bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parallel opsin switches in multiple cone types of the starry flounder retina: tuning visual pigment composition for a demersal life style
Authors: Savelli Ilaria , Novales Flamarique Iñigo , Iwanicki Tom , Taylor John S.
Published: March 2018

Variable expression of visual pigment proteins (opsins) in cone photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina is a primary determinant of vision plasticity. Switches in opsin expression or variable co-expression of opsins within differentiated cones have been documented for a few rodents and fishes, but the extent of photoreceptor types affected and potential functional significance are largely unknown. Here, we show that both single and double cones in the retina of a flatfish, the starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus), undergo visual pigment changes through opsin switches or variable opsin co-expression. As the post-metamorphic juvenile (i.e., the young asymmetric flatfish with both eyes on one side of the body) grows from ~5 g to ~196 g, some single cones and one member of unequal double cones switched from a visual pigment with maximum wavelength of absorbance, λmax, at shorter wavelengths (437 nm and 527 nm) to one with longer λmax (456 nm and 545 nm, respectively) whereas other cones had intermediate visual pigments (λmax at 445 nm or 536 nm) suggesting co-expression of two opsins. The shift toward longer wavelength absorbing visual pigments was in line with maximizing sensitivity to the restricted light spectrum at greater depths and achromatic detection of overhead targets.
Potential role of new molecular plasma signatures on cardiovascular risk stratification in asymptomatic individuals
Authors: Baldan-Martin Montserrat , Lopez Juan A. , Corbacho-Alonso Nerea , Martinez Paula J. , Rodriguez-Sanchez Elena , Mourino-Alvarez Laura , Sastre-Oliva Tamara , Martin-Rojas Tatiana , Rincón Raul , Calvo Eva , Vazquez Jesus , Vivanco Fernando , Padial Luis R. , Alvarez-Llamas Gloria , Ruiz-Hurtado Gema , Ruilope Luis M. , Barderas Maria G.
Published: March 2018

The evaluation of cardiovascular (CV) risk is based on equations derived from epidemiological data in individuals beyond the limits of middle age such as the Framingham and SCORE risk assessments. Lifetime Risk calculator (QRisk®), estimates CV risk throughout a subjects’ lifetime, allowing those. A more aggressive and earlier intervention to be identified and offered protection from the consequences of CV and renal disease. The search for molecular profiles in young people that allow a correct stratification of CV risk would be of great interest to adopt preventive therapeutic measures in individuals at high CV risk. To improve the selection of subjects susceptible to intervention with aged between 30–50 years, we have employed a multiple proteomic strategy to search for new markers of early CV disease or reported CV events and to evaluate their relationship with Lifetime Risk. Blood samples from 71 patients were classified into 3 groups according to their CV risk (healthy, with CV risk factors and with a previously reported CV event subjects) and they were analyzed using a high through quantitative proteomics approach. This strategy allowed three different proteomic signatures to be defined, two of which were related to CV stratification and the third one involved markers of organ damage.
HilD and PhoP independently regulate the expression of grhD1, a novel gene required for Salmonella Typhimurium invasion of host cells
Authors: Banda María M. , López Carolina , Manzo Rubiceli , Rico-Pérez Gadea , García Pablo , Rosales-Reyes Roberto , De la Cruz Miguel A. , Soncini Fernando C. , García-del Portillo Francisco , Bustamante Víctor H.
Published: March 2018

When Salmonella is grown in the nutrient-rich lysogeny broth (LB), the AraC-like transcriptional regulator HilD positively controls the expression of genes required for Salmonella invasion of host cells, such as the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) genes. However, in minimal media, the two-component system PhoP/Q activates the expression of genes necessary for Salmonella replication inside host cells, such as the SPI-2 genes. Recently, we found that the SL1344_1872 hypothetical gene, located in a S. Typhimurium genomic island, is co-expressed with the SPI-1 genes. In this study we demonstrate that HilD induces indirectly the expression of SL1344_1872 when S. Typhimurium is grown in LB; therefore, we named SL1344_1872 as grhD1 for gene regulated by HilD. Furthermore, we found that PhoP positively controls the expression of grhD1, independently of HilD, when S. Typhimurium is grown in LB or N-minimal medium. Moreover, we demonstrate that the grhD1 gene is required for the invasion of S. Typhimurium into epithelial cells, macrophages and fibroblasts, as well as for the intestinal inflammatory response caused by S. Typhimurium in mice. Thus, our results reveal a novel virulence factor of Salmonella, whose expression is positively and independently controlled by the HilD and PhoP transcriptional regulators.
Comparison of CPI and GAP models in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Lee Sang Hoon , Park Jong Sun , Kim Song Yee , Kim Dong Soon , Kim Young Whan , Chung Man Pyo , Uh Soo Taek , Park Choon Sik , Park Sung Woo , Jeong Sung Hwan , Park Yong Bum , Lee Hong Lyeol , Shin Jong Wook , Lee Eun Joo , Lee Jin Hwa , Jegal Yangin , Lee Hyun Kyung , Kim Yong Hyun , Song Jin Woo , Park Moo Suk
Published: March 2018

The clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is difficult to predict, partly owing to its heterogeneity. Composite physiologic index (CPI) and gender-age-physiology (GAP) models are easy-to-use predictors of IPF progression. This study aimed to compare the predictive values of these two models. From 2003 to 2007, the Korean Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Study Group surveyed ILD patients using the 2002 ATS/ERS criteria. A total of 832 patients with IPF were enrolled in this study. CPI was calculated as follows: 91.0 − (0.65 × %DLCO) − [0.53 × %FVC + [0.34 × %FEV1. GAP stage was calculated based on gender (0–1 points), age (0–2 points), and two physiologic lung function parameters (0–5 points). The two models had similar significant predictive values for patients with IPF (p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) was higher for CPI than GAP for prediction of 1-, 2-, and 3-year mortality in this study. The AUC was higher for surgically diagnosed IPF patients than for clinically diagnosed patients. However, neither CPI nor GAP yielded good predictions of outcomes; the AUC was approximately 0.61~0.65. Although both CPI and GAP stage are significantly useful predictors for IPF, they have limited capability to accurately predict outcomes.
The role of gel-phase domains in electroporation of vesicles
Authors: Perrier Dayinta L. , Rems Lea , Kreutzer Michiel T. , Boukany Pouyan E.
Published: March 2018

Transient permeabilisation of the cell membrane is a critical step to introduce drugs or DNA into living cells, yet challenging for both biological research and therapeutic applications. To achieve this, electroporation (or electropermeabilisation) has become a widely used method due to its simplicity to deliver almost any biomolecule to any cell type. Although this method demonstrates promise in the field of drug/gene delivery, the underlying physical mechanisms of the response of the heterogeneous cell membrane to strong electric pulses is still unknown. In this study, we have investigated the role of gel-phase lipids in the electroporation of binary giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), composed from DPPC (gel-phase) and DPhPC (fluid-phase) lipids (molar ratio 8:2 and 2:8). We have observed that the exposure to electric pulses leads to expel of fluid-phase lipids and concomitant decrease in GUV size, whereas the gel-phase domains become buckled. Based on experiments on pure fluid-phase and gel-phase GUVs, we have found that fluid-phase lipids can be expelled by electrical forces and the highly viscous gel-phase lipids cannot. Moreover, our analyses suggest that pore formation occurs primarily in fluid-phase domains and that the pore size is similar in all GUVs containing fluid-phase lipids, irrespective of the gel-phase percentage.
Label-free photoacoustic microscopy for in-vivo tendon imaging using a fiber-based pulse laser
Authors: Lee Hwi Don , Shin Jun Geun , Hyun Hoon , Yu Bong-Ahn , Eom Tae Joong
Published: March 2018

Tendons are tough, flexible, and ubiquitous tissues that connect muscle to bone. Tendon injuries are a common musculoskeletal injury, which affect 7% of all patients and are involved in up to 50% of sports-related injuries in the United States. Various imaging modalities are used to evaluate tendons, and both magnetic resonance imaging and sonography are used clinically to evaluate tendons with non-invasive and non-ionizing radiation. However, these modalities cannot provide 3-dimensional (3D) structural images and are limited by angle dependency. In addition, anisotropy is an artifact that is unique to the musculoskeletal system. Thus, great care should be taken during tendon imaging. The present study evaluated a functional photoacoustic microscopy system for in-vivo tendon imaging without labeling. Tendons have a higher density of type 1 collagen in a cross-linked triple-helical formation (65–80% dry-weight collagen and 1–2% elastin in a proteoglycan-water matrix) than other tissues, which provides clear endogenous absorption contrast in the near-infrared spectrum. Therefore, photoacoustic imaging with a high sensitivity to absorption contrast is a powerful tool for label-free imaging of tendons. A pulsed near-infrared fiber-based laser with a centered wavelength of 780 nm was used for the imaging, and this system successfully provided a 3D image of mouse tendons with a wide field of view (5 × 5 mm2).
Baseline mRNA expression differs widely between common laboratory strains of zebrafish
Authors: Holden Lindsay A. , Brown Kim H.
Published: March 2018

Common strains of wildtype zebrafish (Danio rerio) have unique genomic features including SNPs and CNV, but strain information often goes unreported in the literature. As a result, the confounding effects of interstrain variation makes repetition of studies in zebrafish challenging. Here we analyze hepatic mRNA expression patterns between three common zebrafish strains (AB, Tuebingen (TU), and WIK) using Agilent 4 × 44 K gene expression microarrays to establish baseline mRNA expression across strains and between sexes. We observed wide variation in sex-specific gene expression within AB and WIK strains (141 genes in AB and 67 genes in WIK), but no significant variation between sexes within TU. After partitioning the dataset into male and female subsets, we detected 421 unique mRNA transcripts with statistically significant differential expression; 269 mRNA transcripts varied between males, 212 mRNA transcripts varied between females, and 59 mRNA transcripts varied across the three strains, regardless of sex. It is not surprising that mRNA expression profiles differ between sexes and strains, but it is imperative to characterize the differences. These results highlight the complexity of variation within zebrafish and underscore the value of this model system as a valid representation of normal variation present in other species, including humans.
Publisher Correction: Geochemical constraints on the Hadean environment from mineral fingerprints of prokaryotes
Authors: Novoselov Alexey A. , Silva Dailto , Schneider Jerusa , Abrevaya Ximena Celeste , Chaffin Michael S. , Serrano Paloma , Navarro Margareth Sugano , Conti Maria Josiane , de Souza Filho Carlos Roberto
Published: March 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Contribution of transformation products towards the total herbicide toxicity to tropical marine organisms
Authors: Mercurio Philip , Eaglesham Geoff , Parks Stephen , Kenway Matt , Beltran Victor , Flores Florita , Mueller Jochen F. , Negri Andrew P.
Published: March 2018

The toxicity of herbicide degradation (transformation) products is rarely taken into account, even though these are commonly detected in the marine environment, sometimes at concentrations higher than the parent compounds. Here we assessed the potential contribution of toxicity by transformation products of five photosystem II herbicides to coral symbionts (Symbiodinium sp.), the green algae Dunaliella sp., and prawn (Penaeus monodon) larvae. Concentration-dependent inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency (∆F/F
m
′) was observed for all herbicides in both microalgal species. The toxicity of solutions of aged diuron solutions containing transformation products to Symbiodinium sp. and Dunaliella sp. was greater than could be explained by the concentrations of diuron measured, indicating transformation products contributed to the inhibition of ∆F/F
m
′. However, the toxicity of aged atrazine, simazine, hexazinone, and ametryn solutions could be explained by the concentration of parent herbicide, indicating no contribution by transformation products. Prawn larval metamorphosis was not sensitive to the herbicides, but preliminary results indicated some toxicity of the transformation products of atrazine and diuron. Risk assessments should take into account the contribution of herbicide transformation products; however, further studies are clearly needed to test the toxicity of a far wider range of transformation products to a representative diversity of relevant taxa.
Integrated Modelling of Cell Responses after Irradiation for DNA-Targeted Effects and Non-Targeted Effects
Authors: Matsuya Yusuke , Sasaki Kohei , Yoshii Yuji , Okuyama Go , Date Hiroyuki
Published: March 2018

Intercellular communication after ionizing radiation exposure, so-called non-targeted effects (NTEs), reduces cell survival. Here we describe an integrated cell-killing model considering NTEs and DNA damage along radiation particle tracks, known as DNA-targeted effects (TEs) based on repair kinetics of DNA damage. The proposed model was applied to a series of experimental data, i.e., signal concentration, DNA damage kinetics, cell survival curve and medium transfer bystander effects (MTBEs). To reproduce the experimental data, the model considers the following assumptions: (i) the linear-quadratic (LQ) function as absorbed dose to express the hit probability to emit cell-killing signals, (ii) the potentially repair of DNA lesions induced by NTEs, and (iii) lower efficiency of repair for the damage in NTEs than that in TEs. By comparing the model results with experimental data, we found that signal-induced DNA damage and lower repair efficiency in non-hit cells are responsible for NTE-related repair kinetics of DNA damage, cell survival curve with low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS) and MTBEs. From the standpoint of modelling, the integrated cell-killing model with the LQ relation and a different repair function for NTEs provide a reasonable signal-emission probability and a new estimation of low-dose HRS linked to DNA repair efficiency.
Efficient and synergistic removal of tetracycline and Cu(II) using novel magnetic multi-amine resins
Authors: Zhu Zengyin , Zhang Mancheng , Wang Wei , Zhou Qing , Liu Fuqiang
Published: March 2018

A series of magnetic multi-amine resins (MMARs, named E1D9-E9D1) was proposed for the removal of tetracycline (TC) and Cu(II) in sole and binary solutions. Results showed that the N content of the resins increased sharply from 1.7% to 15.49%, and the BET surface areas decreased from 1433.4 m2/g to 8.9 m2/g with methyl acrylate ratio increasing from E1D9 to E9D1. Their adsorption capacities for TC and Cu(II) could reach 0.243 and 0.453 mmol/g, respectively. The adsorption isotherms of TC onto MMARs transformed from heterogeneous adsorption to monolayer-type adsorption with DVB monomer ratio in resin matrix decrease, suggesting the dominant physical adsorption between TC and benzene rings. TC adsorption capacity onto E9D1 was higher than that onto E7D3 when the equilibrium concentration of TC exceeded 0.043 mmol/L because the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged groups of TC and protonated amines of adsorbents could compensate for the capacity loss resulting from BET surface area decrease. In the binary system, the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged TC-Cu(II) complex and protonated amines of adsorbents was responsible for the synergistic adsorption onto E7D3 and E9D1. The XPS spectra of magnetic resins before and after adsorption were characterized to prove the probable adsorption mechanisms. This work provides alternative adsorbent for the efficient treatment of multiple pollution with different concentrations of organic micropollutants and heavy metal ions.
Iso-α-acids, bitter components of beer, prevent obesity-induced cognitive decline
Authors: Ayabe Tatsuhiro , Ohya Rena , Kondo Keiji , Ano Yasuhisa
Published: March 2018

Dementia and cognitive decline have become worldwide public health problems, and it was recently reported that life-style related diseases and obesity are key risk factors in dementia. Iso-α-acids, hop-derived bitter components of beer, have been reported to have various physiological functions via activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. In this report, we demonstrated that daily intake of iso-α-acids suppresses inflammations in the hippocampus and improves cognitive decline induced by high fat diet (HFD). Body weight, epididymal fat weight, and plasma triglyceride levels were increased in HFD-fed mice, and significantly decreased in iso-α-acids supplemented HFD-fed mice. HFD feeding enhances the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as TNF-α, which was significantly suppressed by iso-α-acids administration. HFD-induced neuroinflammation caused lipid peroxidation, neuronal loss, and atrophy in hippocampus, and those were not observed in iso-α-acids-treated mice. Furthermore, iso-α-acids intake significantly improved cognitive decline induced by HFD-feeding. Iso-α-acids are food derived components that suppressing both lipid accumulation and brain inflammation, thus iso-α-acids might be beneficial for the risk of dementia increased by obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.
TiO2 nanoparticles induce omphalocele in chicken embryo by disrupting Wnt signaling pathway
Authors: Patel Shweta , Jana Sarmita , Chetty Rajlakshmi , Thakore Sonal , Singh Man , Devkar Ranjitsinh
Published: March 2018

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are among abundantly used metal oxide NPs but their interactions with biomolecules and subsequent embryonic toxicity in higher vertebrates is not extensively reported. Physicochemical interactions of TiO2 NPs with egg albumen reveals that lower doses of TiO2 NPs (10 and 25 µg/ml) accounted for higher friccohesity and activation energy but an increment in molecular radii was recorded at higher doses (50 and 100 µg/ml). FTIR analysis revealed conformational changes in secondary structure of egg albumen as a result of electrostratic interactions between egg albumen and TiO2 NPs. The morphometric data of chicken embryo recorded a reduction at all the doses of TiO2 NPs, but toxicity and developmental deformity (omphalocele and flexed limbs) were recorded at lower doses only. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) confirmed presence of Ti in chicken embryos. mRNA levels of genes involved in canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling were lowered following TiO2 NPs treatment resulting in free radical mediated disruption of lateral plate mesoderm and somite myogenesis. Conformational changes in egg albumen and subsequent developmental deformity in chicken embryo following TiO2 NPs treatment warrants detailed studies of NP toxicity at lower doses prior to their biomedical applications.
Nucleotide-mediated SPDEF modulates TFF3-mediated wound healing and intestinal barrier function during the weaning process
Authors: Lee Sang In , Kim In Ho
Published: March 2018

Most alterations during weaning involve physiological changes in intestinal structure and function. Here, we evaluated the molecular mechanisms regulating the effects of nucleotides on weaning. Nucleotide treatment induced Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) expression and IPEC-J2 cell growth and reduced wound width. Treatment with nucleosides and TFF3 in lipopolysaccharide-challenged IPEC-J2 cells increased intestinal transepithelial electrical resistance and decreased intestinal permeability. Additionally, nucleosides improved intestinal barrier function through induction of TFF3-mediated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38, and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathways. Among selected differentially expressed genes, SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor (SPDEF) expression was elevated by nucleotides in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, SPDEF directly regulated TFF3 expression via binding to the promoter. In vivo, nucleotide supplementation improved growth performance, serum stress levels, and intestinal morphology. Our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of intestinal development during weaning in pigs.
Evaluation of two main RNA-seq approaches for gene quantification in clinical RNA sequencing: polyA+ selection versus rRNA depletion
Authors: Zhao Shanrong , Zhang Ying , Gamini Ramya , Zhang Baohong , von Schack David
Published: March 2018

To allow efficient transcript/gene detection, highly abundant ribosomal RNAs (rRNA) are generally removed from total RNA either by positive polyA+ selection or by rRNA depletion (negative selection) before sequencing. Comparisons between the two methods have been carried out by various groups, but the assessments have relied largely on non-clinical samples. In this study, we evaluated these two RNA sequencing approaches using human blood and colon tissue samples. Our analyses showed that rRNA depletion captured more unique transcriptome features, whereas polyA+ selection outperformed rRNA depletion with higher exonic coverage and better accuracy of gene quantification. For blood- and colon-derived RNAs, we found that 220% and 50% more reads, respectively, would have to be sequenced to achieve the same level of exonic coverage in the rRNA depletion method compared with the polyA+ selection method. Therefore, in most cases we strongly recommend polyA+ selection over rRNA depletion for gene quantification in clinical RNA sequencing. Our evaluation revealed that a small number of lncRNAs and small RNAs made up a large fraction of the reads in the rRNA depletion RNA sequencing data. Thus, we recommend that these RNAs are specifically depleted to improve the sequencing depth of the remaining RNAs.
Author Correction: Embodiment in a Child-Like Talking Virtual Body Influences Object Size Perception, Self-Identification, and Subsequent Real Speaking
Authors: Tajadura-Jiménez Ana , Banakou Domna , Bianchi-Berthouze Nadia , Slater Mel
Published: March 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
High-performance inertial impaction filters for particulate matter removal
Authors: Zhang Xiaowei , Zhang Wei , Yi Mingqiang , Wang Yingjie , Wang Pengjun , Xu Jun , Niu Fenglei , Lin Feng
Published: March 2018

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is causing more and more serious air pollution and threatening the public health. However, existing air filter technologies with the easy-to-block manner can rarely meet the requirements of high-performance PM filters. Here we propose a conceptually new type of inertial impaction filters for rapidly high-efficiency PM removal. Under the airflow velocity of 8.0 m/s, the real inertial impaction filters show high PM removal efficiencies of up to 97.77 ± 1.53% and 99.47 ± 0.45% for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Compared with the traditional air filters reported previously, the inertia impaction filters exhibit extremely low pressure drop of 5–10 Pa and high quality factor (QF) values of 0.380 Pa−1 and 0.524 Pa−1 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. These greatly improved QF values are achieved through a series of inertial separation processes. The feature dimension of filtration channel is dozens of times larger than PM average size, which greatly decreases airflow resistance. Particularly, this inertial structure can be made of various types of materials, which shows great potential for low-cost fabrication of large-area devices. As a stand-alone device or incorporated with the existing PM air filter, this inertial impaction filter will bring great benefits to the public health.
Radionuclide uptake by colloidal and particulate humic acids obtained from 14 soils collected worldwide
Authors: Lin Peng , Xu Chen , Xing Wei , Sun Luni , Kaplan Daniel I. , Fujitake Nobuhide , Yeager Chris M. , Schwehr Kathleen A. , Santschi Peter H.
Published: March 2018

Uptake of six particle-reactive and/or redox-sensitive radionuclides (210Pb, 234Th, 7Be, 59Fe, 237Np and 233Pa) by 14 humic acids (HAs) was investigated in artificial groundwater under mildly acidic conditions (pH~5.5). In HA-groundwater slurry, Pb, Be, Fe and Pa bound strongly to particulate HA (>0.45 µm), supporting their application as tracers of soil erosion. Th bound strongly to the colloidal HA (3 kDa-0.45 µm) and as such, would not be a good candidate as a tracer for monitoring soil erosion. HAs likely reduced the oxidized neptunyl form (Np(V)O4+) to Np(IV) based on its enhanced particle-reactivity and Np uptake by particulate HAs, partially retarding the movement of anthropogenic 237Np in field polluted environments. Particulate/colloidal carbonyl/O-aryl (likely through hydroquinone/quinone) functionalities in the HA correlated to Np and Pa uptake, but only particulate O-aryl functionalities was responsible for Fe uptake. The carboxylate- and carbonyl/O-aryl-containing organic functionalities in the HA correlated strongly with Th uptake. In contrast, no significant correlations between organic parameters and Pb or Be uptake implied their predominance of uniform surface adsorption onto particles. This study provides novel insight into the binding of six radionuclides with different organic functionalities of three size fractions, as well as its possible impact on their application in the soil-tracing research.
Synthesis of C-coordinated O-carboxymethyl chitosan metal complexes and evaluation of their antifungal activity
Authors: Liu Weixiang , Qin Yukun , Liu Song , Xing Ronge , Yu Huahua , Chen Xiaolin , Li Kecheng , Li Pengcheng
Published: March 2018

Based on a condensation reaction, a chitosan-derivative-bearing amino pyridine group was prepared and subsequently followed by coordination with cupric ions, zinc ions and nickel ions to synthesize chitosan metal complexes. The calculations using the density functional theory (DFT) show that the copper ions and nickel ions underwent dsp2 hybridization, the zinc ions underwent sp3 hybridization, and they all formed a coordination bond with the carbon atom in the p-π conjugate group. The antifungal properties of O-CSPX-M against Phytophthora capsici (P. capsici), Verticillium alboatrum (V. alboatrum), Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) and Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) were also assayed. Apparently, chitosan metal complexes showed enhanced antifungal activity against four fungi at the tested concentrations compared to that of chitosan. It was shown that Cu complexes can inhibit the growth of P. capsici 100%, and Ni complexes can inhibit the growth of B. cinerea 77.1% at a concentration of 0.4 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL, respectively. The pot experiment also verified the result. In addition, the phytotoxicity experiment showed that O-CSPX-M had no obvious toxicity on wheat leaves. This kind of complexes may represent as an attractive direction for chemical modifications of metal fungicides.
Electromagnetic wave absorption and compressive behavior of a three-dimensional metamaterial absorber based on 3D printed honeycomb
Authors: Jiang Wei , Yan Leilei , Ma Hua , Fan Ya , Wang Jiafu , Feng Mingde , Qu Shaobo
Published: March 2018

Lightweight structures with multi-functions such as electromagnetic wave absorption and excellent mechanical properties are required in spacecraft. A three-dimensional metamaterial absorber consisting of honeycomb and resistive films was proposed and fabricated through 3D printing and silk-screen printing technology. According to simulation and experiment results, the present three-dimensional metamaterial absorber can realize an absorptivity of more than 90% in a wide band of 3.53–24.00 GHz, and improve absorbing efficiency for transverse magnetic (TM) waves of oblique incidence angle from 0° to 70°. The compression test results reveal that compressive strength of the 3D printed honeycomb can reach 10.7 MPa with density of only 254.91 kg/m3, and the energy absorption per volume W
v
and per unit mass W
m
are 4.37 × 103 KJ/m3 and 17.14 KJ/Kg, respectively. The peak compressive strength and energy absorption per mass are at least 2.2 and 3 times comparing to metallic lattice cores with the same density. Outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption and mechanical performance make the present three-dimensional metamaterial absorber more competitive in engineering applications.
Human pluripotent stem cell derived HLC transcriptome data enables molecular dissection of hepatogenesis
Authors: Wruck Wasco , Adjaye James
Published: March 2018

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) provide a defined and renewable source of cells for drug screening, toxicology and regenerative medicine. We previously reprogrammed human fetal foreskin fibroblast cells (HFF1) into iPSCs employing an episomal plasmid-based integration-free approach, this iPSC-line and the hESC lines H1 and H9 were used to model hepatogenesis in vitro. Biochemical characterisation confirmed glycogen storage, ICG uptake and release, urea and bile acid production, as well as CYP3A4 activity. Microarray-based transcriptome analyses was carried out using RNA isolated from the undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and subsequent differentiation stages- definitive endoderm (DE) hepatic endoderm (HE) and HLCs. K-means identified 100 distinct clusters, for example, POU5F1/OCT4 marking the undifferentiated stage, SOX17 the DE stage, HNF4α the HE stage, and ALB specific to HLCs, fetal liver and primary human hepatocytes (PHH). This data descriptor describes these datasets which should be useful for gaining new insights into the molecular basis of hepatogenesis and associated gene regulatory networks.
Global quantitative analysis of the human brain proteome in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Ping Lingyan , Duong Duc M. , Yin Luming , Gearing Marla , Lah James J. , Levey Allan I. , Seyfried Nicholas T.
Published: March 2018

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) often have overlap in clinical presentation and brain neuropathology suggesting that these two diseases share common underlying mechanisms. Currently, the molecular pathways linking AD and PD are incompletely understood. Utilizing Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) isobaric labeling and synchronous precursor selection-based MS3 (SPS-MS3) mass spectrometry, we performed an unbiased quantitative proteomic analysis of post-mortem human brain tissues (n=80) from four different groups defined as controls, AD, PD, and co-morbid AD/PD cases across two brain regions (frontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus). In total, we identified 11 840 protein groups representing 10 230 gene symbols, which map to ~65% of the protein coding genes in brain. The utility of including two reference standards in each TMT 10-plex assay to assess intra- and inter-batch variance is also described. Ultimately, this comprehensive human brain proteomic dataset serves as a valuable resource for various research endeavors including, but not limited to, the identification of disease-specific protein signatures and molecular pathways that are common in AD and PD.
Broad spectrum antiviral activity for paramyxoviruses is modulated by biophysical properties of fusion inhibitory peptides
Authors: Mathieu Cyrille , Augusto Marcelo T. , Niewiesk Stefan , Horvat Branka , Palermo Laura M. , Sanna Giuseppina , Madeddu Silvia , Huey Devra , Castanho Miguel A. R. B. , Porotto Matteo , Santos Nuno C. , Moscona Anne
Published: March 2018

Human paramyxoviruses include global causes of lower respiratory disease like the parainfluenza viruses, as well as agents of lethal encephalitis like Nipah virus. Infection is initiated by viral glycoprotein-mediated fusion between viral and host cell membranes. Paramyxovirus viral fusion proteins (F) insert into the target cell membrane, and form a transient intermediate that pulls the viral and cell membranes together as two heptad-repeat regions refold to form a six-helix bundle structure that can be specifically targeted by fusion-inhibitory peptides. Antiviral potency can be improved by sequence modification and lipid conjugation, and by adding linkers between the protein and lipid components. We exploit the uniquely broad spectrum antiviral activity of a parainfluenza F-derived peptide sequence that inhibits both parainfluenza and Nipah viruses, to investigate the influence of peptide orientation and intervening linker length on the peptides’ interaction with transitional states of F, solubility, membrane insertion kinetics, and protease sensitivity. We assessed the impact of these features on biodistribution and antiviral efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The engineering approach based on biophysical parameters resulted in a peptide that is a highly effective inhibitor of both paramyxoviruses and a set of criteria to be used for engineering broad spectrum antivirals for emerging paramyxoviruses.
Ultrafast dynamics in co-sensitized photocatalysts under visible and NIR light irradiation
Authors: Patwari Jayita , Chatterjee Arka , Sardar Samim , Lemmens Peter , Pal Samir Kumar
Published: March 2018

Activity modulation of co-sensitized light harvesting nanohybrids by tuning the ultrafast carrier dynamics under visible and NIR light irradiation.
A three-dimensional in vitro dynamic micro-tissue model of cardiac scar formation
Authors: Occhetta Paola , Isu Giuseppe , Lemme Marta , Conficconi Chiara , Oertle Philipp , Räz Christian , Visone Roberta , Cerino Giulia , Plodinec Marija , Rasponi Marco , Marsano Anna
Published: March 2018

Our 3D-scar-on-a-chip model resembles fibroblast proliferation and activation, extracellular matrix deposition and stiffening upon application of only cyclic mechanical stretching.
Numerical insights into the early stages of nanoscale electrodeposition: nanocluster surface diffusion and aggregative growth
Authors: Mamme Mesfin Haile , Köhn Christoph , Deconinck Johan , Ustarroz Jon
Published: March 2018

Fundamental understanding of the early stages of electrodeposition at the nanoscale is key to address the challenges in a wide range of applications. In this work, we introduce a novel modelling approach that couples a finite element method (FEM) with a random walk algorithm, to study the early stages of nanocluster formation, aggregation and growth, during electrochemical deposition.
Engineering of charge carriersviaa two-dimensional heterostructure to enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit
Authors: Ding Guangqian , Wang Cong , Gao Guoying , Yao Kailun , Dun Chaochao , Feng Chunbao , Li Dengfeng , Zhang Gang
Published: March 2018

ThermoelectricZTof n-doped ZrSe2/HfSe2SLM at room temperature.
The microscale Weissenberg effect for high-viscosity solution pumping at the picoliter level
Authors: Mei Xuecui , Chen Qinnan , Wang Shihu , Wang Wei , Wu Dezhi , Sun Daoheng
Published: March 2018

Microscale Weissenberg effect based pumping of highly viscous solutions at the picoliter level with a rapid dynamic response is paramount for micro/nano-fabrication.
Critical strain for Sn incorporation into spontaneously graded Ge/GeSn core/shell nanowires
Authors: Albani Marco , Assali Simone , Verheijen Marcel A. , Koelling Sebastian , Bergamaschini Roberto , Pezzoli Fabio , Bakkers Erik P. A. M. , Miglio Leo
Published: March 2018

Quantitative estimation by measurements and simulations of the critical strain for Sn incorporation into graded Ge/GeSn core/shell nanowires, due to progressive strain relaxation with increasing shell thickness.
Ru(ii)-Catalyzed spirocyclization of aryl N-sulfonyl ketimines with aryl isocyanates through an aromatic C–H bond activation
Authors: K. Nagarjuna Reddy , U. Subhadra , B. Sridhar , B. V. Subba Reddy
Published: March 2018

A novel one-pot strategy has been developed for the construction of spiro-isoindolinone-benzosultams through a Ru(ii)-catalyzed sequential C–C and C–N bond formation.
Tissue metabolomic profiling to reveal the therapeutic mechanism of reduning injection on LPS-induced acute lung injury rats
Authors: Xiong Zhili , Wang Yanmin , Lang Lang , Ma Shuping , Zhao Longshan , Xiao Wei , Wang Yanjuan
Published: March 2018

A metabolomic strategy has been developed to investigate the therapeutic mechanistic insights of RDN on the ALI.
Shunaoxin dropping pill, a Chinese herb compound preparation, attenuates memory impairment in d-galactose-induced aging mice
Authors: Zhou Hong , Qu Zhuo , Zhang Jingze , Jiang Bingjie , Liu Changxiao , Gao Wenyuan
Published: March 2018

The Shunaoxin dropping pill (SNX) is derived from a traditional recipe.
Dynamics of a network fluid within the liquid–gas coexistence region
Authors: Dias C. S. , Tavares J. M. , Araújo N. A. M. , Telo da Gama M. M.
Published: March 2018

The relaxation of low-density networks at low temperature is super-universal within and outside the phase coexistence region.
Magnetophoretic induced convective capture of highly diffusive superparamagnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Fratzl M. , Delshadi S. , Devillers T. , Bruckert F. , Cugat O. , Dempsey N. M. , Blaire G.
Published: March 2018

Micro-magnets producing magnetic field gradients as high as 106 T m−1 have been used to efficiently trap nanoparticles with a magnetic core of just 12 nm in diameter. The presented effect is based on the often-neglected particle–fluid two-way coupling leading to magnetophoretic convection.
Mechanical pressure, surface excess, and polar order of a dilute rod-like nanoswimmer suspension: role of swimmer–wall interactions
Authors: Wang Zhengjia , Chen Yen-Fu , Chen Hsuan-Yi , Sheng Yu-Jane , Tsao Heng-Kwong
Published: March 2018

The behaviors of active rods colliding with walls.
A trifluoromethyl substituted wide bandgap conjugated polymer for non-fullerene polymer solar cells with 10.4% efficiency
Authors: Li Wanbin , Li Guangda , Guo Xia , Wang Yong , Guo Huan , Xu Qingqing , Zhang Maojie , Li Yongfang
Published: March 2018

A new wide bandgap copolymer (PBZ-m-CF3) based on a trifluoromethyl-p-alkoxyphenyl substituted benzodithiophene unit is designed and synthesized. PSCs based on PBZ-m-CF3/ITIC with toluene as the solvent show a high PCE of 10.4% with a Voc of 0.94 V, a Jsc of 18.4 mA cm−2 and a FF of 60.2%.
Synthesis of a BODIPY–2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole conjugate with solid state emission and its application as a fluorescent pH probe
Authors: Wang Lingyun , Cui Mingming , Tang Hao , Cao Derong
Published: March 2018

A BODIPY–2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole conjugate with solid state emission and used as a fluorescent pH probe was reported.
A Pt and Pd bimetal nanowire based stereoselective sensor for the discrimination of ascorbic acid and isoascorbic acid
Authors: Ma Jiao , Yang Chengcheng , Zhu Shu , Song Jinyi , Fu Yingzi
Published: March 2018

A simple Pt and Pd bimetal nanowire based stereoselective sensor for the recognition of ascorbic acid and isoascorbic acid.
Direct 17O dynamic nuclear polarization of single-site heterogeneous catalysts
Authors: Perras Frédéric A. , Boteju Kasuni C. , Slowing Igor I. , Sadow Aaron D. , Pruski Marek
Published: March 2018

Direct DNP is shown to effectively enhance 17O signals from non-protonated binding sites for surface-supported catalysts.
Surface modulation of solution processed organolead halide perovskite quantum dots to large nanocrystals integrated with silica gel G
Authors: Bansal Parul , Khan Yusuf , Nim Gaurav Kumar , Kar Prasenjit
Published: March 2018

We demonstrated a facile method to grow organometal halide perovskite quantum dots in a solid silica matrix.
Intra-cavity proton bonding and anharmonicity in the anionophore cyclen
Authors: Avilés-Moreno Juan Ramón , Berden Giel , Oomens Jos , Martínez-Haya Bruno
Published: March 2018

Intra-cavity proton bonding induces anharmonic behavior in protonated cyclen, as revealed by action vibrational spectroscopy and quantum chemical computations.
High-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators based on chemically-reinforced composites
Authors: Lee Eun Jung , Kim Tae Yun , Kim Sang-Woo , Jeong Sunho , Choi Youngmin , Lee Su Yeon
Published: March 2018

A high-performance piezoelectric nanocomposite generator (PNG) based on chemically reinforced composites is demonstrated by incorporating amine-functionalized lead zirconate titanate (PZT-NH2) nanoparticles into a polymer matrix.
Carbon dioxide in the cage: manganese metal–organic frameworks for high performance CO2electrodes in Li–CO2batteries
Authors: Li Siwu , Dong Yu , Zhou Junwen , Liu Yuan , Wang Jiaming , Gao Xing , Han Yuzhen , Qi Pengfei , Wang Bo
Published: March 2018

Manganese MOF-based cathodes achieve high discharge capacity, reduced overpotentials and promoted reversibility in Li–CO2batteries.
Discovery and biological evaluation of N5-substituted 6,7-dioxo-6,7-dihydropteridine derivatives as potent Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Chen Haiyang , Song Peiran , Diao Yanyan , Hao Yongjia , Dou Dou , Wang Wanqi , Fang Xiaoyu , Wang Yanling , Zhao Zhenjiang , Ding Jian , Li Honglin , Xie Hua , Xu Yufang
Published: March 2018

Compound6potently inhibited the enzymatic activity of BTK with an IC50value of 1.9 nM.
Vitamin E-based glycoside amphiphiles for membrane protein structural studies
Authors: Ehsan Muhammad , Du Yang , Molist Iago , Seven Alpay B. , Hariharan Parameswaran , Mortensen Jonas S. , Ghani Lubna , Loland Claus J. , Skiniotis Georgios , Guan Lan , Byrne Bernadette , Kobilka Brian K. , Chae Pil Seok
Published: March 2018

A vitamin E-based novel agent (i.e., VEG-3) was markedly effective at stabilizing and visualizing a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-Gs complex.
“siRNA traffic lights”: arabino-configured 2′-anchors for fluorescent dyes are key for dual color readout in cell imaging
Authors: Steinmeyer Jeannine , Walter Heidi-Kristin , Bichelberger Mathilde A. , Schneider Violetta , Kubař Tomáš , Rönicke Franziska , Olshausen Bettina , Nienhaus Karin , Nienhaus Gerd Ulrich , Schepers Ute , Elstner Marcus , Wagenknecht Hans-Achim
Published: March 2018

The arabino-configured nucleotide anchor improves the red-to-green fluorescence readout by energy transfer.
Large positive magnetoresistance in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes at room temperature
Authors: Nshimiyimana Jean Pierre , Zhang Jian , Chi Xiannian , Hu Xiao , Wu Pei , Liu Siyu , Liu Jia , Chu Weiguo , Sun Lianfeng
Published: March 2018

A positive magnetoresistance is reported in single-walled carbon nanotubes at room temperature, which is further enhanced by etching metallic nanotubes.
Interfacial properties of the ionic liquid [bmim][triflate] over a wide range of temperatures
Authors: Rivera José L. , Molina-Rodríguez Luis , Ramos-Estrada Mariana , Navarro-Santos Pedro , Lima Enrique
Published: March 2018

Picture of the ionic liquid [bmim][triflate] at the vapor/vacuum interface. The liquid density and surface tension show linear behavior in a wide temperature range. The outer interfacial space shows a zero-surface tension zone.
Knitting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-based microporous organic polymers for efficient CO2 capture
Authors: Hou Shuangshuang , Wang Shaolei , Long Xuejun , Tan Bien
Published: March 2018

In order to achieve efficient CO2 capture, four novel microporous organic polymers, based on distinct polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were successfully prepared by the solvent knitting method.
How viscoelastic is human blood plasma?
Authors: Varchanis S. , Dimakopoulos Y. , Wagner C. , Tsamopoulos J.
Published: March 2018

In this work, we evaluate for first time the viscoelastic properties of human blood plasma. Using computational rheology, a molecular-based constitutive model and experimental data, we predict accurately the rheological response of human blood plasma in strong extensional and constriction complex flows.
The extended law of corresponding states when attractions meet repulsions
Authors: van Gruijthuijsen K. , Obiols-Rabasa M. , Schurtenberger P. , Bouwman W. G. , Stradner A.
Published: March 2018

Rescaling of the phase diagram via B2* (Baxter stickiness) and the interaction potential for short-range attractive colloids with shorter- and longer-ranged repulsions.
Tough high modulus hydrogels derived from carbon-nitride via an ethylene glycol co-solvent route
Authors: Kumru Baris , Molinari Valerio , Shalom Menny , Antonietti Markus , Schmidt Bernhard V. K. J.
Published: March 2018

Hydrogels with remarkable mechanical properties are formed via carbon nitride initiated photopolymerization in a water/ethylene glycol mixture.
Thermoelectric properties of Cu2Se1−xTex solid solutions
Authors: Zhao Kunpeng , Guan Mengjia , Qiu Pengfei , Blichfeld Anders B. , Eikeland Espen , Zhu Chenxi , Ren Dudi , Xu Fangfang , Iversen Bo B. , Shi Xun , Chen Lidong
Published: March 2018

We demonstrate that the quality factor of Cu2Se1−xTex solid solutions is higher than those of most typical thermoelectric materials.
Enhanced redox activity of a hollow conjugated microporous polymer through the generation of carbonyl groups by carbonylative Sonogashira coupling
Authors: Choi Jaewon , Ko Ju Hong , Kang Chang Wan , Lee Sang Moon , Kim Hae Jin , Ko Yoon-Joo , Yang MinHo , Son Seung Uk
Published: March 2018

The carbonylative Sonogashira coupling reaction enhanced the redox activity of a hollow conjugated microporous polymer.
Ultrasensitive supersandwich-type biosensor for enzyme-free amplified microRNA detection based on N-doped graphene/Au nanoparticles and hemin/G-quadruplexes
Authors: Wang Yi-Han , Huang Ke-Jing , Wu Xu , Ma Ying-Ying , Song Dong-Ling , Du Chen-Yu , Chang Su-Huai
Published: March 2018

A simple, enzyme-free supersandwich-type biosensor is fabricated for the ultrasensitive detection of microRNAs using N-doped graphene/Au nanoparticles, flower-like MoSe2 microspheres and hemin/G-quadruplexes.