bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
II. The effect of Becket's murder on Papal Authority in England
Authors: Brooke Z. N.
Published: July 2016

The history of Thomas Becket has been a fruitful subject of controversy for centuries. The murder and its results have also been continually expounded, so that it would seem presumptuous to claim to say anything new on such a well-worn theme. But attention has been focussed almost entirely on the question of criminous clerks, and rightly, if the quarrel of Henry II and Becket is the theme; for this was the issue that affected the archbishop most closely—the prestige of the archiepiscopal court was at stake. The Constitutions of Clarendon, however, affected the prestige of a greater than Becket, and the issues involved were correspondingly more important, and a decision on them carried with it the settlement of the minor question. I am only concerned with Becket because his murder brought about a decision of the main issue between Henry and the Pope. When Henry was reconciled with the Pope at Avranches in 1172 he made two concessions: (1) he renounced those customs that had been introduced in his own time to the harm of the Church; and (2) he allowed appeals to Rome. Now it is doubtless true to say that, as Henry insisted that the Constitutions were all “old” customs, the first concession meant little or nothing. But it is also usual to say that as, by a saving clause, he was allowed to get security from appellants that they were meditating no harm to king or country, the effect on his authority of the second clause was also slight. So the general opinion seems to be that, while Henry gave way over the question of the criminous clergy, on other questions of principle he was successful in maintaining his position.
I. Cicero Historicus
Authors: Hallward B. L.
Published: July 2016

History in a literary form was a remarkably late growth in Roman letters. Cicero declares several times in unmistakable terms that in his day “History is absent from Roman literature.” Twice he discusses the previous writers of Roman history, the annalists such as Fabius Pictor, Cato and Piso. He makes it clear that he found them very unpalatable because of their jejuneness: “erat enim in historia nihil aliud, nisi annalium confectio…unam dicendi laudem putant esse brevitatem.” Only Coelius Antipater stood out from the rest as one who made some attempt to achieve a pleasing style, but even he “ut homo, neque doctus, neque maxime aptus ad dicendum, sicut potuit, dolavit.” It is obvious that the basis of this criticism is purely literary and not historical, and that the demerits which Cicero censures in the older school of annalists, when considered as literature, may to a certain extent be considered as merits, if their historical value is to be weighed amongst the sources of Livy.
The Corpus Juris Project and the Fight Against Budgetary Fraud
Authors: Spencer J.R.
Published: July 2016

The greater part of the EU budget comes from money paid directly by citizens of the Member States, or by those who do business with them, in the form of customs dues and VAT. Dishonest people therefore have the opportunity to enrich themselves at the EU’s expense by conducting their business affairs so as to evade payment of these taxes which their fellow citizens dutifully pay. Contrary to popular belief as fostered by the tabloid newspapers, very little of the 82 billion or so ECUs that the EU budget represents is swallowed up in fattening the wallets of MEPs and eurocrats, and nearly all of what comes in goes out again in the form of grants and subsidies. This gives dishonest people a further and even more tempting opportunity to enrich themselves at the EU’s expense by obtaining grants and subsidies to which they are not entitled. The most ingenious dishonest people find ways of cheating on both sides of the equation at once, and manage to evade taxes and fraudulently claim benefits simultaneously.
Stichting Greenpeace and Environmental Public Interest Standing before the Community Judicature: Some lessons from the Federal Court of Canada
Authors: McLeod-Kilmurray Heather
Published: July 2016

On April 2,1998, three years after the ruling of the Court of First Instance, the European Court of Justice issued its appeal decision in theStichting Greenpeacecase. The Court of First Instance had deniedlocus standiunder Article 230(4) (Article 173(4)) of the EC Treaty to Greenpeace, two local environmental groups and a series of individual applicants to challenge the decision of the European Commission to continue providing Community structural funds under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to Spain to build two power stations in the Canary Islands.
Viking and Laval: Collective Labour Rights and Market Freedoms in the Enlarged EU
Authors: Sciarra Silvana
Published: July 2016

The aim of this chapter is to argue that the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ’s) rulings in Viking and Laval raise a not completely explicit, but nevertheless significant, challenge to the role and function of national trade unions. Unions must face the dilemma of adjusting action taken to protect their members to the economic freedoms of the EU, whenever there is a situation of potential social dumping.
Beyond the Control Paradigm? International Responsibility and the European Union
Authors: Hernández Gleider I
Published: July 2016

From the perspective of public international law, the legal personality of the European Union (EU) carries with it the possibility for it to exercise rights and to bear obligations on the international plane. Its quasi-federal structure, however, requires consideration as to how these rights and obligations may be exercised. In this chapter, two regimes are compared: the EU’s rights and obligations as an international organisation and the possibility that its internal structures might be recognised on the international plane, thus leading to more complex notions of subsidiary responsibility, shared between the various levels of European governance.
The New UK Competition Act: Reform or Revolution?
Authors: CBE Dan Goyder
Published: July 2016

One of the most notable changes in the forty years since I left Cambridge at the end of my Law Tripos has been the growth in importance of a number of legal subjects previously either totally unknown, known but disregarded, or of interest only to an enthusiastic minority. Competition law certainly fell into one of these categories, not then being taught as a separate subject or even perhaps referred to by any lecturer, except on occasion in the context of “contracts in restraint of trade”. But now the subject has truly come of age and, like some other important commercial law topics which have deservedly earned a place within the regular syllabus of the L.L.M, finds itself referred to constantly not only in academic and professional literature but in the media. Its influence on our daily lives as citizens and consumers means that it is often the subject of headline reports (not always accurate) quite apart from its economic and political significance in the regional, national, European and world context. For example, to mention only one or two current issues, we have had the court case brought by the Office of Fair Trading against the Premier League challenging its collective sale to BSkyB of the television rights to Premier League football matches, and, major changes proposed in the UK defence industries as a result of the proposed acquisition by British Aerospace of the GEC defence businesses.
Participatory organic research in the USA and Italy: Across a continuum of farmer–researcher partnerships
Authors: Delate Kathleen , Canali Stefano , Turnbull Robert , Tan Rachel , Colombo Luca
Published: July 2016

Organic agriculture continues to expand in the USA and in the European Union (EU), particularly in Italy, which had 48,650 organic farms in 2014 compared with 19,474 in the USA. Additionally, EU support for organic research is nearly double than that of the USA. Along with increased support for organic research, the EU organic community has achieved recognition at the European Commission policy level for a dedicated innovation platform, advocating the practice of farmer-first models for participatory research. The US land-grant universities have a long history of on-farm research, primarily through the Extension Service, but the need exists for more inclusive, second-loop, co-research with organic farmers. A survey was conducted of organic farmers and researchers in Italy and in the USA to ascertain the extent of participatory organic research activities and experiences, and explore the vision each group had for the future of co-innovation between organic farmers and researchers. Results indicated that, despite the higher level of organic research support in the EU, the percentage of researchers involved in on-farm/participatory organic research was equivalent in Italy and the USA, presumably due to the more recent emphasis in Italian/EU agricultural research agendas on the importance of farmer knowledge and participation in organic research. Overall, 60% of surveyed organic researchers in both countries cited involvement in on-farm/participatory organic research, with ‘farming systems’ and ‘nutrient/pest management’ the main research focus in the USA, compared with ‘farming systems’ and ‘equipment’ in Italy. Both countries’ researchers expressed their vision of participatory research as helping to improve communication between researchers and farmers, to enable work on relevant research, and to allow farmers to adapt technologies to their own conditions. Organic farmers in Italy completed survey questionnaires as part of a field day activity, leading to more Italian farmers responding to the survey, compared with USA counterparts who were queried via e-mail. Organic farmers in Italy identified ‘knowledge-sharing’ as a critical value of participatory research, and were conducting on-farm research with less compensation than US farmers. The ‘lack of time’ was cited as the most important constraint limiting participatory research by Italian and US farmers, although the ‘lack of common language’ also was rated as potentially impairing full participation. Lessons shared between EU and US organic researchers as a result of this project included methods to institute policies aimed at increasing support for organic research and co-innovations with organic farming communities, and connecting experienced on-farm researchers in the US with Italian colleagues to enhance collaborative activities with organic farmers.
The moral and Political doctrines of Antiphon the Sophist. A reconsideration
Authors: Kerferd G. B.
Published: July 2016

Since the publication in 1915 of the first of the papyrus fragments of Antiphon, the major problem of interpretation has been how to relate the Antiphon of the papyri to the Antiphon of the other fragments. The appeal to Physis as against Nomos in the papyri suggested that Antiphon was rejecting the claims of the community upon the individual while the fragments of the Περὶ Ὁμονοίας with their emphasis upon education and σωφροσύνη seemed to point in a different direction. Some, like Luria, may have felt that the difficulty could be dealt with by invoking the doctrine of the two Antiphons and attributing the papyrus fragments to one and the remaining fragments to the other. Others, like Sir Ernest Barker, have attempted a doctrinal reconciliation by appealing to more general principles from which both sets of doctrine might follow, or by so interpreting the doctrines of the papyrus tliat the conflict largely disappears. All have assumed that the papyrus fragments do give us either Antiphon's own views, or at least some of his views. This is true even of Bignone,Studi sul pensiero antico(Naples, 1938), who recognized that some of the time Antiphon is discussing the views of others. In what follows it will be argued that the papyrus fragments throughout are discussing the views of others and that Antiphon's own views only appear incidentally if at all.
Tumorigenic potential is restored during differentiation in fusion-reprogrammed cancer cells
Authors: Yao J , Zhang L , Hu L , Guo B , Hu X , Borjigin U , Wei Z , Chen Y , Lv M , Lau J T Y , Wang X , Li G , Hu Y-P
Published: July 2016

Detailed understanding of the mechanistic steps underlying tumor initiation and malignant progression is critical for insights of potentially novel therapeutic modalities. Cellular reprogramming is an approach of particular interest because it can provide a means to reset the differentiation state of the cancer cells and to revert these cells to a state of non-malignancy. Here, we investigated the relationship between cellular differentiation and malignant progression by the fusion of four independent mouse cancer cell lines from different tissues, each with differing developmental potentials, to pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Fusion was accompanied by loss of differentiated properties of the four parental cancer cell lines and concomitant emergence of pluripotency, demonstrating the feasibility to reprogram the malignant and differentiative properties of cancer cells. However, the original malignant and differentiative phenotypes re-emerge upon withdrawal of the fused cells from the embryonic environment in which they were maintained. cDNA array analysis of the malignant hepatoma progression implicated a role for Foxa1, and silencing Foxa1 prevented the re-emergence of malignant and differentiation-associated gene expression. Our findings support the hypothesis that tumor progression results from deregulation of stem cells, and our approach provides a strategy to analyze possible mechanisms in the cancer initiation.
Activated c-Kit receptor in the heart promotes cardiac repair and regeneration after injury
Authors: Di Siena S , Gimmelli R , Nori S L , Barbagallo F , Campolo F , Dolci S , Rossi P , Venneri M A , Giannetta E , Gianfrilli D , Feigenbaum L , Lenzi A , Naro F , Cianflone E , Mancuso T , Torella D , Isidori A M , Pellegrini M
Published: July 2016

The role of endogenous c-Kit receptor activation on cardiac cell homeostasis and repair remains largely unexplored. Transgenic mice carrying an activating point mutation (TgD814Y) in the kinase domain of the c-Kit gene were generated. c-KitTgD814Y receptor was expressed in the heart during embryonic development and postnatal life, in a similar timing and expression pattern to that of the endogenous gene, but not in the hematopoietic compartment allowing the study of a cardiac-specific phenotype. c-KitTgD814Y mutation produced a constitutive active c-Kit receptor in cardiac tissue and cells from transgenic mice as demonstrated by the increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and AKT, which are the main downstream molecular effectors of c-Kit receptor signaling. In adult transgenic hearts, cardiac morphology, size and total c-Kit+ cardiac cell number was not different compared with wt mice. However, when c-KitTgD814Y mice were subjected to transmural necrotic heart damage by cryoinjury (CI), all transgenic survived, compared with half of wt mice. In the sub-acute phase after CI, transgenic and wt mice showed similar heart damage. However, 9 days after CI, transgenic mice exhibited an increased number of c-Kit+CD31+ endothelial progenitor cells surrounding the necrotic area. At later follow-up, a consistent reduction of fibrotic area, increased capillary density and increased cardiomyocyte replenishment rate (as established by BrdU incorporation) were observed in transgenic compared with wt mice. Consistently, CD45−c-Kit+ cardiac stem cells isolated from transgenic c-KitTgD814Y mice showed an enhanced endothelial and cardiomyocyte differentiation potential compared with cells isolated from the wt. Constitutive activation of c-Kit receptor in mice is associated with an increased cardiac myogenic and vasculogenic reparative potential after injury, with a significant improvement of survival.
PGA1-induced apoptosis involves specific activation of H-Ras and N-Ras in cellular endomembranes
Authors: Anta B , Pérez-Rodríguez A , Castro J , García- Domínguez C A , Ibiza S , Martínez N , Durá L M , Hernández S , Gragera T , Peña-Jiménez D , Yunta M , Zarich N , Crespo P , Serrador J M , Santos E , Muñoz A , Oliva J L , Rojas-Cabañeros J M
Published: July 2016

The cyclopentenone prostaglandin A1 (PGA1) is an inducer of cell death in cancer cells. However, the mechanism that initiates this cytotoxic response remains elusive. Here we report that PGA1 triggers apoptosis by a process that entails the specific activation of H- and N-Ras isoforms, leading to caspase activation. Cells without H- and N-Ras did not undergo apoptosis upon PGA1 treatment; in these cells, the cellular demise was rescued by overexpression of either H-Ras or N-Ras. Consistently, the mutant H-Ras-C118S, defective for binding PGA1, did not produce cell death. Molecular analysis revealed a key role for the RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway in the apoptotic process through the induction of calpain activity and caspase-12 cleavage. We propose that PGA1 evokes a specific physiological cell death program, through H- and N-Ras, but not K-Ras, activation at endomembranes. Our results highlight a novel mechanism that may be of potential interest for tumor treatment.
Synthesis of sodium polyhydrides at high pressures
Authors: Struzhkin Viktor V. , Kim Duck Young , Stavrou Elissaios , Muramatsu Takaki , Mao Ho-kwang , Pickard Chris J. , Needs Richard J. , Prakapenka Vitali B. , Goncharov Alexander F.
Published: July 2016

The only known compound of sodium and hydrogen is archetypal ionic NaH. Application of high pressure is known to promote states with higher atomic coordination, but extensive searches for polyhydrides with unusual stoichiometry have had only limited success in spite of several theoretical predictions. Here we report the first observation of the formation of polyhydrides of Na (NaH3 and NaH7) above 40 GPa and 2,000 K. We combine synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell and theoretical random structure searching, which both agree on the stable structures and compositions. Our results support the formation of multicenter bonding in a material with unusual stoichiometry. These results are applicable to the design of new energetic solids and high-temperature superconductors based on hydrogen-rich materials.
Role of SUMO activating enzyme in cancer stem cell maintenance and self-renewal
Authors: Du Li , Li Yi-Jia , Fakih Marwan , Wiatrek Rebecca L. , Duldulao Marjun , Chen Zhenbin , Chu Peiguo , Garcia-Aguilar Julio , Chen Yuan
Published: July 2016

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have key roles in treatment resistance, tumour metastasis and relapse. Using colorectal cancer (CC) cell lines, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tissues and patient tissues, here we report that CC CSCs, which resist chemoradiation, have higher SUMO activating enzyme (E1) and global SUMOylation levels than non-CSCs. Knockdown of SUMO E1 or SUMO conjugating enzyme (E2) inhibits CC CSC maintenance and self-renewal, while overexpression of SUMO E1 or E2 increases CC cell stemness. We found that SUMOylation regulates CSCs through Oct-1, a transcription factor for aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs). ALDH activity is not only a marker for CSCs but also important in CSC biology. SUMO does not modify Oct-1 directly, but regulates the expression of TRIM21 that enhances Oct-1 ubiquitination and, consequently, reducing Oct-1 stability. In summary, our findings suggest that SUMOylation could be a target to inhibit CSCs and ultimately to reduce treatment resistance, tumour metastasis and relapse.
Altered protein phosphorylation as a resource for potential AD biomarkers
Authors: Henriques Ana Gabriela , Müller Thorsten , Oliveira Joana Machado , Cova Marta , da Cruz e Silva Cristóvão B. , da Cruz e Silva Odete A. B.
Published: July 2016

The amyloidogenic peptide, Aβ, provokes a series of events affecting distinct cellular pathways regulated by protein phosphorylation. Aβ inhibits protein phosphatases in a dose-dependent manner, thus it is expected that the phosphorylation state of specific proteins would be altered in response to Aβ. In fact several Alzheimer’s disease related proteins, such as APP and TAU, exhibit pathology associated hyperphosphorylated states. A systems biology approach was adopted and the phosphoproteome, of primary cortical neuronal cells exposed to Aβ, was evaluated. Phosphorylated proteins were recovered and those whose recovery increased or decreased, upon Aβ exposure across experimental sets, were identified. Significant differences were evident for 141 proteins and investigation of their interactors revealed key protein clusters responsive to Aβ treatment. Of these, 73 phosphorylated proteins increased and 68 decreased upon Aβ addition. These phosphorylated proteins represent an important resource of potential AD phospho biomarkers that should be further pursued.
Fast, label-free super-resolution live-cell imaging using rotating coherent scattering (ROCS) microscopy
Authors: Jünger Felix , Olshausen Philipp v. , Rohrbach Alexander
Published: July 2016

Living cells are highly dynamic systems with cellular structures being often below the optical resolution limit. Super-resolution microscopes, usually based on fluorescence cell labelling, are usually too slow to resolve small, dynamic structures. We present a label-free microscopy technique, which can generate thousands of super-resolved, high contrast images at a frame rate of 100 Hertz and without any post-processing. The technique is based on oblique sample illumination with coherent light, an approach believed to be not applicable in life sciences because of too many interference artefacts. However, by circulating an incident laser beam by 360° during one image acquisition, relevant image information is amplified. By combining total internal reflection illumination with dark-field detection, structures as small as 150 nm become separable through local destructive interferences. The technique images local changes in refractive index through scattered laser light and is applied to living mouse macrophages and helical bacteria revealing unexpected dynamic processes.
Image analysis procedure for studying Back-Diffusion phenomena from low-permeability layers in laboratory tests
Authors: Tatti Fabio , Papini Marco Petrangeli , Raboni Massimo , Viotti Paolo
Published: July 2016

In this study, the long-term tailing derived from the storage process of contaminants in low-permeability zones is investigated. The release from these areas in the groundwater can be considered a long-term source that often undermines remediation efforts. An Image Analysis technique is used to analyze the process and evaluate the concentrations of a tracer at different points of the test section. Furthermore, the diffusive flux from the low-permeability lenses is determined. To validate the proposed technique, the results are compared with samples and the diffusive fluxes resulting from the low-permeability zones of the reconstructed aquifer are compared with a theoretical approach.
All-optical switching in granular ferromagnets caused by magnetic circular dichroism
Authors: Ellis Matthew O. A. , Fullerton Eric E. , Chantrell Roy W.
Published: July 2016

Magnetic recording using circularly polarised femto-second laser pulses is an emerging technology that would allow write speeds much faster than existing field driven methods. However, the mechanism that drives the magnetisation switching in ferromagnets is unclear. Recent theories suggest that the interaction of the light with the magnetised media induces an opto-magnetic field within the media, known as the inverse Faraday effect. Here we show that an alternative mechanism, driven by thermal excitation over the anisotropy energy barrier and a difference in the energy absorption depending on polarisation, can create a net magnetisation over a series of laser pulses in an ensemble of single domain grains. Only a small difference in the absorption is required to reach magnetisation levels observed experimentally and the model does not preclude the role of the inverse Faraday effect but removes the necessity that the opto-magnetic field is 10 s of Tesla in strength.
Form and function of the human and chimpanzee forefoot: implications for early hominin bipedalism
Authors: Fernández Peter J. , Holowka Nicholas B. , Demes Brigitte , Jungers William L.
Published: July 2016

During bipedal walking, modern humans dorsiflex their forefoot at the metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJs) prior to push off, which tightens the plantar soft tissues to convert the foot into a stiff propulsive lever. Particular features of metatarsal head morphology such as “dorsal doming” are thought to facilitate this stiffening mechanism. In contrast, chimpanzees are believed to possess MTPJ morphology that precludes high dorsiflexion excursions during terrestrial locomotion. The morphological affinity of the metatarsal heads has been used to reconstruct locomotor behavior in fossil hominins, but few studies have provided detailed empirical data to validate the assumed link between morphology and function at the MTPJs. Using three-dimensional kinematic and morphometric analyses, we show that humans push off with greater peak dorsiflexion angles at all MTPJs than do chimpanzees during bipedal and quadrupedal walking, with the greatest disparity occurring at MTPJ 1. Among MTPJs 2–5, both species exhibit decreasing peak angles from medial to lateral. This kinematic pattern is mirrored in the morphometric analyses of metatarsal head shape. Analyses ofAustralopithecus afarensismetatarsals reveal morphology intermediate between humans and chimpanzees, suggesting that this species used different bipedal push-off kinematics than modern humans, perhaps resulting in a less efficient form of bipedalism.
Precise estimation of genomic regions controlling lodging resistance using a set of reciprocal chromosome segment substitution lines in rice
Authors: Ookawa Taiichiro , Aoba Ryo , Yamamoto Toshio , Ueda Tadamasa , Takai Toshiyuki , Fukuoka Shuichi , Ando Tsuyu , Adachi Shunsuke , Matsuoka Makoto , Ebitani Takeshi , Kato Yoichiro , Mulsanti Indria Wahyu , Kishii Masahiro , Reynolds Matthew , Piñera Francisco , Kotake Toshihisa , Kawasaki Shinji , Motobayashi Takashi , Hirasawa Tadashi
Published: July 2016

Severe lodging has occurred in many improved rice varieties after the recent strong typhoons in East and Southeast Asian countries. The indica variety Takanari possesses strong culm characteristics due to its large section modulus, which indicates culm thickness, whereas the japonica variety Koshihikari is subject to substantial bending stress due to its thick cortical fibre tissue. To detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for lodging resistance and to eliminate the effects of genetic background, we used reciprocal chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) derived from a cross between Koshihikari and Takanari. The oppositional effects of QTLs for section modulus were confirmed in both genetic backgrounds on chromosomes 1, 5 and 6, suggesting that these QTLs are not affected by the genetic background and are controlled independently by a single factor. The candidate region of a QTL for section modulus included SD1. The section modulus of NIL-sd1 was lower than that of Koshihikari, whereas the section modulus of NIL-SD1 was higher than that of Takanari. This result indicated that those regions regulate the culm thickness. The reciprocal effects of the QTLs for cortical fibre tissue thickness were confirmed in both genetic backgrounds on chromosome 9 using CSSLs.
Resolving Fine Cardiac Structures in Rats with High-Resolution Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Authors: Teh Irvin , McClymont Darryl , Burton Rebecca A. B. , Maguire Mahon L. , Whittington Hannah J. , Lygate Craig A. , Kohl Peter , Schneider Jürgen E.
Published: July 2016

Cardiac architecture is fundamental to cardiac function and can be assessed non-invasively with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Here, we aimed to overcome technical challenges in ex vivo DTI in order to extract fine anatomical details and to provide novel insights in the 3D structure of the heart. An integrated set of methods was implemented in ex vivo rat hearts, including dynamic receiver gain adjustment, gradient system scaling calibration, prospective adjustment of diffusion gradients, and interleaving of diffusion-weighted and non-diffusion-weighted scans. Together, these methods enhanced SNR and spatial resolution, minimised orientation bias in diffusion-weighting, and reduced temperature variation, enabling detection of tissue structures such as cell alignment in atria, valves and vessels at an unprecedented level of detail. Improved confidence in eigenvector reproducibility enabled tracking of myolaminar structures as a basis for segmentation of functional groups of cardiomyocytes. Ex vivo DTI facilitates acquisition of high quality structural data that complements readily available in vivo cardiac functional and anatomical MRI. The improvements presented here will facilitate next generation virtual models integrating micro-structural and electro-mechanical properties of the heart.
Angiomotin like-1 is a novel component of the N-cadherin complex affecting endothelial/pericyte interaction in normal and tumor angiogenesis
Authors: Zheng Yujuan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Barutello Giuseppina , Chiu Kungchun , Arigoni Maddalena , Giampietro Costanza , Cavallo Federica , Holmgren Lars
Published: July 2016

Transmission of mechanical force via cell junctions is an important component that molds cells into shapes consistent with proper organ function. Of particular interest are the cadherin transmembrane proteins, which play an essential role in connecting cell junctions to the intra-cellular cytoskeleton. Understanding how these biomechanical complexes orchestrate intrinsic and extrinsic forces is important for our understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving morphogenesis. We have previously identified the Amot protein family, which are scaffold proteins that integrate polarity, junctional and cytoskeletal cues to modulate cellular shape in endothelial as well as epithelial cells. In this report, we show that AmotL1 is a novel partner of the N-cadherin protein complex. We studied the role of AmotL1 in normal retinal as well as tumor angiogenesis using inducible endothelial-specific knock-out mice. We show that AmotL1 is essential for normal establishment of vascular networks in the post-natal mouse retina as well as in a transgenic breast cancer model. The observed phenotypes were consistent with a non-autonomous pericyte defect. We show that AmotL1 forms a complex with N-cadherin present on both endothelial cells and pericytes. We propose that AmotL1 is an essential effector of the N-cadherin mediated endothelial/pericyte junctional complex.
Polyhydroquinone-graphene composite as new redox species for sensitive electrochemical detection of cytokeratins antigen 21-1
Authors: Wang Huiqiang , Rong Qinfeng , Ma Zhanfang
Published: July 2016

Polyhydroquinone-graphene composite as a new redox species was synthesized simply by a microwave-assisted one-pot method through oxidative polymerization of hydroquinone by graphene oxide, which exhibited excellent electrochemical redox activity at 0.124 V and can remarkably promote electron transfer. The as-prepared composite was used as immunosensing substrate in a label-free electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of cytokeratins antigen 21-1, a kind of biomarker of lung cancer. The proposed immunosensor showed wide liner range from 10 pg mL−1 to 200 ng mL−1 with a detection limit 2.3 pg mL−1 and displayed a good stability and selectivity. In addition, this method has been used for the analysis of human serum sample and the detection results showed good consistence with those of ELISA. The present substrate can be easily extended to other polymer-based nanocomposites.
C-terminal domain of p42 Ebp1 is essential for down regulation of p85 subunit of PI3K, inhibiting tumor growth
Authors: Hwang Inwoo , Kim Chung Kwon , Ko Hyo Rim , Park Kye Won , Cho Sung-Woo , Ahn Jee-Yin
Published: July 2016

Potential tumor suppressor p42, ErbB3-binding protein 1 (EBP1) inhibits phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity reducing the p85 regulatory subunit. In this study, we demonstrated that overexpression of p42 promoted not only a reduction of wild type of p85 subunit but also oncogenic mutant forms of p85 which were identified in human cancers. Moreover, we identified the small fragment of C-terminal domain of p42 is sufficient to exhibit tumor suppressing activity of p42-WT, revealing that this small fragment (280–394) of p42 is required for the binding of both HSP70 and CHIP for a degradation of p85. Furthermore, we showed the small fragment of p42 markedly inhibited the tumor growth in mouse xenograft models of brain and breast cancer, resembling tumor suppressing activity of p42. Through identification of the smallest fragment of p42 that is responsible for its tumor suppressor activity, our findings represent a novel approach for targeted therapy of cancers that overexpress PI3K.
Hepatic immunophenotyping for streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia in mice
Authors: Lee Young-Sun , Eun Hyuk Soo , Kim So Yeon , Jeong Jong-Min , Seo Wonhyo , Byun Jin-Seok , Jeong Won-Il , Yi Hyon-Seung
Published: July 2016

Emerging evidence revealed that diabetes induces abnormal immune responses that result in serious complications in organs. However, the effect of hyperglycemia on hepatic immunity remains obscure. We evaluated the population and function of hepatic immune cells in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemic mice. CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)-knockout mice and mice with a depletion of regulatory T cells (DEREG) were used to investigate the migration and role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in hyperglycemic mice. The inflammatory cytokines and hepatic transaminase levels were significantly increased in the hyperglycemic mice. The population and number of infiltrating monocytes, granulocytes, and Tregs were enhanced in the livers of the hyperglycemic mice. Hepatic monocytes other than macrophages showed the increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the hyperglycemic mice. The CCR2 knockout and DEREG chimeric mice exhibited increased populations of activated T cells and neutrophils compared to the WT chimeric mice, which promoted hepatic inflammation in the hyperglycemic mice. The migration of CCR2 knockout Tregs into the liver was significantly reduced compared to the WT Tregs. We demonstrated that hyperglycemia contributes to increase in infiltrating monocytes and Tregs, which are associated with hepatic immune dysfunction in mice. CCR2-mediated migration of Tregs regulates hyperglycemia-induced hepatic inflammation.
High sensitivity of Indian summer monsoon to Middle East dust absorptive properties
Authors: Jin Qinjian , Yang Zong-Liang , Wei Jiangfeng
Published: July 2016

The absorptive properties of dust aerosols largely determine the magnitude of their radiative impacts on the climate system. Currently, climate models use globally constant values of dust imaginary refractive index (IRI), a parameter describing the dust absorption efficiency of solar radiation, although it is highly variable. Here we show with model experiments that the dust-induced Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall differences (with dust minus without dust) change from −9% to 23% of long-term climatology as the dust IRI is changed from zero to the highest values used in the current literature. A comparison of the model results with surface observations, satellite retrievals, and reanalysis data sets indicates that the dust IRI values used in most current climate models are too low, tending to significantly underestimate dust radiative impacts on the ISM system. This study highlights the necessity for developing a parameterization of dust IRI for climate studies.
A H+-triggered bubble-generating nanosystem for killing cancer cells
Authors: Yang Lili , Wen Zuhuang , Long Yijuan , Huang Ning , Cheng Yuan , Zhao Li , Zheng Huzhi
Published: July 2016

A bubble-generating nanosystem can kill cancer cells by the quick release of CO2 bubbles.
Tuning the emission properties of a fluorescent polymer using a polymer microarray approach – identification of an optothermo responsive polymer
Authors: Wang Guirong , Duan Zongquan , Sheng Yang , Neumann Kevin , Deng Linhong , Li Jian , Bradley Mark , Zhang Rong
Published: July 2016

Fluorescent polymer microarrays were prepared using inkjet printing and screened. The fluorescence intensity was found to be tunable by temperature change when the dye was immobilized in identified thermo-responsive polymer beads.
Changing the chemical and physical properties of high valent heterobimetallic bis-(μ-oxido) Cu–Ni complexes by ligand effects
Authors: Kafentzi Maria-Chrysanthi , Orio Maylis , Réglier Marius , Yao Shenglai , Kuhlmann Uwe , Hildebrandt Peter , Driess Matthias , Simaan A. Jalila , Ray Kallol
Published: July 2016

Two new heterobimetallic [LNiO2Cu(RPY2)]+ (RPY2 = N-substituted bis 2-pyridyl(ethylamine) ligands with R = indane, 3a or R = Me, 3b) complexes have been spectroscopically trapped at low temperatures.
Trinuclear nickel and cobalt complexes containing unsymmetrical tripodal tetradentate ligands: syntheses, structural, magnetic, and catalytic properties
Authors: Shin Jong Won , Jeong Ah Rim , Lee Sun Young , Kim Cheal , Hayami Shinya , Min Kil Sik
Published: July 2016

1shows a ferromagnetic coupling, and2and3displayed significant catalytic activities toward various olefins with good yields.
A highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for hypochlorite in pure water with aggregation induced emission characteristics
Authors: Wang Can , Ji Hongyu , Li Mengshu , Cai Likun , Wang Zhipeng , Li Qianqian , Li Zhen
Published: July 2016

As a reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypochlorite (OCl−) plays a crucial role in oxidative stress and signal transduction, controlling a wide range of physiological functions. In addition, the wide use of OCl− in the treatment of food and water might possibly threaten human health if the residual quantity was out of limits. Currently, sensitive methods employed to selectively monitor OCl− in aqueous samples in situ are still scarce and badly needed. Boron esters or acids are considered to be suitable functional groups for the detection of hydrogen peroxide due to their reliable reactivity. In this work, we try to develop a highly sensitive and selective OCl− probe (TPE2B) based on the mechanism of aggregation induced emission (AIE). Due to the distinct increase in water solubility of TPE2OH, which is generated from the reaction between TPE2B and OCl−, the strong emission of TPE2B is quenched dramatically. The response speed was as fast as 30 seconds with a detection limit as low as 28 nM. Additionally, test papers were also fabricated and exhibited a highly sensitive response to 0.1 mM OCl−.
Probing the nature of peripheral boryl groups within luminescent tellurophenes
Authors: Braun Christina A. , Zomerman Derek , de Aguiar Inara , Qi Yanyu , Delgado William Torres , Ferguson Michael J. , McDonald Robert , de Souza Gabriel L. C. , He Gang , Brown Alex , Rivard Eric
Published: July 2016

In this article our attempts to tune the color of luminescence within a new class of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active tellurophenes is reported along with computational details that include spin–orbit coupling effects so as to better understand the nature of emission in the phosphorescent tellurophene (B-Te-6-B). Despite not meeting some of the initial synthetic targets, the emission within a borylated tellurophene can be altered with the addition of an N-heterocyclic carbene.
Determination of scandium in monazite and environmental samples using cloud point extraction coupled with a spectrophotometric technique
Authors: Amin Alaa S. , Kassem Mohammed A. , Moalla Sayed M. N.
Published: July 2016

Effect of 5.0% Triton X-100 on the complexation of 40 ng mL−1Sc(iii) with ATAP.
Influence of morphological and chemical features of biochar on hydrogen peroxide activation: implications on sulfamethazine degradation
Authors: Huang Danlian , Wang Yang , Zhang Chen , Zeng Guangming , Lai Cui , Wan Jia , Qin Lei , Zeng Yalan
Published: July 2016

This paper investigated how morphological and chemical features of biochars influenced hydroxyl radical generation and sulfamethazine degradation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.
Decoration of Si-nanowires-grafted Si micropillar array with Ag nanoparticles for photoelectrocatalytic dechlorination of 4-chlorophenol
Authors: Yu H. , Fan F. , Wu S. , Zhang H. , Lu N. , Quan X. , Chen S. , Li H.
Published: July 2016

The energetic photoelectrochemical performance of an Ag nanoparticle-decorated Si-nanowire-grafted Si micropillar array and its capability in the control of halogenated pollutants are reported.
Satellite Fe3O4@SiO2–Au SERS probe for trace Hg2+ detection
Authors: Sun Zhenli , Du Jingjing , Lv Bo , Jing Chuanyong
Published: July 2016

Core–satellite Fe3O4@SiO2–Au for the detection of Hg2+ based on a “turn-off” SERS strategy using congo red as a Raman reporter.
Polyethersulfone membrane printed with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) sensor for sensitive enrichment and rapid determination of Zn2+in water
Authors: Mujawar Liyakat Hamid , Rehan Zulfiqar Ahmad , Rashid Muhammad Imtiaz , Vattamkandathil Sajith , Gazzara Lassaad , Almeelbi Talal , Basahi Jalal Mohammad , El-Shahawi Mohammad Soror
Published: July 2016

A facile approach for the rapid and sensitive detection as well as determination of Zn2+ions in water has been developed.
The influence of intercalating perfluorohexane into lipid shells on nano and microbubble stability
Authors: Abou-Saleh Radwa H. , Peyman Sally A. , Johnson Benjamin R. G. , Marston Gemma , Ingram Nicola , Bushby Richard , Coletta P. Louise , Markham Alexander F. , Evans Stephen D.
Published: July 2016

Incorporating C6F14into the lipid shell of microbubbles enhances thein vivolifetime by reducing surface tension. It saturates the medium and reduces diffusivity of C4F10.
Deviation of sliding drops at a chemical step
Authors: Semprebon Ciro , Varagnolo Silvia , Filippi Daniele , Perlini Luca , Pierno Matteo , Brinkmann Martin , Mistura Giampaolo
Published: July 2016

The motion of drops colliding with a straight chemical step is strongly affected by contact angle hysteresis and interfacial pinning.
The intricate regulation and complex functions of the Class III phosphoinositide 3-kinase Vps34
Authors: Backer Jonathan M.
Published: July 2016

The Class III phosphoinositide 3-kinase Vps34 (vacuolar protein sorting 34) plays important roles in endocytic trafficking, macroautophagy, phagocytosis, cytokinesis and nutrient sensing. Recent studies have provided exciting new insights into the structure and regulation of this lipid kinase, and new cellular functions for Vps34 have emerged. This review critically examines the wealth of new data on this important enzyme, and attempts to integrate these findings with current models of Vps34 signalling.
Over‐sampling effect in distributed Alamouti coded OFDM with frequency offset
Authors: Kim Bong‐seok , Choi Kwonhue
Published: July 2016

Unlike the conventional distributed Alamouti coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), over‐sampling substantially improves the performance of frequency asynchronous distributed Alamouti coded (FADAC) OFDM. This exclusive effectiveness of over‐sampling in FADAC‐OFDM comes from two factors. One is the unique characteristics of residual inter carrier interference term in FADAC‐OFDM and the other factor is moving away the cyclic harmonic inter‐carrier interference (ICI) by over‐sampling. In addition, the authors confirm that over‐sampling factor of 2, i.e. 2N point fast Fourier transform (FFT) is sufficient to move the cyclic harmonic ICI. From this investigation, the authors propose 2N point FFT FADAC‐OFDM. The proposed scheme achieves the significantly improved performance not only in the flat fading channel but also in the selective fading channels. For example, while the non‐oversampled FADAC‐OFDM has the unacceptable error rate level near to or above 0.1 at the band edges even with high signal to noise ratio, the proposed scheme achieves near intersymbol interference‐free performance. This leads the proposed scheme to achieve 50% reduction of the required number of null subcarriers to achieve ICI free performance compared with the non‐oversampled FADAC‐OFDM. Moreover, in terms of implementation feasibility and computational complexity, the proposed scheme is shown to be acceptable.
Energy‐efficient optimisation for secrecy wireless information and power transfer in massive MIMO relaying systems
Authors: Du Chuang , Chen Xiaoming , Lei Lei
Published: July 2016

In this study, the problem of energy‐efficient power allocation (EEPA) for secrecy wireless information and power transfer in a massive multiple‐input multiple‐output relay aided secure communication system is well addressed. The relay forwards the signal sent from a source to a legitimate destination with the harvested energy based on a decode‐and‐forward relaying protocol, while a passive eavesdropper intends to intercept the message. The authors first derive a closed‐form expression for the secrecy energy efficiency of the considered system under practical conditions, i.e. no instantaneous eavesdropper channel state information (CSI) and only imperfect legitimate CSI. Then, they propose an EEPA scheme for maximising the secrecy energy efficiency. Finally, simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Serum aspirin esterase activity in cord blood and in adults
Authors: Gugliucci Alejandro , Kimura Satoshi , Menini Teresita , Hermo Ricardo , Numaguchi Masahide
Published: July 2016

There is scarce information about altered aspirin – esterase (AE) activities in various physiological and pathological states, as well as the putative agents modulating this activity. Since there are no data on AE levels in cord blood, we set up this study to measure its activity in neonates' cord blood and in adults, using an optimized technique developed in our laboratory. We performed a case-control study with 28 newborns, and control adult subjects were selected from a healthy population of hospital workers. Aspirin esterase activity in cord blood was 60 ± 12 nmol/mL/min vs 87 ± 12 nmol/mL/min in adults, p < 0.00001. No correlation of AE activity and HDL cholesterol, HDL/LDL cholesterol or paraoxonase 1 was found. Aspirin esterase correlated significantly with serum cholinesterase: r = 0.86 p < 0.0001, which was also 30% ower in cord blood than in adults. We show here, for the first time, that cord blood serum has a significant aspirin esterase activity, even though is its 40% lower than that found in adults. Our data provide baseline information for future studies on the physiology of aspirin esterase in children and the factors that modulate its activity to reach adult levels.
Artificial dense lattice of magnetic bubbles
Authors: Sapozhnikov M. V. , Vdovichev S. N. , Ermolaeva O. L. , Gusev N. S. , Fraerman A. A. , Gusev S. A. , Petrov Yu. V.
Published: July 2016

Co/Pt multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are irradiated by focused He+ ion beam to locally reduce the anisotropy value. The irradiated spots with a diameter of 100 nm are arranged in a square lattice with 200 nm period. The formation of the nonuniform periodic magnetic structure is observed without changes in the film topography. The spatial symmetry of the magnetic force microscopy signal and the specific shape of magnetization curves indicate the formation of the magnetic bubbles or magnetic vortices within the irradiated spot depending on the irradiation dose. The experimental data are in a good agreement with micromagnetic simulations of the system.