bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Mitochondriotropic Properties of Cyanine Dyes by in Organello Copper‐Free Click Reaction
Authors: Negwer Inka , Hirsch Markus , Kaloyanova Stefka , Brown Tom , Peneva Kalina , Butt Hans‐Jürgen , Koynov Kaloian , Helm Mark
Published: July 2017

Cyanine (Cy) dyes show a general propensity to localize in polarized mitochondria. This mitochondriotropism was used to perform a copper‐free click reaction in the mitochondria of living cells. The in organello reaction of dyes Cy3 and Cy5 led to a product that was easily traceable by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). As determined by confocal laser scanning microscopy, the Cy3–Cy5 conjugate showed enhanced retention in mitochondria, relative to that of the starting compounds. This enhancement of a favorable property can be achieved by synthesis in organello, but not outside mitochondria.
Terminally Truncated Isopenicillin N Synthase Generates a Dithioester Product: Evidence for a Thioaldehyde Intermediate during Catalysis and a New Mode of Reaction for Non‐Heme Iron Oxidases
Authors: McNeill Luke A. , Brown Toby J. N. , Sami Malkit , Clifton Ian J. , Burzlaff Nicolai I. , Claridge Timothy D. W. , Adlington Robert M. , Baldwin Jack E. , Rutledge Peter J. , Schofield Christopher J.
Published: July 2017

Isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS) catalyses the four‐electron oxidation of a tripeptide, l‐δ‐(α‐aminoadipoyl)‐l‐cysteinyl‐d‐valine (ACV), to give isopenicillin N (IPN), the first‐formed β‐lactam in penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthesis. IPNS catalysis is dependent upon an iron(II) cofactor and oxygen as a co‐substrate. In the absence of substrate, the carbonyl oxygen of the side‐chain amide of the penultimate residue, Gln330, co‐ordinates to the active‐site metal iron. Substrate binding ablates the interaction between Gln330 and the metal, triggering rearrangement of seven C‐terminal residues, which move to take up a conformation that extends the final α‐helix and encloses ACV in the active site. Mutagenesis studies are reported, which probe the role of the C‐terminal and other aspects of the substrate binding pocket in IPNS. The hydrophobic nature of amino acid side‐chains around the ACV binding pocket is important in catalysis. Deletion of seven C‐terminal residues exposes the active site and leads to formation of a new type of thiol oxidation product. The isolated product is shown by LC‐MS and NMR analyses to be the ene‐thiol tautomer of a dithioester, made up from two molecules of ACV linked between the thiol sulfur of one tripeptide and the oxidised cysteinyl β‐carbon of the other. A mechanism for its formation is proposed, supported by an X‐ray crystal structure, which shows the substrate ACV bound at the active site, its cysteinyl β‐carbon exposed to attack by a second molecule of substrate, adjacent. Formation of this product constitutes a new mode of reaction for IPNS and non‐heme iron oxidases in general.
The Synthesis and Photophysical Analysis of a Series of 4‐Nitrobenzochalcogenadiazoles for Super‐Resolution Microscopy
Authors: Jenkinson Daniel Ray , Cadby Ashley James , Jones Simon
Published: July 2017

A series of 4‐nitrobenzodiazoles with atomic substitution through the chalcogen group were synthesised and their photophysical properties analysed with a view for use in single‐molecule localisation microscopy. Sub‐diffraction resolution imaging was achieved for silica nanoparticles coated with each dye. Those containing larger atoms were favoured for super‐resolution microscopy due to a reduced blink rate (required for stochastic events to be localised). The sulfur‐containing molecule was deemed most amenable for widespread use due to the ease of synthetic manipulation compared to the selenium‐containing derivative.
Large‐Diameter TiO2 Nanotubes Enable Wall Engineering with Conformal Hierarchical Decoration and Blocking Layers for Enhanced Efficiency in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC)
Authors: Elzarka Abdelhamid , Liu Ning , Hwang Imgon , Kamal Mustafa , Schmuki Patrik
Published: July 2017

Herein, we grew anodic TiO2 nanotube layer with a tube diameter >500 nm and an open tube mouth. We use this morphology in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and show that these tubes allow the construction of hybrid hierarchical photoanode structures of nanotubes with a defined and wall‐conformal TiO2 nanoparticle decoration. At the same time, the large diameter allows the successful establishment of an additional (insulating) blocking layer of SiO2 or Al2O3 on the tube wall. We showed that this combination of hierarchical structure and blocking layer significantly enhances the solar‐cell efficiency by suppressing recombination reactions. In such a DSSC structure, the solar‐cell efficiency under back side illumination with AM1.5 illumination was enhanced from 3 % for the neat tube to 5 % for the hierarchical structure to 7 % when additionally a blocking layer was attached.
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Fast Field Cycling Method for the Selective Study of Molecular Dynamics in Block Copolymers
Authors: Gizatullin Bulat , Neudert Oliver , Stapf Siegfried , Mattea Carlos
Published: July 2017

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is one of the most useful methods to increase sensitivity in NMR spectroscopy. It is based on the transfer of magnetization from an electron to the nuclear spin system. Based on previous work that demonstrated the feasibility of integrating DNP with fast field cycling (FFC) relaxometry and the possibility to distinguish between different mechanisms, such as the Overhauser effect (OE) and the solid effect (SE), the first FFC study of the differential relaxation properties of a copolymer is presented. For this purpose, concentrated solutions of the polystyrene‐block‐polybutadiene‐block‐polystyrene (SBS) triblock copolymer and the corresponding homopolymers were investigated. T1–T2 relaxation data are discussed in terms of molecular mobility and the presence of radicals. The DNP selective data indicate a dominant SE contribution to the enhancement of the NMR signal for both blocks of the triblock copolymer and for the homopolymer solutions. The enhancement factors are different for both polymer types and in the copolymer, which is explained by the individual 1H T1 relaxation times and different electron–nucleus coupling strength. The T1 relaxation dispersion measurements of the SE enhanced signal were performed, which led to improved signal‐to‐noise ratios that allowed the site‐specific separation of relaxation times and their dependence on the Larmor frequency with a higher accuracy.
Genomic and phenotypic signatures of climate adaptation in anAnolislizard
Authors: Rodríguez Ariel , Rusciano Tia , Hamilton Rickeisha , Holmes Leondra , Jordan Deidra , Wollenberg Valero Katharina C.
Published: July 2017

Integrated knowledge on phenotype, physiology, and genomic adaptations is required to understand the effects of climate on evolution. The functional genomic basis of organismal adaptation to changes in the abiotic environment, its phenotypic consequences, and its possible convergence across vertebrates are still understudied. In this study, we use a comparative approach to verify predicted gene functions for vertebrate thermal adaptation with observed functions underlying repeated genomic adaptations in response to elevation in the lizardAnolis cybotes. We establish a direct link between recurrently evolved phenotypes and functional genomics of altitude‐related climate adaptation in three highland and lowland populations in the Dominican Republic. We show that across vertebrates, genes contained in this interactome are expressed within the brain, the endocrine system, and during development. These results are relevant to elucidate the effect of global climate change across vertebrates and might aid in furthering insight into gene–environment relationships under disturbances to homeostasis.
Assessing patterns of genetic admixture between sheep breeds: Case study in Algeria
Authors: Harkat Sahraoui , Laoun Abbes , Belabdi Ibrahim , Benali Rédha , Outayeb Djouhar , Payet‐Duprat Nathalie , Blanquet Véronique , Lafri Mohamed , Da Silva Anne
Published: July 2017

In developing countries, cross‐breeding between local breeds and indigene or exotic breeds represents one of the main threats to the livestock diversity, leading to genetic dilution and loss of unique allelic combination underlying essential local adaptive traits. In this study, two Algerian sheep breeds, known to be highly admixed, were considered as a case study, to demonstrate how combination of different methodologies coupled with the use of specific softwares can be efficient to assess the spatial structuration of a hybrid zone, even in a case of extreme admixture. A fine sampling covering distribution areas of both breeds was implemented in order to study the admixture area and adjacent zones from a phenotypic (i.e., 19 quantitative traits were considered) and a genetic point of view (i.e., 21 microsatellites markers were used). Both approaches gave concordant patterns, highlighting areas with sheep most differentiated (or less admixed) for each breed. In detail, the region of Biskra appeared as the most preserved for the Ouled‐Djellal breed and the northwest of Laghouat was identified as the most preserved area for the Rembi breed. The approach proposed in the study offers a low‐cost solution to identify the most representative flocks of a breed, allowing the implementation of efficient conservation plans.
Using a historic drought and high‐heat event to validate thermal exposure predictions for ground‐dwelling birds
Authors: Carroll James M. , Davis Craig A. , Elmore R. Dwayne , Fuhlendorf Samuel D.
Published: July 2017

Deviations from typical environmental conditions can provide insight into how organisms may respond to future weather extremes predicted by climate modeling. During an episodic and multimonth heat wave event (i.e., ambient temperature up to 43.4°C), we studied the thermal ecology of a ground‐dwelling bird species in Western Oklahoma, USA. Specifically, we measured black bulb temperature (Tbb) and vegetation parameters at northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) adult and brood locations as well as at stratified random points in the study area. On the hottest days (i.e., ≥39°C), adults and broods obtained thermal refuge using tall woody cover that remained on average up to 16.51°C cooler than random sites on the landscape which reached >57°C. We also found that refuge sites used by bobwhites moderated thermal conditions by more than twofold compared to stratified random sites on the landscape but that Tbb commonly exceeded thermal stress thresholds for bobwhites (39°C) for several hours of the day within thermal refuges. The serendipitous high heat conditions captured in our study represent extreme heat for our study region as well as thermal stress for our study species, and subsequently allowed us to assess ground‐dwelling bird responses to temperatures that are predicted to become more common in the future. Our findings confirm the critical importance of tall woody cover for moderating temperatures and functioning as important islands of thermal refuge for ground‐dwelling birds, especially during extreme heat. However, the potential for extreme heat loads within thermal refuges that we observed (albeit much less extreme than the landscape) indicates that the functionality of tall woody cover to mitigate heat extremes may be increasingly limited in the future, thereby reinforcing predictions that climate change represents a clear and present danger for these species.
Electrochemical Sensor Based on NiAlPO‐5 for Determination of Cu2+ in Ethanol Biofuel
Authors: Cruz de Castro Aleff , França Aldilene Santos , Rojas Alex , Cavalheiro Éder Tadeu Gomes , Marques Edmar Pereira , Marques Aldaléa Lopes Brandes
Published: July 2017

This work describes the development of electrochemical sensors based on graphite–polyurethane composite (GPU) modified with aluminophosphate zeolite type 5 (AlPO‐5) and nickel (II) incorporated aluminophosphate type 5 (NiAlPO‐5), in order to evaluate their performance for determination of Cu2+ in ethanol biofuel. These electrodes were initially characterized by cyclic voltammetry. The obtained results revealed that the NiAlPO‐5 with Ni/Al ratio 0.5 presented the best response in terms of sensitivity, and peak width at half height of Cu2+ voltamogramm, which indicate that on these conditions the NiAlPO‐5 electrode is viable for determination of this ion in biofuel samples by square wave stripping voltammetry. The obtained results revealed that the presence of Ni in the zeolite structure (NiAlPO‐5) improves the electrical properties, and increases the peak current for Cu2+ in comparison with the electrode based in AlPO‐5. The proposed method presented a linear response for Cu2+ with good results for limit of detection (9.4×10−9 mol L−1), accuracy (recovery of 115 %) and precision (RSD of 5.9 %).
Characterization of arc beads on energized conductors exposed to radiant heat
Authors: Iwashita Tomoyasu , Hagimoto Yasuaki , Sugawa Osami
Published: July 2017

It has been discovered through experimentation the mechanism of how and when an arcing short or a physical short occurs on a cable when exposed to a radiant heat flux. It is then considered how this mechanism acts on the size of the resulting arc beads. Another discovery was that a leakage current precedes a short circuit. Subsequently, it was found that arcing shorts and physical shorts can be distinguished based on the amount of leakage current that precedes the short circuit. In the case of an arcing short, the leakage current is large and the arc bead is small. The opposite is true for a physical short. In the case of a physical short, the leakage current is small and the arc beads are large. Tests were conducted with a Japanese polyvinyl chloride (PVC)–insulated sheathed cable, an American PVC–sheathed non‐metallic (NM) cable, and an American cloth–sheathed NM cable. The following were found: A Japanese PVC–insulated sheathed cable tends to cause a physical short and to form larger arc beads than other cables. American NM cables tend to cause an arcing short. Especially, an American cloth–insulated cable tends to be preceded by a larger leakage current and to form smaller arc beads than other cables. This result corresponds to the experimental description in NFPA 921 concerning arc beads on a cloth‐sheathed NM cable.
Cingulate and cerebellar beta oscillations are engaged in the acquisition of auditory‐motor sequences
Authors: Herrojo Ruiz María , Maess Burkhard , Altenmüller Eckart , Curio Gabriel , Nikulin Vadim V.
Published: July 2017

Singing, music performance, and speech rely on the retrieval of complex sounds, which are generated by the corresponding actions and are organized into sequences. It is crucial in these forms of behavior that the serial organization (i.e., order) of both the actions and associated sounds be monitored and learned. To investigate the neural processes involved in the monitoring of serial order during the initial learning of sensorimotor sequences, we performed magnetoencephalographic recordings while participants explicitly learned short piano sequences under the effect of occasional alterations of auditory feedback (AAF). The main result was a prominent and selective modulation of beta (13–30 Hz) oscillations in cingulate and cerebellar regions during the processing of AAF that simulated serial order errors. Furthermore, the AAF‐induced modulation of beta oscillations was associated with higher error rates, reflecting compensatory changes in sequence planning. This suggests that cingulate and cerebellar beta oscillations play a role in tracking serial order during initial sensorimotor learning and in updating the mapping of the sensorimotor representations. The findings support the notion that the modulation of beta oscillations is a candidate mechanism for the integration of sequential motor and auditory information during an early stage of skill acquisition in music performance. This has potential implications for singing and speech. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5161–5179, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Overexpression miR‐211‐5p hinders the proliferation, migration, and invasion of thyroid tumor cells by downregulating SOX11
Authors: Wang Lei , Shen Yan‐feng , Shi Zhi‐min , Shang Xiao‐juan , Jin Dong‐ling , Xi Feng
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between miR‐211‐5p and SOX11, and the effects of their interaction on the proliferation, viability, and invasion of human thyroid cancer (TC) cells.

Methods

We used quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) to determine the expression of miR‐211‐5p and SOX11mRNA in the thyroid tumorous and the adjacent tissues. The target relationship between miR‐211‐5p and SOX11 was confirmed using dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Flow cytometry, colony formation assay, Transwell assay, and MTT assay were performed to determine the cell‐cycle progression, cell apoptosis, proliferation and invasion, respectively. In addition, the tumor formation assay in nude mice was done to assess the effect of miR‐211‐5p on TC development in vivo.

Results

MiR‐211‐5p was underexpressed, whereas SOX11 was overexpressed in TC. The overexpression of miR‐211‐5p inhibited the expression of SOX11. The cell cycle was arrested and the proliferation as well as invasiveness was suppressed by exogenous miR‐211‐5p in TC cell line. The antitumor role of miR‐211‐5p was proved by the animal experiment.

Conclusion

MiR‐211‐5p affected the viability, proliferation and invasion of TC by negatively regulating SOX11 expression.
Lactulose production by a thermostable glycoside hydrolase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Caldivirga maquilingensis IC‐167
Authors: Letsididi Rebaone , Hassanin Hinawi AM , Koko Marwa YF , Zhang Tao , Jiang Bo , Mu Wanmeng
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Lactulose has various uses in the food and pharmaceutical fields. Thermostable enzymes have many advantages for industrial exploitation, including high substrate solubilities as well as reduced risk of process contamination.

RESULTS

Enzymatic synthesis of lactulose employing a transgalactosylation reaction by a recombinant thermostable glycoside hydrolase (GH1) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Caldivirga maquilingensis IC‐167 was investigated. The optimal pH for lactulose production was found to be 4.5, while the optimal temperature was 85 °C, before it dropped moderately to 83% at 90 °C. However, the relative activity for lactulose synthesis dropped sharply to 35% at 95 °C. At optimal reaction conditions of 70% (w/w) initial sugar substrates with molar ratio of lactose to fructose of 1:4, 15 U mL−1 enzyme concentration and 85 °C, the time course reaction produced a maximum lactulose concentration of 108 g L−1 at 4 h, corresponding to a lactulose yield of 14% and 27 g L−1 h−1 productivity with 84% lactose conversion. The transgalactosylation reaction for lactulose synthesis was greatly influenced by the ratio of galactose donor to acceptor.

CONCLUSION

This novel GH1 may be useful for process applications owing to its high activity in very concentrated substrate reaction media and promising thermostability. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Do attractions “attract” tourists? The case of Singapore
Authors: McKercher Bob , Koh Edward
Published: July 2017

This paper represents an exploratory empirical study testing a proposed framework analysing the importance of attractions in driving tourism. The study is framed within Pearce's travel career pattern model and McKercher's proposed attraction's hierarchy model. Singapore's most important source markets are analysed. The study concluded that individual attractions play a more critical role in driving demand for the most and least destination knowledgeable and for people who travel for Pearce's middle‐ and outer‐layer motives. Individual attractions play a much less important role among tourists who are somewhat destination aware and who are travelling to have Pearce's core motives met.
Are athletes more cooperative than nonathletes? A laboratory experiment
Authors: Celse Jérémy , Nicolas Michel , Schilling Pierre
Published: July 2017

Former athletic employees receive a better wage when hired than other employees because recruiters associate positive values to athletic participation. Whereas athletes are considered as more cooperative than others, this assumption lacks empirical support. We implement a laboratory experiment in order to examine whether athletes (i.e., individuals engaged in intense athletic participation) exhibit more cooperative behaviours than nonathletes. We compare the cooperative behaviours of athletes and nonathletes in a single‐shot public good game using a variant of the strategy method. We find that athletes exhibit significantly more conditional cooperative behaviours than nonathletes but no significant differences in unconditional behaviours.
Evaluation and modeling of the potential effects of a module manufacturing anomaly
Authors: Kempe Michael D. , Jordan Dirk C.
Published: July 2017

Photovoltaic lifetime predictions are in great demand, but are exceedingly difficult to achieve with uncertainties small enough to be useful. During the construction of photovoltaic modules, small unplanned variability in materials or processes can have profound effects on module durability. Thus, continual monitoring of production quality is needed. In the subject production run, module quality, as monitored by damp heat testing, revealed a subset of modules that were prone to higher degradation rates.

An assessment of the potential long‐term power loss and mitigation strategies was needed. To do this, modules were exposed to variable levels of humidity and temperature with periodic monitoring. The analysis takes into account the kinetics of the degradation and the spatially and temporally varying humidity content within the module during accelerated stress testing. This is an important aspect for extrapolating laboratory results to field exposure because moisture ingress is diffusion limited in most laboratory module tests but not limited in these fielded modules. This analysis predicted that although a solder flux induce degradation mechanism is significant in accelerated stress test, this is probably an artifact of a process with a very large acceleration factor that is not likely to be significant for deployed modules. The degradation mechanism affected a limited area around the tabbing helping to minimize the effect. Three years after the system was commissioned, the fielded modules indeed show no significant power loss.
Evaluating brominated thioxanthones as organo‐photocatalysts
Authors: Iyer Akila , Clay Anthony , Jockusch Steffen , Sivaguru J.
Published: July 2017

Bromination of the widely used triplet sensitizer thioxanthone extends the absorption spectrum into the visible range with only minor loss of lowest triplet state energy (3 kcal/mol for di‐bromination). Because of bromine substitution, a slight increase in triplet quantum yield was observed. The di‐brominated derivative was effective as organo‐photocatalyst in performing [2 + 2] cross‐photocycloaddition of acrylimide‐based compounds under visible light irradiation.
Development of an electrochromic device triggered by the macrocell current in chloride‐induced corrosion of steel‐reinforced concrete
Authors: Juraschek Thomas , Weichold Oliver
Published: July 2017

This article presents the development and characterisation of an electrochromic device and its application to detect steel corrosion in reinforced concrete. Steel corrosion inflicts an enormous annual economic damage, which could be reduced by the installation of appropriate monitoring devices. These should be simple, reliable, long lasting, and should not require service or maintenance. The present electrochromic device is constructed in such a way that it uses the macrocell current in an active, chloride‐induced corrosion element as power supply to trigger the colour change. This way, the system stays inactive until corrosion occurs. The device consists of diheptyl viologen in a liquid polymer electrolyte made from LiClO4 and poly(ethylene glycol) with
 = 400 g mol−1. The addition of viologen lowers the resistance but causes no further changes in the electrochemical properties of the polymer electrolyte. Impedance spectra indicate ion transport rather than capacitance effects to dominate the electrochemical properties. Experiments using direct current in the microampere range show electrochromic switching times of several minutes, which is sufficient for the intended monitoring application.
Target‐site resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)‐inhibiting herbicides in Amaranthus palmeri from Argentina
Authors: Larran Alvaro S , Palmieri Valeria E , Perotti Valeria E , Lieber Lucas , Tuesca Daniel , Permingeat Hugo R
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Herbicide‐resistant weeds are a serious problem worldwide. Recently, two populations of Amaranthus palmeri with suspected cross‐resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)‐inhibiting herbicides (R1 and R2) were found by farmers in two locations in Argentina (Vicuña Mackenna and Totoras, respectively). We conducted studies to confirm and elucidate the mechanism of resistance.

RESULTS

We performed in vivo dose–response assays, and confirmed that both populations had strong resistance to chlorimuron‐ethyl, diclosulam and imazethapyr when compared with a susceptible population (S). In vitro ALS activity inhibition tests only indicated considerable resistance to imazethapyr and chlorimuron‐ethyl, indicating that other non‐target mechanisms could be involved in diclosulam resistance. Subsequently, molecular analysis of als nucleotide sequences revealed three single base‐pair mutations producing substitutions in amino acids previously associated with resistance to ALS inhibitors, A122, W574, and S653.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report of als resistance alleles in A. palmeri in Argentina. The data support the involvement of a target‐site mechanism of resistance to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Stephanine from Stephania venosa (Blume) Spreng Showed Effective Antiplasmodial and Anticancer Activities, the Latter by Inducing Apoptosis through the Reverse of Mitotic Exit
Authors: Le Phuong Mai , Srivastava Vandana , Nguyen Thanh Tam , Pradines Bruno , Madamet Marylin , Mosnier Joel , Trinh Thi Thuy , Lee Hoyun
Published: July 2017

Extracts from the tubers of Stephania venosa (Blum) Spreng growing in Vietnam significantly inhibited cell proliferation against a number of cancer cells including HeLa, MDA‐MB231 and MCF‐7 cells. A bioassay‐guided fractionation led to the isolation of four aporphine and one tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids: dehydrocrebanine 1, tetrahydropalmatine 2, stephanine 3, crebanine 4 and O‐methylbulbocapnine 5. The characterization of these compounds was based on MS, NMR and published data. A study by structure–bioactivity relationship on these isolates showed that stephanine is the most active compound. Cell biological studies showed that stephanine induces the reverse of mitotic exit, eventually leading to cell death by apoptosis. This data suggests that stephanine has a unique mode of cell‐killing activity against cancer cells, which is seldom observed with known synthetic compounds. In addition to its anticancer property, our data from an in vitro study showed that S. venosa also possesses effective antiplasmodial activity and stephanine was also the most interesting compound but is the most cytotoxic with the lowest selectivity index. Copyright © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Phytotherapy Research StartCopTextCopyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical Characterization, Antileishmanial Activity, and Cytotoxicity Effects of the Essential Oil from Leaves of Pluchea carolinensis (Jacq.) G. Don. (Asteraceae)
Authors: García Marley , Scull Ramón , Satyal Prabodh , Setzer William N. , Monzote Lianet
Published: July 2017

Current strategies to control leishmaniasis are mainly based on chemotherapy. However, none of the available drugs can be considered to be ideal to treat this disease. Because of the hydrophobic nature and bioactivities of their components, essential oils (EOs) can be considered as important sources for developing agents against intracellular pathogens, such as Leishmania parasites. In this study, we report the chemical characterization, antileishmanial activities, and cytotoxicity effect of the EO from Pluchea carolinensis (Jacq.) G. Don. (Asteraceae). Chemical analysis revealed that EO from aerial part from P. carolinensis is composed of 44 compounds. The main component was selin‐11‐en‐4α‐ol, which made up 51.0%. In vitro antileishmanial studies showed that P. carolinensis EO inhibited the growth of promastigotes (IC50 = 24.7 ± 7.1 μg/mL) and amastigotes (IC50 = 6.2 ± 0.1 μg/mL) of Leishmania amazonensis, while cytotoxicity evaluation revealed fivefold higher values than those for the parasites. In a model of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice, five doses of EO at 30 mg/kg by intralesional route demonstrated smaller lesion size and parasite burden (p < 0.05) compared with animals treated with Glucantime® and untreated mice. In conclusion, in vitro and in vivo results showed the potentialities of EO from P. carolinensis with the future possibility of a new alternative in the treatment for leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lipid profiling of complex biological mixtures by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using a novel scanning quadrupole data‐independent acquisition strategy
Authors: Gethings Lee A. , Richardson Keith , Wildgoose Jason , Lennon Sarah , Jarvis Sheba , Bevan Charlotte L. , Vissers Johannes P.C. , Langridge James I.
Published: July 2017

Rationale

A novel data‐independent acquisition method is detailed that incorporates a scanning quadrupole in front of an orthogonal acceleration time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass analyser. This approach is described and the attributes are compared and contrasted to other DIA approaches.

Methods

Specific application of the method to both targeted and untargeted lipidomic identification strategies is discussed, with data from both shotgun and LC separated lipidomics experiments presented.

Results

The benefits of the fast quadrupole scanning technique are highlighted, and include improvements in speed and specificity for complex mixtures providing high quality qualitative and quantitative data.

Conclusions

In particular the high specificity afforded by the scanning quadrupole improves qualitative information for lipid identification.
Stressful life events and posttraumatic growth among police officers: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Leppma Monica , Mnatsakanova Anna , Sarkisian Khachatur , Scott Olivia , Adjeroh Leonie , Andrew Michael E. , Violanti John M. , McCanlies Erin C.
Published: July 2017

Police officers often continue to face numerous threats and stressors in the aftermath of a disaster. To date, posttraumatic growth (PTG) has been studied primarily in the context of significant trauma; thus, it is not known whether stressful life events are associated with PTG. This study investigated the development of PTG among 113 police officers working in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina. Hierarchical regression was used to evaluate if gratitude, social support, and satisfaction with life moderated the relationship between stressful life events (as measured by the total life stress score) and PTG, after adjustment for age, sex, race, level of involvement in Hurricane Katrina, and alcohol intake. Results indicate that stressful life events are independently associated with PTG. Gratitude, satisfaction with life, and social support were seen to moderate this relationship; as stressful life events increased so too did PTG—particularly among officers with higher levels of gratitude (B = 0.002, p ≤ .05), satisfaction with life (B = 0.002, p ≤ .05), and social support (B = 0.001, p ≤ .05). These findings suggest that promoting satisfaction with life, interpersonal support, and gratitude may be beneficial to those who are regularly at risk of trauma exposure.
STOCHASTIC CLAIMS RESERVING VIA A BAYESIAN SPLINE MODEL WITH RANDOM LOSS RATIO EFFECTS
Authors: Gao Guangyuan , Meng Shengwang
Published: July 2017

We propose a Bayesian spline model which uses a natural cubicB-spline basis with knots placed at every development period to estimate the unpaid claims. Analogous to the smoothing parameter in a smoothing spline, shrinkage priors are assumed for the coefficients of basis functions. The accident period effect is modeled as a random effect, which facilitate the prediction in a new accident period. For model inference, we use Stan to implement the no-U-turn sampler, an automatically tuned Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. The proposed model is applied to the workers' compensation insurance data in the United States. The lower triangle data is used to validate the model.
Guardianship and Health Decisions in China and Australia: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: WILLMOTT Lindy , WHITE Ben , STACKPOOLE Christopher , THEN Shih-Ning , MAN Hongjie , YU Mei , SHEN Weixing
Published: July 2017

This article compares the Australian and Chinese adult guardianship systems, and considers whether there is potential for drawing on some (or many) aspects of the Australian model for the Chinese legal framework. Australia has a well-developed guardianship framework that provides mechanisms for making healthcare decisions when an adult is no longer able to do so. This framework has evolved over many years and, in some cases, individuals can decide about medical treatment in advance of the situation arising, or who should be the decision-maker if he or she later loses capacity. The current Chinese legal framework, on the other hand, is a fragmented one and comprises laws that were not designed to deal with how healthcare decisions can be made for a person without capacity. This article outlines the legal framework in both jurisdictions and considers whether, having regard to the fact that these two countries have different values and cultures, there are features of the Australian guardianship system that could inform the development of Chinese law.
The Lives of Houses: Duration, Context, and History at Neolithic Uivar, Romania
Authors: Draşovean Florin , Schier Wolfram , Bayliss Alex , Gaydarska Bisserka , Whittle Alasdair
Published: July 2017

There is a considerable mix of models for house durations in the literature on Neolithic Europe. This article presents a summary of a formal chronological model for the Neolithic tell of Uivar in western Romania. We provide estimates of house duration and relate houses to other features of the development of this tell, from the later sixth to the mid-fifth millennium calbc. Three wider implications are discussed: that the house must be contextualized case by case; that house duration gives powerful insights into the sociality of community; and that houses, surprisingly often taken rather for granted in Neolithic archaeology, should be fully integrated into the interpretation of Neolithic histories. From what perspective, anthropocentric or relational, that may best be done, is open to question; while it may be helpful to think in this case in terms of the lives and vitality of houses, the ability of people to create and vary history should not be set aside lightly.
Spatial and temporal variation in abundance, group size and behaviour of bottlenose dolphins in the Florida coastal Everglades
Authors: Sarabia Robin E. , Heithaus Michael R. , Kiszka Jeremy J.
Published: July 2017

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are abundant in many coastal ecosystems, including the coastal Everglades. Understanding spatial and temporal variation in their abundance and group sizes is important for estimating their potential ecological importance and predicting how environmental changes (e.g. ecosystem restoration) might impact their populations. From August 2010 to June 2012, we completed a total of 67 belt transects covering a total of 2650 linear km and an area of 1232 km2. Dolphin densities varied spatially and temporally. The highest densities of dolphins were found in coastal oceans and inland bays and were lowest in rivers. Use of rivers, however, increased during the dry season while densities in other habitats remained similar across seasons. Dolphins appeared to prefer portions of bays close to mangrove-covered islands over open waters. A resighting rate of 63.6% of individuals across the 2-year study suggests that at least a portion of the population is probably resident within study regions over long time periods. The largest groups (mean 6.28, range 1–31) were found in open waters and bays despite apparently low predation pressure. Indeed, shark bite scars – likely the result of unsuccessful predation attempts – were conclusively observed on only 1% of individuals. Although further studies are warranted, the high densities of dolphins suggest that they are an important upper trophic level predator in the coastal Everglades, but their ecological importance probably varies in space and time.
Outbreak characteristics associated with identification of contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks
Authors: BROWN L. G. , HOOVER E. R. , SELMAN C. A. , COLEMAN E. W. , SCHURZ ROGERS H.
Published: July 2017

Information on the factors that cause or amplify foodborne illness outbreaks (contributing factors), such as ill workers or cross-contamination of food by workers, is critical to outbreak prevention. However, only about half of foodborne illness outbreaks reported to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have an identified contributing factor, and data on outbreak characteristics that promote contributing factor identification are limited. To address these gaps, we analyzed data from 297 single-setting outbreaks reported to CDC's new outbreak surveillance system, which collects data from the environmental health component of outbreak investigations (often called environmental assessments), to identify outbreak characteristics associated with contributing factor identification. These analyses showed that outbreak contributing factors were more often identified when an outbreak etiologic agent had been identified, when the outbreak establishment prepared all meals on location and served more than 150 meals a day, when investigators contacted the establishment to schedule the environmental assessment within a day of the establishment being linked with an outbreak, and when multiple establishment visits were made to complete the environmental assessment. These findings suggest that contributing factor identification is influenced by multiple outbreak characteristics, and that timely and comprehensive environmental assessments are important to contributing factor identification. They also highlight the need for strong environmental health and food safety programs that have the capacity to complete such environmental assessments during outbreak investigations.
Quick specifications for the busy programmer
Authors: SMALLBONE NICHOLAS , JOHANSSON MOA , CLAESSEN KOEN , ALGEHED MAXIMILIAN
Published: July 2017

QuickSpec is a theory exploration system which tests a Haskell program to find equational properties of it, automatically. The equations can be used to help understand the program, or as lemmas to help prove the program correct. QuickSpec is largely automatic: the user just supplies the functions to be tested and QuickCheck data generators. Previous theory exploration systems, including earlier versions of QuickSpec itself, scaled poorly. This paper describes a new architecture for theory exploration with which we can find vastly more complex laws than before, and much faster. We demonstrate theory exploration in QuickSpec on problems both from functional programming and mathematics.
Bereavement support standards and bereavement care pathway for quality palliative care
Authors: Hudson Peter , Hall Chris , Boughey Alison , Roulston Audrey
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Provision of bereavement support is an essential component of palliative care service delivery. While bereavement support is integral to palliative care, it is typically insufficiently resourced, under-researched, and not systematically applied. Our aim was to develop bereavement standards to assist palliative care services to provide targeted support to family caregivers.

Method:

We employed a multiple-methods design for our study, which included: (1) a literature review, (2) a survey of palliative care service providers in Australia, (3) interviews with national (Australian) and international experts, (4) key stakeholder workshops, and (5) a modified Delphi-type survey.

Results:

A total of 10 standards were developed along with a pragmatic care pathway to assist palliative care services with implementation of the standards.

Significance of results:

The bereavement standards and care pathway constitute a key initiative in the evolution of bereavement support provided by palliative care services. Future endeavors should refine and examine the impact of these standards. Additional research is required to enhance systematic approaches to quality bereavement care.
An Interpersonal Approach to Rorschach Interpretation
Authors: Evans F. Barton
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In response to Kleiger’s (this issue) unique invitation to interpret a Rorschach case study from multiple psychoanalytic perspectives, I was asked to present a Rorschach interpretation from Sullivan’s interpersonal psychodynamic theory (IPT) perspective. In reviewing the literature, I found no theoretical papers specifically addressing IPT Rorschach interpretation. As such this article will be an initial attempt to integrate the Rorschach with IPT. I will present a brief overview of some of Sullivan’s most relevant IPT concepts, suggest where to find them on the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS), and apply IPT Rorschach variables to the case of Ms. B. Special attention will be given to how the IPT model aids in the dynamic understanding of the Ms. B.’s internal experience and personality functioning; what formal features of the Rorschach lend themselves to key constructs in the model; and how the IPT model addresses the referral questions and adds to an understanding of treatment issues, including likely transference/countertransference themes.
Dickkopf1 destabilizes atherosclerotic plaques and promotes plaque formation by inducing apoptosis of endothelial cells through activation of ER stress
Authors: Di Mingxue , Wang Lin , Li Mengmeng , Zhang Yu , Liu Xinxin , Zeng Renya , Wang Han , Chen Yifei , Chen Weijia , Zhang Yun , Zhang Mei
Published: July 2017

Several clinical studies reported that Dickkopf1 (DKK1) plasma levels are correlated with atherosclerosis. However, the impact of DKK1 on the formation and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques remains elusive. This study investigated DKK1’s effects on enlargement and destabilization of plaques by targeting endothelial cells and assessing the possible cellular mechanisms involved. The effects of DKK1 on atherogenesis and plaque stability were evaluated in ApoE−/− mice using lentivirus injections to knockdown and knock-in the DKK1 gene. The presence of DKK1 resulted in enlarged and destabilized atherosclerotic lesions and increased apoptosis, while silencing of DKK1 alleviated plaque formation and vulnerability in the whole progression of atherosclerosis. DKK1 expression was upregulated in response to ox-LDL treatment in a time- and concentration-dependent manner on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). The interference of DKK1 reversed ox-LDL-induced apoptosis in HUVECs. The mechanism underlying this effect was DKK1’s activation of the JNK signal transduction pathway and inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling, following by activation of the IRE1α and eif2α/CHOP pathways. In conclusion, DKK1 promotes plaque formation and vulnerability partly by inducing apoptosis in endothelial cells, which partly through inducing the JNK-endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway and inhibiting canonical Wnt signaling.
A balancing act: RNA binding protein HuR/TTP axis in endometriosis patients
Authors: Khalaj Kasra , Ahn Soo Hyun , Bidarimath Mallikarjun , Nasirzadeh Yasmin , Singh Sukhbir S. , Fazleabas Asgerally T. , Young Steven L. , Lessey Bruce A. , Koti Madhuri , Tayade Chandrakant
Published: July 2017

Endometriosis, a major reproductive pathology affecting 8–10% of women is characterized by chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction. Human antigen R (HuR) and Tristetraprolin (TTP) are RNA binding proteins that competitively bind to cytokines involved in inflammation including: tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 6 (IL-6) among others, and stabilize and destabilize them, respectively. The aim of this study was to examine RNA binding protein (RNABP) HuR/TTP axis in endometriosis patients compared to menstrual stage matched healthy fertile controls in hopes of better understanding their contribution to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Additionally, using a targeted in vitro siRNA approach, we examined whether knock-down of TTP can play a functional role on other RNABPs that competitively bind to inflammatory targets of TTP in both endometriotic and endometrial epithelial cell lines. Our results suggest that RNABPs TTP and HuR are dysregulated in endometriotic lesions compared to matched eutopic patient samples as well endometrium from healthy controls. Silencing of TTP in endometriotic and endometrial epithelial cells revealed differential response to inflammatory cytokines and other RNABPs. Our results suggest potential involvement of HuR/TTP RNA binding protein axis in regulation of inflammation in endometriosis.
Endothelial Dysfunction in Severe Preeclampsia is Mediated by Soluble Factors, Rather than Extracellular Vesicles
Authors: O’Brien Michelle , Baczyk Dora , Kingdom John C.
Published: July 2017

In severe early-onset preeclampsia (sPE) the placenta releases soluble angiogenesis-regulating proteins, trophoblast-derived fragments, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Their relative importance in disease pathogenesis is not presently understood. We explanted placental villi from healthy and sPE women then separated the media into: total-conditioned, EV-depleted and EV-enriched media. Three fractions were compared for; angiogenic protein secretion by ELISA, angiogenic and inflammation gene mRNA expression and leukocyte adhesion assay. sPE placental villi secreted significantly less PlGF (70 ± 18 pg/mL) than preterm controls (338 ± 203; p = 0.03). sFlt-1:PlGF ratios in total-conditioned (115 ± 29) and EV-depleted media (136 ± 40) from sPE placental villi were significantly higher than in EV-enriched media (42 ± 12; p < 0.01) or any preterm or term media. Fluorescent-labeled EVs derived across normal gestation, but not from sPE, actively entered HUVECs. From sPE placental villi, the soluble fraction, but not EV-enriched fraction, significantly repressed angiogenesis (0.83 ± 0.05 fold, p = 0.02), induced HO-1 mRNA (15.3 ± 5.1 fold, p < 0.05) and induced leukocyte adhesion (2.2 ± 0.4 fold, p = 0.04). Soluble media (total-conditioned and EV-depleted media) from sPE placental villi induced endothelial dysfunction in HUVEC, while the corresponding EV-enriched fraction showed no such effects. Our data suggest that soluble factors including angiogenesis-regulating proteins, dominate the vascular pathology of this disease.