bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ocean acidification as a driver of community simplification via the collapse of higher-order and rise of lower-order consumers
Authors: Vizzini S. , Martínez-Crego B. , Andolina C. , Massa-Gallucci A. , Connell S. D. , Gambi M. C.
Published: June 2017

Increasing oceanic uptake of CO2 is predicted to drive ecological change as both a resource (i.e. CO2 enrichment on primary producers) and stressor (i.e. lower pH on consumers). We use the natural ecological complexity of a CO2 vent (i.e. a seagrass system) to assess the potential validity of conceptual models developed from laboratory and mesocosm research. Our observations suggest that the stressor-effect of CO2 enrichment combined with its resource-effect drives simplified food web structure of lower trophic diversity and shorter length. The transfer of CO2 enrichment from plants to herbivores through consumption (apparent resource-effect) was not compensated by predation, because carnivores failed to contain herbivore outbreaks. Instead, these higher-order consumers collapsed (apparent stressor-effect on carnivores) suggesting limited trophic propagation to predator populations. The dominance of primary producers and their lower-order consumers along with the loss of carnivores reflects the duality of intensifying ocean acidification acting both as resource-effect (i.e. bottom-up control) and stressor-effect (i.e. top-down control) to simplify community and trophic structure and function. This shifting balance between the propagation of resource enrichment and its consumption across trophic levels provides new insights into how the trophic dynamics might stabilize against or propagate future environmental change.
Naked singularity, firewall, and Hawking radiation
Authors: Zhang Hongsheng
Published: June 2017

Spacetime singularity has always been of interest since the proof of the Penrose-Hawking singularity theorem. Naked singularity naturally emerges from reasonable initial conditions in the collapsing process. A recent interesting approach in black hole information problem implies that we need a firewall to break the surplus entanglements among the Hawking photons. Classically, the firewall becomes a naked singularity. We find some vacuum analytical solutions in R
n
-gravity of the firewall-type and use these solutions as concrete models to study the naked singularities. By using standard quantum theory, we investigate the Hawking radiation emitted from the black holes with naked singularities. Here we show that the singularity itself does not destroy information. A unitary quantum theory works well around a firewall-type singularity. We discuss the validity of our result in general relativity. Further our result demonstrates that the temperature of the Hawking radiation still can be expressed in the form of the surface gravity divided by 2π. This indicates that a naked singularity may not compromise the Hakwing evaporation process.
Global profiling of phytohormone dynamics during combined drought and pathogen stress in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals ABA and JA as major regulators
Authors: Gupta Aarti , Hisano Hiroshi , Hojo Yuko , Matsuura Takakazu , Ikeda Yoko , Mori Izumi C. , Senthil-Kumar Muthappa
Published: June 2017

Global transcriptome studies demonstrated the existence of unique plant responses under combined stress which are otherwise not seen during individual stresses. In order to combat combined stress plants use signaling pathways and ‘cross talk’ mediated by hormones involved in stress and growth related processes. However, interactions among hormones’ pathways in combined stressed plants are not yet known. Here we studied dynamics of different hormones under individual and combined drought and pathogen infection in Arabidopsis thaliana by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based profiling. Our results revealed abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) as key regulators under individual drought and pathogen stress respectively. Under combined drought and host pathogen stress (DH) we observed non-induced levels of ABA with an upsurge in SA and jasmonic acid (JA) concentrations, underscoring their role in basal tolerance against host pathogen. Under a non-host pathogen interaction with drought (DNH) stressed plants, ABA, SA and JA profiles were similar to those under DH or non-host pathogen alone. We propose that plants use SA/JA dependent signaling during DH stress which antagonize ABA biosynthesis and signaling pathways during early stage of stress. The study provides insights into hormone modulation at different time points during combined stress.
Treatment of sarcopenia and glucose intolerance through mitochondrial activation by 5-aminolevulinic acid
Authors: Fujii Chikako , Miyashita Kazutoshi , Mitsuishi Masanori , Sato Masaaki , Fujii Kentaro , Inoue Hiroyuki , Hagiwara Aika , Endo Sho , Uto Asuka , Ryuzaki Masaki , Nakajima Motowo , Tanaka Tohru , Tamaki Masanori , Muraki Ayako , Kawai Toshihide , Itoh Hiroshi
Published: June 2017

Recently, sarcopenia has attracted attention as therapeutic target because it constitutes a risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. We focused 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) which act as electron carriers in the mitochondrial electron transport system. The mice that received ALA for 8 weeks gained muscle strength and endurance, and exhibited increased muscle mass and mitochondrial amount. Administration of ALA to sarcopenia mice aged 100 weeks and chronic kidney disease (CKD) model mice also increased muscle mass and improved physical performance. Metabolome analysis revealed increased branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) levels in the skeletal muscle of ALA-treated mice. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed decreased expression levels in branched-chain amino acid transaminases (BCATs) that degrade BCAAs and other muscle-degrading factors, and increased levels of mitochondria-activating factors. We also studied in cultured myocytes and obtained compatible results. ALA-treated mice tended to increase body weight, but reduced blood glucose level. These suggested that ALA treatment not only activated muscle mitochondria but also enhanced muscle mass through an increase in BCAAs contents, as to improve muscle strength, endurance and glucose tolerance in mice. In these ways, muscle mitochondrial activation with ALA is suggested to be useful for the treatment of sarcopenia and glucose intolerance.
Vapour-Induced Liquid Crystallinity and Self-Recovery Mechanochromism of Helical Block Copolymer
Authors: Hayashi Hiroki , Iseki Tomokazu , Nimori Shigeki , Goto Hiromasa
Published: June 2017

New molecular design of conjugated polymer that possess high sensitivity to vapour and self-recovering property against pressure is proposed. We synthesised a rod-rod diblock copolymer, poly(3-((3S)-3,7-dimethyl-octyl)-thiophene)-block-poly(4-octyl phenylisocyanide) (PTh-b-PPI), composed of a π-conjugated polymer and a rod-type helical coiled polymer. Introduction of PPI block in the block copolymer architecture enabled PTh-b-PPI film to exhibit solid-to-liquid crystal phase transition by exposure to chloroform vapour, accompanied with colour change (purple-to-yellow), which is the first report on a new phenomenon of “vapour-induced liquid crystallinity”. In addition, PTh-b-PPI film showed colour change (purple-to-vermillion) during mechanical shearing, and spontaneously recovered under ambient conditions. We concluded that rod-type helical coiled polymer PPI block performs crucial roles as intrinsically vapour-induced liquid crystallinity and self-reassembling property in the architecture of PTh-b-PPI.
De novo yeast genome assemblies from MinION, PacBio and MiSeq platforms
Authors: Giordano Francesca , Aigrain Louise , Quail Michael A , Coupland Paul , Bonfield James K , Davies Robert M , Tischler German , Jackson David K , Keane Thomas M , Li Jing , Yue Jia-Xing , Liti Gianni , Durbin Richard , Ning Zemin
Published: June 2017

Long-read sequencing technologies such as Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore MinION are capable of producing long sequencing reads with average fragment lengths of over 10,000 base-pairs and maximum lengths reaching 100,000 base- pairs. Compared with short reads, the assemblies obtained from long-read sequencing platforms have much higher contig continuity and genome completeness as long fragments are able to extend paths into problematic or repetitive regions. Many successful assembly applications of the Pacific Biosciences technology have been reported ranging from small bacterial genomes to large plant and animal genomes. Recently, genome assemblies using Oxford Nanopore MinION data have attracted much attention due to the portability and low cost of this novel sequencing instrument. In this paper, we re-sequenced a well characterized genome, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288C strain using three different platforms: MinION, PacBio and MiSeq. We present a comprehensive metric comparison of assemblies generated by various pipelines and discuss how the platform associated data characteristics affect the assembly quality. With a given read depth of 31X, the assemblies from both Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore MinION show excellent continuity and completeness for the 16 nuclear chromosomes, but not for the mitochondrial genome, whose reconstruction still represents a significant challenge.
Quantitative Phosphoproteomics Reveals a Role for Collapsin Response Mediator Protein 2 in PDGF-Induced Cell Migration
Authors: Sarhan Adil R. , Szyroka Justyna , Begum Shabana , Tomlinson Michael G. , Hotchin Neil A. , Heath John K. , Cunningham Debbie L.
Published: June 2017

The Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) family of ligands have well established functions in the induction of cell proliferation and migration during development, tissue homeostasis and interactions between tumours and stroma. However, the mechanisms by which these actions are executed are incompletely understood. Here we report a differential phosphoproteomics study, using a SILAC approach, of PDGF-stimulated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). 116 phospho-sites were identified as up-regulated and 45 down-regulated in response to PDGF stimulation. These encompass proteins involved in cell adhesion, cytoskeleton regulation and vesicle-mediated transport, significantly expanding the range of proteins implicated in PDGF signalling pathways. Included in the down-regulated class was the microtubule bundling protein Collapsin Response Mediator Protein 2 (CRMP2). In response to stimulation with PDGF, CRMP2 was dephosphorylated on Thr514, an event known to increase CRMP2 activity. This was reversed in the presence of micromolar concentrations of the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, implicating PDGF-induced activation of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) in CRMP2 regulation. Depletion of CRMP2 resulted in impairment of PDGF-mediated cell migration in an in vitro wound healing assay. These results show that CRMP2 is required for PDGF-directed cell migration in vitro.
Disrupted functional connectivity between the periaqueductal gray and other brain regions in a rat model of recurrent headache
Authors: Jia Zhihua , Tang Wenjing , Zhao Dengfa , Yu Shengyuan
Published: June 2017

Functional connectivity (FC) has been used to investigate the pathophysiology of migraine. We aimed to identify atypical FC between the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and other brain areas in rats induced by repeated meningeal nociception. The rat model was established by infusing an inflammatory soup (IS) through supradural catheters in conscious rats. Quiescent and face-grooming behaviors were observed to assess nociceptive behavior. FC analysis seeded on the PAG was performed on rats 21 days after IS infusion. The rats exhibited nociceptive behavior correlates of human behaviors associated with migraine after IS infusion. The PAG showed increased FC with the prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, and motor cortex but decreased FC with the basal ganglia, dorsal lateral thalamus, internal capsule and prelimbic cortex in the rat model. The atypical FC of the PAG with brain regions in the rat model that are involved in nociception, somatosensory processing, emotional processing, and pain modulation are consistent with the clinical data from migraineurs, indicate that resting-state FC changes in migraine patients may be a consequence of headache attacks, and further validate this rat model of chronic migraine.
Transcriptome analyses of taste organoids reveal multiple pathways involved in taste cell generation
Authors: Ren Wenwen , Aihara Eitaro , Lei Weiwei , Gheewala Nishi , Uchiyama Hironobu , Margolskee Robert F. , Iwatsuki Ken , Jiang Peihua
Published: June 2017

Taste cells undergo constant turnover throughout life; however, the molecular mechanisms governing taste cell generation are not well understood. Using RNA-Seq, we systematically surveyed the transcriptome landscape of taste organoids at different stages of growth. Our data show the staged expression of a variety of genes and identify multiple signaling pathways underlying taste cell differentiation and taste stem/progenitor cell proliferation. For example, transcripts of taste receptors appear only or predominantly in late-stage organoids. Prior to that, transcription factors and other signaling elements are upregulated. RNA-Seq identified a number of well-characterized signaling pathways in taste organoid cultures, such as those involving Wnt, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), Notch, and Hedgehog (Hh). By pharmacological manipulation, we demonstrate that Wnt, BMPs, Notch, and Hh signaling pathways are necessary for taste cell proliferation, differentiation and cell fate determination. The temporal expression profiles displayed by taste organoids may also lead to the identification of currently unknown transducer elements underlying sour, salt, and other taste qualities, given the staged expression of taste receptor genes and taste transduction elements in cultured organoids.
Anti-proliferative therapy for HIV cure: a compound interest approach
Authors: Reeves Daniel B. , Duke Elizabeth R. , Hughes Sean M. , Prlic Martin , Hladik Florian , Schiffer Joshua T.
Published: June 2017

In the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-1 infection is no longer tantamount to early death. Yet the benefits of treatment are available only to those who can access, afford, and tolerate taking daily pills. True cure is challenged by HIV latency, the ability of chromosomally integrated virus to persist within memory CD4+ T cells in a non-replicative state and activate when ART is discontinued. Using a mathematical model of HIV dynamics, we demonstrate that treatment strategies offering modest but continual enhancement of reservoir clearance rates result in faster cure than abrupt, one-time reductions in reservoir size. We frame this concept in terms of compounding interest: small changes in interest rate drastically improve returns over time. On ART, latent cell proliferation rates are orders of magnitude larger than activation and new infection rates. Contingent on subtypes of cells that may make up the reservoir and their respective proliferation rates, our model predicts that coupling clinically available, anti-proliferative therapies with ART could result in functional cure within 2–10 years rather than several decades on ART alone.
Geochemical constraints on the Hadean environment from mineral fingerprints of prokaryotes
Authors: Novoselov Alexey A. , Silva Dailto , Schneider Jerusa , Abrevaya Ximena Celeste , Chaffin Michael S. , Serrano Paloma , Navarro Margareth Sugano , Conti Maria Josiane , Souza Filho Carlos Roberto de
Published: June 2017

The environmental conditions on the Earth before 4 billion years ago are highly uncertain, largely because of the lack of a substantial rock record from this period. During this time interval, known as the Hadean, the young planet transformed from an uninhabited world to the one capable of supporting, and inhabited by the first living cells. These cells formed in a fluid environment they could not at first control, with homeostatic mechanisms developing only later. It is therefore possible that present-day organisms retain some record of the primordial fluid in which the first cells formed. Here we present new data on the elemental compositions and mineral fingerprints of both Bacteria and Archaea, using these data to constrain the environment in which life formed. The cradle solution that produced this elemental signature was saturated in barite, sphene, chalcedony, apatite, and clay minerals. The presence of these minerals, as well as other chemical features, suggests that the cradle environment of life may have been a weathering fluid interacting with dry-land silicate rocks. The specific mineral assemblage provides evidence for a moderate Hadean climate with dry and wet seasons and a lower atmospheric abundance of CO2than is present today.
Immune regulation by oral tolerance induces alternate activation of macrophages and reduces markers of plaque destabilization in Apobtm2Sgy/Ldlrtm1Her/J mice
Authors: Thota Lakshmi Narasimha , Ponnusamy Thiruvelselvan , Philip Sheena , Lu Xinjie , Mundkur Lakshmi
Published: June 2017

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause for cardiovascular mortality. We determined the effect of multi-antigenic construct expressing three peptides AHC (ApoB100, HSP60 and outer membrane protein of chlamydia pneumonia) in stabilizing advanced atherosclerosis in Apobtm2Sgy/Ldlrtm1Her/J mice. Atherosclerosis was induced by feeding high fat diet (HFD) to mice for 10 weeks, followed by five oral dosing with purified AHC or ovalbumin on alternate days and continued on HFD for another 10 weeks. Tolerance was associated with significantly higher numbers of regulatory T cells both in aortic sinus and spleen with higher mRNA expression of CTLA4 (3 fold), Foxp3 (1.4 folds) and TGF-β (1.62) in aorta. Tregs cells were found to induce alternate activation of macrophages to M2 phenotype, with a reduction in plaque inflammation. AHC treatment showed evidence of plaque stabilization as observed by reduction in plaque necrosis in aortic sinus (35.8%) and in brachiocephalic artery (26%), with reduced expression of Tissue factor and MMP9. Macrophage apoptosis was reduced and collagen content was enhanced by treatment. Our results suggest that tolerance to atherogenic peptides increases regulatory T cells which activate M2 macrophages, prevent T cell proliferation and reduce plaque destabilization and inflammatory markers thus providing evidences for plaque stabilization in mice with advanced atherosclerosis.
miR-509-5p and miR-1243 increase the sensitivity to gemcitabine by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Hiramoto Hidekazu , Muramatsu Tomoki , Ichikawa Daisuke , Tanimoto Kousuke , Yasukawa Satoru , Otsuji Eigo , Inazawa Johji
Published: June 2017

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to various processes in cancer progression, such as metastasis and drug resistance. Since we have already established a cell-based reporter system for identifying EMT-suppressive microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pancreatic cancer cell line Panc1, we performed a function-based screening assay by combining this reporter system and a miRNA library composed of 1,090 miRNAs. As a result, we identified miR-509-5p and miR-1243 as EMT-suppressive miRNAs, although the mechanisms for EMT-suppression induced by these miRNAs have yet to be clarified. Herein, we demonstrated that overexpression of miR-509-5p and miR-1243 increased the expression of E-cadherin through the suppression of EMT-related gene expression and that drug sensitivity increased with a combination of each of these miRNAs and gemcitabine. Moreover, miR-509-5p was associated with worse overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer and was identified as an independently selected predictor of mortality. Our findings suggest that miR-509-5p and miR-1243 might be novel chemotherapeutic targets and serve as biomarkers in pancreatic cancer.
Trap Modulated Charge Carrier Transport in Polyethylene/Graphene Nanocomposites
Authors: Li Zhonglei , Du Boxue , Han Chenlei , Xu Hang
Published: June 2017

The role of trap characteristics in modulating charge transport properties is attracting much attentions in electrical and electronic engineering, which has an important effect on the electrical properties of dielectrics. This paper focuses on the electrical properties of Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE)/graphene nanocomposites (NCs), as well as the corresponding trap level characteristics. The dc conductivity, breakdown strength and space charge behaviors of NCs with the filler content of 0 wt%, 0.005 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.1 wt% and 0.5 wt% are studied, and their trap level distributions are characterized by isothermal discharge current (IDC) tests. The experimental results show that the 0.005 wt% LDPE/graphene NCs have a lower dc conductivity, a higher breakdown strength and a much smaller amount of space charge accumulation than the neat LDPE. It is indicated that the graphene addition with a filler content of 0.005 wt% introduces large quantities of deep carrier traps that reduce charge carrier mobility and result in the homocharge accumulation near the electrodes. The deep trap modulated charge carrier transport attributes to reduce the dc conductivity, suppress the injection of space charges into polymer bulks and enhance the breakdown strength, which is of great significance in improving electrical properties of polymer dielectrics.
Human-mediated secondary contact of two tortoise lineages results in sex-biased introgression
Authors: Graciá Eva , Rodríguez-Caro Roberto C. , Andreu Ana C. , Fritz Uwe , Giménez Andrés , Botella Francisco
Published: June 2017

Human-mediated secondary contact of recently diverged taxa offers valuable opportunities for studying the evolutionary mechanisms involved in the establishment and maintenance of genetic boundaries between taxa. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers to examine a recently introduced population of the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) of mixed origin in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain). The earliest records of tortoises in Doñana trace back to the 18th century, but several population reinforcements in the 20th century with animals from Morocco are well-documented. Consequently, different genetic lineages, which represent distinct subspecies, are thought to co-exist there. Our results confirmed the presence of distinct lineages by revealing that tortoises of the subspecies T. g. marokkensis were introduced into a local allochthonous T. g. graeca population. Unexpectedly, T. g. marokkensis haplotypes exclusively appeared in males, and admixture levels were statistically sex-biased toward males. The sex ratio of the population deviated from parity, with males being 2.36-fold more abundant than females. Our results indicated that population reinforcements had a strong effect on the genetic composition of this population and aggravated its sex ratio deviation. We predict that this sex-biased pattern of introgression is ephemeral and advocated to the near loss of T. g. marokkensis haplotypes.
The Variation in the Rhizosphere Microbiome of Cotton with Soil Type, Genotype and Developmental Stage
Authors: Qiao Qinghua , Wang Furong , Zhang Jingxia , Chen Yu , Zhang Chuanyun , Liu Guodong , Zhang Hui , Ma Changle , Zhang Jun
Published: June 2017

Plant roots and soil microorganisms interact with each other mainly in the rhizosphere. Changes in the community structure of the rhizosphere microbiome are influenced by many factors. In this study, we determined the community structure of rhizosphere bacteria in cotton, and studied the variation of rhizosphere bacterial community structure in different soil types and developmental stages using TM-1, an upland cotton cultivar (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and Hai 7124, a sea island cotton cultivar (G. barbadense L.) by high-throughput sequencing technology. Six bacterial phyla were found dominantly in cotton rhizosphere bacterial community including Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. The abundance of Acidobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes and Proteobacteria were largely influenced by cotton root. Bacterial α-diversity in rhizosphere was lower than that of bulk soil in nutrient-rich soil, but higher in cotton continuous cropping field soil. The β-diversity in nutrient-rich soil was greater than that in continuous cropping field soil. The community structure of the rhizosphere bacteria varied significantly during different developmental stages. Our results provided insights into the dynamics of cotton rhizosphere bacterial community and would facilitate to improve cotton growth and development through adjusting soil bacterial community structure artificially.
A screen for inhibitory peptides of hepatitis C virus identifies a novel entry inhibitor targeting E1 and E2
Authors: Yin Peiqi , Zhang Ling , Ye Fei , Deng Yao , Lu Sha , Li Yi-Ping , Zhang Leiliang , Tan Wenjie
Published: June 2017

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry into hepatocytes is a multistep process that represents a promising target for antiviral intervention. The viral envelope protein E1E2 plays a critical role in HCV entry. In this study, we sought to identify peptide inhibitors of HCV by screening a library of overlapping peptides covering E1E2. Screening the peptide library identified several novel anti-HCV peptides. Four peptides from glycoprotein E2 were selected for further investigation. The 50% effective dose (ED50) was approximately 5 nM for each peptide. Our data indicated that these peptides inhibited HCV entry at the post-attachment step. Moreover, these peptides blocked cell-to-cell transmission of HCVcc and had broad-spectrum antiviral effects on HCVcc. These peptides exhibited combination inhibitory effects on HCVcc infection when combined with IFN-α2b or anti-CD81 antibody. Interestingly, we observed that E2-42 associated with E1 and E2. Our results indicate that E2-42 inhibits HCV entry via E1 and E2. These findings suggest a new avenue for HCV therapeutic development.
Alpha-lipoic Acid suppresses P2X receptor activities and visceral hypersensitivity to colorectal distention in diabetic rats
Authors: Hu Ji , Qin Xin , Song Zhen-Yuan , Yang Pan-Pan , Feng Yu , Sun Qian , Xu Guang-Yin , Zhang Hong-Hong
Published: June 2017

The present study was designed to investigate the roles of P2X3 receptors in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in colonic hypersensitivity and the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on P2X3 receptor activity and colonic hypersensitivity of diabetic rats. Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetic model. Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) responding to colorectal distention (CRD) was recorded as colonic sensitivity. ATP-induced current density of colon-specific DRG (T13-L2 DRGs) neurons was measured with whole-cell patch clamp. The expression of P2X3Rs of T13-L2 DRGs was measured by western blot analysis. The results showed that AWR scores significantly increased after STZ injection. P2X3R expression and ATP current density of T13-L2 DRG neurons were enhanced in diabetic rats. Intraperitoneal injection with ALA once a day for 1 week remarkably reduced P2X3R expression and ATP current density in diabetic rats. Importantly, ALA treatment attenuated colonic hypersensitivity in diabetic rats. Our data suggest that STZ injection increases expression and function of P2X3 receptors of colon-specific DRG neurons, thus contributing to colonic hypersensitivity in diabetic rats. Administration of ALA attenuates diabetic colonic hypersensitivity, which is most likely mediated by suppressing expression and function of P2X3 receptors in DRGs of diabetic rats.
Fatty acid composition and phospholipid types used in infant formulas modifies the establishment of human gut bacteria in germ-free mice
Authors: Nejrup Rikke Guldhammer , Licht Tine Rask , Hellgren Lars Ingvar
Published: June 2017

Human milk fat contains high concentrations of medium-chained fatty acids (MCFA) and triacylglycerols emulsified by a sphingomyelin-rich phospholipid membrane (milk phospholipids, MPL). Infant formula comprises mainly long-chained fatty acids (LCFA) emulsified with dairy proteins and soy lecithin (SL) lacking sphingomyelin. Sphingomyelin content and saturation level of phospholipids affect the gut lipase activity, which alters the concentrations of lipid hydrolysis products in ileum and colon, and hereby putatively affects the competitive advantage of specific gut bacteria. Thus, differences in phospholipid and FA composition may modulate the establishment of the gut microbiota. We investigated effects of fatty acid (FA) composition and emulsification (MPL vs SL) ingested during establishment of human gut microbiota in germ-free mice, and found that cecal microbiotas from mice given MCFA-rich emulsions were characterized by high relative abundances of Bacteroidaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae, while LCFA-rich emulsions caused higher abundances of Enterobacteriaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Coriobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae. Consumption of SL-emulsified lipids skewed the community towards more Enterococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, while MPL increased Bacteroidaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Rikkenellaceae and Porphyromonadaceae. Intake of SL increased cecal concentrations of iso-valeric and iso-butyric acids. This suggests that fat-type and emulsifiers applied in infant formula may have distinct effects on the establishment of the gut microbiota in formula-fed infants.
Pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous women after ultrasound ablation of uterine fibroids: A single-central retrospective study
Authors: Li Jun shu , Wang Yong , Chen Jin yun , Chen Wen zhi
Published: June 2017

To explore the impact of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation of uterine fibroids in nulliparous women on subsequent pregnancy and delivery. A retrospective analysis was conducted of nulliparous women who received HIFU treatment at Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing,China, from January 1, 2010, to January 1, 2015. A total of 189 cases were enrolled, the median follow-up time was three years. Among them,there were 131 cases pregnancy with a total of 133 times,the pregnancy rate was 69.3% (131/189),and the spontaneous conception rate was 95.4% (125/131). Of 131 pregnant women, 19 were on-going pregnancy, terminated pregnancy 114 times,which include 93 times successfully delivery with a 76.3% (87/114) full-term birth rate,and the cesarean section rate was 72.0% (67/93). Of 94 newborns,the average birth weight was (3.3 ± 0.4)kg (range:1.5–4.8 kg), and a pair of them were identical twins. The incidence of complications during pregnancy and delivery were 10.8% (10/93) and 7.5% (7/93),respectively,except one woman failed on-going pregnancy and one woman suffered hysterectomy due to the complications,others all successful pregnant and delivered. Multiple-factor regression analysis found that age and infertility history were the important factors that may affect pregnancy after HIFU (P < 0.01). Nulliparous women who undergo HIFU treatment for uterine fibroids can subsequently have successful pregnancy and delivery safely.
The structure-function relationship of disulfide bonds in etanercept
Authors: Lamanna William C. , Mayer Robert Ernst , Rupprechter Alfred , Fuchs Michael , Higel Fabian , Fritsch Cornelius , Vogelsang Cornelia , Seidl Andreas , Toll Hansjoerg , Schiestl Martin , Holzmann Johann
Published: June 2017

Etanercept is a TNFα receptor Fc fusion protein used for the treatment of rheumatic disease and psoriasis. Physicochemical and functional investigation of process fractions during development of the etanercept biosimilar GP2015 (Erelzi®) revealed a correlation between reduced potency and incorrect disulfide bridging between specific cysteines in the receptor domain. This novel structure-function relationship was found to be the molecular basis for reduced potency in recent Enbrel® batches, which exhibit higher levels of incorrect disulfide bridging. Interestingly, incorrect disulfide bridging was found to be reversible under serum-like redox conditions, restoring potency to normal levels. This redox dependent reversibility suggests that these variants are likely not relevant for clinical efficacy once the drug enters the bloodstream. Nonetheless, incorrect disulfide bridging in etanercept represents a new quality attribute that is critical for biopharmaceutical functionality and should thus be carefully monitored and controlled to guarantee patient safety.
Camphor-Engine-Driven Micro-Boat Guides Evolution of Chemical Gardens
Authors: Frenkel Mark , Multanen Victor , Grynyov Roman , Musin Albina , Bormashenko Yelena , Bormashenko Edward
Published: June 2017

A micro-boat self-propelled by a camphor engine, carrying seed crystals of FeCl3, promoted the evolution of chemical gardens when placed on the surface of aqueous solutions of potassium hexacyanoferrate. Inverse chemical gardens (growing from the top downward) were observed. The growth of the “inverse” chemical gardens was slowed down with an increase in the concentration of the potassium hexacyanoferrate. Heliciform precipitates were formed under the self-propulsion of the micro-boat. A phenomenological model, satisfactorily describing the self-locomotion of the camphor-driven micro-boat, is introduced and checked.
Thermoelectric performance of n-type Mg2Ge
Authors: Santos Rafael , Nancarrow Mitchell , Dou Shi Xue , Aminorroaya Yamini Sima
Published: June 2017

Magnesium-based thermoelectric materials (Mg2X, X = Si, Ge, Sn) have received considerable attention due to their availability, low toxicity, and reasonably good thermoelectric performance. The synthesis of these materials with high purity is challenging, however, due to the reactive nature and high vapour pressure of magnesium. In the current study, high purity single phase n-type Mg2Ge has been fabricated through a one-step reaction of MgH2 and elemental Ge, using spark plasma sintering (SPS) to reduce the formation of magnesium oxides due to the liberation of hydrogen. We have found that Bi has a very limited solubility in Mg2Ge and results in the precipitation of Mg2Bi3. Bismuth doping increases the electrical conductivity of Mg2Ge up to its solubility limit, beyond which the variation is minimal. The main improvement in the thermoelectric performance is originated from the significant phonon scattering achieved by the Mg2Bi3 precipitates located mainly at grain boundaries. This reduces the lattice thermal conductivity by ~50% and increases the maximum zT for n-type Mg2Ge to 0.32, compared to previously reported maximum value of 0.2 for Sb-doped Mg2Ge.
A new study on the growth behavior of austenite grains during heating processes
Authors: Xu Dong , Ji Cheng , Zhao Hongyang , Ju Dongying , Zhu Miaoyong
Published: June 2017

In this paper, the effects of the heating temperature and holding time on the austenite grain growth of SCM435 steel were studied and analyzed in terms of the average, macro-axis and minor-axis size of the grains. The results indicated that the classical Sellars model was highly consistent for describing the growth stage of the new austenite but poorly described the initial nucleation-growth stage and stability stage of the austenite. A new model that expresses the average austenite grain growth of SCM435 steel was developed, and the values calculated based on this model were highly consistent with the actual measured values. The standard deviation and expected grain-size expressions increased as the heating temperature and holding time increased. The macro-axis and minor-axis size of the grains were linearly correlated with the average size, and the ratio of the macro-axis to the minor-axis size remained generally constant during grain growth. Furthermore, this paper provides a new way of thinking about heredity in materials science from the perspective of mathematical characteristics.
Theoretical analyses on orbital angular momentum modes in conventional graded-index multimode fibre
Authors: Chen Shi , Wang Jian
Published: June 2017

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes are another mode basis to represent spatial modes. There have been increasing interests in exploiting OAM modes in specialty fibres. In this paper, we present a comprehensive characterisation of OAM modes in conventional graded-index multimode fibre (MMF). 1) We synthesise the circularly polarized OAM modes by properly combining two fold degenerate cylindrical vector modes (eigenmodes) and analyse the total angular momentum, i.e. spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum. 2) We divide all the OAM modes of the conventional graded-index MMF into 10 OAM mode groups with effective refractive index differences between different mode groups above 10−4 enabling low-level inter-group crosstalk. 3) We study the chromatic dispersion, differential group delay, effective mode area, and nonlinearity for each OAM mode group over a wide wavelength ranging from 1520 to 1630 nm covering the whole C band and L band. 4) We discuss the performance tolerance to fibre ellipticity and bending. 5) We further address the robustness of performance against fibre perturbations including the core size, index contrast and the imperfect index profile of the practically fabricated MMFs. The obtained results may provide theoretical basis for further space-division multiplexing applications employing OAM modes in conventional graded-index MMF.
From shifting cultivation to teak plantation: effect on overland flow and sediment yield in a montane tropical catchment
Authors: Ribolzi Olivier , Evrard Olivier , Huon Sylvain , de Rouw Anneke , Silvera Norbert , Latsachack Keo Oudone , Soulileuth Bounsamai , Lefèvre Irène , Pierret Alain , Lacombe Guillaume , Sengtaheuanghoung Oloth , Valentin Christian
Published: June 2017

Soil erosion supplies large quantities of sediments to rivers of Southeastern Asia. It reduces soil fertility of agro-ecosystems located on hillslopes, and it degrades, downstream, water resource quality and leads to the siltation of reservoirs. An increase in the surface area covered with commercial perennial monocultures such as teak plantations is currently observed at the expanse of traditional slash-and-burn cultivation systems in steep montane environments of these regions. The impacts of land-use change on the hydrological response and sediment yields have been investigated in a representative catchment of Laos monitored for 13 years. After the gradual conversion of rice-based shifting cultivation to teak plantation-based systems, overland flow contribution to stream flow increased from 16 to 31% and sediment yield raised from 98 to 609 Mg km−2. This result is explained by the higher kinetic energy of raindrops falling from the canopy, the virtual absence of understorey vegetation cover to dissipate drop energy and the formation of an impermeable surface crust accelerating the formation and concentration of overland flow. The 25-to-50% lower 137Cs activities measured in soils collected under mature teak plantations compared to soils under other land uses illustrate the severity of soil erosion processes occurring in teak plantations.
Optimized microwave illusion device
Authors: Vial Benjamin , Torrico Max Munoz , Hao Yang
Published: June 2017

We report the design, fabrication and experimental verification of an illusion device working at microwave frequencies. A two dimensional topology optimization procedure is employed to find the binary layout of a dielectric coating that, when wrapped around a metallic cylinder, mimics the scattering from a predefined, arbitrarily-shaped dielectric object. Fabrication is carried out with 3D-printing and spatially resolved near field measurements in a waveguide configuration were performed, allowing us to map the illusion effect. Our work provides general guidelines for engineering electromagnetic illusions but can be extended to shape the near and far-field radiations using low index isotropic materials.
Photo-tunable transfer characteristics in MoTe2–MoS2 vertical heterostructure
Authors: Paul Arup Kumar , Kuiri Manabendra , Saha Dipankar , Chakraborty Biswanath , Mahapatra Santanu , Sood A. K , Das Anindya
Published: June 2017

Fabrication of the out-of-plane atomically sharp p–n junction by stacking two dissimilar two-dimensional materials could lead to new and exciting physical phenomena. The control and tunability of the interlayer carrier transport in these p–n junctions have a potential to exhibit new kind of electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this article, we present the fabrication, electrical, and opto-electrical characterization of vertically stacked few-layers MoTe2(p)–single-layer MoS2(n) heterojunction. Over and above the antiambipolar transfer characteristics observed similar to other hetero p–n junction, our experiments reveal a unique feature as a dip in transconductance near the maximum. We further observe that the modulation of the dip in the transconductance depends on the doping concentration of the two-dimensional flakes and also on the power density of the incident light. We also demonstrate high photo-responsivity of ~105 A/W at room temperature for a forward bias of 1.5 V. We explain these new findings based on interlayer recombination rate-dependent semi-classical transport model. We further develop first principles-based atomistic model to explore the charge carrier transport through MoTe2–MoS2 heterojunction. The similar dip is also observed in the transmission spectrum when calculated using density functional theory–non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism. Our findings may pave the way for better understanding of atomically thin interface physics and device applications.
Evaluation of enhanced darkfield microscopy and hyperspectral analysis to analyse the fate of silver nanoparticles in wastewaters
Authors: Théoret Trevor , Wilkinson Kevin J.
Published: June 2017

Enhanced darkfield microscopy coupled to hyperspectral analysis was evaluated for its capacity to detect Ag nanoparticles in wastewaters and biosolids.
Technetium complexes with arylselenolato and aryltellurolato ligands
Authors: Noschang Cabral B. , Kirsten L. , Hagenbach A. , Piquini P. C. , Patzschke M. , Lang E. Schulz , Abram U.
Published: June 2017

The first examples of complexes with technetium–tellurium bonds are reported from reactions of (NBu4)[TcOCl4] or [TcCl3(PPh3)(CH3CN)] with lithium aryltellurolates.
Correction: Synthesis and characterization of novel Li-stuffed garnet-like Li5+2xLa3Ta2−xGdxO12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.55): structure–property relationships
Authors: Abdel Basset Dalia M. , Mulmi Suresh , El-Bana Mohammed S. , Fouad Suzan S. , Thangadurai Venkataraman
Published: June 2017

Correction for ‘Synthesis and characterization of novel Li-stuffed garnet-like Li5+2xLa3Ta2−xGdxO12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.55): structure–property relationships’ by Dalia M. Abdel Basset, et al., Dalton Trans., 2017, 46, 933–946.
Cementitious materials modified with hematite nanoparticles for enhanced cement hydration and uranium immobilization
Authors: Cao Bo , Fan Shuai , Tan Xiaoyin , Li Mo , Hu Yandi
Published: June 2017

The leakage of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes from cementitious barriers at disposal sites can pose long-term environmental threats.
Synthesis of cross-linked cationic surfactant nanoparticles for removing anions from water
Authors: Chen Ming , Wu Yichen , Jafvert Chad T.
Published: June 2017

Synthesis of cross-linked cationic surfactant nanoparticles for ion exchange in water.
Ursolic acid induces mitochondrial biogenesis through the activation of AMPK and PGC-1 in C2C12 myotubes: a possible mechanism underlying its beneficial effect on exercise endurance
Authors: Chen Jihang , Wong Hoi Shan , Leong Pou Kuan , Leung Hoi Yan , Chan Wing Man , Ko Kam Ming
Published: June 2017

Mitochondrial biogenesis, which involves an increase in mitochondrial number and the overall capacity of oxidative phosphorylation, is a critical determinant of skeletal muscle function.
A comparison study on polysaccharides extracted from Laminaria japonica using different methods: structural characterization and bile acid-binding capacity
Authors: Gao Jie , Lin Lianzhu , Sun Baoguo , Zhao Mouming
Published: June 2017

The structural characterization, rheological properties and bile acid-binding capacity of LP obtained by seven different extraction methods were investigated.
Anti-inflammatory effects of an ethanol extract of Aster glehni via inhibition of NF-κB activation in mice with DSS-induced colitis
Authors: Choi Jun-Hyeok , Chung Kyung-Sook , Jin Bo-Ram , Cheon Se-Yun , Nugroho Agung , Roh Seong-Soo , An Hyo-Jin
Published: June 2017

Aster glehnihad a protective effect on colonic inflammation by inactivation of NF-κB and the modulation of pathophysiological activity during DSS-induced colitis.
Identification of human flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) inhibitors using a machine learning based consensus virtual screening
Authors: Deshmukh Amit Laxmikant , Chandra Sharat , Singh Deependra Kumar , Siddiqi Mohammad Imran , Banerjee Dibyendu
Published: June 2017

Inhibition of the Flap cleavage activity of FEN1 results in increased sensitivity of cancer cells to DNA damaging agents, with the potential to improve cancer chemotherapy.
Discovery of potential antifungal triazoles: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and preliminary antifungal mechanism exploration
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Damu Guri L. V. , Cui Sheng-Feng , Mi Jia-Li , Tangadanchu Vijai Kumar Reddy , Zhou Cheng-He
Published: June 2017

Synthesis of novel triazole-type miconazole analogues as potential antifungal agents and molecular modeling with CYP51 and experimental investigation with DNA suggested the possible antimicrobial mechanism.
Elucidating multi-physics interactions in suspensions for the design of polymeric dispersants: a hierarchical machine learning approach
Authors: Menon Aditya , Gupta Chetali , Perkins Kedar M. , DeCost Brian L. , Budwal Nikita , Rios Renee T. , Zhang Kun , Póczos Barnabás , Washburn Newell R.
Published: June 2017

A machine learning approach to understanding and optimizing complex physical systems is presented in the context of polymeric dispersants.
Primary microglia maintain their capacity to function despite internalisation and intracellular loading with carbon nanotubes
Authors: Bussy Cyrill , Bianco Alberto , Prato Maurizio , Kostarelos Kostas
Published: June 2017

When internalised in microglia, functionalised carbon nanotubes did not alter viability, induce inflammation or damage phagocytosis and migration abilities.
Phosphorus-doped NiCo2S4 nanocrystals grown on electrospun carbon nanofibers as ultra-efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Gu Huahao , Fan Wei , Liu Tianxi
Published: June 2017

Benefiting from electrical enhancement and nanostructured morphology, along with P-doping, a P-NiCo2S4@CNT/CNF hybrid exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
Size-controlled CdSe quantum dots to boost light harvesting capability and stability of perovskite photovoltaic cells
Authors: Lintangpradipto Muhammad Naufal , Tsevtkov Nikolai , Moon Byeong Cheul , Kang Jeung Ku
Published: June 2017

We found that a perovskite photovoltaic cell can be tailored to boost light harvesting capabilityviaenhanced light collection of small QDs through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and enhanced light reflection of large QDs at the interfaces with the perovskite.
Correction: Selenium borohydride reaction as a versatile platform for the straightforward preparation of selenide-containing topological polymers
Authors: Ding Chunlai , Fan Caiwei , Pan Xiangqiang , Zhang Zhengbiao , Zhu Jian , Zhu Xiulin
Published: June 2017

Correction for ‘Selenium borohydride reaction as a versatile platform for the straightforward preparation of selenide-containing topological polymers’ by Chunlai Ding et al., Polym. Chem., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7py00676d.
Surfactant-free gold nanoparticles: rapid and green synthesis and their greatly improved catalytic activities for 4-nitrophenol reduction
Authors: Zheng Baozhan , Liu Xiaoxia , Wu Yu , Yan Lei , Du Juan , Dai Jianyuan , Xiong Qing , Guo Yong , Xiao Dan
Published: June 2017

Surfactant-free AuNPs/r-CDs, synthesized by a green and rapid strategy, exhibit greatly improved catalytic activity for 4-nitrophenol reduction.