bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
APE1 stimulates EGFR-TKI resistance by activating Akt signaling through a redox-dependent mechanism in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Lu Guo-Shou , Li Mengxia , Xu Cheng-Xiong , Wang Dong
Published: October 2018

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have become the standard first-line treatment for advanced lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cancer patients with activating EGFR mutations. However, most patients show acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, thereby resulting in a modest overall survival benefit. Here, we found that expression level of APE1 was closely associated with TKI resistance in LUAD. Our clinical data show that level of APE1 was inversely correlated with progression-free survival rate and median time to progression in EGFR-mutated LUAD patients. Additionally, we observed increased expression of APE1 in TKI-resistant LUAD cell lines compared to their parental cell lines. Overexpression of APE1-protected TKI-sensitive LUAD cells from TKI-induced cell growth inhibition and cell death. In contrast, inhibition of APE1-enhanced TKI-induced apoptosis, cell growth inhibition and tumor growth inhibition in TKI-resistant LUAD. In addition, we identified that APE1 positively regulates Akt activation and APE1 overexpression-induced TKI resistance was attenuated by inhibition of Akt activity. Finally, we demonstrated that inhibition of the redox function of APE1 enhances the sensitivity of TKI-resistant LUAD cells to TKI treatment and inhibits Akt phosphorylation in TKI-resistant LUAD cells, but not by inhibition of the APE1 DNA repair function. Taken together, our data show that increased expression of APE1 significantly contributes to TKI resistance development in LUAD, and targeting APE1 may reverse acquired resistance of LUAD cells to TKI treatment. Additionally, our data show that APE1 regulates TKI resistance in LUAD cells by activating Akt signaling through a redox-dependent mechanism.
Src-family kinase-Cbl axis negatively regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Chung I-Che , Yuan Sheng-Ning , OuYang Chun-Nan , Lin Hsin-Chung , Huang Kuo-Yang , Chen Yu-Jen , Chung An-Ko , Chu Ching-Liang , Ojcius David M. , Chang Yu-Sun , Chen Lih-Chyang
Published: October 2018

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is crucial for immune defense, but improper and excessive activation causes inflammatory diseases. We previously reported that Pyk2 is essential for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Here we show that the Src-family kinases (SFKs)-Cbl axis plays a pivotal role in suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in response to stimulation by nigericin or ATP, as assessed using gene knockout and gene knockdown cells, dominant active/negative mutants, and pharmacological inhibition. We reveal that the phosphorylation of Cbl is regulated by SFKs, and that phosphorylation of Cbl at Tyr371 suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, Cbl decreases the level of phosphorylated Pyk2 (p-Pyk2) through ubiquitination-mediated proteasomal degradation and reduces mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production by contributing to the maintenance of mitochondrial size. The lower levels of p-Pyk2 and mtROS dampen NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In vivo, inhibition of Cbl with an analgesic drug, hydrocotarnine, increases inflammasome-mediated IL-18 secretion in the colon, and protects mice from dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis. Together, our novel findings provide new insights into the role of the SFK-Cbl axis in suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation and identify a novel clinical utility of hydrocortanine for disease treatment.
Epigenetic profiling for the molecular classification of metastatic brain tumors
Authors: Orozco Javier I. J. , Knijnenburg Theo A. , Manughian-Peter Ayla O. , Salomon Matthew P. , Barkhoudarian Garni , Jalas John R. , Wilmott James S. , Hothi Parvinder , Wang Xiaowen , Takasumi Yuki , Buckland Michael E. , Thompson John F. , Long Georgina V. , Cobbs Charles S. , Shmulevich Ilya , Kelly Daniel F. , Scolyer Richard A. , Hoon Dave S. B. , Marzese Diego M.
Published: October 2018

Optimal treatment of brain metastases is often hindered by limitations in diagnostic capabilities. To meet this challenge, here we profile DNA methylomes of the three most frequent types of brain metastases: melanoma, breast, and lung cancers (n = 96). Using supervised machine learning and integration of DNA methylomes from normal, primary, and metastatic tumor specimens (n = 1860), we unravel epigenetic signatures specific to each type of metastatic brain tumor and constructed a three-step DNA methylation-based classifier (BrainMETH) that categorizes brain metastases according to the tissue of origin and therapeutically relevant subtypes. BrainMETH predictions are supported by routine histopathologic evaluation. We further characterize and validate the most predictive genomic regions in a large cohort of brain tumors (n = 165) using quantitative-methylation-specific PCR. Our study highlights the importance of brain tumor-defining epigenetic alterations, which can be utilized to further develop DNA methylation profiling as a critical tool in the histomolecular stratification of patients with brain metastases.
Chromium-catalyzed para-selective formation of quaternary carbon centers by alkylation of benzamide derivatives
Authors: Liu Pei , Chen Changpeng , Cong Xuefeng , Tang Jinghua , Zeng Xiaoming
Published: October 2018

Selective creation of quaternary carbon centers has been a long-standing challenge in synthetic chemistry. We report here the chromium-catalyzed, para-selective formation of arylated quaternary carbon centers by alkylative reactions of benzamide derivatives with tertiary alkylmagnesium bromides at room temperature. The reaction, which was enabled by a low-cost chromium(III) salt combined with trimethylsilyl bromide, introduces a sterically bulky tertiary alkyl scaffold on the para-position of benzamide derivatives in a highly selective fashion without either isomerization of the tertiary alkyl group or formation of ortho-alkylated byproducts. Forming low-valent Cr species in situ by reaction of CrCl3 with t-BuMgBr accompanied by evolution of hydrogen can be considered, which serves as reactive species to promote the reaction. The para-alkylation likely occurs via a radical-type nucleophilic substitution of imino-coordination benzimidate intermediate.
Unveiling a magnetized jet from a low-mass protostar
Authors: Lee Chin-Fei , Hwang Hsiang-Chih , Ching Tao-Chung , Hirano Naomi , Lai Shih-Ping , Rao Ramprasad , Ho Paul. T. P
Published: October 2018

Protostellar jets are one of the most intriguing signposts in star formation. Recent detection of a jet rotation indicates that they can carry away angular momenta from the innermost edges of the disks, allowing the disks to feed the central protostars. In current jet-launching models, magnetic fields are required to launch and collimate the jets, however, observationally, it is still uncertain if magnetic fields are really present in the jets. Here we report a clear detection of SiO line polarization in the HH 211 protostellar jet. Since this line polarization has been attributed to the Goldreich-Kylafis effect in the presence of magnetic field, our observations show convincingly the presence of magnetic field in a jet from a low-mass protostar. The implied magnetic field could be mainly toroidal, as suggested in current jet-launching models, in order to collimate the jet at large distances.
Directed Supramolecular Organization of N-BAR Proteins through Regulation of H0 Membrane Immersion Depth
Authors: Kahraman Osman , Langen Ralf , Haselwandter Christoph A.
Published: October 2018

Many membrane remodeling events rely on the ability of curvature-generating N-BAR membrane proteins to organize into distinctive supramolecular configurations. Experiments have revealed a conformational switch in N-BAR proteins resulting in vesicular or tubular membrane shapes, with shallow membrane immersion of the H0 amphipathic helices of N-BAR proteins on vesicles but deep H0 immersion on tubes. We develop here a minimal elastic model of the local thinning of the lipid bilayer resulting from H0 immersion. Our model predicts that the observed conformational switch in N-BAR proteins produces a corresponding switch in the bilayer-mediated N-BAR interactions due to the H0 helices. In agreement with experiments, we find that bilayer-mediated H0 interactions oppose N-BAR multimerization for the shallow H0 membrane immersion depths measured on vesicles, but promote self-assembly of supramolecular N-BAR chains for the increased H0 membrane immersion depths measured on tubes. Finally, we consider the possibility that bilayer-mediated H0 interactions might contribute to the concerted structural reorganization of N-BAR proteins suggested by experiments. Our results indicate that the membrane immersion depth of amphipathic protein helices may provide a general molecular control parameter for membrane organization.
Single molecule tracking reveals spatio-temporal dynamics of bacterial DNA repair centres
Authors: Rösch Thomas C. , Altenburger Stephan , Oviedo-Bocanegra Luis , Pediaditakis Miriam , Najjar Nina El , Fritz Georg , Graumann Peter L.
Published: October 2018

Single-particle (molecule) tracking (SPT/SMT) is a powerful method to study dynamic processes in living bacterial cells at high spatial and temporal resolution. We have performed single-molecule imaging of early DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair events during homologous recombination in the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Our findings reveal that DNA repair centres arise at all sites on the chromosome and that RecN, RecO and RecJ perform fast, enzyme-like functions during detection and procession of DNA double strand breaks, respectively. Interestingly, RecN changes its diffusion behavior upon induction of DNA damage, from a largely diffusive to a DNA-scanning mode, which increases efficiency of finding all sites of DNA breaks within a frame of few seconds. RecJ continues being bound to replication forks, but also assembles at many sites on the nucleoid upon DNA damage induction. RecO shows a similar change in its mobility as RecN, and also remains bound to sites of damage for few hundred milliseconds. Like RecN, it enters the nucleoid in damaged cells. Our data show that presynaptic preparation of DSBs including loading of RecA onto ssDNA is highly rapid and dynamic, and occurs throughout the chromosome, and not only at replication forks or only at distinct sites where many breaks are processes in analogy to eukaryotic DNA repair centres.
Experimental evidence characterizing pressure fluctuations at the seafloor-water interface induced by an earthquake
Authors: Matsumoto Hiroyuki , Kimura Toshinori , Nishida Shuhei , Machida Yuya , Araki Eiichiro
Published: October 2018

An unusual combination of a laboratory experiment and in situ measurement of pressure fluctuations during an earthquake allows us to resolve some uncertainties in bottom pressure recorders (BPRs). In situ BPRs are usually contaminated by seismic waves during earthquakes; thus uncertainty still remains in the data obtained from BPRs. We examine in situ BPR data together with pressure variations produced by a dead weight (a pressure standard) in a laboratory experiment during an earthquake. The features recorded by the in situ BPRs are analysed as part of the overall experiment. We demonstrated that a 10-kg dead weight on a piston-cylinder across an area of 10 mm2 is capable of reproducing pressure fluctuations at a depth of 1000 m in the water column. The experiment also indicates that the internal mechanics of BPRs are isolated from incident seismic waves, suggesting that BPRs measure true in situ pressures without instrumentally induced disturbances. This constitutes the first instance in which pressure fluctuations recorded by in situ BPRs during an earthquake were reproduced using a pressure standard in the laboratory.
Design the magnetic microencapsulated phase change materials with poly(MMA-MAA) @ n-octadecane modified by Fe3O4
Authors: Zhuang Xueheng , Zhang Ying , Cai Chang , Zhang Jing , Zhu Yuejin
Published: October 2018

Magnetic microencapsulated phase change materials (magnetic MicroPCMs) are hotly researched for their dual-functions with phase change and magnetic properties, which provided the new applications in fields of maneuverable phase change materials and infrared electromagnetic dual shield. A series of magnetic MicroPCMs samples are synthesized by polymerization and coprecipitation method and the chemical composition contained poly(MMA-MAA) @ n-octadecane modified by Fe3O4. In addition, the characterizations exhibit the excellent magnetic and phase change properties. The magnetic MicroPCMs samples present 20 emu·g−1 saturation magnetization with still high enthalpy of 132 J·g−1, which fully illustrates that the magnetic MicroPCMs fulfill both application on thermal energy storage and magnetic control.
Droplet digital PCR quantification of miR-1290 as a circulating biomarker for pancreatic cancer
Authors: Tavano Francesca , Gioffreda Domenica , Valvano Maria R. , Palmieri Orazio , Tardio Matteo , Latiano Tiziana P. , Piepoli Ada , Maiello Evaristo , Pirozzi Felice , Andriulli Angelo
Published: October 2018

Droplet digital PCR was used to validate miR-1290 as circulating biomarker for pancreatic cancer (PC). The diagnostic performance of miR-1290 was evaluate in 167 PC patients and 267 healthy subjects at clinical risk of developing the disease (HS). MiR-1290 plasma levels were compared to CA 19-9 determinations, and the combination of the two biomarkers was also taken into account. Plasma levels of miR-1290 were higher in PC patients compared to HS (p = 2.55 × 10−16). A similar trend was observed for CA 19-9 determinations (p = 1.03 × 10−47). ROC curve analysis revealed that miR-1290 in combination with CA 19-9 was effective for discriminating between PC patients and HS (AUC = 0.956, 95% CI = 0.933–0.979) than the two biomarkers tested alone (miR-1290: AUC = 0.734, 0.678–0.789; CA 19-9: AUC = 0.914, 0.877–0.951). The discriminating ability was higher when only PC patients with low or slightly increased CA 19-9 levels were compared with HS. MiR-1290 concentrations were not able to differentiate between PC patients with single or multiple risk factors for developing PC. Our data suggest that the absolute quantification of circulating miR-1290 levels does not allow to select patients at clinical risk of PC for entry into a surveillance program, and underline the methodological challenges still existing in utilizing circulating miRNAs as new promising biomarkers for PC.
Transcriptome analysis for phosphorus starvation-induced lipid accumulation in Scenedesmus sp
Authors: Yang Fangfang , Xiang Wenzhou , Li Tao , Long Lijuan
Published: October 2018

Phosphorus stress was applied to enhance the lipid production in Scenedesmus sp. The highest lipid production (350 mg L−1) and lipid content (approximately 41.0% of dry weight) were obtained by addition of 2 mg L−1 NaH2PO4·2H2O every 2 days, which were higher than those in replete phosphorus. Correspondingly, carbohydrate content decreased significantly. We speculated that phosphorus limitation could block starch biosynthesis, and photosynthate flow tended to fatty acid biosynthesis to cope with stress. To investigate the mechanism that phosphorus stress triggers the carbon fixation to lipid biosynthesis, the transcriptome analysis was carried out by the Illumina RNA-seq platform. A total of 2897 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes. The observed overexpression of lipid production under phosphorus stress was bolstered by up-regulation of genes encoding for DGAT and pyruvate kinase, activation of carbohydrate metabolism pathway and fatty acid biosynthesis, and repression of carbohydrate synthesis-presumably to shunt the carbon flux toward TAG biosynthesis. The transcriptome will be useful to understand the lipid metabolism pathway and obtain the engineering economic algae species aimed at biodiesel production.
Estimating the risk of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika outbreaks in a large European city
Authors: Solimini Angelo G. , Manica Mattia , Rosà Roberto , della Torre Alessandra , Caputo Beniamino
Published: October 2018

Outbreaks of arbovirus infections vectored by invasive Aedes albopictus have already occurred and are predicted to become increasingly frequent in Southern Europe. We present a probabilistic model to assess risk of arbovirus outbreaks based on incident cases worldwide, on the probability of arrival of infected travelers, and on the abundance of the vector species. Our results show a significant risk of Chikungunya outbreak in Rome from mid June to October in simulations with high human biting rates (i.e. when ≥50% of the population is bitten every day). The outbreak risk is predicted to be highest for Chikungunya and null for Zika. Simulated increase of incident cases in selected endemic countries has no major impact on the outbreak risk. The model correctly estimated the number of imported cases and can be easily adapted to other urban areas where Ae. albopictus is the only potential vector present.
A genome-scale metabolic network alignment method within a hypergraph-based framework using a rotational tensor-vector product
Authors: Shen Tie , Zhang Zhengdong , Chen Zhen , Gu Dagang , Liang Shen , Xu Yang , Li Ruiyuan , Wei Yimin , Liu Zhijie , Yi Yin , Xie Xiaoyao
Published: October 2018

Biological network alignment aims to discover important similarities and differences and thus find a mapping between topological and/or functional components of different biological molecular networks. Then, the mapped components can be considered to correspond to both their places in the network topology and their biological attributes. Development and evolution of biological network alignment methods has been accelerated by the rapidly increasing availability of such biological networks, yielding a repertoire of tens of methods based upon graph theory. However, most biological processes, especially the metabolic reactions, are more sophisticated than simple pairwise interactions and contain three or more participating components. Such multi-lateral relations are not captured by graphs, and computational methods to overcome this limitation are currently lacking. This paper introduces hypergraphs and association hypergraphs to describe metabolic networks and their potential alignments, respectively. Within this framework, metabolic networks are aligned by identifying the maximal Z-eigenvalue of a symmetric tensor. A shifted higher-order power method was utilized to identify a solution. A rotational strategy has been introduced to accelerate the tensor-vector product by 250-fold on average and reduce the storage cost by up to 1,000-fold. The algorithm was implemented on a spark-based distributed computation cluster to significantly increase the convergence rate further by 50- to 80-fold. The parameters have been explored to understand their impact on alignment accuracy and speed. In particular, the influence of initial value selection on the stationary point has been simulated to ensure an accurate approximation of the global optimum. This framework was demonstrated by alignments among the genome-wide metabolic networks of Escherichia coli MG-1655 and Halophilic archaeon DL31. To our knowledge, this is the first genome-wide metabolic network alignment at both the metabolite level and the enzyme level. These results demonstrate that it can supply quite a few valuable insights into metabolic networks. First, this method can access the driving force of organic reactions through the chemical evolution of metabolic network. Second, this method can incorporate the chemical information of enzymes and structural changes of compounds to offer new way defining reaction class and module, such as those in KEGG. Third, as a vertex-focused treatment, this method can supply novel structural and functional annotation for ill-defined molecules. The related source code is available on request.
Prediction of LncRNA Subcellular Localization with Deep Learning from Sequence Features
Authors: Gudenas Brian L. , Wang Liangjiang
Published: October 2018

Long non-coding RNAs are involved in biological processes throughout the cell including the nucleus, chromatin and cytosol. However, most lncRNAs remain unannotated and functional annotation of lncRNAs is difficult due to their low conservation and their tissue and developmentally specific expression. LncRNA subcellular localization is highly informative regarding its biological function, although it is difficult to discover because few prediction methods currently exist. While protein subcellular localization prediction is a well-established research field, lncRNA localization prediction is a novel research problem. We developed DeepLncRNA, a deep learning algorithm which predicts lncRNA subcellular localization directly from lncRNA transcript sequences. We analyzed 93 strand-specific RNA-seq samples of nuclear and cytosolic fractions from multiple cell types to identify differentially localized lncRNAs. We then extracted sequence-based features from the lncRNAs to construct our DeepLncRNA model, which achieved an accuracy of 72.4%, sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 62.4% and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.787. Our results suggest that primary sequence motifs are a major driving force in the subcellular localization of lncRNAs.
Advanced high resolution x-ray diagnostic for HEDP experiments
Authors: Faenov A. Y. , Pikuz T. A. , Mabey P. , Albertazzi B. , Michel Th. , Rigon G. , Pikuz S. A. , Buzmakov A. , Makarov S. , Ozaki N. , Matsuoka T. , Katagiri K. , Miyanishi K. , Takahashi K. , Tanaka K. A. , Inubushi Y. , Togashi T. , Yabuuchi T. , Yabashi M. , Casner A. , Kodama R. , Koenig M.
Published: October 2018

High resolution X-ray imaging is crucial for many high energy density physics (HEDP) experiments. Recently developed techniques to improve resolution have, however, come at the cost of a decreased field of view. In this paper, an innovative experimental detector for X-ray imaging in the context of HEDP experiments with high spatial resolution, as well as a large field of view, is presented. The platform is based on coupling an X-ray backligther source with a Lithium Fluoride detector, characterized by its large dynamic range. A spatial resolution of 2 µm over a field of view greater than 2 mm2 is reported. The platform was benchmarked with both an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) and an X-ray source produced by a short pulse laser. First, using a non-coherent short pulse laser-produced backlighter, reduced penumbra blurring, as a result of the large size of the X-ray source, is shown. Secondly, we demonstrate phase contrast imaging with a fully coherent monochromatic XFEL beam. Modeling of the absorption and phase contrast transmission of X-ray radiation passing through various targets is presented.
A chemical genetic screen reveals that iminosugar inhibitors of plant glucosylceramide synthase inhibit root growth in Arabidopsis and cereals
Authors: Rugen Michael D. , Vernet Mathieu M. J. L. , Hantouti Laila , Soenens Amalia , Andriotis Vasilios M. E. , Rejzek Martin , Brett Paul , van den Berg Richard J. B. H. N. , Aerts Johannes M. F. G. , Overkleeft Hermen S. , Field Robert A.
Published: October 2018

Iminosugars are carbohydrate mimics that are useful as molecular probes to dissect metabolism in plants. To analyse the effects of iminosugar derivatives on germination and seedling growth, we screened a library of 390 N-substituted iminosugar analogues against Arabidopsis and the small cereal Eragrostis tef (Tef). The most potent compound identified in both systems, N-5-(adamantane-1-yl-ethoxy)pentyl- l-ido-deoxynojirimycin (l-ido-AEP-DNJ), inhibited root growth in agar plate assays by 92% and 96% in Arabidopsis and Tef respectively, at 10 µM concentration. Phenocopying the effect of l-ido-AEP-DNJ with the commercial inhibitor (PDMP) implicated glucosylceramide synthase as the target responsible for root growth inhibition. l-ido-AEP-DNJ was twenty-fold more potent than PDMP. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of ceramide:glucosylceramide ratios in inhibitor-treated Arabidopsis seedlings showed a decrease in the relative quantity of the latter, confirming that glucosylceramide synthesis is perturbed in inhibitor-treated plants. Bioinformatic analysis of glucosylceramide synthase indicates gene conservation across higher plants. Previous T-DNA insertional inactivation of glucosylceramide synthase in Arabidopsis caused seedling lethality, indicating a role in growth and development. The compounds identified herein represent chemical alternatives that can overcome issues caused by genetic intervention. These inhibitors offer the potential to dissect the roles of glucosylceramides in polyploid crop species.
Aggregated SOD1 causes selective death of cultured human motor neurons
Authors: Benkler Chen , O’Neil Alison L. , Slepian Susannah , Qian Fang , Weinreb Paul H. , Rubin Lee L.
Published: October 2018

Most human neurodegenerative diseases share a phenotype of neuronal protein aggregation. In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the abundant protein superoxide dismutase (SOD1) or the TAR-DNA binding protein TDP-43 can aggregate in motor neurons. Recently, numerous studies have highlighted the ability of aggregates to spread from neuron to neuron in a prion-like fashion. These studies have typically focused on the use of neuron-like cell lines or neurons that are not normally affected by the specific aggregated protein being studied. Here, we have investigated the uptake of pre-formed SOD1 aggregates by cultures containing pluripotent stem cell-derived human motor neurons. We found that all cells take up aggregates by a process resembling fluid-phase endocytosis, just as found in earlier studies. However, motor neurons, despite taking up smaller amounts of SOD1, were much more vulnerable to the accumulating aggregates. Thus, the propagation of disease pathology depends less on selective uptake than on selective response to intracellular aggregates. We further demonstrate that anti-SOD1 antibodies, being considered as ALS therapeutics, can act by blocking the uptake of SOD1, but also by blocking the toxic effects of intracellular SOD1. This work demonstrates the importance of using disease relevant cells even in studying phenomena such as aggregate propagation.
The effects of in ovo administration of encapsulated Toll-like receptor 21 ligand as an adjuvant with Marek’s disease vaccine
Authors: Bavananthasivam Jegarubee , Read Leah , Astill Jake , Yitbarek Alexander , Alkie Tamiru N. , Abdul-Careem Mohamed Faizal , Wootton Sarah K. , Behboudi Shahriar , Sharif Shayan
Published: October 2018

Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) is the causative agent of a lymphoproliferative disease, Marek’s disease (MD) in chickens. MD is only controlled by mass vaccination; however, immunity induced by MD vaccines is unable to prevent MDV replication and transmission. The herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) vaccine is one of the most widely used MD vaccines in poultry industry. Vaccines can be adjuvanted with Toll-like receptor ligands (TLR-Ls) to enhance their efficacy. In this study, we examined whether combining TLR-Ls with HVT can boost host immunity against MD and improve its efficacy. Results demonstrated that HVT alone or HVT combined with encapsulated CpG-ODN partially protected chickens from tumor incidence and reduced virus replication compared to the control group. However, encapsulated CpG-ODN only moderately, but not significantly, improved HVT efficacy and reduced tumor incidence from 53% to 33%. Further investigation of cytokine gene profiles in spleen and bursa of Fabricius revealed an inverse association between interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-18 expression and protection conferred by different treatments. In addition, the results of this study raise the possibility that interferon (IFN)-β and IFN-γ induced by the treatments may exert anti-viral responses against MDV replication in the bursa of Fabricius at early stage of MDV infection in chickens.
Microinjection to deliver protein, mRNA, and DNA into zygotes of the cnidarian endosymbiosis model Aiptasia sp.
Authors: Jones Victor A. S. , Bucher Madeline , Hambleton Elizabeth A. , Guse Annika
Published: October 2018

Reef-building corals depend on an intracellular symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates for their survival in nutrient-poor oceans. Symbionts are phagocytosed by coral larvae from the environment and transfer essential nutrients to their hosts. Aiptasia, a small tropical marine sea anemone, is emerging as a tractable model system for coral symbiosis; however, to date functional tools and genetic transformation are lacking. Here we have established an efficient workflow to collect Aiptasia eggs for in vitro fertilization and microinjection as the basis for experimental manipulations in the developing embryo and larvae. We demonstrate that protein, mRNA, and DNA can successfully be injected into live Aiptasia zygotes to label actin with recombinant Lifeact-eGFP protein; to label nuclei and cell membranes with NLS-eGFP and farnesylated mCherry translated from injected mRNA; and to transiently drive transgene expression from an Aiptasia-specific promoter, respectively, in embryos and larvae. These proof-of-concept approaches pave the way for future functional studies of development and symbiosis establishment in Aiptasia, a powerful model to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying intracellular coral-algal symbiosis.
Proteomics as a new tool to study fingermark ageing in forensics
Authors: Oonk Stijn , Schuurmans Tom , Pabst Martin , de Smet Louis C. P. M. , de Puit Marcel
Published: October 2018

Fingermarks are trace evidence of great forensic importance, and their omnipresence makes them pivotal in crime investigation. Police and law enforcement authorities have exploited fingermarks primarily for personal identification, but crucial knowledge on when fingermarks were deposited is often lacking, thereby hindering crime reconstruction. Biomolecular constituents of fingermark residue, such as amino acids, lipids and proteins, may provide excellent means for fingermark age determination, however robust methodologies or detailed knowledge on molecular mechanisms in time are currently not available. Here, we address fingermark age assessment by: (i) drafting a first protein map of fingermark residue, (ii) differential studies of fresh and aged fingermarks and (iii), to mimic real-world scenarios, estimating the effects of donor contact with bodily fluids on the identification of potential age biomarkers. Using a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach, we drafted a characteristic fingermark proteome, of which five proteins were identified as promising candidates for fingermark age estimation. This study additionally demonstrates successful identification of both endogenous and contaminant proteins from donors that have been in contact with various bodily fluids. In summary, we introduce state-of-the-art proteomics as a sensitive tool to monitor fingermark aging on the protein level with sufficient selectivity to differentiate potential age markers from body fluid contaminants.
Rice straw biochar as a novel niche for improved alterations to the cecal microbial community in rats
Authors: Han Jie , Meng Jun , Chen Shuya , Li Chuang , Wang Shuo
Published: October 2018

Biochar as additive has been shown positive effect in animal production, which may be linked to the role of gastrointestinal microbial modulation. This study aimed to assess the effects of biochar on the gut microbial communities in terms of their structure and diversity. Illumina high-throughput technology was utilized to evaluate the cecal microbial community in Wistar rats received oral rice straw biochar (RSB) at 1120 mg/kg of body weight for 5 weeks. RSB improved the gut mucosal structure and epithelial integrity. More importantly, principal coordinate analysis of UniFrac distances based on a 97% operational taxonomic unit composition and abundance indicated that the bacterial community was ameliorated after RSB addition (P < 0.05). Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were found to be the prevalent phyla accounting for approximately 90% of the sequences and their ratio of relative abundance was increased by RSB addition (P < 0.05). Improved bacterial proportion of unclassified Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.001), Oscillibacter (P = 0.02), and Clostridium IV (P = 0.02) and XIVa (P = 0.02) as well as decreased abundances of Prevotella (P < 0.001) and Bacteroides (P = 0.03) were also detected at genus level following RSB treatment. These results revealed that RSB altered and improved the cecal microbial community, which may contribute to the affected growth and gut status in rats.
Combining multimodal adaptive optics imaging and angiography improves visualization of human eyes with cellular-level resolution
Authors: Jung HaeWon , Liu Tao , Liu Jianfei , Huryn Laryssa A. , Tam Johnny
Published: October 2018

Visualizing the cellular manifestation of disease has recently been aided by an increasing number of adaptive optics (AO)-based imaging modalities developed for the living human eye. However, simultaneous visualization of multiple, interacting cell types within a complete neural–epithelial–vascular complex has proven challenging. By incorporating AO with indocyanine green angiography, we demonstrate the possibility of imaging photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and choriocapillaris in the living human eye. Unexpectedly, we found that there was uptake of indocyanine green dye into the retinal pigment epithelial cells in the earliest phases of imaging, which formed the basis for devising a strategy to visualize the choriocapillaris. Our results expand the range of applications for an existing, FDA-approved, systemically injected fluorescent dye. The combined multimodal approach can be used to evaluate the complete outer retinal complex at the cellular level, a transformative step toward revealing the in vivo cellular status of neurodegenerative conditions and blinding diseases.
Shape selective bifacial recognition of double helical DNA
Authors: Thadke Shivaji A. , Hridya V. M. , Perera J. Dinithi R. , Gil Roberto R. , Mukherjee Arnab , Ly Danith H.
Published: October 2018

An impressive array of antigene approaches has been developed for recognition of double helical DNA over the past three decades; however, few have exploited the ‘Watson–Crick’ base-pairing rules for establishing sequence-specific recognition. One approach employs peptide nucleic acid as a molecular reagent and strand invasion as a binding mode. However, even with integration of the latest conformationally-preorganized backbone design, such an approach is generally confined to sub-physiological conditions due to the lack of binding energy. Here we report the use of a class of shape-selective, bifacial nucleic acid recognition elements, namely Janus bases, for targeting double helical DNA or RNA. Binding occurs in a highly sequence-specific manner under physiologically relevant conditions. The work may provide a foundation for the design of oligonucleotides for targeting the secondary and tertiary structures of nucleic acid biopolymers.
Zeolites and zeolite-based materials in extraction and microextraction techniques
Authors: Baile Paola , Fernández Elena , Vidal Lorena , Canals Antonio
Published: October 2018

This review presents an overview of the current status of zeolites and zeolite-based materials used in extraction and microextraction techniques with reference to recent applications and highlight some of the novel advances.
Advancements in fractal plasmonics: structures, optical properties, and applications
Authors: Wallace Gregory Q. , Lagugné-Labarthet François
Published: October 2018

Fractal nanostructures exhibit optical properties that span the visible to far-infrared and are emerging as exciting structures for plasmon-mediated applications.
Dual excitation wavelength system for combined fingerprint and high wavenumber Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Masson Laura E. , O'Brien Christine M. , Pence Isaac J. , Herington Jennifer L. , Reese Jeff , van Leeuwen Ton G. , Mahadevan-Jansen Anita
Published: October 2018

A probe-based Raman spectroscopy system using a single laser module with two excitation wavelengths has been developed for measuring the fingerprint and high wavenumber regions with a single detector.
The Ouzo effect to selectively assemble molybdenum clusters into nanomarbles or nanocapsules with increased HER activity
Authors: Sciortino Flavien , Cuny Jérôme , Grasset Fabien , Lagrost Corinne , Lemoine Pierric , Moréac Alain , Molard Yann , Takei Toshiaki , Cordier Stéphane , Chevance Soizic , Gauffre Fabienne
Published: October 2018

Molybdenum clusters assemble spontaneously into nanocapsules or nanomarbles depending on their solubility in a water/THF mixture.
A triarylphosphine–trimethylpiperidine reagent for the one-step derivatization and enrichment of protein post-translational modifications and identification by mass spectrometry
Authors: Huo Bianbian , Zhang Wanjun , Zhao Xinyuan , Dong Hangyan , Yu Yongliang , Wang Jianhua , Qian Xiaohong , Qin Weijie
Published: October 2018

A new reagent for the one-step derivatization and enrichment of azide tagged PTM peptides for sensitive identification by mass spectrometry.
Interaction of a trinuclear copper(i) pyrazolate with alkynes and carbon–carbon triple bond activation
Authors: Titov Aleksei A. , Larionov Vladimir A. , Smol’yakov Alexander F. , Godovikova Maria I. , Titova Ekaterina M. , Maleev Victor I. , Shubina Elena S.
Published: October 2018

The trinuclear copper(i) pyrazolate {[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Cu}3 forms η2-copper/alkyne triple bond coordinated structures in the presence of acetylenes.
A series of metal–organic frameworks constructed by a rigid-flexible 5-(bis(4-carboxybenzyl)amino)isophthalic acid: syntheses, crystal structures and physical properties
Authors: Qiao Yu , Ma Yufeng , Jiang Wei , Wang Xiuyan , Guan Weisheng , Che Guangbo , Li Weikang , Qin Fang
Published: October 2018

Four new MOFs have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized.
A general strategy for the synthesis of rare earth fluoride nano(micro)crystals
Authors: Liu Songtao , De Gejihu , Wang Xian , Xu Yueshan , Liu Yuanyuan , Wang Jianxun , Cheng Chunyan
Published: October 2018

A simple, and environmentally friendly method to synthesize rare earth fluorides of REF3 (RE = La, Y), and AREF4 (A = Li, Na, K; RE = La, Gd, Y) nano(micro)crystals via a solvothermal route.
Photochromic naphthalene diimide Cd-MOFs based on different second dicarboxylic acid ligands
Authors: Li Ziyin , Guo Junzhi , Xiang Fahui , Lin Quanjie , Ye Yingxiang , Zhang Jindan , Chen Shimin , Zhang Zhangjing , Xiang Shengchang
Published: October 2018

Three novel 3D calcium-based metal–organic frameworks (FJU-67, FJU-68, and FJU-69) established on naphthalene diimide chromophores have been synthesized, which exhibit unique multiple interpenetrated networks with dia net topologies.
Catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction of edges in Janus monolayer MoXY (X/Y = S, Se, and Te)
Authors: Shi Wenwu , Fan Kaimin , Wang Zhiguo
Published: October 2018

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been regarded as the most promising low-cost alternatives to noble metals as catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
Atomistic insights into the adsorption and stimuli-responsive behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)–graphene hybrid systems
Authors: Moshref-Javadi Mahdi , Simon George P. , Medhekar Nikhil V.
Published: October 2018

First fully atomistic study on PNIPAM/G-GO hybrid systems, unravelling their distinct adsorption and stimuli-responsive behaviors.
Pairing-up viologen cations and dications: a microscopic investigation of van der Waals interactions
Authors: Gourlaouen Christophe , Vela Sergi , Choua Sylvie , Berville Mathilde , Wytko Jennifer A. , Weiss Jean , Robert Vincent
Published: October 2018

Polarizability and simultaneous environment effects overcome Coulomb repulsions.
Phonon mode contributions to thermal conductivity of pristine and defective β-Ga2O3
Authors: Yan Zhequan , Kumar Satish
Published: October 2018

The effects of oxygen and gallium vacancies on the thermal conductivity of β-Ga2O3 and phonon modes’ contributions to thermal conductivity considering the defect-induced phonon scattering have been studied.
The generation and transport of reactive nitrogen species from a low temperature atmospheric pressure air plasma source
Authors: Dickenson Aaron , Britun Nikolay , Nikiforov Anton , Leys Christophe , Hasan Mohammad I. , Walsh James L.
Published: October 2018

The transport of reactive nitrogen species from a non-equilibrium gas discharge is dominated by electrohydrodynamic forces created within the plasma.
Ruthenium(ii)-polypyridyl doped zirconium(iv) metal–organic frameworks for solid-state electrochemiluminescence
Authors: Cai Meng , Loague Quentin R. , Zhu Jie , Lin Shaoyang , Usov Pavel M. , Morris Amanda J.
Published: October 2018

Ruthenium(ii)-polypyridyl doped zirconium(iv) metal–organic framework film, UiO-67-Ru@FTO, exhibited electrochemiluminescence with tripropylamine as coreactant in a wide concentration range of 0.04–20 mM.
Synthesis of tetraarylborates via tetralithio intermediates and the effect of polar functional groups and cations on their crystal structures
Authors: Tomaszewski Patryk , Wiszniewski Marcin , Serwatowski Janusz , Woźniak Krzysztof , Durka Krzysztof , Luliński Sergiusz
Published: October 2018

The synthesis and X-ray structural characterization of functionalized (COOH, CHO, C(O)NHtBu, B(OH)2) tetraphenyl- and tetrakis(4′-biphenylyl)borates is reported.
Priming effects in the crystallization of the phase change compound GeTe from atomistic simulations
Authors: Gabardi Silvia , Sosso Gabriele G. , Behler Joerg , Bernasconi Marco
Published: October 2018

Molecular dynamics simulations provide insights into the priming effects in the crystallization of the phase change compound GeTe.
Electrochemical synthesis of tetrazoles via metal- and oxidant-free [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azides with hydrazones
Authors: Ye Zenghui , Wang Feng , Li Yong , Zhang Fengzhi
Published: October 2018

An unprecedented electrochemical [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction for the synthesis of valuable tetrazoles was developed. Readily available azides and hydrazones were used as the starting materials under simple metal- and oxidant-free reaction conditions. Various functional groups are compatible with this green protocol.
Close-loop dynamic nanohybrids on collagen-ark with in situ gelling transformation capability for biomimetic stage-specific diabetic wound healing
Authors: Liu Zehua , Li Yunzhan , Li Wei , Lian Wenhua , Kemell Marianna , Hietala Sami , Figueiredo Patrícia , Li Li , Mäkilä Ermei , Ma Ming , Salonen Jarno , Hirvonen Jouni T. , Liu Dongfei , Zhang Hongbo , Deng Xianming , Santos Hélder A.
Published: October 2018

A self-regulated dynamic nanohybrid that can sensitively respond to hyperglycemic microenvironment is developed. The nanohybrid with a core/shell structure is produced through a single-step microfluidics nanoprecipitation method, where drugs-loaded porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles are encapsulated by H2O2 responsive polymeric matrix.
Spectroscopic properties and solute–solvent structural analyses for ANR polypeptides in water solution: a sequential Monte Carlo/quantum mechanics (S-MC/QM) theoretical study
Authors: Prado Richard Costa , Colherinhas Guilherme , Oliveira Leonardo Bruno Assis
Published: October 2018

We present a theoretical study of the solvent influence on ANR polypeptides, with N = 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, in the gas phase and in water solution using the sequential MC/QM methodology combined with GIAO-DFT calculations.
Novel generation of nano-structured supramolecular solvents based on an ionic liquid as a green solvent for microextraction of some synthetic food dyes
Authors: Salamat Qamar , Yamini Yadollah , Moradi Morteza , Karimi Meghdad , Nazraz Mahsa
Published: October 2018

A new, fast, and environmentally friendly supra molecular solvent was introduced for extraction of three synthetic food dyes in foodstuff samples.
The novel and efficient reduction of graphene oxide using Ocimum sanctum L. leaf extract as an alternative renewable bio-resource
Authors: Mahata Suhasini , Sahu Anjumala , Shukla Prashant , Rai Ankita , Singh Manorama , Rai Vijai K.
Published: October 2018

The efficient, rapid, bio-inspired synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets was explored using green leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum L. (Tulsi leaves). This mild biorenewable reducing agent containing eugenol, ascorbic acid, and polyols also acts as a stabilizer for the prepared rGO.
Mussel-inspired facile synthesis of Fe/Co-polydopamine complex nanospheres: complexation mechanism and application of the carbonized hybrid nanospheres as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst
Authors: Ang Jia Ming , Li Bing , Xi Shibo , Du Yonghua , Zhao Chenyang , Kong Junhua , Zong Yun , Ludger Stubbs Paul , Lu Xuehong
Published: October 2018

A one-pot synthesis of Co(ii)–Fe(iii)–PDA complex nanospheres as a facile approach to obtain binary metal-doped carbon nanostructures.
Enhanced photocatalytic performance of bismuth vanadate assisted by polyoxometalates and phthalocyanine
Authors: Song Chunli , Jin Zhanbin , Li Fengyan , Zhen Miaomiao , Xi Lu , Xu Lin
Published: October 2018

H3PW12O40 (PW12) and binuclear phthalocyanine (bi-CoPc) modified nanofilms PW12–BiVO4–bi-CoPc were prepared. Under illumination of visible light, PW12–BVO–bi-CoPc nanofilm exhibits a 3-fold enhancement in photocatalytic degradation of NO2.
An unexpected method to synthesise 1,2,4-oxadiazolone derivatives: a class of insensitive energetic materials
Authors: Wang Bohan , Xiong Hualin , Cheng Guangbin , Zhang Zaichao , Yang Hongwei
Published: October 2018

A new and effective method for the preparation of 3-(4-amino-1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5(4H)-one is presented. Explosophore groups such as NO2NH–, NO2–, C(NO2)3CH2NH– and –NN– were incorporated by a variety of functionalization strategies.
On the formation of sandwich and multidecker complexes via π⋯π interaction: a DFT study
Authors: Saha Bapan , Deka Rinkumani , Das Anjali , Bhattacharyya Pradip Kr.
Published: October 2018

Sandwich and multidecker complexes via organic π–inorganic π interaction.
Reduced graphene oxide intercalated ZnS nanoparticles as an efficient and durable electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Jiang Zhankun , Yu Jiemei , Song Xianzhen , Yang Wenjie , Fang Hengyi , Sun Yue , Sun Guoxin , Huang Taizhong
Published: October 2018

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key reaction for fuel cells and metal–air batteries.
Highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+, Cr2O72−, and nitrobenzene/2,4-dinitrophenol in water via two fluorescent Cd-CPs
Authors: Wang Xiao , Han You , Han Xing Xing , Hou Xiangyang , Wang Ji-Jiang , Fu Feng
Published: October 2018

Taking advantage of fluorescent Cd-CPs with 3,3′-thiodipropionic acid and imidazole ligands, herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of functional CPs, and develop two Cd-CP fluorescence sensing materials with highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+, Cr2O72−, NB,/2,4-DNP in water.
A carbon-dot-based dual-emission probe for ultrasensitive visual detection of copper ions
Authors: Kuang Yunsuo , Chen Linfeng , Lu Jiahui , Tian Xike , Yang Chao , Li Yong , Lu Liqiang , Nie Yulun
Published: October 2018

In this work, we successfully developed an ultrasensitive dual-emission fluorescent sensor (CRB) for instant visual determination of Cu2+ by modifying a Cu-sensitive rhodamine B derivative (RB) onto photostable carboxyl modified carbon dots (CDs).
Surface state-controlled C-dot/C-dot based dual-emission fluorescent nanothermometers for intra-cellular thermometry
Authors: Wang Chan , Hu Tantan , Thomas Tiju , Song Shanliang , Wen Zhuoqi , Wang Chuanxi , Song Qijun , Yang Minghui
Published: October 2018

Surface state-controlled C-dots/C-dots based dual-emission fluorescent nanothermometer is achieved which can use for the visual measurement of intracellular temperature variations.