bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional illusion thermal device for location camouflage
Authors: Wang Jing , Bi Yanqiang , Hou Quanwen
Published: August 2017

Thermal metamaterials, proposed in recent years, provide a new method to manipulate the energy flux in heat transfer, and result in many novel thermal devices. In this paper, an illusion thermal device for location camouflage in 3-dimensional heat conduction regime is proposed based on the transformation thermodynamics. The heat source covered by the device produces a fake signal outside the device, which makes the source look like appearing at another position away from its real position. The parameters required by the device are deduced and the method is validated by simulations. The possible scheme to obtain the thermal conductivities required in the device by composing natural materials is supplied, and the influence of some problems in practical fabrication process of the device on the effect of the camouflage is also discussed.
AmotL2 integrates polarity and junctional cues to modulate cell shape
Authors: Hultin Sara , Subramani Aravindh , Hildebrand Sebastian , Zheng Yujuan , Majumdar Arindam , Holmgren Lars
Published: August 2017

The assembly of individual epithelial or endothelial cells into a tight cellular sheet requires stringent control of cell packing and organization. These processes are dependent on the establishment and further integration of cellular junctions, the cytoskeleton and the formation of apical-basal polarity. However, little is known how these subcellular events are coordinated. The (Angiomotin) Amot protein family consists of scaffold proteins that interact with junctional cadherins, polarity proteins and the cytoskeleton. In this report, we have studied how these protein complexes integrate to control cellular shapes consistent with organ function. Using gene-inactivating studies in zebrafish and cell culture systems in vitro, we show that Par3 to be essential for localization of AmotL2 to cellular junctions to associate with VE/E-cadherin and subsequently the organization of radial actin filaments. Our data provide mechanistic insight in how critical processes such as aortic lumen expansion as well as epithelial packing into hexagonal shapes are controlled.
Comparative transcriptional profiling of tildipirosin-resistant and sensitive Haemophilus parasuis
Authors: Lei Zhixin , Fu Shulin , Yang Bing , Liu Qianying , Ahmed Saeed , Xu Lei , Xiong Jincheng , Cao Jiyue , Qiu Yinsheng
Published: August 2017

Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the molecular mechanism of Haemophilus parasuis resistance to antibiotic, but rarely to tildipirosin. In the current study, transcriptional profiling was applied to analyse the variation in gene expression of JS0135 and tildipirosin-resistant JS32. The growth curves showed that JS32 had a higher growth rate but fewer bacteria than JS0135. The cell membranes of JS32 and a resistant clinical isolate (HB32) were observed to be smoother than those of JS0135. From the comparative gene expression profile 349 up- and 113 downregulated genes were observed, covering 37 GO and 63 KEGG pathways which are involved in biological processes (11), cellular components (17), molecular function (9), cellular processes (1), environmental information processing (4), genetic information processing (9) and metabolism (49) affected in JS32. In addition, the relative overexpression of genes of the metabolism pathway (HAPS_RS09315, HAPS_RS09320), ribosomes (HAPS_RS07815) and ABC transporters (HAPS_RS10945) was detected, particularly the metabolism pathway, and verified with RT-qPCR. Collectively, the gene expression profile in connection with tildipirosin resistance factors revealed unique and highly resistant determinants of H. parasuis to macrolides that warrant further attention due to the significant threat of bacterial resistance.
Signs of innate immune activation and premature immunosenescence in psoriasis patients
Authors: Šahmatova Liisi , Sügis Elena , Šunina Marina , Hermann Helen , Prans Ele , Pihlap Maire , Abram Kristi , Rebane Ana , Peterson Hedi , Peterson Pärt , Kingo Külli , Kisand Kai
Published: August 2017

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects skin and is associated with systemic inflammation and many serious comorbidities ranging from metabolic syndrome to cancer. Important discoveries about psoriasis pathogenesis have enabled the development of effective biological treatments blocking the T helper 17 pathway. However, it has not been settled whether psoriasis is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease or an autoinflammatory disorder that is driven by exaggerated innate immune signalling. Our comparative gene expression and hierarchical cluster analysis reveal important gene circuits involving innate receptors. Innate immune activation is indicated by increased absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome gene expression and active caspase 1 staining in psoriatic lesional skin. Increased eomesodermin (EOMES) expression in lesional and non-lesional skin is suggestive of innate-like virtual memory CD8+ T cell infiltration. We found that signs of systemic inflammation were present in most of the patients, correlated with the severity of the disease, and pointed to IL-6 involvement in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis. Among the circulating T cell subpopulations, we identified a higher proportion of terminally differentiated or senescent CD8+ T cells, especially in patients with long disease duration, suggesting premature immunosenescence and its possible implications for psoriasis co-morbidities.
Equilibrium Skyrmion Lattice Ground State in a Polar Easy-plane Magnet
Authors: Bordács S. , Butykai A. , Szigeti B. G. , White J. S. , Cubitt R. , Leonov A. O. , Widmann S. , Ehlers D. , von Nidda H.-A. Krug , Tsurkan V. , Loidl A. , Kézsmárki I.
Published: August 2017

The skyrmion lattice state (SkL), a crystal built of mesoscopic spin vortices, gains its stability via thermal fluctuations in all bulk skyrmion host materials known to date. Therefore, its existence is limited to a narrow temperature region below the paramagnetic state. This stability range can drastically increase in systems with restricted geometries, such as thin films, interfaces and nanowires. Thermal quenching can also promote the SkL as a metastable state over extended temperature ranges. Here, we demonstrate more generally that a proper choice of material parameters alone guarantees the thermodynamic stability of the SkL over the full temperature range below the paramagnetic state down to zero kelvin. We found that GaV4Se8, a polar magnet with easy-plane anisotropy, hosts a robust Néel-type SkL even in its ground state. Our supporting theory confirms that polar magnets with weak uniaxial anisotropy are ideal candidates to realize SkLs with wide stability ranges.
Sensitivity to musical emotion is influenced by tonal structure in congenital amusia
Authors: Jiang Cunmei , Liu Fang , Wong Patrick C. M.
Published: August 2017

Emotional communication in music depends on multiple attributes including psychoacoustic features and tonal system information, the latter of which is unique to music. The present study investigated whether congenital amusia, a lifelong disorder of musical processing, impacts sensitivity to musical emotion elicited by timbre and tonal system information. Twenty-six amusics and 26 matched controls made tension judgments on Western (familiar) and Indian (unfamiliar) melodies played on piano and sitar. Like controls, amusics used timbre cues to judge musical tension in Western and Indian melodies. While controls assigned significantly lower tension ratings to Western melodies compared to Indian melodies, thus showing a tonal familiarity effect on tension ratings, amusics provided comparable tension ratings for Western and Indian melodies on both timbres. Furthermore, amusics rated Western melodies as more tense compared to controls, as they relied less on tonality cues than controls in rating tension for Western melodies. The implications of these findings in terms of emotional responses to music are discussed.
Structural basis for Ccd1 auto-inhibition in the Wnt pathway through homomerization of the DIX domain
Authors: Terawaki Shin-ichi , Fujita Shohei , Katsutani Takuya , Shiomi Kensuke , Keino-Masu Kazuko , Masu Masayuki , Wakamatsu Kaori , Shibata Naoki , Higuchi Yoshiki
Published: August 2017

Wnt signaling plays an important role in governing cell fate decisions. Coiled-coil-DIX1 (Ccd1), Dishevelled (Dvl), and Axin are signaling proteins that regulate the canonical pathway by controlling the stability of a key signal transducer β-catenin. These proteins contain the DIX domain with a ubiquitin-like fold, which mediates their interaction in the β-catenin destruction complex through dynamic head-to-tail polymerization. Despite high sequence similarities, mammalian Ccd1 shows weaker stimulation of β-catenin transcriptional activity compared with zebrafish (z) Ccd1 in cultured cells. Here, we show that the mouse (m) Ccd1 DIX domain displays weaker ability for homopolymerization than that of zCcd1. Furthermore, X-ray crystallographic analysis of mCcd1 and zCcd1 DIX domains revealed that mCcd1 was assembled into a double-helical filament by the insertion of the β1-β2 loop into the head-to-tail interface, whereas zCcd1 formed a typical single-helical polymer similar to Dvl1 and Axin. The mutation in the contact interface of mCcd1 double-helical polymer changed the hydrodynamic properties of mCcd1 so that it acquired the ability to induce Wnt-specific transcriptional activity similar to zCcd1. These findings suggest a novel regulatory mechanism by which mCcd1 modulates Wnt signaling through auto-inhibition of dynamic head-to-tail homopolymerization.
Antioxidant Activity of Quercetin and Its Glucosides from Propolis: A Theoretical Study
Authors: Zheng Yan-Zhen , Deng Geng , Liang Qin , Chen Da-Fu , Guo Rui , Lai Rong-Cai
Published: August 2017

Among the multiple components of propolis, flavonoids contribute greatly to the antioxidant activities of propolis. Flavonoids mainly exist in the form of sugar-conjugated derivatives. Quercetin glycosides represent the predominant flavonoid fraction in propolis. In this work, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to analyze the antioxidative properties of quercetin and its glucosides in the gas and in the liquid phase (ethanol, water). Three main antioxidant mechanisms, hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), single electron transfer followed by proton transfer (SET-PT) and sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) were used to analyze the antioxidative capacity of the investigated compounds. Solvent effects dominantly affect SET-PT and SPLET. Thus, the thermodynamically preferred mechanism can be altered. HAT and SPLET are the thermodynamically dominant mechanisms in gas and solvent phases, respectively. Therefore, in the gas phase, the sequence of the antioxidative capacity is similar with the bond dissociation enthalpy values: quercetin > quercetin-5-O-glucoside > quercetin-7-O-glucoside > quercetin-3-O-glucoside > quercetin-3′-O-glucoside > quercetin-4′-O-glucoside. While, in the solvent phases, the sequence is similar with the proton affinity values: quercetin-4′-O-glucoside > quercetin-5-O-glucoside > quercetin > quercetin-3-O-glucoside > quercetin-7-O-glucoside > quercetin-3′-O-glucoside. OH groups in B-ring and C-ring contribute mainly to the antioxidative activities of quercetin and glucosides compared with A-ring.
Axial multi-image phase retrieval under tilt illumination
Authors: Guo Cheng , Li Qiang , Wei Ce , Tan Jiubin , Liu Shutian , Liu Zhengjun
Published: August 2017

As a coherent diffractive imaging technique, axial multi-image phase retrieval utilizes a series of diffraction patterns on the basis of axial movement diversity to reconstruct full object wave field. Theoretically, fast convergence and high-accuracy of axial multi-image phase retrieval are demonstrated. In experiment, its retrieval suffers from the tilt illumination, in which diffraction patterns will shift in the lateral direction as the receiver traverses along the axis. In this case, the reconstructed result will be blurry or even mistaken. To solve this problem, we introduce cross-correlation calibration to derive the oblique angle and employ tilt diffraction into axial phase retrieval to recover a target, which is successfully demonstrated in simulation and experiment. Also, our method could provide a useful guidance for measuring how obliquely the incident light illuminates in an optical system.
Periphyton effects on bacterial assemblages and harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a eutrophic freshwater lake: a mesocosm study
Authors: Cui Yingshun , Jin Long , Ko So-Ra , Chun Seong-Jun , Oh Hyung-Seok , Lee Chang Soo , Srivastava Ankita , Oh Hee-Mock , Ahn Chi-Yong
Published: August 2017

Periphyton comprises a broad range of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms that grow on submerged surfaces in aquatic environments. To investigate the ecological roles of periphyton and their symbiotic bacterial assemblages related to the control of cyanobacterial blooms, mesocosm experiments were performed in a eutrophic lake that is usually infested with harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Our results showed that periphyton, together with their symbionts, reduced Chl-aconcentrations (up to 94%), improved water clarity and effectively controlled cyanobacterial blooms in the treatment mesocosm. Planktonic bacterial compositions varied greatly in the pre-bloom/bloom/post-bloom periods in both mesocosms and were mainly influenced by total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentrations. The phylumCyanobacteriawas the major component in the water samples until bloom peak, but it was replaced byActinobacteriain the post-bloom period. However, periphyton niches were dominated byAlphaproteobacteriathroughout the experiments,Cyanobacteriaproportion being lower. Overall, the results indicated that periphyton and their unique bacterial partners could effectively compete with cyanobacteria and improve water quality. Their underlying interaction mechanism was also suggested to explain how periphyton and their symbionts can reduce cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic water.
Thermoelectric transport in temperature-driven two-dimensional topological insulators
Authors: Dong H. M. , Li L. L. , Xu W. , Liu J. L.
Published: August 2017

We theoretically investigate on the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties of edge and bulk states in a temperature-driven two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator (TI) realized from CdTe/HgTe/CdTe quantum wells (QWs). It is found that the temperature can effectively drive a TI phase in CdTe/HgTe/CdTe QWs. We find that the TE transport properties of 2D TI can be governed by edge states, bulk states, or their interplay, depending on driving temperature and chemical potential of the system. Moreover, we find that the TE figure of merit ZT shows a peak at relatively low temperatures due to the competition between bulk and edge transports. This peak vanishes at relatively high temperatures due to the dominance of bulk states in the TE transport. With decreasing the ribbon width of the temperature-driven 2D TI, the low-temperature ZT exhibits two peaks, among which one occurs due to the bulk-edge competition and the other occurs due to the edge-edge hybridization; while the high-temperature ZT first exhibits the bulk-state behavior and then the edge-state one, which is indicative of a bulk-to-edge transition in the TE transport.
GSK3β and ERK regulate the expression of 78 kDa SG2NA and ectopic modulation of its level affects phases of cell cycle
Authors: Pandey Shweta , Talukdar Indrani , Jain Buddhi P. , Tanti Goutam K. , Goswami Shyamal K.
Published: August 2017

Striatin and SG2NA are essential constituents of the multi-protein STRIPAK assembly harbouring protein phosphatase PP2A and several kinases. SG2NA has several isoforms generated by mRNA splicing and editing. While the expression of striatin is largely restricted to the striatum in brain, that of SG2NAs is ubiquitous. In NIH3T3 cells, only the 78 kDa isoform is expressed. When cells enter into the S phase, the level of SG2NA increases; reaches maximum at the G2/M phase and declines thereafter. Downregulation of SG2NA extends G1 phase and its overexpression extends G2. Ectopic expression of the 35 kDa has no effects on the cell cycle. Relative abundance of phospho-SG2NA is high in the microsome and cytosol and the nucleus but low in the mitochondria. Okadoic acid, an inhibitor of PP2A, increases the level of SG2NA which is further enhanced upon inhibition of proteasomal activity. Phospho-SG2NA is thus more stable than the dephosphorylated form. Inhibition of GSK3β by LiCl reduces its level, but the inhibition of ERK by PD98059 increases it. Thus, ERK decreases the level of phospho-SG2NA by inhibiting GSK3β. In cells depleted from SG2NA by shRNA, the levels of pGSK3β and pERK are reduced, suggesting that these kinases and SG2NA regulate each other’s expression.
Calcium imaging revealed no modulatory effect on odor-evoked responses of the Drosophila antennal lobe by two populations of inhibitory local interneurons
Authors: Strube-Bloss Martin F. , Grabe Veit , Hansson Bill S. , Sachse Silke
Published: August 2017

Although we have considerable knowledge about how odors are represented in the antennal lobe (AL), the insects’ analogue to the olfactory bulb, we still do not fully understand how the different neurons in the AL network contribute to the olfactory code. In Drosophila melanogaster we can selectively manipulate specific neuronal populations to elucidate their function in odor processing. Here we silenced the synaptic transmission of two distinct subpopulations of multiglomerular GABAergic local interneurons (LN1 and LN2) using shibire (shi
ts
) and analyzed their impact on odor-induced glomerular activity at the AL input and output level. We verified that the employed shi
ts
construct effectively blocked synaptic transmission to the AL when expressed in olfactory sensory neurons. Notably, selective silencing of both LN populations did not significantly affect the odor-evoked activity patterns in the AL. Neither the glomerular input nor the glomerular output activity was modulated in comparison to the parental controls. We therefore conclude that these LN subpopulations, which cover one third of the total LN number, are not predominantly involved in odor identity coding per se. As suggested by their broad innervation patterns and contribution to long-term adaptation, they might contribute to AL–computation on a global and longer time scale.
Differentiation impairs Bach1 dependent HO-1 activation and increases sensitivity to oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Piras Sabrina , Furfaro Anna Lisa , Brondolo Lorenzo , Passalacqua Mario , Marinari Umberto Maria , Pronzato Maria Adelaide , Nitti Mariapaola
Published: August 2017

Neuronal adaptation to oxidative stress is crucially important in order to prevent degenerative diseases. The role played by the Nrf2/HO-1 system in favoring cell survival of neuroblastoma (NB) cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been investigated using undifferentiated or all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. While undifferentiated cells were basically resistant to the oxidative stimulus, ATRA treatment progressively decreased cell viability in response to H2O2. HO-1 silencing decreased undifferentiated cell viability when exposed to H2O2, proving the role of HO-1 in cell survival. Conversely, ATRA differentiated cells exposed to H2O2 showed a significantly lower induction of HO-1, and only the supplementation with low doses of bilirubin (0,5–1 μM) restored viability. Moreover, the nuclear level of Bach1, repressor of HO-1 transcription, strongly decreased in undifferentiated cells exposed to oxidative stress, while did not change in ATRA differentiated cells. Furthermore, Bach1 was displaced from HO-1 promoter in undifferentiated cells exposed to H2O2, enabling the binding of Nrf2. On the contrary, in ATRA differentiated cells treated with H2O2, Bach1 displacement was impaired, preventing Nrf2 binding and limiting HO-1 transcription. In conclusion, our findings highlight the central role of Bach1 in HO-1-dependent neuronal response to oxidative stress.
LRLSHMDA: Laplacian Regularized Least Squares for Human Microbe–Disease Association prediction
Authors: Wang Fan , Huang Zhi-An , Chen Xing , Zhu Zexuan , Wen Zhenkun , Zhao Jiyun , Yan Gui-Ying
Published: August 2017

An increasing number of evidences indicate microbes are implicated in human physiological mechanisms, including complicated disease pathology. Some microbes have been demonstrated to be associated with diverse important human diseases or disorders. Through investigating these disease-related microbes, we can obtain a better understanding of human disease mechanisms for advancing medical scientific progress in terms of disease diagnosis, treatment, prevention, prognosis and drug discovery. Based on the known microbe-disease association network, we developed a semi-supervised computational model of Laplacian Regularized Least Squares for Human Microbe–Disease Association (LRLSHMDA) by introducing Gaussian interaction profile kernel similarity calculation and Laplacian regularized least squares classifier. LRLSHMDA reached the reliable AUCs of 0.8909 and 0.7657 based on the global and local leave-one-out cross validations, respectively. In the framework of 5-fold cross validation, average AUC value of 0.8794 +/−0.0029 further demonstrated its promising prediction ability. In case studies, 9, 9 and 8 of top-10 predicted microbes have been manually certified to be associated with asthma, colorectal carcinoma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by published literature evidence. Our proposed model achieves better prediction performance relative to the previous model. We expect that LRLSHMDA could offer insights into identifying more promising human microbe-disease associations in the future.
The diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging for anterior cruciate ligament injury in comparison to arthroscopy: a meta-analysis
Authors: Li Kun , Du Jun , Huang Li-Xin , Ni Li , Liu Tao , Yang Hui-Lin
Published: August 2017

We performed this meta-analysis to examine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for the diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in comparison to arthroscopy. We also compared the diagnostic accuracy of MRI with magnetic field intensities (MFI) greater than or equal to 1.5T with those below 1.5T, in addition to different MRI sequences. Studies relevant to the diagnosis of ACL injury by MRI and arthroscopy were analyzed. Computer and manual retrieval were carried out on studies published between January 1, 2006 and May 31, 2016. Twenty-one papers were included. Neither threshold nor non-threshold effects were present (p = 0.40, p = 0.06). The pooled sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR−) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were 87% (84–90%), 90% (88–92%), 6.78 (4.87–9.44), 0.16 (0.13–0.20) and 44.70 (32.34–61.79), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.93. The risk of publication bias was negligible (p = 0.75). In conclusion, examination by MRI is able to provide appreciable diagnostic performance. However, the principle, which states that the higher the MFI, the better the diagnostic accuracy, could not be verified. Additionally, conventional sequences (CSs) associated with proton density-weighted imaging (PDWI) are only slightly better than CSs alone, but not statistically different.
Recurrent horizontal transfer of arsenite methyltransferase genes facilitated adaptation of life to arsenic
Authors: Chen Song-Can , Sun Guo-Xin , Rosen Barry P. , Zhang Si-Yu , Deng Ye , Zhu Bo-Kai , Rensing Christopher , Zhu Yong-Guan
Published: August 2017

The toxic metalloid arsenic has been environmentally ubiquitous since life first arose nearly four billion years ago and presents a challenge for the survival of all living organisms. Its bioavailability has varied dramatically over the history of life on Earth. As life spread, biogeochemical and climate changes cyclically increased and decreased bioavailable arsenic. To elucidate the history of arsenic adaptation across the tree of life, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the arsM gene that encodes the As(III) S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) methyltransferase. Our results suggest that life successfully moved into arsenic-rich environments in the late Archean Eon and Proterozoic Eon, respectively, by the spread of arsM genes. The arsM genes of bacterial origin have been transferred to other kingdoms of life on at least six occasions, and the resulting domesticated arsM genes promoted adaptation to environmental arsenic. These results allow us to peer into the history of arsenic adaptation of life on our planet and imply that dissemination of genes encoding diverse adaptive functions to toxic chemicals permit adaptation to changes in concentrations of environmental toxins over evolutionary history.
PEO-based brush-type amphiphilic macro-RAFT agents and their assembled polyHIPE monolithic structures for applications in separation science
Authors: Khodabandeh Aminreza , Arrua R. Dario , Mansour Fotouh R. , Thickett Stuart C. , Hilder Emily F.
Published: August 2017

Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsions (PolyHIPEs) were prepared using emulsion-templating, stabilized by an amphiphilic diblock copolymer prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The diblock copolymer consisted of a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEO MA, average Mn 480) segment and a hydrophobic styrene segment, with a trithiocarbonate end-group. These diblock copolymers were the sole emulsifiers used in stabilizing “inverse” (oil-in-water) high internal phase emulsion templates, which upon polymerization resulted in a polyHIPE exhibiting a highly interconnected monolithic structure. The polyHIPEs were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, BET surface area measurements, SEM, SEM-EDX, and TGA. These materials were subsequently investigated as stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) via in situ polymerization in a capillary format as a ‘column housing’. Initial separation assessments in reversed-phase (RP) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic (HILIC) modes have shown that these polyHIPEs are decorated with different microenvironments amongst the voids or domains of the monolithic structure. Chromatographic results suggested the existence of RP/HILIC mixed mode with promising performance for the separation of small molecules.
Culture independent assessment of human milk microbial community in lactational mastitis
Authors: Patel Shriram H. , Vaidya Yati H. , Patel Reena J. , Pandit Ramesh J. , Joshi Chaitanya G. , Kunjadiya Anju P.
Published: August 2017

Breastfeeding undoubtedly provides important benefits to the mother-infant dyad and should be encouraged. Mastitis, one of the common but major cause of premature weaning among lactating women, is an inflammation of connective tissue within the mammary gland. This study reports the influence of mastitis on human milk microbiota by utilizing 16 S rRNA gene sequencing approach. We sampled and sequenced microbiome from 50 human milk samples, including 16 subacute mastitis (SAM), 16 acute mastitis (AM) and 18 healthy-controls. Compared to controls, SAM and AM microbiota were quite distinct and drastically reduced. Genera including, Aeromonas, Staphylococcus, Ralstonia, Klebsiella, Serratia, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas were significantly enriched in SAM and AM samples, while Acinetobacter, Ruminococcus, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium were consistently depleted. Further analysis of our samples revealed positive aerotolerant odds ratio, indicating dramatic depletion of obligate anaerobes and enrichment of aerotolerant bacteria during the course of mastitis. In addition, predicted functional metagenomics identified several gene pathways related to bacterial proliferation and colonization (e.g. two-component system, bacterial secretion system and motility proteins) in SAM and AM samples. In conclusion, our study confirmed previous hypothesis that mastitis women have lower microbial diversity, increased abundance of opportunistic pathogens and depletion of commensal obligate anaerobes.
Fas Ligand-mediated cytotoxicity of CD4+ T cells during chronic retrovirus infection
Authors: Malyshkina Anna , Littwitz-Salomon Elisabeth , Sutter Kathrin , Zelinskyy Gennadiy , Windmann Sonja , Schimmer Simone , Paschen Annette , Streeck Hendrik , Hasenkrug Kim J. , Dittmer Ulf
Published: August 2017

CD4+ helper T cells and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are key players for adaptive immune responses against acute infections with retroviruses. Similar to textbook knowledge the most important function of CD4+ T cells during an acute retrovirus infection seems to be their helper function for other immune cells. Whereas there was no direct anti-viral activity of CD4+ T cells during acute Friend Virus (FV) infection, they were absolutely required for the control of chronic infection. During chronic FV infection a population of activated FV-specific CD4+ T cells did not express cytotoxic molecules, but Fas Ligand that can induce Fas-induced apoptosis in target cells. Using an MHC II-restricted in vivo CTL assay we demonstrated that FV-specific CD4+ T cells indeed mediated cytotoxic effects against FV epitope peptide loaded targets. CD4 + CTL killing was also detected in FV-infected granzyme B knockout mice confirming that the exocytosis pathway was not involved. However, killing could be blocked by antibodies against FasL, which identified the Fas/FasL pathway as critical cytotoxic mechanism during chronic FV infection. Interestingly, targeting the co-stimulatory receptor CD137 with an agonistic antibody enhanced CD4+ T cell cytotoxicity. This immunotherapy may be an interesting new approach for the treatment of chronic viral infections.
A model derived from hydrodynamic simulations for extracting the size of spherical particles from the quartz crystal microbalance
Authors: Gillissen Jurriaan J. J. , Tabaei Seyed R. , Jackman Joshua A. , Cho Nam-Joon
Published: August 2017

A model derived from hydrodynamic simulations is presented for extracting the size of adsorbed nanoparticles in QCM-D measurements, and is applicable to both low and high surface coverage regimes.
One-pot borylation/Suzuki–Miyaura sp2–sp3 cross-coupling
Authors: Whitaker Luke , Harb Hassan Y. , Pulis Alexander P.
Published: August 2017

One-pot borylation/Suzuki–Miyaura sp2–sp3 cross coupling allows efficient access to important diaryl methanes, allyl aryls and α-arylated carbonyl compounds.
Facile synthesis of sponge-like Ni3N/NC for electrocatalytic water oxidation
Authors: Chen Mingxing , Qi Jing , Guo Dingyi , Lei Haitao , Zhang Wei , Cao Rui
Published: August 2017

Sponge-like carbon-supported nickel nitride is prepared using a facile sol–gel method and is shown to be highly active for electrocatalytic water oxidation.
A solid reaction towards in situ hybridization of carbon dots and conjugated polymers for enhanced light absorption and conversion
Authors: Hu Shengliang , Zhou Yufeng , Xue Chaorui , Yang Jinlong , Chang Qing
Published: August 2017

The incorporation of carbon dots into poly(diphenylbutadiyne) nanostructures induces the change of the electronic energy level structure and enhances photocatalytic performances.
A hydrostable anionic zinc-organic framework carrier with a bcu topology for drug delivery
Authors: Wang Jun , Ma Deyun , Liao Weilin , Li Shujun , Huang Manfei , Liu Huimin , Wang Yifei , Xie Rui , Xu Jun
Published: August 2017

A hydrostable anionic zinc-organic open framework with a bcu topology was synthesized based on 2,5-furandicarboxylate ligand by a solvothermal process and exhibited a 17.2 wt% 5-fluorouracil payload, constituting a negligible cytotoxicity effect.
Role of carboxylic acid groups in the reduction of nitric oxide by carbon at low temperature, as exemplified by graphene oxide
Authors: Zhang J. , Gao Q. , Li X. M. , Zhou J. Z. , Ruan X. X. , Liu Q. , Qian G. R. , Xu Z. P.
Published: August 2017

This work reported the reduction of NO by carboxylic acid groups and the derived active sites on nano-carbon at a temperature as low as 100 °C for the first time.
Molecular determinants involved in differential behaviour between soluble tissue factor and full-length tissue factor towards factor VIIa
Authors: Prasad Ramesh , Sen Prosenjit
Published: August 2017

During blood-coagulation, the transmembrane protein tissue factor (TF) binds to its ligand, factor (F)VII, activating and allosterically modifying it to form a mature active binary complex (TF–FVIIa).
Beryllium-based fluorenes as efficient anion sponges
Authors: Montero-Campillo M. Merced , Corral Inés , Mó Otilia , Yáñez Manuel , Alkorta Ibon , Elguero José
Published: August 2017

The F−, Cl−, CN−, NO2−, NO3−, and SO42−anion affinities of 4,5-bis(BeX)-fluorene (X = H, F, Cl, CN, NC, and OCH3) derivatives have been calculated at the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory.
The sensitivity of folding free energy landscapes of trpzips to mutations in the hydrophobic core
Authors: Gupta Madhulika , Khatua Prabir , Chakravarty Charusita , Bandyopadhyay Sanjoy
Published: August 2017

The sensitivity of the stability of folded states and free energy landscapes to the differences in the hydrophobic content of the core residues has been studied for the set of 16-residue trpzips, namely, Trpzip4, Trpzip5 and Trpzip6.
Electrochemical (de)lithiation of silver ferrite and composites: mechanistic insights from ex situ, in situ, and operando X-ray techniques
Authors: Durham Jessica L. , Brady Alexander B. , Cama Christina A. , Bock David C. , Pelliccione Christopher J. , Zhang Qing , Ge Mingyuan , Li Yue Ru , Zhang Yiman , Yan Hanfei , Huang Xiaojing , Chu Yong , Takeuchi Esther S. , Takeuchi Kenneth J. , Marschilok Amy C.
Published: August 2017

The (de)lithiation mechanisms of AgFeO2 and Ag0.2FeO1.6 were investigated.
Ferrocene and ferrocenium inclusion compounds with cucurbiturils: a study of metal atom dynamics probed by Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Magalhães Clara I. R. , Gomes Ana C. , Lopes André D. , Gonçalves Isabel S. , Pillinger Martyn , Jin Eunyoung , Kim Ikjin , Ko Young Ho , Kim Kimoon , Nowik Israel , Herber Rolfe H.
Published: August 2017

This study shows that Mössbauer spectroscopy is a sensitive probe of host–guest interactions and molecular motion in cucurbituril–ferrocene/ferrocenium complexes.
Mediated water electrolysis in biphasic systems
Authors: Scanlon Micheál D. , Peljo Pekka , Rivier Lucie , Vrubel Heron , Girault Hubert H.
Published: August 2017

The concept of efficient electrolysis by linking photoelectrochemical biphasic H2 evolution and water oxidation processes in the cathodic and anodic compartments of an H-cell, respectively, is introduced. The concepts viability is demonstrated by electrochemical H2 production from water splitting utilising a polarised water–organic interface in a prototype H-cell.
Surface functionalisation of polymers
Authors: Hetemi Dardan , Pinson Jean
Published: August 2017

Many applications of polymers require the functionalisation of their surface for use in sensors, composite materials, membranes, microfluidic and biomedical devices and many others.
Preparation of two dimensional layered double hydroxide nanosheets and their applications
Authors: Yu Jingfang , Wang Qiang , O'Hare Dermot , Sun Luyi
Published: August 2017

This review summarizes pathways to obtain LDH nanosheets for various applications, provides an overview of the current understanding of mechanistic studies, and promotes a better understanding of the fundamental chemistry, which will in turn be beneficial for the wider scientific community, and will present potential future directions of the research areas.
Isomeric effect on the properties of tetraplatinated porphyrins showing optimized phototoxicity for photodynamic therapy
Authors: Tasso Thiago T. , Tsubone Tayana M. , Baptista Maurício S. , Mattiazzi Lia M. , Acunha Thiago V. , Iglesias Bernardo A.
Published: August 2017

The design of new photosensitizers (PS) with improved properties is essential for the development of photodynamic therapy as an alternative therapeutic method.
Ln(iii) complexes (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy) with a chiral ligand containing 1,10-phenanthroline and (–)-menthol fragments: synthesis, structure, magnetic properties and photoluminescence
Authors: Larionov Stanislav V. , Bryleva Yuliya A. , Glinskaya Ludmila A. , Plyusnin Victor F. , Kupryakov Arkady S. , Agafontsev Alexander M. , Tkachev Alexey V. , Bogomyakov Artem S. , Piryazev Dmitry A. , Korolkov Ilya V.
Published: August 2017

Novel chiral luminescent Ln(iii) complexes are reported.
Leucine zipper motif inspiration: a two-dimensional leucine Velcro-like array in peptide coordination polymers generates hydrophobicity
Authors: Rodríguez-Hermida Sabina , Evangelio Emi , Rubio-Martínez Marta , Imaz Inhar , Verdaguer Albert , Juanhuix Jordi , Maspoch Daniel
Published: August 2017

The packing of peptide-based coordination layers through a 2D-Velcro-like Leu array enables obtaining hydrophobic materials.
Fine tuning of catalytic and sorption properties of metal–organic frameworks via in situ ligand exchange
Authors: Wang Peng , Chen Kai , Liu Qing , Wang Huai-Wei , Azam Mohammad , Al-Resayes Saud I. , Lu Yi , Sun Wei-Yin
Published: August 2017

Direct X-ray crystallographic observation of ligand-exchange to introduce a definite substituent group on the pore surface of MOFs was achieved.
Revisiting the bis(dimethylamido) metallocene complexes of thorium and uranium: improved syntheses, structure, spectroscopy, and redox energetics of (C5Me5)2An(NMe2)2 (An = Th, U)
Authors: Erickson K. A. , Kagan B. D. , Scott B. L. , Morris D. E. , Kiplinger J. L.
Published: August 2017

In addition to improved syntheses, the solid-state structures, voltammetric data and UV-visible–NIR spectra of (C5Me5)2An(NMe2)2 (An = Th, U) complexes are presented for the first time.
Characterization of photocatalytic paints: a relationship between the photocatalytic properties – release of nanoparticles and volatile organic compounds
Authors: Truffier-Boutry D. , Fiorentino B. , Bartolomei V. , Soulas R. , Sicardy O. , Benayad A. , Damlencourt J.-F. , Pépin-Donat B. , Lombard C. , Gandolfo A. , Wortham H. , Brochard G. , Audemard A. , Porcar L. , Gebel G. , Gligorovski S.
Published: August 2017

A simultaneous study of the emission of VOCs and the release of nanoparticles into the environment during the photocatalytic activity of a paint.
Droplet trapping and fast acoustic release in a multi-height device with steady-state flow
Authors: Rambach Richard W. , Linder Kevin , Heymann Michael , Franke Thomas
Published: August 2017

Novel multilayer PDMS device for selective storage and release of single emulsion dropletsviasurface acoustic waves at constant flow with a high drop rate.
Pathway-dependent gold nanoparticle formation by biocatalytic self-assembly
Authors: Sahoo Jugal Kishore , Roy Sangita , Javid Nadeem , Duncan Krystyna , Aitken Lynsey , Ulijn Rein V.
Published: August 2017

We report on the use of non-equillibrium biocatalytic self-assembly and gelation to guide the reductive synthesis of gold nanoparticles.
Space irradiation-induced damage to graphene films
Authors: Wang Liping , Fan Xiaoqiang , Li Wen , Li Hao , Zhu Minhao , Pu Jibin , Xue Qunji
Published: August 2017

The effect of simulated space irradiation (atomic oxygen and high-energy particles) on the structure of large-area graphene films.
Supramolecular alleviation of cardiotoxicity of a small-molecule kinase inhibitor
Authors: Yang Xue , Huang Qiaoxian , Bardelang David , Wang Chunming , Lee Simon M. Y. , Wang Ruibing
Published: August 2017

The encapsulation of sorafenib by cucurbit[7]uril alleviated the inherent cardiotoxicity of the drug, whereas its anti-cancer activity was well preserved.
Experimental and computational study of the inclusion complexes of β-cyclodextrin with the chemical warfare agent soman (GD) and commonly used simulants
Authors: Sambrook Mark R. , Vincent Jack C. , Ede Jayne A. , Gass Ian A. , Cragg Peter J.
Published: August 2017

The inclusion complexation of the Chemical Warfare Agent soman (GD) by β-cyclodextrin is studied by both experimental and computational approaches.
Effect of Ti doping on mechanical and optical properties of super-hard I2d-CN2 materials
Authors: Zhao Ze-Cheng , Yang Chuan-Lu , Wang Mei-Shan , Ma Xiao-Guang , Zhan Li-Bo , Yi You-Gen
Published: August 2017

The Ti-doped I2d-CN2 structures are favorable solar energy harvest or light-response materials due to their lower formation energy, high hardness and large absorption in the infrared and visible light range.
An electrochemical sensing platform for trace recognition and detection of an anti-prostate cancer drug flutamide in biological samples
Authors: Brahman Pradeep Kumar , Suresh Lakkavarapu , Reddy Kasarla Ramakrushna , J. S. Bondili
Published: August 2017

Systematic illustration of electrode fabrication.
Effect of metal–metal distance in Ni(ii)-based metallo-supramolecular polymers: DNA binding and cytotoxicity
Authors: Hossain Md. Delwar , Rana Utpal , Chakraborty Chanchal , Li Jinghua , Nagano Reiko , Minowa Takashi , Higuchi Masayoshi
Published: August 2017

Two metallo-supramolecular polymers (polyNiL1 and polyNiL2) with different metal–metal distances were synthesized via (1 : 1) complexation of the Ni salts with bis(1,10-phenanthroline)s and their DNA binding properties and cytotoxicity were revealed.
Antibacterial and cytocompatible AgNPs constructed with the assistance of Mefp-1 for orthopaedic implants
Authors: Yang Yun , Zhang Yanmei , Hu Ren , Huang Qiaoling , Wu Ke , Zhang Lihai , Tang Peifu , Lin Changjian
Published: August 2017

For the first time, Mefp-1 coating has been used in surface antibacterial and biocompatible modifications based on its multifunctionality.
Direct stereoselective construction of cyclopropane α-amino acid with contiguous quaternary centers via [4 + 2] annulation reaction
Authors: Hu Jun-Hao , Xu Yun-Chao , Liu Dan-Dan , Sun Bing , Yi Ying , Zhang Fang-Lin
Published: August 2017

A direct diastereoselective synthetic approach to useful cyclopropane α-amino acid was established via base-promoted [4 + 2] annulations between o-aminobenzaldehydes and alkyl 2-aroyl-1-chlorocyclopropanecarboxylates.
The effects of macromolecular crowding and surface charge on the properties of an immobilized enzyme: activity, thermal stability, catalytic efficiency and reusability
Authors: Yang Qiong , Wang Bochu , Zhang Zhi , Lou Deshuai , Tan Jun , Zhu Liancai
Published: August 2017

The microenvironment around an immobilized enzyme molecule significantly influences the properties of the immobilized enzyme.
One-pot synthesis of 3D hierarchical porous Li3V2(PO4)3/C nanocomposites for high-rate and long-life lithium ion batteries
Authors: Cheng Yi , Zhou Wei , Feng Kai , Zhang Hongzhang , Li Xianfeng , Zhang Huamin
Published: August 2017

A hierarchical porous Li3V2(PO4)3/C nanocomposite with excellent cycle stability is fabricated via a simple one-pot process.
Enhanced cellular uptake of iron oxide nanoparticles modified with 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
Authors: Su Lichao , Zhang Baolin , Huang Yinping , Fan Ziliang , Zhao Yingzheng
Published: August 2017

DMPC greatly enhanced the cellular uptake of SPIONs, resulting in remarkable amounts of accumulated nanoparticles in PC-12 cells.
High electron mobility of β-HgS colloidal quantum dots with doubly occupied quantum states
Authors: Kim Jaekyun , Yoon Bitna , Kim Jaehyun , Choi Yunchang , Kwon Young-Wan , Park Sung Kyu , Jeong Kwang Seob
Published: August 2017

Steady-state electron occupation of the lowest quantum state in the conduction band of a colloidal quantum dot gives rise to unique electrical properties. An electron mobility of 1.29 cm2 V−1 s−1 was measured in a mercury sulfide quantum dot FET.
Influence of polymer architectures on diffusion in unentangled polymer melts
Authors: Chremos Alexandros , Jeong Cheol , Douglas Jack F.
Published: August 2017

Molecular dynamics simulations of polymer melts composed of polymers of different branching complexity suggests that the average polymer shape and hydrodynamic radius are important for the understanding of the polymer diffusion, as in polymer solutions.
X-ray reflectivity reveals ionic structure at liquid crystal–aqueous interfaces
Authors: Hallett James E. , Hayward Dominic W. , Arnold Thomas , Bartlett Paul , Richardson Robert M.
Published: August 2017

X-ray reflectivity can be used to determine the structure of liquid crystal monolayers supported on aqueous electrolyte subphases.
Epitaxial growth: rapid synthesis of highly permeable and selective zeolite-T membranes
Authors: Luo Yiwei , Lv Youjia , Kumar Prashant , Chu Jingjing , Yang Jianhua , Tsapatsis Michael , Mkhoyan K. Andre , He Gaohong , Lu Jinming , Zhang Yan
Published: August 2017

Rapid synthesis of highly permeable and selective zeolite T membranes was achieved through epitaxial growth.
Achieving highly stable Li–O2 battery operation by designing a carbon nitride-based cathode towards a stable reaction interface
Authors: Lou Peili , Cui Zhonghui , Guo Xiangxin
Published: August 2017

A ruthenium oxide nanoparticles@porous boron-doped carbon nitride electrode with high stability upon ORR/OER endows the lithium–oxygen batteries with improved cycle performance and energy efficiency.
CdS/Sb2S3 heterojunction thin film solar cells with a thermally evaporated absorber
Authors: Chen Xu , Li Zhiqiang , Zhu Hongbing , Wang Ying , Liang Baolai , Chen Jingwei , Xu Ying , Mai Yaohua
Published: August 2017

An antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) semiconductor is appealing as a promising light absorber due to its suitable bandgap (1.5–1.7 eV), ‘one dimensional’ crystal structure and non-toxic constituents.
Speech Understanding in Noise by Patients With Cochlear Implants Using a Monaural Adaptive Beamformer
Authors: Dorman Michael F. , Natale Sarah , Spahr Anthony , Castioni Erin
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The aim of this experiment was to compare, for patients with cochlear implants (CIs), the improvement for speech understanding in noise provided by a monaural adaptive beamformer and for two interventions that produced bilateral input (i.e., bilateral CIs and hearing preservation [HP] surgery).

Method

Speech understanding scores for sentences were obtained for 10 listeners fit with a single CI. The listeners were tested with and without beamformer activated in a “cocktail party” environment with spatially separated target and maskers. Data for 10 listeners with bilateral CIs and 8 listeners with HP CIs were taken from Loiselle, Dorman, Yost, Cook, and Gifford (2016), who used the same test protocol.

Results

The use of the beamformer resulted in a 31 percentage point improvement in performance; in bilateral CIs, an 18 percentage point improvement; and in HP CIs, a 20 percentage point improvement.

Conclusion

A monaural adaptive beamformer can produce an improvement in speech understanding in a complex noise environment that is equal to, or greater than, the improvement produced by bilateral CIs and HP surgery.
Efficacious Treatment of Children With Childhood Apraxia of Speech According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
Authors: Murray Elizabeth , Iuzzini-Seigel Jenya
Published: August 2017

There is increasing evidence for treatment approaches designed for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Despite this, no treatment has conclusive evidence to date. The CAS population is heterogeneous, with children presenting with varying symptom profiles, severity levels, and comorbidities. Consequently, treatment planning for children with CAS represents a clinical challenge. To assist clinicians in providing optimal care, this paper uses the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework for identifying the body structures and functions, activities, and personal/environmental factors that should be considered when working with children with CAS. Evidence-based interventions are described and resources outlined to help guide the treatment planning process.