bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ChemInform Abstract: SCHWACHE BASEN IN STARKEN SAEUREN 4. MITT. AUF DISSOZIATIONSWAERMEN PROTONIERTER CARBONYLVERBINDUNGEN IN FLUOROSCHWEFELSAEURE BERUHENDE BASIZITAETSSKALA
Authors: ARNETT EDWARD M. , QUIRK RODERIC P. , LARSEN JOHN W.
Published: February 2016

Die Differenzen der Enthalpien bei der Auflösung von Ketonen, wie z. B.Cyclobutanon, Mesityloxid, Acetophenon, Aldehyden wie z.B. 4‐Nitro‐benzaldehyd und anderen Carbonylverbindungen, wie z.B. Benzoylchlorid,in Tetrachlorkohlenstoff bzw. Fluoroschwefelsäure werden bestimmt und mit pKa‐Werten der betreffenden konjugierten Säuren, den Carbonylvalenz‐schwingungsfrequenzen und den chemischen Verschiebungen der CO(+)H‐Protonen korreliert.
ChemInform Abstract: TROPFZEITABHAENGIGKEIT DER POLAROGRAPHISCHEN HALBSTUFENPOTENTIALE VON 2‐PHENYL‐CHINOXALIN
Authors: SCHELLENBERG M.
Published: February 2016

Das Chinoxalin (I) wird beim Potential der 2. polarographischen Stufe zum Dihydrochinoxalin (II) reduziert, das in einer relativ langsamen Reaktion l.Ordnung zum stabilen Tautomeren (III) umgelagert wird.
ChemInform Abstract: DARST. VON TRIS‐(DIMETHYLAMINO)‐METHAN AUS ORTHOFORMIATEN
Authors: CUVIGNY THERESE , NORMANT HENRI
Published: February 2016

Das Orthoamid (III) wird entweder durch Umsetzung von Dimethylformamid(I) mit dem in situ aus Li‐dimethylamid (IV) und TiCl4 gebildeten Ti‐amid(II) in 76%iger Ausbeute oder durch Reaktion des Orthoformiats (V) mit demLi‐amid (IV) in ca. 60%iger Ausbeute dargestellt.
ChemInform Abstract: SYNTH. VON 1‐VINYL‐CYCLOHEXEN‐(3) UND CYCLOHEXADIEN‐(1,4) DURCH ZEOLITH‐KATALYSIERTE DIELS‐ALDER‐RK.
Authors: REIMLINGER HANS , KRUEERKE ULRICH , DE RUITER ERNEST
Published: February 2016

In der Gasphase am verdünnten Zeolith‐Bett (Cu(I)‐Zeolith des Typs X) oder im Autoklaven mit dem in Toluol suspendierten Zeolith entstehen aus Acety‐len (I) und dem Butadien (II) bei 100° in wechselnden Mengenverhältnissen (Reaktionsbedingungen, Art der Katalysatorherstellung) das Cyclohexadien(III) und das Cyclohexen (IV).
ChemInform Abstract: RK. VON 2‐METHYLNORBORNEN‐(2) MIT N‐BROM‐SUCCINIMID
Authors: JEFFORD C. W. , WOJNAROWSKI W.
Published: February 2016

Durch Bromierung des Norbornens (I) mit Bromsuccinimid (II) entstehen das Nortricyclen (III) und das Norbornan (IV) im Verhältnis 1:3.
ChemInform Abstract: TERPENOIDE 32. MITT. SYNTH. VON BETA‐CUBEBEN
Authors: VIG O. P. , BHATIA M. S. , VERMA A. K. , LAL MATTA K.
Published: February 2016

2‐Isopropyl‐5‐methylcyclohexanon (I) reagiert mit Ameisensäureäthylester in Gegenwart von Natriummethylat in hoher Ausbeute zum Formylderivat (II), das bei der Lithiumalanatreduktion in ein Gemisch aus den Carbinolen (III) und (IV) übergeht.
ChemInform Abstract: SYNTH. VON FURAN‐VERBINDUNGEN 36. MITT. CYCLODEHYDRATISIERUNG VON OMEGA‐ARYLOXYACETOPHENONEN
Authors: CHATTERJEA J. N. , SAHAI N. M. , JAIN N. C.
Published: February 2016

Das Kondensationsprodukt (III) aus 2‐(Bromacetyl)‐naphthalin (I) und Phenol (II) geht bei Behandlung mit Polyphosphorsäure (PPA) bei 135‐140° in das Cumaron‐Derivat (IV) über.
ChemInform Abstract: PYRIMIDINE 10. MITT. SYNTH. VON 3‐ALKYL‐5‐NITROURACILEN
Authors: BLANK H. U. , FOX J. J.
Published: February 2016

5‐Nitrouracil (I) wurde in Gegenwart von Tetrabutylammoniumhydroxidin Dimethylformamid als Lösungsmittel mit Methyljodid oder Benzylchlorid zu (III) alkyliert.
ChemInform Abstract: ACETYLIERUNGSPRODUKTE DES HOMOPHTHALSAEUREANHYDRIDS
Authors: SCHNEKENBURGER J. , KAISER P.
Published: February 2016

Homophthalsäureanhydrid (III) setzt sich mit Keten (II) zur 3‐Methyl‐isocumarin‐4‐carbonsäure (I) um, wobei ein Zusatz von Dimethylanilin die Ausbeute an (I) steigert.
ChemInform Abstract: METALLORGANISCHE LEWIS‐BASEN 5. MITT. STUFENWEISE AUFBAU VERBRUECKTER ZWEIKERNIGER CARBONYL‐METALL‐KOMPLEXE
Authors: VAHRENKAMP HEINRICH , EHRL WINFRIED
Published: February 2016

Die Komplexe (I) reagieren mit den Halogeniden (II), die Komplexe (IV) mit den Sn‐Verbindungen (V) zu den Lewis‐Basen (III), die mit dem Carbonylverbindungen (VI) die Zweikernkomplexe (VII) (IR‐, NMR‐Daten) liefern.
ChemInform Abstract: DIENSYNTH. DURCH BORONATFRAGMENTIERUNG
Authors: MARSHALL J. A.
Published: February 2016

In der Übersicht (31 Literaturhinweise) wird über Synthese wege zur Herstellung von 1,5‐Dienen, die als Naturstoffe Bedeutung haben, berichtet.
A perspective on problems and prospects for academic publishing in Geography
Authors: Meadows Michael , Dietz Ton , Vandermotten Christian
Published: February 2016

This commentary highlights problems of inequity in academic publishing in geography that arise from the increasing use of metrics as a measure of research quality. In so doing, we examine patterns in the ranking of geographical journals in the major global databases (e.g. Web of Science, Scopus) and compare these with a more inclusive database developed by the International Geographical Union. The shortcomings of ranking systems are examined and are shown to include, inter alia, linguistic bias, the lack of representation of books and chapters in books, the geographical unevenness of accredited journals, problems of multi‐authorship, the mismatch between ranking and social usefulness and alternative or critical thinking, as well as differences between physical and human geography. The hegemony of the global commercial publishing houses emerges as problematic for geography in particular. It is argued that the global community of geographers should continue to challenge the use of bibliometrics as a means of assessing research quality.
The Association of Discolored Parathyroid Glands and Hypoparathyroidism Following Total Thyroidectomy
Authors: Lang Brian Hung‐Hin , Chan Diane T. Y. , Chow Felix Che‐Lok , Wong Kai Pun , Chang Rita Y. K.
Published: February 2016

Background

It remains uncertain whether a parathyroid gland (PG) that appears darkened or severely bruised but still has an attached vascular pedicle should be left in situ or taken out and auto‐transplanted following total thyroidectomy. Our study aimed to examine the impact of discolored PGs (DPGs) on short‐ and long‐term hypoparathyroidism.

Methods

One hundred and three patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with 4 clearly identified PGs were analyzed. Location (superior/inferior) and color of each PG were recorded. Patients without DPG were grouped into I while those with 1–2 DPGs and ≥3 DPGs were grouped into II and III, respectively. Transient hypoparathyroidism meant adjusted Ca <2.00 mol/L 24 h after surgery and/or need for supplements. Protracted hypoparathyroidism meant a subnormal PTH at 4–6 weeks and/or supplements >6 weeks. Permanent hypoparathyroidism meant supplements ≥1 year.

Results

Relative to I, group III had greater adjusted Ca drop at postoperative 1‐h (p = 0.012), 24‐h (p < 0.001) and lower day‐1 PTH (p = 0.015). Having ≥3 DPGs (OR 14.00, 95 % CI 1.575–124.474, p = 0.018) was an independent factor of transient hypoparathyroidism. However, permanent hypoparathyroidism rate was higher than in group I than II (p = 0.019). Eight patients (25.8 %) in group I had undetectable day‐1 PTH, while none in group III had undetectable day‐1 PTH. Graves’ disease/toxic goiter (OR 15.166, 95 % CI 2.594–88.661, p = 0.003) and excised gland weight (OR 1.028, 95 % CI 1.010–1.046, p = 0.003) were independent factors of ≥3 DPGs.

Conclusions

PG discoloration is associated with transient hypoparathyroidism while normal colored PG with seemingly adequate blood supply does not always imply functionally normal gland. These findings highlights the need for a real‐time intraoperative method to assess PG viability.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD): Pre-conceptional Counseling
Authors: Nampoothiri Sheela , Yesodharan Dhanya , Ramachandran Radhika P. , France Leturcq
Published: February 2016

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a common X-linked recessive disorder, which is caused by deletion, duplication, or point mutations of the dystrophin gene. This article discusses genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis in DMD and highlights the need for confirmation of diagnosis by molecular studies in the index case for future prenatal diagnosis. It also addresses how the family can be provided prenatal diagnosis, if the patient is deceased. These principles are illustrated by four case scenarios.
First Trimester Detection of Heart-Hand Syndrome
Authors: Selvaraj Lakshmy Ravi , Murugaiyan Sidhesh Revathi
Published: February 2016

Heart-hand syndrome is a heterogenous group of congenital disorders characterized by upper limb anomalies and congenital heart defects. We report the antenatal scan findings in a 14 week fetus in which bilateral radial ray defect was detected along with cardiac malformations at routine first trimester aneuploidy scan. The cardiac malformations were pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect. This was confirmed by clinical and pathological correlation. There are few case reports of early prenatal detection of this syndrome at 14 weeks.
Does Wine Have a Place in Kant's Theory of Taste?
Authors: CRISTY RACHEL
Published: February 2016

Kant claims in the third Critique that one can make about wine the merely subjective judgment that it is agreeable but never the universally valid judgment that it is beautiful. This follows from his views that judgments of beauty can be made only about the formal (spatiotemporal) features of a representation and that aromas and flavors consist of formless sensory matter. However, I argue that Kant's theory permits judgments of beauty about wine because the experience displays a temporal structure: the aromas and flavors evolve over the course of a tasting from the bouquet through the palate to the finish. An analogy with music, which Kant describes as ‘a play of sensations in time’, illuminates how wine qualifies as an object of pure judgments of taste: the ‘structure’ of a wine can be compared to harmonic structure, and its development throughout the taste can be compared to the unfolding of melody and harmonic progression.
Anuran helminth communities from contrasting nature reserve and pasture sites in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil
Authors: Campião K.M. , Ribas A.C.A , Silva I.C.O. , Dalazen G.T. , Tavares L.E.R
Published: February 2016

Studies of amphibian macroparasites are relevant for the investigation of parasite community ecology and disease dynamics. Here, the parasite communities of five anuran species (Hypsiboas raniceps, Phyllomeduza azurea, Pseudis paradoxa, Leptodactylus fuscus and Leptodactylus podicipinus) are described from two habitats with different levels of preservation (pasture versus nature reserve). Specifically, we used mixed-effect models to test whether helminth species richness, prevalence and abundance differ between the two host collection sites. A total of 120 anuran individuals and 25 helminth parasite taxa were collected. Helminth communities differed between collection sites and among host species. In general, helminth species richness, prevalence and abundance were higher in hosts collected in the pond from the nature reserve. In all, these data help fill the gap in parasite biodiversity knowledge in a changing area, within a sensitive group of vertebrate hosts.
Nonlinear electrostatic solitary waves in electron–positron plasmas
Authors: Lazarus I. J. , Bharuthram R. , Moolla S. , Singh S. V. , Lakhina G. S.
Published: February 2016

The generation of nonlinear electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) is explored in a magnetized four component two-temperature electron–positron plasma. Fluid theory is used to derive a set of nonlinear equations for the ESWs, which propagate obliquely to an external magnetic field. The electric field structures are examined for various plasma parameters and are shown to yield sinusoidal, sawtooth and bipolar waveforms. It is found that an increase in the densities of the electrons and positrons strengthen the nonlinearity while the periodicity and nonlinearity of the wave increases as the cool-to-hot temperature ratio increases. Our results could be useful in understanding nonlinear propagation of waves in astrophysical environments and related laboratory experiments.
Study on Coulomb explosions of ion mixtures
Authors: Boella E. , Peiretti Paradisi B. , D’Angola A. , Silva L. O. , Coppa G.
Published: February 2016

The paper presents a theoretical work on the dynamics of Coulomb explosion for spherical nanoplasmas composed by two different ion species. Particular attention has been dedicated to study the energy spectra of the ions with the larger charge-to-mass ratio. The connection between the formation of shock shells and the energy spread of the ions has been the object of a detailed analysis, showing that under particular conditions the width of the asymptotic energy spectrum tends to become very narrow, which leads to a multi-valued ion phase space. The conditions to generate a quasi-monoenergetic ion spectrum have been rigorously demonstrated and verified by numerical simulations using a technique that, exploiting the spherical symmetry of the problem, allows one to obtain very accurate and precise results.
On Some Issues of Human-Animal Studies: An Introduction
Authors: Métraux Alexandre
Published: February 2016

Animals are “in” – since prehistoric times when humans (or their ancient ancestors) were hunting animals, and when they fabricated the Paleolithic dog as well as the Paleolithic cat. In less general terms, animals are “in” since they received names and were listed, observed, mummified, turned into totems, and, later on, dissected, tortured under laboratory conditions, trained as experimental subjects or “purified” as model organisms. And they are massively “in” again, but now from overtly legal and moral points of view, at least since the last two decades of the twentieth century. This is to say that modern members of the species Homo sapiens have always been connected to animals of the most various kinds – from the human flea (Pulex irritans) and the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) to marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales, from horses to parrots, from scallops to worms, and so on.
PROCESSING OF GENDER AND NUMBER AGREEMENT IN RUSSIAN AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
Authors: Romanova Natalia , Gor Kira
Published: February 2016

The study investigated the processing of Russian gender and number agreement by native (n= 36) and nonnative (n= 36) participants using a visual lexical decision task with priming. The design included a baseline condition that helped dissociate the underlying components of priming (facilitation and inhibition). The results showed no differences in the magnitude of priming between native and nonnative participants, and between gender and number agreement. However, whereas the priming effect in native participants consisted of both facilitation and inhibition, in second language (L2) learners it was characterized by facilitation in the absence of inhibition. Furthermore, the nonnative processing failed to demonstrate the default form bias, which optimized gender and number processing in native participants. Taken together, the findings indicate that although highly proficient L2 learners are able to demonstrate nativelike priming effects, their processing of morphosyntactic information engages different processing mechanisms.
Technical reserves in non-life insurance with particular reference to motor insurance
Authors: Beard R. E.
Published: February 2016

At the ASTIN Colloquium held in Lucerne I reported on the request from the 6th Conference of European Insurance Supervisors for co-operation in the studies being made into the subject of technical reserves in non-life insurance. Copies of notes prepared for the 6th Conference were distributed to members and an advisory committee was formed to assist in dealing with the request. Two reports have been sent to all members of this committee. It has not been practicable to prepare further reports and the present paper sets out the current position of the work being done.

2. It will be recalled that in a number of papers I have represented that research into methods of determining technical reserves has been severely restricted because of the absence of suitable statisticson which to experiment. This point has been well taken by the European Insurance Supervisors and recently suitable statistics of motor insurance on which to experiment have been made available on a confidential basis relating to 6 Swedish, 7 German, 5 French, 6 Italian and 4 British companies. These returns, whilst not compiled on a uniform basis, provide an immense amount of data not previously obtainable, and it will be appreciated that the analysis of the data is a task of considerable magnitude.

3. I have made certain preliminary studies as a result of which a number of points of detail have arisen which have been referred back for clarification or explanation. Nevertheless these studies have provided a very useful background to the whole problem and the present paper is written against this background and of my earlier papers on the topic. Since the detailed statistics are confidential and agreement for publication would mean some delay, only the broadest indications of numerical values are given. Nevertheless, the comments made are based on the studies of the figures for the 28 companies and thus have a considerable practical utility.
Different registers, different grammars? Subject expression in English conversation and narrative
Authors: Travis Catherine E. , Lindstrom Amy M.
Published: February 2016

As a so-called non-null subject language, it has been proposed that in English, unexpressed subjects occur only in registers that have specific grammatical properties. We test this hypothesis through a comparison of the conditioning of subject expression for third-person singular human specific subjects in English conversation and narrative. Despite a stark difference in the rates of nonexpression (4% in conversation vs. 22% in narratives), there is no evidence of different grammars across the registers—in both, outside of coreferential clauses conjoined with a coordinating conjunction, unexpressed subjects only occur in prosodic initial position in main clause declaratives. Within the variable context, in both registers, expression is sensitive to accessibility, priming, and temporal sequentiality. A register effect is, however, evident in the contextual distribution, with a larger proportion of the narrative tokens occurring in contexts propitious to unexpressed subjects, and it is this that accounts for the higher rate of nonexpression in this register.
Phonological leveling, diffusion, and divergence: /t/ lenition in Liverpool and its hinterland
Authors: Clark Lynn , Watson Kevin
Published: February 2016

This paper examines the phonological leveling and diffusion of variants of /t/ in Liverpool, northwest England, and two localities in its hinterland. We show that lenited realizations of /t/, thought to be historically restricted to Liverpool, are increasing over time and spreading over geographical space. We explore Labov's (2007) claims that linguistic changes that progress via transmission, within a speech community, are reproduced in all their structural complexity, whereas changes that spread across speech communities, via diffusion, are “simplified” en route. We find support for these hypotheses. Using a comparative sociolinguistic methodology, we show that the linguistic constraints operating on the realization of /t/ as [h] in Liverpool have remained stable over time, while those in a nearby town—Skelmersdale—seem to have simplified. However, we show that not all speakers from Skelmersdale share the same constraints on this variable form, and we connect this with speakers' positive or negative attitudes toward Skelmersdale or Liverpool.
Inverse network sampling to explore online brand allegiance
Authors: GRINDROD PETER , HIGHAM DESMOND J. , LAFLIN PETER , OTLEY AMANDA , WARD JONATHAN A.
Published: February 2016

Within the online media universe, there are many underlying communities. These may be defined, for example, through politics, location, health, occupation, extracurricular interests or retail habits. Government departments, charities and commercial organisations can benefit greatly from insights about the structure of these communities; the move to customer-centred practices requires knowledge of the customer base. Motivated by this issue, we address the fundamental question of whether a sub-network looks like a collection of individuals who have effectively been picked at random from the whole, or instead forms a distinctive community with a new, discernible structure. In the former case, to spread a message to the intended user base it may be best to use traditional broadcast media (TV, billboard), whereas in the latter case a more targeted approach could be more effective. In this work, we therefore formalise a concept of testing for sub-structure and apply it to social interaction data. First, we develop a statistical test to determine whether a given sub-network (induced sub-graph) is likely to have been generated by sampling nodes from the full network uniformly at random. This tackles an interesting inverse alternative to the more widely studied “forward” problem. We then apply the test to a Twitter reciprocated mentions network where a range of brand name based sub-networks are created via tweet content. We correlate the computed results against the independent views of 16 digital marketing professionals. We conclude that there is great potential for social media based analytics to quantify, compare and interpret online brand allegiances systematically, in real time and at large scale.
Disaster Preparedness among Active Duty Personnel, Retirees, Veterans, and Dependents
Authors: Annis Heather , Jacoby Irving , DeMers Gerard
Published: February 2016

Background

With the increase in natural and manmade disasters, preparedness remains a vital area of concern. Despite attempts by government and non-government agencies to stress the importance of preparedness, national levels of preparedness remain unacceptably low. A goal of commands and installations is to ensure that US Navy beneficiaries are well prepared for disasters. This especially is critical in active service members to meet mission readiness requirements in crisis settings.

Objective

To evaluate active duty Navy personnel, dependents, veterans, and retirees regarding disaster preparedness status.

Methods

The authors conducted an anonymous 29-question survey for US Navy active duty, dependents, veterans, and retirees of the Greater San Diego Region (California, USA) evaluating actual basic disaster readiness as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) standards of 3-day minimum supply of emergency stores and equipment. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to analyze data.

Results

One thousand one hundred and fifty surveys were returned and analyzed. Nine hundred and eight-three were sufficiently complete for logistic regression analysis with 394 responding “Yes” to having a 72-hour disaster kit (40.1%) while 589 had “No” as a response (59.9%).

Conclusion

The surveyed population is no more prepared than the general public, though surveyed beneficiaries overall are at an upper range of preparedness. Lower income and levels of education were associated with lack of preparedness, whereas training in disaster preparedness or having been affected by disasters increased the likelihood of being adequately prepared. Unlike results seen in the general public, those with chronic health care needs in the surveyed population were more, rather than less, likely to be prepared and those with minor children were less likely, rather than more likely, to be prepared. Duty status was assessed and only veterans were emphatically more probable than most to be prepared.

AnnisH, JacobyI, DeMersG. Disaster preparedness among active duty personnel, retirees, veterans, and dependents. Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(2):132–140.
Generic Substitution for Psychotropic Drugs
Authors: Blier Pierre
Published: February 2016

Most antidepressants and other psychotropics in clinical use are available as generic formulations (Table). The availability of lower-priced, generic drugs can benefit patients and third-party payers, but it should not be assumed that all generic drugs are equally beneficial. There are numerous reports in the literature of unexpected and untoward consequences that occur when a generic drug is substituted for the original brand-name drug. A previously stable clinical response may suddenly deteriorate, or the patient may experience new or more severe adverse events (AEs). The United States Food and Drug Administration requires that manufacturers of generic drugs demonstrate that their formulation has pharmacokinetic properties similar (or bioequivalent) to the brand-name drug. Bioequivalency studies are conducted in healthy volunteers, not in patients who would be treated with that drug. Moreover, bioequivalency studies are conducted on a current lot of the branded drug and do not account for variability between lots of the generic formulation. The manufacturer is only required to submit bioequivalency data that support the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA); the FDA does not require disclosure of failed bioequivalence studies. Unlike brand-name drugs, lengthy and costly clinical studies are not required to show that the generic drug is effective and safe.

Although the FDA has taken the position that bioequivalence and therapeutic equivalence are equal, many questions related to the use of generic drugs remain unanswered. The following question-and-answer session is an excerpt of an interview with Pierre Blier, MD, PhD, conducted by Diane Sloan, PharmD, which addresses the issue of generic substitution of psychotropic drugs.
Switching and Combining Antipsychotics
Authors: Correll Christoph U.
Published: February 2016

Pharmacologic knowledge can inform clinical decision-making, particularly the dosing and switching decisions made with antipsychotics. Of relevance are the pharmacokinetic (what does the body do to the drug) and the pharmacodynamic (what does the drug do to the body) properties of antipsychotics.

The goal of antipsychotic dosing is to achieve sufficient dopa-mine blockade in areas where dopamine excess can lead to psychosis, mania, or aggression. Using positron emission topography, one investigation showed that response rates were considerably higher in patients who achieved >65% striatal dopamine blockade. Conversely, striatal dopamine blockade >80% predicted the emergence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) or akathisia.

There is, however, considerable intra-individual variability in achieving the desired 60% to 80% striatal dopamine blockade. Such variability is likely due to inter-individual differences in the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of medications. At the same time, antipsychotics themselves differ in their general pharmacokinetic profiles. For example, ziprasidone absorption is ~50% less when ingested on an empty stomach than when taken with a meal; the degree of absorption depends on the caloric content, while the fat content is not relevant.
Advanced Image Acquisition and Analytical Techniques for Studies of Living Cells and Tissue Sections
Authors: Franek Michal , Suchánková Jana , Sehnalová Petra , Krejčí Jana , Legartová Soňa , Kozubek Stanislav , Večeřa Josef , Sorokin Dmitry V. , Bártová Eva
Published: February 2016

Studies on fixed samples or genome-wide analyses of nuclear processes are useful for generating snapshots of a cell population at a particular time point. However, these experimental approaches do not provide information at the single-cell level. Genome-wide studies cannot assess variability between individual cells that are culturedin vitroor originate from different pathological stages. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence are fundamental experimental approaches in clinical laboratories and are also widely used in basic research. However, the fixation procedure may generate artifacts and prevents monitoring of the dynamics of nuclear processes. Therefore, live-cell imaging is critical for studying the kinetics of basic nuclear events, such as DNA replication, transcription, splicing, and DNA repair. This review is focused on the advanced microscopy analyses of the cells, with a particular focus on live cells. We note some methodological innovations and new options for microscope systems that can also be used to study tissue sections. Cornerstone methods for the biophysical research of living cells, such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and fluorescence resonance energy transfer, are also discussed, as are studies on the effects of radiation at the individual cellular level.
2-Photon Characterization of Optical Proteolytic Beacons for Imaging Changes in Matrix-Metalloprotease Activity in a Mouse Model of Aneurysm
Authors: Haskett Darren G. , Maestas David , Howerton Stephen J. , Smith Tyler , Ardila D. Catalina , Doetschman Tom , Utzinger Urs , McGrath Dominic , McIntyre J. Oliver , Vande Geest Jonathan P.
Published: February 2016

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a multifactorial disease that is a leading cause of death in developed countries. Matrix-metalloproteases (MMPs) are part of the disease process, however, assessing their role in disease initiation and progression has been difficult and animal models have become essential. Combining Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) proteolytic beacons activated in the presence of MMPs with 2-photon microscopy allows for a novel method of evaluating MMP activity within the extracellular matrix (ECM). Single and 2-photon spectra for proteolytic beacons were determined in vitro. Ex vivo experiments using the apolipoprotein E knockout angiotensin II-infused mouse model of aneurysm imaged ECM architecture simultaneously with the MMP-activated FRET beacons. 2-photon spectra of the two-color proteolytic beacons showed peaks for the individual fluorophores that enable imaging of MMP activity through proteolytic cleavage. Ex vivo imaging of the beacons within the ECM revealed both microstructure and MMP activity. 2-photon imaging of the beacons in aneurysmal tissue showed an increase in proteolytic cleavage within the ECM (p<0.001), thus indicating an increase in MMP activity. Our data suggest that FRET-based proteolytic beacons show promise in assessing MMP activity within the ECM and will therefore allow future studies to identify the heterogeneous distribution of simultaneous ECM remodeling and protease activity in aneurysmal disease.
Exxon, AGU, and Corporate Support
Authors: Buhrman Joan
Published: February 2016

A letter signed by 100 members and other scientists was delivered to the American Geophysical Union on Monday, 22 February, calling on the organization to sever its ties with ExxonMobil.
Switchable friction enabled by nanoscale self-assembly on graphene
Authors: Gallagher Patrick , Lee Menyoung , Amet Francois , Maksymovych Petro , Wang Jun , Wang Shuopei , Lu Xiaobo , Zhang Guangyu , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Goldhaber-Gordon David
Published: February 2016

Graphene monolayers are known to display domains of anisotropic friction with twofold symmetry and anisotropy exceeding 200%. This anisotropy has been thought to originate from periodic nanoscale ripples in the graphene sheet, which enhance puckering around a sliding asperity to a degree determined by the sliding direction. Here we demonstrate that these frictional domains derive not from structural features in the graphene but from self-assembly of environmental adsorbates into a highly regular superlattice of stripes with period 4–6 nm. The stripes and resulting frictional domains appear on monolayer and multilayer graphene on a variety of substrates, as well as on exfoliated flakes of hexagonal boron nitride. We show that the stripe-superlattices can be reproducibly and reversibly manipulated with submicrometre precision using a scanning probe microscope, allowing us to create arbitrary arrangements of frictional domains within a single flake. Our results suggest a revised understanding of the anisotropic friction observed on graphene and bulk graphite in terms of adsorbates.
Graphene oxide/metal nanocrystal multilaminates as the atomic limit for safe and selective hydrogen storage
Authors: Cho Eun Seon , Ruminski Anne M. , Aloni Shaul , Liu Yi-Sheng , Guo Jinghua , Urban Jeffrey J.
Published: February 2016

Interest in hydrogen fuel is growing for automotive applications; however, safe, dense, solid-state hydrogen storage remains a formidable scientific challenge. Metal hydrides offer ample storage capacity and do not require cryogens or exceedingly high pressures for operation. However, hydrides have largely been abandoned because of oxidative instability and sluggish kinetics. We report a new, environmentally stable hydrogen storage material constructed of Mg nanocrystals encapsulated by atomically thin and gas-selective reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. This material, protected from oxygen and moisture by the rGO layers, exhibits exceptionally dense hydrogen storage (6.5 wt% and 0.105 kg H2 per litre in the total composite). As rGO is atomically thin, this approach minimizes inactive mass in the composite, while also providing a kinetic enhancement to hydrogen sorption performance. These multilaminates of rGO-Mg are able to deliver exceptionally dense hydrogen storage and provide a material platform for harnessing the attributes of sensitive nanomaterials in demanding environments.
Achieving quantum precision limit in adaptive qubit state tomography
Authors: Hou Zhibo , Zhu Huangjun , Xiang Guo-Yong , Li Chuan-Feng , Guo Guang-Can
Published: February 2016

The precision limit in quantum state tomography is of great interest not only to practical applications but also to foundational studies. However, little is known about this subject in the multiparameter setting even theoretically due to the subtle information trade-off among incompatible observables. In the case of a qubit, the theoretic precision limit was determined by Hayashi as well as Gill and Massar, but attaining the precision limit in experiments has remained a challenging task. Here we report the first experiment that achieves this precision limit in adaptive quantum state tomography on optical polarisation qubits. The two-step adaptive strategy used in our experiment is very easy to implement in practice. Yet it is surprisingly powerful in optimising most figures of merit of practical interest. Our study may have significant implications for multiparameter quantum estimation problems, such as quantum metrology. Meanwhile, it may promote our understanding about the complementarity principle and uncertainty relations from the information theoretic perspective.
Facile Growth of Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin-Film by One-Step Pulsed Hybrid Electrophoretic and Electroplating Deposition
Authors: Tsai Hung-Wei , Chen Chia-Wei , Thomas Stuart R. , Hsu Cheng-Hung , Tsai Wen-Chi , Chen Yu-Ze , Wang Yi-Chung , Wang Zhiming M. , Hong Hwen-Fen , Chueh Yu-Lun
Published: February 2016

The use of costly and rare metals such as indium and gallium in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) based solar cells has motivated research into the use of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) as a suitable replacement due to its non-toxicity, abundance of compositional elements and excellent optical properties (1.5 eV direct band gap and absorption coefficient of ~104 cm−1). In this study, we demonstrate a one-step pulsed hybrid electrodeposition method (PHED), which combines electrophoretic and electroplating deposition to deposit uniform CZTS thin-films. Through careful analysis and optimization, we are able to demonstrate CZTS solar cells with the VOC, JSC, FF and η of 350 mV, 3.90 mA/cm2, 0.43 and 0.59%, respectively.
A replaceable liposomal aptamer for the ultrasensitive and rapid detection of biotin
Authors: Sung Tzu-Cheng , Chen Wen-Yih , Shah Pramod , Chen Chien-Sheng
Published: February 2016

Biotin is an essential vitamin which plays an important role for maintaining normal physiological function. A rapid, sensitive and simple method is necessary to monitor the biotin level. Here, we reported a replacement assay for the detection of biotin using a replaceable liposomal aptamer. Replacement assay is a competitive assay where a sample analyte replaces the labeled competitor of analyte out of its biorecognition element on a surface. It is user friendly and time-saving because of washing free. We used aptamer as a competitor, not a biorecognition element as tradition. To label aptamers, we used cholesterol-conjugated aptamers to tag signal-amplifying-liposomes. Without the need of conjugation procedure, aptamers can be easily incorporated into the surface of dye-encapsulating liposomes. Two aptamers as competitors of biotin, ST-21 and ST-21M with different affinities to streptavidin, were studied in parallel for the detection of biotin using replacement assays. ST-21 and ST-21M aptamers reached to limits of detection of 1.32 pg/80 μl and 0.47 pg/80 μl, respectively. The dynamic ranges of our assays using ST-21 and ST-21M aptamers were seven and four orders of magnitude, respectively. This assay can be completed in 20 minutes without washing steps. These results were overall better than previous reported assays.
Mutual association of Broad bean wilt virus 2 VP37-derived tubules and plasmodesmata obtained from cytological observation
Authors: Xie Li , Shang Weina , Liu Chengke , Zhang Qinfen , Sunter Garry , Hong Jian , Zhou Xueping
Published: February 2016

The movement protein VP37 of broad bean wilt virus 2 (BBWV 2) forms tubules in the plasmodesmata (PD) for the transport of virions between cells. This paper reports a mutual association between the BBWV 2 VP37-tubule complex and PD at the cytological level as determined by transmission electron microscopy. The generation of VP37-tubules within different PD leads to a different occurrence frequency as well as different morphology lines of virus-like particles. In addition, the frequency of VP37-tubules was different between PD found at different cellular interfaces, as well as between single-lined PD and branched PD. VP37-tubule generation also induced structural alterations of PD as well as modifications to the cell wall (CW) in the vicinity of the PD. A structural comparison using three-dimensional (3D) electron tomography (ET), determined that desmotubule structures found in the center of normal PD were absent in PD containing VP37-tubules. Using gold labeling, modification of the CW by callose deposition and cellulose reduction was observable on PD containing VP37-tubule. These cytological observations provide evidence of a mutual association of MP-derived tubules and PD in a natural host, improving our fundamental understanding of interactions between viral MP and PD that result in intercellular movement of virus particles.
Biochemical Characterization of Kat1: a Domesticated hAT-Transposase that Induces DNA Hairpin Formation and MAT-Switching
Authors: Chiruvella Kishore K. , Rajaei Naghmeh , Jonna Venkateswara Rao , Hofer Anders , Åström Stefan U.
Published: February 2016

Kluyveromyces lactis hAT-transposase 1 (Kat1) generates hairpin-capped DNA double strand breaks leading to MAT-switching (MATa to MATα). Using purified Kat1, we demonstrate the importance of terminal inverted repeats and subterminal repeats for its endonuclease activity. Kat1 promoted joining of the transposon end into a target DNA molecule in vitro, a biochemical feature that ties Kat1 to transposases. Gas-phase Electrophoretic Mobility Macromolecule analysis revealed that Kat1 can form hexamers when complexed with DNA. Kat1 point mutants were generated in conserved positions to explore structure-function relationships. Mutants of predicted catalytic residues abolished both DNA cleavage and strand-transfer. Interestingly, W576A predicted to be impaired for hairpin formation, was active for DNA cleavage and supported wild type levels of mating-type switching. In contrast, the conserved CXXH motif was critical for hairpin formation because Kat1 C402A/H405A completely blocked hairpinning and switching, but still generated nicks in the DNA. Mutations in the BED zinc-finger domain (C130A/C133A) resulted in an unspecific nuclease activity, presumably due to nonspecific DNA interaction. Kat1 mutants that were defective for cleavage in vitro were also defective for mating-type switching. Collectively, this study reveals Kat1 sharing extensive biochemical similarities with cut and paste transposons despite being domesticated and evolutionary diverged from active transposons.
The miR-34a-LDHA axis regulates glucose metabolism and tumor growth in breast cancer
Authors: Xiao Xiangsheng , Huang Xiaojia , Ye Feng , Chen Bo , Song Cailu , Wen Jiahuai , Zhang Zhijie , Zheng Guopei , Tang Hailin , Xie Xiaoming
Published: February 2016

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is involved in a variety of cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression, prognostic roles and function of LDHA in breast cancer. We found that LDHA was upregulated in both breast cancer cell lines and clinical specimens using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of tissue microarrays (TMAs) showed that high LDHA expression was associated with cell proliferation, metastasis and poor patient overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Furthermore, we found that LDHA promoted glycolysis and cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We also performed luciferase reporter assays and found that LDHA was a direct target of miR-34a. Repression of LDHA by miR-34a suppressed glycolysis and cell proliferation in breast cancer cells in vitro. Our findings provide clues regarding the role of miR-34a as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer through the inhibition of LDHA both in vitro and in vivo. Targeting LDHA through miR-34a could be a potential therapeutic strategy in breast cancer.
On the use of 31P NMR for the quantification of hydrosoluble phosphorus-containing compounds in coral host tissues and cultured zooxanthellae
Authors: Godinot Claire , Gaysinski Marc , Thomas Olivier P. , Ferrier-Pagès Christine , Grover Renaud
Published: February 2016

31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was assessed to investigate the phosphorus-containing compounds present in the tissues of the scleractinian coralStylophora pistillataas well as of cultured zooxanthellae (CZ). Results showed that phosphorus-containing compounds observed in CZ were mainly phosphate and phosphate esters. Phosphate accounted for 19 ± 2% of the total phosphorus compounds observed in CZ maintained under low P-levels (0.02 μM). Adding 5 mM of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (KH2PO4) to the CZ culture medium led to a 3.1-fold increase in intracellular phosphate, while adding 5 mM of dissolved organic phosphorus led to a reduction in the concentration of phosphorus compounds, including a 2.5-fold intracellular phosphate decrease. In sharp contrast to zooxanthellae, the host mainly contained phosphonates and to a lesser extent, phosphate esters and phosphate. Two-months of host starvation decreased the phosphate content by 2.4 fold, while bleaching of fed corals did not modify this content. Based on31P NMR analyses, this study highlights the importance of phosphonates in the composition of coral host tissues and illustrates the impact of phosphorus availability on the phosphorus composition of host tissues and CZ, both through feeding of the host and inorganic phosphorus enrichment of the CZ.
High-throughput screening of metal-porphyrin-like graphenes for selective capture of carbon dioxide
Authors: Bae Hyeonhu , Park Minwoo , Jang Byungryul , Kang Yura , Park Jinwoo , Lee Hosik , Chung Haegeun , Chung ChiHye , Hong Suklyun , Kwon Yongkyung , Yakobson Boris I. , Lee Hoonkyung
Published: February 2016

Nanostructured materials, such as zeolites and metal-organic frameworks, have been considered to capture CO2. However, their application has been limited largely because they exhibit poor selectivity for flue gases and low capture capacity under low pressures. We perform a high-throughput screening for selective CO2 capture from flue gases by using first principles thermodynamics. We find that elements with empty d orbitals selectively attract CO2 from gaseous mixtures under low CO2 pressures (~10−3 bar) at 300 K and release it at ~450 K. CO2 binding to elements involves hybridization of the metal d orbitals with the CO2 π orbitals and CO2-transition metal complexes were observed in experiments. This result allows us to perform high-throughput screening to discover novel promising CO2 capture materials with empty d orbitals (e.g., Sc– or V–porphyrin-like graphene) and predict their capture performance under various conditions. Moreover, these findings provide physical insights into selective CO2 capture and open a new path to explore CO2 capture materials.
Sexual Function after Partial Penectomy: A Prospectively Study From China
Authors: Yu Cui , Hequn Chen , Longfei Liu , Minfeng Chen , Zhi Chen , Feng Zeng , Jinbo Chen , Lin Qi , Xiongbing Zu
Published: February 2016

The Purpose of this study was to evaluate the sexual function after partial penectomy for penile carcinoma patients. Between January 2010 and May 2013, patients treated with partial penectomy at our institution were prospectively enrolled in this study. Sexual function (IIEF-15), age, body mass index, penile length in the flaccid state after partial penectomy (PL), treatment, having a partner and psychological factors (SAS scores and SDS scores) were assessed. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. 43 patients were included in our study. The median age was 56 years and the median PL was 4 cm. The preoperative IIEF-15, SAS, SDS scores were significantly different from the postoperative scores. There was no statistically significant difference between the patients treated with partial penectomy and partial penectomy+ lymphadenectomy on IIEF-15 scores. Age was negatively associated with erectile function, sexual desire and overall satisfaction; PL was positively associated with intercourse satisfaction; SAS score was negatively associated with erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire and intercourse satisfaction. Our preliminary findings suggest that the sexual function after partial penectomy was significantly reduced. The sexual function was negatively affected by age and anxiety but positively affected by PL.
Monocyte-induced recovery of inflammation-associated hepatocellular dysfunction in a biochip-based human liver model
Authors: Gröger Marko , Rennert Knut , Giszas Benjamin , Weiß Elisabeth , Dinger Julia , Funke Harald , Kiehntopf Michael , Peters Frank T. , Lupp Amelie , Bauer Michael , Claus Ralf A. , Huber Otmar , Mosig Alexander S.
Published: February 2016

Liver dysfunction is an early event in sepsis-related multi-organ failure. We here report the establishment and characterization of a microfluidically supported in vitro organoid model of the human liver sinusoid. The liver organoid is composed of vascular and hepatocyte cell layers integrating non-parenchymal cells closely reflecting tissue architecture and enables physiological cross-communication in a bio-inspired fashion. Inflammation-associated liver dysfunction was mimicked by stimulation with various agonists of toll-like receptors. TLR-stimulation induced the release of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and diminished expression of endothelial VE-cadherin, hepatic MRP-2 transporter and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), resulting in an inflammation-related endothelial barrier disruption and hepatocellular dysfunction in the liver organoid. However, interaction of the liver organoid with human monocytes attenuated inflammation-related cell responses and restored MRP-2 transporter activity, ApoB expression and albumin/urea production. The cellular events observed in the liver organoid closely resembled pathophysiological responses in the well-established sepsis model of peritoneal contamination and infection (PCI) in mice and clinical observations in human sepsis. We therefore conclude that this human liver organoid model is a valuable tool to investigate sepsis-related liver dysfunction and subsequent immune cell-related tissue repair/remodeling processes.