bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction
Authors: BAADE CHRISTINA , GALLOMAZZEI EMILY
Published: November 2015

Cue: Lalo Schifrin's “Theme from Mission: Impossible.” If the return of Tom Cruise, explosions, and fast-paced chases to the screen this summer is any indication, Americans (and the global audience for Hollywood action film) love an impossible mission. Certainly, U.S. music scholars do. Reading the eight reviews of the second edition of The Grove Dictionary of American Music (hereafter, AmeriGrove II), edited by Charles Garrett (with a large and distinguished editorial team and nearly fifteen hundred contributors), as well as dipping frequently into its entries, we were deeply impressed both by the quality and ambition of the eight-volume, 5.4 million-word encyclopedia and by the “gargantuan” task (as Leta Miller puts it) with which the reviewers had been charged.
Overview I
Authors: OSTENDORF BERNDT , RATHERT WOLFGANG
Published: November 2015

“How does one review a monument?” Richard Crawford wondered when he sat down to review the first AmeriGrove in 1987; it puts “the conventional notion of a review to the test.” Some thirty years later, with the new AmeriGrove twice the size of the first edition and with the U.S. soundscape becoming more global and hybrid by the day, the challenge has increased for the potential reviewer. Indeed, how do you review a collective enterprise with up to 1500 authors and 9300 entries (some old, some new) along a timeline of some 350 years? For a professional insider like Richard Crawford the test was tough enough, but to assess its virtues and faults from a European perch, it is positively daunting, particularly when post-national, global crosscurrents continue to inspire a constantly evolving U.S. musical scene.
Music before 1800
Authors: GOODMAN GLENDA
Published: November 2015

Here are two important lessons about information control: first, there is always “too much to know.” This phrase comes from historian Ann Blair, who argues in her book of the same title that in the early modern period the attempt to gather and systematize knowledge was already regarded as a hubristic task. Second, information control is inherently ideological. Think of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert's magisterial Encyclopédie (1751–77), which in thirty-two volumes attempted to map the world of knowledge and, in doing so, determined what counted as “knowable” and what was ruled out. Equally ambitious and ideological was Noah Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language (advertised 1800, completed 1828), a monumental undertaking aimed at codifying a national language for the new United States. Both of these lessons apply to the pre-1800 articles in AmeriGrove II, and, indeed, to the eight-volume dictionary as a whole. Confronted with the problem of “too much to know,” AmeriGrove II inherits the optimism of its Enlightenment ancestor and endeavors to expand systematically the knowable world of U.S. music history, yet it leaves much uncovered. Moreover, like Webster's dictionary, the focus of AmeriGrove II is confidently national. Whether it echoes Webster's nationalistic stance is a more complicated question, particularly for the articles on pre-1800 topics.
Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Art Music
Authors: MILLER LETA E.
Published: November 2015

The eight-volume second edition of The Grove Dictionary of American Music is an extraordinary achievement, embodying the contributions of nearly 1500 scholars, many of whom regularly read and publish in the present journal. It was therefore with some trepidation, and a great deal of humility, that I accepted John Koegel's invitation to review the encyclopedia's coverage of twentieth- and twenty-first-century “art music.” The more I delved into this gargantuan task, the more impressed I became with the encyclopedia's scope, the high quality of writing, and the sensitivity to difficult conceptual issues in the field. (And as a side benefit, I learned about a host of people I'd not previously known.)
A Series on the Edge: Social Tension in Star Trek's Title Cue—ADDENDUM
Authors: GETMAN JESSICA L.
Published: November 2015

Permission to use notation for the theme from “Star Trek” was received after the article by Getman in the August 2015 issue of Journal of the Society for American Music was published. The captions for Examples 1, 2, and 4 should carry the following credit:

Theme from “Star Trek(R),” words by Gene Roddenberry, music by Alexander Courage. © 1966, 1970 Bruin Music Company. Copyright renewed. This arrangement © 2015 Bruin Music Company. All Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
Sea Level Rise Due to Warming, Weakening of Greenland Glaciers
Authors: Shultz David
Published: November 2015

Increasing ice temperatures and decreasing ice viscosities could lead to "thermal-viscous collapse" of the Greenland ice sheet, raising sea levels as much as 51 centimeters over the next 500 years.
New Spin on Pluto's Moons
Authors: Cowen Ron
Published: November 2015

Strangely speedy rotation rates of Pluto's tiny orbiting companions show up in a trove of images taken as the New Horizons spacecraft approached the dwarf planet last spring and early summer.
Increased dysbindin-1B isoform expression in schizophrenia and its propensity in aggresome formation
Authors: Xu Yiliang , Sun Yuhui , Ye Haihong , Zhu Li , Liu Jianghong , Wu Xiaofeng , Wang Le , He Tingting , Shen Yan , Wu Jane Y , Xu Qi
Published: November 2015

Genetic variations in the human dysbindin-1 gene (DTNBP1) have been associated with schizophrenia. As a result of alternative splicing, the human DTNBP1 gene generates at least three distinct protein isoforms, dysbindin-1A, -1B and -1C. Significant effort has focused on dysbindin-1A, an important player in multiple steps of neurodevelopment. However, the other isoforms, dysbindin-1B and dysbindin-1C have not been well characterized. Nor have been associated with human diseases. Here we report an increase in expression of DTNBP1b mRNA in patients with paranoid schizophrenia as compared with healthy controls. A single-nucleotide polymorphism located in intron 9, rs117610176, has been identified and associated with paranoid schizophrenia, and its C allele leads to an increase of DTNBP1b mRNA splicing. Our data show that different dysbindin splicing isoforms exhibit distinct subcellular distribution, suggesting their distinct functional activities. Dysbindin-1B forms aggresomes at the perinuclear region, whereas dysbindin-1A and -1C proteins exhibit diffused patterns in the cytoplasm. Dysbindin-1A interacts with dysbindin-1B, getting recruited to the aggresome structure when co-expressed with dysbindin-1B. Moreover, cortical neurons over-expressing dysbindin-1B show reduction in neurite outgrowth, suggesting that dysbindin-1B may interfere with dysbindin-1A function in a dominant-negative manner. Taken together, our study uncovers a previously unknown association of DTNBP1b expression with schizophrenia in addition to its distinct biochemical and functional properties.
Stable and sporadic symbiotic communities of coral and algal holobionts
Authors: Hester Eric R , Barott Katie L , Nulton Jim , Vermeij Mark J A , Rohwer Forest L
Published: November 2015

Coral and algal holobionts are assemblages of macroorganisms and microorganisms, including viruses, Bacteria, Archaea, protists and fungi. Despite a decade of research, it remains unclear whether these associations are spatial–temporally stable or species-specific. We hypothesized that conflicting interpretations of the data arise from high noise associated with sporadic microbial symbionts overwhelming signatures of stable holobiont members. To test this hypothesis, the bacterial communities associated with three coral species (Acropora rosaria, Acropora hyacinthus and Porites lutea) and two algal guilds (crustose coralline algae and turf algae) from 131 samples were analyzed using a novel statistical approach termed the Abundance-Ubiquity (AU) test. The AU test determines whether a given bacterial species would be present given additional sampling effort (that is, stable) versus those species that are sporadically associated with a sample. Using the AU test, we show that coral and algal holobionts have a high-diversity group of stable symbionts. Stable symbionts are not exclusive to one species of coral or algae. No single bacterial species was ubiquitously associated with one host, showing that there is not strict heredity of the microbiome. In addition to the stable symbionts, there was a low-diversity community of sporadic symbionts whose abundance varied widely across individual holobionts of the same species. Identification of these two symbiont communities supports the holobiont model and calls into question the hologenome theory of evolution.
African humid periods triggered the reactivation of a large river system in Western Sahara
Authors: Skonieczny C. , Paillou P. , Bory A. , Bayon G. , Biscara L. , Crosta X. , Eynaud F. , Malaizé B. , Revel M. , Aleman N. , Barusseau J. -P. , Vernet R. , Lopez S. , Grousset F.
Published: November 2015

The Sahara experienced several humid episodes during the late Quaternary, associated with the development of vast fluvial networks and enhanced freshwater delivery to the surrounding ocean margins. In particular, marine sediment records off Western Sahara indicate deposition of river-borne material at those times, implying sustained fluvial discharges along the West African margin. Today, however, no major river exists in this area; therefore, the origin of these sediments remains unclear. Here, using orbital radar satellite imagery, we present geomorphological data that reveal the existence of a large buried paleodrainage network on the Mauritanian coast. On the basis of evidence from the literature, we propose that reactivation of this major paleoriver during past humid periods contributed to the delivery of sediments to the Tropical Atlantic margin. This finding provides new insights for the interpretation of terrigenous sediment records off Western Africa, with important implications for our understanding of the paleohydrological history of the Sahara.
Complementation between polymerase- and exonuclease-deficient mitochondrial DNA polymerase mutants in genomically engineered flies
Authors: Bratic Ana , Kauppila Timo E. S. , Macao Bertil , Grönke Sebastian , Siibak Triinu , Stewart James B. , Baggio Francesca , Dols Jacqueline , Partridge Linda , Falkenberg Maria , Wredenberg Anna , Larsson Nils-Göran
Published: November 2015

Replication errors are the main cause of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and a compelling approach to decrease mutation levels would therefore be to increase the fidelity of the catalytic subunit (POLγA) of the mtDNA polymerase. Here we genomically engineer the tamas locus, encoding fly POLγA, and introduce alleles expressing exonuclease- (exo−) and polymerase-deficient (pol−) POLγA versions. The exo− mutant leads to accumulation of point mutations and linear deletions of mtDNA, whereas pol− mutants cause mtDNA depletion. The mutant tamas alleles are developmentally lethal but can complement each other in trans resulting in viable flies with clonally expanded mtDNA mutations. Reconstitution of human mtDNA replication in vitro confirms that replication is a highly dynamic process where POLγA goes on and off the template to allow complementation during proofreading and elongation. The created fly models are valuable tools to study germ line transmission of mtDNA and the pathophysiology of POLγA mutation disease.
Biological, ecological, conservation and legal information for all species and subspecies of Australian bird
Authors: Garnett Stephen T. , Duursma Daisy E. , Ehmke Glenn , Guay Patrick-Jean , Stewart Alistair , Szabo Judit K. , Weston Michael A. , Bennett Simon , Crowley Gabriel M. , Drynan David , Dutson Guy , Fitzherbert Kate , Franklin Donald C.
Published: November 2015

We introduce a dataset of biological, ecological, conservation and legal information for every species and subspecies of Australian bird, 2056 taxa or populations in total. Version 1 contains 230 fields grouped under the following headings: Taxonomy & nomenclature, Phylogeny, Australian population status, Conservation status, Legal status, Distribution, Morphology, Habitat, Food, Behaviour, Breeding, Mobility and Climate metrics. It is envisaged that the dataset will be updated periodically with new data for existing fields and the addition of new fields. The dataset has already had, and will continue to have applications in Australian and international ornithology, especially those that require standard information for a large number of taxa.
Fast-moving dislocations trigger flash weakening in carbonate-bearing faults during earthquakes
Authors: Spagnuolo Elena , Plümper Oliver , Violay Marie , Cavallo Andrea , Di Toro Giulio
Published: November 2015

Rupture fronts can cause fault displacement, reaching speeds up to several ms−1 within a few milliseconds, at any distance away from the earthquake nucleation area. In the case of silicate-bearing rocks the abrupt slip acceleration results in melting at asperity contacts causing a large reduction in fault frictional strength (i.e., flash weakening). Flash weakening is also observed in experiments performed in carbonate-bearing rocks but evidence for melting is lacking. To unravel the micro-physical mechanisms associated with flash weakening in carbonates, experiments were conducted on pre-cut Carrara marble cylinders using a rotary shear apparatus at conditions relevant to earthquakes propagation. In the first 5 mm of slip the shear stress was reduced up to 30% and CO2 was released. Focused ion beam, scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations of the slipping zones reveal the presence of calcite nanograins and amorphous carbon. We interpret the CO2 release, the formation of nanograins and amorphous carbon to be the result of a shock-like stress release associated with the migration of fast-moving dislocations. Amorphous carbon, given its low friction coefficient, is responsible for flash weakening and promotes the propagation of the seismic rupture in carbonate-bearing fault patches.
Layers: A molecular surface peeling algorithm and its applications to analyze protein structures
Authors: Karampudi Naga Bhushana Rao , Bahadur Ranjit Prasad
Published: November 2015

We present an algorithm ‘Layers’ to peel the atoms of proteins as layers. Using Layers we show an efficient way to transform protein structures into 2D pattern, named residue transition pattern (RTP), which is independent of molecular orientations. RTP explains the folding patterns of proteins and hence identification of similarity between proteins is simple and reliable using RTP than with the standard sequence or structure based methods. Moreover, Layers generates a fine-tunable coarse model for the molecular surface by using non-random sampling. The coarse model can be used for shape comparison, protein recognition and ligand design. Additionally, Layers can be used to develop biased initial configuration of molecules for protein folding simulations. We have developed a random forest classifier to predict the RTP of a given polypeptide sequence. Layers is a standalone application; however, it can be merged with other applications to reduce the computational load when working with large datasets of protein structures. Layers is available freely at http://www.csb.iitkgp.ernet.in/applications/mol_layers/main.
Human mesenchymal stem cell-engineered hepatic cell sheets accelerate liver regeneration in mice
Authors: Itaba Noriko , Matsumi Yoshiaki , Okinaka Kaori , Ashla An Afida , Kono Yohei , Osaki Mitsuhiko , Morimoto Minoru , Sugiyama Naoyuki , Ohashi Kazuo , Okano Teruo , Shiota Goshi
Published: November 2015

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive cell source for cell therapy. Based on our hypothesis that suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signal enhances hepatic differentiation of human MSCs, we developed human mesenchymal stem cell-engineered hepatic cell sheets by a small molecule compound. Screening of 10 small molecule compounds was performed by WST assay, TCF reporter assay and albumin mRNA expression. Consequently, hexachlorophene suppressed TCF reporter activity in time- and concentration-dependent manner. Hexachlorophene rapidly induced hepatic differentiation of human MSCs judging from expression of liver-specific genes and proteins, PAS staining and urea production. The effect of orthotopic transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cell-engineered hepatic cell sheets against acute liver injury was examined in one-layered to three-layered cell sheets system. Transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cell-engineered hepatic cell sheets enhanced liver regeneration and suppressed liver injury. The survival rates of the mice were significantly improved. High expression of complement C3 and its downstream signals including C5a, NF-κB and IL-6/STAT-3 pathway was observed in hepatic cell sheets-grafted tissues. Expression of phosphorylated EGFR and thioredoxin is enhanced, resulting in reduction of oxidative stress. These findings suggest that orthotopic transplantation of hepatic cell sheets manufactured from MSCs accelerates liver regeneration through complement C3, EGFR and thioredoxin.
Dissipative solitons and backfiring in the electrooxidation of CO on Pt
Authors: Bauer Philipp R. , Bonnefont Antoine , Krischer Katharina
Published: November 2015

Collisions of excitation pulses in dissipative systems lead usually to their annihilation. In this paper, we report electrochemical experiments exhibiting more complex pulse interaction with collision survival and pulse splitting, phenomena that have rarely been observed experimentally and are only poorly understood theoretically. Using spatially resolved in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in the attenuated total reflection configuration, we monitored reaction pulses during the electrochemical oxidation of CO on Pt thin film electrodes in a flow cell. The system forms quasi-1d pulses that align parallel to the flow and propagate perpendicular to it. The pulses split once in a while, generating a second solitary wave in the backward moving direction. Upon collision, the waves penetrate each other in a soliton-like manner. These unusual pulse dynamics could be reproduced with a 3-component reaction-diffusion-migration model with two inhibitor species, one of them exhibiting a long-range spatial coupling. The simulations shed light on existence criteria of such dissipative solitons.
APOE-ε4 selectively modulates posteromedial cortex activity during scene perception and short-term memory in young healthy adults
Authors: Shine J. P. , Hodgetts C. J. , Postans M. , Lawrence A. D. , Graham K. S.
Published: November 2015

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 is a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the mechanisms by which APOE-ε4 influences early-life brain function and hence, in turn, risk for later-life AD, are poorly understood. Here, we report a novel and selective, pattern of functional brain activity alteration in healthy young adult human APOE-ε4 carriers. Our findings suggest that APOE-ε4 may influence vulnerability to poorer later life cognitive health via its effect on posteromedial cortex (PMC), a hub region within a brain network involved in spatial processing and necessary for episodic memory. In two neuroimaging tasks, APOE-ε4 carriers showed an inability to effectively modulate PMC during scene, but not face and object, working memory and perception. This striking pattern overlaps both functionally and topographically, with the earliest cognitive deficits seen in clinical AD, as well as reported alterations in the default network in amyloid-positive individuals at increased risk of AD.
Construction of a high-density linkage map and fine mapping of QTL for growth in Asian seabass
Authors: Wang Le , Wan Zi Yi , Bai Bin , Huang Shu Qing , Chua Elaine , Lee May , Pang Hong Yan , Wen Yan Fei , Liu Peng , Liu Feng , Sun Fei , Lin Grace , Ye Bao Qing , Yue Gen Hua
Published: November 2015

A high-density genetic map is essential for comparative genomic studies and fine mapping of QTL and can also facilitate genome sequence assembly. Here, a high density genetic map of Asian seabass was constructed with 3321 SNPs generated by sequencing 144 individuals in a F2 family. The length of the map was 1577.67 cM with an average marker interval of 0.52 cM. A high level of genomic synteny among Asian seabass, European seabass, Nile tilapia and stickleback was detected. Using this map, one genome-wide significant and five suggestive QTL for growth traits were detected in six linkage groups (i.e. LG4, LG5, LG11, LG13, LG14 and LG15). These QTL explained 10.5–16.0% of phenotypic variance. A candidate gene, ACOX1 within the significant QTL on LG5 was identified. The gene was differentially expressed between fast- and slow-growing Asian seabass. The high-density SNP-based map provides an important tool for fine mapping QTL in molecular breeding and comparative genome analysis.
Inversion of Supramolecular Chirality by Sonication-Induced Organogelation
Authors: Maity Sibaprasad , Das Priyadip , Reches Meital
Published: November 2015

Natural helical structures have inspired the formation of well-ordered peptide-based chiral nanostructures in vitro. These structures have drawn much attention owing to their diverse applications in the area of asymmetric catalysts, chiral photonic materials and nanoplasmonics. The self-assembly of two enantiomeric fluorinated aromatic dipeptides into ordered chiral fibrillar nanostructures upon sonication is described. These fibrils form organogels. Our results clearly indicate that fluorine-fluorine interactions play an important role in self-assembly. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that both peptides (peptides 1 and 2), containing two fluorines, depicted opposite cotton effects in their monomeric form compared with their aggregated form. This shows that supramolecular chirality inversion took place during the stimuli-responsive self-aggregation process. Conversely, peptide 3, containing one fluorine, did not exhibit chirality inversion in sonication-induced organogelation. Therefore, our results clearly indicate that fluorination plays an important role in the organogelation process of these aromatic dipeptides. Our findings may have broad implications regarding the design of chiral nanostructures for possible applications such as chiroptical switches, asymmetric catalysis and chiral recognitions.
Facile room-temperature synthesis of carboxylated graphene oxide-copper sulfide nanocomposite with high photodegradation and disinfection activities under solar light irradiation
Authors: Yu Shuyan , Liu Jincheng , Zhu Wenyu , Hu Zhong-Ting , Lim Teik-Thye , Yan Xiaoli
Published: November 2015

Carboxylic acid functionalized graphene oxide-copper (II) sulfide nanoparticle composite (GO-COOH-CuS) was prepared from carboxylated graphene oxide and copper precursor in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) by a facile synthesis process at room temperature. The high-effective combination, the interaction between GO-COOH sheets and CuS nanoparticles and the enhanced visible light absorption were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The as-synthesized GO-COOH-CuS nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance of phenol and rhodamine B, high antibacterial activity toward E. coli and B. subtilis and good recovery and reusability. The influence of CuS content, the synergistic reaction between CuS and GO-COOH and the charge-transfer mechanism were systematically investigated. The facile and low-energy synthesis process combined with the excellent degradation and antibacterial performance signify that the GO-COOH-CuS has a great potential for water treatment application.
Early astrocytosis in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease measured in vivo by multi-tracer positron emission tomography
Authors: Schöll Michael , Carter Stephen F. , Westman Eric , Rodriguez-Vieitez Elena , Almkvist Ove , Thordardottir Steinunn , Wall Anders , Graff Caroline , Långström Bengt , Nordberg Agneta
Published: November 2015

Studying autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD), caused by gene mutations yielding nearly complete penetrance and a distinct age of symptom onset, allows investigation of presymptomatic pathological processes that can identify a therapeutic window for disease-modifying therapies. Astrocyte activation may occur in presymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) because reactive astrocytes surround β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques in autopsy brain tissue. Positron emission tomography was performed to investigate fibrillar Aβ, astrocytosis and cerebral glucose metabolism with the radiotracers 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB), 11C-deuterium-L-deprenyl (DED) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) respectively in presymptomatic and symptomatic ADAD participants (n = 21), patients with mild cognitive impairment (n = 11) and sporadic AD (n = 7). Multivariate analysis using the combined data from all radiotracers clearly separated the different groups along the first and second principal components according to increased PIB retention/decreased FDG uptake (component 1) and increased DED binding (component 2). Presymptomatic ADAD mutation carriers showed significantly higher PIB retention than non-carriers in all brain regions except the hippocampus. DED binding was highest in presymptomatic ADAD mutation carriers. This suggests that non-fibrillar Aβ or early stage plaque depostion might interact with inflammatory responses indicating astrocytosis as an early contributory driving force in AD pathology. The novelty of this finding will be investigated in longitudinal follow-up studies.
Lysophosphatidic acid enhances survival of human CD34+ cells in ischemic conditions
Authors: Kostic Ivana , Fidalgo-Carvalho Isabel , Aday Sezin , Vazão Helena , Carvalheiro Tiago , Grãos Mário , Duarte António , Cardoso Carla , Gonçalves Lino , Carvalho Lina , Paiva Artur , Ferreira Lino
Published: November 2015

Several clinical trials are exploring therapeutic effect of human CD34+ cells in ischemic diseases, including myocardial infarction. Unfortunately, most of the cells die few days after delivery. Herein we show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-treated human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells cultured under hypoxic and serum-deprived conditions present 2.2-fold and 1.3-fold higher survival relatively to non-treated cells and prostaglandin E2-treated cells, respectively. The pro-survival effect of LPA is concentration- and time-dependent and it is mediated by the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor γ (PPARγ) and downstream, by the activation of pro-survival ERK and Akt signaling pathways and the inhibition of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. In hypoxia and serum-deprived culture conditions, LPA induces CD34+ cell proliferation without maintaining the their undifferentiating state and enhances IL-8, IL-6 and G-CSF secretion during the first 12 h compared to non-treated cells. LPA-treated CD34+ cells delivered in fibrin gels have enhanced survival and improved cardiac fractional shortening at 2 weeks on rat infarcted hearts as compared to hearts treated with placebo. We have developed a new platform to enhance the survival of CD34+ cells using a natural and cost-effective ligand and demonstrated its utility in the preservation of the functionality of the heart after infarction.
Exploring simvastatin, an antihyperlipidemic drug, as a potential topical antibacterial agent
Authors: Thangamani Shankar , Mohammad Haroon , Abushahba Mostafa F. N. , Hamed Maha I. , Sobreira Tiago J. P. , Hedrick Victoria E. , Paul Lake N. , Seleem Mohamed N.
Published: November 2015

The rapid rise of bacterial resistance to traditional antibiotics combined with the decline in discovery of novel antibacterial agents has created a global public health crisis. Repurposing existing drugs presents an alternative strategy to potentially expedite the discovery of new antimicrobial drugs. The present study demonstrates that simvastatin, an antihyperlipidemic drug exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against important Gram-positive (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)) and Gram-negative pathogens (once the barrier imposed by the outer membrane was permeabilized). Proteomics and macromolecular synthesis analyses revealed that simvastatin inhibits multiple biosynthetic pathways and cellular processes in bacteria, including selective interference of bacterial protein synthesis. This property appears to assist in simvastatin’s ability to suppress production of key MRSA toxins (α-hemolysin and Panton-Valentine leucocidin) that impair healing of infected skin wounds. A murine MRSA skin infection experiment confirmed that simvastatin significantly reduces the bacterial burden and inflammatory cytokines in the infected wounds. Additionally, simvastatin exhibits excellent anti-biofilm activity against established staphylococcal biofilms and demonstrates the ability to be combined with topical antimicrobials currently used to treat MRSA skin infections. Collectively the present study lays the foundation for further investigation of repurposing simvastatin as a topical antibacterial agent to treat skin infections.
Floating Oscillator-Embedded Triboelectric Generator for Versatile Mechanical Energy Harvesting
Authors: Seol Myeong-Lok , Han Jin-Woo , Jeon Seung-Bae , Meyyappan M. , Choi Yang-Kyu
Published: November 2015

A versatile vibration energy harvesting platform based on a triboelectricity is proposed and analyzed. External mechanical vibration repeats an oscillating motion of a polymer-coated metal oscillator floating inside a surrounding tube. Continuous sidewall friction at the contact interface of the oscillator induces current between the inner oscillator electrode and the outer tube electrode to convert mechanical vibrations into electrical energy. The floating oscillator-embedded triboelectric generator (FO-TEG) is applicable for both impulse excitation and sinusoidal vibration which universally exist in usual environment. For the impulse excitation, the generated current sustains and slowly decays by the residual oscillation of the floating oscillator. For the sinusoidal vibration, the output energy can be maximized by resonance oscillation. The operating frequency range can be simply optimized with high degree of freedom to satisfy various application requirements. In addition, the excellent immunity against ambient humidity is experimentally demonstrated, which stems from the inherently packaged structure of FO-TEG. The prototype device provides a peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage of 157 V and instantaneous short-circuit current of 4.6 μA, within sub-10 Hz of operating frequency. To visually demonstrate the energy harvesting behavior of FO-TEG, lighting of an array of LEDs is demonstrated using artificial vibration and human running.
Anti-proliferative activity and cell cycle arrest induced by evodiamine on paclitaxel-sensitive and -resistant human ovarian cancer cells
Authors: Zhong Zhang-Feng , Tan Wen , Wang Sheng-Peng , Qiang Wen-An , Wang Yi-Tao
Published: November 2015

Chemo-resistance is the main factor for poor prognosis in human ovarian epithelial cancer. Active constituents derived from Chinese medicine with anti-cancer potential might circumvent this obstacle. In our present study, evodiamine (EVO) derived from Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth suppressed the proliferation of human epithelial ovarian cancer, A2780 and the related paclitaxel-resistant cell lines and did not cause cytotoxicity, as confirmed by the significant decline of clone formation and the representative alterations of CFDA-SE fluorescence. Meanwhile, EVO induced cell cycle arrest in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This disturbance might be mediated by the cooperation of Cyclin B1 and Cdc2, including the up-regulation of Cyclin B1, p27 and p21 and activation failure of Cdc2 and pRb. MAPK signaling pathway regulation also assisted in this process. Furthermore, chemo-sensitivity potential was enhanced as indicated in A2780/PTXR cells by the down-regulation of MDR-1 expression, accompanied by MDR-1 function suppression. Taken together, we confirmed initially that EVO exerted an anti-proliferative effect on human epithelial ovarian cancer cells, A2780/WT and A2780/PTXR, induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and improved chemo-resistance. Overall, we found that EVO significantly suppressed malignant proliferation in human epithelial ovarian cancer, thus proving to be a potential anti-cancer agent in the future.
Electrostatic Field Invisibility Cloak
Authors: Lan Chuwen , Yang Yuping , Geng Zhaoxin , Li Bo , Zhou Ji
Published: November 2015

The invisibility cloak has been drawing much attention due to its new concept for manipulating many physical fields, from oscillating wave fields (electromagnetic, acoustic and elastic) to static magnetic fields, dc electric fields and diffusive fields. Here, an electrostatic field invisibility cloak has been theoretically investigated and experimentally demonstrated to perfectly hide two dimensional objects without disturbing their external electrostatic fields. The desired cloaking effect has been achieved via both cancelling technology and transformation optics (TO). This study demonstrates a novel way for manipulating electrostatic fields, which shows promise for a wide range of potential applications.
miR-23a binds to p53 and enhances its association with miR-128 promoter
Authors: Li Jincheng , Aung Lynn Htet Htet , Long Bo , Qin Danian , An Shejuan , Li Peifeng
Published: November 2015

Apoptosis plays an important role in cardiac pathology, but the molecular mechanism by which apoptosis regulated remains largely elusive. Here, we report that miR-23a promotes the apoptotic effect of p53 in cardiomyocytes. Our results showed that miR-23a promotes apoptosis induced by oxidative stress. In exploring the molecular mechanism by which miR-23a promotes apoptosis, we found that it sensitized the effect of p53 on miR-128 regulation. It promoted the association of p53 to the promoter region of miR-128 and enhanced the transcriptional activation of p53 on miR-128 expression. miR-128 can downregulate prohibitin expression and subsequently promote apoptosis. Our data provides novel evidence revealing that miR-23a can stimulate transcriptional activity of p53.
Reduced grazing pressure delivers production and environmental benefits for the typical steppe of north China
Authors: Zhang Yingjun , Huang Ding , Badgery Warwick B. , Kemp David R. , Chen Wenqing , Wang Xiaoya , Liu Nan
Published: November 2015

Degradation by overgrazing is common in many areas of the world and optimising grassland functions depends upon finding suitable grazing tactics. This four-year study on the northern China steppe investigated combinations of rest, moderate or heavy grazing pressure early in the summer growing season, then moderate or heavy grazing in the mid and late season. Results showed that moderate grazing pressure (~550 sheep equivalent (SE) grazing days ha−1 year−1) gave the optimal balance between maintaining a productive and diverse grassland, a profitable livestock system and greenhouse gas mitigation. Further analyses identified that more conservative stocking (~400 SE grazing days ha−1 year−1) maintained a desirable Leymus chinensis composition and achieved a higher live weight gain of sheep. Early summer rest best maintained a desirable grassland composition, but had few other benefits and reduced incomes. These findings demonstrate that reducing grazing pressure to half the current district stocking rates can deliver improved ecosystem services (lower greenhouse gases and improved grassland composition) while sustaining herder incomes.
Rolling Circle Translation of Circular RNA in Living Human Cells
Authors: Abe Naoko , Matsumoto Ken , Nishihara Mizuki , Nakano Yukiko , Shibata Aya , Maruyama Hideto , Shuto Satoshi , Matsuda Akira , Yoshida Minoru , Ito Yoshihiro , Abe Hiroshi
Published: November 2015

We recently reported that circular RNA is efficiently translated by a rolling circle amplification (RCA) mechanism in a cell-free Escherichia coli translation system. Recent studies have shown that circular RNAs composed of exonic sequences are abundant in human cells. However, whether these circular RNAs can be translated into proteins within cells remains unclear. In this study, we prepared circular RNAs with an infinite open reading frame and tested their translation in eukaryotic systems. Circular RNAs were translated into long proteins in rabbit reticulocyte lysate in the absence of any particular element for internal ribosome entry, a poly-A tail, or a cap structure. The translation systems in eukaryote can accept much simpler RNA as a template for protein synthesis by cyclisation. Here, we demonstrated that the circular RNA is efficiently translated in living human cells to produce abundant protein product by RCA mechanism. These findings suggest that translation of exonic circular RNAs present in human cells is more probable than previously thought.
Highly efficient hyperentanglement concentration with two steps assisted by quantum swap gates
Authors: Ren Bao-Cang , Long Gui Lu
Published: November 2015

We present a two-step hyperentanglement concentration protocol (hyper-ECP) for polarization-spatial hyperentangled Bell states based on the high-capacity character of hyperentanglement resorting to the swap gates, which is used to obtain maximally hyperentangled states from partially hyperentangled pure states in long-distance quantum communication. The swap gate, which is constructed with the giant optical circular birefringence (GOCB) of a diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center embedded in a photonic crystal cavity, can be used to transfer the information in one degree of freedom (DOF) between photon systems. By transferring the useful information between hyperentangled photon pairs, more photon pairs in maximally hyperentangled state can be obtained in our hyper-ECP and the success probability of the hyper-ECP is greatly improved. Moreover, we show that the high-fidelity quantum gate operations can be achieved by mapping the infidelities to heralded losses even in the weak coupling regime.
Using Quantum Confinement to Uniquely Identify Devices
Authors: Roberts J. , Bagci I. E. , Zawawi M. A. M. , Sexton J. , Hulbert N. , Noori Y. J. , Young M. P. , Woodhead C. S. , Missous M. , Migliorato M. A. , Roedig U. , Young R. J.
Published: November 2015

Modern technology unintentionally provides resources that enable the trust of everyday interactions to be undermined. Some authentication schemes address this issue using devices that give a unique output in response to a challenge. These signatures are generated by hard-to-predict physical responses derived from structural characteristics, which lend themselves to two different architectures, known as unique objects (UNOs) and physically unclonable functions (PUFs). The classical design of UNOs and PUFs limits their size and, in some cases, their security. Here we show that quantum confinement lends itself to the provision of unique identities at the nanoscale, by using fluctuations in tunnelling measurements through quantum wells in resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs). This provides an uncomplicated measurement of identity without conventional resource limitations whilst providing robust security. The confined energy levels are highly sensitive to the specific nanostructure within each RTD, resulting in a distinct tunnelling spectrum for every device, as they contain a unique and unpredictable structure that is presently impossible to clone. This new class of authentication device operates with minimal resources in simple electronic structures above room temperature.
Basal Lamina Mimetic Nanofibrous Peptide Networks for Skeletal Myogenesis
Authors: Yasa I. Ceren , Gunduz Nuray , Kilinc Murat , Guler Mustafa O. , Tekinay Ayse B.
Published: November 2015

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial for the coordination and regulation of cell adhesion, recruitment, differentiation and death. Therefore, equilibrium between cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and matrix-associated signals are important for the normal functioning of cells, as well as for regeneration. In this work, we describe importance of adhesive signals for myoblast cells’ growth and differentiation by generating a novel ECM mimetic peptide nanofiber scaffold system. We show that not only structure but also composition of bioactive signals are important for cell adhesion, growth and differentiation by mimicking the compositional and structural properties of native skeletal muscle basal lamina. We conjugated laminin-derived integrin binding peptide sequence, “IKVAV” and fibronectin-derived well known adhesive sequence, “RGD”, into peptide nanostructures to provide adhesive and myogenic cues on a nanofibrous morphology. The myogenic and adhesive signals exhibited a synergistic effect on model myoblasts, C2C12 cells. Our results showed that self-assembled peptide nanofibers presenting laminin derived epitopes support adhesion, growth and proliferation of the cells and significantly promote the expression of skeletal muscle-specific marker genes. The functional peptide nanofibers used in this study present a biocompatible and biodegradable microenvironment, which is capable of supporting the growth and differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotubes.
Fibrosis is a common outcome following total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Abdul Nicole , Dixon David , Walker Andrew , Horabin Joanna , Smith Nick , Weir David J. , Brewster Nigel T. , Deehan David J. , Mann Derek A. , Borthwick Lee A.
Published: November 2015

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most successful orthopaedic procedures that alleviates pain and restores function in patients with degenerative knee joint diseases. Arthrofibrosis, abnormal scarring in which dense fibrous tissue prevents normal range of motion, develops in ~3–10% of TKA patients. No prophylactic intervention is available and treatment is restricted to aggressive physiotherapy or revision surgery. Tissue was collected from patients undergoing primary (n = 30) or revision (n = 27) TKA. Revision patients were stratified as non-arthrofibrotic and arthrofibrotic. Tissue was macroscopically and histologically compared to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of arthrofibrosis. Macroscopically, tissue from primary TKA presents as homogenous, fatty tissue whereas tissue from revision TKA presents as dense, pigmented tissue. Histologically, there was dramatic tissue remodelling, increased collagen deposition and increased (myo)fibroblast staining in tissue from revision TKA. Significantly, tissue architecture was similar between revision patients regardless of clinically diagnosis. There are significant differences in architecture and composition of tissue from revision TKA over primary TKA. Surprisingly, whether revision TKA were clinically diagnosed as arthrofibrotic or non-arthrofibrotic there were still significant differences in fibrotic markers compared to primary TKA suggesting an ongoing fibrotic process in all revision knees.
Electrochemical immunoassay based on polythionine as the signal source for the sensitive detection of carcinoma embryonic antigen
Authors: Chen Min , Zhao Chengfei , Xu Qingshan , Nie Biqiong , Xu Liufang , Weng Shaohuang , Lin Xinhua
Published: November 2015

In this work, an effective immunosensor based on polythionine (PTh) as the signal source was fabricated for the facile and sensitive detection of carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) in human serum.
A TICT based NIR-fluorescent probe for human serum albumin: a pre-clinical diagnosis in blood serum
Authors: Reja Shahi Imam , Khan Imran A. , Bhalla Vandana , Kumar Manoj
Published: November 2015

A TICT based NIR-fluorescent probe3has been designed and synthesized which selectively detects HSA with fluorescence enhancement in blood plasma with a detection limit of 11 nM among the various proteins, nucleotides and thiols tested.
Solvent-free synthesis of new magnesium phosphate–oxalates displaying diverse framework topologies
Authors: Zhang Wei , Kang Maoping , Yang Meng , Luo Daibing , Lin Zhien
Published: November 2015

A series of open-framework magnesium phosphate–oxalates with pore apertures ranging from an 8-membered ring (8 MR) to 20 MR were prepared for the first time under solvent-free conditions.
Synthetic natural gas by direct CO2 hydrogenation on activated takovites: effect of Ni/Al molar ratio
Authors: Abelló S. , Berrueco C. , Gispert-Guirado F. , Montané D.
Published: November 2015

Small Ni0 crystallites dispersed over a NiAl2O4 matrix, attained from takovite-like precursors, induced high catalytic performance in CO2 methanation.
Eco-friendly hydrogenation of aromatic aldehyde compounds by tandem dehydrogenation of dimethylamine-borane in the presence of a reduced graphene oxide furnished platinum nanocatalyst
Authors: Goksu Haydar , Yıldız Yunus , Çelik Betül , Yazici Melike , Kilbas Benan , Sen Fatih
Published: November 2015

An easy and effective synthetic method has been developed for the reduction of aldehyde compounds in the presence of monodisperse Pt(0)/TPA@rGO NPs as the catalyst.
Silane-coated magnetic nanoparticles with surface thiol functions for conjugation with gold nanostars
Authors: Pallavicini Piersandro , Cabrini Elisa , Casu Alberto , Dacarro Giacomo , Antonio Diaz-Fernandez Yuri , Falqui Andrea , Milanese Chiara , Vita Francesco
Published: November 2015

Superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles are coated with a tunable number of free surface –SH, enabling them to decorate gold nanostars.
Two bisthienylethene–Ir(iii) complexes showing acid/base-induced structural transformation and on–off luminescence switching in solution
Authors: Cao Deng-Ke , Hu Jiong-Sheng , Li Min-Qiang , Gong Dan-Ping , Li Xiao-Xiong , Ward Michael D.
Published: November 2015

Compounds [Ir(dfppy)2(pbdtiH)](PF6)·2CHCl3 (1-H) and [Ir(dfppy)2(pbdti)] (1) were synthesized based on bisthienylethene pbdtiH, showing NEt3/TFA-induced structural transformation and on–off luminescence switching.
Encapsulation of organic active materials in carbon nanotubes for application to high-electrochemical-performance sodium batteries
Authors: Kim Jae-Kwang , Kim Yongil , Park Seungyoung , Ko Hyunhyub , Kim Youngsik
Published: November 2015

A PTMA-impregnated CNT electrode achieves the enhancement of discharge capacity, cycleability and rate capability of sodium batteries.
The impact of long-term dietary pattern of fecal donor on in vitro fecal fermentation properties of inulin
Authors: Yang Junyi , Rose Devin J.
Published: November 2015

A diet high in whole grains, dry beans, and certain vegetables that contributed dietary fiber, plant protein, and B vitamins resulted in high short chain fatty acids, while a diet high in diary and processed meats that provided cholesterol and little fiber resulted in high branched chain fatty acids and ammonia during fecal fermentation of inulin.
Synthesis of novel TEMPO stable free (poly)radical derivatives and their host–guest interaction with cucurbit[6]uril
Authors: Ionita Gabriela , Madalan Augustin M. , Ariciu Ana Maria , Medvedovici Andrei , Ionita Petre
Published: November 2015

The line shape analysis of the ESR spectra of TEMPO derivatives in the absence and in the presence of cucurbit[6]uril provides information on host–guest complexes.
Bioinspired nanophotosensitizers: synthesis and characterization of porphyrin–noble metal nanoparticle conjugates
Authors: Bhaumik Jayeeta , Gogia Gitanjali , Kirar Seema , Vijay Lekshmi , Thakur Neeraj S. , Banerjee Uttam C. , Laha Joydev K.
Published: November 2015

Conjugatable and compact porphyrinic photosensitizer nanoparticle conjugates were developed through rational synthesis followed by conjugation with noble metal nanoparticles.