bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effective Labeling of Primary Somatic Stem Cells with BaTiO3 Nanocrystals for Second Harmonic Generation Imaging
Authors: Sugiyama Nami , Sonay Ali Y. , Tussiwand Roxanne , Cohen Bruce E. , Pantazis Periklis
Published: January 2018

While nanoparticles are an increasingly popular choice for labeling and tracking stem cells in biomedical applications such as cell therapy, their intracellular fate and subsequent effect on stem cell differentiation remain elusive. To establish an effective stem cell labeling strategy, the intracellular nanocrystal concentration should be minimized to avoid adverse effects, without compromising the intensity and persistence of the signal necessary for long‐term tracking. Here, the use of second‐harmonic generating barium titanate nanocrystals is reported, whose achievable brightness allows for high contrast stem cell labeling with at least one order of magnitude lower intracellular nanocrystals than previously reported. Their long‐term photostability enables to investigate quantitatively at the single cell level their cellular fate in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) using both multiphoton and electron microscopy. It is found that the concentration of nanocrystals in proliferative multipotent progenitors is over 2.5‐fold greater compared to quiescent stem cells; this difference vanishes when HSCs enter a nonquiescent, proliferative state, while their potency remains unaffected. Understanding the nanoparticle stem cell interaction allows to establish an effective and safe nanoparticle labeling strategy into somatic stem cells that can critically contribute to an understanding of their in vivo therapeutic potential.
Pre‐Fabrication Gettering and Hydrogenation Treatments for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells: A Possible Path to >700 mV Open‐Circuit Voltages Using Low‐Lifetime Commercial‐Grade p‐Type Czochralski Silicon
Authors: Hallam Brett , Chen Daniel , Shi Jianwei , Einhaus Roland , Holman Zachary C. , Wenham Stuart
Published: January 2018

Pre‐fabrication gettering and bulk hydrogenation processes are applied to low‐bulk‐lifetime (25 μs) p‐type Czochralski silicon wafers before silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell fabrication, resulting in effective minority carrier lifetime enhancements by a factor of six. On complete SHJ solar cells, this translates to an improvement in the open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 71 mV, resulting in VOC values as high as 692 mV. This remarkably high VOC suggests that efficiencies approaching 25% could be possible for low‐cost p‐type Czochralski silicon wafers – not the typical expensive, high‐quality n‐type ones with lifetimes of several milliseconds – in the near future. This method is also likely applicable to n‐type SHJ solar cells to reduce the incoming wafer lifetime requirements and to other silicon solar cell structures featuring passivated contacts.
An integrated and dynamic approach to agricultural land‐use change modeling at country‐level to regional scale: Application to Iran
Authors: Mesgari Iman , Jabalameli Mohammad Saeed
Published: January 2018

Agricultural land use change is the result of interactions between different driving factors and processes at different scales. Most of models have been proposed for the land use change simulations only consider the suitability of lands and spatial competition between different land uses at microscales. But agricultural land use projection involves assessment of macro‐level socioeconomic variables and driving forces. This paper suggests a dynamic modeling approach that integrates demand‐driven changes in agricultural land area at macro‐level with spatially explicit distribution processes at regional‐scale. This approach is based on combination of two core models with dynamic top‐down and bottom‐up feedback loops between them, dynamic simulation model, and land use change (LUC) model. Without the spatial considerations, the dynamic model is used to project the agricultural land demands influenced by economic, demographic, technologic, and regulatory variables and their interactions at country‐level. In addition, LUC model is used to simulate the downscaling of these demands between country regions based on spatial consideration of land suitability, change elasticity, spatial policies and restrictions, and competitive advantage of agriculture. Sensitivity analysis and empirical validation indicated the reliability and capability of the model for addressing the complexity of current agricultural land use changes and for investigating long‐term scenarios in the future. Finally, the model is used to explore the future dynamics of Iran agricultural land use during 2015–2040 with eight‐year pace. The simulation results for Iran show that the water availability is the most determining factor in the distribution of agricultural lands in a way that a continuing downward trend in agriculture land areas will occur in east and northeast, as well as an upward trend in north and southwest regions of the country. The outcome of this study enhances our capacity to consider approaches from different disciplines in an integrated framework for LUC modeling and provide a decision support tool for land use planning, policy making, and managements of agricultural sector.
Assessing causal claims about complex engineered systems with quantitative data: internal, external, and construct validity
Authors: Broniatowski David A. , Tucker Conrad
Published: January 2018

Engineers seek to design systems that will produce an intended change in the state of the world. How are we to know if a system will behave as intended? This article addresses ways that this question can be answered. Specifically, we focus on three types of research validity: (1) internal validity, or whether an observed association between two variables can be attributed to a causal link between them; (2) external validity, or whether a causal link generalizes across contexts; and (3) construct validity, or whether a specific set of metrics corresponds to what they are intended to measure. In each case, we discuss techniques that may be used to establish the corresponding type of validity: namely, quasi‐experimental design, replication, and establishment of convergent‐discriminant validity and reliability. These techniques typically require access to data, which has historically been limited for research on complex engineered systems. This is likely to change in the era of “big data.” Thus, we discuss the continued utility of these validity concepts in the face of advances in machine learning and big data as they pertain to complex engineered sociotechnical systems. Next, we discuss relationships between these validity concepts and other prominent approaches to evaluating research in the field. Finally, we propose a set of criteria by which one may evaluate research utilizing quantitative observation to test causal theory in the field of complex engineered systems.
Design, analysis, and realization of a magnetic force transmission PM brushless motor
Authors: Libing Jing , Ting Zhang , Ying Lin , Jia Cheng
Published: January 2018

This paper proposes a novel direct‐driving motor that successfully embeds a permanent magnet brushless motor (PMBM) into a concentric magnetic gear (CMG). The PMBM and CMG share a common high‐speed rotor. In order to reduce the flux harmonics and get high torque density, Halbach arrays are employed to arrange the PM's poles on each side of the rotor, which completely makes the internal PMBM field and the external CMG field decoupled and improves the magnetic field characteristic. The results of finite element computation show that the proposed motor with Halbach arrays has over 7.5% higher torque density and that the cogging torque reduces to 1/20 that of a conventional radial magnetization motor; moreover, in the test, the back‐EMF waveform is closer to a sine wave and the three‐phase current waveforms show good agreement between the simulated and experimented results under the same load. The torque ripple is small and the dynamic performance is good. At the same time, the efficiency at the rated point is very close to the experimental one, which validates the effectiveness of the design method for the PMBM in the CMG. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Treatment of selective mutism: a 5-year follow-up study
Authors: Oerbeck Beate , Overgaard Kristin Romvig , Stein Murray B. , Pripp Are Hugo , Kristensen Hanne
Published: January 2018

Selective mutism (SM) has been defined as an anxiety disorder in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the recommended approach for SM, but prospective long-term outcome studies are lacking. Reports from the children themselves, and the use of more global quality of life measures, are also missing in the literature. We have developed a school-based CBT intervention previously found to increase speech in a pilot efficacy study and a randomized controlled treatment study. Continued progress was found in our 1-year follow-up studies, where older age and more severe SM had a significant negative effect upon outcome. In the present study, we provide 5-year outcome data for 30 of these 32 children with SM who completed the same CBT for mean 21 weeks (sd 5, range 8–24) at mean age 6 years (10 boys). Mean age at the 5-year follow-up was 11 years (range 8–14). Outcome measures were diagnostic status, the teacher- and parent-rated selective mutism questionnaires, and child rated quality of life and speaking behavior. At the 5-year follow-up, 21 children were in full remission, five were in partial remission and four fulfilled diagnostic criteria for SM. Seven children (23%) fulfilled criteria for social phobia, and separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia and/or enuresis nocturna were found in a total of five children (17%). Older age and severity at baseline and familial SM were significant negative predictors of outcome. Treatment gains were maintained on the teacher- and parent questionnaires. The children rated their overall quality of life as good. Although most of them talked outside of home, 50% still experienced it as somewhat challenging. These results point to the long-term effectiveness of CBT for SM, but also highlight the need to develop more effective interventions for the subset of children with persistent symptoms.

Clinical trials registrationNCT01002196
Generating Multivariate Ordinal Data via Entropy Principles
Authors: Lee Yen , Kaplan David
Published: January 2018

When conducting robustness research where the focus of attention is on the impact of non-normality, the marginal skewness and kurtosis are often used to set the degree of non-normality. Monte Carlo methods are commonly applied to conduct this type of research by simulating data from distributions with skewness and kurtosis constrained to pre-specified values. Although several procedures have been proposed to simulate data from distributions with these constraints, no corresponding procedures have been applied for discrete distributions. In this paper, we present two procedures based on the principles of maximum entropy and minimum cross-entropy to estimate the multivariate observed ordinal distributions with constraints on skewness and kurtosis. For these procedures, the correlation matrix of the observed variables is not specified but depends on the relationships between the latent response variables. With the estimated distributions, researchers can study robustness not only focusing on the levels of non-normality but also on the variations in the distribution shapes. A simulation study demonstrates that these procedures yield excellent agreement between specified parameters and those of estimated distributions. A robustness study concerning the effect of distribution shape in the context of confirmatory factor analysis shows that shape can affect the robust <mml:math xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mnf="http://cambridge.org/core/manifest" xmlns:cup="http://contentservices.cambridge.org" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:m="http://cambridge.org/core/metadata" xmlns:core="http://cambridge.org/core" xmlns:c="http://cambridge.org/core/content">χ2\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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β‐Oxidation of 18∶3n−3 in atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) hepatocytes treated with different fatty acids
Authors: Torstensen Bente E. , Stubhaug Ingunn
Published: January 2018

To study whether Atlantic salmon β‐oxidation was affected by dietary FA composition, an in vitro study with primary hepatocytes was undertaken. Isolated hepatocyte cultures were stimulated with either 16∶0, 18∶1n−9, 18∶2n−6, 18∶3n−3, 20∶5n−3, or 22∶6n−3 in triplicate for 24 h. In addition, a control was included where no FA stimulation was performed, also in triplicate. After stimulation, radiolabeled [1‐14C]18∶3n−3 was added and the cells were incubated for 2 h at 20°C. The cells were then harvested, and radioactivity was determined in the acid‐soluble part of the cells and medium, i.e., the end products of the β‐oxidation pathway. Specific β‐oxidation activity was significantly higher in hepatocytes stimulated with 18∶3n−3. Further, when taking into account the amount of radiolabeled [1‐14C]18∶3n−3 taken up by the cells—the relative amount of β‐oxidized [1‐14C]18∶3n−3 of the total FA taken up by the hepatocytes—no significant differences were found. Thus, the regulation of β‐oxidation activity in the primary Atlantic salmon hepatocytes seems to be at the level of FA uptake and transport into the cell. This in vitro study shows that the catabolism processes in salmon hepatocytes are affected by the FA available and probably already regulated at the level of FA uptake.
Changes in olive oil composition due to microwave heating
Authors: Cossignani L. , Simonetti M. S. , Neri A. , Damiani P.
Published: January 2018

The effects of microwave heating on some components of extra‐virgin olive oil were studied. Traditional parameters, including free acidity, peroxide value and ultraviolet absorbance values at 232 and 268 nm, were determined in six extra‐virgin olive oil samples before and after the microwave treatment. Significant differences (P<0.01) were detected for free acidity, peroxide, and ultraviolet absorbance at 268 nm; also, the absorbances at 232 nm showed significant differences (P<0.05) between treated and untreated samples. The glycerolic fractions, triacylglycerols (TAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), and monoacylglycerols (MAG), were isolated by thin‐layer chromatography. The respective percentage fatty acid (FA) composition and percentage amount were obtained by high‐resolution gas chromatography with an internal standard. For the most abundant TAG fraction, the stereospecific analysis was carried out to obtain the FA percentage compositions of the three sn‐positions. Small but significant modifications were observed regarding the decrease in the TAG percentage and increases in the DAG and MAG percentage amounts. No significant changes were observed for the FA compositions of TAG, DAG, and MAG fractions before and after the treatment. Nevertheless, the results of TAG stereospecific analysis showed losses of unsaturated FA in all sn‐positions. Higher percentage changes in the sn‐1‐ than in sn‐2‐position of TAG were observed. Regarding the volatile fraction, different profiles were obtained after the treatment.
Oil extracted from seal hides: Characterization and use as leather fat liquor
Authors: Cuq M. H. , Benjelloun‐Mlayah B. , Delmas M.
Published: January 2018

Extracting natural grease from leathers and skins is a necessary process designed to avoid the appearance of undesirable blemishes in finished articles. Also, degreasing of pickled skins is an important preliminary step in which excess fats are removed. Fat content of some skins is high. In this paper, we study the characteristics of the extracted fatty substances from seal skins. Extracted fats, which were considered waste, can be used as fat liquors in leather manufacture. The primary function of leather lubricant is to prevent adhesion of the leather fibers and to influence the degree of fiber cohesion that takes place during drying of wet leathers. In mineral tannage or semimineral tannage (e.g., semi‐chrome), this is achieved by the fatliquoring of leather, for which purpose mostly anionic emulsifiable oil products are used. Seal oil is made into an emulsifiable anionic product by sulfation or by addition of anionic emulsifiers. We tested these products in lambskin fat‐liquoring and we studied the physical properties of leather and fatty spue (white efflorescences that appear sometimes on the surface of leather) formation after aging for 3 mon. The oil extracted from seal skins has good characteristics as fat liquor, and the quality of the resulting leather is comparable to leathers fat‐liquored with a commercial reference material.
Lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of hydroxy stearates and their properties
Authors: Ghosh Mahua , Bhattacharyya D. K.
Published: January 2018

Hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) esters of long‐chain alcohols, such as hydroxy stearates, have potential applications from lubricants to cosmetics. These esters were synthesized enzymatically to overcome the problems associated with chemical processes. An immobilized lipase, Rhizomucor miehei, was employed as catalyst in the esterification reaction between hydroxy‐stearic acid as a source of HFA and monohydric fatty alcohols (C8–C18). The yields of esters were in the range of 82–90% by conducting the reactions at 65±2°C, 2–5 mm Hg pressure, and 10% lipase concentration. The products were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy, and some of their analytical characteristics were determined.
Enzymatic interesterification of palm stearin and palm kernel olein
Authors: Zainal Zaida , Affandi Yusoff Mohd Suria
Published: January 2018

Palm stearin (POs) and palm kernel olein (PKOo) blends were modified by enzymatic interesterification (IE) to achieve the physical properties of margarine fats. POs and PKOo are both products of the palm oil industry that presently have limited use. Rhizomucor miehei lipase (Lipozyme IM 60) was used to catalyze the interesterification of oil blends at 60°C. The progress of interesterification was monitored by following changes in triacylglyceride composition. At 60°C interesterification can be completed in 5 h. Degrees of hydrolysis obtained through IE for all blends were decreased from 2.9 to 2.0 by use of dry molecular sieves. The solid fat contents of POs/PKOo 30:70 and 70:30 interesterified blends were 9.6 and 18.1 at 20°C, and 0 and 4.1 at 35°C, respectively. The slip melting point (SMP) of POs/PKOo 30:70 was 40.0°C before interesterification and 29.9°C after IE. For POs/PKOs 70:30, SMP was 47.7 before and 37.5°C after IE. These thermal characteristics of interesterified POs/PKOo blend ratios from 30:70 to 70:30 were comparable to those of commercial margarines. Results showed that IE was effective in producing solid fats with less than 0.5% trans.
Lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of waxes from milk fat and oleyl alcohol
Authors: Poisson L. , Jan S. , Vuillemard J. C. , Sarazin C. , Séguin J. P. , Barbotin J. N. , Ergan F.
Published: January 2018

A screening of five lipases was carried out for the synthesis of wax esters from stoichiometric amounts of oleyl alcohol and milk fat in which long‐chain fatty acid content (myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid) represents 70% of the total fatty acid fraction. The lipases from Alcaligenes sp. and Chromobacterium viscosum both allowed for the best ester synthesis (around 60%) within 2 and 48 h, respectively. Enzeco® Lipase Concentrate gave 30% ester yield within only 2 h. During the time period of 166 h, less than 20% ester synthesis was obtained with Lipozyme™ 10,000L whereas Enzeco® Lipase XX did not catalyze the reaction. Owing to commercial availability, the food‐grade Enzeco® Lipase Concentrate preparation was selected for further experiments with a view to improve wax synthesis. Wax yields were compared for three substrate molar ratios, i.e., 0.5:1, 1:1, and 1.5:1 (alcohol/fatty acid). For 0.5:1 and 1.5:1 substrate molar ratios, the addition of water increased ester yields while the effect of silica gel addition was shown to be minor. The best improvement was obtained at a substrate molar ratio of 1.5:1 with addition of water, leading to 59% wax ester synthesis.
Fatty acid and tocopherol contents and oxidative stability of walnut oils
Authors: Savage G. P. , Dutta P. C. , McNeil D. L.
Published: January 2018

Walnuts (Juglans regia L.) were collected during the 1997 harvest from 13 different cultivars of trees grown in a replicated trial in an experimental orchard at Lincoln University. Two U.S. commercial cultivars (Tehama and Vina), three European commercial cultivars (Esterhazy, G139, G120), and eight New Zealand selections (Rex, Dublin’s Glory, Meyric, Stanley, Mckinster, 150, 151, 153) were evaluated. Total lipids were analyzed for fatty acids by capillary gas chromatography, tocopherols by high‐performance liquid chromatography, and oxidation stability by Rancimat. The total oil content of the nuts ranged from 64.2 to 68.9% while the stability of the oil ranged from 3.9 to 7.8 h. The oleic acid content of the oils ranged from 12.7 to 20.4% of the total fatty acids, while 18:2 content ranged from 57.0 to 62.5% and the 18:3 contents ranged from 10.7 to 16.2%. Reduced stability of the oil as measured by the Rancimat method appears to be correlated to higher levels of 18:2 in the extracted oil. The total tocopherol contents of these nuts ranged from 268.5 to 436.0 µg/g oil. γ‐Tocopherol dominated the profile while α‐tocopherol was only 6% of the total content. Peroxide values of the fresh oil were measured spectrophotometrically to give an indication of the overall stability. The levels of total tocopherols when combined with the level of unsaturation in the oil in a multiple regression analysis had a significant relationship (R2=45.2%, P<0.001) with the peroxide value in the oil.
Chemical and physical analyses and sensory evaluation of six deep‐frying oils
Authors: Xu Xin‐Qing , Tran Viet Hung , Palmer Martin , White Keith , Salisbury Philip
Published: January 2018

The performance of three high‐oleic canola oils with different levels of linolenic acid [low‐linolenic canola (LLC), medium‐linolenic canola (MLC), and high‐linolenic canola (HLC)], a medium‐high‐oleic sunflower oil, a commercial palm olein and a commercial, partially hydrogenated canola oil, was monitored by chemical and physical analyses and sensory evaluation during two 80‐h deep‐frying trials with potato chips. Linolenic acid content was a critical factor in the deep‐frying performance of the high‐oleic canola oils and was inversely related to both the sensory ranking of the food fried in the oils and the oxidative stability of the oils (as measured by color index, free fatty acid content, and total polar compounds). LLC and sunflower oil were ranked the best of the six oils in sensory evaluation, although LLC performed significantly better than sunflower oil in color index, free fatty acid content, and total polar compounds. MLC was as good as palm olein in sensory evaluation, but was better than palm olein in oxidative stability. Partially hydrogenated canola oil received the lowest scores in sensory evaluation. High‐oleic canola oil (Monola) with 2.5% linolenic acid was found to be very well suited for deep frying.
Managing Discovery in the Life Sciences
Authors: Rea Philip A. , Pauly Mark V. , Burns Lawton R.
Published: January 2018

In this book, distinguished scholars Philip A. Rea, Mark V. Pauly, and Lawton R. Burns explore the science and management behind marketable biomedical innovations. They look at how the science actually played out through the interplay of personalities, the cultures within and between academic and corporate entities, and the significance of serendipity not as a mysterious phenomenon but one intrinsic to the successes and failures of the experimental approach. With newly aggregated data and case studies, they consider the fundamental economic underpinnings of investor-driven discovery management, not as an obstacle or deficiency as its critics would contend or as something beyond reproach as some of its proponents might claim, but as the only means by which scientists and managers can navigate the unknowable to discover new products and decide how to sell them so as to maximize the likelihood of establishing a sustainable pipeline for still more marketable biomedical innovations.
Cancer cell-derived von Willebrand factor enhanced metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Ai-jun , Wang Min , Wang Yan , Cai Wei , Li Qiang , Zhao Ting-ting , Zhang Li-han , Houck Katie , Chen Xu , Jin Yan-ling , Mu Ji-ying , Dong Jing-fei , Li Min
Published: January 2018

Cancer prognosis is poor for patients with blood-borne metastasis. Platelets are known to assist cancer cells in transmigrating through the endothelium, but ligands for the platelet-mediated cancer metastasis remain poorly defined. von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a major platelet ligand that has been widely used as a biomarker in cancer and associated inflammation. However, its functional role in cancer growth and metastasis is largely unknown. Here we report that gastric cancer cells from patients and cells from two well-established gastric cancer lines express vWF and secrete it into the circulation, upon which it rapidly becomes cell-bound to mediate cancer-cell aggregation and interaction with platelets and endothelial cells. The vWF-mediated homotypic and heterotypic cell–cell interactions promote the pulmonary graft of vWF-overexpressing gastric cancer BGC823 cells in a mouse model. The metastasis-promoting activity of vWF was blocked by antibodies against vWF and its platelet receptor GP Ibα. It was also reduced by an inhibitory siRNA that suppresses vWF expression. These findings demonstrate a causal role of cancer-cell-derived vWF in mediating gastric cancer metastasis and identify vWF as a new therapeutic target.
Glutathione transferases: substrates, inihibitors and pro-drugs in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Allocati Nerino , Masulli Michele , Di Ilio Carmine , Federici Luca
Published: January 2018

Glutathione transferase classical GSH conjugation activity plays a critical role in cellular detoxification against xenobiotics and noxious compounds as well as against oxidative stress. However, this feature is also exploited by cancer cells to acquire drug resistance and improve their survival. As a result, various members of the family were found overexpressed in a number of different cancers. Moreover several GST polymorphisms, ranging from null phenotypes to point mutations, were detected in members of the family and found to correlate with the onset of neuro-degenerative diseases. In the last decades, a great deal of research aimed at clarifying the role played by GSTs in drug resistance, at developing inhibitors to counteract this activity but also at exploiting GSTs for prodrugs specific activation in cancer cells. Here we summarize some of the most important achievements reached in this lively area of research.
The impact of failure: unsuccessful bacterial invasions steer the soil microbial community away from the invader’s niche
Authors: Mallon C A , Le Roux X , van Doorn G S , Dini-Andreote F , Poly F , Salles J F
Published: January 2018

Although many environments like soils are constantly subjected to invasion by alien microbes, invaders usually fail to succeed, succumbing to the robust diversity often found in nature. So far, only successful invasions have been explored, and it remains unknown to what extent an unsuccessful invasion can impact resident communities. Here we hypothesized that unsuccessful invasions can cause impacts to soil functioning by decreasing the diversity and niche breadth of resident bacterial communities, which could cause shifts to community composition and niche structure—an effect that is likely exacerbated when diversity is compromised. To examine this question, diversity gradients of soil microbial communities were subjected to invasion by the frequent, yet oft-unsuccessful soil invader, Escherichia coli, and evaluated for changes to diversity, bacterial community composition, niche breadth, and niche structure. Contrary to expectations, diversity and niche breadth increased across treatments upon invasion. Community composition and niche structure were also altered, with shifts of niche structure revealing an escape by the resident community away from the invader’s resources. Importantly, the extent of the escape varied in response to the community’s diversity, where less diverse communities experienced larger shifts. Thus, although transient and unsuccessful, the invader competed for resources with resident species and caused tangible impacts that modified both the diversity and functioning of resident communities, which can likely generate a legacy effect that influences future invasion attempts.
Quorum-sensing control of antibiotic resistance stabilizes cooperation in Chromobacterium violaceum
Authors: Evans Kara C , Benomar Saida , Camuy-Vélez Lennel A , Nasseri Ellen B , Wang Xiaofei , Neuenswander Benjamin , Chandler Josephine R
Published: January 2018

Many Proteobacteria use quorum sensing to regulate production of public goods, such as antimicrobials and proteases, that are shared among members of a community. Public goods are vulnerable to exploitation by cheaters, such as quorum sensing-defective mutants. Quorum sensing- regulated private goods, goods that benefit only producing cells, can prevent the emergence of cheaters under certain growth conditions. Previously, we developed a laboratory co-culture model to investigate the importance of quorum-regulated antimicrobials during interspecies competition. In our model, Burkholderia thailandensis and Chromobacterium violaceum each use quorum sensing-controlled antimicrobials to inhibit the other species’ growth. Here, we show that C. violaceum uses quorum sensing to increase resistance to bactobolin, a B. thailandensis antibiotic, by increasing transcription of a putative antibiotic efflux pump. We demonstrate conditions where C. violaceum quorum-defective cheaters emerge and show that in these conditions, bactobolin restrains cheaters. We also demonstrate that bactobolin restrains quorum-defective mutants in our co-culture model, and the increase in antimicrobial-producing cooperators drives the C. violaceum population to become more competitive. Our results describe a mechanism of cheater restraint involving quorum control of efflux pumps and demonstrate that interspecies competition can reinforce cooperative behaviors by placing constraints on quorum sensing-defective mutants.
Tissue Factor-bearing MPs and the risk of venous thrombosis in cancer patients: A meta-analysis
Authors: Cui Chan-juan , Wang Guo-jing , Yang Shuo , Huang Sheng-kai , Qiao Rui , Cui Wei
Published: January 2018

Cancer patients with Tissue Factor (TF)-bearing MPs have been presented association with increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but results of these studies have not been consistent. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between TF-bearing MPs and risk of VTE in patients with cancer. PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE Databases were systematically retrieved up to1th June 2017. Two case-control studies and four cohort studies met the entry requirements in this analysis. The summary odd ratio (OR) were estimated by a random effect model. The overall OR was 1.76 (95% CI: 1.21–2.56, I2 = 62.0%). The OR of case-control studies was 3.41 (95% CI: 1.45–8.02, I2 = 0.0%) and that of cohort studies was1.53 (95% CI: 1.05–2.24, I2 = 66.1%). The association between TF-bearing MPs and the risk of VTE in cancer patients was found in this meta-analysis. Publication bias testing and sensitivity subgroup analysis suggested that results of this meta-analysis were robustness. In conclusion, TF-bearing MPs were associated with increased risk of VTE in patients with cancer. Whereas, more well-designed studies and more comprehensive adjustments for confounders in further studies are warranted to affirm the association.
Color and time perception: Evidence for temporal overestimation of blue stimuli
Authors: Thönes S. , von Castell C. , Iflinger J. , Oberfeld D.
Published: January 2018

The perceived duration of a visual stimulus depends on various features, such as its size, shape, and movement. Potential effects of stimulus color have not been investigated in sufficient detail yet, but the well-known effects of arousal on time perception suggest that arousing hues, such as red, might induce an overestimation of duration. By means of a two-interval duration discrimination task in the sub-second range, we investigated whether participants overestimate the duration of red stimuli in comparison to blue stimuli, while controlling for differences in brightness (individual adjustments by means of flicker photometry) and saturation (colorimetric adjustment in terms of the CIELAB color space). Surprisingly, our results show an overestimation of the duration of blue compared to red stimuli (indicated by a shift of the point of subjective equality), even though the red stimuli were rated as being more arousing. The precision (variability) of duration judgments, i.e., the duration difference limen, did not differ between red and blue stimuli, questioning an explanation in terms of attentional processes.
Cerebrospinal fluid chemokine patterns in children with enterovirus 71-related encephalitis
Authors: Liu Jinling , Li Shuxian , Cai Chunyan , Xu Yingchun , Jiang Yuan , Chen Zhimin
Published: January 2018

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major pathogen that causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) as well as neurological complications, such as encephalitis. The chemokines involved in the migration of leukocytes have increasingly been implicated in infectious diseases of the central nervous system. Few studies have evaluated the levels of chemokines in HMFD children with EV71-related encephalitis. In the present study, we evaluated the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the chemokines IL-8, RANTES, MIG, MCP-1 and IP-10 in 99 children with EV71-related encephalitis and 22 children with febrile convulsion (FC). We found that the concentrations of IL-8, RANTES, MIG and IP-10 were significantly higher in HFMD children with encephalitis compared to patients with FC. Additionally, these four chemokines were dramatically reduced during convalescence. Inversely, the level of MCP-1 was lower in encephalitis patients than FC patients and was not significantly reduced during convalescence. Additionally, MIG was strongly correlated with IP-10 in encephalitis patients. Furthermore, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CSF MIG and IP-10 in distinguishing encephalitis from FC were 0.869 and 0.876, and the corresponding sensitivities/specificities were 67.7%/100.0% and 67.7%/95.5%, respectively. In conclusion, our results indicate that chemokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of EV71 infection.
Vibrio cholerae embraces two major evolutionary traits as revealed by targeted gene sequencing
Authors: Okada Kazuhisa , Wongboot Warawan , Chantaroj Siriporn , Natakuathung Wirongrong , Roobthaisong Amonrattana , Kamjumphol Watcharaporn , Maruyama Fumito , Takemura Taichiro , Nakagawa Ichiro , Ohnishi Makoto , Hamada Shigeyuki
Published: January 2018

Vibrio cholerae inhabits aquatic environments worldwide and has over 200 recognized serogroups classified by O-polysaccharide specificity. Here, we report that V. cholerae selects either of two genetic traits during their evolution. Sequencing of the specific gene locus MS6_A0927 revealed that 339 of 341 strains of V. cholerae and closely related Vibrio species originating from 34 countries over a century carried either metY (M) (~1,269 bp) or luxR-hchA (LH) (~1,600 bp) genes, and consequently those vibrios were separated into two clusters, M (45.4%) and LH (54.6%). Only two strains contained both M and LH in the same locus. Moreover, extensive polymorphisms in those genes were detected in M and LH with 79 and 46 sequence variations, respectively. V. cholerae O1 strains isolated from cholera outbreaks worldwide, and some non-O1 strains evolving from O1 via exchange of genes encoding cell surface polysaccharides possessed LH alleles. Analysis of polymorphisms in the gene locus implicated a high degree of genetic diversity and identical subpopulations among the V. cholerae species.
Reduction but no shift in brain activation after arithmetic learning in children: A simultaneous fNIRS-EEG study
Authors: Soltanlou Mojtaba , Artemenko Christina , Ehlis Ann-Christine , Huber Stefan , Fallgatter Andreas J. , Dresler Thomas , Nuerk Hans-Christoph
Published: January 2018

Neurocognitive studies of arithmetic learning in adults have revealed decreasing brain activation in the fronto-parietal network, along with increasing activation of specific cortical and subcortical areas during learning. Both changes are associated with a shift from procedural to retrieval strategies for problem-solving. Here we address the critical, open question of whether similar neurocognitive changes are also evident in children. In this study, 20 typically developing children were trained to solve simple and complex multiplication problems. The one-session and two-week training effects were monitored using simultaneous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). FNIRS measurement after one session of training on complex multiplication problems revealed decreased activation at the left angular gyrus (AG), right superior parietal lobule, and right intraparietal sulcus. Two weeks of training led to decreased activation at the left AG and right middle frontal gyrus. For both simple and complex problems, we observed increased alpha power in EEG measurements as children worked on trained versus untrained problems. In line with previous multiplication training studies in adults, reduced activation within the fronto-parietal network was observed after training. Contrary to adults, we found that strategy shifts via arithmetic learning were not contingent on the activation of the left AG in children.
Publisher Correction: Utf1 contributes to intergenerational epigenetic inheritance of pluripotency
Authors: Bao Qiuye , Morshedi Amir , Wang Fulu , Bhargy Sharma , Pervushin Konstantin , Yu Wei-Ping , Dröge Peter
Published: January 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
The effect of surface charge on oral absorption of polymeric nanoparticles
Authors: Du Xiao-Jiao , Wang Ji-Long , Iqbal Shoaib , Li Hong-Jun , Cao Zhi-Ting , Wang Yu-Cai , Du Jin-Zhi , Wang Jun
Published: January 2018

Positively charged nanoparticles showed a favorable distribution in the small intestine, and significantly improved oral bioavailability.
A novel deep red-emitting phosphor KMgLaTeO6:Mn4+ with high thermal stability and quantum yield for w-LEDs: structure, site occupancy and photoluminescence properties
Authors: Li Kai , Lian Hongzhou , Van Deun Rik
Published: January 2018

In this work, a novel deep red-emitting phosphor KMgLaTeO6:Mn4+ potentially used in w-LEDs is reported, which can be efficiently excited with UV or blue light with a high quantum yield of 68.9% upon 365 nm excitation.
Revisiting lifetimes from transient electrical characterization of thin film solar cells; a capacitive concern evaluated for silicon, organic and perovskite devices
Authors: Kiermasch David , Baumann Andreas , Fischer Mathias , Dyakonov Vladimir , Tvingstedt Kristofer
Published: January 2018

Here we re-evaluate previously assigned carrier lifetimes as being severely influenced by the decay rate of spatially separated charge carriers.
Isolation of circulating plasma cells from blood of patients diagnosed with clonal plasma cell disorders using cell selection microfluidics
Authors: Kamande Joyce W. , Lindell Maria A. M. , Witek Małgorzata A. , Voorhees Peter M. , Soper Steven A.
Published: January 2018

Blood samples from patients with plasma cell disorders were analysed for the presence of circulating plasma cells (CPCs) using a microfluidic device modified with monoclonal anti-CD138 antibodies.
Detection and characterization of biogenic selenium nanoparticles in selenium-rich yeast by single particle ICPMS
Authors: Jiménez-Lamana Javier , Abad-Álvaro Isabel , Bierla Katarzyna , Laborda Francisco , Szpunar Joanna , Lobinski Ryszard
Published: January 2018

The occurrence of SeNPs in commercial Se-rich yeasts was confirmed by SP-ICPMS for the first time.
Nanoengineering colloidal and polymeric celluloses for threshold scale inhibition: towards universal biomass-based crystal modification
Authors: Sheikhi Amir , Kakkar Ashok , van de Ven Theo G. M.
Published: January 2018

The first family of threshold (ppm level) cellulose-based scale inhibitors and crystal modifiers has been developed through the chemical nanoengineering of cellulose fibrils, the building blocks of plant cell walls, overcoming the structural and chemical limitations of conventional nanocelluloses.
Modulation of thiol-dependent redox system by metal ionsviathioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems
Authors: Ouyang Yanfang , Peng Yi , Li Jing , Holmgren Arne , Lu Jun
Published: January 2018

Metal and metalloid ions regulate thioredoxin and glutaredoxin system-mediated biological functions by targeting mammalian thioredoxin reductase and mitochondrial glutaredoxin 2&5.
The roles of buckled geometry and water environment in the excitonic properties of graphitic C3N4
Authors: Sun Jiuyu , Li Xingxing , Yang Jinlong
Published: January 2018

An insight into the photo-excitation mechanism of 2D photocatalyst g-C3N4 in a water environment.
Effective and diastereoselective preparation of dispiro[cyclopent-3′-ene]bisoxindoles via novel [3 + 2] annulation of isoindigos and MBH carbonates
Authors: Ren Hong-Xia , Peng Lin , Song Xiang-Jia , Liao Li-Guo , Zou Ying , Tian Fang , Wang Li-Xin
Published: January 2018

Efficient, one-step preparation of highly steric dispiro[cyclopent-3′-ene]bisoxindoles with two all-carbon quaternary spirocenters and three adjacent cycles in excellent yields and diastereoselectivities under mild conditions.
One-step synthesis of ZnS-N/C nanocomposites derived from Zn-based chiral metal–organic frameworks with highly efficient photocatalytic activity for the selective oxidation of cis-cyclooctene
Authors: Lin Xiaoling , Liu Beibei , Huang Hui , Shi Chunfeng , Liu Yang , Kang Zhenhui
Published: January 2018

ZnS-N/C derived from Zn-based chiral MOFs exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for the selective oxidation of cis-cyclooctene under mild conditions.
Schiff base Mn(iii) and Co(ii) complexes coated on Co nanoparticles: an efficient and recyclable magnetic nanocatalyst for H2O2 oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides
Authors: Saremi Shokoufeh Ghahri , Keypour Hassan , Noroozi Mohammad , Veisi Hojat
Published: January 2018

In this paper, an effective and selective heterogeneous catalyst was produced by immobilization of manganese and cobalt Schiff base-complexes on Co magnetite nanoparticles (MNP).
Reaction mechanism of hydrogen-tritium exchange reactions between several organic and HTO molecules: a role of the second HTO
Authors: Udagawa Taro , Tachikawa Masanori
Published: January 2018

The mechanism of hydrogen-tritium (H-T) exchange reactions between several small organic and HTO molecules have been investigated using M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) method.
Photoelectrochemical studies on earth abundant pentanickel polyoxometalates as co-catalysts for solar water oxidation
Authors: Siddarth Arun Sridhar , Miao Wujian
Published: January 2018

This is the first report on a FTO/TiO2–Ni5-POM system, and results obtained display a notable zero bias photocurrent.
Dissipative disassembly of colloidal microgel crystals driven by a coupled cyclic reaction network
Authors: Go Dennis , Rommel Dirk , Liao Yi , Haraszti Tamás , Sprakel Joris , Kuehne Alexander J. C.
Published: January 2018

We report coupling of a photoacid cycle to a colloidal assembly cycle leading to a dissipative disassembly reaction network.
Phase-controllable synthesis of MOF-templated maghemite–carbonaceous composites for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Yao Juan , Chen Junying , Shen Kui , Li Yingwei
Published: January 2018

A facile approach for the phase-controllable synthesis of maghemite–carbonaceous composites and their application for improved photocatalytic H2 production have been realized.
Phosphorized SnO2/graphene heterostructures for highly reversible lithium-ion storage with enhanced pseudocapacitance
Authors: Yang Ying , Zhao Xu , Wang Hong-En , Li Malin , Hao Ce , Ji Min , Ren Suzhen , Cao Guozhong
Published: January 2018

Phosphorized SnO2/graphene nanocomposite was designed and synthesized for superior Li-ion storage properties due to the synergistic effect of multiple components.
Ordered mesoporous FeNx-doped carbon: a class of highly active and stable catalysts in acids, bases and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
Authors: Jiang Rongzhong , Tran Dat T. , McClure Joshua P. , Baker David R. , Chu Deryn , Walck Scott D.
Published: January 2018

The high cost and scarcity of platinum (Pt) materials have considerably hindered their use as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and thus wide-scale implementation in fuel cells for practical applications.
Metal–organic framework derived CoTe2 encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube frameworks: a high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting
Authors: Wang Xiang , Huang Xiaokang , Gao Wenbin , Tang Yu , Jiang Pengbo , Lan Kai , Yang Renzi , Wang Bin , Li Rong
Published: January 2018

The ZIF-67 derived cobalt telluride encapsulated on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes frameworks (CoTe2@NCNTFs) was synthesized, which exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic performances for overall water splitting.
Fabrication of multifunctional monometallic nanohybrids for reactive oxygen species-mediated cell apoptosis and enhanced fluorescence cell imaging
Authors: Hu Shengqiang , Ye Baoyu , Tang Hailin , Wu Fan , Yi Xinyao , Yi Tiantian , Wu Daohong , Wu Ling , Wang Jianxiu
Published: January 2018

Multifunctional monometallic nanohybrids were fabricated for ROS-mediated cell apoptosis and enhanced fluorescence cell imaging.
Switching off the interactions between graphene oxide and doxorubicin using vitamin C: combining simplicity and efficiency in drug delivery
Authors: Liu Zhen , Liu Jingquan , Wang Tao , Li Qiong , Francis Paul S. , Barrow Colin J. , Duan Wei , Yang Wenrong
Published: January 2018

Delivery of doxorubicin using graphene oxide is remarkably improved by adding a little amount of vitamin C.
Fabrication of gelatin-micropatterned surface and its effect on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs
Authors: Guo Likun , Fan Yujiang , Kawazoe Naoki , Fan Hongsong , Zhang Xingdong , Chen Guoping
Published: January 2018

Micropatterned surface with different surface chemistries was fabricated for the direct comparison of their effect on the behaviors of hMSCs and to avoid any batch to batch variations during cell culture.
Stretchable electrically conductive and high gas barrier nanocomposites
Authors: Cho Chungyeon , Song Yixuan , Allen Ryan , Wallace Kevin L. , Grunlan Jaime C.
Published: January 2018

By alternately depositing trilayers of polyethylene oxide, double-walled carbon nanotubes stabilized in polyacrylic acid, and graphene oxide via layer-by-layer assembly, elastomeric conductive multilayers with a high gas barrier were prepared.
Highly selective luminescent sensor for CCl4 vapor and pollutional anions/cations based on a multi-responsive MOF
Authors: Yi Fei-Yan , Wang Shi-Cheng , Gu Minli , Zheng Jia-Qi , Han Lei
Published: January 2018

NBU-18 as a multi-responsive sensor with exceptionally high thermal and chemical stability can recognize CCl4 vapor, CrO42−/Cr2O72− anions and Fe2+/Fe3+ cations.