bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Episodic memory and consciousness in antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder
Authors: Fabbro Franco , Crescentini Cristiano
Published: January 2018

Episodic memory is one of the most significant sources of information of humans. It entails cooperative and linguistic skills and, as Mahr & Csibra (M&C) note, the capacity to ground veridical beliefs about the past. In some psychiatric disorders (antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder), it was found that the habit of lying is associated with episodic memory and consciousness deficits.
“Truth be told” – Semantic memory as the scaffold for veridical communication
Authors: Hayes Brett K. , Ramanan Siddharth , Irish Muireann
Published: January 2018

Theoretical accounts placing episodic memory as central to constructive and communicative functions neglect the role of semantic memory. We argue that the decontextualized nature of semantic schemas largely supersedes the computational bottleneck and error-prone nature of episodic memory. Rather, neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence of episodic-semantic interactions suggest that an integrative framework more accurately captures the mechanisms underpinning social communication.
More to episodic memory than epistemic assertion: The role of social bonds and interpersonal connection
Authors: Hirst William , Echterhoff Gerald
Published: January 2018

Remembering is dynamically entangled in conversations. The communicative function of episodic memory can be epistemic, as suggested by Mahr & Csibra (M&C). However, remembering can have genuinely social functions, specifically, the creation or consolidation of interpersonal relationships. Autonoesis, a distinct feature of episodic memory, is more likely to have evolved in the service of social binding than of epistemic assertiveness.
Carving event and episodic memory at their joints
Authors: Keven Nazim
Published: January 2018

Mahr & Csibra (M&C) argue that event and episodic memories share the same scenario construction process. I think this way of carving up the distinction throws the baby out with the bathwater. If there is a substantive difference between event and episodic memory, it is based on a difference in the construction process and how they are organized, respectively.
Episodic memory solves both social and nonsocial problems, and evolved to fulfill many different functions
Authors: Mar Raymond A. , Spreng R. Nathan
Published: January 2018

The episodic memory system is flexible and complex, and likely evolved in response to a wide range of survival-relevant problems in our evolutionary past, both social and nonsocial. Episodic memory allows us to recollect and infer details that may have seemed trivial on encoding, but are now known to be relevant. This memory aids humans in navigating their uncertain environment.
Morgan's canon is not evidence
Authors: Samuel Steven , Clayton Nicola
Published: January 2018

Mahr & Csibra's (M&C's) account of the communicative function of episodic memory relies more heavily on the case against episodic memory in nonhumans than their description suggests. Although the communicative function of episodic memory may be accurate as it pertains to human behaviour, we question whether Morgan's canon is a suitable foundation on which to build theories of supposedly human-specific traits.
What is it to remember?
Authors: Mahr Johannes B. , Csibra Gergely
Published: January 2018

In response to the commentaries, we clarify and defend our characterization of both the nature and function of episodic memory. Regarding the nature of episodic memory, we extend the distinction between event and episodic memory and discuss the relational role of episodic memory. We also address arguments against our characterization of autonoesis and argue that, while self-referential, it needs to be distinguished from an agentive notion of self. Regarding the function of episodic memory, we review arguments about the relation between future mental time travel and memory veridicality; clarify the relation between autonoesis, veridicality, and confidence; and finally discuss the role of episodic memory in diachronic commitments.
“They Will Start Believing in Counseling”: Provider Perceptions of the Presentation and Treatment of Mental Illness in Northern Tanzania
Authors: Knettel Brandon A. , Rugira Janvier , Tesha Florence
Published: January 2018

The United Republic of Tanzania is at a crucial stage in the development of its mental health system. As of 2009, there were 18 psychiatrists serving this nation of 51 million people despite depression ranking as Tanzania’s number one cause of disability. Modest efforts have been made to expand services, but few studies have documented the state of mental health treatment in the nation. The current research represents a formative effort to assess mental health needs in northern Tanzania and inform the investment of resources to improve care. To achieve these aims, we conducted semistructured interviews with 29 mental health providers examining their perceptions of the treatment currently offered, characteristics of patient populations, and future directions in treatment. Responses were analyzed using consensual qualitative research, and these offer nuanced insights into the Tanzanian context. Alcohol and substance abuse, schizophrenia, and stress related to social challenges were the most commonly described mental health concerns. Interviewees acknowledged critical shortfalls in providers, facilities, or resources dedicated to mental health; little coordination among services; and multiple barriers that prevent all but the most severely impaired patients from receiving care. Despite these challenges, the majority of the providers believed that treatment would improve in the future. Implications of these results for the development of the mental health system in Tanzania include the necessity for: (a) improving the availability and quality of services by dedicating new resources, (b) maximizing existing resources through task-shifting and improved training, and (c) addressing barriers to treatment via public education and community outreach.
The hypoxic tumour microenvironment
Authors: Petrova Varvara , Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli Margherita , Melino Gerry , Amelio Ivano
Published: January 2018

Cancer progression often benefits from the selective conditions present in the tumour microenvironment, such as the presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), deregulated ECM deposition, expanded vascularisation and repression of the immune response. Generation of a hypoxic environment and activation of its main effector, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), are common features of advanced cancers. In addition to the impact on tumour cell biology, the influence that hypoxia exerts on the surrounding cells represents a critical step in the tumorigenic process. Hypoxia indeed enables a number of events in the tumour microenvironment that lead to the expansion of aggressive clones from heterogeneous tumour cells and promote a lethal phenotype. In this article, we review the most relevant findings describing the influence of hypoxia and the contribution of HIF activation on the major components of the tumour microenvironment, and we summarise their role in cancer development and progression.
Unwrapping the genomic characteristics of urothelial bladder cancer and successes with immune checkpoint blockade therapy
Authors: Cheng Wen , Fu Dian , Xu Feng , Zhang Zhengyu
Published: January 2018

Urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) is one of the most common lethal cancer worldwide and the 5-year survival rate has not improved significantly with current treatment protocols during the last decade. Intravesical immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin is currently the standard care for non-muscle invasive UBC. Recently, a subset of patients with locally advanced or metastatic UBC have responded to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy against the programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1) or the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 that releases the inhibition of T cells, the remarkable clinical efficacy on UBC has brought total five checkpoint inhibitors approved by the FDA in the last 2 years, and this is revolutionizing treatment of advanced UBC. We discuss the rationale for immunotherapy in bladder cancer, progress with blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway for UBC treatment, and ongoing clinical trials. We highlight the complexity of the interactions between cancer cells and the immune system, the genomic basis for response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, and potential biomarkers for predicting immunotherapeutic response.
Extracellular vesicle-mediated EBAG9 transfer from cancer cells to tumor microenvironment promotes immune escape and tumor progression
Authors: Miyazaki Toshiaki , Ikeda Kazuhiro , Sato Wataru , Horie-Inoue Kuniko , Inoue Satoshi
Published: January 2018

The antitumor immune response is a critical defense system that eliminates malignant cells. The failure of the system results in immune escape and proceeds to tumor growth. We have previously showed that estrogen receptor-binding fragment-associated antigen 9 (EBAG9) is a relevant cancer biomarker and facilities immune escape of cancers from the immune surveillance. EBAG9 in cancer cells suppresses T-cell infiltration into tumor in vivo, whereas that in host immune cells functions as a limiter for T-cell cytotoxicity. Considering that EBAG9 plays immune suppressive roles in both tumor and microenvironment, we here questioned whether EBAG9 is a transferable protein from cancer to surrounding T cells and affects antitumor immune response. In this study, we showed that spontaneous development of prostate cancer was repressed in a model of Ebag9 knockout mice crossed with transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice. We identified TM9SF1 as a collaborative EBAG9 interactor, which regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells. Notably, extracellular vesicles (EVs) from EBAG9-overexpressing prostate cancer cells have a potential to facilitate immune escape of tumors by inhibiting T-cell cytotoxicity and modulating immune-related gene expression in T cells. Furthermore, we showed that a neutralizing antibody for EBAG9 could rescue the EV-mediated immune suppression by recovering T-cell cytotoxicity. In addition to its autocrine functions in cancer cells, EBAG9 could behave as a new class of immune checkpoint that suppresses tumor immunity in a secretory manner. We propose that EBAG9-targeting cancer treatment could be alternative therapeutic options for advanced diseases, particularly for those with EBAG9 overexpression.
Subcortical evidence for a contribution of arousal to fMRI studies of brain activity
Authors: Liu Xiao , de Zwart Jacco A. , Schölvinck Marieke L. , Chang Catie , Ye Frank Q. , Leopold David A. , Duyn Jeff H.
Published: January 2018

Cortical activity during periods of rest is punctuated by widespread, synchronous events in both electrophysiological and hemodynamic signals, but their behavioral relevance remains unclear. Here we report that these events correspond to momentary drops in cortical arousal and are associated with activity changes in the basal forebrain and thalamus. Combining fMRI and electrophysiology in macaques, we first establish that fMRI transients co-occur with spectral shifts in local field potentials (LFPs) toward low frequencies. Applying this knowledge to fMRI data from the human connectome project, we find that the fMRI transients are strongest in sensory cortices. Surprisingly, the positive cortical transients occur together with negative transients in focal subcortical areas known to be involved with arousal regulation, most notably the basal forebrain. This subcortical involvement, combined with the prototypical pattern of LFP spectral shifts, suggests that commonly observed widespread variations in fMRI cortical activity are associated with momentary drops in arousal.
Discovery of new molecular entities able to strongly interfere with Hsp90 C-terminal domain
Authors: Terracciano Stefania , Russo Alessandra , Chini Maria G. , Vaccaro Maria C. , Potenza Marianna , Vassallo Antonio , Riccio Raffaele , Bifulco Giuseppe , Bruno Ines
Published: January 2018

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an ATP dependent molecular chaperone deeply involved in the complex network of cellular signaling governing some key functions, such as cell proliferation and survival, invasion and angiogenesis. Over the past years the N-terminal protein domain has been fully investigated as attractive strategy against cancer, but despite the many efforts lavished in the field, none of the N-terminal binders (termed “classical inhibitors”), currently in clinical trials, have yet successfully reached the market, because of the detrimental heat shock response (HSR) that showed to induce; thus, recently, the selective inhibition of Hsp90 C-terminal domain has powerfully emerged as a more promising alternative strategy for anti-cancer therapy, not eliciting this cell rescue cascade. However, the structural complexity of the target protein and, mostly, the lack of a co-crystal structure of C-terminal domain-ligand, essential to drive the identification of new hits, represent the largest hurdles in the development of new selective C-terminal inhibitors. Continuing our investigations on the identification of new anticancer drug candidates, by using an orthogonal screening approach, here we describe two new potent C-terminal inhibitors able to induce cancer cell death and a considerable down-regulation of Hsp90 client oncoproteins, without triggering the undesired heat shock response.
Restrained management of copper level enhances the antineoplastic activity of imatinib in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Hassan Iftekhar , Khan Azmat Ali , Aman Shazia , Qamar Wajhul , Ebaid Hossam , Al-Tamimi Jameel , Alhazza Ibrahim M. , Rady Ahmed M.
Published: January 2018

The present study was designed to investigate if elevated copper level can be targeted to enhance the efficacy of a significant anticancer drug, imatinib (ITB). The antineoplastic activity of this drug was assessed in the HepG2, HEK-293, MCF-7 and MDA-MD-231 cells targeting elevated copper level as their common drug target. The cell lines were treated with the different doses of copper chloride (Cu II) and disulfiram (DSF) alone as well as in their combinations with the drug for 24 h in standard culture medium and conditions. The treated cells were subjected to various assays including MTT, PARP, p-53, caspase-7, caspase-3, LDH and single cell electrophoresis. The study shows that DSF and Cu (II) synergizes the anticancer activity of ITB to a significant extent in a dose-specific way as evidenced by the combinations treated groups. Furthermore, the same treatment strategy was employed in cancer-induced rats in which the combinations of ITB-DSF and ITB-Cu II showed enhanced antineoplastic activity as compared to ITB alone. However, DSF was more effective than Cu (II) as an adjuvant to the drug. Hence, restrained manipulation of copper level in tumor cells can orchestrate the redox and molecular dispositions inside the cells favoring the induction of apoptosis.
Creating a mouse model resistant to induced ischemic stroke and cardiovascular damage
Authors: Ling Qing-Lan , Mohite Anita J. , Murdoch Emma , Akasaka Hironari , Li Qun-Ying , So Shui-Ping , Ruan Ke-He
Published: January 2018

Vascular prostanoids, isomerized from an intermediate prostaglandin (PG), H2, produced by cyclooxygenase (COX), exert various effects on the vascular system, both protective and destructive. During endothelial dysfunction, vascular protector prostacyclin/prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) is decreased, while inflammatory PGE2 and thrombotic TXA2 are increased. Therefore, our research aim was to reverse the event by controlling PGH2 metabolism by generating an in vivo model via enzymatic engineering of COX-1 and prostacyclin synthase (PGIS). The COX-1 and PGIS genes were linked to a 10-residue amino acid linker to form a Single-chain Enzyme Complex (SCHEC), COX-1-10aa-PGIS. Transgenic (CP-Tg) mice in a FVB/N background were generated using the pronuclear microinjection method. We first confirmed mRNA and protein expression of COX-1-10aa-PGIS in various CP-Tg mouse tissues, as well as upregulation of circulating PGI2. We then examined the cardiovascular function of these mice. Our CP-Tg mice exhibited marked resistance to vascular assault through induced carotid arterial blockage, acute thrombotic stroke and arterial arrest, angiotensin-induced peripheral vasoconstriction, and hepatic lipid accumulation after receiving a high-fat diet. They also had a longer lifespan compared with wild-type mice. This study raises the possibility of fighting cardiovascular diseases by regulating cellular arachidonic acid-derived PGH2 metabolites using enzymatic engineering.
Down-regulation of guanylate binding protein 1 causes mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular senescence in macrophages
Authors: Qiu Xiaoxue , Guo Hong , Yang Junshu , Ji Yinduo , Wu Chia-Shan , Chen Xiaoli
Published: January 2018

Macrophage polarization is tightly associated with its metabolic reprograming and immune dysfunction. However, the intracellular molecules/pathways that connect these alterations in inflammatory macrophages remain largely unidentified. Herein, we explored the role of guanylate binding protein 1 (Gbp1), an intracellular anti-microbial protein, in regulating polarization, metabolic reprogramming, and cellular aging of macrophages. We showed that Gbp1 expression in inguinal white adipose tissue is significantly decreased in high-fat diet -fed and aged mice. Gbp1 expression is significantly induced by IFNγ and LPS in macrophages but not adipocytes. Downregulation of Gbp1 expression causes macrophage polarization towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Gbp1 knockdown (Kd) macrophages have impaired mitochondrial respiratory function, which is further supported by down-regulation of genes encoding electron transport chain components and genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial function. Moreover, we observed Gbp1 is localized in both cytosol and mitochondrial fraction, and Gbp1 Kd macrophages display decreased mitophagy activity. More interestingly, Gbp1 Kd macrophages undergo senescence as evidenced by increased activation of AMPK-p53 pathway and positive staining of β-galactosidase. These observations suggest that Gbp1 may play an important role in protecting against mitochondrial dysfunction and preserving immune function of macrophages during inflammatory stress and aging.
Predicting non-melanoma skin cancer via a multi-parameterized artificial neural network
Authors: Roffman David , Hart Gregory , Girardi Michael , Ko Christine J. , Deng Jun
Published: January 2018

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure and family history are major associated risk factors for the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The objective of this study was to develop and validate a multi-parameterized artificial neural network based on available personal health information for early detection of NMSC with high sensitivity and specificity, even in the absence of known UVR exposure and family history. The 1997–2015 NHIS adult survey data used to train and validate our neural network (NN) comprised of 2,056 NMSC and 460,574 non-cancer cases. We extracted 13 parameters for our NN: gender, age, BMI, diabetic status, smoking status, emphysema, asthma, race, Hispanic ethnicity, hypertension, heart diseases, vigorous exercise habits, and history of stroke. This study yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.81 and 0.81 for training and validation, respectively. Our results (training sensitivity 88.5% and specificity 62.2%, validation sensitivity 86.2% and specificity 62.7%) were comparable to a previous study of basal and squamous cell carcinoma prediction that also included UVR exposure and family history information. These results indicate that our NN is robust enough to make predictions, suggesting that we have identified novel associations and potential predictive parameters of NMSC.
Warning signals of biodiversity collapse across gradients of tropical forest loss
Authors: de Oliveira Roque Fabio , Menezes Jorge F. S. , Northfield Tobin , Ochoa-Quintero Jose Manuel , Campbell Mason J. , Laurance William F.
Published: January 2018

We evaluate potential warning signals that may aid in identifying the proximity of ecological communities to biodiversity thresholds from habitat loss—often termed “tipping points”—in tropical forests. We used datasets from studies of Neotropical mammal, frog, bird, and insect communities. Our findings provide only limited evidence that an increase in the variance (heteroskedasticity) of biodiversity-related parameters can provide a general warning signal of impending threshold changes in communities, as forest loss increases. However, such an apparent effect was evident for amphibians in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Amazonian mammal and bird communities, suggesting that impending changes in some species assemblages might be predictable. We consider the potential of such warning signs to help forecast drastic changes in biodiversity.
Silica Gel Coated Spherical Micro resonator for Ultra-High Sensitivity Detection of Ammonia Gas Concentration in Air
Authors: Mallik Arun Kumar , Farrell Gerald , Liu Dejun , Kavungal Vishnu , Wu Qiang , Semenova Yuliya
Published: January 2018

A silica gel coated microsphere resonator is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for measurements of ammonia (NH3) concentration in air with ultra-high sensitivity. The optical properties of the porous silica gel layer change when it is exposed to low (parts per million (ppm)) and even ultra-low (parts per billion (ppb)) concentrations of ammonia vapor, leading to a spectral shift of the WGM resonances in the transmission spectrum of the fiber taper. The experimentally demonstrated sensitivity of the proposed sensor to ammonia is estimated as 34.46 pm/ppm in the low ammonia concentrations range from 4 ppm to 30 ppm using an optical spectrum analyser (OSA), and as 800 pm/ppm in the ultra-low range of ammonia concentrations from 2.5 ppb to 12 ppb using the frequency detuning method, resulting in the lowest detection limit (by two orders of magnitude) reported to date equal to 0.16 ppb of ammonia in air. In addition, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity to ammonia and very fast response and recovery times measured at 1.5 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. Other attractive features of the proposed sensor are its compact nature, simplicity of fabrication.
Integrated Optical Modulator Based on Transition between Photonic Bands
Authors: Govdeli Alperen , Sarihan Murat Can , Karaca Utku , Kocaman Serdar
Published: January 2018

An area efficient novel optical modulator with low operation voltage is designed based on integrated Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with a photonic crystal slab structure as the phase shifter. Plasma dispersion effect is utilized so that photonic band-to-band transition occurs at the operating frequency leading to a high index change (Δn = ~4) for π-phase shift on the modulator. This approach reduces the phase shifter length to a few micrometers (~5 µm) in a silicon on insulator platform and operating voltage required is around 1 V. Low voltage together with short optical interaction length decrease optical losses and power consumption during modulation process providing a great opportunity for size and system cost optimization.
Ceramide Synthase 6 Deficiency Enhances Inflammation in the DSS model of Colitis
Authors: Helke Kristi , Angel Peggi , Lu Ping , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Ogretmen Besim , Drake Richard , Voelkel-Johnson Christina
Published: January 2018

Colitis, an inflammatory disease of the digestive tract, is increasing in incidence and prevalence. Intestinal inflammation can occur as a consequence of dysfunctions in sphingolipid metabolism. In this study we used ceramide synthase 6 (CerS6) deficient mice, which have a reduced ability to generate long chain C16-ceramide, to investigate the role of this enzyme in dextran sodium salt (DSS)-induced colitis. While CerS6-deficient mice are protected from T cell mediated colitis, in the T cell independent DSS model lack of CerS6 resulted in a more rapid onset of disease symptoms. CerS6-deficient mice maintained low levels of C16-ceramide after DSS treatment, but the inflammatory lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate was significantly increased in colon tissue. In the absence of CerS6, DSS induced more severe pathology in the colon including enhanced neutrophil infiltration. In vivo analysis of myeloperoxidase activity, an enzyme released from neutrophils, was approximately 2.5-fold higher in CerS6-deficient mice compared to wild type. Differences in intestinal permeability did not account for the increase in neutrophils. Our study suggests that lack of CerS6 expression differentially impacts the development of colitis, depending on the model used.
Pulsatile stretch as a novel modulator of amyloid precursor protein processing and associated inflammatory markers in human cerebral endothelial cells
Authors: Gangoda Sumudu V. S. , Avadhanam Bhargava , Jufri Nurul F. , Sohn Eun Hwa , Butlin Mark , Gupta Vivek , Chung Roger , Avolio Alberto P.
Published: January 2018

Amyloid β (Aβ) deposition is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vascular modifications, including altered brain endothelial cell function and structural viability of the blood-brain barrier due to vascular pulsatility, are implicated in AD pathology. Pulsatility of phenomena in the cerebral vasculature are often not considered in in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier. We demonstrate, for the first time, that pulsatile stretch of brain vascular endothelial cells modulates amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression and the APP processing enzyme, β-secretase 1, eventuating increased-Aβ generation and secretion. Concurrent modulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signaling (expression and phosphorylation of eNOS) in response to pulsatile stretch indicates parallel activation of endothelial inflammatory pathways. These findings mechanistically support vascular pulsatility contributing towards cerebral Aβ levels.
Experimentally evoked same-sex sexual behaviour in pigeons: better to be in a female-female pair than alone
Authors: Jankowiak Łukasz , Tryjanowski Piotr , Hetmański Tomasz , Skórka Piotr
Published: January 2018

Same-sex sexual behaviour has been noted among social animals. However, because of the large number of observations necessary, data from controlled experiments are lacking. In this study, we performed experiments to evaluate the effects of male and female removal in colonies of the feral pigeon (Columba liviaf.urbana). After the experimental removal of males, five long-lasting female-female pairs occurred. We found that those pairs could successfully raise offspring in a manner comparable to female-male pairs. Same-sex sexual behaviour and pairing in females is thus a better alternative to postponed breeding or breeding alone without the help of a partner. In contrast, in the case of female-removal experiments, same-sex pairing behaviour occurred in males as a temporary phenomenon with characteristic mutual aggression. Additionally, under a male-biased sex ratio, we observed father-son and father-daughter copulations. To the best of our knowledge, these results are the first obtained under controlled experimental conditions which demonstrate that the sex ratio of a population can shift the social structure and cause cooperative same-sex breeding behaviour to arise in a monogamous species.
Dual regulation of activity and intracellular localization of the PASTA kinase PrkC during Bacillus subtilis growth
Authors: Pompeo Frédérique , Byrne Deborah , Mengin-Lecreulx Dominique , Galinier Anne
Published: January 2018

The activity of the PrkC protein kinase is regulated in a sophisticated manner in Bacillus subtilis cells. In spores, in the presence of muropeptides, PrkC stimulates dormancy exit. The extracellular region containing PASTA domains binds peptidoglycan fragments to probably enhance the intracellular kinase activity. During exponential growth, the cell division protein GpsB interacts with the intracellular domain of PrkC to stimulate its activity. In this paper, we have reinvestigated the regulation of PrkC during exponential and stationary phases. We observed that, during exponential growth, neither its septal localization nor its activity are influenced by the addition of peptidoglycan fragments or by the deletion of one or all PASTA domains. However, Dynamic Light Scattering experiments suggest that peptidoglycan fragments bind specifically to PrkC and induce its oligomerization. In addition, during stationary phase, PrkC appeared evenly distributed in the cell wall and the deletion of one or all PASTA domains led to a non-activated kinase. We conclude that PrkC activation is not as straightforward as previously suggested and that regulation of its kinase activity via the PASTA domains and peptidoglycan fragments binding occurs when PrkC is not concentrated to the bacterial septum, but all over the cell wall in non-dividing bacillus cells.
Screening a small molecule library to identify inhibitors of NF-κB inducing kinase and pro-labor genes in human placenta
Authors: Wang Bingbing , Parobchak Nataliya , Martin Adriana , Rosen Max , Yu Lumeng Jenny , Nguyen Mary , Gololobova Kseniya , Rosen Todd
Published: January 2018

The non-canonical NF-κB signaling (RelB/p52) pathway drives pro-labor genes in the human placenta, including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), making this a potential therapeutic target to delay onset of labor. Here we sought to identify small molecule compounds from a pre-existing chemical library of orally active drugs that can inhibit this NF-κB signaling, and in turn, human placental CRH and COX-2 production. We used a cell-based assay coupled with a dual-luciferase reporter system to perform an in vitro screening of a small molecule library of 1,120 compounds for inhibition of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. Cell toxicity studies and drug efflux transport MRP1 assays were used to further characterize the lead compounds. We have found that 14 drugs have selective inhibitory activity against lymphotoxin beta complex-induced activation of RelB/p52 in HEK293T cells, several of which also inhibited expression of CRH and COX-2 in human term trophoblast. We identified sulfapyridine and propranolol with activity against CRH and COX-2 that deserve further study. These drugs could serve as the basis for development of orally active drugs to affect length of gestation, first in an animal model, and then in clinical trials to prevent preterm birth during human pregnancy.
Differential physiological responses and tolerance to potentially toxic elements in biodiesel tree Jatropha curcas
Authors: Yamada Minami , Malambane Goitseone , Yamada Satoshi , Suharsono Sony , Tsujimoto Hisashi , Moseki Baleseng , Akashi Kinya
Published: January 2018

Environmental pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a serious problem with increasing industrialization and the disturbance of natural biogeochemical cycles. Jatropha is an oilseed-bearing shrub with high potential for biodiesel production in arid regions. In this study, we examined the physiological responses of this plant to five representative PTEs (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in a hydroponic culture. Application of higher concentrations of Cd and Zn led to severe leaf chlorosis, and Cd, Cu, and Ni treatments resulted in significant growth retardation. Higher enrichment of the applied PTEs in the shoots was observed for Zn- and Cd-treated plants, with the latter reaching 24-fold enrichment in plants exposed to 10 μM Cd, suggesting that Jatropha can cope with relatively higher internal concentrations of toxic Cd. Although Cd stress led to the disturbance of essential mineral homeostasis and photosynthesis, this induced an increase in thiol compounds in the roots, suggesting defensive responses of Jatropha to PTEs. This study showed that Jatropha exhibits distinct sensitivities and physiological responses to different PTEs. This study also provides basic knowledge for diagnosing the physiological status of Jatropha trees for potential dual use in afforestation and as a sustainable energy supply.
Publisher Correction: Hydrogen storage and stability properties of Pd–Pt solid-solution nanoparticles revealed via atomic and electronic structure
Authors: Kumara Loku Singgappulige Rosantha , Sakata Osami , Kobayashi Hirokazu , Song Chulho , Kohara Shinji , Ina Toshiaki , Yoshimoto Toshiki , Yoshioka Satoru , Matsumura Syo , Kitagawa Hiroshi
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.
Physical and compositional analysis of differently cultured 3D human skin equivalents by confocal Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Dancik Y. , Sriram G. , Rout B. , Zou Y. , Bigliardi-Qi M. , Bigliardi P. L.
Published: January 2018

Confocal Raman spectroscopy is an effective method for non-invasive discrimination of 3D human skin equivalents grown under different culture conditions.
Arylboronate esters mediated self-healable and biocompatible dynamic G-quadruplex hydrogels as promising 3D-bioinks
Authors: Biswas Ankan , Malferrari Sara , Kalaskar Deepak M. , Das Apurba K.
Published: January 2018

High cell viability and homogeneous cell distribution within extrudable low molecular weight self-healable G-quadruplex hydrogel make it as suitable 3D bioink.
Palladium-catalyzed primary amine-directed regioselective mono- and di-alkynylation of biaryl-2-amines
Authors: Jiang Guangbin , Hu Weigao , Li Jianxiao , Zhu Chuanle , Wu Wanqing , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: January 2018

Palladium-catalyzed primary amine-directed controlled alkynylation of biaryl-2-amines has been developed by using haloalkynes as an alkynylating reagent.
Base-promoted amide synthesis from aliphatic amines and ynones as acylation agents through C–C bond cleavage
Authors: Cheng Guolin , Lv Weiwei , Kuai Changsheng , Wen Si , Xiao Shangyun
Published: January 2018

The synthesis of amides via base-promoted cleavage of the C(sp)–C(CO) bond of ynones with aliphatic primary and secondary amines is reported.
Relay photocatalytic cascade reactions: synthesis of indolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives via double C(sp3)–H bond functionalization
Authors: Cheng Jian , Xie Jin , Zhu Chengjian
Published: January 2018

A relay photoredox catalysis strategy concomitant with [1,5] hydrogen atom transfer has been applied in the construction of a biologically important indolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline framework via a cascade reaction. This reaction enables double C(sp3)–H bond functionalization and formation of two carbon–carbon double bonds.
Iron-catalyzed C(sp3)–H functionalization ofN,N-dimethylanilines with isocyanides
Authors: Guerrero Itziar , San Segundo Marcos , Correa Arkaitz
Published: January 2018

Iron salts as cost-efficient catalysts for the assembly of privileged α-amino amides and short peptides through Ugi-type reactions.
Acceleration of Kirkendall effect processes in silicon nanospheres using magnetic fields
Authors: Bian Yuecheng , Ding Wei , Hu Lin , Ma Zongwei , Cheng Long , Zhang Ranran , Zhu Xuebin , Tang Xianwu , Dai Jianming , Bai Jin , Sun Yuping , Sheng Zhigao
Published: January 2018

We show that a magnetic field can act as an independent parameter to accelerate the Kirkendall effect in a liquid reaction system.
Singlet–triplet energy gaps and the degree of diradical character in binuclear copper molecular magnets characterized by spin-flip density functional theory
Authors: Orms Natalie , Krylov Anna I.
Published: January 2018

We present the first analysis of natural orbitals and diradical character of eight binuclear copper complexes, which are of interest as building blocks of molecular magnets.
Effect of hydrogenation on the structure and magnetic properties of an iron oxide cluster
Authors: Gutsev G. L. , Belay K. G. , Gutsev L. G. , Ramachandran B. R. , Jena P.
Published: January 2018

Hydrogenation of an iron oxide particle influences the geometrical topology and total magnetic moment and invokes different superexchange mechanisms.
Modification of heterogeneous photocatalysts for selective organic synthesis
Authors: Hao Hongchang , Zhang Ling , Wang Wenzhong , Zeng Shuwen
Published: January 2018

This review elaborates on recent strategies of modifying heterogeneous photocatalysts for high-efficiency selective organic synthesis.
The cooperation of porphyrin-based porous polymer and thermal-responsive ionic liquid for efficient CO2 cycloaddition reaction
Authors: Chen Jian , Zhong Mingmei , Tao Lin , Liu Lina , Jayakumar Sanjeevi , Li Chunzhi , Li He , Yang Qihua
Published: January 2018

The combination of P-POF-Zn and thermal-responsive ionic liquid [CPeDMAPy]Br could efficiently catalyze the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides with a stable recovery.
Fluorescence in sub-10 nm channels with an optical enhancement layer
Authors: Zhong Junjie , Talebi Soheil , Xu Yi , Pang Yuanjie , Mostowfi Farshid , Sinton David
Published: January 2018

Fluorescence enhanced nanofluidics uniquely enable physical and biological research at sub-10 nm scale.
A uniquely fabricated Cu(ii)-metallacycle as a reusable highly sensitive dual-channel and practically functional metalloreceptor for Fe3+and Ca2+ions: an inorganic site of cation detection
Authors: Thakur Neha , Pandey Mrituanjay D. , Pandey Rampal
Published: January 2018

Dimeric Cu(ii)-complex developed from disulfane ligand, serves as dual-channel metalloreceptor for Fe3+/Ca2+and detection of Fe3+in real water samples.
Supported sub-nanometer Ta oxide clusters as model catalysts for the selective epoxidation of cyclooctene
Authors: Zwaschka G. , Rondelli M. , Krause M. , Rötzer M. D. , Hedhili M. N. , Heiz U. , Basset J.-M. , Schweinberger F. F. , D'Elia V.
Published: January 2018

The preparation of organic ligand-free, isolated and catalytically active tantalum oxide complexes (Ta1) and small clusters (Tan>1) on flat silicate support was accomplished by ultra-high vacuum (UHV) techniques followed by oxidation in air.
Polysubstituted 3-trifluoromethylpyrazoles: regioselective (3 + 2)-cycloaddition of trifluoroacetonitrile imines with enol ethers and functional group transformations
Authors: Utecht Greta , Fruziński Andrzej , Jasiński Marcin
Published: January 2018

Enol ethers were used as synthetic equivalents of alkynes in the reaction with in situ generated trifluoroacetonitrile imines to give 3-trifluoromethylpyrazoles in a fully regioselective manner.
Mechanism of iodine release from iodoapatite in aqueous solution
Authors: Zhang Z. , Heath A. , Valsaraj K. T. , Ebert W. L. , Yao T. , Lian J. , Wang J.
Published: January 2018

Incongruent release of iodine from iodoapatite (Pb5(VO4)3I) for immobilization of129iodine, controlled by exchange of iodide and hydroxide in solution.
Orthorhombic SnO2 phase observed composite (Sn1−xCex)O2 synthesized by sol–gel route
Authors: Carvalho M. H. , Pereira E. C. , de Oliveira A. J. A.
Published: January 2018

Schematic representation of unit cell structure of the phases: (a) tetragonal SnO2; (b) orthorhombic SnO2. Tin atoms (Sn) are represented in gray and oxygen atoms (O) in red. K. Momma and F. Izumi, J. Appl. Crystallogr., 2011, 44, 1272–1276.
A thermally crosslinked multiblock sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone nitrile) copolymer with a 1,2,3-triazole pendant for proton conducting membranes
Authors: Hu Huayuan , Dong Tiandu , Sui Yuqian , Li Nanwen , Ueda Mitsuru , Wang Lianjun , Zhang Xuan
Published: January 2018

A novel concept for the molecular design of a proton conducting membrane is proposed; this concept simultaneously implements strategies involving multiblock, thermally induced rearrangement and acid–base interaction.
Multiphase surface growth of hydrophobic ZIF-8 on melamine sponge for excellent oil/water separation and effective catalysis in a Knoevenagel reaction
Authors: Lei Zhiwen , Deng Yonghong , Wang Chaoyang
Published: January 2018

Here is reported the fabrication of a highly porous and hydrophobic melamine sponge based composite (MF-ZIF-8 sponge) with effective catalysis via the simple surface growth of ZIF-8 onto the strut surface of melamine sponge.
Nanoscale investigation of materials, chemical reactions, and biological systems by tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy – a review
Authors: Kolhatkar G. , Plathier J. , Ruediger A.
Published: January 2018

We review the potential and challenges of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the nanoscale investigation of materials, chemical and biological systems.
Prenatal food restriction induces neurobehavioral abnormalities in adult female offspring rats and alters intrauterine programming
Authors: He Bo , Xu Dan , Zhang Chong , Zhang Li , Wang Hui
Published: January 2018

This research suggests the intrauterine mechanism underlying prenatal food restriction-induced neurobehavioral abnormalities in adult female offspring fed a post-weaning high-fat diet and chronic stress.
A complete set of pnictocarbynes: [M(CAPh2)(CO)2(Tp*)] (M = Mo, W; A = N, P, As, Sb, Bi; Tp* = hydrotris(dimethylpyrazolyl)-borate)
Authors: Frogley Benjamin J. , Hill Anthony F.
Published: January 2018

The first two complete series of pnictogen functionalised carbyne complexes, [M(CAPh2)(CO)2(Tp*)] (M = Mo, W; A = N, P, As, Sb, Bi; Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate), have been prepared.
Emotion recognition from facial expressions using hybrid feature descriptors
Authors: Kalsum Tehmina , Anwar Syed Muhammad , Majid Muhammad , Khan Bilal , Ali Sahibzada Muhammad
Published: January 2018

Here, a hybrid feature descriptor‐based method is proposed to recognise human emotions from their facial expressions. A combination of spatial bag of features (SBoFs) with spatial scale‐invariant feature transform (SBoF‐SSIFT), and SBoFs with spatial speeded up robust transform are utilised to improve the ability to recognise facial expressions. For classification of emotions, K‐nearest neighbour and support vector machines (SVMs) with linear, polynomial, and radial basis function kernels are applied. SBoFs descriptor generates a fixed length feature vector for all sample images irrespective of their size. Spatial SIFT and SURF features are independent of scaling, rotation, translation, projective transforms, and partly to illumination changes. A modified form of bag of features (BoFs) is employed by involving feature's spatial information for facial emotion recognition. The proposed method differs from conventional methods that are used for simple object categorisation without using spatial information. Experiments have been performed on extended Cohn–Kanade (CK+) and Japanese female facial expression (JAFFE) data sets. SBoF‐SSIFT with SVM resulted in a recognition accuracy of 98.5% on CK+ and 98.3% on JAFFE data set. Images are resized through selective pre‐processing, thereby retaining only the information of interest and reducing computation time.
Analysis of the retrodirective mechanism of a flattened dihedral
Authors: Srour Hussein , Gillard Raphael , Méric Stéphane , Seetharamdoo Divitha
Published: January 2018

An explicit analysis of the retrodirective mechanism of a flattened dihedral using periodic arrays is proposed. Once flattened, a corner dihedral requires a phasing mechanism to restore its retrodirective behaviour. This can be achieved by equipping each of the panels with passive phase‐shifting cells that obey a global retrodirective phase law. The challenge is to have a trade‐off between two steering mechanisms on each side such that this global phase law is achieved. In this work, an analytical study of the reflection phenomenon between the two panels is presented and sufficient information are provided to predict the retrodirective performance affected by the dihedral geometrical configuration itself. The analytical formulation of the global phase law is thus defined along with other complementary formulations to provide a better understanding of the reflection phenomenon involved. Based on these analysis and comprehension, guidelines are suggested in terms of the cell design and the dihedral geometrical configuration so that to efficiently engineer the retrodirective profile of the dihedral. A simple method utilizing these guidelines is proposed to enhance the flattened dihedral performances. And an experimental validation of this design is finally proposed at 24 GHz.
Low‐profile circularly polarised patch antenna with high gain and conical beam
Authors: Xu Hengfei , Zhou Jianyi , Zhou Ke , Yu Zhiqiang
Published: January 2018

A low‐profile circularly polarised (CP) antenna with conical‐beam radiation pattern is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a monopolar patch antenna fed by a probe in the centre and a ring‐shaped array formed by eight modified parasitic patch elements. Two resonant modes of the monopolar patch which connects to a ground plane by a set of conductive shorting vias are utilised to achieve wide impedance bandwidth. A CP conical‐beam radiation pattern is formed by loading the designed array. Loop current and slot resonant mode are employed to discuss the operating principle. A parametric study is carried out for the detailed design concept illustration. To verify the design, a prototype has been fabricated and measured, which shows a low profile of 0.059λ0, a maximum gain of 7.45 dBic, a 10‐dB impedance bandwidth of 23.1%, a 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth of 9.6% and a good conical‐beam radiation pattern.
Excitation and charge transfer in low-energy hydrogen atom collisions with neutral iron
Authors: Barklem P. S.
Published: January 2018

Data for inelastic processes due to hydrogen atom collisions with iron are needed for accurate modelling of the iron spectrum in late-type stars. Excitation and charge transfer in low-energy Fe+H collisions is studied theoretically using a previously presented method based on an asymptotic two-electron linear combination of atomic orbitals model of ionic-covalent interactions in the neutral atom-hydrogen-atom system, together with the multi-channel Landau–Zener model. An extensive calculation including 166 covalent states and 25 ionic states is presented and rate coefficients are calculated for temperatures in the range 1000–20 000 K. The largest rates are found for charge transfer processes to and from two clusters of states around 6.3 and 6.6 eV excitation, corresponding in both cases to active 4d and 5p electrons undergoing transfer. Excitation and de-excitation processes among these two sets of states are also significant.
Building renovations in BIM systems
Authors: Smutný Marian
Published: January 2018

Renovation of buildings is a demanding challenge for computer systems. Nowadays, complex 3D models of historic buildings can be scanned and modelled, including sculptural filigrees and stucco decorations with possibility to generate different projections, cross-sections and elevations according to descriptive geometry rules. However, all of this falls within the field of “3D Modelling”. BIM systems work with elements that have to be classified according to their purpose, or according to the way they are realized. The system is then able to sort, filter or group them. Also, it is able to compute their bill of quantity and quality based on their attributes. Last but not least, it has to be able to schematically display civil engineering drawings on the basis of classification of the elements which differ considerably from the display of descriptive geometry. In regular constructions, repeatability and predictability of the links between the elements suit computer systems. Thus, the issue of building renovations in BIM systems is to find a balance between modelling irregular constructions and irregular space arrangements, while maintaining the ability to interact with other BIM elements.