bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of the putative mature larva of the Neotropical genus Stenhelmoides Grouvelle (Coleoptera: Elmidae)
Authors: González-Córdoba Marcela , Martínez-Román Nicolás Rafael , del Carmen Zúñiga María , Manzo Verónica , Archangelsky Miguel
Published: April 2020

Stenhelmoides Grouvelle is a Neotropical genus of Elmidae and although it exhibits a wide distribution, until now no larvae had been associated with adults of this genus. Larvae, very likely belonging to this genus, were associated based on co-occurrence with adults. Eleven larvae and nine adults were examined from ten localities at altitudes between 30 and 682 m a.s.l. in the Andean, Caribbean and Pacific regions in Colombia. Mature larvae of the Stenhelmoides rufulus (Hinton) are described and illustrated for the first time. A larval diagnosis for the genus is presented; body shape, distribution and form of setae and number of pleural sclerites are diagnostic characters for larvae of this genus. Comparative notes with similar larvae of other Elmidae genera are presented. The existing generic keys are updated to include larvae of Stenhelmoides. Comments on distribution and habitat of Stenhelmoides larvae are also provided. This work contributes to enhance the knowledge of Neotropical larvae, which have been described for only approximately 56% of genera and 8% of species of Elmidae.
Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on 25-hydroxyvitamin D, irisin, myostatin, and interleukin-6 levels in healthy young men of different fitness levels
Authors: Śliwicka Ewa , Cisoń Tomasz , Straburzyńska-Lupa Anna , Pilaczyńska-Szcześniak Łucja
Published: April 2020

Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue play an important role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and thermogenesis. We aimed to investigate the effects of single and repeated exposure to whole-body cryotherapy in volunteers with different physical fitness levels on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and myokines. The study included 22 healthy male volunteers (mean age: 21 ± 1.17 years), who underwent 10 consecutive sessions in a cryogenic chamber once daily (3 minutes, −110 °C). Blood samples were collected before and 30 minutes and 24 hours after the first and last cryotherapy sessions. Prior to treatment, body composition and physical fitness levels were measured. After 10 cryotherapy treatments, significant changes were found in myostatin concentrations in the low physical fitness level (LPhL) group. The 25(OH)D levels were increased in the high physical fitness level (HPhL) group and decreased in the LPhL group. The HPhL group had significant changes in the level of high-sensitivity interleukin-6 after the first treatment. The LPhL group had significant changes in 25(OH)D, irisin, and myostatin levels after the tenth treatment. Our data demonstrated that in healthy young men, cryotherapy affects 25(OH)D levels, but they were small and transient. The body’s response to a series of 10 cryotherapy treatments is modified by physical fitness level.
Preparation of Novel Mesoporous Silica Using a Self-Assembled Graphene Oxide Template
Authors: Park Kyeong-Won , Kwon Oh-Yun
Published: April 2020

Novel mesoporous silicas rolled with silica sheets with 2D regular spacing were prepared using a self-assembled graphene oxide (GO) template formed by mixing GO with Pluronic123 (P123). Self-assembled GO templated mesoporous silicas (SGT-PMS) showed well-developed X-ray diffraction peaks with d-spacings of 9.8–10.8 nm depending on the amount of GO, indicating mesoporous structures. The specific surface areas increased from 603.8 to 861.2 m2g−1 on adding GO. The pore size distribution was in the range 5.1–5.8 nm and pore volume in the range 0.80–0.99 m3g−1. The SEM images of SGT-PMS showed irregular elliptical particles with various sizes. TEM images showed that the cross section of SGT-PMS particles comprises a roll of silica sheets with 2D regular spacing. The pore walls of SGT-PMS are firmer and thicker than those for PMS without GO as indicated by the corresponding intensities of Q3 and Q4 signals. These results were explained well by the self-assembled GO templating mechanism.
The sugar substitute Stevia shortens the lifespan of Aedes aegypti potentially by N-linked protein glycosylation
Authors: Sharma Arvind , Reyes Jeremiah , Borgmeyer David , Ayala-Chavez Cuauhtemoc , Snow Katie , Arshad Fiza , Nuss Andrew , Gulia-Nuss Monika
Published: April 2020

Adult male and female mosquitoes consume sugar as floral and extrafloral nectar. Earlier work demonstrated that mosquito populations and their vector potential are dependent upon the availability of sugar sources. Thus, a novel method of vector control may involve targeting sugar-feeding mosquitoes. Multiple human-safe sugar substitutes are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are readily available. However, plant-based sugar substitutes such as stevia (erythritol) have been shown to affect lifespan in other flies. Therefore, the current study was carried out to test the potential of commercially available sugar substitutes to adversely affect the survival, fecundity, and metabolism of adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Of the four sugar substitutes tested, erythritol (Stevia), sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal), and saccharin (Sweet’N Low), only erythritol negatively affected mosquito longevity and fecundity. The effect on fecundity was probably due in part to a corresponding decrease in glycogen and lipid levels over time in mosquitoes fed on erythritol. Comparative mosquito head transcriptomes indicated upregulation of a gene in the mannose biosynthesis pathway in females fed on erythritol, suggesting that N-linked glycosylation might be responsible for the negative impact of erythritol feeding in mosquitoes. Mosquitoes preferred sucrose when a choice was given but were not averse to erythritol. Our results suggest the possibility of using erythritol alone or in combination with sucrose as a component of attractive toxic sugar baits for a human-safe approach for mosquito control.
Author Correction: Various nanoparticle morphologies and surface properties of waterborne polyurethane controlled by water
Authors: Zhou Xing , Fang Changqing , Lei Wanqing , Du Jie , Huang Tingyi , Li Yan , Cheng Youliang
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Factors influencing PCV13 specific antibody response in Danish children starting in day care
Authors: Fjeldhøj Sine , Fuglsang Eva , Sørensen Camilla Adler , Frøkiær Hanne , Krogfelt Karen Angeliki , Laursen Rikke Pilmann , Slotved Hans-Christian
Published: April 2020

This study examines different factors influencing the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) specific antibody response in 8–13 months old Danish children starting in day care. We present secondary findings to the ProbiComp study, which included nose swabs, buccal swabs and blood samples from the children before entering day care (baseline) and again after 6 months. Pneumococci isolated from nose swabs were identified by latex agglutination kit and Quellung reaction. Luminex-based assay was used for antibody measurements against specific anti-pneumococcal capsular IgG. Buccal gene expression was analyzed by qPCR. Statistical analyses were performed in R and included Pearson’s Chi-squared test, Welch two sample t-test and linear regression models. The PCV13 antibody response was unaffected by whether the children were carriers or non-carriers of any pneumococcal serotype. Having siblings increased the risk of carrying serotype 21 before day care (p = 0.020), and having siblings increased the PCV13 antibody response at the end of study (p = 0.0135). Hepatitis B-vaccination increased the PCV13 antibody response before day care attendance (p = 0.005). The expression of IL8 and IL1B was higher in children carrying any pneumococcal serotype at baseline compared to non-carriers (p = 0.0125 and p = 0.0268 respectively).
Volume Fabrication of Quantum Cascade Lasers on 200 mm-CMOS pilot line
Authors: Coutard J. G , Brun M. , Fournier M. , Lartigue O. , Fedeli F. , Maisons G. , Fedeli J. M , Nicoletti S. , Carras M. , Duraffourg L.
Published: April 2020

The manufacturing cost of quantum cascade lasers is still a major bottleneck for the adoption of this technology for chemical sensing. The integration of Mid-Infrared sources on Si substrate based on CMOS technology paves the way for high-volume low-cost fabrication. Furthermore, the use of Si-based fabrication platform opens the way to the co-integration of QCL Mid-InfraRed sources with SiGe-based waveguides, enabling realization of optical sensors fully integrated on planar substrate. We report here the fabrication and the characterization of DFB-QCL sources using top metal grating approach working at 7.4 µm fully implemented on our 200 mm CMOS pilot line. These QCL featured threshold current density of 2.5 kA/cm² and a linewidth of 0.16 cm−1 with a high fabrication yield. This approach paves the way toward a Mid-InfraRed spectrometer at the silicon chip level.
Investigating the Role of Myeloperoxidase and Angiopoietin-like Protein 6 in Obesity and Diabetes
Authors: Qaddoumi Mohammad G. , Alanbaei Muath , Hammad Maha M. , Al Khairi Irina , Cherian Preethi , Channanath Arshad , Thanaraj Thangavel Alphonse , Al-Mulla Fahd , Abu-Farha Mohamed , Abubaker Jehad
Published: April 2020

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is positively associated with obesity and diet-induced insulin resistance. Angiopoietin-like protein 6 (ANGPTL6) regulates metabolic processes and counteract obesity through increased energy expenditure. This study aims to evaluate the plasma MPO and ANGPTL6 levels in obese and diabetic individuals as well as MPO association with biochemical markers of obesity. A total of 238 participants were enrolled, including 137 control and 101 type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. ANGPTL6 and MPO levels and other biomarkers were measured via ELISA. ANGPTL6 levels were significantly higher in the diabetic population and obese individuals. When the group was stratified based on T2D, ANGPTL6 levels were significantly higher in obese-diabetic participants compared with non-obese-diabetics, but obese-non-diabetic individuals had similar ANGPTL6 levels to their controls. MPO levels were higher in obese compared with non-obese participants but did not differ between T2D and control participants. MPO levels were upregulated in obese compared with non-obese in both diabetics and non-diabetics. MPO was positively associated with ANGPTL6, triglyceride, BMI, TNF-alpha, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Taken together, our findings suggest that both MPO and ANGPTL6 may regulate obesity, although MPO exerts this effect independent of diabetes while ANGPTL6 may have a modulatory role in diabetes.
Fungal community shifts in soils with varied cover crop treatments and edaphic properties
Authors: Cloutier Mara L. , Murrell Ebony , Barbercheck Mary , Kaye Jason , Finney Denise , García-González Irene , Bruns Mary Ann
Published: April 2020

Cover cropping is proposed to enhance soil microbial diversity and activity, with cover crop type affecting microbial groups in different ways. We compared fungal community compositions of bulk soils differing by cover crop treatment, season, and edaphic properties in the third year of an organic, conventionally tilled rotation of corn-soybean-wheat planted with winter cover crops. We used Illumina amplicon sequencing fungal assemblages to evaluate effects of nine treatments, each replicated four times, consisting of six single winter cover crop species, a three-species mixture, a six-species mixture, and fallow. Alpha-diversity of fungal communities was not affected by cover crop species identity, function, or diversity. Sampling season influenced community composition as well as genus-level abundances of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Cover crop mixtures, specifically the three-species mixture, had distinct AM fungal community compositions, while cereal rye and forage radish monocultures had unique Core OTU compositions. Soil texture, pH, permanganate oxidizable carbon, and chemical properties including Cu, and P were important variables in models of fungal OTU distributions across groupings. These results showed how fungal composition and potential functions were shaped by cover crop treatment as well as soil heterogeneity.
Studies of structural determinants of substrate binding in the Creatine Transporter (CreaT, SLC6A8) using molecular models
Authors: Colas Claire , Banci Giulia , Martini Riccardo , Ecker Gerhard F.
Published: April 2020

Creatine is a crucial metabolite that plays a fundamental role in ATP homeostasis in tissues with high-energy demands. The creatine transporter (CreaT, SLC6A8) belongs to the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) transporters family, and more particularly to the GABA transporters (GATs) subfamily. Understanding the molecular determinants of specificity within the SLC6 transporters in general, and the GATs in particular is very challenging due to the high similarity of these proteins. In the study presented here, our efforts focused on finding key structural features involved in binding selectivity for CreaT using structure-based computational methods. Due to the lack of three-dimensional structures of SLC6A8, our approach was based on the realization of two reliable homology models of CreaT using the structures of two templates, i.e. the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) and the prokaryotic leucine transporter (LeuT). Our models reveal that an optimal complementarity between the shape of the binding site and the size of the ligands is necessary for transport. These findings provide a framework for a deeper understanding of substrate selectivity of the SLC6 family and other LeuT fold transporters.
iMM1865: A New Reconstruction of Mouse Genome-Scale Metabolic Model
Authors: Khodaee Saeideh , Asgari Yazdan , Totonchi Mehdi , Karimi-Jafari Mohammad Hossein
Published: April 2020

Since the first in silico generation of a genome-scale metabolic (GSM) model for Haemophilus influenzae in 1999, the GSM models have been reconstructed for various organisms including human and mouse. There are two important strategies for generating a GSM model: in the bottom-up approach, individual genomic and biochemical components are integrated to build a GSM model. Alternatively, the orthology-based strategy uses a previously reconstructed model of a reference organism to infer a GSM model of a target organism. Following the update and development of the metabolic network of reference organism, the model of the target organism can also be updated to eliminate defects. Here, we presented iMM1865 model as an orthology-based reconstruction of a GSM model for Mus musculus based on the last flux-consistent version of the human metabolic network, Recon3D. We proposed two versions of the new mouse model, iMM1865 and min-iMM1865, with the same number of gene-associated reactions but different subsets of non-gene-associated reactions. A third extended but flux-inconsistent model (iMM3254) was also created based on the extended version of Recon3D. Compared to the previously published mouse models, both versions of iMM1865 include more comprehensive annotations of metabolites and reactions with no dead-end metabolites and blocked reactions. We evaluated functionality of the models using 431 metabolic objective functions. iMM1865 and min-iMM1865 passed 93% and 87% of the tests, respectively, while iMM1415 and MMR (another available mouse GSM) passed 80% and 84% of the tests, respectively. Three versions of tissue-specific embryo heart models were also reconstructed from each of iMM1865 and min-iMM1865 using mCADRE algorithm with different thresholds on expression-based scores. The ability of corresponding GSM and embryo heart models to predict essential genes was assessed across experimentally derived lethal and viable gene sets. Our analysis revealed that tissue-specific models render much better predictions than GSM models.
Antifungal drug susceptibility, molecular basis of resistance to echinocandins and molecular epidemiology of fluconazole resistance among clinical Candida glabrata isolates in Kuwait
Authors: Al-Baqsami Zahraa F. , Ahmad Suhail , Khan Ziauddin
Published: April 2020

Candida glabrata readily develops resistance to echinocandins. Identification, antifungal susceptibility testing (AST) and resistance mechanism to echinocandins among C. glabrata was determined in Kuwait. C. glabrata isolates (n = 75) were tested by Vitek2, multiplex PCR and/or PCR-sequencing of rDNA. AST to fluconazole, caspofungin, micafungin and amphotericin B was determined by Etest and to micafungin by broth microdilution (BMD). Mutations in hotspot-1/hotspot-2 of FKS1/FKS2 and ERG11 were detected by PCR-sequencing. All isolates were identified as C. glabrata sensu stricto. Seventy isolates were susceptible and five were resistant to micafungin by Etest and BMD (essential agreement, 93%; categorical agreement, 100%). Three micafungin-resistant isolates were resistant and two were susceptible dose-dependent to caspofungin. Four and one micafungin-resistant isolate contained S663P and ∆659 F mutation, respectively, in hotspot-1 of FKS2. Micafungin-resistant isolates were genotypically distinct strains. Only one of 36 fluconazole-resistant isolate contained nonsynonymous ERG11 mutations. Thirty-four of 36 fluconazole-resistant isolates were genotypically distinct strains. Our data show that micafungin susceptibility reliably identifies echinocandin-resistant isolates and may serve as a surrogate marker for predicting susceptibility/resistance of C. glabrata to caspofungin. All micafungin-resistant isolates also harbored a nonsynonymous/deletion mutation in hotspot-1 of FKS2. Fingerprinting data showed that echinocandin/fluconazole resistance development in C. glabrata is not clonal.
Insights into the pathophysiology of DFNA10 hearing loss associated with novel EYA4 variants
Authors: Morín Matias , Borreguero Lucía , Booth Kevin T , Lachgar María , Huygen Patrick , Villamar Manuela , Mayo Fernando , Barrio Luis Carlos , Santos Serrão de Castro Luciana , Morales Carmelo , del Castillo Ignacio , Arellano Beatriz , Tellería Dolores , Smith Richard J. H. , Azaiez Hela , Moreno Pelayo M. A.
Published: April 2020

The mutational spectrum of many genes and their contribution to the global prevalence of hereditary hearing loss is still widely unknown. In this study, we have performed the mutational screening of EYA4 gene by DHLPC and NGS in a large cohort of 531 unrelated Spanish probands and one Australian family with autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss (ADNSHL). In total, 9 novel EYA4 variants have been identified, 3 in the EYA4 variable region (c.160G > T; p.Glu54*, c.781del; p.Thr261Argfs*34 and c.1078C > A; p.Pro360Thr) and 6 in the EYA-HR domain (c.1107G > T; p.Glu369Asp, c.1122G > T; p.Trp374Cys, c.1281G > A; p.Glu427Glu, c.1282-1G > A, c.1601C > G; p.S534* and an heterozygous copy number loss encompassing exons 15 to 17). The contribution of EYA4 mutations to ADNSHL in Spain is, therefore, very limited (~1.5%, 8/531). The pathophysiology of some of these novel variants has been explored. Transient expression of the c-myc-tagged EYA4 mutants in mammalian COS7 cells revealed absence of expression of the p.S534* mutant, consistent with a model of haploinsufficiency reported for all previously described EYA4 truncating mutations. However, normal expression pattern and translocation to the nucleus were observed for the p.Glu369Asp mutant in presence of SIX1. Complementary in silico analysis suggested that c.1107G > T (p.Glu369Asp), c.1281G > A (p.Glu427Glu) and c.1282-1G > A variants alter normal splicing. Minigene assays in NIH3T3 cells further confirmed that all 3 variants caused exon skipping resulting in frameshifts that lead to premature stop codons. Our study reports the first likely pathogenic synonymous variant linked to DFNA10 and provide further evidence for haploinsufficiency as the common underlying disease-causing mechanism for DFNA10-related hearing loss.
MicroRNA-520f-3p inhibits proliferation of gastric cancer cells via targeting SOX9 and thereby inactivating Wnt signaling
Authors: Chen Jian-qing , Huang Zhi-ping , Li Hui-fen , Ou Yang-liu , Huo Feng , Hu Liang-kai
Published: April 2020

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be important in a variety of cancer types. The specific expression and roles of miR-520f-3p in the context of gastric cancer (GC), however, remains unknown. Herein we determined miR-520f-3p expression to be significantly reduced in human GC cells compared to cells of the gastric epithelium, with comparable down-regulation also being evident in gastric cancer tissue samples and the low expression of this miRNA was positively correlated with features of more aggressive large tumor size (p = 0.019), depth of invasion (p = 0.008), and distant metastasis (p = 0.037). We further found that lower levels of miR-520f-3p corresponded with poorer GC patient overall (p = 0.003) and disease-free (p = 0.036) survival. When over-expressed in GC cells, miR-520f-3p was able to impair their growth, proliferation, and survival, instead leading to the induction of apoptosis. We further found that miR-520f-3p was able to bind the SOX9 3′-UTR, thereby negatively regulating its expression in GC cells. Consistent with this model, SOX9 and miR-520f-3p expression were negatively correlated with one another in GC tissues. When SOX9 was upregulated, this was also able to abrogate miR-520f-3p-mediated inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Together our findings thus suggest that miR-520f-3p can act to suppress GC progression, at least in part via suppressing SOX9 expression and thus disrupting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our results thus highlight potential novel therapeutic targets in GC worthy of future investigation.
The SLC6A3 gene polymorphism is related to the development of attentional functions but not to ADHD
Authors: Kuc Katarzyna , Bielecki Maksymilian , Racicka-Pawlukiewicz Ewa , Czerwinski Michał B. , Cybulska-Klosowicz Anita
Published: April 2020

Neuropharmacological and human clinical studies have suggested that the brain dopaminergic system is substantively involved in normal and pathological phenotypes of attention. Dopamine transporter gene (SLC6A3) was proposed as a candidate gene for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We investigated the effect of theSLC6A3variants on cognitive performance in ADHD and healthy children and teenagers. Participants completed cognitive tasks measuring attentional switching, selective and sustained attention, and effectiveness of alerting, orienting and executive attention. We estimated the effects of 40 bp variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism located in the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) (9-repeat vs 10-repeat allele) of theSLC6A3gene, ADHD diagnosis, age, and their interactions as predictors of cognitive performance. ADHD children demonstrated deficits in most of the examined attention processes, persistent within the examined age range (9–16 years). No significant effects were observed for the interaction of ADHD and theSLC6A3polymorphism, but the results revealed a significant main effect ofSLC6A3genotype in the entire research sample. Subjects carrying 9R allele performed the switching task significantly worse in comparison to children with 10R/10R or 10R/11R genotype.SLC6A3polymorphism moderated age-related improvements in orienting and attentional switching. Results suggest thatSLC6A3genotype influence these attentional/cognitive functions which deficits are not the key symptoms in ADHD.
Red List of vascular plants of Tajikistan – the core area of the Mountains of Central Asia global biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Nowak Arkadiusz , Świerszcz Sebastian , Nowak Sylwia , Hisorev Hikmat , Klichowska Ewelina , Wróbel Anna , Nobis Agnieszka , Nobis Marcin
Published: April 2020

Central Pamir-Alai, which is located almost entirely within the area of Tajikistan, is one of the world hotspots of biodiversity, harbouring ca. 4,300 species and 1,400 endemic plants. The first application of the IUCN Red List criteria reveals that among all native species occurring in Tajikistan 1,627 taxa (38.11%) are threatened, including 23 extinct (0.54%), 271 (6.34%) critically endangered (CR), 717 (16.79%) endangered (EN) and 639 (14.96%) vulnerable (VU). Globally, 20 taxa are extinct, 711 (16.65%) threatened, including 144 (3.37%) critically endangered, 322 (7.54%) endangered and 245 (5.73%) vulnerable. As we found positive correlation between human density and the number of threatened species, we suspect this indirect factor responsible for the species diversity decline. Extinct or threatened taxa have short blooming periods in spring or early summer, have limited geographical range and inhabit mainly valley bottoms at lower altitudes. Threatened taxa occupy extremely dry or wet habitats, such as deserts, semi-deserts, water reservoirs and fens. The group of threatened plants consists mostly of Central Asian, Indo-Indochinese and Arctic species. Ornamental plants have a higher extinction risk than other plants, but species collected for medicinal reasons and used for forage or food reveal lower retreatment rate. Our assessment fills a gap for important plant area and provides the data for raising the effectiveness of plant diversity conservation.
In vitro immune responses of human PBMCs against Candida albicans reveals fungal and leucocyte phenotypes associated with fungal persistence
Authors: Alvarez-Rueda Nidia , Rouges Célia , Touahri Adel , Misme-Aucouturier Barbara , Albassier Marjorie , Pape Patrice Le
Published: April 2020

Although there is a growing understanding of immunity againstCandida albicans, efforts need to be pursued in order to decipher the cellular mechanisms leading to an uncontrolled immune response that eventually oppose disease eradication. We describe here significant intra- and inter-subject variations in immune response patterns of major human leucocyte subsets following anin vitrochallenge withC. albicansclinical isolates. We also observed that there areCandidaisolate-dependent changes in leucocyte phenotypes. Through a combination of multiple fungal growth and flow cytometric measurements, coupled to the tSNE algorithm, we showed that significant proliferation differences exist amongC. albicansisolates, leading to the calculation of a strain specific persistent index. Despite substantial inter-subject differences in T cells and stability of myeloid cells at baseline, our experimental approach highlights substantial immune cell composition changes and cytokine secretion profiles afterC. albicanschallenge. The significant secretion of IL-17 by CD66+ cells, IFN-γ and IL-10 by CD4+ T cells 2 days afterC. albicanschallenge was associated with fungal control. Fungal persistence was associated with delayed secretion of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-4, TNF-α and IL-10 by myeloid cells and IL-4 and TNF-α secretion by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Overall, this experimental and analytical approach is available for the monitoring of such fungal and human immune responses.
Temperature and Size Effect on the Electrical Properties of Monolayer Graphene based Interconnects for Next Generation MQCA based Nanoelectronics
Authors: Debroy Sanghamitra , Sivasubramani Santhosh , Vaidya Gayatri , Acharyya Swati Ghosh , Acharyya Amit
Published: April 2020

Graphene interconnects have been projected to out-perform Copper interconnects in the next generation Magnetic Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (MQCA) based nano-electronic applications. In this paper a simple two-step lithography process for patterning CVD monolayer graphene on SiO2/Si substrate has been used that resulted in the current density of one order higher magnitude as compared to the state-of-the-art graphene-based interconnects. Electrical performances of the fabricated graphene interconnects were evaluated, and the impact of temperature and size on the current density and reliability was investigated. The maximum current density of 1.18 ×108 A/cm2 was observed for 0.3 μm graphene interconnect on SiO2/Si substrate, which is about two orders and one order higher than that of conventionally used copper interconnects and CVD grown graphene respectively, thus demonstrating huge potential in outperforming copper wires for on-chip clocking. The drop in current at 473 K as compared to room temperature was found to be nearly 30%, indicating a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR). TCR for all cases were studied and it was found that with decrease in width, the sensitivity of temperature also reduces. The effect of resistivity on the breakdown current density was analysed on the experimental data using Matlab and found to follow the power-law equations. The breakdown current density was found to have a reciprocal relationship to graphene interconnect resistivity suggesting Joule heating as the likely mechanism of breakdown.
Gene-expression profiles of abdominal perivascular adipose tissue distinguish aortic occlusive from stenotic atherosclerotic lesions and denote different pathogenetic pathways
Authors: Piacentini Luca , Saccu Claudio , Bono Elisa , Tremoli Elena , Spirito Rita , Colombo Gualtiero Ivanoe , Werba José Pablo
Published: April 2020

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) helps regulate arterial homeostasis and plays a role in the pathogenesis of large vessel diseases. In this study, we investigated whether the PVAT of aortic occlusive lesions shows specific gene-expression patterns related to pathophysiology. By a genome-wide approach, we investigated the PVAT transcriptome in patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease. We compared the adipose layer surrounding the distal aorta (atherosclerotic lesion) with the proximal aorta (plaque-free segment), both within and between patients with complete aortoiliac occlusion (Oc) and low-grade aortic stenosis (St). We found that PVAT of the distal versus proximal aorta within both Oc- and St-patients lacks specific, locally restricted gene-expression patterns. Conversely, singular gene-expression profiles distinguished the PVAT between Oc- and St-patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these signatures were associated with pathways related to metabolism of cholesterol, vessel tone regulation, and remodeling, including TGF-β and SMAD signaling. We finally observed that gene-expression profiles in omental-visceral or subcutaneous fat differentiated between Oc- and St-patients, suggesting that the overall adipose component associates with a different atherosclerosis burden. Our work points out the role of PVAT and, likely, other adipose tissues play in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying atherosclerotic disease, including the abdominal aortic occlusive forms.
YAP Activity is Not Associated with Survival of Uveal Melanoma Patients and Cell Lines
Authors: Kim Yong Joon , Lee Sung Chul , Kim Sung Eun , Kim Seo Hee , Kim Sang Kyum , Lee Christopher Seungkyu
Published: April 2020

Recent experimental studies have demonstrated an essential role for the Hippo-Yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway in GNAQ/GNA11-induced tumorigenesis in uveal melanoma (UM). However, the association between YAP activity and clinical outcomes remains elusive. We investigated possible associations between YAP activity and clinicopathological features including survival outcomes in patients with UM using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort and our local cohort. We estimated YAP activity by mRNA expression levels, Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) for the TCGA cohort, and immunohistochemical YAP staining for the local cohort. In the TCGA cohort, most clinicopathological features including tumor stage, mitotic counts, mutation of genes, and tumor sizes did not significantly differ between low and high YAP activity groups. In the local cohort, YAP nuclear-positive staining was observed in 30 (42%) of 72 patients with primary UM. UM-specific survival was not significantly different between tumors with low and high YAP activities. Unlike mesothelioma cells harboring a mutation of negative regulators of YAP, the survival of multiple UM cell lines was not significantly reduced by YAP/TAZ depletion. Our results suggest that the effect of YAP on development, growth, and invasion of UM in actual patients is less than previously demonstrated in experimental studies.
Molecular mechanism of the dual regulatory roles of ATP on the αγ heterodimer of human NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase
Authors: Sun Pengkai , Bai Tuya , Ma Tengfei , Ding Jianping
Published: April 2020

Human NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH) is responsible for the catalytic conversion of isocitrate into α-ketoglutarate in the Krebs cycle. This enzyme exists as the α2βγ heterotetramer composed of the αβ and αγ heterodimers. Our previous biochemical data showed that the αγ heterodimer and the holoenzyme can be activated by low concentrations of ATP but inhibited by high concentrations of ATP; however, the molecular mechanism was unknown. Here, we report the crystal structures of the αγ heterodimer with ATP binding only to the allosteric site (αMgγMg+CIT+ATP) and to both the allosteric site and the active site (αMg+ATPγMg+CIT+ATP). Structural data show that ATP at low concentrations can mimic ADP to bind to the allosteric site, which stabilizes CIT binding and leads the enzyme to adopt an active conformation, revealing why the enzyme can be activated by low concentrations of ATP. On the other hand, at high concentrations ATP is competitive with NAD for binding to the catalytic site. In addition, our biochemical data show that high concentrations of ATP promote the formation of metal ion-ATP chelates. This reduces the concentration of free metal ion available for the catalytic reaction, and thus further inhibits the enzymatic activity. The combination of these two effects accounts for the inhibition of the enzyme at high concentrations of ATP. Taken together, our structural and biochemical data reveal the molecular mechanism for the dual regulatory roles of ATP on the αγ heterodimer of human NAD-IDH.
Temperature-cycle electron paramagnetic resonance
Authors: Panarelli E. Gabriele , Gast Peter , Groenen Edgar J. J.
Published: April 2020

Temperature-cycle EPR, a novel approach to follow a chemical reaction in the cavity of an EPR spectrometer.
The interfacial structure and dynamics in a polymer nanocomposite containing small attractive nanoparticles: a full atomistic molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Jia Xiang-Meng , Qian Hu-Jun , Lu Zhong-Yuan
Published: April 2020

We study the interfacial structure and dynamics of a polymer nanocomposite (PNC) composed of octaaminophenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OAPS) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) by performing full atomistic molecular dynamics simulations.
Unveiling the atomic defects and electronic structure of Cu2.2Zn0.8SnSe4−xTex (x = 0 to 0.04) by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy
Authors: Huang Weifeng , Zhu Yingcai , Liu Yong , Liu Lijuan , Yang Changchun , Xu Wei
Published: April 2020

CuZn anti-site defects and oxygen interstitial defects in a quaternary compound, Cu2.2Zn0.8SnSe4, are revealed by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy.
Diverse anion exchange of pliable [X2@Pd3L4]4+ double cages: a molecular ruler for recognition of polyatomic anions
Authors: Sarada Ganguri , Kim Ahreum , Kim Dongwon , Jung Ok-Sang
Published: April 2020

This pliable double cage is an efficient, tolerant, and reproducible porous matrix for diverse anion exchange, which is as a ruler for recognition of ubiquitous polyatomic anions.
Environmentally benign access to isoindolinones: synthesis, separation and resource recycling
Authors: Guo Weiwei , Zhang Qi , Cao Yang , Cai Kaihua , Zhang Shengyong , Chai Yonghai
Published: April 2020

We have developed a green and facile approach for the straightforward installation of isoindolinone skeletons via a tandem reaction of 2-cyanobenzaldehydes and α,β-unsaturated ketones/esters.
Hydrogen sulfide increases copper-dependent neurotoxicityviaintracellular copper accumulation
Authors: Goto Norika , Hara Hirokazu , Kondo Mao , Yasuda Naomi , Kamiya Tetsuro , Okuda Kensuke , Adachi Tetsuo
Published: April 2020

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element and acts as a redox cofactor for many enzymes; however, excess Cu is toxic to cells. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a well-known toxic gaseous molecule, but it has various biological effects such as neuromodulation and vasodilation. H2S was recently demonstrated to be involved in the detoxification of heavy metals, including zinc and cadmium, suggesting that H2S helps to maintain the homeostasis of heavy metals in cells. However, it is unclear how H2S impacts cellular Cu dynamics. In this study, we examined the effects of H2S on Cu cytotoxicity. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to CuSO4 in the presence of the H2S donor NaHS. CuSO4 alone slightly induced cell injury, whereas the combination of CuSO4 and NaHS (Cu/NaHS) increased Cu cytotoxicity. The Cu chelator bathocuproinedisulfonic acid mitigated Cu/NaHS-induced cytotoxicity. Compared with CuSO4 alone, Cu/NaHS markedly promoted ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and a decrease in ATP production. In addition, reporter assay using the metal responsive element (MRE)-driven reporter plasmid revealed that Cu/NaHS augmented Cu-dependent MRE activation. The amount of intracellular Cu was significantly higher in cells treated with Cu/NaHS than in those treated with CuSO4 alone. Moreover, Cu/NaHS markedly suppressed the level of the Cu exporter ATP7A, but not ATP7B, protein, whereas the combination did not affect that of the Cu importer CTR1 protein. Taken together, we conclude that the marked decrease in the ATP7A protein level by Cu/NaHS promotes intracellular Cu accumulation and leads to increased Cu cytotoxicity.
Changes in the composition of the land snail fauna of Mt. Ciampea, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Nurinsiyah Ayu Savitri , Hausdorf Bernhard
Published: April 2020

Mt. Ciampea is a limestone outcrop surrounded by human settlements in West Java. To update the inventory of land snail species from Mt. Ciampea and to compare it with the previous records, we sampled land snails at eight plots (10m x10m) in January 2013 and May 2014. In total, 1702 specimens belonging to 16 families and 34 species were collected.Stomacosmethis jagori(Cyclophoridae) was the dominant species comprising 24% of the individuals. The number of species was similar to a previous survey, in which 38 species were recorded, but the species composition was different. Sixteen of the previously recorded species were not found in our survey, but we could record 13 species that were not known from Mt. Ciampea so far. Among them were two invasive species,Lissachatina fulica(Achatinidae) andBradybaena similaris(Camaenidae) that colonized the area since the early 20th century. A more detailed survey will be necessary to ascertain whether and which previously recorded species are actually extinct on Mt. Ciampea.
Investigating key biological parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) in a large Asian reservoir to better develop sustainable fisheries
Authors: Beaune D. , Guillard J. , Cottet M. , Kue K. , Lae R. , Chanudet V. , Descloux S. , Tessier A.
Published: April 2020

The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was introduced in Southeast Asia, such as in Thailand, in the mid-1960s for aquaculture purposes (Pullin et al., 1997; De Silva et al., 2004). The species was later promoted for aquaculture development in the early 1990s in Lao PDR (Garaway et al., 2000). In Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), like in other countries, this exotic species is well established due to its self-reproduction (De Silva et al., 2004; CABI, 2018) facilitated by its particular life history traits and plasticity (Ishikawa et al., 2013). The species was then suspected to be introduced in the seventies in Laos and subsequently in the Nam Theun watershed where the NT2 Reservoir was impounded in 2008. Population parameters of this alien fish were investigated using the FiSAT II software with the most popular methods of bioparameters assessment to check their interchangeability within a same stock and the same year 2016. The length-at-age data analysis (using otoliths analysis, N = 258) gave slightly different results with the length frequency distribution analysis of fish landings (11 820 individuals). Furthermore, experimental fishing data provided irrelevant parameters due to insufficient representativeness of the sample size. The growth parameter K was estimated to be 0.23 year−1, with asymptotic length L∞ = 52.5 cm based on the length frequency distribution analysis with the fish landing data. According to these landing data, the total, natural and fishing mortality were Z = 1.41 year−1, M = 0.30 year−1 and F = 1.11 year−1. The exploitation rate E = 0.79 is over the Emax = 0.594 obtained by relative yield and biomass per recruit. This estimated stock of 165 tons (more than 700 000 tilapias) was characterized by high mortality (no population growth). These results showed that the population is overfished with too many juveniles caught (L50 = 210.4 mm; 50% mature stages at 295 mm). To maximize the yield per recruit, increase the biomass and sustain this fishery, enlarging the gillnet mesh size of the gill-net is recommended. This example highlights the variability of the parameters calculated from different methods and thus weaken worldwide and even inter-site comparisons. Despite this issue, the Growth Performances Indices ([see formula in PDF]) gathered into the literature can serve as baseline and confirmed the wide phenotypic plasticity of the species due to environmental factors. Analyses revealed difference between fast growing domesticated fish rose for aquaculture with [see formula in PDF] higher to the tilapia growing in natural and challenging environments.
Immuno-epidemiological model of two-stage epidemic growth
Authors: Banerjee Malay , Tokarev Alexey , Volpert Vitaly
Published: April 2020

Epidemiological data on seasonal influenza show that the growth rate of the number of infected individuals can increase passing from one exponential growth rate to another one with a larger exponent. Such behavior is not described by conventional epidemiological models. In this work an immuno-epidemiological model is proposed in order to describe this two-stage growth. It takes into account that the growth in the number of infected individuals increases the initial viral load and provides a passage from the first stage of epidemic where only people with weak immune response are infected to the second stage where people with strong immune response are also infected. This scenario may be viewed as an increase of the effective number of susceptible increasing the effective growth rate of infected.
Psychische Probleme in der Pandemie – Beobachtungen während der COVID-19-Krise
Authors: Fatke Bastian , Hölzle Patricia , Frank Andreas , Förstl Hans
Published: April 2020

We have recently observed several clusters of psychiatric symptoms in the context of COVID-19: (1) increased anxiety in psychiatric in- and outpatients with different diagnoses; (2) more cases of domestic violence often associated with increased drug- or alcohol-consumption in offenders and victims; (3) a nihilistic “apocalyptic” syndrome of elderly patients cut-off from their families; (4) visual and acoustic hallucinoses due to pneumonia and sepsis-related confusional states. Cases of chloroquine-related toxicity have been reported elsewhere, but have not been observed in our hospital so far. Mental issues related to COVID-19 reported from China and practical recommendations are briefly summarized. Many patients with serious mental disorders will suffer world-wide due to a reallocation of medical, social and financial ressources.
Alkynyl Prins and Alkynyl Aza-Prins Annulations: Scope and Synthetic Applications
Authors: Frontier Alison J. , Abdul-Rashed Shukree , Holt Connor
Published: April 2020

This review focuses on alkynyl Prins and alkynyl aza-Prins cyclization­ processes, which involve intramolecular coupling of an alkyne with either an oxocarbenium or iminium electrophile. The oxocarbenium or iminium species can be generated through condensation- or elimination-type processes, to achieve an overall bimolecular annulation that enables the synthesis of both oxygen- and nitrogen-containing­ saturated heterocycles with different ring sizes and substitution patterns. Also discussed are cascade processes in which alkynyl Prins heterocyclic adducts react to trigger subsequent pericyclic reactions, including [4+2] cycloadditions and Nazarov electrocyclizations, to rapidly construct complex small molecules. Finally, examples of the use of alkynyl Prins and alkynyl aza-Prins reactions in the synthesis of natural products are described. The review covers the literature through the end of 2019.

1 Introduction

1.1 Alkyne-Carbonyl Coupling Pathways

1.2 Coupling/Cyclization Cascades Using the Alkynyl Prins Reaction

2 Alkynyl Prins Annulation (Oxocarbenium Electrophiles)

2.1 Early Work

2.2 Halide as Terminal Nucleophile

2.3 Oxygen as Terminal Nucleophile

2.4 Arene as Terminal Nucleophile (Intermolecular)

2.5 Arene Terminal Nucleophile (Intramolecular)

2.6 Cyclizations Terminated by Elimination

3 Synthetic Utility of Alkynyl Prins Annulation

3.1 Alkynyl Prins-Mediated Synthesis of Dienes for a [4+2] Cyclo­- addition­-Oxidation Sequence

3.2 Alkynyl Prins Cyclization Adducts as Nazarov Cyclization Precursors

3.3 Alkynyl Prins Cyclization in Natural Product Synthesis

4 Alkynyl Aza-Prins Annulation

4.1 Iminium Electrophiles

4.2 Activated Iminium Electrophiles

5 Alkynyl Aza-Prins Cyclizations in Natural Product Synthesis

6 Summary and Outlook
Construction of Interface Dipoles by Surface Doping and Their Role in the Open Circuit Voltage in Polymer Solar Cells
Authors: Li Shiyu , Wen Xinbo , Zhou Jiadong , Zheng Nan , Liu Linlin , Xie Zengqi
Published: April 2020

A kind of dipolar interface is realized by surface doping of poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) with tetrafluoro-tetracyano-quinodimethane (F4TCNQ). PEDOT is in situ synthesized by electrochemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode, and then F4TCNQ is spin-coated atop the PEDOT layer. Because the LUMO of F4TCNQ is lower than the HOMO of PEDOT, the spontaneous electron transfer from PEDOT to F4TCNQ results in a bilayered structure of PEDOT cations and F4TCNQ anions. Thus, a permanent interfacial dipole is formed in the surface-doping system. The surface doping not only enhances the conductivity of PEDOT, but also increases the surface work function of the electrode. The dipolar film is applied as the anode interface in polymer solar cells (PSCs), and the results show that such an interface dipole plays a very important role in the open circuit voltage (V
oc) of the PSCs.