bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validity and reliability of a structured‐light 3D scanner and an ultrasound imaging system for measurements of facial skin thickness
Authors: Lee Kang‐Woo , Kim Sang‐Hwan , Gil Young‐Chun , Hu Kyung‐Seok , Kim Hee‐Jin
Published: June 2017

Three‐dimensional (3 D)‐scanning‐based morphological studies of the face are commonly included in various clinical procedures. This study evaluated validity and reliability of a 3 D scanning system by comparing the ultrasound (US) imaging system versus the direct measurement of facial skin. The facial skin thickness at 19 landmarks was measured using the three different methods in 10 embalmed adult Korean cadavers. Skin thickness was first measured using the ultrasound device, then 3 D scanning of the facial skin surface was performed. After the skin on the left half of face was gently dissected, deviating slightly right of the midline, to separate it from the subcutaneous layer, and the harvested facial skin's thickness was measured directly using neck calipers. The dissected specimen was then scanned again, then the scanned images of undissected and dissected faces were superimposed using Morpheus Plastic Solution (version 3.0) software. Finally, the facial skin thickness was calculated from the superimposed images. The ICC value for the correlations between the 3 D scanning system and direct measurement showed excellent reliability (0.849, 95% confidence interval = 0.799–0.887). Bland‐Altman analysis showed a good level of agreement between the 3 D scanning system and direct measurement (bias = 0.49 ± 0.49 mm, mean±SD). These results demonstrate that the 3 D scanning system precisely reflects structural changes before and after skin dissection. Therefore, an in‐depth morphological study using this 3 D scanning system could provide depth data about the main anatomical structures of face, thereby providing crucial anatomical knowledge for utilization in various clinical applications. Clin. Anat. 30:878–886, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Deciphering the Nature of Enzymatic Modifications of Bacterial Cell Walls
Authors: Lee Mijoon , Hesek Dusan , Lastochkin Elena , Dik David A. , Boggess Bill , Mobashery Shahriar
Published: June 2017

The major constituent of bacterial cell walls is peptidoglycan, which, in its crosslinked form, is a polymer of considerable complexity that encases the entire bacterium. A functional cell wall is indispensable for survival of the organism. There are several dozen enzymes that assemble and disassemble the peptidoglycan dynamically within each bacterial generation. Understanding of the nature of these transformations is critical knowledge for these events. Octasaccharide peptidoglycans were prepared and studied with seven recombinant cell‐wall‐active enzymes (SltB1, MltB, RlpA, mutanolysin, AmpDh2, AmpDh3, and PBP5). With the use of highly sensitive mass spectrometry methods, we described the breadth of reactions that these enzymes catalyzed with peptidoglycan and shed light on the nature of the cell wall alteration performed by these enzymes. The enzymes exhibit broadly distinct preferences for their substrate peptidoglycans in the reactions that they catalyze.
Poly(ethyleneimine)‐tethered Ir Complex Catalyst Immobilized in Titanate Nanotubes for Hydrogenation of CO2 to Formic Acid
Authors: Kuwahara Yasutaka , Fujie Yuki , Yamashita Hiromi
Published: June 2017

The front cover artwork for Issue 11/2017 is provided by the Yamashita research group of the Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan). The image shows the production of formic acid from CO2 and H2 by a ternary hybrid catalyst composed of Ir complex, poly(ethyleneimine) and titanate nanotubes (TNTs). See the Full Paper itself at https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201700508.
Remarkable Modulation of Self‐Assembly in Short γ‐Peptides by Neighboring Ions and Orthogonal H‐Bonding
Authors: Jadhav Sandip V. , Amabili Paolo , Stammler Hans‐Georg , Sewald Norbert
Published: June 2017

Gabapentin, an antiepileptic drug, is known to form stable helical structures in short peptides. Distinctly, we report on the newly synthesized γ‐analogue of gabapentin, that is, γ‐gabapentin (γ‐Gpn), which manifests β‐sheet character at molecular and nanofibrous hydrogels at the supramolecular level. We investigated the influence of proximally immobilized cationic amino acids (lysine and arginine) on the self‐assembly of backbone‐expanded tripeptide motif. Interestingly, arginine was found to be superior, both physically and mechanically, over lysine in driving hydrogelation. We have concluded that intrinsic and biochemically distinct properties of the guanidinium ion of arginine (compared to ammonium ion of lysine) have contributed towards this effect. Furthermore, similar to pyroglutamyl (pGlu) modified amyloid β peptides, N‐pGlu modification of our self‐assembling tripeptide motif exerts a dramatic influence on aggregation and exhibits enhanced β‐sheet character, accelerated self‐assembly kinetics, improved optical transparency and provides higher mechanical stiffness to the peptide hydrogel.
Highly Stable Three‐Dimensional Porous Nickel‐Iron Nitride Nanosheets for Full Water Splitting at High Current Densities
Authors: Yan Feng , Wang Yue , Li Kaiyue , Zhu Chunling , Gao Peng , Li Chunyan , Zhang Xitian , Chen Yujin
Published: June 2017

A noble‐metal‐free and highly efficient bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting is greatly desirable to generate clean and sustainable energy carriers such as hydrogen, but enormous challenges remain. Herein, porous interconnected iron‐nickel nitride nanosheets are designed and grown on carbon fiber cloth (FeNi‐N/CFC); combining a facile electrodeposition method and in situ nitriding process. The as‐synthesized FeNi‐N/CFC, with a low mass loading of 0.25 mg cm−2, exhibits excellent catalytic activities for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with 20 mA cm−2 at an overpotential (η) of 232 mV and also the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with 10 mA cm−2 at η=106 mV. As a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting FeNi‐N/CFC only requires a cell voltage of 1.55 V to drive a current density (j) of 10 mA cm−2 and shows robust long‐term durability at j>360 mA cm−2 with a negligible change in current density over 60 h; revealing its promising application in commercial electrolyzers.
Bicyclic Peptides as Next‐Generation Therapeutics
Authors: Rhodes Curran A. , Pei Dehua
Published: June 2017

Bicyclic peptides have greater conformational rigidity and metabolic stability than linear and monocyclic peptides and are capable of binding to challenging drug targets with antibody‐like affinity and specificity. Powerful combinatorial library technologies have recently been developed to rapidly synthesize and screen large bicyclic peptide libraries for ligands against enzymes, receptors, and protein–protein interaction targets. Bicyclic peptides have been developed as potential therapeutics against a wide range of diseases, drug targeting agents, imaging/diagnostic probes, and research tools. In this Minireview, we provide a summary of the recent progresses on the synthesis and applications of bicyclic peptides.
Amorphous Nickel‐Cobalt‐Borate Nanosheet Arrays for Efficient and Durable Water Oxidation Electrocatalysis under Near‐Neutral Conditions
Authors: Chen Lanlan , Ren Xiang , Teng Wanqing , Shi Pengfei
Published: June 2017

Electrolytic hydrogen generation needs earth‐abundant oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts that perform efficiently at mild pH. Here, the development of amorphous nickel‐cobalt‐borate nanosheet arrays on macroporous nickel foam (NiCo‐Bi/NF) as a 3D catalyst electrode for high‐performance water oxidation in near‐neutral media is reported. To drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2, the resulting NiCo‐Bi/NF demands an overpotential of only 430 mV in 0.1 m potassium borate (K‐Bi, pH 9.2). Moreover, it also shows long‐term electrochemical durability with maintenance of catalytic activity for 20 h, achieving a high turnover frequency of 0.21 s−1 at an overpotential of 550 mV.
Barbier Continuous Flow Preparation and Reactions of Carbamoyllithiums for Nucleophilic Amidation
Authors: Ganiek Maximilian A. , Becker Matthias R. , Berionni Guillaume , Zipse Hendrik , Knochel Paul
Published: June 2017

An ambient temperature continuous flow method for nucleophilic amidation and thioamidation is described. Deprotonation of formamides by lithium diisopropylamine (LDA) affords carbamoyllithium intermediates that are quenched in situ with various electrophiles such as ketones, allyl bromides, Weinreb and morpholino amides. The nature of the reactive lithium intermediates and the thermodynamics of the metalation were further investigated by ab initio calculations and kinetic experiments.
Simplified, High Drug‐Loaded Formulations Containing Hydrochlorothiazide for Twin‐Screw Granulation
Authors: Meier Robin , Moll Klaus‐Peter , Krumme Markus , Kleinebudde Peter
Published: June 2017

Simplified, high drug loaded formulations for use in twin‐screw granulation and tableting were introduced, using the plastically deforming drug ibuprofen. This concept was enlarged by application of hydrochlorothiazide, because opposed deformation behavior was expected to result in different product performances. In most instances the results differed. Critical quality attributes like granule size distribution, disintegration time, and tensile strength of tablets could be met. The study confirms the suitability of simplified formulation with differently behaving drugs for pharmaceutical product design in continuous manufacturing.
Measuring and Modeling Highly Accurate 15N Chemical Shift Tensors in a Peptide.
Authors: Soss Sarah E. , Flynn Peter F. , Iuliucci Robbie J. , Young Robert P. , Mueller Leonard J. , Hartman Joshua , Beran Gregory J. O. , Harper James K.
Published: June 2017

NMR studies measuring chemical shift tensors are increasingly being employed to assign structure in difficult‐to‐crystallize solids. For small organic molecules, such studies usually focus on 13C sites, but proteins and peptides are more commonly described using 15N amide sites. An important and often neglected consideration when measuring shift tensors is the evaluation of their accuracy against benchmark standards, where available. Here we measure 15N tensors in the dipeptide glycylglycine at natural abundance using the slow‐spinning FIREMAT method with SPINAL‐64 decoupling. The accuracy of these 15N tensors is evaluated by comparing to benchmark single crystal NMR 15N measurements and found to be statistically indistinguishable. These FIREMAT experimental results are further used to evaluate the accuracy of theoretical predictions of tensors from four different density functional theory (DFT) methods that include lattice effects. The best theoretical approach provides a root mean square (rms) difference of ±3.9 ppm and is obtained from a fragment‐based method and the PBE0 density functional.
Influence of Ce ion Concentration on Fluorescence Properties of Ce:TAG‐Al2O3 Eutectic Mixed Crystals
Authors: He Chongjun , Sai Qinglin , Xia Changtai , Hu Huiling
Published: June 2017

Combining a blue LED chip with phosphor, white light can be obtained. In traditional white LEDs, the phosphor was dispersed in resin in a form of particles. Particle‐resin composite has complex packaging and poor thermal stability. For high‐power white LEDs, this combination cannot provide long‐term stable work because of photo‐degradation of the organic epoxy resin under high irradiation and high temperatures. Here we develop resin‐free phosphor (Tb1‐nCen)3Al5O12‐Al2O3 eutectic mixed crystals (Ce:TAG‐Al2O3) to eliminate the photo‐degradation issue of the organic material. They were grown by optical floating zone method. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy show that these materials have typical eutectic mixed crystal structure of sapphire and garnet phases, in which lamellar spacing is in an order of tens of microns. The doped Ce3+ ions do not influence basic structure of TAG crystal. Ce3+ ion replaces Tb3+ ion rather than Al3+ ion. Photoluminescence emission and excitation properties of the eutectic mixed crystals were investigated. They get to maximal value with 2.0% Ce3+, and have wide excitation band at 470 nm. Luminous efficiency of eutectic mixed crystal‐packaged LED is higher than that of particle‐resin composite packaged LED. These results show that Ce:TAG‐Al2O3 eutectic mixed crystals are promising phosphor for white LEDs.
Isohexide Dinitriles: A Versatile Family of Renewable Platform Chemicals
Authors: Wu Jing , Thiyagarajan Shanmugam , Fonseca Guerra Célia , Eduard Pieter , Lutz Martin , Noordover Bart A. J. , Koning Cor E. , van Es Daan S.
Published: June 2017

Building blocks of isohexides extended by one carbon atom at the 2‐ or 5‐positions are now synthetically accessible by a convenient, selective, base‐catalyzed epimerization of the corresponding dinitriles. Kinetic experiments using the strong organic base 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) show that all three possible isohexide dinitrile isomers exist within a dynamic equilibrium. An epimerization mechanism based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations is proposed. Structural identification of all three possible isomers is based on NMR analysis and single crystal x‐ray crystallography. DFT calculations confirm that the observed crystal structures are indeed the lowest energy conformers of these isohexide derivatives.
Lung cancer samples preserved in liquid medium: One step beyond cytology
Authors: Mariano Vânia Sammartino , Leal Letícia Ferro , Pastrez Paula Roberta Aguiar , Silva Estela Maria , Reis Rui Manuel , Longatto‐Filho Adhemar
Published: June 2017

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer types in men and women worldwide with a high mortality rate. World Health Organization (WHO) classification has accepted biopsy as the primary sample for lung cancer diagnosis, pathological classification and molecular testing for management of patients, yet, the use of alternative sampling procedures is highly encouraged. Bronchial cytological samples require a less invasive collection technique and may be suitable for pathological and molecular analysis and storage in liquid medium. Furthermore, the molecular analysis of bronchial cytological samples allows the detection of molecular biomarkers, which may be useful for the selection of molecular targeted therapies. Thus, the purpose of this review is to describe the usefulness of bronchial cytological samples preserved in liquid medium from lung cancer patients for pathological diagnosis and molecular investigation.
Wet years have more caterpillars: interacting roles of plant litter and predation by ants
Authors: Karban Richard , Grof‐Tisza Patrick , Holyoak Marcel
Published: June 2017

Climate is widely recognized as an important factor that affects temporal and spatial patterns of occurrence and abundance of herbivorous insects, although the ecological mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. We found that precipitation and standing water were positively correlated with locations and years of high abundance of caterpillars of the ranchman's tiger moth, Platyprepia virginalis. We analyzed 30 years of survey data and found that the number of large rainfall events was a better predictor of caterpillar abundance than total annual accumulation. We considered three ecological mechanisms that could drive this relationship and conducted observations and manipulative experiments to evaluate these mechanisms. (1) Rainfall facilitates more plant growth, although we found no evidence that increased food quality or quantity was causing the positive association between precipitation and caterpillar abundance. (2) Large rainfall events cause predatory ground‐nesting ants to be less abundant and we found that the number of ants that recruited to local sites was negatively associated with survival and abundance of caterpillars. (3) We found that litter from wet sites provided a refuge from ant predation; litter from wet sites was not beneficial to caterpillars in the absence of ants. Both abiotic factors (precipitation) and biotic factors (predatory ants) affected the temporal and spatial abundance of caterpillars directly and interactively. Climate models predict that rainfall will become more variable, suggesting that populations of this caterpillar may also become more variable in the future.
Enantiospecific Total Synthesis of (+)‐3‐epi‐Epohelmin A Using a Nitrogen‐Substituted Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropane
Authors: Gharpure Santosh J. , Nanda Laxmi Narayan , Kumari Dimple
Published: June 2017

The enantiospecific total synthesis of (+)‐3‐epi‐epohelmin was accomplished by rapid construction of the pyrrolizidine core starting from enantiopure l‐pyroglutamic acid. The key reaction included a highly regio‐ and stereoselective intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction, regioselective ring opening of a nitrogen‐substituted donor–acceptor cyclopropane, stereoselective reduction of a ketone, chemoselective organolithium addition to a Weinreb amide, and chemoselective oxidation of an allylic alcohol.
Synthesis of Pyridone Derivatives from 7‐Hydroxy‐7‐polyfluoroalkylhexahydroimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridin‐5‐ones
Authors: Goryaeva Marina V. , Burgart Yanina V. , Kudyakova Yulia S. , Ezhikova Marina A. , Kodess Mikhail I. , Saloutin Victor I.
Published: June 2017

The synthesis of 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐6‐alkyl‐4‐polyfluoroalkylpyridin‐2‐ones based on the acidic cleavage of 7‐hydroxy‐7‐polyfluoroalkylhexahydroimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridin‐5‐ones is reported. Depending on the reaction conditions, the pyridones can be obtained as bases, salts, acetamides, or the products of intramolecular cyclization, dihydroimidazopyridines. High tuberculostatic activity was observed for some of the synthesized compounds.
Potential applications and human biosafety of nanomaterials used in nanomedicine
Authors: Su Hong , Wang Yafei , Gu Yuanliang , Bowman Linda , Zhao Jinshun , Ding Min
Published: June 2017

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, potential applications of nanomaterials in medicine have been widely researched in recent years. Nanomaterials themselves can be used as image agents or therapeutic drugs, and for drug and gene delivery, biological devices, nanoelectronic biosensors or molecular nanotechnology. As the composition, morphology, chemical properties, implant sites as well as potential applications become more and more complex, human biosafety of nanomaterials for clinical use has become a major concern. If nanoparticles accumulate in the human body or interact with the body molecules or chemical components, health risks may also occur. Accordingly, the unique chemical and physical properties, potential applications in medical fields, as well as human biosafety in clinical trials are reviewed in this study. Finally, this article tries to give some suggestions for future work in nanomedicine research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
G‐CSF loaded nanofiber/nanoparticle composite coated with collagen promotes wound healing in vivo
Authors: Tanha Shima , Rafiee‐Tehrani Morteza , Abdollahi Mohamad , Vakilian Saeid , Esmaili Zahra , Naraghi Zahra Safaei , Seyedjafari Ehsan , Javar Hamid Akbari
Published: June 2017

Sustained release of functional growth factors can be considered as a beneficial methodology for wound healing. In this study, recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF)‐loaded chitosan nanoparticles were incorporated in Poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers, followed by surface coating with collagen type I. Physical and mechanical properties of the PCL nanofibers containing G‐CSF loaded chitosan nanoparticles PCL/NP(G‐CSF) and in vivo performance for wound healing were investigated. G‐CSF structural stability was evaluated through SDS_PAGE, reversed phase (RP) HPLC and size‐exclusion chromatography, as well as circular dichroism. Nanofiber/nanoparticle composite scaffold was demonstrated to have appropriate mechanical properties as a wound dresser and a sustained release of functional G‐CSF. The PCL/NP(G‐CSF) scaffold showed a suitable proliferation and well‐adherent morphology of stem cells. In vivo study and histopathological evaluation outcome revealed that skin regeneration was dramatically accelerated under PCL/NP(G‐CSF) as compared with control groups. Superior fibroblast maturation, enhanced collagen deposition and minimum inflammatory cells were also the beneficial properties of PCL/NP(G‐CSF) over the commercial dressing. The synergistic effect of extracellular matrix‐mimicking nanofibrous membrane and G‐CSF could develop a suitable supportive substrate in order to extensive utilization for the healing of skin wounds. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2830–2842, 2017.
Acute inhibitory effect of alpha‐mangostin on sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium‐ATPase and myocardial relaxation
Authors: Phungphong Sukanya , Kijtawornrat Anusak , de Tombe Pieter P. , Wattanapermpool Jonggonnee , Bupha‐Intr Tepmanas , Suksamrarn Sunit
Published: June 2017

The benefits of α‐mangostin for various tissues have been reported, but its effect on the heart has not been clarified. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of α‐mangostin on cardiac function. Using a cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane preparation, α‐mangostin inhibited SR Ca2+‐ATPase activity in a dose‐dependent manner (IC50 of 6.47 ± 0.7 μM). Its suppressive effect was specific to SR Ca2+‐ATPase but not to myofibrillar Ca2+‐ATPase. Using isolated cardiomyocytes, 50 μM of α‐mangostin significantly increased the duration of cell relengthening and increased the duration of Ca2+ transient decay, suggesting altered myocyte relaxation. The relaxation effect of α‐mangostin was also supported in vivo after intravenous infusion. A significant suppression of both peak pressure and rate of ventricular relaxation (–dP/dt) relative to DMSO infusion was observed. The results from the present study demonstrated that α‐mangostin exerts specific inhibitory action on SR Ca2+‐ATPase activity, leading to myocardial relaxation dysfunction.
AKT as Locus of Hydrogen Bond Network in Cancer
Authors: Radisavljevic Ziv
Published: June 2017

Generation and maintenance of a cancer complexity and robustness are impossible without hydrogen element. It is essential element for the cancer signaling through the AKT locus. Hyperactivated AKT locus by a positive feedback loops from the cancer hypoxic microenvironment generates a hydrogen bond network. Such network initiates protein–protein interaction at the AKT active site and at the same time stabilizes signal propagation. A hydrogen bond network conforms an entropy/enthalpy energetic process used for the interconversion of the AKT protein in metastasis formation and maintenance. Targeting the AKT locus by the redox balance change or hydrogen balance change or proton beam radiation disrupts a hydrogen bond network leading to the disappearance of a cancer complexity and robustness causing failure of the complex energy system in solid cancers and hematological malignancy. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 130–133, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Breast Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutics, Multiple Strategies Versus Using Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Notch Inhibitory Properties: Possibilities and Perspectives
Authors: Bose Bipasha , Sen Utsav , Shenoy P Sudheer
Published: June 2017

Relapse cases of cancers are more vigorous and difficult to control due to the preponderance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Such CSCs that had been otherwise dormant during the first incidence of cancer gradually appear as radiochemoresistant cancer cells. Hence, cancer therapeutics aimed at CSCs would be an effective strategy for mitigating the cancers during relapse. Alternatively, CSC therapy can also be proposed as an adjuvant therapy, along‐with the conventional therapies. As regenerative stem cells (RSCs) are known for their trophic effects, anti‐tumorogenicity, and better migration toward an injury site, this review aims to address the use of adult stem cells such as dental pulp derived; cord blood derived pure populations of regenerative stem cells for targeting CSCs. Indeed, pro‐tumorogenicity of RSCs is of concern and hence has also been dealt with in relation to breast CSC therapeutics. Furthermore, as notch signaling pathways are upregulated in breast cancers, and anti‐notch antibody based and sh‐RNA based therapies are already in the market, this review focuses the possibilities of engineering RSCs to express notch inhibitory proteins for breast CSC therapeutics. Also, we have drawn a comparison among various possibilities of breast CSC therapeutics, about, notch1 inhibition. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 141–149, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of rMnSOD on Sodium Reabsorption in Renal Proximal Tubule in Ochratoxin A—Treated Rats
Authors: Damiano Sara , Puzio Maria V. , Squillacioti Caterina , Mirabella Nicola , Zona Enrica , Mancini Aldo , Borrelli Antonella , Astarita Carlo , Boffo Silvia , Giordano Antonio , Avallone Luigi , Florio Salvatore , Ciarcia Roberto
Published: June 2017

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium that represent toxic real threat for human beings and animal health. In this study we evaluated the effect of a new recombinant mitochondrial manganese containing superoxide dismutase (rMnSOD) on oxidative stress and on the alterations of fluid reabsorption in renal proximal tubule (PT) as possible causes of OTA nephrotoxicity. Finally, we have measured the concentration of O2− in the kidney through dihydroethidium assay (DHE) and nitric oxide (NO) concentration through nitrites and nitrates assay. Male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 120–150 g were treated for 14 days by gavage, as follows: Control group, 12 rats received a corresponding amount of saline solution (including 10% DMSO); rMnSOD group, 12 rats treated with rMnSOD (10 µg/kg bw); OTA group, 12 rats treated with OTA (0.5 mg/kg bw) dissolved in 10% DMSO and then scaled to required volume with corn oil; rMnSOD + OTA, 12 rats treated with rMnSOD (10 µg/kg bw) plus OTA (0.5 mg/kg bw). Our results have shown that rMnSOD restores the alteration of reabsorption in PT in rats treated with OTA plus rMnSOD, probably through the response to pressure natriuresis, where nitric oxide plays a key role. Moreover, rMnSOD prevents the nephrotoxicity induced by OTA probably restoring the balance between superoxide and NO that is most probably the cause of hypertension and renal functional alterations through the inhibition of NO synthase. In conclusion these data provide important information for understanding of mechanism of toxic action of OTA. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 424–430, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Swiprosin‐1: Its Expression and Diverse Biological Functions
Authors: Thylur Ramesh P. , Gowda Raghavendra , Mishra Sumita , Jun Chang‐Duk
Published: June 2017

Swiprosin‐1/EFhd2 is a Ca2+ binding adapter protein involved in the various cellular functions. Swiprosin‐1 is significantly upregulated in a number of pathological conditions of inflammation, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Swiprosin‐1 associated with actin and its expression level amplifies the production of proinflammatory mediators and modulates the activation of transcription factor during immune cells activation. This review aims at providing an overview of the expression and function of swiprosin‐1/EFhd2 in various pathophysiological conditions. We also discussed the key role of swiprosin‐1 in immune cell activation, cell migration, apoptosis, humoral immunity, cancer invasion and metastasis, neuronal transport, and major signaling cascades. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 150–156, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bryostatin and its synthetic analog, picolog rescue dermal fibroblasts from prolonged stress and contribute to survival and rejuvenation of human skin equivalents
Authors: Khan Tapan K. , Wender Paul A. , Alkon Daniel L.
Published: June 2017

Skin health is associated with the day‐to‐day activity of fibroblasts. The primary function of fibroblasts is to synthesize structural proteins, such as collagen, extracellular matrix proteins, and other proteins that support the structural integrity of the skin and are associated with younger, firmer, and more elastic skin that is better able to resist and recover from injury. At sub‐nanomolar concentrations (0.03–0.3 nM), bryostatin‐1 and its synthetic analog, picolog (0.1–10 nM) sustained the survival and activation of human dermal fibroblasts cultured under the stressful condition of prolonged serum deprivation. Bryostatin‐1 treatment stabilized human skin equivalents (HSEs), a bioengineered combination of primary human skin cells (keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts) on an extracellular matrix composed of mainly collagen. Fibroblasts activated by bryostatin‐1 protected the structural integrity of HSEs. Bryostatin‐1 and picolog prolonged activation of Erk in fibroblasts to promote cell survival. Chronic stress promotes the progression of apoptosis. Dermal fibroblasts constitutively express all components of Fas associated apoptosis, including caspase‐8, an initiator enzyme of apoptosis. Prolong bryostatin‐1 treatment reduced apoptosis by decreasing caspase‐8 and protected dermal fibroblasts. Our data suggest that bryostatin‐1 and picolog could be useful in anti‐aging skincare, and could have applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Multistep Synthesis of Fluorine‐Substituted Pyrazolopyrimidine Derivatives With Higher Antibacterial Efficacy Based on In Vitro Molecular Docking and Density Functional Theory
Authors: Khan Salman A. , Asiri Abdullah M. , Rahman R. M. , Elroby Shaaban A. , Aqlan Faisal M. S. , Wani Mohmmad Y. , Sharma Kamlesh
Published: June 2017

Some new fluorine‐substituted pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives (1.3–1.5) have been synthesized by the multistep reactions, starting from reaction of 4‐fluorophenyl malanonitrile (1) with guanidine, followed by ring closure reaction with hydrazine to give 2,4‐diamino‐6‐aryl‐pyrimidine‐5‐carbonitrile (1.2). Structure of the compounds was conformed by the spectral and elemental analyses. The antibacterial activity of these compounds was tested in vitro by the disk diffusion assay against two Gram‐positive and two Gram‐negative bacteria, and then the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined with reference to the standard drug chloramphenicol. The results showed that compound 1.5 is better at inhibiting growth as compared with chloramphenicol of both types of bacteria (gram‐positive and gram‐negative). Molecular orbital calculations were carried out by using the density functional theory. The B3LYP/6‐311 + G** level of theory was employed to explore LUMO–HOMO gap energy and charge distribution of compounds 1.1 to 1.5. Docking studies were performed on bacterial glucosamine‐6‐phosphate synthetase enzyme. Density functional theory calculations and docking studies support the in vitro findings.
Structure‐function relationships at the human spinal disc‐vertebra interface
Authors: Berg‐Johansen Britta , Fields Aaron J. , Liebenberg Ellen C. , Li Alfred , Lotz Jeffrey C.
Published: June 2017

Damage at the intervertebral disc‐vertebra interface associates with back pain and disc herniation. However, the structural and biomechanical properties of the disc‐vertebra interface remain underexplored. We sought to measure mechanical properties and failure mechanisms, quantify architectural features, and assess structure‐function relationships at this vulnerable location. Vertebra‐disc‐vertebra specimens from human cadaver thoracic spines were scanned with micro‐computed tomography (μCT), surface speckle‐coated, and loaded to failure in uniaxial tension. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used to calculate local surface strains. Failure surfaces were scanned using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and adjacent sagittal slices were analyzed with histology and SEM. Seventy‐one percent of specimens failed initially at the cartilage endplate‐bone interface of the inner annulus region. Histology and SEM both indicated a lack of structural integration between the cartilage endplate (CEP) and bone. The interface failure strength was increased in samples with higher trabecular bone volume fraction in the vertebral endplates. Furthermore, failure strength decreased with degeneration, and in discs with thicker CEPs. Our findings indicate that poor structural connectivity between the CEP and vertebra may explain the structural weakness at this region, and provide insight into structural features that may contribute to risk for disc‐vertebra interface injury. The disc‐vertebra interface is the site of failure in the majority of herniation injuries. Here we show new structure‐function relationships at this interface that may motivate the development of diagnostics, prevention strategies, and treatments to improve the prognosis for many low back pain patients with disc‐vertebra interface injuries. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research® Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 36:192–201, 2018.
Review of optical fibre probes for enhanced Raman sensing
Authors: Wang Cong , Zeng Lihua , Li Zhen , Li Daoliang
Published: June 2017

Raman scattering is a photon‐molecular interaction based on the kinetic modes of an analyte. It offers unique fingerprint‐type signals that allow molecular identification. A serious challenge frequently encountered in Raman measurements arises from the requirements of fast, real‐time remote sensing, fluorescence suppression, ultra‐micro concentration detection, small sample volumes and label‐free biological specimens. This review focuses on fibre‐optic probes for Raman spectroscopy, especially for enhanced sampling applications. It aims at providing an overview over contemporary technology and recent excellent researches, and helps identifying future developments necessary to bring the emerging technology to instrument manufacturers and end users. After a short introduction to surface‐enhanced Raman scattering technology, professional algorithms for design optimization of the fibre Raman probe will be discussed and general design considerations presented. Subsequently, various common geometries employed for enhanced Raman sampling are enumerated based on the types of waveguide fibres: multi‐fibre optodes, long‐pathlength capillary, microstructured photonic crystal fibre and other waveguide arrangements. Additionally, the relevant detection parameters are reviewed, such as target analyte, limit of detection, waveguide media and detection principle. The review also includes a brief summary of the advantages and limitations of various fibre Raman probes. Finally, the future work is discussed which will promote the reliability and the applicability of fibre enhanced Raman sensors. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discrimination of haloarchaeal genera using Raman spectroscopy and robust methods for multivariate data analysis
Authors: Dina Nicoleta Elena , Leş Anda , Baricz Andreea , Szöke‐Nagy Tiberiu , Leopold Nicolae , Sârbu Costel , Banciu Horia Leonard
Published: June 2017

In this study, we aimed at developing a rapid and non‐destructive method to predict the genus‐level taxonomic affiliation of phenotypically similar halophilic archaea of Halobacteria Class. For this purpose, representatives of three widespread and frequently isolated haloarchaeal genera (Halobacterium sp., Haloferax sp. and Halorubrum sp.) were investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy. The most relevant Raman bands exhibited at 1505, 1150 and 1000 cm−1, respectively, were ascribed to the bacterioruberin carotenoid found in haloarchaea. Due to the similar spectral profiles, a robust chemometric approach based on fuzzy principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis for the classification of the three halophilic strains was employed, and the high‐accuracy grouping of spectral data corresponding to those strains was achieved. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long‐term adverse effects after retropubic and robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy. Nationwide, population‐based study
Authors: Fridriksson Jón Örn , Folkvaljon Yasin , Lundström Karl‐Johan , Robinson David , Carlsson Stefan , Stattin Pär
Published: June 2017

Background and Objectives

Surgery for prostate cancer is associated with adverse effects. We studied long‐term risk of adverse effects after retropubic (RRP) and robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Methods

In the National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden, men who had undergone radical prostatectomy (RP) between 2004 and 2014 were identified. Diagnoses and procedures indicating adverse postoperative effects were retrieved from the National Patient Register. Relative risk (RR) of adverse effects after RARP versus RRP was calculated in multivariable analyses adjusting for year of surgery, hospital surgical volume, T stage, Gleason grade, PSA level at diagnosis, patient age, comorbidity, and educational level.

Results

A total of 11 212 men underwent RRP and 8500 RARP. Risk of anastomotic stricture was lower after RARP than RRP, RR for diagnoses 0.51 (95%CI = 0.42‐0.63) and RR for procedures 0.46 (95%CI = 0.38‐0.55). Risk of inguinal hernia was similar after RARP and RRP but risk of incisional hernia was higher after RARP, RR for diagnoses 1.48 (95%CI = 1.01‐2.16), and RR for procedures 1.52 (95%CI = 1.02‐2.26).

Conclusions

The postoperative risk profile for RARP and RRP was quite similar. However, risk of anastomotic stricture was lower and risk of incisional hernia higher after RARP.
Area requirements and landscape‐level factors influencing shrubland birds
Authors: Roberts H. Patrick , King David I.
Published: June 2017

Declines in populations of birds that breed in disturbance‐dependent early‐successional forest have largely been ascribed to habitat loss. Clearcutting is an efficient and effective means for creating early‐successional vegetation; however, negative public perceptions of clearcutting and the small parcel size typical of private forested land in much of the eastern United States make this practice impractical in many situations. Group selection harvests, where groups of adjacent trees are removed from a mature forest matrix, may be more acceptable to the public and could provide habitat for shrubland birds. Although some shrubland bird species that occupy clearcuts are scarce or absent from smaller patches created by group selection, some of these smaller patches support shrubland species of conservation concern. The specific factors affecting shrubland bird occupancy of these smaller patches, such as habitat structure, patch area, and landscape context, are poorly understood. We sampled birds in forest openings ranging 0.02–1.29 ha to identify species‐specific minimum‐area habitat requirements and other factors affecting shrubland birds. We modeled bird occurrence in relation to microhabitat‐, patch‐, and landscape‐level variables using occupancy models. The minimum‐area requirements for black‐and‐white warblers (Mniotilta varia), common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), chestnut‐sided warblers (Setophaga pensylvanica), eastern towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), and gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) were ≤0.23 ha, whereas indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea) and prairie warblers (S. discolor) required openings of 0.56 ha and 1.11 ha, respectively. Notably, prairie warblers were more likely to occur in openings closer to large patches of habitat such as powerline corridors, even if those openings were small in size. We concluded that, despite their inability to support the entire suite of shrubland species, small forest openings can provide habitat for several species of conservation concern if proper attention is given to promoting suitable microhabitat, patch, and landscape characteristics. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Disturbance and chronic levels of cortisol in boreal woodland caribou
Authors: Ewacha Michelle V. A. , Roth James D. , Anderson W. Gary , Brannen Dennis C. , Dupont Daniel L. J.
Published: June 2017

Disturbance by anthropogenic activities may cause chronic (long‐term) stress in wildlife and contribute to population declines. Although declines of boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) across Canada have been attributed to anthropogenic disturbance, the physiological stress response of caribou to disturbance is not well understood. As a measure of chronic stress, we assessed cortisol concentrations in guard hair from 89 female caribou between 2009 and 2011 in eastern Manitoba. We compared cortisol concentrations among 5 caribou populations occupying areas with varying levels of disturbance, and estimated home ranges of 55 collared caribou to examine how home range size varied with cortisol concentrations. Within each home range, we quantified disturbance characteristics (roads, transmission lines, cottages, and logged and burned areas) and landscape features (lakes, black spruce [Picea mariana], and jack pine [Pinus banksiana]), and used model selection to determine the combination of disturbance features that best explained variation in caribou cortisol concentrations. Hair cortisol concentrations differed among the 5 caribou populations and increased with decreasing home range size. The proportion of the home range logged in the previous 6–21 years best explained variation in cortisol concentrations. Our results suggest that caribou respond negatively to logging, and caribou occupying the southern extent of their range could be vulnerable to disturbance. Although disturbance affects caribou cortisol concentrations, the consequences of increased cortisol concentrations on caribou survival and reproduction are unknown and need to be examined for effective management of populations. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Assessing conservation lands for forest birds in an exurban landscape
Authors: Ferguson Paige F.B. , Conroy Michael J. , Hepinstall‐Cymerman Jeffrey
Published: June 2017

Exurban development is the fastest growing type of land use in the United States and is prominent in the southern Appalachian region. A potential consequence of exurban development is the loss and fragmentation of wildlife habitat. We used a Bayesian model that accounts for false positive and false negative detections to make inferences about how the occupancy of 6 forest‐dwelling, Neotropical migrant birds is related to multi‐scale attributes of exurban development on land managed under 3 different conservation frameworks: national forest, land trust, or unprotected property in Macon County, North Carolina, USA during 2 breeding seasons. We performed Bayesian model selection and model averaging with a Bayesian Information Criterion weights approximation, and we evaluated models’ predictive ability. We compared results from our occupancy model to those from a traditional model assuming data had no false positives. Results indicated that landscape‐ and local‐scale covariates were more strongly related to posterior occupancy probabilities than site‐scale covariates and that landscape composition and elevation were more strongly associated with occupancy probabilities than configuration. In particular, occupancy had a positive relationship with elevation and percent forest and a negative relationship with percent development. The black‐throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) and wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) had the lowest posterior occupancy probabilities of the focal species, suggesting that these species may need particular conservation attention. National forest sites had high occupancy, but land trust sites exhibited patterns similar to unprotected sites. Our findings can provide guidance to county land use planners and land trusts as they respond to exurban development. Also, our study demonstrates the application of an improved occupancy model that can generate more accurate inference by accounting for both types of imperfect detection while describing heterogeneity across sites and survey occasions. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Interactive effects of marine heatwaves and eutrophication on the ecophysiology of a widespread and ecologically important macroalga
Authors: Gouvêa Lidiane Pires , Schubert Nadine , Martins Cintia Dalcuche Leal , Sissini Marina , Ramlov Fernanda , Rodrigues Eva Regina de Oliveira , Bastos Eduardo Oliveira , Freire Vanessa Carvalho , Maraschin Marcelo , Carlos Simonassi José , Varela Donnangelo A. , Franco Davide , Cassano Valeria , Fonseca Alessandra Larissa , Barufi J Bonomi , Horta Paulo Antunes
Published: June 2017

Extreme temperature events are becoming more recurrent and are more frequent with major impacts on coastal ecosystems, which are additionally impacted by increasing urbanization, resulting in high nutrient load. So far little is known about cumulative and/or interactive effects of global and local stressors on species' performance. Here, we evaluated the single and combined effects of simulated heatwaves and eutrophication on the ecophysiology ofLaurencia catarinensisin a bi‐factorial mesocosm experiment. The algae were exposed for 30 d to three different temperatures (20°C, 24°C, 28°C) and nutrient concentrations (low, intermediate, high) and their nutrient uptake rates, photosynthetic performance, growth rates, pigment and phenolic compound concentrations, as well as antioxidant capacity was determined and compared between treatments. Under low nutrient concentration, physiological performance and growth decreased with increasing temperatures. In contrast, they increased with higher nutrient availability and moderate temperature increase close to the summer average temperature, but largely declined upon exposure to higher temperature (28°C). This decline seemed to be related to oxidative stress, as indicated by an increase of compounds with antioxidant properties (lutein, zeaxanthin, phenols). Our data show that all measured parameters were affected by temperature and nutrient availability, with an interactive effect between these two factors, indicating that increasing temperature will influence macroalgal performance, and even more dramatically in coastal systems that are highly impacted by urbanization. However, the direction of the response will be determined by nutrient availability and will also depend on the magnitude of the temperature increase, that is, whether it surpasses the thermal threshold of the species.
A high‐precision gamma densitometer for quantifying skeletal density in coral skeletons: Physical background and first results
Authors: Deveaux Michael , Gischler Eberhard , Wiebusch Michael , Erkoç M. Mesut
Published: June 2017

Measuring density in coral skeletons with high precision is challenging and forms the dominant source of experimental uncertainty in related studies. To reduce this uncertainty, we developed a precise and easy‐to‐handle γ‐densitometer. This instrument illuminates coral samples with a close‐to‐monochromatic γ‐ray beam and measures the attenuation in the material by means of single photon counting. Knowing the thickness of the sample, the density can be extracted from the attenuation. After calibration, we obtained a precision of 3.7% for absolute and 0.6% for relative density measurements. The spatial resolution is 0.5 mm. The detector system has been tested with the genus Porites, typically used in paleoclimate studies in the Indo‐Pacific, and with the genus Orbicella (formerly Montastraea), which has been commonly used in the Atlantic. A record (a.d. 1965–1999) from an Orbicella faveolata from the Belize Barrier Reef exhibits a decrease in skeletal density and in calcification rate; extension rates increase over time. A record from an O. faveolata from the offshore Glovers Reef Atoll, Belize, exhibits a density increase during a.d. 1900–2005 while skeletal extension rate decreased; calcification rate shows a decline over time. Skeletal density in a Porites lutea from the Maldives decreases from a.d. 1917–2007 whereas skeletal extension rate and calcification rate exhibit increasing trends. These first results along with those from other studies suggest that coral density data from numerous corals in a region are needed to establish robust trends in coral calcification over time, and, that susceptibility to ocean acidification apparently might vary among coral taxa.