bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A solution-focussed approach to time-limited counselling
Authors: Barletta John
Published: February 2016

Counsellors routinely work in situations with students, parents and colleagues, where they need to use interpersonal helping and counselling skills. This function has been recently compounded by the emergence of multiple demands which place a new set of challenges on counsellors. Given that many counsellor training programs do not include time-limited counselling techniques, counsellors have traditionally drawn on more problem-focussed, longer-term theories when helping others. This has not always been appropriate or successful. Traditional counselling theories suggest that only highly trained counsellors should be involved in interpersonal helping, simultaneously placing a major emphasis on the clinical nature of problems. This paper presents a relatively new approach to counselling that does not delve intrusively into the past, and is not restricted to professional counsellors. Solution-focussed brief counselling techniques lend themselves well to the education context, and with appropriate attention, can be utilised by counsellors who will become more intentional and f acilitative in their daily interactions.
Depressed mood amongst adolescents: The roles of perceived control and coping style
Authors: Speirs Troy , Martin Andrew J.
Published: February 2016

The present study explores the link between perceived control (locus of causation and perceived competence), self-reported coping style (productive and nonproductive coping), and depressed mood amongst a sample of high school students. Internal locus beliefs positively predicted productive coping and negatively predicted non-productive coping. Perceived competence positively predicted productive coping and negatively predicted depressed mood. Non-productive coping positively predicted depressed mood. Findings are discussed with a focus on the implications for counselling professionals in promoting adolescent resilience to depression..
School counsellors' knowledge of the nature of child sexual abuse and proceedures and laws
Authors: Goldman Juliette D. G. , Padayachi Usha K.
Published: February 2016

All school counsellors employed by the State Department of Education in Queensland, Australia, were sent a questionnaire asking about their understanding of child sexual abuse, and their familiarity with procedures and current laws. Results from the 122 respondents (52 males and 70 females), show that they have diverse knowledge of child sexual abuse. There was uncertainty among them as to whether their school had a formal procedure for reporting cases. Most school counsellors have a general knowledge of the laws in Queensland on reporting suspected cases of abuse, but only a minority of them know what the laws require them to do. When asked to describe the laws in Queensland, counsellors who indicated they knew about the law, then described four differing laws. In terms of knowledge of child sexual abuse, females made more accurate statements about sexual abuse than males. Training does contribute to improving counsellors' knowledge of child sexual abuse.
The Student Motivation Scale: A Tool for Measuring and Enhancing Motivation
Authors: Martin Andrew J.
Published: February 2016

This paper assesses the psychometric properties of the Student Motivation Scale, an instrument measuring school students' motivation. Motivation is assessed through nine measures, separated into what are referred to as boosters and guzzlers. Boosters are constructs that reflect adaptive motivation and guzzlers are constructs that reflect less adaptive motivation. Boosters are subsumed by thoughts (self-belief, learning focus, value of schooling) and behaviours (persistence and planning and monitoring). Guzzlers are subsumed by thoughts or feelings (low control and anxiety) and behaviours (avoidance and self-sabotage). Data show that the Student Motivation Scale has a clear factor structure reflecting the hypothesised five boosters and four guzzlers, is reliable, and correlated with achievement. Gender and year level differences also emerge: girls are significantly more learning focused and engage in more planning and monitoring than boys; girls are significantly more anxious than boys; Year 9 students are significantly lower than Year 10 and Year 11 students in learning focus, significantly higher than Year 11 students in avoidance, and significantly higher than Year 10 and Year 11 students in self-sabotage. Strategies for intervention are discussed in the context of these findings and the issue of academic resilience is introduced as an additional aspect of motivation that the Student Motivation Scale is able to assess.
School Counsellors' role in sexuality education: What messages about sexual behaviour and sexual responsibility do they give Australian students?
Authors: Milton Jan , Berne Linda , Patton Wendy , Peppard Judith
Published: February 2016

Research in the area of adolescent sexuality suggests that young people use and trust school counsellors as a source of information about sexual issues. Interviews were conducted with 23 counsellors in 19 Australian high schools to explore the messages about sexual behaviour and sexual responsibility given to young people during counselling sessions. The main sexuality issues presenting in a counselling session were concerns about relationship breakdown, sexually transmitted infections after having unsafe sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, harassment and sexual abuse. Messages given to young people included ones of valuing oneself, making choices without coercion, being informed about consequences and risks, and being safe and responsible if sexually active. A sexual relationship was portrayed as a normal part of life and adolescents were encouraged to talk with their parents. Strategies that these counsellors adopt to help young people are discussed and recommendations are made.
Student mobility: moving beyond deficit views
Authors: Henderson Robyn
Published: February 2016

This paper discusses issues that relate to student mobility and implications for teachers and guidance officers. Whilst there has been a tendency to locate problems associated with mobility in the children themselves or in their families, it is argued that this is not a particularly productive approach. Taking lessons from recent literacy understandings and using data from a study about the children of itinerant fruit pickers, this paper takes a broader perspective, recommending that school personnel widen their focus to include an examination of school practices and to consider equity implications for mobile students.
The Lethal Cocktail: Low Self-belief, Low Control, and High Fear of Failure
Authors: Martin Andrew J.
Published: February 2016

Cluster analysis of school students' responses to the Student Motivation Scale (Martin, 2001, in press) identified two groups of students separated on the basis of their self-belief, sense of control, and fear of failure. The first group reflects failure avoidance and is represented by a lethal cocktail of low self-belief, low control, and high fear of failure. The second group reflects success orientation and is represented by high self-belief, high control, and low fear of failure. Follow-up analyses to validate these two clusters showed that the failure avoidant students were significantly higher in anxiety and pessimism and significantly lower in achievement. Implications are discussed for intervention and prevention aimed at enhancing students' self-belief and control and reducing students' fear of failure. Also discussed is the need to develop goals, incentives, and climates for students that draw them to attain success rather than drive them to avoid failure.
Positive Statements, Positive Students, Positive Classrooms
Authors: Burnett Paul C.
Published: February 2016

This paper describes the influential role that positive statements made by teachers has on upper primary school students' mental health as measured by their self-perceptions and their satisfaction with their classroom environment. The notion forwarded is that positive statements, when delivered by teachers under specific conditions, have a positive impact on self-esteem, self-talk, self-concepts and classroom environment. The use of positive statements in the primary classroom has been questioned over the past 20 years and has been criticised by anti-behaviourists and motivationists. It is argued that the use of positive statements in the classroom context has not been appropriately considered within the realm of enhancing students' self-perceptions, developing positive teacher–student relationships and creating positive learning environments. This paper integrates the findings from a program of research undertaken by the author over the past decade.
School Mental Health Promotion — Theoretical, Conceptual and Practical Issues
Authors: Rowling Louise
Published: February 2016

The field of school mental health promotion could be considered to be a new field of research and practice; however, this is not the case. Theoretically it is firmly grounded in both health and education bodies of research that have coalesced to advance practice to meet current imperatives. In reviewing these foundations prevailing dilemmas and challenges become evident. These include the ideologies of stakeholders about mental health; decision-making about entry points around risk and protective factors, and/or social context; and ethical and methodological problems in research and evaluation.
Building Depression Resilience in Adolescents: A 2-year Evaluation of the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP) in a South West Sydney High School
Authors: Petrovski Pandora , Matthey Stephen , Clarke Leanne
Published: February 2016

The Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP), an 11-session depression prevention program, was provided to Year 9 students at a South West Sydney High School. Students were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory and the Adolescent Coping Scale. These assessments were conducted prior to the start of the program, the end of the program, at 6 months, at 1 year and again at 2 years. Further, at the 2-year time point, students were asked to complete a questionnaire — Use and Usefulness of RAP Skills Evaluation Form (2 years on) — to help ascertain the “practical effectiveness” of RAP. The results provide some support for the efficacy of RAP as a depression prevention program with high-school students of approximately 15 years of age. A significant main effect was found for time on the CDI, with follow-up comparisons showing that pretreatment scores were significantly higher than scores at any of the other subsequent time points. There were no main effects or interactions for ethnicity or sex. For the measures of coping, no change was evidenced. This was a surprising result as one of the main objectives of RAP was to increase positive coping skills. The Use and Usefulness of Rap Skills Evaluation Form (2 years on) showed that most of the students found the program to be of some use; however, less than half stated they had utilised some of the skills taught in the program. More importantly, of the students who stated they had experienced difficult situations over the last 12 months, 23 (66%) said that they had used skills taught in RAP to help them; however, there was limited support regarding the helpfulness of these skills during the difficult situations. In spite of a number of methodological issues limiting the interpretations of the findings, the current long-term evaluation provides an important contribution to the small body of literature available on the effectiveness of RAP.
Children of Parents with a Mental Illness — The COPMI Project
Authors: Fudge Elizabeth
Published: February 2016

When adults experience mental health problems, the effect on their family members can be immense. The impact on the person's children, both of the parent's behaviour and of their treatment, can be profound but is frequently overlooked by service providers for a range of reasons. The current national COPMI project has been initiated to promote better mental health outcomes for children of parents with a mental illness, especially by providing information and good practice guidance for services and people in the community who work with these families and their children.
Wie begegnen Lehrkräfte an Pflegeschulen den heutigen Auszubildenden?
Authors: Baumgarten Madlen , Ayerle Gertrud M.
Published: February 2016

Zusammenfassung. Expert/innen sehen sich im Rahmen ihrer pädagogischen Arbeit verantwortlich für den Ausbildungserfolg. Es ist jedoch anzunehmen, dass die in den letzten Jahren zu verzeichnenden veränderten Charakteristika der Bewerber/innen für die Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege Auswirkungen auf die Qualität der Ausbildung haben. Wie stellen sich die Expert/innen dieser Herausforderung?
Neutrophil P2X7 receptors mediate NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent IL-1β secretion in response to ATP
Authors: Karmakar Mausita , Katsnelson Michael A. , Dubyak George R. , Pearlman Eric
Published: February 2016

Although extracellular ATP is abundant at sites of inflammation, its role in activating inflammasome signalling in neutrophils is not well characterized. In the current study, we demonstrate that human and murine neutrophils express functional cell-surface P2X7R, which leads to ATP-induced loss of intracellular K+, NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β secretion. ATP-induced P2X7R activation caused a sustained increase in intracellular [Ca2+], which is indicative of P2X7R channel opening. Although there are multiple polymorphic variants of P2X7R, we found that neutrophils from multiple donors express P2X7R, but with differential efficacies in ATP-induced increase in cytosolic [Ca2+]. Neutrophils were also the predominant P2X7R-expressing cells during Streptococcus pneumoniae corneal infection, and P2X7R was required for bacterial clearance. Given the ubiquitous presence of neutrophils and extracellular ATP in multiple inflammatory conditions, ATP-induced P2X7R activation and IL-1β secretion by neutrophils likely has a significant, wide ranging clinical impact.
The histone variant H2A.X is a regulator of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: Weyemi Urbain , Redon Christophe E. , Choudhuri Rohini , Aziz Towqir , Maeda Daisuke , Boufraqech Myriem , Parekh Palak R. , Sethi Taresh K. , Kasoji Manjula , Abrams Natalie , Merchant Anand , Rajapakse Vinodh N. , Bonner William M.
Published: February 2016

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), considered essential for metastatic cancer, has been a focus of much research, but important questions remain. Here, we show that silencing or removing H2A.X, a histone H2A variant involved in cellular DNA repair and robust growth, induces mesenchymal-like characteristics including activation of EMT transcription factors, Slug and ZEB1, in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Ectopic H2A.X re-expression partially reverses these changes, as does silencing Slug and ZEB1. In an experimental metastasis model, the HCT116 parental and H2A.X-null cells exhibit a similar metastatic behaviour, but the cells with re-expressed H2A.X are substantially more metastatic. We surmise that H2A.X re-expression leads to partial EMT reversal and increases robustness in the HCT116 cells, permitting them to both form tumours and to metastasize. In a human adenocarcinoma panel, H2A.X levels correlate inversely with Slug and ZEB1 levels. Together, these results point to H2A.X as a regulator of EMT.
Diet-induced alteration of fatty acid synthase in prostate cancer progression
Authors: Huang M , Koizumi A , Narita S , Inoue T , Tsuchiya N , Nakanishi H , Numakura K , Tsuruta H , Saito M , Satoh S , Nanjo H , Sasaki T , Habuchi T
Published: February 2016

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a cytosolic metabolic enzyme that catalyzes de novo fatty acid synthesis. A high-fat diet (HFD) is attributed to prostate cancer (PCa) progression, but the role FASN on HFD-mediated PCa progression remains unclear. We investigated the role of FASN on PCa progression in LNCaP xenograft mice fed with HFD or low-fat diet (LFD), in PCa cells, and in clinical PCa. The HFD promoted tumour growth and FASN expression in the LNCaP xenograft mice. HFD resulted in AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inactivation. Serum FASN levels were significantly lower in the HFD group (P=0.026) and correlated inversely with tumour volume (P=0.022). Extracellular FASN release was enhanced in the PCa cells with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibition and AMPK signalling activation. FASN inhibition resulted in decrease of PCa cell proliferation through PI3K/MAPK downregulation and AMPK activation. Furthermore, AMPK activation was associated with FASN downregulation and PI3K/MAPK inactivation. Clinically, high FASN expression was significantly associated with high Gleason scores and advanced pathological T stage. Moreover, FASN expression was markedly decreased in the PCa response to androgen deprivation therapy and chemotherapy. HFD modulates FASN expression, which may be an important mechanism in HFD-associated PCa progression. Furthermore, a critical stimulatory loop exists between FASN and the PI3K/MAPK system, whereas AMPK signalling was associated with suppression. These may offer appropriate targets for chemoprevention and cancer therapy in HFD-induced PCa.
Dietary and pharmacological modification of the insulin/IGF-1 system: exploiting the full repertoire against cancer
Authors: Klement R J , Fink M K
Published: February 2016

As more and more links between cancer and metabolism are discovered, new approaches to treat cancer using these mechanisms are considered. Dietary restriction of either calories or macronutrients has shown great potential in animal studies to both reduce the incidence and growth of cancer, and to act synergistically with other treatment strategies. These studies have also shown that dietary restriction simultaneously targets many of the molecular pathways that are targeted individually by anticancer drugs. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) system has thereby emerged as a key regulator of cancer growth pathways. Although lowering of insulin levels with diet or drugs such as metformin and diazoxide seems generally beneficial, some practitioners also utilize strategic elevations of insulin levels in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. This indicates a broad spectrum of possibilities for modulating the insulin/IGF-1 system in cancer treatment. With a specific focus on dietary restriction, insulin administration and the insulin-lowering drug diazoxide, such modifications of the insulin/IGF-1 system are the topic of this review. Although preclinical data are promising, we point out that insulin regulation and the metabolic response to a certain diet often differ between mice and humans. Thus, the need for collecting more human data has to be emphasized.
Coral community response to bleaching on a highly disturbed reef
Authors: Guest J. R. , Low J. , Tun K. , Wilson B. , Ng C. , Raingeard D. , Ulstrup K. E. , Tanzil J. T. I. , Todd P. A. , Toh T. C. , McDougald D. , Chou L. M. , Steinberg P. D.
Published: February 2016

While many studies of coral bleaching report on broad, regional scale responses, fewer examine variation in susceptibility among coral taxa and changes in community structure, before, during and after bleaching on individual reefs. Here we report in detail on the response to bleaching by a coral community on a highly disturbed reef site south of mainland Singapore before, during and after a major thermal anomaly in 2010. To estimate the capacity for resistance to thermal stress, we report on: a) overall bleaching severity during and after the event, b) differences in bleaching susceptibility among taxa during the event and c) changes in coral community structure one year before and after bleaching. Approximately two thirds of colonies bleached, however, post-bleaching recovery was quite rapid and, importantly, coral taxa that are usually highly susceptible were relatively unaffected. Although total coral cover declined, there was no significant change in coral taxonomic community structure before and after bleaching. Several factors may have contributed to the overall high resistance of corals at this site including Symbiodinium affiliation, turbidity and heterotrophy. Our results suggest that, despite experiencing chronic anthropogenic disturbances, turbid shallow reef communities may be remarkably resilient to acute thermal stress.
Design of defect spins in piezoelectric aluminum nitride for solid-state hybrid quantum technologies
Authors: Seo Hosung , Govoni Marco , Galli Giulia
Published: February 2016

Spin defects in wide-band gap semiconductors are promising systems for the realization of quantum bits, or qubits, in solid-state environments. To date, defect qubits have only been realized in materials with strong covalent bonds. Here, we introduce a strain-driven scheme to rationally design defect spins in functional ionic crystals, which may operate as potential qubits. In particular, using a combination of state-of-the-artab-initiocalculations based on hybrid density functional and many-body perturbation theory, we predicted that the negatively charged nitrogen vacancy center in piezoelectric aluminum nitride exhibits spin-triplet ground states under realistic uni- and bi-axial strain conditions; such states may be harnessed for the realization of qubits. The strain-driven strategy adopted here can be readily extended to a wide range of point defects in other wide-band gap semiconductors, paving the way to controlling the spin properties of defects in ionic systems for potential spintronic technologies.
Evidence of disrupted high-risk human papillomavirus DNA in morphologically normal cervices of older women
Authors: Leonard Sarah M. , Pereira Merlin , Roberts Sally , Cuschieri Kate , Nuovo Gerard , Athavale Ramanand , Young Lawrence , Ganesan Raji , Woodman Ciarán B.
Published: February 2016

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) causes nearly 100% of cervical carcinoma. However, it remains unclear whether HPV can establish a latent infection, one which may be responsible for the second peak in incidence of cervical carcinoma seen in older women. Therefore, using Ventana in situ hybridisation (ISH), quantitative PCR assays and biomarkers of productive and transforming viral infection, we set out to provide the first robust estimate of the prevalence and characteristics of HPV genomes in FFPE tissue from the cervices of 99 women undergoing hysterectomy for reasons unrelated to epithelial abnormality. Our ISH assay detected HR-HPV in 42% of our study population. The majority of ISH positive samples also tested HPV16 positive using sensitive PCR based assays and were more likely to have a history of preceding cytological abnormality. Analysis of subsets of this population revealed HR-HPV to be transcriptionally inactive as there was no evidence of a productive or transforming infection. Critically, the E2 gene was always disrupted in those HPV16 positive cases which were assessed. These findings point to a reservoir of transcriptionally silent, disrupted HPV16 DNA in morphologically normal cervices, re-expression of which could explain the increase in incidence of cervical cancer observed in later life.
Endocardial Remodeling in Heart Failure Patients with Impaired and Preserved Left Ventricular Systolic Function-A Magnetic Resonance Image Study
Authors: Lin Lian-Yu , Su Mao-Yuan M. , Pham Van-Truong , Tran Thi-Thao , Wang Yung-Hung , Tseng Wen-Yih I. , Lo Men-Tzung , Lin Jiunn-Lee
Published: February 2016

Left ventricular (LV) trabeculation has been studied in certain forms of cardiomyopathy. However, the changes of LV endocardial trabeculation during the remodeling process leading to heart failure (HF) are unclear. Seventy-four patients with systolic heart failure (SHF), 65 with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and 61 without HF were prospectively enrolled. All subjects received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study including cine, T1 and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images. Trabecular-papillary muscle (TPM) mass, fractal dimension (FD) and extracellular volume (ECV) were derived. The results showed that TPM mass index was higher in patients with SHF than that in patients with HFpEF and non-HF. The TPM mass-LV mass ratio (TPMm/LVM) was higher in SHF group than that in HFpEF and non-HF. FD was not different among groups. The presence of LGE was inversely associated with TPM mass index and TPMm/LVM while the ECV were positively associated with TPMm/LVM. The FD was positively associated with LV chamber size. In conclusion, TPM increases in patients with SHF and are probably related to myocardial cell hypertrophy and fibrotic repair during remodeling. The FD increases with the dilatation of LV chamber but remain unchanged with the deterioration of LV function.
Ribosomal small subunit domains radiate from a central core
Authors: Gulen Burak , Petrov Anton S. , Okafor C. Denise , Vander Wood Drew , O’Neill Eric B. , Hud Nicholas V. , Williams Loren Dean
Published: February 2016

The domain architecture of a large RNA can help explain and/or predict folding, function, biogenesis and evolution. We offer a formal and general definition of an RNA domain and use that definition to experimentally characterize the rRNA of the ribosomal small subunit. Here the rRNA comprising a domain is compact, with a self-contained system of molecular interactions. A given rRNA helix or stem-loop must be allocated uniquely to a single domain. Local changes such as mutations can give domain-wide effects. Helices within a domain have interdependent orientations, stabilities and interactions. With these criteria we identify a core domain (domain A) of small subunit rRNA. Domain A acts as a hub, linking the four peripheral domains and imposing orientational and positional restraints on the other domains. Experimental characterization of isolated domain A, and mutations and truncations of it, by methods including selective 2′OH acylation analyzed by primer extension and circular dichroism spectroscopy are consistent with our architectural model. The results support the utility of the concept of an RNA domain. Domain A, which exhibits structural similarity to tRNA, appears to be an essential core of the small ribosomal subunit.
Conformational plasticity of RepB, the replication initiator protein of promiscuous streptococcal plasmid pMV158
Authors: Boer D. Roeland , Ruiz-Masó José Angel , Rueda Manuel , Petoukhov Maxim V. , Machón Cristina , Svergun Dmitri I. , Orozco Modesto , del Solar Gloria , Coll Miquel
Published: February 2016

DNA replication initiation is a vital and tightly regulated step in all replicons and requires an initiator factor that specifically recognizes the DNA replication origin and starts replication. RepB from the promiscuous streptococcal plasmid pMV158 is a hexameric ring protein evolutionary related to viral initiators. Here we explore the conformational plasticity of the RepB hexamer by i) SAXS, ii) sedimentation experiments, iii) molecular simulations and iv) X-ray crystallography. Combining these techniques, we derive an estimate of the conformational ensemble in solution showing that the C-terminal oligomerisation domains of the protein form a rigid cylindrical scaffold to which the N-terminal DNA-binding/catalytic domains are attached as highly flexible appendages, featuring multiple orientations. In addition, we show that the hinge region connecting both domains plays a pivotal role in the observed plasticity. Sequence comparisons and a literature survey show that this hinge region could exists in other initiators, suggesting that it is a common, crucial structural element for DNA binding and manipulation.
Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with praziquantel as a potential therapy for Schistosoma mansoni-induced liver fibrosis
Authors: Hammam Olfat A. , Elkhafif Nagwa , Attia Yasmeen M. , Mansour Mohamed T. , Elmazar Mohamed M. , Abdelsalam Rania M. , Kenawy Sanaa A. , El-Khatib Aiman S.
Published: February 2016

Liver fibrosis is one of the most serious consequences of S. mansoni infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential anti-fibrotic effect of human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) combined with praziquantel (PZQ) in S. mansoni-infected mice. S. mansoni-infected mice received early (8th week post infection) and late (16th week post infection) treatment with WJMSCs, alone and combined with oral PZQ. At the 10th month post infection, livers were collected for subsequent flow cytometric, histopathological, morphometric, immunohistochemical, gene expression, and gelatin zymographic studies. After transplantation, WJMSCs differentiated into functioning liver-like cells as evidenced by their ability to express human hepatocyte-specific markers. Regression of S. mansoni-induced liver fibrosis was also observed in transplanted groups, as evidenced by histopathological, morphometric, and gelatin zymographic results besides decreased expression of three essential contributors to liver fibrosis in this particular model; alpha smooth muscle actin, collagen-I, and interleukin-13. PZQ additionally enhanced the beneficial effects observed in WJMSCs-treated groups. Our results suggest that combining WJMSCs to PZQ caused better enhancement in S. mansoni-induced liver fibrosis, compared to using each alone.
An Ultra-thin Amniotic Membrane as Carrier in Corneal Epithelium Tissue-Engineering
Authors: Zhang Liying , Zou Dulei , Li Sanming , Wang Junqi , Qu Yangluowa , Ou Shangkun , Jia Changkai , Li Juan , He Hui , Liu Tingting , Yang Jie , Chen Yongxiong , Liu Zuguo , Li Wei
Published: February 2016

Amniotic membranes (AMs) are widely used as a corneal epithelial tissue carrier in reconstruction surgery. However, the engineered tissue transparency is low due to the translucent thick underlying AM stroma. To overcome this drawback, we developed an ultra-thin AM (UAM) by using collagenase IV to strip away from the epithelial denuded AM (DAM) some of the stroma. By thinning the stroma to about 30 μm, its moist and dry forms were rendered acellular, optically clear and its collagen framework became compacted and inerratic. Engineered rabbit corneal epithelial cell (RCEC) sheets generated through expansion of limbal epithelial cells on UAM were more transparent and thicker than those expanded on DAM. Moreover, ΔNp63 and ABCG2 gene expression was greater in tissue engineered cell sheets expanded on UAM than on DAM. Furthermore, 2 weeks after surgery, the cornea grafted with UAM based cell sheets showed higher transparency and more stratified epithelium than the cornea grafted with DAM based cell sheets. Taken together, tissue engineered corneal epithelium generated on UAM has a preferable outcome because the transplanted tissue is more transparent and better resembles the phenotype of the native tissue than that obtained by using DAM for this procedure. UAM preserves compact layer of the amniotic membrane and maybe an ideal substrate for corneal epithelial tissue engineering.
Community Sewage Sensors towards Evaluation of Drug Use Trends: Detection of Cocaine in Wastewater with DNA-Directed Immobilization Aptamer Sensors
Authors: Yang Zhugen , Castrignanò Erika , Estrela Pedro , Frost Christopher G. , Kasprzyk-Hordern Barbara
Published: February 2016

Illicit drug use has a global concern and effective monitoring and interventions are highly required to combat drug abuse. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an innovative and cost-effective approach to evaluate community-wide drug use trends, compared to traditional population surveys. Here we report for the first time, a novel quantitative community sewage sensor (namely DNA-directed immobilization of aptamer sensors, DDIAS) for rapid and cost-effective estimation of cocaine use trends via WBE. Thiolated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe was hybridized with aptamer ssDNA in solution, followed by co-immobilization with 6-mercapto-hexane onto the gold electrodes to control the surface density to effectively bind with cocaine. DDIAS was optimized to detect cocaine at as low as 10 nM with a dynamic range from 10 nM to 5 μM, which were further employed for the quantification of cocaine in wastewater samples collected from a wastewater treatment plant in seven consecutive days. The concentration pattern of the sampling week is comparable with that from mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrate that the developed DDIAS can be used as community sewage sensors for rapid and cost-effective evaluation of drug use trends, and potentially implemented as a powerful tool for on-site and real-time monitoring of wastewater by un-skilled personnel.
Genome wide transcriptome profiling reveals differential gene expression in secondary metabolite pathway of Cymbopogon winterianus
Authors: Devi Kamalakshi , Mishra Surajit K. , Sahu Jagajjit , Panda Debashis , Modi Mahendra K. , Sen Priyabrata
Published: February 2016

Advances in transcriptome sequencing provide fast, cost-effective and reliable approach to generate large expression datasets especially suitable for non-model species to identify putative genes, key pathway and regulatory mechanism. Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) is an aromatic medicinal grass used for anti-tumoral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, detoxifying and natural insect repellent properties. Despite of having number of utilities, the genes involved in terpenes biosynthetic pathway is not yet clearly elucidated. The present study is a pioneering attempt to generate an exhaustive molecular information of secondary metabolite pathway and to increase genomic resources in Citronella. Using high-throughput RNA-Seq technology, root and leaf transcriptome was analysed at an unprecedented depth (11.7 Gb). Targeted searches identified majority of the genes associated with metabolic pathway and other natural product pathway viz. antibiotics synthesis along with many novel genes. Terpenoid biosynthesis genes comparative expression results were validated for 15 unigenes by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. Thus the coverage of these transcriptome is comprehensive enough to discover all known genes of major metabolic pathways. This transcriptome dataset can serve as important public information for gene expression, genomics and function genomics studies in Citronella and shall act as a benchmark for future improvement of the crop.
A CAPS-based binding assay provides semi-quantitative validation of protein-DNA interactions
Authors: Xie Yongyao , Zhang Yaling , Zhao Xiucai , Liu Yao-Guang , Chen Letian
Published: February 2016

Investigation of protein-DNA interactions provides crucial information for understanding the mechanisms of gene regulation. Current methods for studying protein-DNA interactions, such as DNaseI footprinting or gel shift assays, involve labeling DNA with radioactive or fluorescent tags, making these methods costly, laborious and potentially damaging to the environment. Here, we describe a novel cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS)-based binding assay (CBA), which is a label-free method that can simplify the semi-quantitative validation of protein-DNA interactions. The CBA tests the interaction between a protein and its target DNA, based on the CAPS pattern produced due to differences in the accessibility of a restriction endonuclease site (intrinsic or artificial) in amplified DNA in the presence and absence of the protein of interest. Thus, the CBA can produce a semi-quantitative readout of the interaction strength based on the dose of the binding protein. We demonstrate the principle and feasibility of CBA using B3, MADS3 proteins and the corresponding RY or CArG-box containing DNAs.
Association between Functional MICA-TM and Behcet’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Jun , Liao Dan , Yang Lu , Hou Shengping
Published: February 2016

The relationships between polymorphisms of the trans-membrane(TM) region located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain–related gene A (MICA) and Behcet’s disease (BD) have been discussed previously, however, the results were contradictory. In this study, we thoroughly assess whether MICA-TM gene variants are associated with BD by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Our study focused on the effects of polymorphisms of MICA-A4, A5, A5.1, A6 and A9 from the included articles. Sixteen previous original publications representing 1,555 BD patients and 2,086 unrelated healthy controls analyzed the association of BD with MICA-TM gene polymorphisms. For the five alleles, MICA-A6 showed a strongly positive correlation with BD patients and could be viewed as an increased risk factor of BD (OR = 2.34, 95%CI: 2.02–2.70). Furthermore, MICA-A4, A5, A5.1 and A9 exhibited negative associations with BD (OR = 0.71, 95%CI: 0.58–0.86; OR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.63–0.90; OR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.44–0.91; OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.58–0.84, respectively). Our meta-analysis confirmed MICA-A6 could be responsible for BD in three ethnic regions and should probably be treated as a risk factor for BD. MICA-A4, A5, A5.1 and A9 could be regarded as protective factors, especially in the Middle East and East Asia.
Periodic, Quasi-periodic and Chaotic Dynamics in Simple Gene Elements with Time Delays
Authors: Suzuki Yoko , Lu Mingyang , Ben-Jacob Eshel , Onuchic José N.
Published: February 2016

Regulatory gene circuit motifs play crucial roles in performing and maintaining vital cellular functions. Frequently, theoretical studies of gene circuits focus on steady-state behaviors and do not include time delays. In this study, the inclusion of time delays is shown to entirely change the time-dependent dynamics for even the simplest possible circuits with one and two gene elements with self and cross regulations. These elements can give rise to rich behaviors including periodic, quasi-periodic, weak chaotic, strong chaotic and intermittent dynamics. We introduce a special power-spectrum-based method to characterize and discriminate these dynamical modes quantitatively. Our simulation results suggest that, while a single negative feedback loop of either one- or two-gene element can only have periodic dynamics, the elements with two positive/negative feedback loops are the minimalist elements to have chaotic dynamics. These elements typically have one negative feedback loop that generates oscillations and another unit that allows frequent switches among multiple steady states or between oscillatory and non-oscillatory dynamics. Possible dynamical features of several simple one- and two-gene elements are presented in details. Discussion is presented for possible roles of the chaotic behavior in the robustness of cellular functions and diseases, for example, in the context of cancer.
Assembly of coupled redox fuel cells using copper as electron acceptors to generate power and its in-situ retrieval
Authors: Zhang Hui-Min , Xu Wei , Li Gang , Liu Zhan-Meng , Wu Zu-Cheng , Li Bo-Geng
Published: February 2016

Energy extraction from waste has attracted much interest nowadays. Herein, a coupled redox fuel cell (CRFC) device using heavy metals, such as copper, as an electron acceptor is assembled to testify the recoveries of both electricity and the precious metal without energy consumption. In this study, a NaBH4-Cu(II) CRFC was employed as an example to retrieve copper from a dilute solution with self-electricity production. The properties of the CRFC have been characterized, and the open circuit voltage was 1.65 V with a maximum power density of 7.2 W m−2 at an initial Cu2+ concentration of 1,600 mg L−1 in the catholyte. 99.9% of the 400 mg L−1 copper was harvested after operation for 24 h, and the product formed on the cathode was identified as elemental copper. The CRFC demonstrated that useful chemicals were recovered and the electricity contained in the chemicals was produced in a self-powered retrieval process.
Maintenance of aversive memories shown by fear extinction-impaired phenotypes is associated with increased activity in the amygdaloid-prefrontal circuit
Authors: Laricchiuta Daniela , Saba Luana , De Bartolo Paola , Caioli Silvia , Zona Cristina , Petrosini Laura
Published: February 2016

Although aversive memory has been mainly addressed by analysing the changes occurring in average populations, the study of neuronal mechanisms of outliers allows understanding the involvement of individual differences in fear conditioning and extinction. We recently developed an innovative experimental model of individual differences in approach and avoidance behaviors, classifying the mice as Approaching, Balancing or Avoiding animals according to their responses to conflicting stimuli. The approach and avoidance behaviors appear to be the primary reactions to rewarding and threatening stimuli and may represent predictors of vulnerability (or resilience) to fear. We submitted the three mice phenotypes to Contextual Fear Conditioning. In comparison to Balancing animals, Approaching and Avoiding mice exhibited no middle- or long-term fear extinction. The two non-extinguishing phenotypes exhibited potentiated glutamatergic neurotransmission (spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents/spinogenesis) of pyramidal neurons of medial prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala. Basing on the a priori individuation of outliers, we demonstrated that the maintenance of aversive memories is linked to increased spinogenesis and excitatory signaling in the amygdala-prefrontal cortex fear matrix.
Observation of the Kibble–Zurek Mechanism in Microscopic Acoustic Crackling Noises
Authors: Ghaffari H. O. , Griffth W. A. , Benson P.M. , Xia K. , Young R. P.
Published: February 2016

Characterizing the fast evolution of microstructural defects is key to understanding “crackling” phenomena during the deformation of solid materials. For example, it has been proposed using atomistic simulations of crack propagation in elastic materials that the formation of a nonlinear hyperelastic or plastic zone around moving crack tips controls crack velocity. To date, progress in understanding the physics of this critical zone has been limited due to the lack of data describing the complex physical processes that operate near microscopic crack tips. We show, by analyzing many acoustic emission events during rock deformation experiments, that the signature of this nonlinear zone maps directly to crackling noises. In particular, we characterize a weakening zone that forms near the moving crack tips using functional networks and we determine the scaling law between the formation of damages (defects) and the traversal rate across the critical point of transition. Moreover, we show that the correlation length near the transition remains effectively frozen. This is the main underlying hypothesis behind the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) and the obtained power-law scaling verifies the main prediction of KZM.
Spectral variation of fluorescence lifetime near single metal nanoparticles
Authors: Li Jia , Krasavin Alexey V. , Webster Linden , Segovia Paulina , Zayats Anatoly V. , Richards David
Published: February 2016

We explore the spectral dependence of fluorescence enhancement and the associated lifetime modification of fluorescent molecules coupled to single metal nanoparticles. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and single-particle dark-field spectroscopy are combined to correlate the dependence of fluorescence lifetime reduction on the spectral overlap between the fluorescence emission and the localised surface plasmon (LSP) spectra of individual gold nanoparticles. A maximum lifetime reduction is observed when the fluorescence and LSP resonances coincide, with good agreement provided by numerical simulations. The explicit comparison between experiment and simulation, that we obtain, offers an insight into the spectral engineering of LSP mediated fluorescence and may lead to optimized application in sensing and biomedicine.
Quantum-mechanical machinery for rational decision-making in classical guessing game
Authors: Bang Jeongho , Ryu Junghee , Pawłowski Marcin , Ham Byoung S. , Lee Jinhyoung
Published: February 2016

In quantum game theory, one of the most intriguing and important questions is, “Is it possible to getquantumadvantages without any modification of theclassicalgame?” The answer to this question so far has largely been negative. So far, it has usually been thought that a change of the classical game setting appears to be unavoidable for getting the quantum advantages. However, we give an affirmative answer here, focusing on the decision-making process (we call ‘reasoning’) to generate the best strategy, which may occur internally, e.g., in the player’s brain. To show this, we consider a classical guessing game. We then define a one-player reasoning problem in the context of the decision-making theory, where the machinery processes are designed to simulate classical and quantum reasoning. In such settings, we present a scenario where a rational player is able to make better use of his/her weak preferences due to quantum reasoning, without any altering or resetting of the classically defined game. We also argue in further analysis that the quantum reasoning may make the player fail, and even make the situation worse, due to any inappropriate preferences.
Zebrafish Collagen Type I: Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of the Major Structural Protein in Bone and Skin
Authors: Gistelinck C. , Gioia R. , Gagliardi A. , Tonelli F. , Marchese L. , Bianchi L. , Landi C. , Bini L. , Huysseune A. , Witten P. E. , Staes A. , Gevaert K. , De Rocker N. , Menten B. , Malfait F. , Leikin S. , Carra S. , Tenni R. , Rossi A. , De Paepe A. , Coucke P. , Willaert A. , Forlino A.
Published: February 2016

Over the last years the zebrafish imposed itself as a powerful model to study skeletal diseases, but a limit to its use is the poor characterization of collagen type I, the most abundant protein in bone and skin. In tetrapods collagen type I is a trimer mainly composed of two α1 chains and one α2 chain, encoded by COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes, respectively. In contrast, in zebrafish three type I collagen genes exist, col1a1a, col1a1b and col1a2 coding for α1(I), α3(I) and α2(I) chains. During embryonic and larval development the three collagen type I genes showed a similar spatio-temporal expression pattern, indicating their co-regulation and interdependence at these stages. In both embryonic and adult tissues, the presence of the three α(I) chains was demonstrated, although in embryos α1(I) was present in two distinct glycosylated states, suggesting a developmental-specific collagen composition. Even though in adult bone, skin and scales equal amounts of α1(I), α3(I) and α2(I) chains are present, the presented data suggest a tissue-specific stoichiometry and/or post-translational modification status for collagen type I. In conclusion, this data will be useful to properly interpret results and insights gained from zebrafish models of skeletal diseases.