bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Habitual and Low-Intensity Physical Activity in People with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Gullo Hannah L. , Hatton Anna L. , Bennett Sally , Fleming Jennifer , Shum David H. K.
Published: April 2016

People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) undertake insufficient physical activity based on current guidelines. Recent work points to the benefits of increasing the amount of time spent in all non-sedentary physical activity. The current study sought to explore the potential benefits to community participation, as well as examine factors predictive, of engagement in ‘habitual’ and/or low-intensity physical activity. Seventy-four people with MS were compared to 67 healthy controls using the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). Findings revealed differences in habitual activity level (p < .001), and low-intensity physical activity (p < .001), with people with MS having a lower level of engagement than healthy people. After controlling for the impact of MS on mobility, years since symptom onset, physical fatigue and reduced positive affect were the most significant predictors of engagement in ‘at least weekly’ low-intensity physical activity. Higher frequency of low-intensity physical activity was significantly associated with greater home, social and occupational participation (all p < .05), and physical health status (p < .01), but not mental health status (p = .964) in people with MS. Results suggest that improving habitual activity level and engagement in low-intensity physical activity may be of benefit for people with MS.
The Analytical Modeling of Finite-Length Homogonous Micro-Combustor for a Hydrogen-Oxygen Mixture with Wall Temperature Effects
Authors: Fanaee S. A.
Published: April 2016

This paper analytically investigates the reaction phenomenon in micro-combustors using a two-dimensional model. The length of micro-combustor is considered at finite length that makes a better physical model than other works. The micro-combustor medium is divided into three integral zones composed of preheat, reaction and post flame where the governing equations are solved using the matching conditions of neighboring zones. The reaction zone thickness is considered as a variable and predicted by an iterative solution. In order to validate the model, normalized magnitude of maximum temperature is compared with published computational data for different values of Peclet number that shows an acceptable agreement that confirms the accuracy of the predicted data. Since a higher wall temperature causes the reaction to be faster, increasing the normalized wall temperature will result to reduce reaction zone thickness.
Historical and Cultural Obstacles to Frame-Breaking Innovations in China
Authors: Liou Shyhnan , Kwan Letty Yan-Yee , Chiu Chi-Yue
Published: April 2016

China, which was once a world champion in invention, has failed to maintain its global leadership in innovation after the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Today, frame-breaking innovations are more likely to originate from European and North American countries than from China. In the perspective article (Augier, Guo, & Rowen, 2016), the authors attribute this phenomenon, which is often referred to as the Needham Puzzle, to three reasons: (1) the Chinese did not develop a scientific method like that in the West; (2) lack of educational diversity and structural inertia in China; and (3) lack of openness to the outside world. The authors also attribute the US's leadership in innovation to its culture of encouraging experimentation, tolerating failure and accepting deviance, and to its institutional support for decentralization of and competition in R&D and basic research. This commentary aims to enrich this insightful analysis. We focus on (1) the reasons for the demise of Chinese leadership in science and technology since the middle of the Ming dynasty, and (2) the historical and cultural obstacles to the development of frame-breaking innovations in modern China.
Dynamic equilibrium and decelerating growth of a seasonal Neotropical gallery forest in the Brazilian savanna
Authors: Roitman Iris , Vanclay Jerome K. , Hay John D. , Felfili Jeanine M.
Published: April 2016

Describing and understanding growth patterns in tropical forests is crucial to assessing their role in carbon balance. Growth and vital rates of a protected gallery forest in central Brazil were estimated, based on six measurement intervals between 1985 and 2009. The sample consisted of all stems ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height measured in 151 permanent plots (10 × 20 m), distributed in 10 transects perpendicular to the watercourse and 100 m apart from each other. Statistical significance of changes in density, basal area, growth and vital rates were tested using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Vital rates oscillated during the study period. Growth, recruitment and turnover rates fluctuated, but had a net decrease over the whole study period, whereas mortality seemed to be affected by a high disturbance event during the 1994–1999 period. The oscillatory behaviour of growth suggests that the forest is pulsating around a stable state (dynamic equilibrium). Nonetheless, persistence of decelerating growth trends may force the site's carrying capacity to a lower density or biomass state.
Maternal sensitivity and adrenocortical functioning across infancy and toddlerhood: Physiological adaptation to context?
Authors: Berry Daniel , Blair Clancy , Willoughby Michael , Granger Douglas A. , Mills-Koonce W. Roger ,   the Family Life Project Key Investigators
Published: April 2016

Theory suggests that early experiences may calibrate the “threshold activity” of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis in childhood. Particularly challengingorparticularly supportive environments are posited to manifest in heightened physiological sensitivity to context. Using longitudinal data from the Family Life Project (N= 1,292), we tested whether links between maternal sensitivity and hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis activity aligned with these predictions. Specifically, we tested whether the magnitude of the within-person relation between maternal sensitivity and children's cortisol levels, a proxy for physiological sensitivity to context, was especially pronounced for children who typically experienced particularly low or high levels of maternal sensitivity over time. Our results were consistent with these hypotheses. Between children, lower levels of mean maternal sensitivity (7–24 months) were associated with higher mean cortisol levels across this period (measured as a basal sample collected at each visit). However, the magnitude and direction of the within-person relation was contingent on children's average levels of maternal sensitivity over time. Increases in maternal sensitivity were associated with contemporaneous cortisol decreases for children with typically low-sensitive mothers, whereas sensitivity increases were associated with cortisol increases for children with typically high-sensitive mothers. No within-child effects were evident at moderate levels of maternal sensitivity.
Current attitudes and clinical practice towards the care of pregnant women with underlying CHD: a paediatric cardiology perspective
Authors: Cribbs Marc G. , Briston David A. , Zaidi Ali N.
Published: April 2016

Objectives

The growing number of women with CHD presents unique challenges, including those related to pregnancy, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. We sought to evaluate the perception of paediatric cardiologists towards the reproductive health of women with CHD.

Methods

Paediatric cardiologists in the United States of America were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, anonymous survey. Information solicited included knowledge of contraceptive methods, experience caring for pregnant women with CHD, and referral patterns including the utilisation of high-risk obstetric and adult CHD specialists.

Results

A total of 110 cardiologists responded – 90% with an academic affiliation and 70% with ⩾10 years’ clinical experience. Although 95% reported an understanding of available contraceptive options, 32% did not feel comfortable recommending birth control. Pregnant women with CHD were seen by 83% of responders, and 37% of the responders reported a low level of comfort in doing so. Among all respondents, 73% indicated that they would refer a pregnant CHD patient to a high-risk obstetrician and 60% to an adult CHD specialist – almost all respondents would not transfer care to a non-adult CHD cardiologist. Among paediatric cardiologists, 81% indicated that they would resume their patient’s care following delivery.

Conclusion

Our results illustrate a gap in what physicians feel should be done and the care that they feel comfortable providing pregnant women with CHD. As this population continues to grow, training adult CHD cardiologists with specific skills in reproductive health in women with CHD is the first step to closing the care gap that exists in the management of such patients.
Beratung und Behandlung von Prüfungsängsten
Authors: Kossak Hans-Christian
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. Nach der psychologisch-klinisch Definition der Prüfungsängste werden deren Ursachen (u. a. psychosoziales und Lernumfeld) und ihre Folgen (z. B. Leistungsminderung, Versagensängste, Schul- oder Studienabbruch) umrissen. Obwohl es in der BRD ca. 20 Millionen Lernende gibt, befasst sich die Fachliteratur nur selten mit ihnen. So kann die Häufigkeit von Prüfungsängsten nur geschätzt bei 10 – 12 % angegeben werden. Hauptanliegen des Beitrags ist, nach jeweils knappen theoretischen einführenden Informationen konkrete Praxisvorschläge für Prüfer in Schule oder Universität zu geben. Dargestellt werden sieben stark miteinander vernetzte Ursachen- und Wirkfaktoren und deren Einsatz in der Beratung oder Psychotherapie: Neuropsychologie (Angstbewältigung durch Entspannung), Emotion (ihre Regulation), Motorik (Erkennen von Hilfssignalen, Abreagieren), Kognition (mit ihren Bewältigungsstrategien wie z. B. Reframing), Motivation (Wertmaßstäbe, Anerkennung, Lebensperspektiven), Attribution (besonders der eignen Leistung und Selbstwirksamkeit) und letztlich Einsatz der Imagination (u. a., um mit Vorstellungsübungen Angst abzubauen und ein angemessenes Prüfungserhalten aufzubauen). Gewünscht wird, durch Vermittlung angemessener Lern- und Lehrmethoden sowie Trainings von Prüfern an Schulen und Universitäten Lern- und Prüfungserfolge zu verbessern. Denn gerade Lernen und Bildung stehen zunehmend mehr im Vordergrund unserer Gesellschaft mit ihren beruflichen Erwartungen.
Verändert sich Lesen im Alter?
Authors: Froehlich Eva , Jacobs Arthur M.
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. Lesen ist für die meisten Menschen ein stark automatisierter, komplexer mentaler Vorgang, der einmal erlernt, scheinbar bis ins hohe Alter stabil erhalten bleibt. Dabei können tiefere Textverständnisprozesse, ebenso wie reflektive oder ästhetische Vorgänge (z. B. bei der Poesierezeption) nur dann effizient ablaufen, wenn die zugrunde liegende Einzelworterkennung flüssig funktioniert. Während der Leseerwerb im Bereich der Einzelworterkennung intensiv erforscht wurde, existieren kaum Studien, welche die Entwicklung der visuellen Worterkennung im Alter systematisch untersucht haben. Dies ist verwunderlich, wenn man bedenkt, dass der Umgang mit Wörtern, Sprache und Texten kognitive Prozesse rekrutiert, die im Alter von einem Rückgang neurochemischer, -anatomischer und funktionaler Ressourcen gekennzeichnet sind. Daher war Ziel dieser Arbeit, eine Übersicht der bisherigen Forschung von Alterseffekten auf die visuelle Worterkennung zu geben, die den aktuellen Forschungsstand zusammenzufasst. Im Fokus standen dabei Variablen, mit denen typischerweise lexikalische Prozesse und sublexikalische Prozesse operationalisiert werden. Es wurden 16 Studien identifiziert, die Wortfrequenz-, Längen- und orthographische Nachbarschaftseffekte im Alter sowohl auf Verhaltensebene als auch auf neuronaler Ebene untersucht haben. Die Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, dass die visuelle Wortverarbeitung im Bereich der Ganzworterkennung bis ins hohe Alter relativ intakt und in ihrer Ausprägung annähernd konstant bleibt. Während Frequenzeffekte im Alter vergleichbar zu denen jüngerer Leser sind, könnten lexikalische Inhibitions- und Aktivierungsprozesse von Veränderungsprozessen im Alter betroffen sein. Die Ergebnisse zum Wortlängeneffekt sind ambivalent, könnten aber auf altersbedingte Unterschiede in den sublexikalischen Prozessen hindeuten. Gleichzeitig wird ein Mangel an neurokognitiven und deutschsprachigen Studien sichtbar.
Delfino – Ein Online-Förderwerkzeug bei LRS für den Einsatz in der Klasse
Authors: Schöfl Martin
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich der Frage, ob die digitale Online-Lernplattform delfino ein organisatorisch und inhaltlich sinnvolles Werkzeug für die Förderung des Lesens und Schreibens im Klassensetting sein kann. Anders als die meisten bisherigen Förderprogramme ist delfino für Anforderungen beim Lesen UND Schreiben konstruiert, und zwar beginnend von der Buchstabe-Laut-Assoziationsebene bis hin zum lexikalischen Lesen und orthographischen Schreiben. Somit bietet das Programm Kindern mit verschiedenen Defiziten eine individualisierbare Fördermöglichkeit. Bedient werden kann das Werkzeug von Lerntherapeuten und auch Klassenpädagoginnen. Eine wesentliche Frage an die vorliegende Arbeit war, ob dieses Programm im laufenden Schulbetrieb sinnvoll einsetzbar ist. In einem ersten Feldversuch wurde delfino in zwei dritten Grundschulklassen in Oberösterreich erprobt, und zwar mit allen Schülern der Klasse. Die insgesamt 32 Kinder trainierten nacheinander an zwei Schulstandorten acht Wochen lang ungefähr 15 Minuten täglich auf Tablet-PCs mit individualisierten Aufgaben zum Lesen/Schreiben. Zur Erfassung der Trainingseffekte wurde ein Wartekontrollgruppendesign eingesetzt: Während Gruppe 1 trainierte (Trainingsphase), pausierte Gruppe 2 und erhielt kein zusätzliches Training (Wartephase), danach wurde getauscht. Die Lese- und Rechtschreibleistungen wurden zu drei Messzeitpunkten erhoben. Signifikante Gruppenunterschiede zeigten sich ausschließlich bei Lesen zum zweiten Testzeitpunkt. Während der Trainingsphasen verbesserten sich die Kinder im Lesen und Schreiben signifikant mehr als während der Wartephasen, mit den stärksten Zuwächsen beim Pseudowortlesen. Für die Kinder lagen Vorteile der digitalen Förderplattform neben starken Zuwächsen im Lesen und Schreiben in der individualisierten und motivierenden Anwendungsform. Die Klassenpädagoginnen profitierten von den umfangreichen Fördermöglichkeiten und einem einfachen Fördermonitoring.
A new view of the tree of life
Authors: Hug Laura A. , Baker Brett J. , Anantharaman Karthik , Brown Christopher T. , Probst Alexander J. , Castelle Cindy J. , Butterfield Cristina N. , Hernsdorf Alex W. , Amano Yuki , Ise Kotaro , Suzuki Yohey , Dudek Natasha , Relman David A. , Finstad Kari M. , Amundson Ronald , Thomas Brian C. , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: April 2016

The tree of life is one of the most important organizing principles in biology1. Gene surveys suggest the existence of an enormous number of branches2, but even an approximation of the full scale of the tree has remained elusive. Recent depictions of the tree of life have focused either on the nature of deep evolutionary relationships3–5 or on the known, well-classified diversity of life with an emphasis on eukaryotes6. These approaches overlook the dramatic change in our understanding of life's diversity resulting from genomic sampling of previously unexamined environments. New methods to generate genome sequences illuminate the identity of organisms and their metabolic capacities, placing them in community and ecosystem contexts7,8. Here, we use new genomic data from over 1,000 uncultivated and little known organisms, together with published sequences, to infer a dramatically expanded version of the tree of life, with Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya included. The depiction is both a global overview and a snapshot of the diversity within each major lineage. The results reveal the dominance of bacterial diversification and underline the importance of organisms lacking isolated representatives, with substantial evolution concentrated in a major radiation of such organisms. This tree highlights major lineages currently underrepresented in biogeochemical models and identifies radiations that are probably important for future evolutionary analyses.
Direct bone marrow HSC transplantation enhances local engraftment at the expense of systemic engraftment in NSG mice
Authors: Futrega Kathryn , Lott William B. , Doran Michael R.
Published: April 2016

Direct bone marrow (BM) injection has been proposed as a strategy to bypass homing inefficiencies associated with intravenous (IV) hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. Despite physical delivery into the BM cavity, many donor cells are rapidly redistributed by vascular perfusion, perhaps compromising efficacy. Anchoring donor cells to 3-dimensional (3D) multicellular spheroids, formed from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) might improve direct BM transplantation. To test this hypothesis, relevant combinations of human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells and BM-derived MSC were transplanted into NOD/SCID gamma (NSG) mice using either IV or intrafemoral (IF) routes. IF transplantation resulted in higher human CD45+ and CD34+ cell engraftment within injected femurs relative to distal femurs regardless of cell combination, but did not improve overall CD45+ engraftment at 8 weeks. Analysis within individual mice revealed that despite engraftment reaching near saturation within the injected femur, engraftment at distal hematopoietic sites including peripheral blood, spleen and non-injected femur, could be poor. Our data suggest that the retention of human HSC within the BM following direct BM injection enhances local chimerism at the expense of systemic chimerism in this xenogeneic model.
Effect of correlations on controllability transition in network control
Authors: Nie Sen , Wang Xu-Wen , Wang Bing-Hong , Jiang Luo-Luo
Published: April 2016

The network control problem has recently attracted an increasing amount of attention, owing to concerns including the avoidance of cascading failures of power-grids and the management of ecological networks. It has been proven that numerical control can be achieved if the number of control inputs exceeds a certain transition point. In the present study, we investigate the effect of degree correlation on the numerical controllability in networks whose topological structures are reconstructed from both real and modeling systems, and we find that the transition point of the number of control inputs depends strongly on the degree correlation in both undirected and directed networks with moderately sparse links. More interestingly, the effect of the degree correlation on the transition point cannot be observed in dense networks for numerical controllability, which contrasts with the corresponding result for structural controllability. In particular, for directed random networks and scale-free networks, the influence of the degree correlation is determined by the types of correlations. Our approach provides an understanding of control problems in complex sparse networks.
Cell-free circulating mitochondrial DNA content and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic HBV infection
Authors: Li Ling , Hann Hie-Won , Wan Shaogui , Hann Richard S. , Wang Chun , Lai Yinzhi , Ye Xishan , Evans Alison , Myers Ronald E. , Ye Zhong , Li Bingshan , Xing Jinliang , Yang Hushan
Published: April 2016

Recent studies have demonstrated a potential link between circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and cancers. However, there is no study evaluating the association between circulating mtDNA as a non-invasive marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. We conducted a nested case-control study to determine circulating mtDNA content in serum samples from 116 HBV-related HCC cases and 232 frequency-matched cancer-free HBV controls, and evaluate the retrospective association between mtDNA content and HCC risk using logistic regression and their temporal relationship using a mixed effects model. HCC cases had significantly lower circulating mtDNA content than controls (1.06 versus 2.47,P = 1.7 × 10−5). Compared to HBV patients with higher mtDNA content, those with lower mtDNA content had a significantly increased risk of HCC with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–3.72,P = 0.004). Quartile analyses revealed a significant dose-dependent effect (Ptrend = 0.001) for this association. In a pilot longitudinal sub-cohort of 14 matched cases-control pairs, we observed a trend of dramatically decreased mtDNA content in cases and slightly decreased mtDNA content in controls, with a significant interaction of case-control status with time (Pinteraction = 0.049). Our findings suggest that circulating mtDNA is a potential novel non-invasive biomarker of HCC risk in HBV patients.
Genetic dissection of seed-iron and zinc concentrations in chickpea
Authors: Upadhyaya Hari D. , Bajaj Deepak , Das Shouvik , Kumar Vinod , Gowda C. L. L. , Sharma Shivali , Tyagi Akhilesh K. , Parida Swarup K.
Published: April 2016

The SNP-based high-resolution QTL mapping mapped eight major genomic regions harbouring robust QTLs governing seed-Fe and Zn concentrations (39.4% combined phenotypic variation explained/PVE) on six chromosomes of an intra-specific high-density genetic linkage map (1.56 cM map-density). 24620 SNPs discovered from genome-wide GBS (genotyping-by-sequencing) and 13 known cloned Fe and Zn contents-related chickpea gene-orthologs were genotyped in a structured population of 92 sequenced desi and kabuli accessions. The large-scale 16591 SNP genotyping- and phenotyping-based GWAS (genome-wide association study) identified 16 genomic loci/genes associated (29% combined PVE) with seed-Fe and Zn concentrations. Of these, 11 trait-associated SNPs in the genes linked tightly with eight QTLs were validated by QTL mapping. The seed-specific expression, including pronounced differential-regulation of 16 trait-associated genes particularly in accessions/mapping individuals with contrasting level of seed-Fe and Zn contents was apparent. Collectively, the aforementioned rapid integrated genomic strategy led to delineate novel functional non-synonymous and regulatory SNP allelic-variants from 16 known/candidate genes, including three strong trait-associated genes (encoding late embryogenesis abundant and yellow stripe-like 1 protein, and vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein) and eight major QTLs regulating seed-Fe and Zn concentrations in chickpea. These essential inputs thus have potential to be deployed in marker-assisted genetic enhancement for developing nutritionally-rich iron/zinc-biofortified chickpea cultivars.
First-principles study of interface doping in ferroelectric junctions
Authors: Wang Pin-Zhi , Cai Tian-Yi , Ju Sheng , Wu Yin-Zhong
Published: April 2016

Effect of atomic monolayer insertion on the performance of ferroelectric tunneling junction is investigated in SrRuO3/BaTiO3/SrRuO3 heterostrucutures. Based on first-principles calculations, the atomic displacement, orbital occupancy and ferroelectric polarization are studied. It is found that the ferroelectricity is enhanced when a (AlO2)− monolayer is inserted between the electrode SRO and the barrier BTO, where the relatively high mobility of doped holes effectively screen ferroelectric polarization. On the other hand, for the case of (LaO)+ inserted layer, the doped electrons resides at the both sides of middle ferroelectric barrier, making the ferroelectricity unfavorable. Our findings provide an alternative avenue to improve the performance of ferroelectric tunneling junctions.
Trading in cooperativity for specificity to maintain uracil-free DNA
Authors: Szabó Judit E. , Takács Enikő , Merényi Gábor , Vértessy Beáta G. , Tóth Judit
Published: April 2016

Members of the dUTPase superfamily play an important role in the maintenance of the pyrimidine nucleotide balance and of genome integrity. dCTP deaminases and the bifunctional dCTP deaminase-dUTPases are cooperatively regulated by dTTP. However, the manifestation of allosteric behavior within the same trimeric protein architecture of dUTPases, the third member of the superfamily, has been a question of debate for decades. Therefore, we designed hybrid dUTPase trimers to access conformational states potentially mimicking the ones observed in the cooperative relatives. We studied how the interruption of different steps of the enzyme cycle affects the active site cross talk. We found that subunits work independently in dUTPase. The experimental results combined with a comparative structural analysis of dUTPase superfamily enzymes revealed that subtile structural differences within the allosteric loop and the central channel in these enzymes give rise to their dramatically different cooperative behavior. We demonstrate that the lack of allosteric regulation in dUTPase is related to the functional adaptation to more efficient dUTP hydrolysis which is advantageous in uracil-DNA prevention.
Nickel–antimony nanoparticles confined in SBA-15 as highly efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes
Authors: Marakatti Vijaykumar S. , Peter Sebastian C.
Published: April 2016

Nickel–antimony nanoparticles confined in SBA-15 are found to be highly efficient catalysts for nitroarene reduction reactions.
Bifunctional thiourea catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition of anthrone to methyleneindolinones
Authors: Zhao Huaili , Xiao Mingyan , Xu Lubin , Wang Liang , Xiao Jian
Published: April 2016

Bifunctional thiourea catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of anthrones to methyleneindolinones were developed to prepare biologically significant hybrid derivatives of oxindoles and anthrones in high yield, high regioselectivity and stereoselectivity.
Enhanced photophysical properties of plasmonic magnetic metal-alloyed semiconductor heterostructure nanocrystals: a case study for the Ag@Ni/Zn1−xMgxO system
Authors: Paul Sumana , Ghosh Sirshendu , Saha Manas , De S. K.
Published: April 2016

Multiple plasmonic magnetic Ag@Ni core–shell metal nanocrystal decorated Zn1−xMgxO nanoheterostructures have been synthesized and enhanced photophysical properties were found.
Expanding the applicability of electrostatic potentials to the realm of transition states
Authors: Bhasi Priya , Nhlabatsi Zanele P. , Sitha Sanyasi
Published: April 2016

Electrostatic potentials of the reactants can be used to fine-tune the search coordinates to locate transition states in a reaction potential energy surface.
Tuning the photochemical properties of the fulvalene-tetracarbonyl-diruthenium system
Authors: Lennartson Anders , Lundin Angelica , Börjesson Karl , Gray Victor , Moth-Poulsen Kasper
Published: April 2016

In a Molecular Solar–Thermal Energy Storage (MOST) system, solar energy is converted to chemical energy using a compound that undergoes reversible endothermic photoisomerization.
Photo-polymerizable, low shrinking modular construction kit with high efficiency based on vinylcyclopropanes
Authors: Pineda Contreras Paul , Agarwal Seema
Published: April 2016

Fast photo-polymerizable modular construction kit for making networks with extremely low shrinkage and varied mechanical properties.
Reduced graphene oxide–transition metal hybrids as p-type semiconductors for acetaldehyde sensing
Authors: Murashima Yusuke , Karim Mohammad Razaul , Furue Ryo , Matsui Takeshi , Takehira Hiroshi , Wakata Kosuke , Toda Kei , Ohtani Ryo , Nakamura Masaaki , Hayami Shinya
Published: April 2016

Reduced graphene oxide–transition metal hybrids were accomplished to deposit a p-type semiconductor films on conductive glass for acetaldehyde sensing.
Base-induced synthesis of N-dialkylaminomethyl-2H-1,2,3-triazoles from N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles
Authors: Jiang Yu , Wang Qiang , Sun Run , Tang Xiang-Ying , Shi Min
Published: April 2016

A facile synthetic method to accessN-dialkylaminomethyl-2H-1,2,3-triazoles has been developed fromN-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles by a base induced reaction. Moreover, 4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles can also give the same product even in the absence of a base at high temperature.
Poly(guanidinium ionic liquid)s particles as affinity platform for highly selective enrichment of phosphopeptides
Authors: Gu Yuchen , Guo Yanling , Li Haijie , Su Rina , Sun Kejin , Deng Qiliang , Wang Shuo
Published: April 2016

Is it feasible or not that the poly(guanidinium ionic liquid)s material are employed to enrich phosphopeptides?
Efficient removal of cationic dyes using a new magnetic nanocomposite based on starch-g-poly(vinylalcohol) and functionalized with sulfate groups
Authors: Pourjavadi Ali , Abedin-Moghanaki Azardokht , Tavakoli Amir
Published: April 2016

A new magnetic nano-adsorbent has been prepared based on graft copolymerization of vinyl acetate onto starch in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles followed by the sulfation of the hydroxyl groups using chlorosulfonic acid.
Construction of bimodal silsesquioxane-based porous materials from triphenylphosphine or triphenylphosphine oxide and their size-selective absorption for dye molecules
Authors: Shen Rong , Liu Hongzhi
Published: April 2016

Phosphorus-containing porous materials from octavinylsilsesquioxane possessed unique bimodal structure and exhibited an excellent size-selective absorption for dye molecules.
Optimizing the biosorption of Bi3+ ions by Streptomyces rimosus using experimental design and applicability in kinetics and isotherm modeling
Authors: Fathi Mohammad Reza , Noormohamadi Hamid Reza , Ghaedi Mehrorang , Ghezelbash Gholam Reza
Published: April 2016

This investigation seeks to analyze bismuth biosorption onto Streptomyces rimosus in solutions following optimization using a Box–Behnken Design (BBD).
A non-linear organic reaction of malonate derivative as a base amplifier to generate imidazoles without producing gas
Authors: Arimitsu K. , Tomota K. , Fuse S. , Kudo K. , Furutani M.
Published: April 2016

A novel base amplifier that is decomposed autocatalytically to generate imidazoles without producing gas has been designed.
Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as an efficient catalyst for selective oxidation of benzylic and allylic C–H bonds to carbonyl compounds with tert-butyl hydroperoxide
Authors: Zarghani Monireh , Akhlaghinia Batool
Published: April 2016

Fe3O4 MNP as an eco-friendly catalyst was prepared, characterized and applied for oxidation of benzylic and allylic C–H bonds.
Microwave assisted aminocatalyzed [3 + 2] annulation between α-iminonitriles and succinaldehyde: synthesis of pyrrole-3-methanols and related polycyclic ring systems
Authors: Mir Nisar A. , Choudhary Sachin , Ramaraju Panduga , Singh Deepika , Kumar Indresh
Published: April 2016

A quick and highly efficient method for the synthesis of substituted pyrrole-3-methanols from α-iminonitriles and succinaldehyde under microwave irradiation is reported with good to high yields (up to 75%).
Photo-enhanced hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate using Cu(ii) bipyridine-capped plasmonic nanoparticles
Authors: Trammell Scott A. , Nita Rafaela , Martin Brett , Moore Martin H. , Fontana Jake , Talebzadeh Somayeh , Knight D. Andrew
Published: April 2016

A 1000-fold increase in the rate of BNPP hydrolysis occurs under green laser irradiation of a copper(ii) complex on gold.
Correction: Learning from each other: ABC transporter regulation by protein phosphorylation in plant and mammalian systems
Authors: Aryal Bibek , Laurent Christophe , Geisler Markus
Published: April 2016

The ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter family in higher plants is highly expanded compared with those of mammalians. Moreover, some members of the plant ABCB subfamily display very high substrate specificity compared with their mammalian counterparts that are often associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) phenomena. In this review we highlight prominent functions of plant and mammalian ABC transporters and summarize our knowledge on their post-transcriptional regulation with a focus on protein phosphorylation. A deeper comparison of regulatory events of human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and ABCB1 from the model plant Arabidopsis reveals a surprisingly high degree of similarity. Both physically interact with orthologues of the FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) that chaperon both transporters to the plasma membrane in an action that seems to involve Hsp90. Further both transporters are phosphorylated at regulatory domains that connect both nucleotide-binding folds. Taken together it appears that ABC transporters exhibit an evolutionary conserved but complex regulation by protein phosphorylation, which apparently is, at least in some cases, tightly connected with protein–protein interactions (PPI).
From biased signalling to polypharmacology: unlocking unique intracellular signalling using pepducins
Authors: Carr Richard , Benovic Jeffrey L.
Published: April 2016

For over a decade, pepducins have been utilized to develop unique pharmacological profiles that have been particularly challenging for traditional drug discovery methods. It is becoming increasingly clear that these cell-penetrating lipopeptides can access receptor conformations that are currently not accessible through orthosteric targeting. This review addresses the emerging concepts in the development of pepducins including the elicitation of biased signalling, pepducin polypharmacology and recent insight into their mechanism of action.
Compartmentalization of GPCR signalling controls unique cellular responses
Authors: Ellisdon Andrew M. , Halls Michelle L.
Published: April 2016

With >800 members, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest class of cell-surface signalling proteins, and their activation mediates diverse physiological processes. GPCRs are ubiquitously distributed across all cell types, involved in many diseases and are major drug targets. However, GPCR drug discovery is still characterized by very high attrition rates. New avenues for GPCR drug discovery may be provided by a recent shift away from the traditional view of signal transduction as a simple chain of events initiated from the plasma membrane. It is now apparent that GPCR signalling is restricted to highly organized compartments within the cell, and that GPCRs activate distinct signalling pathways once internalized. A high-resolution understanding of how compartmentalized signalling is controlled will probably provide unique opportunities to selectively and therapeutically target GPCRs.
SHP-1: the next checkpoint target for cancer immunotherapy?
Authors: Watson H. Angharad , Wehenkel Sophie , Matthews James , Ager Ann
Published: April 2016

The immense power of the immune system is harnessed in healthy individuals by a range of negative regulatory signals and checkpoints. Manipulating these checkpoints through inhibition has resulted in striking immune-mediated clearance of otherwise untreatable tumours and metastases; unfortunately, not all patients respond to treatment with the currently available inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). Combinatorial studies using both anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 demonstrate synergistic effects of targeting multiple checkpoints, paving the way for other immune checkpoints to be targeted. Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) is a widely expressed inhibitory protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP). In T-cells, it is a negative regulator of antigen-dependent activation and proliferation. It is a cytosolic protein, and therefore not amenable to antibody-mediated therapies, but its role in activation and proliferation makes it an attractive target for genetic manipulation in adoptive transfer strategies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. This review will discuss the potential value of SHP-1 inhibition in future tumour immunotherapy.
Approaches to augment CAR T-cell therapy by targeting the apoptotic machinery
Authors: Karlsson Hannah
Published: April 2016

Chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells have shown impressive results in patients with B-cell leukaemia. Yet, in patients with lymphoma durable responses are still rare and heavy preconditioning required. Apoptosis resistance is considered a hallmark of cancer, often conveyed by a halted apoptosis signalling. Tumours regularly skew the balance of the components of the apoptotic machinery either through up-regulating anti-apoptotic proteins or silencing pro-apoptotic ones. Malignant B-cells frequently up-regulate anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins leading to therapy resistance. CAR T-cells kill tumour cells via apoptosis induction and their efficacy may be affected by the level of Bcl-2 family proteins. Hence, there is an interesting possibility to increase the effect of CAR T-cell therapy by combining it with apoptosis inhibitor blockade agents. Compounds that inhibit Bcl-2, B-cell lymphoma extra large (Bcl-xL) and Bcl-2-like protein 2 (Bcl-w), can restore execution of apoptosis in tumour cells or sensitize them to other apoptosis-dependent treatments. Hence, there is a great interest to combine such agents with CAR T-cell therapy to potentiate the effect of CAR T-cell killing. This review will focus on the potential of targeting the apoptotic machinery to sensitize tumour cells to CAR T-cell killing.
Current trends in oxysterol research
Authors: Griffiths William J. , Abdel-Khalik Jonas , Hearn Thomas , Yutuc Eylan , Morgan Alwena H. , Wang Yuqin
Published: April 2016

In this short review we provide a synopsis of recent developments in oxysterol research highlighting topics of current interest to the community. These include the involvement of oxysterols in neuronal development and survival, their participation in the immune system, particularly with respect to bacterial and viral infection and to Th17-cell development, and the role of oxysterols in breast cancer. We also discuss the value of oxysterol analysis in the diagnosis of disease.
Dynamic imaging for CAR-T-cell therapy
Authors: Emami-Shahri Nia , Papa Sophie
Published: April 2016

Chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy is entering the mainstream for the treatment of CD19+ cancers. As is does we learn more about resistance to therapy and the role, risks and management of toxicity. In solid tumour CAR therapy research the route to the clinic is less smooth with a wealth of challenges facing translating this, potentially hugely valuable, therapeutic option for patients. As we strive to understand our successes, and navigate the challenges, having a clear understanding of how adoptively transferred CAR-T-cells behave in vivo and in human trials is invaluable. Harnessing reporter gene imaging to enable detection and tracking of small numbers of CAR-T-cells after adoptive transfer is one way by which we can accomplish this. The compatibility of certain reporter gene systems with tracers available routinely in the clinic makes this approach highly useful for future appraisal of CAR-T-cell success in humans.
Evidence for the heterotetrameric structure of the adenosine A2A–dopamine D2 receptor complex
Authors: Casadó-Anguera Verònica , Bonaventura Jordi , Moreno Estefanía , Navarro Gemma , Cortés Antoni , Ferré Sergi , Casadó Vicent
Published: April 2016

Heteromers of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have emerged as potential novel targets for drug development. Accumulating evidence indicates that GPCRs can form homodimers and heteromers, with homodimers being the predominant species and oligomeric receptors being formed as multiples of dimers. Recently, heterotetrameric structures have been proposed for dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)–dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) and adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR)–dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) heteromers. The structural model proposed for these complexes is a heteromer constituted by two receptor homodimers. The existence of GPCR homodimers and heteromers provides a structural basis for inter-protomer allosteric mechanisms that might account for a multiplicity of unique pharmacological properties. In this review, we focus on the A2AR–D2R heterotetramer as an example of an oligomeric structure that is key in the modulation of striatal neuronal function. We also review the interfaces involved in this and other recently reported heteromers of GPCRs. Furthermore, we discuss several published studies showing the ex vivo expression of A2AR–D2R heteromers. The ability of A2AR agonists to decrease the affinity of D2R agonists has been reported and, on the basis of this interaction, A2AR antagonists have been proposed as potential drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The heterotetrameric structure of the A2AR–D2R complex offers a novel model that can provide new clues about how to adjust the drug dosage to the expected levels of endogenous adenosine.
Supramolecular architecture of endoplasmic reticulum–plasma membrane contact sites
Authors: Fernández-Busnadiego Rubén
Published: April 2016

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms membrane contact sites (MCS) with most other cellular organelles and the plasma membrane (PM). These ER–PM MCS, where the membranes of the ER and PM are closely apposed, were discovered in the early days of electron microscopy (EM), but only recently are we starting to understand their functional and structural diversity. ER–PM MCS are nowadays known to mediate excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) in striated muscle cells and to play crucial roles in Ca2+ and lipid homoeostasis in all metazoan cells. A common feature across ER–PM MCS specialized in different functions is the preponderance of cooperative phenomena that result in the formation of large supramolecular assemblies. Therefore, characterizing the supramolecular architecture of ER–PM MCS is critical to understand their mechanisms of function. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a powerful EM technique uniquely positioned to address this issue, as it allows 3D imaging of fully hydrated, unstained cellular structures at molecular resolution. In this review I summarize our current structural knowledge on the molecular organization of ER–PM MCS and its functional implications, with special emphasis on the emerging contributions of cryo-ET.
Dopamine D4 receptor ubiquitination
Authors: Skieterska Kamila , Rondou Pieter , Van Craenenbroeck Kathleen
Published: April 2016

Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification that targets proteins for degradation but can also regulate other cellular processes such as endocytosis, trafficking and DNA repair. We investigate ubiquitination of the dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) which belongs to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Several polymorphic variants of the D4R exist, which differ in the number of 16-amino acid repeats in the third intracellular loop (IC3) of the receptor. The functional role of this polymorphic region is not known but persons with the seven-repeat allele show a predisposition to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We identified a protein, KLHL12, which specifically interacts with this polymorphic region and enhances ubiquitination of the D4R. We have tested the influence of KLHL12 on the ubiquitination of the most common D4R polymorphic variants and found that KLHL12 strongly promotes ubiquitination of the two- and four-repeat variant but has hardly any effect on ubiquitination of the seven-repeat D4R. This suggests that differential ubiquitination of the D4R may have functional implications. Moreover, we were able to demonstrate that KLHL12-mediated D4R ubiquitination does not lead to receptor degradation. Next, we aimed to identify specific residues in the sequence of D4R which undergo ubiquitination and observed that the lysine-less receptor mutant is still ubiquitinated. Subsequently, we have tested the hypothesis whether KLHL12 could promote ubiquitination on non-lysine residues of the D4R. The importance of the cysteine and serine/threonine residues in the ubiquitination process of the receptor was examined and the obtained results confirmed that D4R can be ubiquitinated on non-lysine residues. In this review we summarize our data on D4R ubiquitination and put this in the light of other GPCR ubiquitination studies.
The use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to characterize the molecular mobility of fluorescently labelled G protein-coupled receptors
Authors: Kilpatrick Laura E. , Hill Stephen J.
Published: April 2016

The membranes of living cells have been shown to be highly organized into distinct microdomains, which has spatial and temporal consequences for the interaction of membrane bound receptors and their signalling partners as complexes. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a technique with single cell sensitivity that sheds light on the molecular dynamics of fluorescently labelled receptors, ligands or signalling complexes within small plasma membrane regions of living cells. This review provides an overview of the use of FCS to probe the real time quantification of the diffusion and concentration of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), primarily to gain insights into ligand–receptor interactions and the molecular composition of signalling complexes. In addition we document the use of photon counting histogram (PCH) analysis to investigate how changes in molecular brightness (ε) can be a sensitive indicator of changes in molecular mass of fluorescently labelled moieties.
Highly‐selective, closely‐spaced, dual‐band FSS with second‐order characteristic
Authors: Yan Mingbao , Wang Jiafu , Qu Shaobo , Feng Mingde , Li Zhiqiang , Chen Hongya , Zhang Jieqiu , Zheng Lin
Published: April 2016

In this study, a closely‐spaced, dual‐band, band‐pass frequency selective surface (FSS) is presented by cascading a two‐layer periodic array. The proposed FSS provides two compact pass‐bands separated by two transmission zeros, leading to highly selective response. Each pass‐band contains two transmission poles, which results in a broad band performance. In addition, the FSS has wide out‐of‐band rejection due to that the other two transmission zeros occur at upper side of the higher pass‐band. The simulation is implemented using full wave electromagnetic wave simulator CST Microwave Studio. The proposed FSS structure is fabricated and measured. Both measured and simulated results show that the operating frequencies of the two pass‐bands are, respectively, centred at 9.25 and 11.3 GHz, which are very close to each other. Furthermore, the FSS has the merits of polarisation insensitivity and incident angle stability.
Synthesis of planar sparse arrays by perturbed compressive sampling framework
Authors: Yan Fei , Yang Peng , Yang Feng , Dong Tao
Published: April 2016

Recently, compressive sensing (CS) theory has been applied for synthesising maximally sparse arrays, in which the best subset of sampling element locations is chosen to compose a sparse array for matching a desired radiation pattern. However, their performances are strongly depended on the proper setting of the initial sampling locations, which are typically obtained by gridding the continuous array aperture. Such a setting is usually hard to handle for large planar array synthesis. To address this problem, a precision and effective method based on the perturbed compressive sampling (PCS) is proposed. Position perturbation variables are augmented to the traditional CS‐based model, which allow continuous element placement. Then, a joint sparse recovery approach is used to optimise the excitations and position perturbations of the elements simultaneously. Moreover, the authors implement an extended PCS model with a secondary grid strategy to reduce the modelling error and the computational cost. The proposed design problem is solved with a general sparse recovery solver, named FOCal under‐determined system solver. Numerical results show that the method yields a higher array sparsity, a faster computational speed and a better pattern matching accuracy than the existing CS‐based methods.