside a parallel-plate acoustic waveguide, acoustic dispersion of the first-order waveguide mode can be manipulated and various interesting properties are explored. With accidental degeneracy of monopolar and dipolar modes, we numerically prove the double-zero-index properties of this novel acoustic metamaterial. Acoustic waveguides with tunable and asymmetric transmission are realized with this double-zero-index acoustic metamaterial embedded. Band inversion occurs if the bulk acoustic band diagram of this acoustic metamaterial is tuned. Deterministic interface states are found to exist on the interface between two acoustic metamaterials with inverted band diagrams.
Systematic evaluation of RNA quality, microarray data reliability and pathway analysis in fresh, fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples
Authors: Wimmer Isabella , Tröscher Anna R. , Brunner Florian , Rubino Stephen J. , Bien Christian G. , Weiner Howard L. , Lassmann Hans , Bauer Jan
Published: April 2018

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are valuable resources commonly used in pathology. However, formalin fixation modifies nucleic acids challenging the isolation of high-quality RNA for genetic profiling. Here, we assessed feasibility and reliability of microarray studies analysing transcriptome data from fresh, fresh-frozen (FF) and FFPE tissues. We show that reproducible microarray data can be generated from only 2 ng FFPE-derived RNA. For RNA quality assessment, fragment size distribution (DV200) and qPCR proved most suitable. During RNA isolation, extending tissue lysis time to 10 hours reduced high-molecular-weight species, while additional incubation at 70 °C markedly increased RNA yields. Since FF- and FFPE-derived microarrays constitute different data entities, we used indirect measures to investigate gene signal variation and relative gene expression. Whole-genome analyses revealed high concordance rates, while reviewing on single-genes basis showed higher data variation in FFPE than FF arrays. Using an experimental model, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of FFPE-derived microarrays and fresh tissue-derived RNA-Seq datasets yielded similarly affected pathways confirming the applicability of FFPE tissue in global gene expression analysis. Our study provides a workflow comprising RNA isolation, quality assessment and microarray profiling using minimal RNA input, thus enabling hypothesis-generating pathway analyses from limited amounts of precious, pathologically significant FFPE tissues.
Exploring drying pattern of a sessile droplet of genomic DNA in the presence of hematite nanoparticles
Authors: Bhar Rekha , Kaur Gurpreet , Mehta S. K.
Published: April 2018

For the first time, drying pattern of a sessile droplet of genomic DNA, in the presence of hematite nanoparticles was sighted by polarizing optical microscopy (POM) in this research article. POM results indicated that only at an appreciably high concentration of hematite nanoparticles dried pattern of deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus (CT-DNA) was altered. Iron hybridized cetylpyridinium chloride was utilized for the preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles through hydrothermal method. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies confirmed the formation of highly crystalline hematite i.e. α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Morphology of the synthesized nanoparticle was visualized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), which revealed that nanoparticles were rhombohedral in shape with a size of 45 ± 10 nm. Based upon all the findings, hydrothermal growth mechanism was also proposed having bilayer protection of surfactant around the nanoparticles. UV-Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy were explored to study the affinity of thus prepared nanoparticles towards calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (CT-DNA). The low value of binding constant calculated from the spectroscopy data confirmed the weak interaction between nanoparticles and the CT-DNA.
Complete agreement of the post-spinel transition with the 660-km seismic discontinuity
Authors: Ishii Takayuki , Huang Rong , Fei Hongzhan , Koemets Iuliia , Liu Zhaodong , Maeda Fumiya , Yuan Liang , Wang Lin , Druzhbin Dmitry , Yamamoto Takafumi , Bhat Shrikant , Farla Robert , Kawazoe Takaaki , Tsujino Noriyoshi , Kulik Eleonora , Higo Yuji , Tange Yoshinori , Katsura Tomoo
Published: April 2018

The 660-km seismic discontinuity, which is a significant structure in the Earth’s mantle, is generally interpreted as the post-spinel transition, as indicated by the decomposition of ringwoodite to bridgmanite + ferropericlase. All precise high-pressure and high-temperature experiments nevertheless report 0.5–2 GPa lower transition pressures than those expected at the discontinuity depth (i.e. 23.4 GPa). These results are inconsistent with the post-spinel transition hypothesis and, therefore, do not support widely accepted models of mantle composition such as the pyrolite and CI chondrite models. Here, we present new experimental data showing post-spinel transition pressures in complete agreement with the 660-km discontinuity depth obtained by high-resolution in situ X-ray diffraction in a large-volume high-pressure apparatus with a tightly controlled sample pressure. These data affirm the applicability of the prevailing mantle models. We infer that the apparently lower pressures reported by previous studies are experimental artefacts due to the pressure drop upon heating. The present results indicate the necessity of reinvestigating the position of mantle mineral phase boundaries previously obtained by in situ X-ray diffraction in high-pressure–temperature apparatuses.
Novel SS-31 modified liposomes for improved protective efficacy of minocycline against drug-induced hearing loss
Authors: Hou Shanshan , Yang Yang , Zhou Shuang , Kuang Xiao , Yang YinXian , Gao Hailing , Wang Zhenjie , Liu Hongzhuo
Published: April 2018

SS-31 modified, minocycline-loaded liposomes significantly increased hair cell survival against chronic exposure to gentamicin in a zebrafish model.
2-Chloromalonaldehyde, a model system of resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding: vibrational investigation
Authors: Gutiérrez-Quintanilla Alejandro , Chevalier Michèle , Platakyte Rasa , Ceponkus Justinas , Rojas-Lorenzo Germán A. , Crépin Claudine
Published: April 2018

Proton transfer in 2-chloromalonaldehyde is highlighted here by a splitting of some lines in the vibrational spectrum.
All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of spin labelled double and single-strand DNA for EPR studies
Authors: Prior C. , Danilāne L. , Oganesyan V. S.
Published: April 2018

Prediction of motional EPR spectra of spin labelled DNA structures from fully atomistic MD simulations.
Dispersion forces play a role in (Me2IPr)Fe(NAd)R2 (Ad = adamantyl; R = neoPe, 1-nor) insertions and Fe–R bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs)
Authors: Cundari Thomas R. , Jacobs Brian P. , MacMillan Samantha N. , Wolczanski Peter T.
Published: April 2018

Calculations show that dispersion forces in four-coordinate (Me2IPr)Fe(NAd)(1-nor)2 (2b) contribute to greater D(FeR) and subtly slow its migratory insertion relative to the neopentyl analogue.
Synthesis of highly stable γ-Fe2O3 ferrofluid dispersed in liquid paraffin, motor oil and sunflower oil for heat transfer applications
Authors: Imran Mohd , Shaik Aabid Hussain , Ansari Akhalakur Rahman , Aziz Abdul , Hussain Shahir , Fadil Abouatiaa Ahmed Farag , Khan Afzal , Chandan Mohammed Rehaan
Published: April 2018

Highly stable ferrofluid for greater enhancement of thermal conductivity.
Vertical CNT–Ecoflex nanofins for highly linear broad-range-detection wearable strain sensors
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Wen Lei , Wang Huan , Zhu Kai , Zhang Min
Published: April 2018

A nanofin-based strain sensor, fabricated by transferring vertical CNTs to an Ecoflex substrate, has the advantages of high linearity and sensitivity and can detect both large and subtle motions.
Multimodal imaging of undecalcified tissue sections by MALDI MS and μXRF
Authors: Svirkova Anastasiya , Turyanskaya Anna , Perneczky Lukas , Streli Christina , Marchetti-Deschmann Martina
Published: April 2018

Lipid and elemental distributions in chicken phalanx imaged by MALDI MSI and μXRF.
Chemoselective deoxygenation of ether-substituted alcohols and carbonyl compounds by B(C6F5)3-catalyzed reduction with (HMe2SiCH2)2
Authors: Yang Wenyu , Gao Lu , Lu Ji , Song Zhenlei
Published: April 2018

B(C6F5)3-catalyzed deoxygenation of ether-substituted alcohols and carbonyl compounds has been developed using (HMe2SiCH2)2 as the reductant. This reagent shows distinct superiority over traditional one silicon-centered hydrosilanes, giving the corresponding alkanes in high yields with good tolerance of ethers, aryl halides and alkenes.
Preparation of thermochromic selenidostannates in deep eutectic solvents
Authors: Wang Kai-Yao , Ding Dong , Zhang Shu , Wang Yanlong , Liu Wei , Wang Shuao , Wang Shuai-Hua , Liu Dan , Wang Cheng
Published: April 2018

Deep eutectic mixtures were used for the preparation of crystalline porous tin selenides, whose perforated layered structure endows these materials with suitable absorption in the visible light range, thus resulting in a marked thermochromic performance.
A four-component coupling reaction of carbon dioxide, amines, cyclic ethers and 3-triflyloxybenzynes for the synthesis of functionalized carbamates
Authors: Xiong Wenfang , Qi Chaorong , Cheng Ruixiang , Zhang Hao , Wang Lu , Yan Donghao , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: April 2018

A novel four-component coupling reaction of carbon dioxide, amines, cyclic ethers and 3-triflyloxybenzynes for the synthesis of functionalized carbamates has been developed for the first time.
Generation of thiyl radicals in a zinc(ii) porous coordination polymer by light-induced post-synthetic deprotection
Authors: Kusaka Shinpei , Matsuda Ryotaro , Kitagawa Susumu
Published: April 2018

Generation of a highly reactive sulfur species in nanospace is demonstrated via the photo-dissociation of disulfides.
From zinco(ii) arsaketenes to silylene-stabilised zinco arsinidene complexes
Authors: Ballestero-Martínez Ernesto , Hadlington Terrance J. , Szilvási Tibor , Yao Shenglai , Driess Matthias
Published: April 2018

The steric congestion of a N-heterocyclic silylene promotes the formation of a monomeric As-metallated silylene-arsinidene compound with somewhat double bond character through replacement of CO in the LZn–AsCO precursor (L = β-diketiminate).
Determination of composition distributions of multi-particle crystalline samples by sequential dissolution with concomitant particle sizing and solution analysis
Authors: Moynihan Humphrey A. , Armstrong Declan
Published: April 2018

Sequential dissolution of multi-particle samples with before-and-after sizing gave composition data that can be assigned to defined sample particle regions.
Structural and magneto-electronic properties of transition metal doped phosphorus nanotubes
Authors: Hu R. , Wang D. , Fan Z. Q. , Zhang Z. H.
Published: April 2018

Transition metal doped phosphorus nanotubes can show particular magnetic properties and act as electric field-controllable magnetic/nonmagnetic switch devices.
A cation size effect on the framework structures in ABi2SeO3F5(A = K and Rb): first examples of alkali metal bismuth selenite fluorides
Authors: Shi Shuangshuang , Luo Min , Lin Chensheng , Ye Ning
Published: April 2018

First examples of alkali metal bismuth selenite fluorides, ABi2SeO3F5(A = K, Rb), have been synthesized through a soft hydrothermal method.
Chlorination-promoted skeletal transformation of IPR C76 discovered via trifluoromethylation under the formation of non-IPR C76(CF3)nFm
Authors: Tamm Nadezhda B. , Brotsman Victor A. , Markov Vitaliy Yu. , Kemnitz Erhard , Troyanov Sergey I.
Published: April 2018

High-temperature chlorination of IPR D2-C76 followed by trifluoromethylation resulted in X-ray structures of non-classical, non-IPR C76(CF3)14, C76(CF3)14F2, and C76(CF3)16F6.
Characterising thermally controlled CH4–CO2 hydrate exchange in unconsolidated sediments
Authors: Stanwix Paul L. , Rathnayake Narmada M. , de Obanos Fernando P. P. , Johns Michael L. , Aman Zachary M. , May Eric F.
Published: April 2018

Recovering methane (CH4) via the injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into a CH4-hydrate-bearing reservoir is a highly attractive mechanism for meeting the world's future energy demand, since it offers the prospect of carbon-neutral energy production.
Water and hydrophobic gates in ion channels and nanopores
Authors: Rao Shanlin , Lynch Charlotte I. , Klesse Gianni , Oakley Georgia E. , Stansfeld Phillip J. , Tucker Stephen J. , Sansom Mark S. P.
Published: April 2018

Simulations of water behaviour have been used to probe hydrophobic gates in BEST1 and TMEM175, which can reveal important design principles for the engineering of gates in novel biomimetic nanopores.
Electric field mediated separation of water–ethanol mixtures in carbon-nanotubes integrated in nanoporous graphene membranes
Authors: Borthakur Manash Pratim , Bandyopadhyay Dipankar , Biswas Gautam
Published: April 2018

The tunable separation of water–ethanol mixtures inside CNTs by varying the electric field orientation angle θ.
Predicting the structures and associated phase transition mechanisms in disordered crystals via a combination of experimental and theoretical methods
Authors: Ruggiero Michael T. , Kölbel Johanna , Li Qi , Zeitler J. Axel
Published: April 2018

Experimental terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and theoretical solid-state ab initio density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations are used to elucidate the structures, dynamics, and phase transformation processes of molecular crystals undergoing a solid-state order–disorder transition.
Liquid chromatography with micelles in open-tube capillaries
Authors: Quirino Joselito P. , Tarongoy Faustino M.
Published: April 2018

Open-tubular liquid chromatography with interfacial micelles.
Trithiazolyl-1,3,5-triazines bearing decyloxybenzene moieties: synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties, and self-assembly behavior
Authors: Kato Shin-ichiro , Jin Satoshi , Kimura Terutaka , Yoshikawa Naoki , Nara Daiki , Imamura Kenji , Shiota Yoshihito , Yoshizawa Kazunari , Katoono Ryo , Yamanobe Takeshi , Uehara Hiroki , Nakamura Yosuke
Published: April 2018

We synthesized the first members of trithiazolyl-1,3,5-triazines that combine attractive photophysical and self-assembling properties.
An organocatalytic asymmetric Mannich reaction of pyrazoleamides with cyclic trifluoromethyl ketimines: enantioselective access to dihydroquinazolinone skeletons
Authors: Luo Yuan , Xie Ke-Xin , Yue Deng-Feng , Zhang Xiao-Mei , Xu Xiao-Ying , Yuan Wei-Cheng
Published: April 2018

A series of trifluoromethyl dihydroquinazolinones were obtained in excellent results via an asymmetric Mannich reaction of pyrazoleamides and cyclic trifluoromethyl ketimines.
Celastrol delays hepatic steatosis and carcinogenesis in a rapid AKT/c-Met-transfected hepatocellular carcinoma modelviasuppressing fatty acid synthase expression and AKT/ERK phosphorylation
Authors: Hu Junjie , Li Xin , Zhou Junxuan , Zhang Cong , Zheng Guohua , Qiu Zhenpeng
Published: April 2018

In this study, the effect of celastrol on a rapid HCC model featuring co-activation of AKT/c-Met oncogenes in mice was studied.
De novoassembly ofSchizothorax waltonitranscriptome to identify immune-related genes and microsatellite markers
Authors: Ye Hua , Zhang Zhengshi , Zhou Chaowei , Zhu Chengke , Yang Yuejing , Xiang Mengbin , Zhou Xinghua , Zhou Jian , Luo Hui
Published: April 2018

De novoassembly ofSchizothorax waltonitranscriptome.
Differential CRABP-II and FABP5 expression patterns and implications for medulloblastoma retinoic acid sensitivity
Authors: Zhang Song , Liu Huan , Li Hong , Wu MoLi , Yu Yang , Li FengZhi , Cheng XiaoXin
Published: April 2018

This study demonstrates the highly variable expression patterns of CRABP-II and FABP5 in medulloblastoma cells and their correlation with RA sensitivities.
Effects of biopolyimide molecular design on their silica hybrids thermo-mechanical, optical and electrical properties
Authors: Dwivedi S. , Sakamoto S. , Kato S. , Mitsumata T. , Kaneko T.
Published: April 2018

Biopolyamide structure and their silica hybrids performances were studied. Biopolyamide with inability to interact with silanol during sol–gel condensation for silica formation showed superior thermo-mechanical, optical and electrical properties.
Novel catenated N6energetic compounds based on substituted 1,2,4-triazoles: synthesis, structures and properties
Authors: Li Yanan , Wang Bin , Chang Pei , Hu Jianjian , Chen Tao , Wang Yinglei , Wang Bozhou
Published: April 2018

Novel catenated N6energetic compounds based on substituted 1,2,4-triazoles were synthesized, which can be used as new high energy-density materials.
Rotation of a floating hydrophobic disk: influence of line tension
Authors: Emile Janine , Tabuteau Hervé , Emile Olivier
Published: April 2018

Orbital angular momentum transfer from laser light to a floating disk: influence of drag coefficient and line tension.
Rheological behavior and mechanism of pH-responsive wormlike micelle variations induced by isomers of phthalic acid
Authors: Kang Wanli , Zhao Yilu , Wang Pengxiang , Li Zhe , Hou Xiaoyu , Huang Zitong , Yang Hongbin
Published: April 2018

Responsive wormlike micelles (WLMs) constructed by different carboxylic acids are fascinating.
Many-body interactions between charged particles in a polymer solution: the protein regime
Authors: Wang Haiqiang , Forsman Jan , Woodward Clifford E.
Published: April 2018

We study the phase behavior of charged particles in electrolyte solutions wherein non-adsorbing polymers are added to provide an attractive depletion interaction.
Hydrothermal direct synthesis of polyaniline, graphene/polyaniline and N-doped graphene/polyaniline hydrogels for high performance flexible supercapacitors
Authors: Zou Yubo , Zhang Zhicheng , Zhong Wenbin , Yang Wantai
Published: April 2018

Polyaniline, graphene/polyaniline and N-doped graphene/polyaniline hydrogels are directly synthesized through a hydrothermal process, promising for applications in high-performance flexible supercapacitors.
Synergistically enhanced hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis by in situ exsolution of metallic nanoparticles on perovskites
Authors: Zhu Yinlong , Dai Jie , Zhou Wei , Zhong Yijun , Wang Huanting , Shao Zongping
Published: April 2018

The metal nanoparticles (NPs)/perovskite hybrid prepared by in situ exsolution can synergistically catalyze the alkaline HER with high efficiency whereby the perovskite promotes water dissociation and metal NPs enable favorable hydrogen adsorption.
F-Substituted oligothiophenes serve as nonfullerene acceptors in polymer solar cells with open-circuit voltages >1 V
Authors: Duan Tainan , Babics Maxime , Seitkhan Akmaral , Firdaus Yuliar , Liang Ru-Ze , Cruciani Federico , Liu Shengjian , Lopatin Sergei , Beaujuge Pierre M.
Published: April 2018

F-Substituted oligothiophenes were designed and used as nonfullerene acceptors in BHJ solar cells. With low-bandgap polymer donors, the solar cell devices reach PCEs of up to 4.5% and open-circuit voltages >1 V.
Engineered Fe(OH)3 nanoparticle-coated and rhBMP-2-releasing PLGA microsphere scaffolds for promoting bone regeneration by facilitating cell homing and osteogenic differentiation
Authors: Zhang Fen , Li Qingtao , Lin Zefeng , Ma Limin , Xu Sheng , Feng Qi , Dong Hua , Zhang Yu , Cao Xiaodong
Published: April 2018

Iron facilitates cell homing and enhances the capacity of rhBMP-2.
A modelling approach to infer the solar wind dynamic pressure from magnetic field observations inside Mercury’s magnetosphere
Authors: Fatemi S. , Poirier N. , Holmström M. , Lindkvist J. , Wieser M. , Barabash S.
Published: April 2018

Aims.The lack of an upstream solar wind plasma monitor when a spacecraft is inside the highly dynamic magnetosphere of Mercury limits interpretations of observed magnetospheric phenomena and their correlations with upstream solar wind variations.

Methods.We used AMITIS, a three-dimensional GPU-based hybrid model of plasma (particle ions and fluid electrons) to infer the solar wind dynamic pressure and Alfvén Mach number upstream of Mercury by comparing our simulation results with MESSENGER magnetic field observations inside the magnetosphere of Mercury. We selected a few orbits of MESSENGER that have been analysed and compared with hybrid simulations before. Then we ran a number of simulations for each orbit (~30–50 runs) and examined the effects of the upstream solar wind plasma variations on the magnetic fields observed along the trajectory of MESSENGER to find the best agreement between our simulations and observations.

Results.We show that, on average, the solar wind dynamic pressure for the selected orbits is slightly lower than the typical estimated dynamic pressure near the orbit of Mercury. However, we show that there is a good agreement between our hybrid simulation results and MESSENGER observations for our estimated solar wind parameters. We also compare the solar wind dynamic pressure inferred from our model with those predicted previously by the WSA-ENLIL model upstream of Mercury, and discuss the agreements and disagreements between the two model predictions. We show that the magnetosphere of Mercury is highly dynamic and controlled by the solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field. In addition, in agreement with previous observations, our simulations show that there are quasi-trapped particles and a partial ring current-like structure in the nightside magnetosphere of Mercury, more evident during a northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We also use our simulations to examine the correlation between the solar wind dynamic pressure and stand-off distance of the magnetopause and compare it with MESSENGER observations. We show that our model results are in good agreement with the response of the magnetopause to the solar wind dynamic pressure, even during extreme solar events. We also show that our model can be used as a virtual solar wind monitor near the orbit of Mercury and this has important implications for interpretation of observations by MESSENGER and the future ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury, BepiColombo.
Séquençage par nanopores
Authors: Audebert Christophe , Hot David , Caboche Ségolène
Published: April 2018

Le séquençage haut-débit a ouvert de nouvelles perspectives cliniques nous orientant aujourd’hui vers une médecine de précision. Cancérologie, infectiologie ou génomique humaine, de nombreuses applications ont vu le jour ces dernières années. L’arrivée sur le marché d’une troisième génération de technologie de séquençage fondée sur les nanopores, palliant certaines faiblesses de la génération précédente, annonce une nouvelle révolution. Portabilité, temps réel, lectures longues et coût d’investissement marginal, ces nouvelles technologies prometteuses laissent présager un nouveau changement de paradigme. Quelles sont les perspectives ouvertes par les nanopores pour les applications cliniques ?
Le modèle poisson zèbre dans la lutte contre le cancer
Authors: Völkel Pamela , Dupret Babara , Le Bourhis Xuefen , Angrand Pierre-Olivier
Published: April 2018

En raison de sa simplicité d’utilisation, la culture cellulaire reste le matériel de choix pour l’étude des mécanismes impliqués dans le cancer. Toutefois, la mise en culture des cellules est souvent responsable de la perte de certaines de leurs caractéristiques et de l’acquisition de nouvelles propriétés. Aussi, les modèles animaux sont essentiels à l’étude des phénomènes physiologiques et pathologiques comme la tumorigenèse. Parmi les modèles animaux utilisés en cancérologie, le poisson zèbre apparaît comme un modèle particulièrement pertinent. En effet, la facilité et les faibles coûts d’élevage du poisson zèbre, tout comme le large éventail de possibilités en termes de manipulation génétique et d’imageriein vivoclassent ce modèle vertébré parmi les outils les plus remarquables pour l’étude du cancer. Cette revue a pour objectif de faire le point sur les apports et le potentiel du poisson zèbre dans la lutte contre le cancer.
Psychologie des Fastens
Authors: Brunnhuber Stefan , Somburg Oliver
Published: April 2018

Obwohl die physiologischen Auswirkungen der freiwilligen und kontrollierten Kalorienrestriktion bereits umfassend erforscht werden, lässt sich der komplexe Prozess des Fastens auf mentaler Ebene und als phasenhaft verlaufende Erfahrung nicht auf einzelne Hirnregionen oder Abläufe der Neurochemie reduzieren, wie sie in Konnektivitätsstudien oder Second-Brain-Studien beschrieben werden. Fasten ist eine spezifische menschliche Erfahrung, zu der die klinische Psychologie wichtige Erkenntnisse beitragen kann. Wesentliche psychische Mechanismen beim Fasten und die Auswirkungen auf das Erleben im Verlauf des Fastenvorganges, sollen hier beschrieben werden.
Liebe Leserinnen und Leser
Authors: Bengel Jürgen
Published: April 2018

Der Deutsche Kongress für Rehabilitationsforschung, das 27. Reha-Wissenschaftliche Kolloquium, fand in München unter dem Motto „Rehabilitation bewegt!“ statt. Es betont die besondere Bedeutung von körperlicher Aktivität und Bewegung bei chronischen Erkrankungen und die positiven Auswirkungen auf die körperliche und psychische Gesundheit. Bewegung ist jedoch nicht nur für chronische kranke und behinderte Menschen relevant und förderlich. Ich hoffe, dass dies auch unsere Leserinnen und Leser zu einem neuen Anlauf hin zu mehr Bewegung im Alltag und in der Freizeit motiviert und/oder die bereits praktizierten Aktivitäten stärkt.
Genetisch bedingte Störung der Hautbarriere zieht Berufsunfähigkeit nach sich
Authors: Kessing Richard
Published: April 2018

Es existieren nur wenige Studien zu Betroffenen mit Filaggrin-Mutationen. Der genetische Defekt führt zu extremer Trockenheit, Reizungen und Entzündungen der Haut, die berufliche Konsequenzen nach sich ziehen. Dänische Dermatologen untersuchten nun die persönlichen Folgen von Menschen sowohl mit Filaggrin-Mutationen als auch mit atopischer Dermatitis und Handekzem.
„Sensibler Bauch“ und starker Appetit
Authors: Stapelfeldt Elmar
Published: April 2018

Die junge Patientin mit Reizdarmbeschwerden wird nach ausführlicher Anamnese und insbesondere Ernährungsanamnese zu den Grundsätzen der ayurvedischen Ernährungstherapie (warm, regelmäßig, leicht verdaulich) beraten. Zum Folgetermin nach 3 Wochen haben sich die Beschwerden bereits deutlich gebessert. Werden die Ayurveda-Empfehlungen eingehalten, kommt es bei der Patientin zu einer zügigen Verbesserung der Reizdarmsymptomatik.

Dieser typische Fall aus der Ayurveda-Praxis bestätigt die Annahme, dass eher generelle Aspekte wie das warme, regelmäßige Essen leicht verdaulicher Speisen eine Lösung für das Reizdarmsyndrom darstellen können. Die Karenz vermeintlich auslösender Molekülgruppen in bestimmten Nahrungsmitteln oder der vermehrte Einsatz von Nahrungsmitteln, die gemäß pharmakologischer Prinzipien eine Heilung bewirken sollen, haben sich nach der Erfahrung des Autors in der Praxis wenig bewährt.
Antidepressant Prescription and Risk of Lung Cancer: A Nationwide Case-Control Study
Authors: Tsai Chia-Jui , Chiu Wei-Che , Chen Chia-Ju , Chen Pau-Chung , McIntyre Roger , Chen Vincent
Published: April 2018

Introduction In recent decades, concern about safety of antidepressants has been raised but the risk between antidepressants and lung cancer has not yet been established.

Methods A case-control study was conducted by using a nationwide database in Taiwan. The case groups were new onset lung cancer diagnosis during 1999–2008 and age- and gender-matched controls were selected among those without any cancer. The cumulative exposure dose before the lung cancer diagnosis was added and risks were calculated according to the levels of defined daily dose and classes of antidepressants.

Results A total of 39,001 individuals with lung cancer and 189,906 individuals without lung cancer between 1999 and 2008 were included in the analysis. Antidepressants, of any class, were not associated with elevated risks for lung cancer with the exception of bupropion at high exposure levels (odds ratio=4.81, 95% confidence interval=1.39–16.71).

Discussion Antidepressant prescription was not associated with elevation of lung cancer incidence using a nationally representative sample. The elevated risk for lung cancer with bupropion at high doses may be a bias by indication and warrant longitudinal investigation.
Hauptstadtkongress 2018: Ein Blick in die Zukunft
Authors: Dorner Carola
Published: April 2018

Der Hauptstadtkongress 2018 ist schon der 21. Hauptstadtkongress, den Dr. Ingrid Völker und Ulf Fink gemeinsam leiten. Trotzdem ist der Kongress für sie immer wieder spannend.
Nachwuchsförderung der Münch Stiftung: Think Camp für die Player von Morgen
Authors: Mau Jens
Published: April 2018

Beim Think Camp der Stiftung Münch haben sich Nachwuchskräfte in Berlin getroffen und über die Vorteile ausländischer Gesundheitssysteme diskutiert. Herausgekommen sind Vorschläge, wie die deutsche Gesundheitsversorgung reformiert werden könnte.
E-Health-Gesetz: Am Patienten vorbei
Authors: Hölbling Catrin
Published: April 2018

Das E-Health-Gesetz will u. a. den Kontakt zwischen Ärzten und Patienten via Internet fördern. Doch die angestrebten Lösungen der Politik decken sich nicht immer mit den Wünschen der Patienten. Eine Studie offenbart erhebliche Diskrepanzen.
Nervöser KIS-Markt: Die Spannung steigt
Authors: Mau Jens
Published: April 2018

Seit Jahren beschwören Branchenkenner die bevorstehende Konsolidierung des Marktes für Krankenhausinformationssysteme (KIS) – doch bis dato ist kein großer Player vom Markt verschwunden. Mit Philips stürmt sogar ein weiteres Schwergewicht aufs Parkett und heizt die Gerüchteküche noch mehr an.
Telemedizin: So plant Bayern die elektronische Patientenakte
Authors: Mau Jens
Published: April 2018

Wer in Deutschland von Telemedizin spricht, verweist meist noch auf die Zukunft. Einer, der schon lange an dieser Zukunft arbeitet, ist Prof. Dr. Siegfried Jedamzik. Er ist Vater vieler telemedizinischer Projekte in Bayern und nun soll er ein weiteres großes organisieren: Die elektronische Gesundheitsakte für die Bürger Bayerns.
Gesundheitsminister Spahn: Eine Chance für mehr Wettbewerb
Authors: Paquet Robert
Published: April 2018

Der neue Gesundheitsminister Jens Spahn ist für Überraschungen gut, auch wenn der Koalitionsvertrag ihm ein enges Korsett anlegt. Er wird eigene Akzente setzen und die Akteure der Gesundheitsszene müssen mit einer veränderten Tonart rechnen.
Kooperation zwischen Automobilhersteller und Uniklinik: Optimierte Abläufe erleichtern Krebspatienten die Therapie
Authors: Allgeier Michaela
Published: April 2018

Zwischen dem Autobauer Ford und dem Centrum für Integrierte Onkologie (CIO) Köln Bonn, dem gemeinsamen Krebszentrum der Unikliniken Köln und Bonn, hat sich eine Kooperation entwickelt, von der beide Seiten profitieren.
Medizintechnik: Die MPBetreibV bleibt eine Herausforderung
Authors: Banedj-Schafii Mandana
Published: April 2018

Zum 1. Januar 2017 ist die aktuelle Medizinprodukte-Betreiberverordnung (MPBetreibV) in Kraft getreten. Doch noch über ein Jahr danach wird sie in der Praxis gar nicht oder nur zögerlich umgesetzt.
Optimal Aufgestellt? Chance und Herausforderung – wie sich die Digitalisierung erfolgreich umsetzen lässt.
Authors: Kucera Martin
Published: April 2018

In Zeiten des Kostendrucks und der zunehmenden Konkurrenz kommt kaum ein Krankenhaus ohne die Hilfe von Beratern aus. Trotzdem müssen auch Klinikmanager den Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung gewachsen sein. Welcher Typ Manager ist aus Sicht von Experten zurzeit bei Kliniken und Healthcare-Unternehmen besonders gefragt? Wie stehen deutsche Krankenhäuser heute in Sachen Controlling da? Was leisten Personalentwicklungsprogramme bei der Besetzung von Führungspositionen? Antworten auf diese Fragen lesen Sie in diesem Heft. Erfahren Sie außerdem, wo sich in Sachen Wahlleistungen aus Sicht der Berater heute noch Potenziale heben lassen, wie sich Kliniken optimal auf Entgelt- und Budgetverhandlungen vorbereiten können und welche Defizite ihnen bei ihrer Arbeit im Krankenaus immer wieder begegnen.
Krankenhausberatung: Trendthemen im Consultingmarkt
Authors: Kucera Martin
Published: April 2018

In Zeiten des steigenden Kostendrucks und der zunehmenden Konkurrenz kommt kaum ein Krankenhaus ohne die Hilfe von Beratern aus. Die Bandbreite der Consultingleistungen im Gesundheitsmarkt ist mindestens ebenso vielfältig wie in der Wirtschaft und Industrie. Vor allem die Beratung in Sachen Bau und Personal ist derzeit sehr gefragt.
Wahlleistung Unterkunft: Hotelniveau im Krankenhaus – richtig investiert, jeder profitiert
Authors: Richter Franz-Josef , Darup Friederike Schulze
Published: April 2018

Die Nachfrage nach besonderer Unterbringung im Krankenhaus steigt. Werden die Anforderungen der PKV im Bereich Wahlleistung Unterkunft mit passgenauen Konzepten hochwertig, kreativ und richtig umgesetzt, können Kliniken ihre Erlöse signifikant steigern.
Nonuniform gyrotropic oscillation of skyrmion in a nanodisk
Authors: Xuan Shengjie , Liu Yan
Published: April 2018

It was predicted that magnetic skyrmions have potential application in the spin nano-oscillators. The oscillation frequency is a key parameter. In this paper, we study the skyrmion relaxation in a FeGe nanodisk and find that the oscillation frequency depends on the skyrmion position. The relaxation process is associated with the variation of skyrmion diameter. By analyzing the system energy, we believe that the nonuniform gyrotropic oscillation frequency is due to the change of the skyrmion diameter.
A Kirkwood-Buff derived force field for alkaline earth halide salts
Authors: Naleem Nawavi , Bentenitis Nikolaos , Smith Paul E.
Published: April 2018

The activity and function of many macromolecules in cellular environments are coupled with the binding of divalent ions such as calcium or magnesium. In principle, computer simulations can be used to understand the molecular level aspects of how many important macromolecules interact with ions. However, most of the force fields currently available often fail to accurately reproduce the properties of divalent ions in aqueous environments. Here we develop classical non-polarizable force fields for the aqueous alkaline earth metal halides (MX2), where M = Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+ and X = Cl−, Br−, I−, which can be used in bimolecular simulations and which are compatible with the Simple Point Charge/Extended (SPC/E) water model. The force field parameters are specifically developed to reproduce the experimental Kirkwood-Buff integrals for aqueous solutions and thereby the experimental activity derivatives, partial molar volumes, and excess coordination numbers. This ensures that a reasonable balance between ion-ion, ion-water, and water-water distributions is obtained. However, this requires a scaling of the cation to water oxygen interaction strength in order to accurately reproduce the integrals. The scaling factors developed for chloride salts are successfully transferable to the bromide and iodide salts. Use of these new models leads to reasonable diffusion constants and dielectric decrements. However, the performance of the models decreases with increasing salt concentration (>4m), and simulations of the pure crystals exhibited unstable behavior.
Epitaxial engineering of polar ε-Ga2O3 for tunable two-dimensional electron gas at the heterointerface
Authors: Cho Sung Beom , Mishra Rohan
Published: April 2018

We predict the formation of a polarization-induced two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the interface of ε-Ga2O3 and CaCO3, wherein the density of the 2DEG can be tuned by reversing the spontaneous polarization in ε-Ga2O3, for example, with an applied electric field. ε-Ga2O3 is a polar and metastable ultra-wide band-gap semiconductor. We use density-functional theory (DFT) calculations and coincidence-site lattice model to predict the region of epitaxial strain under which ε-Ga2O3 can be stabilized over its other competing polymorphs and suggest promising substrates. Using group-theoretical methods and DFT calculations, we show that ε-Ga2O3 is a ferroelectric material where the spontaneous polarization can be reversed through a non-polar phase by using an electric field. Based on the calculated band alignment of ε-Ga2O3 with various substrates, we show the formation of a 2DEG with a high sheet charge density of 1014 cm−2 at the interface with CaCO3 due to the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in ε-Ga2O3, which makes the system attractive for high-power and high-frequency applications.
Polarization retention in ultra-thin barium titanate films on Ge(001)
Authors: Cho Yujin , Ponath Patrick , Zheng Lu , Hatanpaa Benjamin , Lai Keji , Demkov Alexander A. , Downer Michael C.
Published: April 2018

We investigate polarization retention in 10 to 19 nm thick ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) grown on Ge(001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The out-of-plane direction and reversibility of electric polarization were confirmed using piezoresponse force microscopy. After reverse-poling selected regions of the BTO films to a value P with a biased atomic-force microscope tip, we monitored relaxation of their net polarization for as long as several weeks using optical second-harmonic generation microscopy. All films retained reversed polarization throughout the observation period. 10 nm-thick BTO films relaxed monotonically to a saturation value of 0.9 P after 27 days and 19 nm films to 0.75 P after 24 h. Polarization dynamics are discussed in the context of a 1D polarization relaxation/kinetics model.
Ab initio characterization of coupling strength for all
types of dangling-bond pairs on the hydrogen-terminated Si(100)-2
× 1 surface
Authors: Shaterzadeh-Yazdi Zahra , Sanders Barry C. , DiLabio Gino A.
Published: April 2018

Recent work has suggested that coupled silicon dangling bonds sharing an excess electron may serve as building blocks for quantum-cellular-automata cells and quantum computing schemes when constructed on hydrogen-terminated silicon surfaces. In this work, we employ ab initio density-functional theory to examine the details associated with the coupling between two dangling bonds sharing one excess electron and arranged in various configurations on models of phosphorous-doped hydrogen-terminated silicon (100) surfaces. Our results show that the coupling strength depends strongly on the relative orientation of the dangling bonds on the surface and on the separation between them. The orientation of dangling bonds is determined by the anisotropy of the silicon (100) surface, so this feature of the surface is a significant contributing factor to variations in the strength of coupling between dangling bonds. The results demonstrate that simple models for approximating tunneling, such as the Wentzel-Kramer-Brillouin method, which do not incorporate the details of surface structure, are incapable of providing reasonable estimates of tunneling rates between dangling bonds. The results provide guidance to efforts related to the development of dangling-bond based computing elements.
Uptake of methanol on mixed HNO3/H2O clusters: An absolute pickup cross section
Authors: Pysanenko A. , Lengyel J. , Fárník M.
Published: April 2018

The uptake of atmospheric oxidized organics on acid clusters is relevant for atmospheric new particle formation. We investigate the pickup of methanol (CH3OH) on mixed nitric acid–water clusters (HNO3)M(H2O)N by a combination of mass spectrometry and cluster velocity measurements in a molecular beam. The mass spectra of the mixed clusters exhibit (HNO3)m(H2O)nH+ series with m = 0–3 and n = 0–12. In addition, CH3OH·(HNO3)m(H2O)nH+ series with very similar patterns appear in the spectra after the methanol pickup. The velocity measurements prove that the undoped (HNO3)m(H2O)nH+ mass peaks in the pickup spectra originate from the neutral (HNO3)M(H2O)N clusters which have not picked up any CH3OH molecule, i.e., methanol has not evaporated upon the ionization. Thus the fraction of the doped clusters can be determined and the mean pickup cross section can be estimated, yielding σs¯≈ 20 Å2. This is compared to the lower estimate of the mean geometrical cross section σg¯≈ 60 Å2 obtained from the theoretical cluster geometries. Thus the “size” of the cluster corresponding to the methanol pickup is at least 3-times smaller than its geometrical size. We have introduced a method which can yield the absolute pickup cross sections relevant to the generation and growth of atmospheric aerosols, as illustrated in the example of methanol and nitric acid clusters.
Direct detection of spin Nernst effect in platinum
Authors: Bose A. , Bhuktare S. , Singh H. , Dutta S. , Achanta V. G. , Tulapurkar A. A.
Published: April 2018

Generation of spin current lies at the heart of spintronic research. The spin Hall effect and the spin Seebeck effect have drawn considerable attention in the last few years to create pure spin current by heavy metals and ferromagnets, respectively. In this work, we show the direct evidence of heat current to spin current conversion in non-magnetic Platinum by the spin Nernst effect (SNE) at room temperature. This is the thermal analogue of the spin Hall effect in non-magnets. We have shown that the 8 K/μm thermal gradient in Pt can lead to the generation of pure spin current density of the order of 108 A/m2 by virtue of SNE. This opens up an additional possibility to couple the relativistic spin-orbit interaction with the thermal gradient for spintronic applications.