bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innate and adaptive immune responses toin uteroinfection with bovine viral diarrhea virus
Authors: Hansen Thomas R. , Smirnova Natalia P. , Webb Brett T. , Bielefeldt-Ohmann Helle , Sacco Randy E. , Van Campen Hana
Published: June 2015

Infection of pregnant cows with noncytopathic (ncp) bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) induces rapid innate and adaptive immune responses, resulting in clearance of the virus in less than 3 weeks. Seven to 14 days after inoculation of the cow, ncpBVDV crosses the placenta and induces a fetal viremia. Establishment of persistent infection with ncpBVDV in the fetus has been attributed to the inability to mount an immune response before 90–150 days of gestational age. The result is ‘immune tolerance’, persistent viral replication and shedding of ncpBVDV. In contrast, we describe the chronic upregulation of fetal Type I interferon (IFN) pathway genes and the induction of IFN-γ pathways in fetuses of cows infected on day 75 of gestation. Persistently infected (PI) fetal IFN-γ concentrations also increased at day 97 at the peak of fetal viremia and IFN-γ mRNA was significantly elevated in fetal thymus, liver and spleen 14–22 days post maternal inoculation. PI fetuses respond to ncpBVDV infection through induction of Type I IFN and IFN-γ activated genes leading to a reduction in ncpBVDV titer. We hypothesize that fetal infection with BVDV persists because of impaired induction of IFN-γ in the face of activated Type I IFN responses. Clarification of the mechanisms involved in the IFN-associated pathways during BVDV fetal infection may lead to better detection methods, antiviral compounds and selection of genetically resistant breeding animals.
Introduction: Feminist Security Studies and Feminist Political Economy: Crossing Divides and Rebuilding Bridges
Authors: Elias Juanita
Published: June 2015

The essays here reflect on the need to rebuild bridges between two key strands of feminist International Relations (IR) scholarship: feminist security studies (FSS) and feminist (international) political economy (FPE/FIPE). As many of the contributions to this section point out, feminist IR scholarship has long emphasized how gender relations and identities are constituted globally in relation to processes of militarization, securitization, globalization, and governance. In more recent years, however, feminist IR scholarship has come to be dominated by a concern with security (Prügl 2011). Of course, FPE scholarship has continued to provide critical accounts of the gendered nature of global production, work, and financial crises (among other issues). But it is notable that, in doing so, much FPE scholarship has tended to avoid questions of security and/or violence. This CP section, then, looks to the growing divide between FSS and FPE with all of the contributors seeking to analyse how these two traditions of feminist scholarship might be reintegrated and why this reintegration is important.
From Unity to Divergence and Back Again: Security and Economy in Feminist International Relations
Authors: Sjoberg Laura
Published: June 2015

In Gender and International Security: Feminist Perspectives on Achieving Global Security, J. Ann Tickner (1992) identified three main dimensions to “achieving global security”—national security, economic security, and ecological security: conflict, economics, and the environment. Much of the work in feminist peace studies that inspired early feminist International Relations (IR) work (e.g., Brock-Utne 1989; Reardon 1985) and many of Tickner's contemporaries (e.g., Enloe 1989; Peterson and Runyan 1991; Pettman 1996) also saw political economy and a feminist conception of security as intrinsically interlinked. Yet, as feminist IR research evolved in the early 21st century, more scholars were thinking either about political economy or about war and political violence, but not both.
(Re)framing the Relationship between Discourse and Materiality in Feminist Security Studies and Feminist IPE
Authors: Hudson Heidi
Published: June 2015

While feminists usually try to ground the meanings that they study, theorizing the mundane or the everyday may very well represent a detour—or even a dead end—if bread-and-butter issues related to the security and economic well-being of ordinary women and men are ignored. What value does feminist theorizing (even if it draws from women's lived experiences) have in war-affected contexts where meeting immediate needs is paramount? At what point does the theorizing of the body under such circumstances become a means to satisfying intellectual fetishes? Theorizing the everyday is messy because it has to contend with the immediate social setting in which popular culture is inseparable from the economic materiality of the conditions of oppression.
The Everyday Gendered Political Economy of Violence
Authors: Elias Juanita , Rai Shirin
Published: June 2015

This short commentary aims to think through the need to return to a more “integrated” feminist IR through a focus on some of the ways in which feminist political economy (FPE) scholars, such as ourselves, might better integrate a focus on gendered forms and practices of violence into our analysis. We do this via an intervention into debates about the nature of the “everyday” political economy. At the same time, we hope that this intervention might also draw attention to the need for a clearer understanding of the gendered structures and practices of the global political economy in feminist security studies (FSS).
Closing Reflection: Militiamen Get Paid; Women Borrowers Get Beaten
Authors: Enloe Cynthia
Published: June 2015

A rural poor woman wants to withdraw from the microcredit scheme, but her husband slaps her when she even suggests not renewing her loan.
Two new Mediterranean Stenothoe (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from the coast of Israel
Authors: Krapp-Schickel Traudl , Lo Brutto Sabrina
Published: June 2015

Within collections along the Mediterranean coast of Israel, two new species ofStenothoe(Amphipoda) were found. They were found to be living on sand or mud and probably licking the surface of grains.
First record of the redlip blenny Ophioblennius atlanticus (Osteichthyes: Blenniidae) in the Mediterranean
Authors: Falzon Mark-Anthony
Published: June 2015

The redlip blenny,Ophioblennius atlanticus, is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, (central Mediterranean, Malta). The morphology of the fish and the sighting location are described here and the biogeographical relevance of the record discussed.
First report of the brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus Ives, 1891 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae) in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Authors: Cruscanti Marco , Innocenti Gianna , Alvarado Bremer Jaime , Galil Bella S.
Published: June 2015

Two specimens of the penaeid shrimpPenaeus aztecus,a West Atlantic species, were collected off Castiglione della Pescaia, Tyrrhenian coast of Italy. The species identity was confirmed based on morphological characters and by sequencing 510 nucleotides of the mtDNA 16sRNA gene. This alien species has been previously recorded off Turkey, Greece and Montenegro.
What is Wisdom? Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Syntheses
Authors: Walsh Roger
Published: June 2015

This article explores the nature of wisdom using an integrative cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary approach by drawing on contemporary research as well as the philosophical and contemplative disciplines of both East and West. To do this the article first analyzes definitional issues. These issues include difficulties of definition in general, and of wisdom in particular, the common elements and limitations of current definitions, as well as possible varieties or subtypes of wisdom. It then uses integrative definitions of wisdom and its major subtypes as a framework to investigate the characteristics, capacities, and components of wisdom; the varieties of self-knowledge that foster and constitute it; the perceptual, cognitive, and developmental processes essential to it; and the existential issues—for example, meaning, mystery, suffering, and death—that wisdom ponders and responds to. The article then examines wisdom's intimate link with other virtues, especially ethics and benevolence, and questions the claim that emotional regulation is an inherent element of wisdom, arguing instead that emotional regulation and wisdom are distinct, yet mutually facilitating virtues. Finally, the article provides evidence for the “self-demanding” nature of wisdom which implies that to understand it fully we may need to cultivate it ourselves.
Site-specific processing of Ras and Rap1 Switch I by a MARTX toxin effector domain
Authors: Antic Irena , Biancucci Marco , Zhu Yueming , Gius David R. , Satchell Karla J. F.
Published: June 2015

Ras (Rat sarcoma) protein is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation. Mutations in the RAS gene are known to occur in human cancers and have been shown to contribute to carcinogenesis. In this study, we show that the multifunctional-autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) toxin-effector domain DUF5Vv from Vibrio vulnificus to be a site-specific endopeptidase that cleaves within the Switch 1 region of Ras and Rap1. DUF5Vv processing of Ras, which occurs both biochemically and in mammalian cell culture, inactivates ERK1/2, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation. The ability to cleave Ras and Rap1 is shared by DUF5Vv homologues found in other bacteria. In addition, DUF5Vv can cleave all Ras isoforms and KRas with mutations commonly implicated in malignancies. Therefore, we speculate that this new family of Ras/Rap1-specific endopeptidases (RRSPs) has potential to inactivate both wild-type and mutant Ras proteins expressed in malignancies.
Exploring the Effects of Different Types of Surfactants on Zebrafish Embryos and Larvae
Authors: Wang Yanan , Zhang Yuan , Li Xu , Sun Mingzhu , Wei Zhuo , Wang Yu , Gao Aiai , Chen Dongyan , Zhao Xin , Feng Xizeng
Published: June 2015

Currently, surfactants are widely distributed in the environment. As organic pollutants, their toxicities have drawn extensive attention. In this study, the effects of anionic [sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) ], cationic [dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (1227)] and non-ionic [fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO) ] surfactants on zebrafish larval behaviour were evaluated. Five behavioural parameters were recorded using a larval rest/wake assay, including rest total, number of rest bouts, rest bouts length, total activity and waking activity. The results revealed that 1227 and AEO at 1 μg/mL were toxic to larval locomotor activity and that SDS had no significant effects. Moreover, we tested the toxicities of the three surfactants in developing zebrafish embryos. AEO exposure resulted in smaller head size, smaller eye size and shorter body length relative to SDS and 1227. All three surfactants incurred concentration-dependent responses. Furthermore, in situ hybridisation indicated that smaller head size may be associated with a decreased expression of krox20. The altered expression of ntl demonstrated that the developmental retardation stemmed from inhibited cell migration and growth. These findings provide references for ecotoxicological assessments of different types of surfactants and play a warning role in the application of surfactants.
Universal freezing of quantum correlations within the geometric approach
Authors: Cianciaruso Marco , Bromley Thomas R. , Roga Wojciech , Lo Franco Rosario , Adesso Gerardo
Published: June 2015

Quantum correlations in a composite system can be measured by resorting to a geometric approach, according to which the distance from the state of the system to a suitable set of classically correlated states is considered. Here we show that all distance functions, which respect natural assumptions of invariance under transposition, convexity and contractivity under quantum channels, give rise to geometric quantifiers of quantum correlations which exhibit the peculiar freezing phenomenon, i.e., remain constant during the evolution of a paradigmatic class of states of two qubits each independently interacting with a non-dissipative decohering environment. Our results demonstrate from first principles that freezing of geometric quantum correlations is independent of the adopted distance and therefore universal. This finding paves the way to a deeper physical interpretation and future practical exploitation of the phenomenon for noisy quantum technologies.
Physical supports from liver cancer cells are essential for differentiation and remodeling of endothelial cells in a HepG2-HUVEC co-culture model
Authors: Chiew Geraldine Giap Ying , Fu Afu , Perng Low Kar , Qian Luo Kathy
Published: June 2015

Blood vessel remodeling is crucial in tumor growth. Growth factors released by tumor cells and endothelium-extracellular matrix interactions are highlighted in tumor angiogenesis, however the physical tumor-endothelium interactions are highly neglected. Here, we report that the physical supports from hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 cells, are essential for the differentiation and remodeling of endothelial cells. In a HepG2-HUVEC co-culture model, endothelial cells in direct contact with HepG2 cells could differentiate and form tubular structures similar to those plated on matrigel. By employing HepG2 cell sheet as a supportive layer, endothelial cells formed protrusions and sprouts above it. In separate experiments, fixed HepG2 cells could stimulate endothelial cells differentiation while the conditioned media could not, indicating that physical interactions between tumor and endothelial cells were indispensable. To further investigate the endothelium-remodeling mechanisms, the co-culture model was treated with inhibitors targeting different angiogenic signaling pathways. Inhibitors targeting focal adhesions effectively inhibited the differentiation of endothelial cells, while the growth factor receptor inhibitor displayed little effect. In conclusion, the co-culture model has provided evidences of the essential role of cancer cells in the differentiation and remodeling of endothelial cells and is a potential platform for the discovery of new anti-angiogenic agents for liver cancer therapy.
Biological determinants of bladder cancer gene expression subtypes
Authors: Aine Mattias , Eriksson Pontus , Liedberg Fredrik , Sjödahl Gottfrid , Höglund Mattias
Published: June 2015

Molecular stratification of tumors by gene expression profiling has been applied to a large number of human malignancies and holds great promise for personalized treatment. Comprehensive classification schemes for urothelial carcinoma have been proposed by three separate groups but have not previously been evaluated simultaneously in independent data. Here we map the interrelations between the proposed molecular subtypes onto the intrinsic structure of a rich independent dataset and show that subtype stratification within each scheme can be explained in terms of a set of common underlying biological processes. We highlight novel biological and genomic drivers of urothelial carcinoma molecular subtypes and show that tumors carrying genomic aberrations characteristic of distinct molecular pathways converge on a common top level phenotype corresponding to the two major molecular subtypes of non-muscle invasive disease.
Ultra-sensitive protein detection via Single Molecule Arrays towards early stage cancer monitoring
Authors: Schubert Stephanie M. , Arendt Lisa M. , Zhou Wenhui , Baig Shazia , Walter Stephanie R. , Buchsbaum Rachel J. , Kuperwasser Charlotte , Walt David R.
Published: June 2015

The early diagnosis of cancers and continued monitoring of tumor growth would be greatly facilitated by the development of a blood-based, non-invasive, screening technique for early cancer detection. Current technologies for cancer screening and detection typically rely on imaging techniques or blood tests that are not accurate or sensitive enough to definitively diagnose cancer at its earliest stages or predict biologic outcomes. By utilizing Single Molecule Arrays (SiMoA), an ultra-sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, we were able to measure increasing levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) within murine serum over time, which we attribute to tumor development. The measured concentrations of PSA were well below the detectable limits of both a leading clinical diagnostic PSA ELISA assay as well as a commercial ultra-sensitive PSA assay. Our work benchmarks the role of SiMoA as a vital tool in monitoring previously non-detectable protein biomarkers in serum for early cancer detection and offers significant potential as a non-invasive platform for the monitoring of early stage cancer.
Course of neurological soft signs in first-episode schizophrenia: Relationship with negative symptoms and cognitive performances
Authors: Chan Raymond C. K. , Geng Fu-lei , Lui Simon S. Y. , Wang Ya , Ho Karen K. Y. , Hung Karen S. Y. , Gur Raquel E. , Gur Ruben C. , Cheung Eric F. C.
Published: June 2015

This prospective study examined the course of neurological soft signs (NSS) in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and its relationship with negative symptoms and cognitive functions. One hundred and forty-five patients with first-episode schizophrenia were recruited, 29 were classified as having prominent negative symptoms. NSS and neuropsychological measures were administered to all patients and 62 healthy controls at baseline. Patients were then followed-up prospectively at six-month intervals for up to a year. Patients with prominent negative symptoms exhibited significantly more motor coordination signs and total NSS than patients without prominent negative symptoms. Patients with prominent negative symptoms performed worse than patients without negative symptoms in working memory functions but not other fronto-parietal or fronto-temporal functions. Linear growth model for binary data showed that the prominent negative symptoms were stable over time. Despite general improvement in NSS and neuropsychological functions, the prominent negative symptoms group still exhibited poorer motor coordination and higher levels of NSS, as well as poorer working memory than patients without prominent negative symptoms. Two distinct subtypes of first-episode patients could be distinguished by NSS and prominent negative symptoms.
Do nuclear-encoded core subunits of mitochondrial complex I confer genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia in Han Chinese populations?
Authors: Li Xiao , Zhang Wen , Tang Jinsong , Tan Liwen , Luo Xiong-jian , Chen Xiaogang , Yao Yong-Gang
Published: June 2015

Schizophrenia is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders with complex genetic etiology. Accumulating evidence suggests that energy metabolism and oxidative stress play important roles in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Dysfunction of mitochondrial respiratory chain and altered expression of complex I subunits were frequently reported in schizophrenia. To investigate whether nuclear-encoded core subunit genes of mitochondrial complex I are associated with schizophrenia, we performed a genetic association study in Han Chinese. In total, 46 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 7 nuclear-encoded core genes of mitochondrial complex I were genotyped in 918 schizophrenia patients and 1042 healthy controls. We also analyzed these SNPs in a large sample mainly composed of Europeans through using the available GWAS datasets from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC). No significant associations were detected between these SNPs and schizophrenia in Han Chinese and the PGC data set. However, we observed nominal significant associations of 2 SNPs in the NDUFS1 gene and 4 SNPs in the NDUFS2 gene with early onset schizophrenia (EOS), but none of these associations survived the Bonferroni correction. Taken together, our results suggested that common SNPs in the nuclear-encoded core subunit genes of mitochondrial complex I may not confer genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia.
The Clinical Features and Bacteriological Characterizations of Bone and Joint Tuberculosis in China
Authors: Chen Su-Ting , Zhao Li-Ping , Dong Wei-Jie , Gu Yun-Ting , Li Yun-Xu , Dong Ling-Ling , Ma Yi-Feng , Qin Shi-Bing , Huang Hai-Rong
Published: June 2015

Bone and Joint tuberculosis (BJTB) constitutes about 10% of total extra-pulmonary TB cases. Since the BJTB is a paucibacillary condition, there has been no systematic study on the bacterial characterization, especially the epidemiological feature. Here we collected the mycobacterial clinical isolates, analyzed the clinical features and the bacteriological characteristics from 113 BJTB cases reported in China. The mean age of the cases was 40.33 years while most of the patients fell into the 20–29 year age group; local pain was the most common onset symptom of BJTB cases; mean time from symptom onset to BJTB diagnosis was 13.16 months. 31 isolates were defined as drug resistant, including 15 multidrug resistant (MDR) and 2 extensively drug resistant (XDR) isolates according to the drug susceptibility test outcomes; after spoligotyping, 87.6% (99/113) isolates were categorized as Beijing family. In contrast to the isolates from pulmonary tuberculosis patients, here the MIRU-VNTR assay did not find anything significant. A prolonged time span for BJTB diagnosis highlights the requirement of paying further attention to BJTB infection in China. This study provides essential insights into the demographic and microbial characteristics of BJTB cases in China.
Focusing on Plates: Controlling Guided Waves using Negative Refraction
Authors: Philippe Franck D. , Murray Todd W. , Prada Claire
Published: June 2015

Elastic waves are guided along finite structures such as cylinders, plates, or rods through reflection, refraction and mode conversion at the interfaces. Such wave propagation is ubiquitous in the world around us and studies of elastic waveguides first emerged in the later part of the 19th century. Early work on elastic waveguides revealed the presence of backward propagating waves, in which the phase velocity and group velocity are anti-parallel. While backward wave propagation exists naturally in very simple finite elastic media, there has been remarkably little attention paid to this phenomenon. Here we report the development of a tunable acoustic lens in an isotropic elastic plate showing negative refraction over a finite acoustic frequency bandwidth. As compared to engineered acoustic materials such as phononic crystals and metamaterials, the design of the acoustic lens is very simple, with negative refraction obtained through thickness changes rather than internal periodicity or sub-wavelength resonant structures. A new class of acoustic devices, including resonators, filters, lenses and cloaks, may be possible through topography optimization of elastic waveguide structures to exploit the unique properties of backward waves.
Structural and Dynamic Features of F-recruitment Site Driven Substrate Phosphorylation by ERK2
Authors: Piserchio Andrea , Ramakrishan Venkatesh , Wang Hsin , Kaoud Tamer S. , Arshava Boris , Dutta Kaushik , Dalby Kevin N. , Ghose Ranajeet
Published: June 2015

The F-recruitment site (FRS) of active ERK2 binds F-site (Phe-x-Phe-Pro) sequences found downstream of the Ser/Thr phospho-acceptor on cellular substrates. Here we apply NMR methods to analyze the interaction between active ERK2 (ppERK2) and a 13-residue F-site-bearing peptide substrate derived from its cellular target, the transcription factor Elk-1. Our results provide detailed insight into previously elusive structural and dynamic features of FRS/F-site interactions and FRS-driven substrate phosphorylation. We show that substrate F-site engagement significantly quenches slow dynamics involving the ppERK2 activation-loop and the FRS. We also demonstrate that the F-site phenylalanines make critical contacts with ppERK2, in contrast to the proline whose cis-trans isomerization has no significant effect on F-site recognition by the kinase FRS. Our results support a mechanism where phosphorylation of the disordered N-terminal phospho-acceptor is facilitated by its increased productive encounters with the ppERK2 active site due to docking of the proximal F-site at the kinase FRS.
Metabolic engineering for the high-yield production of isoprenoid-based C5 alcohols in E. coli
Authors: George Kevin W. , Thompson Mitchell G. , Kang Aram , Baidoo Edward , Wang George , Chan Leanne Jade G. , Adams Paul D. , Petzold Christopher J. , Keasling Jay D. , Soon Lee Taek
Published: June 2015

Branched five carbon (C5) alcohols are attractive targets for microbial production due to their desirable fuel properties and importance as platform chemicals. In this study, we engineered a heterologous isoprenoid pathway in E. coli for the high-yield production of 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol and 3-methyl-1-butanol, three C5 alcohols that serve as potential biofuels. We first constructed a pathway for 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, where metabolite profiling identified NudB, a promiscuous phosphatase, as a likely pathway bottleneck. We achieved a 60% increase in the yield of 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol by engineering the Shine-Dalgarno sequence of nudB, which increased protein levels by 9-fold and reduced isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) accumulation by 4-fold. To further optimize the pathway, we adjusted mevalonate kinase (MK) expression and investigated MK enzymes from alternative microbes such as Methanosarcina mazei. Next, we expressed a fusion protein of IPP isomerase and the phosphatase (Idi1~NudB) along with a reductase (NemA) to diversify production to 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol and 3-methyl-1-butanol. Finally, we used an oleyl alcohol overlay to improve alcohol recovery, achieving final titers of 2.23 g/L of 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol (~70% of pathway-dependent theoretical yield), 150 mg/L of 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol and 300 mg/L of 3-methyl-1-butanol.
Far-field subwavelength imaging with near-field resonant metalens scanning at microwave frequencies
Authors: Wang Ren , Wang Bing-Zhong , Gong Zhi-Shuang , Ding Xiao
Published: June 2015

A method for far-field subwavelength imaging at microwave frequencies using near-field resonant metalens scanning is proposed. The resonant metalens is composed of switchable split-ring resonators (SRRs). The on-SRR has a strong magnetic coupling ability and can convert evanescent waves into propagating waves using the localized resonant modes. In contrast, the off-SRR cannot achieve an effective conversion. By changing the switch status of each cell, we can obtain position information regarding the subwavelength source targets from the far field. Because the spatial response and Green’s function do not need to be measured and evaluated and only a narrow frequency band is required for the entire imaging process, this method is convenient and adaptable to various environment. This method can be used for many applications, such as subwavelength imaging, detection and electromagnetic monitoring, in both free space and complex environments.
Photocatalytic generation of hydrogen by core-shell WO3/BiVO4 nanorods with ultimate water splitting efficiency
Authors: Pihosh Yuriy , Turkevych Ivan , Mawatari Kazuma , Uemura Jin , Kazoe Yutaka , Kosar Sonya , Makita Kikuo , Sugaya Takeyoshi , Matsui Takuya , Fujita Daisuke , Tosa Masahiro , Kondo Michio , Kitamori Takehiko
Published: June 2015

Efficient photocatalytic water splitting requires effective generation, separation and transfer of photo-induced charge carriers that can hardly be achieved simultaneously in a single material. Here we show that the effectiveness of each process can be separately maximized in a nanostructured heterojunction with extremely thin absorber layer. We demonstrate this concept on WO3/BiVO4+CoPi core-shell nanostructured photoanode that achieves near theoretical water splitting efficiency. BiVO4 is characterized by a high recombination rate of photogenerated carriers that have much shorter diffusion length than the thickness required for sufficient light absorption. This issue can be resolved by the combination of BiVO4 with more conductive WO3 nanorods in a form of core-shell heterojunction, where the BiVO4 absorber layer is thinner than the carrier diffusion length while it’s optical thickness is reestablished by light trapping in high aspect ratio nanostructures. Our photoanode demonstrates ultimate water splitting photocurrent of 6.72 mA cm−2 under 1 sun illumination at 1.23 VRHE that corresponds to ~90% of the theoretically possible value for BiVO4. We also demonstrate a self-biased operation of the photoanode in tandem with a double-junction GaAs/InGaAsP photovoltaic cell with stable water splitting photocurrent of 6.56 mA cm−2 that corresponds to the solar to hydrogen generation efficiency of 8.1%.
Internalization of silver nanoparticles into mouse spermatozoa results in poor fertilization and compromised embryo development
Authors: Yoisungnern Ton , Choi Yun-Jung , Woong Han Jae , Kang Min-Hee , Das Joydeep , Gurunathan Sangiliyandi , Kwon Deug-Nam , Cho Ssang-Goo , Park Chankyu , Kyung Chang Won , Chang Byung-Soo , Parnpai Rangsun , Kim Jin-Hoi
Published: June 2015

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have many features that make them attractive as medical devices, especially in therapeutic agents and drug delivery systems. Here we have introduced AgNPs into mouse spermatozoa and then determined the cytotoxic effects of AgNPs on sperm function and subsequent embryo development. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that AgNPs could be internalized into sperm cells. Furthermore, exposure to AgNPs inhibited sperm viability and the acrosome reaction in a dose-dependent manner, whereas sperm mitochondrial copy numbers, morphological abnormalities and mortality due to reactive oxygen species were significantly increased. Likewise, sperm abnormalities due to AgNPs internalization significantly decreased the rate of oocyte fertilization and blastocyst formation. Blastocysts obtained from AgNPs-treated spermatozoa showed lower expression of trophectoderm-associated and pluripotent marker genes. Overall, we propose that AgNPs internalization into spermatozoa may alter sperm physiology, leading to poor fertilization and embryonic development. Such AgNPs-induced reprotoxicity may be a valuable tool as models for testing the safety and applicability of medical devices using AgNPs.
Estimating variability in grain legume yields across Europe and the Americas
Authors: Cernay Charles , Ben-Ari Tamara , Pelzer Elise , Meynard Jean-Marc , Makowski David
Published: June 2015

Grain legume production in Europe has recently come under scrutiny. Although legume crops are often promoted to provide environmental services, European farmers tend to turn to non-legume crops. It is assumed that high variability in legume yields explains this aversion, but so far this hypothesis has not been tested. Here, we estimate the variability of major grain legume and non-legume yields in Europe and the Americas from yield time series over 1961–2013. Results show that grain legume yields are significantly more variable than non-legume yields in Europe. These differences are smaller in the Americas. Our results are robust at the level of the statistical methods. In all regions, crops with high yield variability are allocated to less than 1% of cultivated areas. Although the expansion of grain legumes in Europe may be hindered by high yield variability, some species display risk levels compatible with the development of specialized supply chains.
Functional Identification of Target by Expression Proteomics (FITExP) reveals protein targets and highlights mechanisms of action of small molecule drugs
Authors: Chernobrovkin Alexey , Marin-Vicente Consuelo , Visa Neus , Zubarev Roman A.
Published: June 2015

Phenomenological screening of small molecule libraries for anticancer activity yields potentially interesting candidate molecules, with a bottleneck in the determination of drug targets and the mechanism of anticancer action. We have found that, for the protein target of a small-molecule drug, the abundance change in late apoptosis is exceptional compared to the expectations based on the abundances of co-regulated proteins. Based on this finding, a novel method to drug target deconvolution is proposed. In a proof of principle experiment, the method yielded known targets of several common anticancer agents among a few (often, just one) likely candidates identified in an unbiased way from cellular proteome comprising more than 4,000 proteins. A validation experiment with a different set of cells and drugs confirmed the findings. As an additional benefit, mapping most specifically regulated proteins on known protein networks highlighted the mechanism of drug action. The new method, if proven to be general, can significantly shorten drug target identification and thus facilitate the emergence of novel anticancer treatments.
Intracerebroventricular administration of leptin increase physical activity but has no effect on thermogenesis in cold-acclimated rats
Authors: Tang Gang-Bin , Tang Xiang-Fang , Li Kui , Wang De-Hua
Published: June 2015

Most small homotherms display low leptin level in response to chronic cold exposure. Cold-induced hypoleptinemia was proved to induce hyperphagia. However, it is still not clear whether hypoleptinemia regulates energy expenditure in cold condition. We try to answer this question in chronic cold-acclimated rats. Results showed that 5-day intracerebroventricular(ICV) infusion of leptin (5 μg/day) had no effects on basal and adaptive thermogenesis and uncoupling protein 1 expression. Physical activity was increased by leptin treatment. We further determined whether ghrelin could reverse the increasing effect of leptin on physical activity. Coadministration of ghrelin (1.2 μg/day) completely reversed the effect of leptin on physical activity. Collectively, this study indicated the regulation of leptin on energy expenditure during cold acclimation may be mainly mediated by physical activity but not by thermogenesis. Our study outlined behavioral role of leptin during the adaptation to cold, which adds some new knowledge to promote our understanding of cold-induced metabolic adaptation.
Biomimetic Intrafibrillar Mineralization of Type I Collagen with Intermediate Precursors-loaded Mesoporous Carriers
Authors: Zhang Wei , Luo Xiao-juan , Niu Li-na , Yang Hong-ye , Yiu Cynthia K.Y. , Wang Tian-da , Zhou Li-qun , Mao Jing , Huang Cui , Pashley David H. , Tay Franklin R.
Published: June 2015

Limited continuous replenishment of the mineralization medium is a restriction for in-situ solution-based remineralization of hypomineralized body tissues. Here, we report a process that generated amine-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for sustained release of biomimetic analog-stabilized amorphous calcium phosphate precursors. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional collagen models can be intrafibrillarly mineralized with these released fluidic intermediate precursors. This represents an important advance in the translation of biomineralization concepts into regimes for in-situ remineralization of bone and teeth.
Mutational Analysis of Intracellular Loops Identify Cross Talk with Nucleotide Binding Domains of Yeast ABC Transporter Cdr1p
Authors: Shah Abdul Haseeb , Rawal Manpreet Kaur , Dhamgaye Sanjiveeni , Komath Sneha Sudha , Saxena Ajay Kumar , Prasad Rajendra
Published: June 2015

The ABC transporter Cdr1 protein (Cdr1p) of Candida albicans, which plays a major role in antifungal resistance, has two transmembrane domains (TMDs) and two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) that are interconnected by extracellular (ECLs) and intracellular (ICLs) loops. To examine the communication interface between the NBDs and ICLs of Cdr1p, we subjected all four ICLs to alanine scanning mutagenesis, replacing each of the 85 residues with an alanine. The resulting ICL mutant library was analyzed by biochemical and phenotypic mapping. Only 18% of the mutants from this library displayed enhanced drug susceptibility. Most of the drug-susceptible mutants displayed uncoupling between ATP hydrolysis and drug transport. The two drug-susceptible ICL1 mutants (I574A and S593A) that lay within or close to the predicted coupling helix yielded two chromosomal suppressor mutations that fall near the Q-loop of NBD2 (R935) and in the Walker A motif (G190) of NBD1. Based on a 3D homology model and kinetic analysis of drug transport, our data suggest that large distances between ICL residues and their respective chromosomal suppressor mutations rule out a direct interaction between them. However, they impact the transport cycle by restoring the coupling interface via indirect downstream signaling.
Vertical split-ring resonator based anomalous beam steering with high extinction ratio
Authors: Hsu Wei-Lun , Wu Pin Chieh , Chen Jia-Wern , Chen Ting-Yu , Cheng Bo Han , Chen Wei Ting , Huang Yao-Wei , Liao Chun Yen , Sun Greg , Tsai Din Ping
Published: June 2015

Metasurfaces created artificially with metal nanostructures that are patterned on surfaces of different media have shown to possess “unusual” abilities to manipulate light. Limited by nanofabrication difficulties, so far most reported works have been based on 2D metal structures. We have recently developed an advanced e-beam process that allowed for the deposition of 3D nanostructures, namely vertical split-ring resonators (VSRRs), which opens up another degree of freedom in the metasurface design. Here we explore the functionality of beam steering with phase modulation by tuning only the vertical dimension of the VSRRs and show that anomalous steering reflection of a wide range of angles can be accomplished with high extinction ratio using the finite-difference-time-domain simulation. We also demonstrate that metasurfaces made of 3D VSRRs can be made with roughly half of the footprint compared to that of 2D nano-rods, enabling high density integration of metal nanostructures.
Species interactions determine the spatial mortality patterns emerging in plant communities after extreme events
Authors: Liao Jinbao , Bogaert Jan , Nijs Ivan
Published: June 2015

Gap disturbance is assumed to maintain species diversity by creating environmental heterogeneity. However, little is known about how interactions with neighbours, such as competition and facilitation, alter the emerging gap patterns after extreme events. Using a spatially explicit community model we demonstrate that negative interactions, especially intraspecific competition, greatly promote both average gap size and gap-size diversity relative to positive interspecific interaction. This suggests that competition would promote diversity maintenance but also increase community invasibility, as large gaps with a wide size variety provide more diverse niches for both local and exotic species. Under interspecific competition, both gap metrics interestingly increased with species richness, while they were reduced under intraspecific competition. Having a wider range of species interaction strengths led to a smaller average gap size only under intraspecific competition. Increasing conspecific clumping induced larger gaps with more variable sizes under intraspecific competition, in contrast to interspecific competition. Given the range of intraspecific clumping in real communities, models or experiments based on randomly synthesized communities may yield biased estimates of the opportunities for potential colonizers to fill gaps. Overall, our “static” model on gap formation offers perspectives to better predict recolonization opportunity and thus community secondary succession under extreme event regimes.
Why humans build fires shaped the same way
Authors: Bejan Adrian
Published: June 2015

Here we see why humans unwittingly build fires that look the same: edifices of fuel, as tall as they are wide. The pile of fuel is permeable, air invades it by natural convection and drives the combustion. I show that the hottest pile of burning fuel occurs when the height of the pile is roughly the same as its base diameter. Future studies may address the shape effect of wind, material type and packing. Key is why humans of all eras have been relying on this design of fire “unwittingly”. The reason is that the heat flow from fire facilitates the movement and spreading of human mass on the globe.
Nanodiamonds and silicon quantum dots: ultrastable and biocompatible luminescent nanoprobes for long-term bioimaging
Authors: Montalti M. , Cantelli A. , Battistelli G.
Published: June 2015

Ultra-stability and low-toxicity of silicon quantum dots and fluorescent nanodiamonds for long-termin vitroandin vivobioimaging are demonstrated.
The innate capacity of proteins to protect against reactive radical species
Authors: Hamdy Omar M. , Alizadeh Arman , Julian Ryan R.
Published: June 2015

This work highlights the apparent innate ability of proteins to protect themselves and surrounding biomolecules from oxidative damage.
Electrochemical nanoprobes for the chemical detection of neurotransmitters
Authors: Shen Mei , Colombo Michelle L.
Published: June 2015

Neurotransmitters, acting as chemical messengers, play an important role in neurotransmission, which governs many functional aspects of nervous system activity.
Rational design of host materials for phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes by modifying the 1-position of carbazole
Authors: Kim Sung Moo , Byeon Sung Yong , Hwang Seok-Ho , Lee Jun Yeob
Published: June 2015

A novel carbazole moiety with bromine at the 1-position of carbazole was synthesized and four carbazole compounds derived from the 1-position modified carbazole were developed as the host materials for phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes.
Correction: Introduction of a mediator for enhancing photocatalytic performance via post-synthetic metal exchange in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)
Authors: Sun Dengrong , Liu Wenjun , Qiu Mei , Zhang Yongfan , Li Zhaohui
Published: June 2015

Correction for ‘Introduction of a mediator for enhancing photocatalytic performance via post-synthetic metal exchange in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)’ by Dengrong Sun et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 2056–2059.
Time-resolved spectroscopy of the singlet excited state of betanin in aqueous and alcoholic solutions
Authors: Wendel Monika , Nizinski Stanislaw , Tuwalska Dorota , Starzak Karolina , Szot Dominika , Prukala Dorota , Sikorski Marek , Wybraniec Slawomir , Burdzinski Gotard
Published: June 2015

Transient UV-vis-NIR absorption of betanin in water.
Intense NIR emissions at 0.8 μm, 1.47 μm, and 1.53 μm from colloidal LiYbF4:Ln3+ (Ln = Tm3+ and Er3+) nanocrystals
Authors: Sarkar Shyam , Adusumalli Venkata N. K. B. , Mahalingam Venkataramanan , Capobianco John A.
Published: June 2015

We report on the synthesis of diamond shaped Ln3+-doped LiYbF4 (Ln = Tm and Er) nanocrystals with flat edges via the thermal decomposition method.
The influence of hydrogen bonding on the dielectric constant and the piezoelectric energy harvesting performance of hydrated metal salt mediated PVDF films
Authors: Jana Santanu , Garain Samiran , Sen Shrabanee , Mandal Dipankar
Published: June 2015

The influence of hydrogen bonding on the performance of PEH enables several LEDs to glow instantly.
Significance of weak interactions in imidazolium picrate ionic liquids: spectroscopic and theoretical studies for molecular level understanding
Authors: Panja Sumit Kumar , Dwivedi Nidhi , Noothalapati Hemanth , Shigeto Shinsuke , Sikder A. K. , Saha Abhijit , Sunkari Sailaja S. , Saha Satyen
Published: June 2015

The effects of interionic hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking interactions on the physical properties of a new series of picrate anion based ionic liquids (ILs) have been investigated experimentally and theoretically.
Anisotropic relaxation of a CuO/TiO2 surface under an electric field and its impact on visible light absorption: ab initio calculations
Authors: Li Lei , Li Wenshi , Ji Aimin , Wang Ziou , Zhu Canyan , Zhang Lijun , Yang Jianfeng , Mao Ling-Feng
Published: June 2015

A CuO/TiO2 layer under a 10.4 MV cm−1 electric field in the [010] direction achieves enhanced absorption of visible light due to the Cu–O bond.
Exploration of the binding interaction of a potential nervous system stimulant with calf-thymus DNA and dissociation of the drug–DNA complex by detergent sequestration
Authors: Kundu Pronab , Ghosh Saptarshi , Chattopadhyay Nitin
Published: June 2015

The binding interaction of a potential nervous system stimulant with calf-thymus DNA has been divulged and dissociation of the drug–DNA complex has been achieved by the detergent sequestration method.
Charge-induced equilibrium dynamics and structure at the Ag(001)–electrolyte interface
Authors: Karl Jr. Robert M. , Barbour Andi , Komanicky Vladimir , Zhu Chenhui , Sandy Alec , Pierce Michael S. , You Hoydoo
Published: June 2015

The applied potential dependent rate of atomic step motion of the Ag(001) surface in weak NaF electrolyte has been measured using a new extension of the technique of X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS).
Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes via a facile two-step approach as an efficient catalyst for the direct dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene
Authors: Zhao Zhongkui , Dai Yitao , Ge Guifang , Guo Xinwen , Wang Guiru
Published: June 2015

A two-step approach including prior air activation and melamine pyrolysis was used to prepare N-doped carbon nanotube with superior catalytic performance for the ethylbenzene direct dehydrogenation to classical one prepared only by pyrolysis of melamine.
Adatom bond-induced geometric and electronic properties of passivated armchair graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Lin Yu-Tsung , Chung Hsien-Ching , Yang Po-Hua , Lin Shih-Yang , Lin Ming-Fa
Published: June 2015

The geometric and electronic properties of passivated armchair graphene nanoribbons, enriched by strong chemical bonding between edge-carbons and various adatoms, are investigated by first-principle calculations.
Li+ intercalation in isostructural Li2VO3 and Li2VO2F with O2− and mixed O2−/F− anions
Authors: Chen Ruiyong , Ren Shuhua , Yavuz Murat , Guda Alexander A. , Shapovalov Viktor , Witter Raiker , Fichtner Maximilian , Hahn Horst
Published: June 2015

A comparative investigation (oxyfluoride vs. oxide) demonstrates the positive impact of F− incorporation on the cathode performance including capacity, voltage, hysteresis and Li+ diffusion.
The effect of temperature on thermoelectric properties of n-type Bi2Te3 nanowire/graphene layer-by-layer hybrid composites
Authors: Ju Hyun , Kim Jooheon
Published: June 2015

The thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3 nanowire/graphene composites prepared at different sintering temperatures have been investigated.
Cu(ii)–Dy(iii) and Co(iii)–Dy(iii) based single molecule magnets with multiple slow magnetic relaxation processes in the Cu(ii)–Dy(iii) complex
Authors: Dolai Malay , Ali Mahammad , Titiš Ján , Boča Roman
Published: June 2015

Two CuII–DyIII and CoIII–DyIII dinuclear complexes of a Schiff base ligand (H3L) exhibit single-molecule magnetic behaviour with multiple slow magnetic relaxation processes for the former.
New ruthenium(ii) coordination compounds possessing bidentate aminomethylphosphane ligands: synthesis, characterization and preliminary biological study in vitro
Authors: Płotek Michał , Starosta Radosław , Komarnicka Urszula K. , Skórska-Stania Agnieszka , Jeżowska-Bojczuk Małgorzata , Stochel Grażyna , Kyzioł Agnieszka
Published: June 2015

First examples of Ru(ii) complexes possessing P,N-bidentate aminomethylphosphanes.
Structure and aggregation properties of a Schiff-base zinc(ii) complex derived from cis-1,2-diaminocyclohexane
Authors: Consiglio Giuseppe , Oliveri Ivan Pietro , Punzo Francesco , Thompson Amber L. , Di Bella Santo , Failla Salvatore
Published: June 2015

The effect of the bridging diamine upon the aggregation properties of a ZnII Schiff-base complex is reported. The X-ray crystal structure indicates the presence of an asymmetric dimer which is preserved even in solution.
Dual-targeting organometallic ruthenium(ii) anticancer complexes bearing EGFR-inhibiting 4-anilinoquinazoline ligands
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zheng Wei , Luo Qun , Zhao Yao , Zhang Erlong , Liu Suyan , Wang Fuyi
Published: June 2015

Organoruthenium complexes containing 4-anilinoquinazolines show dual-targeting activity, and highly inhibit the growth of the HeLa cancer cell line.