bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CACNA1S expression in mouse retina: Novel isoforms and antibody cross-reactivity with GPR179
Authors: HASAN NAZARUL , RAY THOMAS A. , GREGG RONALD G.
Published: June 2016

Cacna1sencodes the α1S subunit (Cav1.1) of voltage-dependent calcium channels, and is required for normal skeletal and cardiac muscle function, where it couples with the ryanodine receptor to regulate muscle contraction. Recently CACNA1S was reported to be expressed on the tips of retinal depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs) and colocalized with metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 (mGluR6), which is critical to DBC signal transduction. Further, in mGluR6 knockout mice, expression at this location is down regulated. We examined RNAseq data from mouse retina and found expression of a novel isoform ofCacna1s.To determine if CACNA1S was a functional component of the DBC signal transduction cascade, we performed immunohistochemistry to visualize its expression in several mouse lines that lack DBC function. Immunohistochemical staining with antibodies to CACNA1S show punctate labeling at the tips of DBCs in wild type (WT) retinas that are absent inGpr179nob5mutant retinas and decreased inGrm6−/−mouse retinas. CACNA1S and transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 1 (TRPM1) staining also colocalized in WT retinas. Western blot analyses for CACNA1S of either retinal lysates or proteins after immunoprecipitation with the CACNA1S antibody failed to show the presence of bands expected for CACNA1S. Mass spectrometric analysis of CACNA1S immunoprecipitated proteins also failed to detect any peptides matching CACNA1S. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting after expression of GPR179 in HEK293T cells indicate that the CACNA1S antibody used here and in the retinal studies published to date, cross-reacts with GPR179. These data suggest caution should be exercised in conferring a role for CACNA1S in DBC signal transduction based solely on immunohistochemical staining.
Community Based Psychosocial Education Can Improve Mood Disturbance in Breast Cancer Survivors at Various Stages of Their Recovery
Authors: Kokavec Anna
Published: June 2016

Background: Psychosocial distress can contribute to avoidance, refusal, or discontinuation of cancer treatment, which could impact recovery and survival. Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a community based psychosocial program on alleviating mood disturbance in breast cancer survivors at different stages of their breast cancer journey. Method: A total of 37 women participated in an 8-week psychosocial program at their local community centre. The weekly 3-hour program was delivered in a small group format. Program components included health education, behavioural training, cognitive behavioural therapy, art therapy and stress-management. Questionnaires aimed at assessing psychiatric morbidity and mood adjustment were administered at the beginning of the program (Pre) and at the completion of the program (Post). Results: Group data revealed a significant reduction in psychiatric morbidity and improved psychological adjustment. When participants were divided into degree of psychiatric morbidity (mild, moderate, severe, very severe) a significant reduction in the reporting of anxiety symptoms in the mild, moderate, severe and very severe groups was reported; depression symptoms in the severe and very severe groups were noted, and anger, confusion and somatic symptoms in the mild group were noted. The level of activity was also significantly improved in the very severe group. Conclusions: A structured community based psychosocial program is beneficial to women struggling to come to terms with the emotional consequences of breast cancer at all stages of recovery.
Making the Ideal Real: Publicity and Morality in Kant
Authors: Zinkin Melissa
Published: June 2016

This article discusses the concept of publicity in Kant’s moral philosophy. Insofar as the concepts of ‘public’ and ‘private’ can describe our relations with others, they can be considered to be moral concepts. I argue that we can find in Kant a moral duty not to keep our maxims of action private, or secret. Whereas Korsgaard argues that sometimes in the face of evil it is permissible to sidestep the moral law, I argue that it is rather through publicity that we can deal with evil in the non-ideal world. Moreover, by being open with our maxims, moral progress is possible.
United States – Certain Country of Origin Labelling (Cool) Requirements (US–Cool, Article 22.6 – United States), DS384/DS386
Authors: Carlson Geoffrey
Published: June 2016

On 29 May 2015, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) adopted the Article 21.5 Appellate Body reports in these disputes, and the reports of the compliance panel as modified by the Appellate Body. The findings adopted by the DSB were that the United States' amended country of origin labelling (COOL) requirements violated Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement and Article III:4 of the GATT 1994 because they continued to accord less favourable treatment to imported livestock than to like domestic livestock. Thereafter, Canada and Mexico both filed requests with the DSB for authorization to suspend concessions or other obligations under Article 22.2 of the DSU. Canada and Mexico sought authorization to suspend concessions and related obligations in the goods sector under the GATT 1994 to an annual value of CAD3.068 billion and USD713 million, respectively. The mandate of the Arbitrator in these proceedings was to ‘determine whether the level of such [proposed] suspension is equivalent to the level of nullification or impairment' to Canada and Mexico.
The Sacred and the Secular: Practical Applications of Water Rituals in the Ifugao Agricultural System
Authors: Acabado Stephen , Martin Marlon
Published: June 2016

Water symbolisms permeate Ifugao religion, rituals, and oral tradition. Water plays a part in death, rebirth, and cleansing in Ifugao cosmology. As such, Ifugaos consider water as sacred. However, water is also central in Ifugao economy and politics. As a culture that highly values intensive wet-rice production in a mountain environment, managing access to water is necessary to maintain stability. Ifugao practices follow what Richard O'Connor described as the “agro-cultural complex” in which agricultural practices, social systems, and political, historical, and, cultural changes are understood as interlocking processes (O'Connor 1995). In this paper, we focus on the relationship between Ifugao water and agricultural rituals with the synchronizing and sequencing of agricultural activities. Using the concept of self-organization, we argue that water and agricultural rituals in Ifugao are not only meant to reinforce community cohesion, they also synchronize the farming activities crucial to a terraced ecology. Utilizing the practice ofpuntunaan(a ritual plot or parcel in the centre of an agricultural district) and the institution oftomona(the ritual leader of an agricultural district) as a case study, we observed that disruptions in the water and rice rituals stimulated great change in Ifugao sociopolitical organization.
Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation Among Telephone Crisis Hotline Callers in Japan
Authors: Doki Shotaro , Kaneko Hidetoshi , Oi Yuichi , Usami Kazuya , Sasahara Shinichiro , Matsuzaki Ichiyo
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Background: Telephone hotlines are a widely used type of suicide prevention program. Aims: The aim of this study was to clarify the risk factors for suicidal ideation by investigating its association with a number of characteristics among telephone hotline callers. Method: Data were collected over a 10-year period from a total of 246,595 calls to Inochi No Denwa, a telephone crisis hotline in Ibaraki, Japan, and subsequently analyzed. Odds ratios for suicidal compared with nonsuicidal ideation were also calculated. Results: About 6% of the calls to the hotline were suicide related, and about 2% of the callers had attempted suicide in the past. Odds ratios for suicidal ideation increased during winter, but no daily tendencies were evident. Those whose problems were related to their way of life were at the highest risk of suicidal ideation, followed by those with health-related concerns. Conclusion: We were able to identify risk factors for suicidal ideation based on an analysis of enormous amounts of data from a telephone crisis hotline in Japan. Knowledge of these risk factors is expected to lead to improvements in suicide prevention programs.
aPKC regulates apical localization of Lgl to restrict elongation of microridges in developing zebrafish epidermis
Authors: Raman Renuka , Damle Indraneel , Rote Rahul , Banerjee Shamik , Dingare Chaitanya , Sonawane Mahendra
Published: June 2016

Epithelial cells exhibit apical membrane protrusions, which confer specific functions to epithelial tissues. Microridges are short actin protrusions that are laterally long and form a maze-like pattern in the apical domain. They are widely found on vertebrate squamous epithelia including epidermis and have functions in mucous retention, membrane storage and abrasion resistance. It is largely unknown how the formation of these laterally long actin projections is regulated. Here, we show that antagonistic interactions between aPKC and Lgl–regulators of apical and basolateral domain identity, respectively,–control the length of microridges in the zebrafish periderm, the outermost layer of the epidermis. aPKC regulates the levels of Lgl and the active form of non-muscle myosinII at the apical cortex to prevent actin polymerization-dependent precocious fusion and elongation of microridges. Our data unravels the functional significance of exclusion of Lgl from the apical domain in epithelial cells.
Topological protection of multiparticle dissipative transport
Authors: Loehr Johannes , Loenne Michael , Ernst Adrian , de las Heras Daniel , Fischer Thomas M.
Published: June 2016

Topological protection allows robust transport of localized phenomena such as quantum information, solitons and dislocations. The transport can be either dissipative or non-dissipative. Here, we experimentally demonstrate and theoretically explain the topologically protected dissipative motion of colloidal particles above a periodic hexagonal magnetic pattern. By driving the system with periodic modulation loops of an external and spatially homogeneous magnetic field, we achieve total control over the motion of diamagnetic and paramagnetic colloids. We can transport simultaneously and independently each type of colloid along any of the six crystallographic directions of the pattern via adiabatic or deterministic ratchet motion. Both types of motion are topologically protected. As an application, we implement an automatic topologically protected quality control of a chemical reaction between functionalized colloids. Our results are relevant to other systems with the same symmetry.
Geometrical assembly of ultrastable protein templates for nanomaterials
Authors: Glover Dominic J. , Giger Lars , Kim Steve S. , Naik Rajesh R. , Clark Douglas S.
Published: June 2016

The fabrication of nanoscale devices requires architectural templates on which to position functional molecules in complex arrangements. Protein scaffolds are particularly promising templates for nanomaterials due to inherent molecular recognition and self-assembly capabilities combined with genetically encoded functionalities. However, difficulties in engineering protein quaternary structure into stable and well-ordered shapes have hampered progress. Here we report the development of an ultrastable biomolecular construction kit for the assembly of filamentous proteins into geometrically defined templates of controllable size and symmetry. The strategy combines redesign of protein–protein interaction specificity with the creation of tunable connector proteins that govern the assembly and projection angles of the filaments. The functionality of these nanoarchitectures is illustrated by incorporation of nanoparticles at specific locations and orientations to create hybrid materials such as conductive nanowires. These new structural components facilitate the manufacturing of nanomaterials with diverse shapes and functional properties over a wide range of processing conditions.
Brain-specific Crmp2 deletion leads to neuronal development deficits and behavioural impairments in mice
Authors: Zhang Hongsheng , Kang Eunchai , Wang Yaqing , Yang Chaojuan , Yu Hui , Wang Qin , Chen Zheyu , Zhang Chen , Christian Kimberly M. , Song Hongjun , Ming Guo-li , Xu Zhiheng
Published: June 2016

Several genome- and proteome-wide studies have associated transcription and translation changes of CRMP2 (collapsing response mediator protein 2) with psychiatric disorders, yet little is known about its function in the developing or adult mammalian brain in vivo. Here we show that brain-specific Crmp2 knockout (cKO) mice display molecular, cellular, structural and behavioural deficits, many of which are reminiscent of neural features and symptoms associated with schizophrenia. cKO mice exhibit enlarged ventricles and impaired social behaviour, locomotor activity, and learning and memory. Loss of Crmp2 in the hippocampus leads to reduced long-term potentiation, abnormal NMDA receptor composition, aberrant dendrite development and defective synapse formation in CA1 neurons. Furthermore, knockdown of crmp2 specifically in newborn neurons results in stage-dependent defects in their development during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Our findings reveal a critical role for CRMP2 in neuronal plasticity, neural function and behavioural modulation in mice.
A simple two-state protein unfolds mechanically via multiple heterogeneous pathways at single-molecule resolution
Authors: Schönfelder Jörg , Perez-Jimenez Raul , Muñoz Victor
Published: June 2016

A major drive in protein folding has been to develop experimental technologies to resolve the myriads of microscopic pathways and complex mechanisms that purportedly underlie simple two-state folding behaviour. This is key for cross-validating predictions from theory and modern computer simulations. Detecting such complexity experimentally has remained elusive even using methods with improved time, structural or single-molecule resolution. Here, we investigate the mechanical unfolding of cold shock protein B (Csp), a showcase two-state folder, using single-molecule force-spectroscopy. Under controlled-moderate pulling forces, the unfolding of Csp emerges as highly heterogeneous with trajectories ranging from single sweeps to different combinations of multiple long-lived mechanical intermediates that also vary in order of appearance. Steered molecular dynamics simulations closely reproduce the experimental observations, thus matching unfolding patterns with structural events. Our results provide a direct glimpse at the nanoscale complexity underlying two-state folding, and postulate these combined methods as unique tools for dissecting the mechanical unfolding mechanisms of such proteins.
Quasi 2D electronic states with high spin-polarization in centrosymmetric MoS2 bulk crystals
Authors: Gehlmann Mathias , Aguilera Irene , Bihlmayer Gustav , Młyńczak Ewa , Eschbach Markus , Döring Sven , Gospodarič Pika , Cramm Stefan , Kardynał Beata , Plucinski Lukasz , Blügel Stefan , Schneider Claus M.
Published: June 2016

Time reversal dictates that nonmagnetic, centrosymmetric crystals cannot be spin-polarized as a whole. However, it has been recently shown that the electronic structure in these crystals can in fact show regions of high spin-polarization, as long as it is probed locally in real and in reciprocal space. In this article we present the first observation of this type of compensated polarization in MoS2 bulk crystals. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we directly observed a spin-polarization of more than 65% for distinct valleys in the electronic band structure. By additionally evaluating the probing depth of our method, we find that these valence band states at the "Equation missing" point in the Brillouin zone are close to fully polarized for the individual atomic trilayers of MoS2, which is confirmed by our density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, we show that this spin-layer locking leads to the observation of highly spin-polarized bands in ARPES since these states are almost completely confined within two dimensions. Our findings prove that these highly desired properties of MoS2 can be accessed without thinning it down to the monolayer limit.
Novel strip-cast Mg/Al clad sheets with excellent tensile and interfacial bonding properties
Authors: Kim Jung-Su , Lee Dong Ho , Jung Seung-Pill , Lee Kwang Seok , Kim Ki Jong , Kim Hyoung Seop , Lee Byeong-Joo , Chang Young Won , Yuh Junhan , Lee Sunghak
Published: June 2016

In order to broaden industrial applications of Mg alloys, as lightest-weight metal alloys in practical uses, many efforts have been dedicated to manufacture various clad sheets which can complement inherent shortcomings of Mg alloys. Here, we present a new fabrication method of Mg/Al clad sheets by bonding thin Al alloy sheet on to Mg alloy melt during strip casting. In the as-strip-cast Mg/Al clad sheet, homogeneously distributed equi-axed dendrites existed in the Mg alloy side and two types of thin reaction layers, i.e., γ (Mg17Al12) and β (Mg2Al3) phases, were formed along the Mg/Al interface. After post-treatments (homogenization, warm rolling and annealing), the interfacial layers were deformed in a sawtooth shape by forming deformation bands in the Mg alloy and interfacial layers, which favorably led to dramatic improvement in tensile and interfacial bonding properties. This work presents new applications to multi-functional lightweight alloy sheets requiring excellent formability, surface quality and corrosion resistance as well as tensile and interfacial bonding properties.
Efficient scheme for hybrid teleportation via entangled coherent states in circuit quantum electrodynamics
Authors: Joo Jaewoo , Ginossar Eran
Published: June 2016

We propose a deterministic scheme for teleporting an unknown qubit state through continuous-variable entangled states in superconducting circuits. The qubit is a superconducting two-level system and the bipartite quantum channel is a microwave photonic entangled coherent state between two cavities. A Bell-type measurement performed on the hybrid state of solid and photonic states transfers a discrete-variable unknown electronic state to a continuous-variable photonic cat state in a cavity mode. In order to facilitate the implementation of such complex protocols we propose a design for reducing the self-Kerr nonlinearity in the cavity. The teleporation scheme enables quantum information processing operations with circuit-QED based on entangled coherent states. These include state verification and single-qubit operations with entangled coherent states. These are shown to be experimentally feasible with the state of the art superconducting circuits.
Rapid and sensitive detection of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with fluorescence probe targeting dipeptidylpeptidase IV
Authors: Onoyama Haruna , Kamiya Mako , Kuriki Yugo , Komatsu Toru , Abe Hiroyuki , Tsuji Yosuke , Yagi Koichi , Yamagata Yukinori , Aikou Susumu , Nishida Masato , Mori Kazuhiko , Yamashita Hiroharu , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro , Nomura Sachiyo , Shimizu Nobuyuki , Fukayama Masashi , Koike Kazuhiko , Urano Yasuteru , Seto Yasuyuki
Published: June 2016

Early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an important prognosticator, but is difficult to achieve by conventional endoscopy. Conventional lugol chromoendoscopy and equipment-based image-enhanced endoscopy, such as narrow-band imaging (NBI), have various practical limitations. Since fluorescence-based visualization is considered a promising approach, we aimed to develop an activatable fluorescence probe to visualize ESCCs. First, based on the fact that various aminopeptidase activities are elevated in cancer, we screened freshly resected specimens from patients with a series of aminopeptidase-activatable fluorescence probes. The results indicated that dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP-IV) is specifically activated in ESCCs and would be a suitable molecular target for detection of esophageal cancer. Therefore, we designed, synthesized and characterized a series of DPP-IV-activatable fluorescence probes. When the selected probe was topically sprayed onto endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgical specimens, tumors were visualized within 5 min and when the probe was sprayed on biopsy samples, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy reached 96.9%, 85.7% and 90.5%. We believe that DPP-IV-targeted activatable fluorescence probes are practically translatable as convenient tools for clinical application to enable rapid and accurate diagnosis of early esophageal cancer during endoscopic or surgical procedures.
Dopamine Receptor Antagonists Enhance Proliferation and Neurogenesis of Midbrain Lmx1a-expressing Progenitors
Authors: Hedlund Eva , Belnoue Laure , Theofilopoulos Spyridon , Salto Carmen , Bye Chris , Parish Clare , Deng Qiaolin , Kadkhodaei Banafsheh , Ericson Johan , Arenas Ernest , Perlmann Thomas , Simon András
Published: June 2016

Degeneration of dopamine neurons in the midbrain causes symptoms of the movement disorder, Parkinson disease. Dopamine neurons are generated from proliferating progenitor cells localized in the embryonic ventral midbrain. However, it remains unclear for how long cells with dopamine progenitor character are retained and if there is any potential for reactivation of such cells after cessation of normal dopamine neurogenesis. We show here that cells expressing Lmx1a and other progenitor markers remain in the midbrain aqueductal zone beyond the major dopamine neurogenic period. These cells express dopamine receptors, are located in regions heavily innervated by midbrain dopamine fibres and their proliferation can be stimulated by antagonizing dopamine receptors, ultimately leading to increased neurogenesis in vivo. Furthermore, treatment with dopamine receptor antagonists enhances neurogenesis in vitro, both from embryonic midbrain progenitors as well as from embryonic stem cells. Altogether our results indicate a potential for reactivation of resident midbrain cells with dopamine progenitor potential beyond the normal period of dopamine neurogenesis.
The study of the relation of DNA repair pathway genes SNPs and the sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy of NSCLC
Authors: Wang Chunbo , Nie Huan , Li Yiqun , Liu Guiyou , Wang Xu , Xing Shijie , Zhang Liping , Chen Xin , Chen Yue , Li Yu
Published: June 2016

To analyze the relation between SNPs in DNA repair pathway-related genes and sensitivity of tumor radio-chemotherapy, 26 SNPs in 20 DNA repair genes were genotyped on 176 patients of NSCLC undertaking radio-chemotherapy treatment. In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), as the rs2228000, rs2228001 (XPC), rs2273953 (TP73), rs2279744 (MDM2), rs2299939 (PTEN) and rs8178085, rs12334811 (DNA-PKcs) affected the sensitivity to chemotherapy, so did the rs8178085, rs12334811 to radiotherapy. Moreover rs344781, rs2273953 and rs12334811 were related with the survival time of SCC. In general, the “good” genotype GG (rs12334811) showed greater efficacy of radio-chemotherapy and MSF (24 months) on SCC. In adenocarcinoma, as the rs2699887 (PIK3), rs12334811 (DNA-PKcs) influenced the sensitivity to chemotherapy, so did the rs2299939, rs2735343 (PTEN) to radiotherapy. And rs402710, rs80270, rs2279744 and rs2909430 impacted the survival time of the adenocarcinoma patients. Both GG (rs2279744) and AG (rs2909430) showed a shorter survival time (MFS = 6). Additionally, some SNPs such as rs2228000, rs2228001 and rs344781 were found to regulate the expression of DNA repair pathway genes through eQTLs dataset analysis. These results indicate that SNPs in DNA repair pathway genes might regulate the expression and affect the DNA damage repair, and thereby impact the efficacy of radio-chemotherapy and the survival time of NSCLC.
Shear-induced enhancements of crystallization kinetics and morphological transformation for long chain branched polylactides with different branching degrees
Authors: Wang Junyang , Bai Jing , Zhang Yaqiong , Fang Huagao , Wang Zhigang
Published: June 2016

The effects of long chain branching (LCB) degree on the shear-induced isothermal crystallization kinetics of a series of LCB polylactides (LCB PLAs) have been investigated by using rotational rheometer, polarized optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Dynamic viscoelastic properties obtained by small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) tests indicate that LCB PLAs show more broadened relaxation time spectra with increasing LCB degree. Upon a pre-shear at the shear rate of 1 s−1 LCB PLAs show much faster crystallization kinetics than linear PLA and the crystallization kinetics is enhanced with increasing LCB degree. By modeling the system as a suspension the quantitative evaluation of nucleation density can be derived from rheological experiments. The nucleation density is greatly enhanced with increasing LCB degree and a saturation in shear time is observed. Crystalline morphologies for LCB PLAs observed by POM and SEM demonstrate the enhancement of nucleation density with increasing LCB degree and a transformation from spherulitic to orientated crystalline morphologies. The observation can be ascribed to longer relaxation time of the longest macromolecular chains and broadened, complex relaxation behaviors due to the introduction of LCB into PLA, which is essential in stabilizing the orientated crystal nuclei after pre-shear.
Large area molybdenum disulphide- epitaxial graphene vertical Van der Waals heterostructures
Authors: Pierucci Debora , Henck Hugo , Naylor Carl H. , Sediri Haikel , Lhuillier Emmanuel , Balan Adrian , Rault Julien E. , Dappe Yannick J. , Bertran François , Fèvre Patrick Le , Johnson A. T. Charlie , Ouerghi Abdelkarim
Published: June 2016

Two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) show great potential for optoelectronic devices due to their electronic and optical properties. A metal-semiconductor interface, as epitaxial graphene - molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), is of great interest from the standpoint of fundamental science, as it constitutes an outstanding platform to investigate the interlayer interaction in van der Waals heterostructures. Here, we study large area MoS2-graphene-heterostructures formed by direct transfer of chemical-vapor deposited MoS2 layer onto epitaxial graphene/SiC. We show that via a direct transfer, which minimizes interface contamination, we can obtain high quality and homogeneous van der Waals heterostructures. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements combined with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations show that the transition from indirect to direct bandgap in monolayer MoS2 is maintained in these heterostructures due to the weak van der Waals interaction with epitaxial graphene. A downshift of the Raman 2D band of the graphene, an up shift of the A1g peak of MoS2 and a significant photoluminescence quenching are observed for both monolayer and bilayer MoS2 as a result of charge transfer from MoS2 to epitaxial graphene under illumination. Our work provides a possible route to modify the thin film TDMCs photoluminescence properties via substrate engineering for future device design.
Bioabsorbable zinc ion induced biphasic cellular responses in vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Ma Jun , Zhao Nan , Zhu Donghui
Published: June 2016

Bioabsorbable metal zinc (Zn) is a promising new generation of implantable scaffold for cardiovascular and orthopedic applications. In cardiovascular stent applications, zinc ion (Zn2+) will be gradually released into the surrounding vascular tissues from such Zn-containing scaffolds after implantation. However, the interactions between vascular cells and Zn2+ are still largely unknown. We explored the short-term effects of extracellular Zn2+ on human smooth muscle cells (SMCs) up to 24 h and an interesting biphasic effect of Zn2+ was observed. Lower concentrations (<80 μM) of Zn2+ had no adverse effects on cell viability but promoted cell adhesion, cell spreading, cell proliferation, cell migration and enhanced the expression of F-actin and vinculin. Cells treated with such lower concentrations of Zn2+ displayed an elongated shape compared to controls without any treatment. In contrast, cells treated with higher Zn2+ concentrations (80–120 μM) had opposite cellular responses and behaviors. Gene expression profiles revealed that the most affected functional genes were related to angiogenesis, inflammation, cell adhesion, vessel tone and platelet aggregation. Results indicated that Zn has interesting concentration-dependent biphasic effects on SMCs with low concentrations being beneficial to cellular functions.
Privacy Preserving Quantum Anonymous Transmission via Entanglement Relay
Authors: Yang Wei , Huang Liusheng , Song Fang
Published: June 2016

Anonymous transmission is an interesting and crucial issue in computer communication area, which plays a supplementary role to data privacy. In this paper, we put forward a privacy preserving quantum anonymous transmission protocol based on entanglement relay, which constructs anonymous entanglement from EPR pairs instead of multi-particle entangled state, e.g. GHZ state. Our protocol achieves both sender anonymity and receiver anonymity against an active adversary and tolerates any number of corrupt participants. Meanwhile, our protocol obtains an improvement in efficiency compared to quantum schemes in previous literature.
Proteomic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum parasites from patients with cerebral and uncomplicated malaria
Authors: Bertin Gwladys I. , Sabbagh Audrey , Argy Nicolas , Salnot Virginie , Ezinmegnon Sem , Agbota Gino , Ladipo Yélé , Alao Jules M. , Sagbo Gratien , Guillonneau François , Deloron Philippe
Published: June 2016

Plasmodium falciparum is responsible of severe malaria, including cerebral malaria (CM). During its intra-erythrocytic maturation, parasite-derived proteins are expressed, exported and presented at the infected erythrocyte membrane. To identify new CM-specific parasite membrane proteins, we conducted a mass spectrometry-based proteomic study and compared the protein expression profiles between 9 CM and 10 uncomplicated malaria (UM) samples. Among the 1097 Plasmodium proteins identified, we focused on the 499 membrane-associated and hypothetical proteins for comparative analysis. Filter-based feature selection methods combined with supervised data analysis identified a subset of 29 proteins distinguishing CM and UM samples with high classification accuracy. A hierarchical clustering analysis of these 29 proteins based on the similarity of their expression profiles revealed two clusters of 15 and 14 proteins, respectively under- and over-expressed in CM. Among the over-expressed proteins, the MESA protein is expressed at the erythrocyte membrane, involved in proteins trafficking and in the export of variant surface antigens (VSAs), but without antigenic function. Antigen 332 protein is exported at the erythrocyte, also involved in protein trafficking and in VSAs export and exposed to the immune system. Our proteomics data demonstrate an association of selected proteins in the pathophysiology of CM.
Structural Brain Alterations Associated with Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Boucetta Soufiane , Salimi Ali , Dadar Mahsa , Jones Barbara E. , Collins D. Louis , Dang-Vu Thien Thanh
Published: June 2016

Characterized by dream-enactment motor manifestations arising from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is frequently encountered in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Yet the specific neurostructural changes associated with RBD in PD patients remain to be revealed by neuroimaging. Here we identified such neurostructural alterations by comparing large samples of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in 69 PD patients with probable RBD, 240 patients without RBD and 138 healthy controls, using deformation-based morphometry (p < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). All data were extracted from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative. PD patients with probable RBD showed smaller volumes than patients without RBD and than healthy controls in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum, medullary reticular formation, hypothalamus, thalamus, putamen, amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex. These results demonstrate that RBD is associated with a prominent loss of volume in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum, where cholinergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons are located and implicated in the promotion of REM sleep and muscle atonia. It is additionally associated with more widespread atrophy in other subcortical and cortical regions whose loss also likely contributes to the altered regulation of sleep-wake states and motor activity underlying RBD in PD patients.
Stemness and chemoresistance in epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells under shear stress
Authors: Ip Carman K. M. , Li Shan-Shan , Tang Matthew Y. H. , Sy Samuel K. H. , Ren Yong , Shum Ho Cheung , Wong Alice S. T.
Published: June 2016

One of greatest challenges to the successful treatment of cancer is drug resistance. An exciting approach is the eradication of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, little is known about key signals regulating the formation and expansion of CSCs. Moreover, lack of a reliable predictive preclinical model has been a major obstacle to discover new cancer drugs and predict their clinical activity. Here, in ovarian cancer, a highly chemoresistant tumor that is rapidly fatal, we provide the first evidence demonstrating the causal involvement of mechanical stimulus in the CSC phenotype using a customizable microfluidic platform and three-dimensional spheroids, which most closely mimic tumor behavior. We found that ovarian cancer cells significantly acquired the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and CSC markers and a remarkable chemoresistance to clinically relevant doses of frontline chemotherapeutic drugs cisplatin and paclitaxel when grown under fluid shear stress, which corroborates with the physiological attainable levels in the malignant ascites, but not under static condition. Furthermore, we uncovered a new link of microRNA-199a-3p, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and multidrug transporter activation in shear stress-induced CSC enrichment. Our findings shed new light on the significance of hydrodynamics in cancer progression, emphasizing the need of a flow-informed framework in the development of therapeutics.
Second order anisotropy contribution in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Timopheev A. A. , Sousa R. , Chshiev M. , Nguyen H. T. , Dieny B.
Published: June 2016

Hard-axis magnetoresistance loops were measured on perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction pillars of diameter ranging from 50 to 150 nm. By fitting these loops to an analytical model, the effective anisotropy fields in both free and reference layers were derived and their variations in temperature range between 340 K and 5 K were determined. It is found that a second-order anisotropy term of the form −K2cos4θ must be added to the conventional uniaxial –K1cos2θ term to explain the experimental data. This higher order contribution exists both in the free and reference layers. At T = 300 K, the estimated −K2/K1 ratios are 0.1 and 0.24 for the free and reference layers, respectively. The ratio is more than doubled at low temperatures changing the ground state of the reference layer from “easy-axis” to “easy-cone” regime. The easy-cone regime has clear signatures in the shape of the hard-axis magnetoresistance loops. The existence of this higher order anisotropy was also confirmed by ferromagnetic resonance experiments on FeCoB/MgO sheet films. It is of interfacial nature and is believed to be due to spatial fluctuations at the nanoscale of the first order anisotropy parameter at the FeCoB/MgO interface.
Overcoming inter-subspecific hybrid sterility in rice by developing indica-compatible japonica lines
Authors: Guo Jie , Xu Xiaomei , Li Wentao , Zhu Wenyin , Zhu Haitao , Liu Ziqiang , Luan Xin , Dai Ziju , Liu Guifu , Zhang Zemin , Zeng Ruizhen , Tang Guang , Fu Xuelin , Wang Shaokui , Zhang Guiquan
Published: June 2016

Rice (Oryza sativaL.) is an important staple crop. The exploitation of the great heterosis that exists in the inter-subspecific crosses between theindicaandjaponicarice has long been considered as a promising way to increase the yield potential. However, the male and female sterility frequently occurred in the inter-subspecific hybrids hampered the utilization of the heterosis. Here we report that the inter-subspecific hybrid sterility in rice is mainly affected by the genes atSb,Sc,SdandSeloci for F1male sterility and the gene atS5locus for F1female sterility. Theindica-compatiblejaponicalines (ICJLs) developed by pyramiding theindicaallele (S-i) atSb,Sc,SdandSeloci and the neutral allele (S-n) atS5locus injaponicagenetic background through marker-assisted selection are compatible withindicarice in pollen fertility and in spikelet fertility. These results showed a great promise of overcoming the inter-subspecific hybrid sterility and exploiting the heterosis by developing ICJLs.
Small groups and long memories promote cooperation
Authors: Stewart Alexander J. , Plotkin Joshua B.
Published: June 2016

Complex social behaviors lie at the heart of many of the challenges facing evolutionary biology, sociology, economics, and beyond. For evolutionary biologists the question is often how group behaviors such as collective action, or decision making that accounts for memories of past experience, can emerge and persist in an evolving system. Evolutionary game theory provides a framework for formalizing these questions and admitting them to rigorous study. Here we develop such a framework to study the evolution of sustained collective action in multi-player public-goods games, in which players have arbitrarily long memories of prior rounds of play and can react to their experience in an arbitrary way. We construct a coordinate system for memory-m strategies in iterated n-player games that permits us to characterize all cooperative strategies that resist invasion by any mutant strategy, and stabilize cooperative behavior. We show that, especially when groups are small, longer-memory strategies make cooperation easier to evolve, by increasing the number of ways to stabilize cooperation. We also explore the co-evolution of behavior and memory. We find that even when memory has a cost, longer-memory strategies often evolve, which in turn drives the evolution of cooperation, even when the benefits for cooperation are low.
Correction: Corrigendum: Direct Synthesis of Novel and Reactive Sulfide-modified Nano Iron through Nanoparticle Seeding for Improved Cadmium-Contaminated Water Treatment
Authors: Su Yiming , Adeleye Adeyemi S. , Huang Yuxiong , Zhou Xuefei , Keller Arturo A. , Zhang Yalei
Published: June 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 24358; published online: 20 April 2016; updated: 01 June 2016. There is a typographical error in Table 2: “Size of single Fe0 grain calculated by XRD (δ, nm)”. should read: “Size of single Fe0 grain calculated by XRD (δ, Å)”.
A neuron-in-capillary platform for facile collection and mass spectrometric characterization of a secreted neuropeptide
Authors: Lee Chang Young , Fan Yi , Rubakhin Stanislav S. , Yoon Sook , Sweedler Jonathan V.
Published: June 2016

The integration of microfluidic devices—which efficiently handle small liquid volumes—with separations/mass spectrometry (MS) is an effective approach for profiling the neurochemistry occurring in selected neurons. Interfacing the microfluidic cell culture to the mass spectrometer is challenging because of geometric and scaling issues. Here we demonstrate the hyphenation of a neuron-in-capillary platform to a solid phase extraction device and off-line MS. A primary neuronal culture of Aplysia californica neurons was established directly inside a cylindrical polyimide capillary. The approach also uses a particle-embedded monolith to condition neuropeptide releasates collected from several Aplysia neurons cultured in the capillary, with the subsequent characterization of released peptides via MS. This system presents a number of advances compared to more traditional microfluidic devices fabricated with polydimethylsiloxane. These include low cost, easy access to cell culture, rigidity, ease of transport, and minimal fluid handling. The cylindrical geometry of the platform allows convenient interface with a wide range of analytical tools that utilize capillary columns.
Single-shot and single-sensor high/super-resolution microwave imaging based on metasurface
Authors: Wang Libo , Li Lianlin , Li Yunbo , Zhang Hao Chi , Cui Tie Jun
Published: June 2016

Real-time high-resolution (including super-resolution) imaging with low-cost hardware is a long sought-after goal in various imaging applications. Here, we propose broadband single-shot and single-sensor high-/super-resolution imaging by using a spatio-temporal dispersive metasurface and an imaging reconstruction algorithm. The metasurface with spatio-temporal dispersive property ensures the feasibility of the single-shot and single-sensor imager for super- and high-resolution imaging, since it can convert efficiently the detailed spatial information of the probed object into one-dimensional time- or frequency-dependent signal acquired by a single sensor fixed in the far-field region. The imaging quality can be improved by applying a feature-enhanced reconstruction algorithm in post-processing and the desired imaging resolution is related to the distance between the object and metasurface. When the object is placed in the vicinity of the metasurface, the super-resolution imaging can be realized. The proposed imaging methodology provides a unique means to perform real-time data acquisition, high-/super-resolution images without employing expensive hardware (e.g. mechanical scanner, antenna array, etc.). We expect that this methodology could make potential breakthroughs in the areas of microwave, terahertz, optical and even ultrasound imaging.
Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of bacterial magnetosomes against human retinal pigment epithelium cells
Authors: Qi Lei , Lv Xiujuan , Zhang Tongwei , Jia Peina , Yan Ruiying , Li Shuli , Zou Ruitao , Xue Yuhua , Dai Liming
Published: June 2016

A variety of nanomaterials have been developed for ocular diseases. The ability of these nanomaterials to pass through the blood-ocular barrier and their biocompatibility are essential characteristics that must be considered. Bacterial magnetosomes (BMs) are a type of biogenic magnetic nanomaterials synthesized by magnetotactic bacteria. Due to their unique biomolecular membrane shell and narrow size distribution of approximately 30 nm, BMs can pass through the blood-brain barrier. The similarity of the blood-ocular barrier to the blood-brain barrier suggests that BMs have great potential as treatments for ocular diseases. In this work, BMs were isolated from magnetotactic bacteria and evaluated in various cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies in human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells. The BMs entered ARPE-19 cells by endocytosis after a 6-h incubation and displayed much lower cytotoxicity than chemically synthesized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). MNPs exhibited significantly higher genotoxicity than BMs and promoted the expression of Bax (the programmed cell death acceleration protein) and the induction of greater cell necrosis. In BM-treated cells, apoptosis tended to be suppressed via increased expression of the Bcl-2 protein. In conclusion, BMs display excellent biocompatibility and potential for use in the treatment of ocular diseases.
Kinetic instability, symmetry breaking and role of geometric constraints on the upper bounds of disorder in two dimensional packings
Authors: Kishore Raj , Das Shreeja , Nussinov Zohar , Sahu Kisor K.
Published: June 2016

Although the energetics of grain boundaries are more or less understood, their mechanical description remains challenging primarily because of very fast dynamics in the atomic length scale. By contrast, granular dynamics are extraordinarily sluggish. In this study, two dimensional centripetal packings of macroscopic granular particles are employed to investigate the role of geometric aspects of grain boundary formation. Using a novel sampling scheme, the extensive configuration space is well represented by a few prominent structures. Our results suggest that cohesive effects “iron out” any disorder present and enforce a transition towards a “fixed point” basin associated with a universal high density jammed hexagonal structure. Two main conjectures are advanced: (i) the appearance of grain boundary like structures is the manifestation of the kinetic instabilities of the densification process and has its origin in the structural rearrangement and (ii) the departure from six-fold coordination in the final packing is bounded from above by a sixth of the angular dispersion present in the initial configuration. If similar predictive consequences are further developed for three dimensional cases, this may have far reaching consequences in many areas of science and technology.
Alteration of the Intra- and Cross- Hemisphere Posterior Default Mode Network in Frontal Lobe Glioma Patients
Authors: Zhang Haosu , Shi Yonghong , Yao Chengjun , Tang Weijun , Yao Demin , Zhang Chenxi , Wang Manning , Wu Jinsong , Song Zhijian
Published: June 2016

Patients with frontal lobe gliomas often experience neurocognitive dysfunctions before surgery, which affects the default mode network (DMN) to different degrees. This study quantitatively analyzed this effect from the perspective of cerebral hemispheric functional connectivity (FC). We collected resting-state fMRI data from 20 frontal lobe glioma patients before treatment and 20 healthy controls. All of the patients and controls were right-handed. After pre-processing the images, FC maps were built from the seed defined in the left or right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to the target regions determined in the left or right temporal-parietal junction (TPJ), respectively. The intra- and cross-group statistical calculations of FC strength were compared. The conclusions were as follows: (1) the intra-hemisphere FC strength values between the PCC and TPJ on the left and right were decreased in patients compared with controls; and (2) the correlation coefficients between the FC pairs in the patients were increased compared with the corresponding controls. When all of the patients were grouped by their tumor’s hemispheric location, (3) the FC of the subgroups showed that the dominant hemisphere was vulnerable to glioma, and (4) the FC in the dominant hemisphere showed a significant correlation with WHO grade.
Duality picture of Superconductor-insulator transitions on Superconducting nanowire
Authors: Makise Kazumasa , Terai Hirotaka , Tominari Yukihiro , Tanaka Shukichi , Shinozaki Bunju
Published: June 2016

In this study, we investigated the electrical transport properties of niobium titanium nitride (NbTiN) nanowire with four-terminal geometries to clarify the superconducting phase slip phenomena and superconducting-insulator transitions (SIT) for one-dimensional superconductors. We fabricated various nanowires with different widths and lengths from epitaxial NbTiN films using the electron beam lithography method. The temperature dependence of resistance R(T) below the superconducting transition temperature Tc was analyzed using thermal activation phase slip (TAPS) and quantum phase slip (QPS) theories. Although the accuracy of experimental data at low temperatures can deviate when using the TAPS model, the QPS model thoroughly represents the R(T) characteristic with resistive tail at low temperatures. From the analyses of data on Tc, we found that NbTiN nanowires exhibit SIT because of the change in the ratio of kinetic inductance energy and QPS amplitude energy with respect to the flux-charge duality theory.