bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ATR inhibitors as a synthetic lethal therapy for tumours deficient in ARID1A
Authors: Williamson Chris T. , Miller Rowan , Pemberton Helen N. , Jones Samuel E. , Campbell James , Konde Asha , Badham Nicholas , Rafiq Rumana , Brough Rachel , Gulati Aditi , Ryan Colm J. , Francis Jeff , Vermulen Peter B. , Reynolds Andrew R. , Reaper Philip M. , Pollard John R. , Ashworth Alan , Lord Christopher J.
Published: December 2016

Identifying genetic biomarkers of synthetic lethal drug sensitivity effects provides one approach to the development of targeted cancer therapies. Mutations in ARID1A represent one of the most common molecular alterations in human cancer, but therapeutic approaches that target these defects are not yet clinically available. We demonstrate that defects in ARID1A sensitize tumour cells to clinical inhibitors of the DNA damage checkpoint kinase, ATR, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, ARID1A deficiency results in topoisomerase 2A and cell cycle defects, which cause an increased reliance on ATR checkpoint activity. In ARID1A mutant tumour cells, inhibition of ATR triggers premature mitotic entry, genomic instability and apoptosis. The data presented here provide the pre-clinical and mechanistic rationale for assessing ARID1A defects as a biomarker of single-agent ATR inhibitor response and represents a novel synthetic lethal approach to targeting tumour cells.
Structural Basis for Human PECAM-1-Mediated Trans-homophilic Cell Adhesion
Authors: Hu Menglong , Zhang Hongmin , Liu Qun , Hao Quan
Published: December 2016

Cell adhesion involved in signal transduction, tissue integrity and pathogen infection is mainly mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAM). One CAM member, platelet–endothelial-cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), plays an important role in tight junction among endothelia cells, leukocyte trafficking, and immune response through its homophilic and heterophilic binding patterns. Both kinds of interactions, which lead to endogenous and exogenous signal transmission, are derived from extracellular immunoglobulin-like (IgL) domains and cytoplasmic immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs) of PECAM-1. To date, the mechanism of trans-homophilic interaction of PECAM-1 remains unclear. Here, we present the crystal structure of PECAM-1 IgL1-2 trans-homo dimer. Both IgL 1 and 2 adopt the classical Ig domain conformation comprised of two layers of β-sheets possessing antiparallel β-strands with each being anchored by a pair of cysteines forming a disulfide bond. The dimer interface includes hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions. The Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) envelope of PECAM-1 IgL1-6 supported such a dimer formation in solution. Cell adhesion assays on wildtype and mutant PECAM-1 further characterized the structural determinants in cell junction and communication.
Voltage Fluctuation in a Supercapacitor During a High-g Impact
Authors: Dai Keren , Wang Xiaofeng , Yin Yajiang , Hao Chenglong , You Zheng
Published: December 2016

Supercapacitors (SCs) are a type of energy storage device with high power density and long lifecycles. They have widespread applications, such as powering electric vehicles and micro scale devices. Working stability is one of the most important properties of SCs, and it is of significant importance to investigate the operational characteristics of SCs working under extreme conditions, particularly during high-g acceleration. In this paper, the failure mechanism of SCs upon high-g impact is thoroughly studied. Through an analysis of the intrinsic reaction mechanism during the high-g impact, a multi-faceted physics model is established. Additionally, a multi-field coupled kinetics simulation of the SC failure during a high-g impact is presented. Experimental tests are conducted that confirm the validity of the proposed model. The key factors of failure, such as discharge currents and discharging levels, are analyzed and discussed. Finally, a possible design is proposed to avoid the failure of SCs upon high-g impact.
Temporal binding of interval markers
Authors: Derichs Christina , Zimmermann Eckart
Published: December 2016

How we estimate the passage of time is an unsolved mystery in neuroscience. Illusions of subjective time provide an experimental access to this question. Here we show that time compression and expansion of visually marked intervals result from a binding of temporal interval markers. Interval markers whose onset signals were artificially weakened by briefly flashing a whole-field mask were bound in time towards markers with a strong onset signal. We explain temporal compression as the consequence of summing response distributions of weak and strong onset signals. Crucially, temporal binding occurred irrespective of the temporal order of weak and strong onset markers, thus ruling out processing latencies as an explanation for changes in interval duration judgments. If both interval markers were presented together with a mask or the mask was shown in the temporal interval center, no compression occurred. In a sequence of two intervals, masking the middle marker led to time compression for the first and time expansion for the second interval. All these results are consistent with a model view of temporal binding that serves a functional role by reducing uncertainty in the final estimate of interval duration.
Improved genome-scale multi-target virtual screening via a novel collaborative filtering approach to cold-start problem
Authors: Lim Hansaim , Gray Paul , Xie Lei , Poleksic Aleksandar
Published: December 2016

Conventional one-drug-one-gene approach has been of limited success in modern drug discovery. Polypharmacology, which focuses on searching for multi-targeted drugs to perturb disease-causing networks instead of designing selective ligands to target individual proteins, has emerged as a new drug discovery paradigm. Although many methods for single-target virtual screening have been developed to improve the efficiency of drug discovery, few of these algorithms are designed for polypharmacology. Here, we present a novel theoretical framework and a corresponding algorithm for genome-scale multi-target virtual screening based on the one-class collaborative filtering technique. Our method overcomes the sparseness of the protein-chemical interaction data by means of interaction matrix weighting and dual regularization from both chemicals and proteins. While the statistical foundation behind our method is general enough to encompass genome-wide drug off-target prediction, the program is specifically tailored to find protein targets for new chemicals with little to no available interaction data. We extensively evaluate our method using a number of the most widely accepted gene-specific and cross-gene family benchmarks and demonstrate that our method outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms for predicting the interaction of new chemicals with multiple proteins. Thus, the proposed algorithm may provide a powerful tool for multi-target drug design.
Performance Evaluation and Online Realization of Data-driven Normalization Methods Used in LC/MS based Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis
Authors: Li Bo , Tang Jing , Yang Qingxia , Cui Xuejiao , Li Shuang , Chen Sijie , Cao Quanxing , Xue Weiwei , Chen Na , Zhu Feng
Published: December 2016

In untargeted metabolomics analysis, several factors (e.g., unwanted experimental & biological variations and technical errors) may hamper the identification of differential metabolic features, which requires the data-driven normalization approaches before feature selection. So far, ≥16 normalization methods have been widely applied for processing the LC/MS based metabolomics data. However, the performance and the sample size dependence of those methods have not yet been exhaustively compared and no online tool for comparatively and comprehensively evaluating the performance of all 16 normalization methods has been provided. In this study, a comprehensive comparison on these methods was conducted. As a result, 16 methods were categorized into three groups based on their normalization performances across various sample sizes. The VSN, the Log Transformation and the PQN were identified as methods of the best normalization performance, while the Contrast consistently underperformed across all sub-datasets of different benchmark data. Moreover, an interactive web tool comprehensively evaluating the performance of 16 methods specifically for normalizing LC/MS based metabolomics data was constructed and hosted at http://server.idrb.cqu.edu.cn/MetaPre/. In summary, this study could serve as a useful guidance to the selection of suitable normalization methods in analyzing the LC/MS based metabolomics data.
Calcium Channels and Oxidative Stress Mediate a Synergistic Disruption of Tight Junctions by Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in Caco-2 Cell Monolayers
Authors: Samak Geetha , Gangwar Ruchika , Meena Avtar S. , Rao Roshan G. , Shukla Pradeep K. , Manda Bhargavi , Narayanan Damodaran , Jaggar Jonathan H. , Rao RadhaKrishna
Published: December 2016

Ethanol is metabolized into acetaldehyde in most tissues. In this study, we investigated the synergistic effect of ethanol and acetaldehyde on the tight junction integrity in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Expression of alcohol dehydrogenase sensitized Caco-2 cells to ethanol-induced tight junction disruption and barrier dysfunction, whereas aldehyde dehydrogenase attenuated acetaldehyde-induced tight junction disruption. Ethanol up to 150 mM did not affect tight junction integrity or barrier function, but it dose-dependently increased acetaldehyde-mediated tight junction disruption and barrier dysfunction. Src kinase and MLCK inhibitors blocked this synergistic effect of ethanol and acetaldehyde on tight junction. Ethanol and acetaldehyde caused a rapid and synergistic elevation of intracellular calcium. Calcium depletion by BAPTA or Ca2+-free medium blocked ethanol and acetaldehyde-induced barrier dysfunction and tight junction disruption. Diltiazem and selective knockdown of TRPV6 or CaV1.3 channels, by shRNA blocked ethanol and acetaldehyde-induced tight junction disruption and barrier dysfunction. Ethanol and acetaldehyde induced a rapid and synergistic increase in reactive oxygen species by a calcium-dependent mechanism. N-acetyl-L-cysteine and cyclosporine A, blocked ethanol and acetaldehyde-induced barrier dysfunction and tight junction disruption. These results demonstrate that ethanol and acetaldehyde synergistically disrupt tight junctions by a mechanism involving calcium, oxidative stress, Src kinase and MLCK.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risks of sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia in Chinese elderly
Authors: Wang Taotao , Feng Xiao , Zhou Jingjing , Gong Hongyan , Xia Song , Wei Qing , Hu Xu , Tao Ran , Li Lei , Qian Frank , Yu Li
Published: December 2016

Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. In this study, we used a cross-sectional study with 1090 community-dwelling Chinese citizens aged 60 years and older to evaluate the association of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with the risk of sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was defined using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria that include both muscle mass and muscle function/physical activity. Pre-sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle index but with normal muscle/physical activity. The prevalence of sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia was significantly higher in T2DM patients than in healthy controls (14.8% vs. 11.2%, p = 0.035 for sarcopenia, and 14.4% vs. 8.4%, p = 0.002 for pre-sarcopenia). In multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusting by age, gender, anti-diabetic medication, energy intake, protein intake, physical activity, and visceral fat area, we found that Chinese elderly with T2DM exhibited significantly increased risks of sarcopenia (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.02–2.03) and pre-sarcopenia (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.10–2.83) compared to non-diabetic individuals. This is the first study to evaluate the association of T2DM with the risks of sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia in China. Among a group of community-dwelling Chinese elderly, T2DM was significantly associated with increased risks of sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia.
Fossil record of stem groups employed in evaluating the chronogram of insects (Arthropoda: Hexapoda)
Authors: Wang Yan-hui , Engel Michael S. , Rafael José A. , Wu Hao-yang , Rédei Dávid , Xie Qiang , Wang Gang , Liu Xiao-guang , Bu Wen-jun
Published: December 2016

Insectas. str.(=Ectognatha), comprise the largest and most diversified group of living organisms, accounting for roughly half of the biodiversity on Earth. Understanding insect relationships and the specific time intervals for their episodes of radiation and extinction are critical to any comprehensive perspective on evolutionary events. Although some deeper nodes have been resolved congruently, the complete evolution of insects has remained obscure due to the lack of direct fossil evidence. Besides, various evolutionary phases of insects and the corresponding driving forces of diversification remain to be recognized. In this study, a comprehensive sample of all insect orders was used to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and estimate deep divergences. The phylogenetic relationships of insect orders were congruently recovered by Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses. A complete timescale of divergences based on an uncorrelated log-normal relaxed clock model was established among all lineages of winged insects. The inferred timescale for various nodes are congruent with major historical events including the increase of atmospheric oxygen in the Late Silurian and earliest Devonian, the radiation of vascular plants in the Devonian, and with the available fossil record of the stem groups to various insect lineages in the Devonian and Carboniferous.
Assessing the potential for Bluetongue virus 8 to spread and vaccination strategies in Scotland
Authors: Bessell Paul R. , Searle Kate R. , Auty Harriet K. , Handel Ian G. , Purse Bethan V. , Bronsvoort B. Mark de C.
Published: December 2016

Europe has seen frequent outbreaks of Bluetongue (BT) disease since 2006, including an outbreak of BT virus serotype 8 in central France during 2015 that has continued to spread in Europe during 2016. Thus, assessing the potential for BTv-8 spread and determining the optimal deployment of vaccination is critical for contingency planning. We developed a spatially explicit mathematical model of BTv-8 spread in Scotland and explored the sensitivity of transmission to key disease spread parameters for which detailed empirical data is lacking. With parameters at mean values, there is little spread of BTv-8 in Scotland. However, under a “worst case” but still feasible scenario with parameters at the limits of their ranges and temperatures 1 °C warmer than the mean, we find extensive spread with 203,000 sheep infected given virus introduction to the south of Scotland between mid-May and mid-June. Strategically targeted vaccine interventions can greatly reduce BT spread. Specifically, despite BT having most clinical impact in sheep, we show that vaccination can have the greatest impact on reducing BTv infections in sheep when administered to cattle, which has implications for disease control policy.
HBV maintains electrostatic homeostasis by modulating negative charges from phosphoserine and encapsidated nucleic acids
Authors: Su Pei-Yi , Yang Ching-Jen , Chu Tien-Hua , Chang Chih-Hsu , Chiang Chiayn , Tang Fan-Mei , Lee Chih-Yin , Shih Chiaho
Published: December 2016

Capsid assembly and stability of hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein (HBc) particles depend on balanced electrostatic interactions between encapsidated nucleic acids and an arginine-rich domain (ARD) of HBc in the capsid interior. Arginine-deficient ARD mutants preferentially encapsidated spliced viral RNA and shorter DNA, which can be fully or partially rescued by reducing the negative charges from acidic residues or serine phosphorylation of HBc, dose-dependently. Similarly, empty capsids without RNA encapsidation can be generated by ARD hyper-phosphorylation in insect, bacteria, and human hepatocytes. De-phosphorylation of empty capsids by phosphatase induced capsid disassembly. Empty capsids can convert into RNA-containing capsids by increasing HBc serine de-phosphorylation. In an HBV replicon system, we observed a reciprocal relationship between viral and non-viral RNA encapsidation, suggesting both non-viral RNA and serine-phosphorylation could serve as a charge balance buffer in maintaining electrostatic homeostasis. In addition, by comparing the biochemistry assay results between a replicon and a non-replicon system, we observed a correlation between HBc de-phosphorylation and viral replication. Balanced electrostatic interactions may be important to other icosahedral particles in nature.
On-Chip Optical Nonreciprocity Using an Active Microcavity
Authors: Jiang Xiaoshun , Yang Chao , Wu Hongya , Hua Shiyue , Chang Long , Ding Yang , Hua Qian , Xiao Min
Published: December 2016

Optically nonreciprocal devices provide critical functionalities such as light isolation and circulation in integrated photonic circuits for optical communications and information processing, but have been difficult to achieve. By exploring gain-saturation nonlinearity, we demonstrate on-chip optical nonreciprocity with excellent isolation performance within telecommunication wavelengths using only one toroid microcavity. Compatible with current complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process, our compact and simple scheme works for a very wide range of input power levels from ~10 microwatts down to ~10 nanowatts, and exhibits remarkable properties of one-way light transport with sufficiently low insertion loss. These superior features make our device become a promising critical building block indispensable for future integrated nanophotonic networks.
Local Dielectric Property Detection of the Interface between Nanoparticle and Polymer in Nanocomposite Dielectrics
Authors: Peng Simin , Zeng Qibin , Yang Xiao , Hu Jun , Qiu Xiaohui , He Jinliang
Published: December 2016

The interface between nanoparticles and polymer matrix is considered to have an important effect on the properties of nanocomposites. In this experimental study, electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) is used to study the local dielectric property of the interface of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/TiO2 nanocomposites at nanometer scale. The results show that the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles leads to a decrease in local permittivity. We then carry out the finite element simulation and confirm that the decrease of local permittivity is related to the effect of interface. According to the results, we propose several models and validate the dielectric effect and range effect of interface. Through the analysis of DSC and solid-state NMR results, we find TiO2 nanoparticles can suppress the mobility of local chain segments in the interface, which influences the dipolar polarization of chain segments in the interface and eventually results in a decrease in local permittivity. It is believed the results would provide important hint to the research of the interface in future research.
Laser Light-field Fusion for Wide-field Lensfree On-chip Phase Contrast Microscopy of Nanoparticles
Authors: Kazemzadeh Farnoud , Wong Alexander
Published: December 2016

Wide-field lensfree on-chip microscopy, which leverages holography principles to capture interferometric light-field encodings without lenses, is an emerging imaging modality with widespread interest given the large field-of-view compared to lens-based techniques. In this study, we introduce the idea of laser light-field fusion for lensfree on-chip phase contrast microscopy for detecting nanoparticles, where interferometric laser light-field encodings acquired using a lensfree, on-chip setup with laser pulsations at different wavelengths are fused to produce marker-free phase contrast images of particles at the nanometer scale. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate, for the first time, a wide-field lensfree on-chip instrument successfully detecting 300 nm particles across a large field-of-view of ~30 mm2 without any specialized or intricate sample preparation, or the use of synthetic aperture- or shift-based techniques.
Metabolite Profiling of Preneoplastic and Neoplastic Lesions of Oral Cavity Tissue Samples Revealed a Biomarker Pattern
Authors: Musharraf Syed Ghulam , Shahid Najia , Naqvi Syed Muhammad Ali , Saleem Mahwish , Siddiqui Amna Jabbar , Ali Anwar
Published: December 2016

Oral cancer is a major health challenge in the Indian subcontinent and a dreadful form of cancers worldwide. The current study is focused on the identification of distinguished metabolites of oral cancer tissue samples in comparison with precancerous and control tissue samples using gas chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry and chemometric analyses. Metabolites obtained were identified through National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) mass spectral (Wiley registry) library. Mass Profiler Professional (MPP) software was used for the alignment and for all the statistical analysis. 31 compounds out of 735 found distinguishing among oral cancer, precancerous and control group samples using p-value ≤ 0.05. Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) model was generated using statistically significant metabolites gave an overall accuracy of 90.2%. Down-regulated amino acid levels appear to be the result of enhanced energy metabolism or up-regulation of the appropriate biosynthetic pathways, and required cell proliferation in cancer tissues. These results suggest that tissue metabolic profiles have great potential in detecting oral cancer and may aid in understanding its underlying mechanisms.
Effects of light attenuation on the sponge holobiont- implications for dredging management
Authors: Pineda Mari-Carmen , Strehlow Brian , Duckworth Alan , Doyle Jason , Jones Ross , Webster Nicole S.
Published: December 2016

Dredging and natural sediment resuspension events can cause high levels of turbidity, reducing the amount of light available for photosynthetic benthic biota. To determine how marine sponges respond to light attenuation, five species were experimentally exposed to a range of light treatments. Tolerance thresholds and capacity for recovery varied markedly amongst species. Whilst light attenuation had no effect on the heterotrophic speciesStylissa flabelliformisandIanthella basta,the phototrophic speciesCliona orientalisandCarteriospongia foliascensdiscoloured (bleached) over a 28 day exposure period to very low light (<0.8 mol photons m−2d−1). In darkness, both species discoloured within a few days, concomitant with reduced fluorescence yields, chlorophyll concentrations and shifts in their associated microbiomes. The phototrophic speciesCymbastela coralliophilawas less impacted by light reduction.C. orientalisandC. coralliophilaexhibited full recovery under normal light conditions, whilstC. foliascensdid not recover and showed high levels of mortality. The light treatments used in the study are directly relevant to conditions that can occurin situduring dredging projects, indicating that light attenuation poses a risk to photosynthetic marine sponges. Examining benthic light levels over temporal scales would enable dredging proponents to be aware of conditions that could impact on sponge physiology.
Evidence for the transition from primary to peritectic phase growth during solidification of undercooled Ni-Zr alloy levitated by electromagnetic field
Authors: Lü P. , Zhou K. , Wang H. P.
Published: December 2016

The Ni83.25Zr16.75 peritectic alloy was undercooled by electromagnetic levitation method up to 198 K. The measured dendritic growth velocity shows a steep acceleration at a critical undercooling of ΔTcrit = 124 K, which provides an evidence of the transition of the primary growth mode from Ni7Zr2 phase to peritectic phase Ni5Zr. This is ascertained by combining the temperature-time profile and the evolution of the solidified microstructures. Below the critical undercooling, the solidified microstructure is composed of coarse Ni7Zr2 dendrites, peritectic phase Ni5Zr and eutectic structure. However, beyond the critical undercooling, only a small amount of Ni7Zr2 phase appears in the solidified microstructure. The dendritic growth mechanism of Ni7Zr2 phase is mainly governed by solute diffusion. While, the dendritic growth mechanism of Ni5Zr phase is mainly controlled by thermal diffusion and liquid-solid interface atomic attachment kinetics.
Aniline-containing guests recognized by α,α’,δ,δ’-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril host
Authors: Lin Rui-Lian , Fang Guo-Sheng , Sun Wen-Qi , Liu Jing-Xin
Published: December 2016

The host−guest complexation of symmetrical α,α’,δ,δ’-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril (TMeQ[6]) and cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]) with a series of aniline-containing guests has been investigated by various experimental techniques including NMR, ITC, and X-ray crystallography. Experimental results indicate that both TMeQ[6] and Q[7] hosts can encapsulate aniline-containing guests to form stable inclusion complexes. However, the oval cavity of TMeQ[6] is more complementary in size and shape to the aromatic ring of the guests than the spherical cavity of Q[7]. Shielding and deshielding effects of the aromatic ring on guests lead to the remarkable chemical shifts of the TMeQ[6] host protons. The rotational restriction of the guests in the oval cavity of TMeQ[6] results in the large negative values of entropy. The X-ray crystal structure of the 1:1 inclusion complex between TMeQ[6] and N,N′-diethyl-benzene-1,4-diamine unambiguously reveals that the aromatic ring of the guest resides in the oval cavity of TMeQ[6].
Toxicity of nine insecticides on four natural enemies of Spodoptera exigua
Authors: Liu Yongqiang , Li Xiangying , Zhou Chao , Liu Feng , Mu Wei
Published: December 2016

Spodoptera exigua, which feeds on various crops worldwide, has natural enemies that are susceptible to the insecticides used against S. exigua. We investigate the toxicity and residue risk of 9 insecticides on the development of H. axyridis, C. sinica, S. manilae and T. remus. S. manilae and T. remus adults were sensitive to all 9 insecticides (LC50 less than 2.75 mg a.i. liter−1), while H. axyridis and C. sinica adults were less sensitive (LC50 between 6 × 10−5 mg a.i. liter−1 and 78.95 mg a.i. liter−1). Emamectin benzoate, spinosad, indoxacarb, alpha-cypermethrin, chlorfenapyr and chlorantraniliprole showed no toxicity on H. axyridis, C. sinica, S. manilae and T. remus pupae with the recommended field concentrations. The risk analysis indicated that chlorantraniliprole is harmless to larvae of four natural enemies and adult of H. axyridis, C. sinica and S. manilae. Emamectin benzoate and spinosad had higher safety to the development of H. axyridis, C. sinica, S. manilae and T. remus with the risk duration less than 4d. Indoxacarb, tebufenozide, chlorfenapyr, methomyl, alpha-cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos showed dangerously toxic and long risk duration on S. manilae and T. remus adults.
Ultrathin Terahertz Quarter-wave plate based on Split Ring Resonator and Wire Grating hybrid Metasurface
Authors: Nouman Muhammad Tayyab , Hwang Ji Hyun , Jang Jae-Hyung
Published: December 2016

Planar metasurface based quarter-wave plates offer various advantages over conventional waveplates in terms of compactness, flexibility and simple fabrication; however they offer very narrow bandwidth of operation. Here, we demonstrate a planar terahertz (THz) metasurface capable of linear to circular polarization conversion and vice versa in a wide frequency range. The proposed metasurface is based on horizontally connected split ring resonators and is realized on an ultrathin (0.05λ) zeonor substrate. The fabricated quarter waveplate realizes linear to circular polarization conversion in two broad frequency bands comprising 0.64–0.82 THz and 0.96–1.3 THz with an insertion loss ranging from −3.9 to −10 dB. By virtue of ultrathin sub wavelength thickness, the proposed waveplate design is well suited for application in near field THz optical systems. Additionally, the proposed metasurface design offers novel transmission phase characteristics that present further opportunities to realize dynamic polarization control of incident waves.
Identification and characterization of human testis derived circular RNAs and their existence in seminal plasma
Authors: Dong Wei-Wei , Li Hui-Min , Qing Xing-Rong , Huang Dong-Hui , Li Hong-Gang
Published: December 2016

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as novel molecules of interest in gene regulation as other noncoding RNAs. Though they have been explored in some species and tissues, the expression and functions of circRNAs in human reproductive systems remain unknown. Here we revealed the expression profiles of circRNAs in human testis tissue using high-throughput sequencing. The conformation of these testis-derived circRNAs in seminal plasma was also investigated, aiming to provide a non-invasive liquid biopsy surrogate for testicular biopsy. We predicted >15,000 circRNAs in human testis, with most of them (10,792; 67%) new. In all the 5,928 circRNA forming genes, 1,017 are first reported by us to generate circRNAs. Interestingly, these genes are mostly related to spermatogenesis, sperm motility, fertilization, etc. The sequence feature, chromosome location, alternative splicing and other characteristics of the circRNAs in human testis were also explored. Moreover, we found that these testis-derived circRNAs could be stably detected in seminal plasma. Most of them were probably bound with proteins in seminal plasma and were very stable at room temperature. Our work has laid the foundations to decipher regulation mechanisms of circRNAs in spermatogenesis and to develop circRNAs as novel noninvasive biomarkers for male infertile diseases.
Perceived Occupational Stress is associated with Decreased Cortical Activity of the Prefrontal Cortex: A Multichannel Near-infrared Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Chou Po-Han , Lin Wei-Hao , Hung Chao-An , Chang Chiung-Chih , Li Wan-Rung , Lan Tsuo-Hung , Huang Min-Wei
Published: December 2016

Despite an increasing number of reports on the associations between chronic occupational stress and structural and functional changes of the brain, the underlying neural correlates of perceived occupational stress is still not clear. Perceived stress reflects the extents to which situations are appraised as stressful at a given point in one’s life. Using near-infrared spectroscopy, we investigated the associations between perceived occupational stress and cortical activity over the bilateral frontotemporal regions during a verbal fluency test. Sixty-eight participants (17 men, 51 women), 20–62 years of age were recruited. Perceived occupational stress was measured using the Chinese version of Job Content Questionnaire, and the Chinese version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. We found statistically significant negative associations between occupational burnout and brain cortical activity over the fronto-polar and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the VFT (r = −0.343 to −0.464). In conclusion, our research demonstrated a possible neural basis of perceived occupational stress that are distributed across the prefrontal cortex.
Comparative Systems Analyses Reveal Molecular Signatures of Clinically tested Vaccine Adjuvants
Authors: Olafsdottir Thorunn A. , Lindqvist Madelene , Nookaew Intawat , Andersen Peter , Maertzdorf Jeroen , Persson Josefine , Christensen Dennis , Zhang Yuan , Anderson Jenna , Khoomrung Sakda , Sen Partho , Agger Else Marie , Coler Rhea , Carter Darrick , Meinke Andreas , Rappuoli Rino , Kaufmann Stefan H. E. , Reed Steven G. , Harandi Ali M.
Published: December 2016

A better understanding of the mechanisms of action of human adjuvants could inform a rational development of next generation vaccines for human use. Here, we exploited a genome wide transcriptomics analysis combined with a systems biology approach to determine the molecular signatures induced by four clinically tested vaccine adjuvants, namely CAF01, IC31, GLA-SE and Alum in mice. We report signature molecules, pathways, gene modules and networks, which are shared by or otherwise exclusive to these clinical-grade adjuvants in whole blood and draining lymph nodes of mice. Intriguingly, co-expression analysis revealed blood gene modules highly enriched for molecules with documented roles in T follicular helper (TFH) and germinal center (GC) responses. We could show that all adjuvants enhanced, although with different magnitude and kinetics, TFH and GC B cell responses in draining lymph nodes. These results represent, to our knowledge, the first comparative systems analysis of clinically tested vaccine adjuvants that may provide new insights into the mechanisms of action of human adjuvants.
Site-Selective Controlled Dealloying Process of Gold-Silver Nanowire Array: a Simple Approach towards Long-Term Stability and Sensitivity Improvement of SERS Substrate
Authors: Wiriyakun Natta , Pankhlueab Karuna , Boonrungsiman Suwimon , Laocharoensuk Rawiwan
Published: December 2016

Limitations of achieving highly sensitive and stable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate greatly concern the suitable method for fabrication of large-area plasmonic nanostructures. Herein we report a simple approach using template-based synthesis to create a highly ordered two-dimensional array of gold-silver alloy nanowires, followed by the controlled dealloying process. This particular step of mild acid etching (15%v/v nitric acid for 5 min) allowed the formation of Raman hot spots on the nanowire tips while maintaining the integrity of highly active alloy composition and rigid nanowire array structure. Full consideration of SERS substrate performance was accomplished using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) as a probe molecule. Exceedingly higher SERS signal (150-fold) can be achieved with respect to typical gold film substrate. Moreover, an excellent stability of SERS substrate was also determined for over 3 months storage time. In contrast to the previous studies which stability improvement was accomplished at a cost of sensitivity reduction, the simultaneous improvement of sensitivity and stability makes the controlled dealloying process an excellent choice of SERS substrate fabrication. In addition, uniformity and reproducibility studies indicated satisfactory results with the acceptable values of relative standard deviation.
Broadband asymmetric light transmission through tapered metallic gratings at visible frequencies
Authors: Tang Bin , Li Zhongyang , Liu Zizhuo , Callewaert Francois , Aydin Koray
Published: December 2016

Asymmetric transmission phenomenon has attracted tremendous research interest due to its potential applications in integrated photonic systems. Broadband asymmetric transmission (BAT) is a highly desirable but challenging functionality to achieve in the visible regime due to the limitation of material dispersion. In this paper, we propose and numerically demonstrate that a tapered-metal-grating structure (TMGS) can achieve high-contrast BAT spectra covering the entire visible region. The transmission efficiency reaches ~95% for the forward illumination and ~35% for the backward illumination at the same wavelengths, respectively, and the corresponding transmission ratio is larger than 2.5 over a broadband wavelength regime. Such a design with high performance suggests applications for unidirectional optical transmission, optical diode, and so on.
Global map of oxytocin/vasopressin-like neuropeptide signalling in insects
Authors: Liutkeviciute Zita , Koehbach Johannes , Eder Thomas , Gil-Mansilla Esther , Gruber Christian W.
Published: December 2016

Oxytocin and vasopressin mediate a range of physiological functions that are important for osmoregulation, reproduction, social behaviour, memory and learning. The origin of this signalling system is thought to date back ~600 million years. Oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptides have been identified in several invertebrate species and they appear to be functionally related across the entire animal kingdom. There is little information available about the biology of this peptide G protein-coupled receptor signalling system in insects. Recently over 200 insect genome/transcriptome datasets were released allowing investigation of the molecular structure and phylogenetic distribution of the insect oxytocin/vasopressin orthologue – inotocin peptides and their receptors. The signalling system is present in early arthropods and representatives of some early-diverging lineages. However, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Siphonaptera, Mecoptera and Diptera, lack the presence of inotocin genes, which suggests the peptide-receptor system was probably lost in their common ancestor ~280 million-years-ago. In addition we detected several losses of the inotocin signalling system in Hemiptera (white flies, scale insects and aphids), and the complete absence in spiders (Chelicerata). This unique insight into evolutionarily patterns and sequence diversity of neuroendocrine hormones will provide opportunities to elucidate the physiology of the inotocin signalling system in one of the largest group of animals.
Insights into psychosis risk from leukocyte microRNA expression
Authors: Jeffries C D , Perkins D O , Chandler S D , Stark T , Yeo E , Addington J , Bearden C E , Cadenhead K S , Cannon T D , Cornblatt B A , Mathalon D H , McGlashan T H , Seidman L J , Walker E F , Woods S W , Glatt S J , Tsuang M
Published: December 2016

Dysregulation of immune system functions has been implicated in schizophrenia, suggesting that immune cells may be involved in the development of the disorder. With the goal of a biomarker assay for psychosis risk, we performed small RNA sequencing on RNA isolated from circulating immune cells. We compared baseline microRNA (miRNA) expression for persons who were unaffected (n=27) or who, over a subsequent 2-year period, were at clinical high risk but did not progress to psychosis (n=37), or were at high risk and did progress to psychosis (n=30). A greedy algorithm process led to selection of five miRNAs that when summed with +1 weights distinguished progressed from nonprogressed subjects with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.86. Of the five, miR-941 is human-specific with incompletely understood functions, but the other four are prominent in multiple immune system pathways. Three of those four are downregulated in progressed vs. nonprogressed subjects (with weight -1 in a classifier function that increases with risk); all three have also been independently reported as downregulated in monocytes from schizophrenia patients vs. unaffected subjects. Importantly, these findings passed stringent randomization tests that minimized the risk of conclusions arising by chance. Regarding miRNA–miRNA correlations over the three groups, progressed subjects were found to have much weaker miRNA orchestration than nonprogressed or unaffected subjects. If independently verified, the leukocytic miRNA biomarker assay might improve accuracy of psychosis high-risk assessments and eventually help rationalize preventative intervention decisions.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor increase during treatment in severe mental illness inpatients
Authors: Nuernberg G L , Aguiar B , Bristot G , Fleck M P , Rocha N S
Published: December 2016

Meta-analytical evidence suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is altered in various psychiatric disorders. However, meta-analyses may be hampered by the heterogeneity of BDNF assays, lack of BDNF standard values and heterogeneity among the populations included in the studies. To address these issues, our study aimed to test, in a ‘true-to-life’ setting, the hypothesis that the serum BDNF level is nonspecifically reduced in acute severe mental illness (SMI) patients and increases during inpatient treatment. Consecutive samples of 236 inpatients with SMI and 100 healthy controls were recruited. SMI includes schizophrenia and severe mood disorders, and is characterized in the sample by the presence of at least 2 years of psychiatric treatment and disability. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze BDNF serum levels at admission and upon discharge controlled by confounding factors. BDNF levels increased significantly between admission and discharge in SMI patients. BDNF levels showed significant reductions compared with controls both at admission and upon discharge. In addition, BDNF levels showed no difference among SMI patient diagnostic subgroups (unipolar depression, bipolar depression, schizophrenia and manic episode). The increase but non-restoration of BDNF levels, even with the general acute improvement of clinical scores, may reflect the progression of the disorder characteristically seen in these patients. BDNF levels could be considered as a marker for the presence of a nonspecific psychiatric disorder and possibly a transdiagnostic and nonspecific marker of disease activity.
Analysis of phthalate esters in dairy products—a brief review
Authors: Fan Yingying , Chen He , Liu Hejiang , Wang Fulan , Ma Sha , Latipa Aierken , Wang Shuai , Wang Cheng
Published: December 2016

This review provides a brief survey of pretreatment and instrumental detection methods for the analysis of PAEs in dairy products.
A crystal structure prediction enigma solved: the gallic acid monohydrate system – surprises at 10 K
Authors: Hoser A. A. , Sovago I. , Lanza A. , Madsen A. Ø.
Published: December 2016

The unpredictability of polymorph IV of gallic acid monohydrate is explained by high-resolution low-temperature diffraction measurements.
Imaging the electronic structure of on-surface generated hexacene
Authors: Krüger Justus , Eisenhut Frank , Alonso José M. , Lehmann Thomas , Guitián Enrique , Pérez Dolores , Skidin Dmitry , Gamaleja Florian , Ryndyk Dmitry A. , Joachim Christian , Peña Diego , Moresco Francesca , Cuniberti Gianaurelio
Published: December 2016

Hexacene put on the map: on-surface reduction of precursors pushes the boundaries set by stability and allows single molecule investigation.
Correction: Ni-based heterogeneous catalyst from a designed molecular precursor for the efficient electrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Kuznetsov Denis A. , Konev Dmitry V. , Komarova Natal'ya S. , Ionov Andrey M. , Mozhchil Rais N. , Fedyanin Ivan V.
Published: December 2016

Correction for ‘Ni-based heterogeneous catalyst from a designed molecular precursor for the efficient electrochemical water oxidation’ by Denis A. Kuznetsov et al., Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 9255–9258.
Correction: Synthesis of a fluorescent photoaffinity probe of OSW-1 by site-selective acylation of an inactive congener and biological evaluation
Authors: Sakurai K. , Hiraizumi M. , Isogai N. , Komatsu R. , Shibata T. , Ohta Y.
Published: December 2016

Correction for ‘Synthesis of a fluorescent photoaffinity probe of OSW-1 by site-selective acylation of an inactive congener and biological evaluation’ by K. Sakurai et al., Chem. Commun., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c6cc08955k.
Solid-state inclusion of C60and C70in a co-polymer induced by metal–ligand coordination of a Zn–porphyrin cage with a bis-pyridyl perylene derivative
Authors: Escudero-Adán Eduardo C. , Bauzá Antonio , Hernández-Eguía Laura P. , Würthner Frank , Ballester Pablo , Frontera Antonio
Published: December 2016

We have conducted X-ray characterization of two unprecedented supramolecular solids involving three different components: a suitable Zn(ii)–bisporphyrin cage, a bis-pyridyl perylene derivative and a fullerene.
Methane conversion into different hydrocarbons or oxygenates: current status and future perspectives in catalyst development and reactor operation
Authors: Kondratenko Evgenii V. , Peppel Tim , Seeburg Dominik , Kondratenko Vita A. , Kalevaru Narayana , Martin Andreas , Wohlrab Sebastian
Published: December 2016

This Perspective highlights recent developments in methane conversion into different hydrocarbons and C1-oxygenates. Our analysis identified possible directions for further research to bring the above approaches to a commercial level.
Slow relaxation dynamics of a mononuclear Er(iii) complex surrounded by a ligand environment with anisotropic charge density
Authors: Lim Kwang Soo , Kang Dong Won , Song Jeong Hwa , Lee Han Geul , Yang Mino , Hong Chang Seop
Published: December 2016

The Er complex containing a nitrate ligand exhibits typical single-ion magnet behavior, while slow relaxation is not visible in the Er complex containing neutral water molecules.
A reliable amplified fluorescence-enhanced chemosensor (Eu-MIL-61) for the directional detection of Ag+ in an aqueous solution
Authors: Sun Nana , Yan Bing
Published: December 2016

A simple and reliable PL probe was designed and prepared to detect Ag+ in the aqueous environment by encapsulating excellent Eu3+ into MIL-61.
Effects of Ru(ii/iii) redox on the Co(ii) coordination number and magnetic properties of 1D cyanide-bridged Co–Ru compounds
Authors: Zhu Xiaoquan , Su Shaodong , Cao Wenhai , Hu Shengmin , Wen Yuehong , Wu Xintao , Sheng Tianlu
Published: December 2016

Two new Co–Ru one-dimensional cyanide-bridged compounds with different Ru valences and Co coordination types display different magnetic properties.
Construction of a 3D-BaTiO3 network leading to significantly enhanced dielectric permittivity and energy storage density of polymer composites
Authors: Luo Suibin , Shen Yanbin , Yu Shuhui , Wan Yanjun , Liao Wei-Hsin , Sun Rong , Wong Ching-Ping
Published: December 2016

The 3D-connected BaTiO3 network introduced into the polymer matrix improves polarization transmission and results in significantly enhanced permittivity and discharged energy density.
Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco L.) anthocyanins exert anti-inflammatory activity in human colon cancer and non-malignant colon cells
Authors: Venancio Vinicius P. , Cipriano Paula A. , Kim Hyemee , Antunes Lusânia M. G. , Talcott Stephen T. , Mertens-Talcott Susanne U.
Published: December 2016

Cocoplum anthocyanins reduced cell proliferation in cancer cells and decreased inflammation in both non-malignant and cancer cells.
Development of dairy beverages functionalized with pure ergosterol and mycosterol extracts: an alternative to phytosterol-based beverages
Authors: Heleno Sandrina A. , Rudke Adenilson R. , Calhelha Ricardo C. , Carocho Márcio , Barros Lillian , Gonçalves Odinei H. , Barreiro Maria Filomena , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R.
Published: December 2016

In the present work, Agaricus bisporus extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and ergosterol, were incorporated into dairy beverages at concentrations mimicking commercial phytosterol-added yogurts, to work as alternatives.
Metal- and oxidant-free S–P(O) bond construction via direct coupling of P(O)H with sulfinic acids
Authors: Moon Youngtaek , Moon Yonghoon , Choi Hangyeol , Hong Sungwoo
Published: December 2016

A method for S–P(O) bond formation between R2P(O)H and sulfinic acids was developed under metal-, oxidant-, and halogen-free conditions.
Synthesis of several novel coordination complexes: ion exchange, magnetic and photocatalytic studies
Authors: Li Huijun , Wang Yuan , He Yaling , Xu Zhouqing , Zhao Xiaolei , Han Yi
Published: December 2016

Eight different novel polymers by the reactions of H2L and metal ions (Zn2+, Cu2+, Co2+) in the presence or absence of auxiliary ligands were constructed. The Zn2+ in complexes 1–3 could be partially exchanged with Cu2+ ions.
Multipodal arrangement of push–pull chromophores: a fundamental parameter affecting their electronic and optical properties
Authors: Klikar M. , Kityk I. V. , Kulwas D. , Mikysek T. , Pytela O. , Bureš F.
Published: December 2016

Branching, along with the acceptor nature and π-system length, was revealed as a crucial factor affecting the fundamental optoelectronic properties of push–pull molecules.
A perylene complex with a one-dimensional coordination polymer containing [Mn6O2(CHCl2COO)10(H2O)2] cluster units linked by 3,10-perylenequinone bridges
Authors: Kushch Lyudmila A. , Kazakova Anna V. , Mironova Svetlana A. , Yagubskii Eduard B. , Simonov Sergey V. , Zorina Leokadiya V. , Shibaeva Rimma P. , Sadakov Andrey V. , Mironov Vladimir S.
Published: December 2016

The reactions of perylene with Mn12 oxodichloroacetate and oxobenzoate clusters were examined.