bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversified FRAND Enforcement and TRIPS Integrity
Authors: GUAN WENWEI
Published: April 2017

As an integral part of the WTO trading regime and in line with the international trend of antitrust control, TRIPS harmonized intellectual property protection with competition in mind. However, diverse national FRAND enforcement practices that take either a contractual or an antitrust approach challenge TRIPS integrity. While personal property recognition for SEPs lends constitutional support to the contractual approach to FRAND enforcement, private property's in-built limitation warrants a balance with the antitrust approach for needs from others. A critical examination of the TRIPS conclusion and the analytical structure of TRIPS provisions reveal that TRIPS obligation against anticompetitive practices is imperative. The imbalance of harmonized TRIPS with un-harmonized FRAND practices reflects TRIPS birth defect and challenges TRIPS integrity. To improve balance of rights and obligations in international trade and to ensure innovation and technology dissemination that is conducive to social and economic welfare, the paper calls for a contract–antitrust balanced approach to FRAND enforcement and the resumption of WTO's competition negotiations.
Dermatoonkologie – was kann in der Hausarztpraxis angeboten werden?
Authors: Binkert Andrea , Dummer Reinhard
Published: April 2017

Zusammenfassung. Hautkrebs ist häufig und nimmt bei frühzeitiger Erkennung bzw. Behandlung der Frühformen einen gutartigen Verlauf. Dem Hausarzt kommt dabei als erste Anlaufstelle und Vertrauensperson stets eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Bei richtiger Diagnosestellung ist die Behandlung oft einfach. Entscheidend ist es aber, Hochrisiko-Situationen, bzw. besonders aggressive Tumorentitäten, in die Differentialdiagnose mit einzubeziehen und zusammen mit spezialisierten Zentren zu behandeln. Dazu ist eine gute Zusammenarbeit von Grundversorger, niedergelassenen Dermatologen und Zentrumsspital unerlässlich.
Rich complex behaviour of self-assembled nanoparticles far from equilibrium
Authors: Ilday Serim , Makey Ghaith , Akguc Gursoy B. , Yavuz Özgün , Tokel Onur , Pavlov Ihor , Gülseren Oguz , Ilday F. Ömer
Published: April 2017

A profoundly fundamental question at the interface between physics and biology remains open: what are the minimum requirements for emergence of complex behaviour from nonliving systems? Here, we address this question and report complex behaviour of tens to thousands of colloidal nanoparticles in a system designed to be as plain as possible: the system is driven far from equilibrium by ultrafast laser pulses that create spatiotemporal temperature gradients, inducing Marangoni flow that drags particles towards aggregation; strong Brownian motion, used as source of fluctuations, opposes aggregation. Nonlinear feedback mechanisms naturally arise between flow, aggregate and Brownian motion, allowing fast external control with minimal intervention. Consequently, complex behaviour, analogous to those seen in living organisms, emerges, whereby aggregates can self-sustain, self-regulate, self-replicate, self-heal and can be transferred from one location to another, all within seconds. Aggregates can comprise only one pattern or bifurcated patterns can coexist, compete, endure or perish.
Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants as highly effective antibiotics
Authors: Nazarov Pavel A. , Osterman Ilya A. , Tokarchuk Artem V. , Karakozova Marina V. , Korshunova Galina A. , Lyamzaev Konstantin G. , Skulachev Maxim V. , Kotova Elena A. , Skulachev Vladimir P. , Antonenko Yuri N.
Published: April 2017

Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants are known to alleviate mitochondrial oxidative damage that is associated with a variety of diseases. Here, we showed that SkQ1, a decyltriphenyl phosphonium cation conjugated to a quinone moiety, exhibited strong antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium sp. and Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Photobacterium phosphoreum and Rhodobacter sphaeroides in submicromolar and micromolar concentrations. SkQ1 exhibited less antibiotic activity towards Escherichia coli due to the presence of the highly effective multidrug resistance pump AcrAB-TolC. E. coli mutants lacking AcrAB-TolC showed similar SkQ1 sensitivity, as B. subtilis. Lowering of the bacterial membrane potential by SkQ1 might be involved in the mechanism of its bactericidal action. No significant cytotoxic effect on mammalian cells was observed at bacteriotoxic concentrations of SkQ1. Therefore, SkQ1 may be effective in protection of the infected mammals by killing invading bacteria.
The diet of a nocturnal pelagic predator, the Bulwer’s petrel, across the lunar cycle
Authors: Waap S. , Symondson W. O. C. , Granadeiro J. P. , Alonso H. , Serra-Gonçalves C. , Dias M. P. , Catry P.
Published: April 2017

The lunar cycle is believed to strongly influence the vertical distribution of many oceanic taxa, with implications for the foraging behaviour of nocturnal marine predators. Most studies to date testing lunar effects on foraging have focused on predator activity at-sea, with some birds and marine mammals demonstrating contrasting behavioural patterns, depending on the lunar-phase. However, to date no study has focused on how the lunar cycle might actually affect predator-prey interactions in the upper layers of the ocean. Here, we tested whether the diet of the predominantly nocturnal pelagic predator, the Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii) would change throughout the lunar cycle, using molecular analysis to augment detection and taxonomic resolution of prey collected from stomach-contents. We found no evidence of dietary shifts in species composition or diversity, with Bulwer’s petrel always consuming a wide range of mesopelagic species. Other co-variables potentially affecting light availability at-sea, such as percentage of cloud cover, did not confound our results. Moreover, many of the species found are thought not to reach the sea-surface. Our findings reveal that nocturnal predators are probably more specialized than previously assumed, irrespective of ambient-light, but also reveal deficiencies in our current understanding of species vertical distribution and predation-dynamics at-sea.
Adult murine cardiomyocytes exhibit regenerative activity with cell cycle reentry through STAT3 in the healing process of myocarditis
Authors: Miyawaki Akimitsu , Obana Masanori , Mitsuhara Yusuke , Orimoto Aya , Nakayasu Yusuke , Yamashita Tomomi , Fukada So-ichiro , Maeda Makiko , Nakayama Hiroyuki , Fujio Yasushi
Published: April 2017

Mammalian cardiomyocytes substantially lose proliferative capacity immediately after birth, limiting adult heart regeneration after injury. However, clinical myocarditis appears to be self-limiting with tissue-reparative properties. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the recovery from myocarditis with regard to cardiomyocyte proliferation using an experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) model. Three weeks after EAM induction (EAM3w), cardiac tissue displayed infiltration of inflammatory cells with cardiomyocyte apoptosis. However, by EAM5w, the myocardial damage was remarkably attenuated, associated with an increase in cardiomyocytes that were positively stained with cell cycle markers at EAM3w. Cardiomyocyte fate mapping study revealed that the proliferating cardiomyocytes primarily derived from pre-existing cardiomyocytes. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was robustly activated in cardiomyocytes during inflammation, accompanied by induction of interleukin-6 family cytokines. Cardiomyocyte-specific ablation ofSTAT3gene suppressed the frequency of cycling cardiomyocytes in the recovery period without influencing inflammatory status, resulting in impaired tissue repair and cardiac dysfunction. Finally, microarray analysis revealed that the expression of regeneration-related genes,metallothioneinsandclusterin, in cardiomyocytes was decreased bySTAT3gene deletion. These data show that adult mammalian cardiomyocytes restore regenerative capacity with cell cycle reentry through STAT3 as the heart recovers from myocarditis-induced cardiac damage.
Oligomerization enhances the binding affinity of a silver biomineralization peptide and catalyzes nanostructure formation
Authors: Sakaguchi Tatsuya , Janairo Jose Isagani B. , Lussier-Price Mathieu , Wada Junya , Omichinski James G. , Sakaguchi Kazuyasu
Published: April 2017

Binding affinity and specificity are crucial factors that influence nanostructure control by biomineralization peptides. In this paper, we analysed the role that the oligomeric state of a silver biomineralization peptide plays in regulating the morphology of silver nanostructure formation. Oligomerization was achieved by conjugating the silver specific TBP biomineralization peptide to the p53 tetramerization domain peptide (p53Tet). Interestingly, the TBP–p53Tet tetrameric peptide acted as a growth catalyst, controlling silver crystal growth, which resulted in the formation of hexagonal silver nanoplates without consuming the peptide. The TBP–p53Tet peptide caps the surface of the silver crystals, which enhances crystal growth on specific faces and thereby regulates silver nanostructure formation in a catalytic fashion. The present findings not only provide an efficient strategy for controlling silver nanostructure formation by biomineralization peptides, but they also demonstrate that in this case the oligomeric peptides play a unique catalytic role.
Early signs of architectural and biomechanical failure in isolated myofibers and immortalized myoblasts from desmin-mutant knock-in mice
Authors: Diermeier Stefanie , Iberl Julian , Vetter Kristina , Haug Michael , Pollmann Charlotte , Reischl Barbara , Buttgereit Andreas , Schürmann Sebastian , Spörrer Marina , Goldmann Wolfgang H. , Fabry Ben , Elhamine Fatiha , Stehle Robert , Pfitzer Gabriele , Winter Lilli , Clemen Christoph S. , Herrmann Harald , Schröder Rolf , Friedrich Oliver
Published: April 2017

In striated muscle, desmin intermediate filaments interlink the contractile myofibrillar apparatus with mitochondria, nuclei, and the sarcolemma. The desmin network’s pivotal role in myocytes is evident since mutations in the human desmin gene cause severe myopathies and cardiomyopathies. Here, we investigated skeletal muscle pathology in myofibers and myofibrils isolated from young hetero- and homozygous R349P desmin knock-in mice, which carry the orthologue of the most frequent human desmin missense mutation R350P. We demonstrate that mutant desmin alters myofibrillar cytoarchitecture, markedly disrupts the lateral sarcomere lattice and distorts myofibrillar angular axial orientation. Biomechanical assessment revealed a high predisposition to stretch-induced damage in fiber bundles of R349P mice. Notably, Ca2+-sensitivity and passive myofibrillar tension were decreased in heterozygous fiber bundles, but increased in homozygous fiber bundles compared to wildtype mice. In a parallel approach, we generated and subsequently subjected immortalized heterozygous R349P desmin knock-in myoblasts to magnetic tweezer experiments that revealed a significantly increased sarcolemmal lateral stiffness. Our data suggest that mutated desmin already markedly impedes myocyte structure and function at pre-symptomatic stages of myofibrillar myopathies.
Interactive Toxicogenomics: Gene set discovery, clustering and analysis in Toxygates
Authors: Nyström-Persson Johan , Natsume-Kitatani Yayoi , Igarashi Yoshinobu , Satoh Daisuke , Mizuguchi Kenji
Published: April 2017

Toxygates was originally released as a user-friendly interface to enhance the accessibility of the large-scale toxicogenomics database, Open TG-GATEs, generated by the Japanese Toxicogenomics Project. Since the original release, significant new functionality has been added to enable users to perform sophisticated computational analysis with only modest bioinformatics skills. The new features include an orthologous mode for data comparison among different species, interactive clustering and heatmap visualisation, enrichment analysis of gene sets, and user data uploading. In a case study, we use these new functions to study the hepatotoxicity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonist WY-14643. Our findings suggest that WY-14643 caused hypertrophy in the bile duct by intracellular Ca2+ dysregulation, which resulted in the induction of genes in a non-canonical WNT/Ca2+ signalling pathway. With this new release of Toxygates, we provide a suite of tools that allow anyone to carry out in-depth analysis of toxicogenomics in Open TG-GATEs, and of any other dataset that is uploaded.
Exhaled breath condensate to discriminate individuals with different smoking habits by GC–TOF/MS
Authors: Peralbo-Molina A. , Calderón-Santiago M. , Jurado-Gámez B. , Luque de Castro M. D. , Priego-Capote F.
Published: April 2017

Smoking is a crucial factor in respiratory diseases and lung inflammation, which are the reasons for high mortality worldwide. Despite the negative impact that tobacco consumption causes on health, few metabolomics studies have compared the composition of biofluids from smoker and non-smoker individuals. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is one of the biofluids less employed for clinical studies despite its non-invasive sampling and the foreseeable relationship between its composition and respiratory diseases. EBC was used in this research as clinical sample to compare three groups of individuals: current smokers (CS), former smokers (FS) and never smokers (NS). Special attention was paid to the cumulative consumption expressed as smoked pack-year. The levels of 12 metabolites found statistically significant among the three groups of individuals were discussed to find an explanation to their altered levels. Significant compounds included monoacylglycerol derivatives, terpenes and other compounds, the presence of which could be associated to the influence of smoking on the qualitative and quantitative composition of the microbiome.
Allosteric conformational changes of human HBV core protein transform its assembly
Authors: Liu Chuang , Fan Guizhen , Wang Zhao , Chen Hong-Song , Yin Chang-Cheng
Published: April 2017

Hepatitis B Virus core protein (HBc) has multiple roles in the viral lifecycle: viral assembly, compartment for reverse transcription, intracellular trafficking, and nuclear functions. HBc displays assembly polymorphism - it can assemble into icosahedral capsid and aberrant non-capsid structures. It has been hypothesized that the assembly polymorphism is due to allosteric conformational changes of HBc dimer, the smallest assembly unit, however, the mechanism governing the polymorphic assembly of the HBc dimer is still elusive. By using the experimental antiviral drug BAY 41-4109, we successfully transformed the HBc assembly from icosahedral capsid to helical tube. Structural analyses of HBc dimers from helical tubes, T = 4 icosahedral capsid, and sheet-like HBc ensemble revealed differences within the inter-dimer interface. Disruption of the HBc inter-dimer interface may likely promote the various assembly forms of HBc. Our work provides new structural insights into the HBV assembly mechanism and strategic guide for anti-HBV drug design.
Differential Roles for Six P-Type Calcium ATPases in Sustaining Intracellular Ca2+ Homeostasis, Asexual Cycle and Environmental Fitness of Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Wang Jie , Zhu Xiao-Guan , Ying Sheng-Hua , Feng Ming-Guang
Published: April 2017

A global insight into the roles of multiple P-type calcium ATPase (CA) pumps in sustaining the life of a filamentous fungal pathogen is lacking. Here we elucidated the functions of five CA pumps (Eca1, Spf1 and PmcA/B/C) following previous characterization of Pmr1 in Beauveria bassiana, a fungal insect pathogen. The fungal CA pumps interacted at transcriptional level, at which singular deletions of five CA genes depressed eca1 expression by 76–98% and deletion of spf1 resulted in drastic upregulation of four CA genes by 36–50-fold. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration increased differentially in most deletion mutants exposed to the stresses of Ca2+, EDTA chelator, and/or endoplasmic reticulum and calcineurin inhibitors, accompanied with their changed sensitivities to not only the mentioned agents but also Fe2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+. Liquid culture acidification was delayed in the Δspf1, Δpmr1 and ΔpmcA mutants, coinciding well with altered levels of their extracellular lactic and oxalic acids. Moreover, all deletion mutants showed differential defects in conidial germination, vegetative growth, conidiation capacity, antioxidant activity, cell wall integrity, conidial UV-B resistance and/or virulence. Our results provide the first global insight into differential roles for six CA pumps in sustaining intracellular Ca2+ level, asexual cycle and environmental fitness of B. bassiana.
A deep intronic CLRN1 (USH3A) founder mutation generates an aberrant exon and underlies severe Usher syndrome on the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Khan Arif O. , Becirovic Elvir , Betz Christian , Neuhaus Christine , Altmüller Janine , Maria Riedmayr Lisa , Motameny Susanne , Nürnberg Gudrun , Nürnberg Peter , Bolz Hanno J.
Published: April 2017

Deafblindness is mostly due to Usher syndrome caused by recessive mutations in the known genes. Mutation-negative patients therefore either have distinct diseases, mutations in yet unknown Usher genes or in extra-exonic parts of the known genes – to date a largely unexplored possibility. In a consanguineous Saudi family segregating Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1), NGS of genes for Usher syndrome, deafness and retinal dystrophy and subsequent whole-exome sequencing each failed to identify a mutation. Genome-wide linkage analysis revealed two small candidate regions on chromosome 3, one containing the USH3A gene CLRN1, which has never been associated with Usher syndrome in Saudi Arabia. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified a homozygous deep intronic mutation, c.254–649T > G, predicted to generate a novel donor splice site. CLRN1 minigene-based analysis confirmed the splicing of an aberrant exon due to usage of this novel motif, resulting in a frameshift and a premature termination codon. We identified this mutation in an additional two of seven unrelated mutation-negative Saudi USH1 patients. Locus-specific markers indicated that c.254–649T > G
CLRN1
represents a founder allele that may significantly contribute to deafblindness in this population. Our finding underlines the potential of WGS to uncover atypically localized, hidden mutations in patients who lack exonic mutations in the known disease genes.
New Insight on Promoted thermostability of poplar wood modified by MnFe2O4 nanoparticles through the pyrolysis behaviors and kinetic study
Authors: Wang Hanwei , Yao Qiufang , Wang Chao , Fan Bitao , Xiong Ye , Chen Yipeng , Sun Qingfeng , Jin Chunde , Ma Zhongqing
Published: April 2017

In this study, we employed pyrolysis behavior and kinetics by Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method and Friedman method to analysis the thermostability of the MnFe2O4 nanoparticles/poplar wood composite, and analyzed the change of different proportion of MnFe2O4 in these composites for the thermostability by contrasting activation energy between the different samples. The pyrolysis processes of these composites were comprehensively investigated at different heating rates (10, 20, 30 and 40 °C/min−1) and pyrolysis temperatures of 600 °C in N2 and air atmosphere. These results indicated the thermostability of composites improved as the proportion of the MnFe2O4 nanoparticles increased. And the structure analyses of these composites from the microscopic view point of nanoparticles were applied to analysis the reason of thermostability enhancement of the poplar wood after coating MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Additionally, due to its high initial oxidative decomposition temperature under air atmosphere, this composite and its preparation method might have high application potential, such as flameresistant material and wood security storage. This method also could provide a reference for other biomass materials. Synthesized MnFe2O4/C composite under the guidance of pyrolysis behaviors and kinetic study in N2 atmosphere exhibited good adsorption capacity (84.18 mg/g) for removing methylene blue dye in aqueous solution and easy separation characteristic.
Capability of tip-growing plant cells to penetrate into extremely narrow gaps
Authors: Yanagisawa Naoki , Sugimoto Nagisa , Arata Hideyuki , Higashiyama Tetsuya , Sato Yoshikatsu
Published: April 2017

Plant cells are covered with rigid cell walls, yet tip-growing cells can elongate by providing new cell wall material to their apical regions. Studies of the mechanical properties of tip-growing plant cells typically involve measurement of the turgor pressure and stiffness of the cells’ apical regions. These experiments, however, do not address how living tip-growing cells react when they encounter physical obstacles that are not substantially altered by turgor pressure. To investigate this issue, we constructed microfabricated platforms with a series of artificial gaps as small as 1 μm, and examined the capability of tip-growing plant cells, including pollen tubes, root hairs, and moss protonemata, to penetrate into these gaps. The cells were grown inside microfluidic chambers and guided towards the gaps using microdevices customized for each cell type. All types of tip-growing cells could grow through the microgaps with their organelles intact, even though the gaps were much smaller than the cylindrical cell diameter. Our findings reveal the dramatic physiological and developmental flexibility of tip-growing plant cells. The microfluidic platforms designed in this study provide novel tools for the elucidation of the mechanical properties of tip-growing plant cells in extremely small spaces.
Micro-Doppler measurement of insect wing-beat frequencies with W-band coherent radar
Authors: Wang Rui , Hu Cheng , Fu Xiaowei , Long Teng , Zeng Tao
Published: April 2017

The wingbeat frequency of insect migrant is regarded potentially valuable for species identification and has long drawn widespread attention in radar entomology. Principally, the radar echo signal can be used to extract wingbeat information, because both the signal amplitude and phase could be modulated by wing-beating. With respect to existing entomological radars, signal amplitude modulation has been used for wingbeat frequency measurement of large insects for many years, but the wingbeat frequency measurement of small insects remains a challenge. In our research, W-band and S-band coherent radars are used to measure the insect wingbeat frequency. The results show that the wingbeat-induced amplitude modulation of W-band radar is more intense than that of the S-band radar and the W-band radar could measure the wingbeat frequency of smaller insects. In addition, it is validated for the first time that the signal phase could also be used to measure the insect wingbeat frequency based on micro-Doppler effect. However, whether the wingbeat frequency measurement is based on the amplitude or phase modulation, it is found that the W-band coherent radar has better performance on both the measurement precision and the measurable minimum size of the insect.
Flagellar Hooks and Hook Protein FlgE Participate in Host Microbe Interactions at Immunological Level
Authors: Shen Ying , Chen Lin , Wang Meixiang , Lin Dandan , Liang Zhongjie , Song Peiqing , Yuan Qing , Tang Hua , Li Weihua , Duan Kangmin , Liu Baiyan , Zhao Ge , Wang Yiqiang
Published: April 2017

Host-microbe interactions determine the outcome of host responses to commensal and pathogenic microbes. Previously, two epithelial cell-binding peptides were found to be homologues of two sites (B, aa168–174; F, aa303–309) in the flagellar hook protein FlgE of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tertiary modeling predicted these sites at the interface of neighboring FlgE monomers in the fully formed hook. Recombinant FlgE protein stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production in a human cell line and in murine lung organoid culture as detected with real-time RT-PCR and ELISA assays. When administered to mice, FlgE induced lung inflammation and enhanced the Th2-biased humoral response to ovalbumin. A pull-down assay performed with FlgE-saturated resin identified caveolin-1 as an FlgE-binding protein, and caveolin-1 deficiency impaired FlgE-induced inflammation and downstream Erk1/2 pathway activation in lung organoids. Intact flagellar hooks from bacteria were also proinflammatory. Mutations to sites B and F impaired bacteria motility and proinflammatory potency of FlgE without altering adjuvanticity of FlgE. These findings suggest that the flagellar hook and FlgE are novel players in host-bacterial interactions at immunological level. Further studies along this direction would provide new opportunities for understanding and management of diseases related with bacterial infection.
Engineering of orbital angular momentum supermodes in coupled optical waveguides
Authors: Turpin A. , Pelegrí G. , Polo J. , Mompart J. , Ahufinger V.
Published: April 2017

In this work we demonstrate the existence of orbital angular momentum (OAM) bright and dark supermodes in a three-evanescently coupled cylindrical waveguides system. Bright and dark supermodes are characterized by their coupling and decoupling from one of the waveguides, respectively. In addition, we demonstrate that complex couplings between modes of different waveguides appear naturally due to the characteristic spiral phase-front of OAM modes in two-dimensional configurations where the waveguides are arranged forming a triangle. Finally, by adding dissipation to the waveguide uncoupled to the dark supermode, we are able to filter this supermode out, allowing for the design of OAM mode cloners and inverters.
Differences in peripheral sensory input to the olfactory bulb between male and female mice
Authors: Kass Marley D. , Czarnecki Lindsey A. , Moberly Andrew H. , McGann John P.
Published: April 2017

Female mammals generally have a superior sense of smell than males, but the biological basis of this difference is unknown. Here, we demonstrate sexually dimorphic neural coding of odorants by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), primary sensory neurons that physically contact odor molecules in the nose and provide the initial sensory input to the brain’s olfactory bulb. We performedin vivooptical neurophysiology to visualize odorant-evoked OSN synaptic output into olfactory bub glomeruli in unmanipulated (gonad-intact) adult mice from both sexes, and found that in females odorant presentation evoked more rapid OSN signaling over a broader range of OSNs than in males. These spatiotemporal differences enhanced the contrast between the neural representations of chemically related odorants in females compared to males during stimulus presentation. Removing circulating sex hormones makes these signals slower and less discriminable in females, while in males they become faster and more discriminable, suggesting opposite roles for gonadal hormones in influencing male and female olfactory function. These results demonstrate that the famous sex difference in olfactory abilities likely originates in the primary sensory neurons, and suggest that hormonal modulation of the peripheral olfactory system could underlie differences in how males and females experience the olfactory world.
Intestinal microbiota link lymphopenia to murine autoimmunity via PD-1+CXCR5−/dim B-helper T cell induction
Authors: Eri Toshiki , Kawahata Kimito , Kanzaki Takeyuki , Imamura Mitsuru , Michishita Kazuya , Akahira Lisa , Bannai Ei , Yoshikawa Noritada , Kimura Yasumasa , Satoh Takeshi , Uematsu Satoshi , Tanaka Hirotoshi , Yamamoto Kazuhiko
Published: April 2017

T cell lymphopenia results in peripheral homeostatic expansion to maintain the T cell immune system, which is termed lymphopenia-induced proliferation (LIP). LIP is a potential risk for expanding autoreactive clones to become pathogenic in human and murine autoimmune diseases. However, the ontogeny of T cells that induce autoantibody production by autoreactive B cells in LIP remains unclear. Transfer of CD4+CD25−conventional T (Tc) cells into T-cell-deficient athymic nude mice has been previously reported as a LIP-induced autoimmune model which develops organ-specific autoimmune diseases and systemic antinuclear antibodies (ANAs). We show here that via LIP in this model, Tc cells proliferated and differentiated into PD-1+CXCR5−/dimB-helper T cells, which promoted splenic germinal center (GC) formation, provided help for autoantibody-producing B cells, and had distinctive features of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells except that they do not express high CXCR5. Intestinal microbiota were essential for their generation, since depletion of them in recipient mice by antibiotics resulted in a reduction of LIP-induced PD-1+CXCR5−/dimB-helper T cells and an amelioration of autoimmune responses. Our findings will contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of lymphopenia-induced autoimmunity and autoantibody production, and will pave the way for microbiota-targeted novel therapeutic approaches to systemic autoimmune diseases.
The plant cell-wall enzyme AtXTH3 catalyses covalent cross-linking between cellulose and cello-oligosaccharide
Authors: Shinohara Naoki , Sunagawa Naoki , Tamura Satoru , Yokoyama Ryusuke , Ueda Minoru , Igarashi Kiyohiko , Nishitani Kazuhiko
Published: April 2017

Cellulose is an economically important material, but routes of its industrial processing have not been fully explored. The plant cell wall – the major source of cellulose – harbours enzymes of the xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) family. This class of enzymes is unique in that it is capable of elongating polysaccharide chains without the requirement for activated nucleotide sugars (e.g., UDP-glucose) and in seamlessly splitting and reconnecting chains of xyloglucan, a naturally occurring soluble analogue of cellulose. Here, we show that a recombinant version of AtXTH3, a thus far uncharacterized member of the Arabidopsis XTH family, catalysed the transglycosylation between cellulose and cello-oligosaccharide, between cellulose and xyloglucan-oligosaccharide, and between xyloglucan and xyloglucan-oligosaccharide, with the highest reaction rate observed for the latter reaction. In addition, this enzyme formed cellulose-like insoluble material from a soluble cello-oligosaccharide in the absence of additional substrates. This newly found activity (designated “cellulose endotransglucosylase,” or CET) can potentially be involved in the formation of covalent linkages between cellulose microfibrils in the plant cell wall. It can also comprise a new route of industrial cellulose functionalization.
On the dynamics and control of mechanical properties of hierarchical rotating rigid unit auxetics
Authors: Dudek Krzysztof K. , Gatt Ruben , Mizzi Luke , Dudek Mirosław R. , Attard Daphne , Evans Kenneth E. , Grima Joseph N.
Published: April 2017

In this work, we investigate the deformation mechanism of auxetic hierarchical rotating square systems through a dynamics approach. We show how their deformation behaviour, hence their mechanical properties and final configuration for a given applied load, can be manipulated solely by altering the resistance to rotational motion of the hinges within the system. This provides enhanced tunability without necessarily changing the geometry of the system, a phenomenon which is not typically observed in other non-hierarchical unimode auxetic systems. This gives this hierarchical system increased versatility and tunability thus making it more amenable to be employed in practical application which may range from smart filtration to smart dressings.
Erratum: Loss of miR-542-3p enhances IGFBP-1 expression in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells
Authors: Tochigi Hideno , Kajihara Takeshi , Mizuno Yosuke , Mizuno Yumi , Tamaru Shunsuke , Kamei Yoshimasa , Okazaki Yasushi , Brosens Jan J. , Ishihara Osamu
Published: April 2017

Scientific Reports 7: Article number: 40001; published online: 04 January 2017; updated: 26 April 2017. In this Article, the rows in Table 2 are misaligned. The correct Table 2 appears below.
Mild MPP+ exposure-induced glucose starvation enhances autophagosome synthesis and impairs its degradation
Authors: Sakamoto Shuichiro , Miyara Masatsugu , Sanoh Seigo , Ohta Shigeru , Kotake Yaichiro
Published: April 2017

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, mainly characterised by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. MPP+ has been widely used as a PD-related neurotoxin, and their reports suggested the several hypotheses for neuronal cell death. However, most of these hypotheses come from the studies about the acute MPP+ exposure. We previously revealed that mild MPP+ exposure (10 and 200 μM), which induces gradual cell death, impairs autophagosome degradation at 48 h. In the present study, we further investigated the specific events of mild MPP+ exposure and revealed that mild MPP+ exposure causes the cell death through glucose starvation, but not acute toxic model (2.5 and 5 mM). At 36 h after mild MPP+ exposure, autophagosome synthesis was enhanced owing to glucose starvation and continued to enhance until 48 h, despite impaired autophagosome degradation. Inhibition of autophagosome synthesis reduced mild MPP+-induced cell death. In conclusion, we clarified that glucose starvation-enhanced autophagosome synthesis occurs at an earlier stage than impaired autophagosome degradation and is important in mild MPP+ toxicity.
Identifying and modeling the structural discontinuities of human interactions
Authors: Grauwin Sebastian , Szell Michael , Sobolevsky Stanislav , Hövel Philipp , Simini Filippo , Vanhoof Maarten , Smoreda Zbigniew , Barabási Albert-László , Ratti Carlo
Published: April 2017

The idea of a hierarchical spatial organization of society lies at the core of seminal theories in human geography that have strongly influenced our understanding of social organization. Along the same line, the recent availability of large-scale human mobility and communication data has offered novel quantitative insights hinting at a strong geographical confinement of human interactions within neighboring regions, extending to local levels within countries. However, models of human interaction largely ignore this effect. Here, we analyze several country-wide networks of telephone calls - both, mobile and landline - and in either case uncover a systematic decrease of communication induced by borders which we identify as the missing variable in state-of-the-art models. Using this empirical evidence, we propose an alternative modeling framework that naturally stylizes the damping effect of borders. We show that this new notion substantially improves the predictive power of widely used interaction models. This increases our ability to understand, model and predict social activities and to plan the development of infrastructures across multiple scales.
Dynamically unpolarized single-photon source in diamond with intrinsic randomness
Authors: Abe Naofumi , Mitsumori Yasuyoshi , Sadgrove Mark , Edamatsu Keiichi
Published: April 2017

Polarization is one of the fundamental properties of light, providing numerous applications in science and technology. While ‘dynamically unpolarized’ single-photon sources are demanded for various quantum applications, such sources have never been explored. Here we demonstrate dynamically unpolarized single-photon emission from a single [111]-oriented nitrogen- vacancy centre in diamond, in which the single-photon stream is unpolarized, exhibiting intrinsic randomness with vanishing polarization correlation between time adjacent photons. These properties not only allow true random number generation, but may also enable fundamental tests in quantum physics.
Correction: Corrigendum: The driving force of prophages and CRISPR-Cas system in the evolution of Cronobacter sakazakii
Authors: Zeng Haiyan , Zhang Jumei , Li Chensi , Xie Tengfei , Ling Na , Wu Qingping , Ye Yingwang
Published: April 2017

Scientific Reports 7: Article number: 40206; published online: 06 January 2017; updated: 26 April 2017. This Article contains an error in Figure 2, where the translation orientation of the hypothetical gene adjacent to CRISPR3 is reversed. In addition, the location of citB and speC beside CRISPR4, along with the sequence logo of CRISPR4 repeats should be reversed.
High performance anti-corrosive epoxy–titania hybrid nanocomposite coatings
Authors: Ghosal Anujit , Ahmad Sharif
Published: April 2017

Mechanical stability, surface hydrophobicity, and thermal stability of anticorrosive polymeric coatings play a significant role in technological and industrial fields.
Automatic assignment of metal-containing peptides in proteomic LC-MS and MS/MS data sets
Authors: Wootton Christopher A. , Lam Yuko P. Y. , Willetts Matthew , van Agthoven Maria A. , Barrow Mark P. , Sadler Peter J. , O′Connor Peter B.
Published: April 2017

A Smart Numerical Annotation Procedure (SNAP) allows automated MS identification of proteins modified by metals and other elements in dense LCMS and LC-MS/MS data sets, including those for metallodrug targets and natural metalloproteins.
An electrochemiluminescence assay for sensitive detection of methyltransferase activity in different cancer cells by hybridization chain reaction coupled with a G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzyme biosensing strategy
Authors: Zhang Hui , Guo Zhihui , Dong Huilei , Chen Hongfei , Cai Chenxin
Published: April 2017

A sensitive electrochemiluminescence assay coupled HCR with a G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzyme was fabricated for the detection of DNMT1 activity in cancer cells.
Colorimetric and electrochemical quantification of global DNA methylation using a methyl cytosine-specific antibody
Authors: Haque Md. Hakimul , Bhattacharjee Ripon , Islam Md. Nazmul , Gopalan Vinod , Nguyen Nam-Trung , Lam Alfred K. , Shiddiky Muhammad J. A.
Published: April 2017

We report a simple colorimetric (naked-eye) and electrochemical method for the rapid, sensitive and specific quantification of global methylation levels using only 25 ng of input DNA.
Intratumoral H2O2-triggered release of CO from a metal carbonyl-based nanomedicine for efficient CO therapy
Authors: Jin Zhaokui , Wen Yanyuan , Xiong Liwei , Yang Tian , Zhao Penghe , Tan Liwei , Wang Tianfu , Qian Zhiyong , Su Bao-Lian , He Qianjun
Published: April 2017

H2O2-triggered release of CO: an intratumoral H2O2-responsive nanomedicine is constructed by effectively encapsulating the hydrophilic manganese carbonyl prodrug into an advanced hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticle carrier to realize selective killing of tumor cells, exhibiting high in vitro and in vivo efficacies of CO gas therapy.
Element strategy of oxygen evolution electrocatalysis based on in situ spectroelectrochemistry
Authors: Ooka Hideshi , Takashima Toshihiro , Yamaguchi Akira , Hayashi Toru , Nakamura Ryuhei
Published: April 2017

The difference between iridium oxide and less active 3d-metal oxygen evolution catalysts is discussed from the efficiency of charge accumulation.
Carbocatalytic reductive coupling reactions via electron transfer from graphene to aryldiazonium salt
Authors: Morimoto Naoki , Morioku Kumika , Suzuki Hideyuki , Nakai Yumi , Nishina Yuta
Published: April 2017

A reductive coupling reaction using two-dimensional nanocarbon, i.e., reduced graphene oxide (rGO), as a carbocatalyst and/or a reaction initiator was developed.
Two-component molecular crystals: evaluation of the formation thermodynamics based on melting points and sublimation data
Authors: Perlovich German L.
Published: April 2017

An approach to estimating co-crystal sublimation thermodynamic characteristics has been developed. The thermodynamic functions of the formation process of 281 co-crystals have been obtained and analyzed.
Statistical modelling and simulation of nanohybrid shish-kebab architecture of PE-b-PEG copolymers and carbon nanotubes
Authors: Le Tuan , Collazos Nina , Simoneaux Austin , Murru Siva , Depan Dilip , Subramaniam Ramalingam
Published: April 2017

The interaction effects of the crystallization parameters studied have high significance for the NHSK structural features.
Local chemical potential, local hardness, and dual descriptors in temperature dependent chemical reactivity theory
Authors: Franco-Pérez Marco , Ayers Paul W. , Gázquez José L. , Vela Alberto
Published: April 2017

From the definition of a local chemical potential, well-behaved expressions for the local hardness and the dual descriptors are derived.
A van der Waals DFT study of chain length dependence of alkanethiol adsorption on Au(111): physisorption vs. chemisorption
Authors: Mete Ersen , Yortanlı Merve , Danışman Mehmet Fatih
Published: April 2017

Coverage and size dependent chain–chain electronic interactions counteract with the alkyl chain–gold surface interactions and the surface relaxation of the metal in the formation of standing up monolayer structures.
Charge transfer quantification in a SnOx/CuPc semiconductor heterostructure: investigation of buried interface energy structure by photoelectron spectroscopies
Authors: Krzywiecki Maciej , Grządziel Lucyna , Sarfraz Adnan , Erbe Andreas
Published: April 2017

The interfacial electronic properties of the tin oxide/copper phthalocyanine layer stack were investigated with two complementary photoemission methods.
Supramolecular materials
Authors: Amabilino David B. , Smith David K. , Steed Jonathan W.
Published: April 2017

Molecular material properties depend upon the contacts between and the arrangement of the component parts, and therefore supramolecular chemistry has developed a highly important role in this area.
Supramolecular chemistry anniversary
Authors: Amabilino David B. , Gale Philip A.
Published: April 2017

Guest editors David B. Amabilino and Philip A. Gale introduce the Supramolecular Chemistry Anniversary issue of Chemical Society Reviews.
An efficient Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction in aqueous medium with a zwitterionic ligand, betaine
Authors: Shin Jung-Ah , Oh Su-Jin , Lee Hee-Yoon , Lim Yeong-Gweon
Published: April 2017

Betaine, a simple zwitterionic additive, dramatically accelerated the CuAAC reaction in excellent yields under 2.5–200 ppm levels of Cu(I) in water.
Correction: Regioselective C8-metalation of N-phosphine tethered adenine derivatives via C8–H activation
Authors: Brackemeyer D. , Schulte to Brinke C. , Roelfes F. , Hahn F. E.
Published: April 2017

Correction for ‘Regioselective C8-metalation of N-phosphine tethered adenine derivatives via C8–H activation’ by D. Brackemeyer et al., Dalton Trans., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7dt00682a.
Compatibility issues between electrodes and electrolytes in solid-state batteries
Authors: Tian Yaosen , Shi Tan , Richards William D. , Li Juchuan , Kim Jae Chul , Bo Shou-Hang , Ceder Gerbrand
Published: April 2017

Compatibility and stability issues in all-solid-state batteries and methods for investigation.
Convenient KI-catalyzed regioselective synthesis of 2-sulfonylindoles using water as solvent
Authors: Li Hongjie , Wang Xiaolong , Yan Jie
Published: April 2017

An environmentally benign procedure is developed for the preparation of 2-sulfonylindoles catalyzed by KI in water.
Zinc-mediated α-regioselective Barbier-type cinnamylation reactions of aldehydes, ketones and esters
Authors: Zhao Li-Ming , Gao Hua-Shuai , Li De-Feng , Dong Jing , Sang Lan-Lin , Ji Jie
Published: April 2017

A simple and general protocol for the synthesis of α-cinnamylated alcohols under Barbier-type conditions has been described.
Diastereoselective synthesis and biological evaluation of enantiomerically pure tricyclic indolines
Authors: He W. , Griffiths B. M. , Wang W. , Wang X.
Published: April 2017

Tricyclic indolines are common in both natural products and synthetic chemical probes.
Correction: Growth behavior of water dispersed MgAl layered double hydroxide nanosheets
Authors: Pang Xiujiang , Chen Li , Liu Yuan , Chi Mingjun , Li Zaifeng , Plank Johann
Published: April 2017

Correction for ‘Growth behavior of water dispersed MgAl layered double hydroxide nanosheets’ by Xiujiang Pang et al., RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 14989–14997.
Rapid identification of worst‐case conditions: improved planning of active distribution grids
Authors: Wiest Pascal , Gross Daniel , Rudion Krzyzstof , Probst Alexander
Published: April 2017

This study proposes a new, fast and efficient method to identify worst‐case conditions that result in a maximum loading of a particular line in active distribution grids. For this purpose, distribution factors are formulated based on the AC power flow equations and superposition theorem. Caused by the high penetration of volatile renewable energy sources, probabilistic methods are necessary in network expansion planning, since the predefined load and generation conditions are no longer suitable. The proposed rapid identification method is compared with the comprehensive probabilistic load flow (PLF) analysis in a real high‐voltage distribution grid. The identified worst‐case scenarios, using both approaches, differ slightly; nevertheless, the results of an in‐line contingency analysis are quite similar to the PLF, which shows the applicability of the method. An additionally performed sensitivity analysis proves the high accuracy of the proposed approach.
Intrinsic random walks in Riemannian and sub-Riemannian geometry via volume sampling
Authors: Agrachev Andrei , Boscain Ugo , Neel Robert , Rizzi Luca
Published: April 2017

We relate some constructions of stochastic analysis to differential geometry, via random walk approximations. We consider walks on both Riemannian and sub-Riemannian manifolds in which the steps consist of travel along either geodesics or integral curves associated to orthonormal frames, and we give particular attention to walks where the choice of step is influenced by a volume on the manifold. A primary motivation is to explore how one can pass, in the parabolic scaling limit, from geodesics, orthonormal frames, and/or volumes to diffusions, and hence their infinitesimal generators, on sub-Riemannian manifolds, which is interesting in light of the fact that there is no completely canonical notion of sub-Laplacian on a general sub-Riemannian manifold. However, even in the Riemannian case, this random walk approach illuminates the geometric significance of Ito and Stratonovich stochastic differential equations as well as the role played by the volume.
Ultrabright single-photon sources
Authors: Senellart Pascale , Giesz Valérian , Lanco Loic
Published: April 2017

The development of a quantum communication network will require sources that efficiently emit single photons. Now, using a new lithography technique that garnered a silver CNRS medal in 2014, it has recently proved possible to fabricate these sources using quantum dots (QDs), that is, artificial solid-state atoms. Performed at cryogenic temperatures, this technique makes it possible to position a single QD in the middle of an optical microcavity with nanometric precision.
Reinvestigation of the Biomimetic Cyclization of 3,5-Diketo Esters: Application to the Total Synthesis of Cyercene A, an α-Methoxy-γ-Pyrone-Containing Polypropionate
Authors: Sakakura Akira , Onda Kai , Hayakawa Ichiro
Published: April 2017

The biomimetic cyclization of 3,5-diketo esters was reinvestigated for the synthesis of α-methoxy-γ-pyrones. 3,5-Diketo esters were selectively synthesized via the aldol reaction of commercially available methyl 2-methyl-3-oxopentanoate with an aldehyde followed by the oxidation with AZADOL® and PhI(OAc)2. The DBU-promoted intramolecular transesterification of 3,5-diketo esters showed excellent reactivity in MeOH, to give the corresponding γ-hydroxy-α-pyrones in high yields under mild reaction conditions. Based on the present cyclization scheme, the total synthesis of cyercene A was achieved.