bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of lanthionine ketimine ethyl ester in mouse serum, whole blood and tissues using ultrahigh‐pressure liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Muchiri Ruth N. , Kowal Katarzyna E. , Hensley Kenneth , Feinstein Douglas L. , van Breemen Richard B.
Published: August 2018

Rationale

Preclinical studies in the search for treatments for several neurodegenerative diseases have identified lanthionine ketimine (LK) and its monoethyl ester derivative (LKE) as potential candidates. An ultrahigh‐pressure liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS) assay was developed to evaluate bioavailability by measuring these compounds in mouse serum, whole blood and brain tissue.

Methods

Following administration of LKE to mice for 3 days in chow at 300 ppm, the animals were sacrificed, and LKE was extracted from serum, whole blood and brain tissues through protein precipitation using cold methanol. To enhance chromatographic separation and electrospray ionization, LK was methylated using diazomethane. Separations were carried out using C18 reversed‐phase UHPLC, and quantitative measurements were obtained using on‐line triple‐quadruple mass spectrometry with positive ion electrospray ionization, collision‐induced dissociation and selected reaction monitoring. Tolbutamide was used as internal standard.

Results

LKE showed good recovery ranging from 77–90% in serum and 82–88% in brain tissue. An eight‐point standard curve ranging from 0.005 to 4.6 μM was linear (R2 0.998). The average LKE detected in mouse serum was 277.42 nM, while the concentration in whole blood was 38 nM. Neither LK nor LKE was detected in brain tissues.

Conclusions

A rapid quantitative method to measure LKE in mouse serum, whole blood and brain tissues using UHPLC/MS/MS was developed and validated following FDA guidelines. This method is suitable for bioavailability and pharmacokinetic studies.
‐disturbance attenuation for LPV systems under sampled‐data control
Authors: Gomes da Silva Jr J.M. , Palmeira A.H.K. , Moraes V.M. , Flores J.V.
Published: August 2018

This paper focuses on the synthesis of sampled‐data linear parameter‐varying (LPV) control laws. In particular, the problem of
disturbance attenuation for continuous‐time LPV systems under aperiodic sampling is addressed. It is explicitly assumed that the LPV controller is updated only at the sampling instants while the plant parameter can evolve continuously between two sampling instants. The proposed approach is based on a polytopic model for the LPV system and the use of a parameter‐dependent looped‐functional to deal with the aperiodic sampling effects. From these ingredients, conditions in a quasi‐LMI form (ie, they are LMIs provided a scalar parameter is fixed) are derived to compute a stabilizing control law ensuring an upper bound on the closed‐loop system
‐gain. These conditions are then incorporated to convex optimization problems aiming at either minimizing the
‐gain upper bound or maximizing the allowable sampling interval for which stability is ensured. Numerical examples illustrate the proposed methodology.
Reliable M2M/IoT data delivery from FANETs via satellite
Authors: Bacco Manlio , Colucci Marco , Gotta Alberto , Kourogiorgas Charilaos , Panagopoulos Athanasios D.
Published: August 2018

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is rising in several application fields. This work deals with the communication challenges in UAV swarms, or flying ad hoc network (FANET), when taking into account non–line‐of‐sight scenarios. The use of satellites is a necessity in such operating conditions; thus, this work provides architectural considerations and performance assessments when several (FANETs) share an uplink random access satellite channel, fed with M2M/IoT traffic generated from on‐board sensors, to be reliably delivered to a remote ground destination.
Synthesis of Hollow Silica Particles Using Acid Dissolvable Resorcinol‐Formaldehyde Resin Particles as Template
Authors: Meng Qingnan , Wang Kai , Xu Xiaobo , Tang Yufei , Han Zhenhua , Zhao Kang , Zhang Guojun , Cui Juanni , Ji Yeye
Published: August 2018

Hollow silica particles (HSPs) were produced using acid dissolvable resorcinol‐formaldehyde resin (RF) particles as template. Since the RF particles synthesized in alkaline condition were thought to be highly cross‐linked, they were commonly removed by calcination. Apparently, the acid washing method was more facile and time saving. By conducting control experiments, it was proposed that the destruction of the RF template in acid solution was attributed to the large amount of hydrolyzable bonds in their structure. Moreover, Au nanoparticles loaded HSPs were successfully prepared with prefabricated Au nanoparticles as core materials. And thanks to the remained RF in the HSPs, Ag nanoparticles loaded HSPs had also be prepared via an in‐situ reduction route. These results demonstrated the flexibility and effectiveness of our method in synthesizing the hollow and rattle‐type materials.
Thermoelectric SnTe with Band Convergence, Dense Dislocations, and Interstitials through Sn Self‐Compensation and Mn Alloying
Authors: Guo Fengkai , Cui Bo , Liu Yuan , Meng Xianfu , Cao Jian , Zhang Yang , He Ran , Liu Weishu , Wu Haijun , Pennycook Stephen J. , Cai Wei , Sui Jiehe
Published: August 2018

SnTe is known as an eco‐friendly analogue of PbTe without toxic elements. However, the application potentials of pure SnTe are limited because of its high hole carrier concentration derived from intrinsic Sn vacancies, which lead to a high electrical thermal conductivity and low Seebeck coefficient. In this study, Sn self‐compensation and Mn alloying could significantly improve the Seebeck coefficients in the whole temperature range through simultaneous carrier concentration optimization and band engineering, thereby leading to a large improvement of the power factors. Combining precipitates and atomic‐scale interstitials due to Mn alloying with dense dislocations induced by long time annealing, the lattice thermal conductivity is drastically reduced. As a result, an enhanced figure of merit (ZT) of 1.35 is achieved for the composition of Sn0.94Mn0.09Te at 873 K and the ZTave from 300 to 873 K is boosted to 0.78, which is of great significance for practical application. Hitherto, the ZTmax and ZTave of this work are the highest values among all single‐element‐doped SnTe systems.
Consider intersections between Title IX, academic regulations
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: August 2018

ORLANDO — When a solution to a Title IX complaint has been identified, the Registrar's Office might be called upon to implement it. For example, a student might need to be moved to a different section of a course. But what if the solution conflicts with academic regulations, could delay a student's graduation, or could cause the student to lose financial aid? Lesa Beals, senior associate registrar at Purdue University, explained the role registrars can play in Title IX at a session at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers annual meeting.
Help students complete credentials with effective scheduling
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: August 2018

DALLAS — If your institution's goal is to improve the completion rate, the course schedule could be an effective tool for achieving success. Changing how your institution creates the course schedule involves both cultural and technological change. A panel at the American Association of Community Colleges annual convention explained how several colleges have achieved success with schedule changes. Speakers were Janice Taylor Heard, dean of academic affairs at Cuyahoga Community College; Michael Voss, dean of instruction, career and technical programs, at Mesa Community College; Matilda Chavez, interim vice president of learning at South Mountain Community College; and James Canniff, provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at Bunker Hill Community College.
On the Possibility of Endohedrally Helium‐doped TEX – A DFT Treatment
Authors: Türker Lemi
Published: August 2018

TEX is a caged, nitramine type explosive material. To envisage the response of its bonds against stretching, an inert atom, helium, is doped into interior cavity of TEX molecule. Density functional theory at the level of B3LYP/6‐31++G(d,p) was employed to investigate some physicochemical and quantum chemical properties of the helium‐doped TEX (He@TEX) and compared with TEX and TEX+He composite systems. The result of helium doping caused swelling of TEX cage but no bond rupture occurred. The doped helium atom acquired positive charge.
Chlorocyanoborates: Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Structural Characterization, and Properties of Ionic Liquids
Authors: Bischoff Lisa A. , Sprenger Jan A. P. , Hennig Philipp T. , Ignat'ev Nikolai V. , Finze Maik
Published: August 2018

A set of first mixed chlorocyanoborates was synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analysis, NMR and vibrational spectroscopy. Two different synthetic approaches were developed: Exchange of chlorine against CN in case of [BCl3(CN)]– and reaction of [BHx(CN)4–x]– with Cl2 or tBuOCl for the generation of [BClx(CN)4–x]– (x = 1, 2). The single‐crystal structures of [Ph4P][BCl2(CN)2] and [Ph4P][BCl3(CN)] were derived from X‐ray diffraction experiments. [EMIm][BClx(CN)4–x] (x = 1–3) and [BMPL][BClx(CN)4–x] (x = 1, 2) were found to be low‐viscosity room temperature ionic liquids. [EMIm][BCl(CN)3] (18.6 mPa·s) and [EMIm][BCl2(CN)2] (19.6 mPa·s) are even less viscous than the well‐known [EMIm][B(CN)4] (EMIm‐TCB, 22.6 mPa·s). Mono‐ and dichlorocyanoborates were studied by CV and found to provide large electrochemical windows. Especially [EMIm][BCl(CN)3] reveals a high specific conductivity (14.1 mS cm–1).
The Dark Side of the (Preparedness) Moon: Why Promoting Public Preparedness Remains Challenging
Authors: Bodas Moran
Published: August 2018

Despite best intentions and considerable effort, promoting households' preparedness to emergencies remains insufficiently low globally. It seems that, in some cases, particularly those in which populations are frequently exposed to any given threat, a more complex sociopsychological framework emerges – one in which classical motivators, such as threat perception cues, are no longer capable of turning salient belief into action. Recent studies suggest that this phenomenon, called victimization, has considerable implications on the efficacy of risk communication efforts and could jeopardize the success in promoting public readiness. Circumventing the psychological barriers caused by this phenomenon requires innovative approaches, such as using external incentives. The model and its implications are discussed (Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2019;13:593-595)
Non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging for monitoring patients with acoustic neuroma
Authors: Forgues M , Mehta R , Anderson D , Morel C , Miller L , Sevy A , Son L , Arriaga M
Published: August 2018

Objective

To assess the feasibility of non-contrast T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as compared to T1-weighted post-contrast magnetic resonance imaging for detecting acoustic neuroma growth.

Methods

Adult patients with acoustic neuroma who underwent at least three magnetic resonance imaging scans of the internal auditory canals with and without contrast in the past nine years were identified. T1- and T2-weighted images were reviewed by three neuroradiologists, and tumour size was measured. Accuracy of the measurements on T2-weighted images was defined as a difference of less than or equal to 2 mm from the measurement on T1-weighted images.

Results

A total of 107 magnetic resonance imaging scans of 26 patients were reviewed. Measurements on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were 88 per cent accurate. Measurements on T2-weighted images differed from measurements on T1-weighted images by an average of 1.27 mm, or 10.4 per cent of the total size. The specificity of T2-weighted images was 88.2 per cent and the sensitivity was 77.8 per cent.

Conclusion

The T2-weighted sequences are fairly accurate in measuring acoustic neuroma size and identifying growth if one keeps in mind the caveats associated with the tumour characteristics or location.
Local perspectives and context in relation to feeding practices of children under 2 years in the mountain villages of northern Thailand
Authors: Roesler Anna , Smithers Lisa G , Winichagoon Pattanee , Wangpakapattanawong Prasit , Moore Vivienne
Published: August 2018

Objective

To gain an in-depth understanding of infant and young child feeding practices, accompanying beliefs and their sociocultural context in the Karen and Lua ethnic communities of northern Thailand.

Design

A two-day workshop and thirty in-depth interviews were undertaken in June 2014. Dialogue occurred with the assistance of translators and was recorded, transcribed and translated. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken.

Setting

Northern Thai indigenous communities in which one-third of the children under 5 years of age are stunted.

Subjects

People with various roles in the local health system and twenty-six villagers who cared for infants and young children.

Results

Predominant breast-feeding was said to occur for 1 to 3 months but was not exclusive due to early introduction of water and/or rice. Exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months was impeded by the need for mothers to return to farming work, with the early introduction of solids enabling infants to be cared for by other family members. Low variety in complementary foods was typical during infancy, with few local foods having appropriate texture and special preparation of foods rarely described. A pervasive underlying issue is women’s responsibility to labour and lack of time to care for their young children. Poverty and food insecurity also featured in participants’ accounts.

Conclusions

In combination, women’s limited time to care, poverty and food insecurity are perpetuating poor nutrition of children in early life. Agricultural solutions that are being explored should also attend to the burden of work for women.
Peptide-guided functionalization and macrocyclization of bioactive peptidosulfonamides by Pd(II)-catalyzed late-stage C–H activation
Authors: Tang Jian , Chen Hongfei , He Yadong , Sheng Wangjian , Bai Qingqing , Wang Huan
Published: August 2018

Peptides and peptidomimetics are emerging as an important class of clinic therapeutics. Here we report a peptide-guided method for the functionalization and macrocyclization of bioactive peptidosulfonamides by Pd(II)-catalyzed late-stage C–H activation. In this protocol, peptides act as internal directing groups and enable site-selective olefination of benzylsulfonamides and cyclization of benzosulfonamides to yield benzosultam-peptidomimetics. Our results provide an unusual example of benzosulfonamide cyclization with olefins through a sequential C–H activation, which involves the generation of a reactive palladium-peptide complex. Furthermore, this protocol allows facile self-guided macrocyclization of sulfonamide-containing peptides by intramolecular olefination with acrylates and unactivated alkenes, affording bioactive peptidosulfonamide macrocycles of various sizes. Together, our results highlight the utility of peptides as internal directing groups in facilitating transition metal-catalyzed functionalization of peptidomimetics.
Polycomb complexes associate with enhancers and promote oncogenic transcriptional programs in cancer through multiple mechanisms
Authors: Chan Ho Lam , Beckedorff Felipe , Zhang Yusheng , Garcia-Huidobro Jenaro , Jiang Hua , Colaprico Antonio , Bilbao Daniel , Figueroa Maria E. , LaCava John , Shiekhattar Ramin , Morey Lluis
Published: August 2018

Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) plays essential roles in cell fate decisions and development. However, its role in cancer is less well understood. Here, we show that RNF2, encoding RING1B, and canonical PRC1 (cPRC1) genes are overexpressed in breast cancer. We find that cPRC1 complexes functionally associate with ERα and its pioneer factor FOXA1 in ER+ breast cancer cells, and with BRD4 in triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBC). While cPRC1 still exerts its repressive function, it is also recruited to oncogenic active enhancers. RING1B regulates enhancer activity and gene transcription not only by promoting the expression of oncogenes but also by regulating chromatin accessibility. Functionally, RING1B plays a divergent role in ER+ and TNBC metastasis. Finally, we show that concomitant recruitment of RING1B to active enhancers occurs across multiple cancers, highlighting an under-explored function of cPRC1 in regulating oncogenic transcriptional programs in cancer.
Simultaneous dendritic voltage and calcium imaging and somatic recording from Purkinje neurons in awake mice
Authors: Roome Christopher J. , Kuhn Bernd
Published: August 2018

Spatiotemporal maps of dendritic signalling and their relationship with somatic output is fundamental to neuronal information processing, yet remain unexplored in awake animals. Here, we combine simultaneous sub-millisecond voltage and calcium two-photon imaging from distal spiny dendrites, with somatic electrical recording from spontaneously active cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PN) in awake mice. We detect discrete 1−2 ms suprathreshold voltage spikelets in the distal spiny dendrites during dendritic complex spikes. Spikelets and their calcium correlates are highly heterogeneous in number, timing and spatial distribution within and between complex spikes. Back-propagating simple spikes are highly attenuated. Highly variable 5–10 ms voltage hotspots are localized to fine dendritic processes and are reduced in size and frequency by lidocaine and CNQX. Hotspots correlated with somatic output but also, at high frequency, trigger purely dendritic calcium spikes. Summarizing, spatiotemporal signalling in PNs is far more complex, dynamic, and fine scaled than anticipated, even in resting animals.
Structure and mechanism of cancer-associated N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-V
Authors: Nagae Masamichi , Kizuka Yasuhiko , Mihara Emiko , Kitago Yu , Hanashima Shinya , Ito Yukishige , Takagi Junichi , Taniguchi Naoyuki , Yamaguchi Yoshiki
Published: August 2018

N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-V (GnT-V) alters the structure of specific N-glycans by modifying α1-6-linked mannose with a β1-6-linked N-acetylglucosamine branch. β1-6 branch formation on cell surface receptors accelerates cancer metastasis, making GnT-V a promising target for drug development. However, the molecular basis of GnT-V’s catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity are not fully understood. Here, we report crystal structures of human GnT-V luminal domain with a substrate analog. GnT-V luminal domain is composed of a GT-B fold and two accessary domains. Interestingly, two aromatic rings sandwich the α1-6 branch of the acceptor N-glycan and restrain the global conformation, partly explaining the fine branch specificity of GnT-V. In addition, interaction of the substrate N-glycoprotein with GnT-V likely contributes to protein-selective and site-specific glycan modification. In summary, the acceptor-GnT-V complex structure suggests a catalytic mechanism, explains the previously observed inhibition of GnT-V by branching enzyme GnT-III, and provides a basis for the rational design of drugs targeting N-glycan branching.
The effect of mild decrement in plasma volume simulating short-duration spaceflight on intracranial pressure
Authors: Kurazumi Takuya , Ogawa Yojiro , Morisaki Hiroshi , Iwasaki Ken-ichi
Published: August 2018

Short-duration spaceflight induces an approximately 10% reduction in plasma volume, which leads to mild volume depletion. In a previous study, we found that mild volume depletion improved dynamic cerebral autoregulation. However, the effect of mild volume depletion on intracranial pressure (ICP) remains unknown. Therefore, we estimated ICP noninvasively (nICP), and calculated two indices relating to ICP, the cerebral artery compliance and the cerebral blood flow pulsatility index (PI), to examine whether ICP would decrease due to a mild decrement in plasma volume. In our previous experiment, fourteen subjects were administered 0.2 mg/kg of furosemide in a supine position to simulate an approximately 10% reduction in plasma volume induced by short-duration spaceflight. We re-analyzed the cerebral blood flow velocity waveform from the middle cerebral artery obtained by transcranial Doppler and the arterial blood pressure waveform at the radial artery obtained by tonometry to estimate nICP and to calculate cerebral artery compliance and PI using mathematical analysis based on an intracranial hydraulic model. All indices were compared between before and after furosemide administration. There were no significant changes in nICP and cerebral artery compliance. However, PI decreased significantly from before to after furosemide administration (0.78 ± 0.10 to 0.74 ± 0.09, p = 0.009). Decreases in ICP were not observed during the 10% reduction in plasma volume. Although cerebral artery compliance did not change, PI decreased significantly. These findings suggest that the impedance of distal cerebral arteries would be reduced in response to mild decreases in plasma volume induced by short-duration spaceflight.
Graphene electronic fibres with touch-sensing and light-emitting functionalities for smart textiles
Authors: Torres Alonso Elias , Rodrigues Daniela P. , Khetani Mukond , Shin Dong-Wook , De Sanctis Adolfo , Joulie Hugo , de Schrijver Isabel , Baldycheva Anna , Alves Helena , Neves Ana I. S. , Russo Saverio , Craciun Monica F.
Published: August 2018

The true integration of electronics into textiles requires the fabrication of devices directly on the fibre itself using high-performance materials that allow seamless incorporation into fabrics. Woven electronics and opto-electronics, attained by intertwined fibres with complementary functions are the emerging and most ambitious technological and scientific frontier. Here we demonstrate graphene-enabled functional devices directly fabricated on textile fibres and attained by weaving graphene electronic fibres in a fabric. Capacitive touch-sensors and light-emitting devices were produced using a roll-to-roll-compatible patterning technique, opening new avenues for woven textile electronics. Finally, the demonstration of fabric-enabled pixels for displays and position sensitive functions is a gateway for novel electronic skin, wearable electronic and smart textile applications.
Human-origin probiotic cocktail increases short-chain fatty acid production via modulation of mice and human gut microbiome
Authors: Nagpal Ravinder , Wang Shaohua , Ahmadi Shokouh , Hayes Joshua , Gagliano Jason , Subashchandrabose Sargurunathan , Kitzman Dalane W. , Becton Thomas , Read Russel , Yadav Hariom
Published: August 2018

The gut bacteria producing metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs; e.g., acetate, propionate and butyrate), are frequently reduced in Patients with diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disorders, and cancers. Hence, microbiome modulators such as probiotics may be helpful in maintaining or even restoring normal gut microbiome composition to benefit host health. Herein, we developed a human-origin probiotic cocktail with the ability to modulate gut microbiota to increase native SCFA production. Following a robust protocol of isolation, characterization and safety validation of infant gut-origin Lactobacillus and Enterococcus strains with probiotic attributes (tolerance to simulated gastric and intestinal conditions, adherence to intestinal epithelial cells, absence of potential virulence genes, cell-surface hydrophobicity, and susceptibility to common antibiotics), we select 10 strains (5 from each genera) out of total 321 isolates. A single dose (oral gavage) as well as 5 consecutive doses of this 10-strain probiotic cocktail in mice modulates gut microbiome and increases SCFA production (particularly propionate and butyrate). Inoculation of these probiotics in human feces also increases SCFA production along with microbiome modulation. Results indicate that human-origin probiotic lactobacilli and enterococci could ameliorate gut microbiome dysbiosis and hence may prove to be a potential therapy for diseases involving reduced SCFAs production in the gut.
Francisella tularensis novicida infection competence differs in cell lines derived from United States populations of Dermacentor andersoni and Ixodes scapularis
Authors: Reif Kathryn E. , Ujczo Jessica K. , Alperin Debra C. , Noh Susan M.
Published: August 2018

In the United States, Dermacentor spp. are common vectors of Francisella tularensis subspecies (ssp.), while Ixodes scapularis is not, though the geographic distribution and host range of pathogen and tick overlap. To examine if differences in infection competence at the cellular level underpin these ecological differences, we evaluated the competence of D. andersoni (DAE100) and I. scapularis (ISE6) cell lines to support F. tularensis ssp. novicida (F. novicida) infection. Importantly, D. andersoni is a vector for both F. tularensis spp. tularensis, and F. novicida. We hypothesized F. novicida infection would be more productive in D. andersoni than in I. scapularis cells. Specifically, we determined if there are differences in F. novicida i) invasion, ii) replication, or iii) tick cell viability between DAE100 and ISE6 cells. We further examined the influence of temperature on infection kinetics. Both cell lines were permissive to F. novicida infection; however, there were significantly higher bacterial levels and mortality in DAE100 compared to ISE6 cells. Infection at environmental temperatures prolonged the time bacteria were maintained at high levels and reduced tick cell mortality in both cell lines. Identifying cellular determinants of vector competence is essential in understanding tick-borne disease ecology and designing effective intervention strategies.
Dietary magnesium deficiency impaired intestinal structural integrity in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
Authors: Wei Shuo-Peng , Jiang Wei-Dan , Wu Pei , Liu Yang , Zeng Yun-Yun , Jiang Jun , Kuang Sheng-Yao , Tang Ling , Zhang Yong-An , Zhou Xiao-Qiu , Feng Lin
Published: August 2018

Grass carp (223.85–757.33 g) were fed diets supplemented with magnesium (73.54–1054.53 mg/kg) for 60 days to explore the impacts of magnesium deficiency on the growth and intestinal structural integrity of the fish. The results demonstrated that magnesium deficiency suppressed the growth and damaged the intestinal structural integrity of the fish. We first demonstrated that magnesium is partly involved in (1) attenuating antioxidant ability by suppressing Nrf2 signalling to decrease antioxidant enzyme mRNA levels and activities (except CuZnSOD mRNA levels and activities); (2) aggravating apoptosis by activating JNK (not p38MAPK) signalling to upregulate proapoptotic protein (Apaf-1, Bax and FasL) and caspase-2, -3, -7, -8 and -9 gene expression but downregulate antiapoptotic protein (Bcl-2, IAP and Mcl-1b) gene expression; (3) weakening the function of tight junctional complexes (TJs) by promoting myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) signalling to downregulate TJ gene expression [except claudin-7, ZO-2b and claudin-15 gene expression]. Additionally, based on percent weight gain (PWG), against reactive oxygen species (ROS), against caspase-9 and claudin-3c in grass carp, the optimal dietary magnesium levels were calculated to be 770.38, 839.86, 856.79 and 811.49 mg/kg, respectively.
Two-Dimensional rGO-MoS2 Hybrid Additives for High-Performance Magnetorheological Fluid
Authors: Manzoor Muhammad Taha , Kim Ji Eun , Jung Jung Hwan , Han Chulhee , Choi Seung-Bok , Oh Il-Kwon
Published: August 2018

Magnetorheological fluids (MRF) that undergo a change in their viscoelastic properties under the magnetic fields have been considered as one of most important smart functional materials for vibration dampers and shock absorbers in several engineering applications. However, the use of magnetorheological fluids in practical applications has been limited by poor sedimentation ratio and on-state yield stress. Herein, we report hybrid rGO-MoS2 additives for a high-performance magnetorheological fluid. Two different kinds of hybrid additives, which are called non-magnetic rGO-MoS2 and magnetic Fe-rGO-MoS2, were synthesized by using a hydrothermal method. The rGO-MoS2 added suspensions remained stable for the first 90 min whereas the CIP MRFs settled down quickly (65%) in the first 10 minutes. The Fe-rGO-MoS2 additives showed a 24% higher on-state shear stress as compared to CIP MRFs. On the other hand, an increase of 60% in the on-state yield stress for Fe-rGO-MoS2 MRF can be attributed to the gap-filling by the hybrid additives during columnar-structure formation. Among two-dimensional (2D) materials, Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) is a member of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), traditionally used as solid lubricant, while reduced graphene-oxide (rGO) is a well-known 2D material with supreme mechanical properties. We believe that this study will blaze the new way for developing a high-performance magnetorheological fluids based on various 2D material hybrids.
Diagnostics of autoimmune neurodegeneration using fluorescent probing
Authors: Lomakin Yakov , Kudriaeva Anna , Kostin Nikita , Terekhov Stanislav , Kaminskaya Alena , Chernov Alexander , Zakharova Maria , Ivanova Maria , Simaniv Taras , Telegin Georgy , Gabibov Alexander , Belogurov Alexey
Published: August 2018

The discovery of antibody-mediated catalysis was a breakthrough that showed antibody function is not limited to specific binding interactions, and that immunoglobulins (Igs) may also chemically transform their target antigens. Recently, so-called “natural catalytic antibodies” have been intimately linked with several pathologies, where they either protect the organism or contribute to the development of autoimmune abnormalities. Previously, we showed that myelin-reactive autoantibodies from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) exhibit the ability to recognize and hydrolyse distinct epitopes within myelin basic protein (MBP). Further, the antibody-mediated cleavage of encephalitogenic MBP peptide 81–103, flanked by two fluorescent proteins, can serve as a novel biomarker for MS. Here, we report the next generation of this biomarker, based on the antibody-mediated degradation of a novel chemically synthesized FRET substrate, comprising the fluorophore Cy5 and the quencher QXL680, interconnected by the MBP peptide 81–99: Cy5-MBP81–99-QXL680. This substrate is degraded upon incubation with either purified antibodies from MS patients but not healthy donors or purified antibodies and splenocytes from EAE but not from non-immunized mice. Data presented herein suggest the elaboration of potential specific, rapid, and sensitive diagnostic criteria of active progressive MS.
Role of the orexin 2 receptor in palatable-food consumption-associated cardiovascular reactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Huang Shang-Cheng , Li Tzu-Ling , Lee Yen-Hsien , Dai Yu-Wen E. , Chen Yu-Chun , Hwang Ling-Ling
Published: August 2018

Hypertensive subjects often exhibit exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity. An overactive orexin system underlies the pathophysiology of hypertension. We examined orexin’s roles in eating-associated cardiovascular reactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Results showed eating regular chow or palatable food (sucrose agar) was accompanied by elevated arterial pressure and heart rate. In both SHRs and WKY rats, the cardiovascular responses associated with sucrose-agar consumption were greater than that with regular-chow consumption. Additionally, SHRs exhibited greater cardiovascular responses than WKY rats did to regular-chow and palatable food consumption. Central orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) blockade attenuated sucrose-agar consumption-associated cardiovascular response only in SHRs. In both SHRs and WKY rats, OX2R blockade did not affect regular-chow consumption-associated cardiovascular responses. Greater numbers of c-Fos-positive cells in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and of c-Fos-positive orexin neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) were detected in sucrose agar-treated SHRs, compared to regular chow-treated SHRs and to sucrose agar-treated WKY rats. Central OX2R blockade reduced the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the RVLM only in sucrose agar-treated SHRs. We concluded that in SHRs, orexin neurons in the DMH might be overactive during eating palatable food and may further elicit exaggerated cardiovascular responses via an OX2R-RVLM pathway.
4D imaging reveals stage dependent random and directed cell motion during somite morphogenesis
Authors: McColl James , Mok Gi Fay , Lippert Anna H. , Ponjavic Aleks , Muresan Leila , Münsterberg Andrea
Published: August 2018

Somites are paired embryonic segments that form in a regular sequence from unsegmented mesoderm during vertebrate development. Although transient structures they are of fundamental importance as they generate cell lineages of the musculoskeletal system in the trunk such as cartilage, tendon, bone, endothelial cells and skeletal muscle. Surprisingly, very little is known about cellular dynamics underlying the morphological transitions during somite differentiation. Here, we address this by examining cellular rearrangements and morphogenesis in differentiating somites using live multi-photon imaging of transgenic chick embryos, where all cells express a membrane-bound GFP. We specifically focussed on the dynamic cellular changes in two principle regions within the somite, the medial and lateral domains, to investigate extensive morphological transformations. Furthermore, by using quantitative analysis and cell tracking, we capture for the first time a directed movement of dermomyotomal progenitor cells towards the rostro-medial domain of the dermomyotome, where skeletal muscle formation initiates.
A response prediction model for taxane, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy in hypopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Zhong Qi , Fang Jugao , Huang Zhigang , Yang Yifan , Lian Meng , Liu Honggang , Zhang Yixiang , Ye Junhui , Hui Xinjie , Wang Yejun , Ying Ying , Zhang Qing , Cheng Yingduan
Published: August 2018

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. The five-year survival rate of HNSCC has not improved even with major technological advancements in surgery and chemotherapy. Currently, docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluoruracil (TPF) treatment has been the most popular chemotherapy method for HNSCC; but only a small percentage of HNSCC patients exhibit a good response to TPF treatment. Unfortunately, at present, no reasonably effective prediction model exists to assist clinicians with patient treatment. For this reason, patients have no other alternative but to risk neoadjuvant chemotherapy in order to determine their response to TPF. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression profile in TPF-sensitive and non-sensitive patient samples. We identified a gene expression signature between these two groups. We further chose 10 genes and trained a support vector machine (SVM) model. This model has 88.3% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity to predict the response to TPF treatment in our patients. In addition, four more TPF responsive and four more TPF non-sensitive patient samples were used for further validation. This SVM model has been proven to achieve approximately 75.0% sensitivity and 100% specificity to predict TPF response in new patients. This suggests that our 10-genes SVM prediction model has the potential to assist clinicians to personalize treatment for HNSCC patients.
Association between hearing organ and renal function in young adult type 1 diabetic patients: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Dąbrowski Mariusz , Mielnik-Niedzielska Grażyna , Nowakowski Andrzej
Published: August 2018

Type 1 diabetes can lead to impaired function of many organs and tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between hearing and kidney function in young adult type 1 diabetic patients. 31 patients (9 women) with type 1 diabetes, aged <45, with disease duration <10 years were included. Blood and urine samples for laboratory tests and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) assessment were obtained. eGFR was calculated with CKD-EPI formula. In all patients pure-tone audiometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses were evaluated, also eye fundus was examined. Mean patients’ age was 29.5 ± 7.0 years and disease duration 4.6 ± 2.6 years. All patients had eGFR > 60.0 ml/min/1.73 m2. In one case microalbuminuria and in 3 patients early retinopathy were revealed. Linear correlation between eGFR and hearing threshold at 4, 6, 8 and 12 kHz was found. Patients with hearing impairment (n = 7) had lower eGFR 108.8 vs. 121.7 ml/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.047 compared to normal-hearing subjects. Also patients with absence of otoacoustic emissions in at least one ear had lower eGFR, 103.1 vs. 123.3 ml/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.001, compared to the remaining group. In auditory brainstem responses we found significant linear correlation between eGFR and wave III and interval I-III latencies, and between UAE and waves III, V and interval I-III latencies. This study suggests existence of relationship between hearing and kidney function in type 1 diabetic patients. Pathways directly linking hearing and renal function are unknown. Larger studies are necessary to further analyze these relationships.
Suppression of the quantum-confined Stark effect in polar nitride heterostructures
Authors: Schlichting S. , Hönig G. M. O. , Müßener J. , Hille P. , Grieb T. , Westerkamp S. , Teubert J. , Schörmann J. , Wagner M. R. , Rosenauer A. , Eickhoff M. , Hoffmann A. , Callsen G.
Published: August 2018

Recently, we suggested an unconventional approach (the so-called Internal-Field-Guarded-Active-Region Design “IFGARD”) for the elimination of the quantum-confined Stark effect in polar semiconductor heterostructures. The IFGARD-based suppression of the Stark redshift on the order of electronvolt and spatial charge carrier separation is independent of the specific polar semiconductor material or the related growth procedures. In this work, we demonstrate by means of micro-photoluminescence techniques the successful tuning as well as the elimination of the quantum-confined Stark effect in strongly polar [000-1] wurtzite GaN/AlN nanodiscs as evidenced by a reduction of the exciton lifetimes by up to four orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the tapered geometry of the utilized nanowires (which embed the investigated IFGARD nanodiscs) facilitates the experimental differentiation between quantum confinement and Stark emission energy shifts. Due to the IFGARD, both effects become independently adaptable.
Highly selective synthesis of campholenic aldehyde over Ti-MWW catalysts by α-pinene oxide isomerization
Authors: Pitínová-Štekrová Martina , Eliášová Pavla , Weissenberger Tobias , Shamzhy Mariya , Musilová Zuzana , Čejka Jiří
Published: August 2018

Campholenic aldehyde is a highly valuable fine chemical that can be obtained by multistep synthesis from monoterpene α-pinene isolated from turpentine oil.
A positive impact on the serum lipid profile and cytokines after the consumption of a plant sterol-enriched beverage with a milk fat globule membrane: a clinical study
Authors: Alvarez-Sala Andrea , Blanco-Morales Virginia , Cilla Antonio , Silvestre Ramona Ángeles , Hernández-Álvarez Elena , Granado-Lorencio Fernando , Barberá Reyes , Garcia-Llatas Guadalupe
Published: August 2018

Positive impact on serum lipids and cytokines after functional beverage's intake by postmenopausal women.
Relating the rate of growth of metal nanoparticles to cluster size distribution in electroless deposition
Authors: Iatalese M. , Coluccio M. L. , Onesto V. , Amato F. , Di Fabrizio E. , Gentile F.
Published: August 2018

We used DLA simulations to correlate the cluster size distribution with the rate of growth of metal nanoparticles in electroless deposition.
Lyotropic ‘hairy’ TiO2 nanorods
Authors: Cheng Fei , Verrelli Emanuele , Alharthi Fahad A. , Kelly Stephen M. , O'Neill Mary , Kemp Neil T. , Kitney Stuart P. , Lai Khue T. , Mehl Georg H. , Anthopoulos Thomas
Published: August 2018

Titanium dioxide nanorods coated with phosphonate ligands with photoreactive coumarin in a terminal position were prepared. These nanorods form liquid crystalline solutions at high concentrations. Relatively high dielectric constant thin films were prepared from the solution-processable and photocrosslinkable hybrid inorganic/organic titanium dioxide nanorods.
A novel and practical synthesis of CAT3: a phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid with potential in treating glioblastoma
Authors: Wang Ru-Bing , Lv Hai-Ning , Zhu Shan-Shan , Ren Xiao-Dong , Xu Song , Ma Shuang-Gang , Liu Yun-Bao , Qu Jing , Yu Shi-Shan
Published: August 2018

A novel and practical synthesis for CAT3, a phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid with potential in treating glioblastoma, was achieved in 11 steps with 10% overall yield and ≥99% ee.
Addition of arylstannanes to alkynes givingortho-alkenylarylstannanes catalysed cooperatively by a rhodium complex and zinc chloride
Authors: Ming Jialin , Shi Qi , Hayashi Tamio
Published: August 2018

A Rh complex and ZnCl2cooperatively catalyse the reaction of arylstannanes with alkynes givingortho-alkenylarylstannanes.
IFN-γ-response mediator GBP-1 represses human cell proliferation by inhibiting the Hippo signaling transcription factor TEAD
Authors: Unterer Bea , Wiesmann Veit , Gunasekaran Mekala , Sticht Heinrich , Tenkerian Clara , Behrens Jürgen , Leone Marina , Engel Felix B. , Britzen-Laurent Nathalie , Naschberger Elisabeth , Wittenberg Thomas , Stürzl Michael
Published: August 2018

Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic cytokine that exerts important functions in inflammation, infectious diseases, and cancer. The large GTPase human guanylate-binding protein 1 (GBP-1) is among the most strongly IFN-γ-induced cellular proteins. Previously, it has been shown that GBP-1 mediates manifold cellular responses to IFN-γ including the inhibition of proliferation, spreading, migration, and invasion and through this exerts anti-tumorigenic activity. However, the mechanisms of GBP-1 anti-tumorigenic activities remain poorly understood. Here, we elucidated the molecular mechanism of the human GBP-1-mediated suppression of proliferation by demonstrating for the first time a cross-talk between the anti-tumorigenic IFN-γ and Hippo pathways. The α9-helix of GBP-1 was found to be sufficient to inhibit proliferation. Protein-binding and molecular modeling studies revealed that the α9-helix binds to the DNA-binding domain of the Hippo signaling transcription factor TEA domain protein (TEAD) mediated by the 376VDHLFQK382 sequence at the N-terminus of the GBP-1-α9-helix. Mutation of this sequence resulted in abrogation of both TEAD interaction and suppression of proliferation. Further on, the interaction caused inhibition of TEAD transcriptional activity associated with the down-regulation of TEAD-target genes. In agreement with these results, IFN-γ treatment of the cells also impaired TEAD activity, and this effect was abrogated by siRNA-mediated inhibition of GBP-1 expression. Altogether, this demonstrated that the α9-helix is the proliferation inhibitory domain of GBP-1, which acts independent of the GTPase activity through the inhibition of the Hippo transcription factor TEAD in mediating the anti-proliferative cell response to IFN-γ.
Hierarchical collaborative caching in 5G networks
Authors: Tang Qinqin , Xie Renchao , Huang Tao , Liu Yunjie
Published: August 2018

Caching in mobile networks can reduce the redundant data transmission and cope with the challenge of the explosive growth of mobile data traffic. It has been considered as a promising technology in 5G networks and has been attracting a lot of attention in recent years. Although many existing works have addressed the content placement problem or the cache optimisation problem, most of them do not consider the issue of hierarchical collaborative caching. Collaborative caching can further alleviate the traffic pressure and reduce the user‐perceived latency by reducing duplicate content transmission. Therefore, in this study, the authors consider a hierarchical collaborative caching framework with the cache deployment at the distributed gateway and mobile edge computing servers, and then design a novel caching strategy based on this framework. They formulate the hierarchical collaborative content placement problem as an optimisation problem to maximise the latency saving under the constraint of limited cache capacity. Since finding the optimal solution is an NP‐hard problem, they propose a genetic placement algorithm to find the near‐optimal solution to reduce the computation complexity. Numerical experiment results show that the proposed algorithms can significantly improve the performance compared with the reference algorithms.
Nowhere to Hide: Radio-faint AGN in GOODS-N field
Authors: Radcliffe J. F. , Garrett M. A. , Muxlow T. W. B. , Beswick R. J. , Barthel P. D. , Deller A. T. , Keimpema A. , Campbell R. M. , Wrigley N.
Published: August 2018

Context. The occurrence of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is critical to our understanding of galaxy evolution and formation. Radio observations provide a crucial, dust-independent tool to study the role of AGN. However, conventional radio surveys of deep fields ordinarily have arc-second scale resolutions often insufficient to reliably separate radio emission in distant galaxies originating from star-formation and AGN-related activity. Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) can offer a solution by identifying only the most compact radio emitting regions in galaxies at cosmological distances where the high brightness temperatures (in excess of 105 K) can only be reliably attributed to AGN activity.

Aims. We present the first in a series of papers exploring the faint compact radio population using a new wide-field VLBI survey of the GOODS-N field. This will expand upon previous surveys, permitting the characterisation of the faint, compact radio source population in the GOODS-N field. The unparalleled sensitivity of the European VLBI Network (EVN) will probe a luminosity range rarely seen in deep wide-field VLBI observations, thus providing insights into the role of AGN to radio luminosities of the order 1022 WHz−1 across cosmic time.

Methods. The newest VLBI techniques are used to completely cover an entire 7′̣5 radius area to milliarcsecond resolutions, while bright radio sources (S > 0.1 mJy) are targeted up to 25′ from the pointing centre. Multi-source self-calibration, and a primary beam model for the EVN array are used to correct for residual phase errors and primary beam attenuation respectively.

Results. This paper presents the largest catalogue of VLBI detected sources in GOODS-N comprising of 31 compact radio sources across a redshift range of 0.11–3.44, almost three times more than previous VLBI surveys in this field. We provide a machine-readable catalogue and introduce the radio properties of the detected sources using complementary data from the e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution survey (eMERGE).