bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New Class of Crosslinker-Free Nanofiber Biomaterials from Hydra Nematocyst Proteins
Authors: Bentele Theresa , Amadei Federico , Kimmle Esther , Veschgini Mariam , Linke Philipp , Sontag-González Mariana , Tennigkeit Jutta , Ho Anthony D. , Özbek Suat , Tanaka Motomu 
Published: December 2019

AbstractNematocysts, the stinging organelles of cnidarians, have remarkable mechanical properties. Hydra nematocyst capsules undergo volume changes of 50% during their explosive exocytosis and withstand osmotic pressures of beyond 100 bar. Recently, two novel protein components building up the nematocyst capsule wall in Hydra were identified. The cnidarian proline-rich protein 1 (CPP-1) characterized by a “rigid” polyproline motif and the elastic Cnidoin possessing a silk-like domain were shown to be part of the capsule structure via short cysteine-rich domains that spontaneously crosslink the proteins via disulfide bonds. In this study, recombinant Cnidoin and CPP-1 are expressed in E. coli and the elastic modulus of spontaneously crosslinked bulk proteins is compared with that of isolated nematocysts. For the fabrication of uniform protein nanofibers by electrospinning, the preparative conditions are systematically optimized. Both fibers remain stable even after rigorous washing and immersion into bulk water owing to the simultaneous crosslinking of cysteine-rich domains. This makes our nanofibers clearly different from other protein nanofibers that are not stable without chemical crosslinkers. Following the quantitative assessment of mechanical properties, the potential of Cnidoin and CPP-1 nanofibers is examined towards the maintenance of human mesenchymal stem cells.
Manipulating rod-shaped bacteria with optical tweezers
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Kimkes Tom E. P. , Heinemann Matthias 
Published: December 2019

AbstractOptical tweezers have great potential in microbiology for holding and manipulating single cells under a microscope. However, the methodology to use optical tweezers for live cell studies is still at its infancy. In this work, we determined suitable parameters for stable trapping of single Escherichia coli bacteria, and identified the upper limits of IR-exposure that can be applied without affecting viability. We found that the maximum tolerable IR-exposure is 2.5-fold higher when employing oscillating instead of stationary optical trapping (20 J and 8 J, respectively). We found that good stability of cells in an oscillating trap is achieved when the effective trap length is 20% larger than the cell length, the oscillation frequency higher than 100 Hz and the trap oriented perpendicular to the medium flow direction. Further, we show, using an IR power just sufficient for stable holding, that bacteria remain viable during at least 30 min of holding in an oscillating trap. In this work, we established a method for long-term stable handling of single E. coli cells using optical tweezers. This work will pave the way for future use of optical tweezers in microbiology.
Mebendazole augments sensitivity to sorafenib by targeting MAPK and BCL-2 signalling in n-nitrosodiethylamine-induced murine hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Younis Nancy S. , Ghanim Amal M. H. , Saber Sameh 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSorafenib (SO) is a multi-kinase inhibitor that targets upstream signals in the MAPK pathway. Drug resistance and transient survival benefits are the main obstacles associated with SO treatment in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Mebendazole (MBZ), an anthelmintic agent, has demonstrated activity against various cancer types. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the possible mechanisms of MBZ other than its anti-tubulin activity. MBZ (100 mg/kg/day, P.O.) was administered to N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced HCC mice as a monotherapeutic agent or in combination with SO. Our results revealed that MBZ decreased AFP levels, improved liver function and histology and increased survival in HCC mice, particularly when administered in combination with SO. MBZ also reduced hepatic inflammation and fibrogenesis as evidenced by reductions in TNF-α and TGF-β1 levels, respectively. Increased hepatic caspases-3 and -9 and decreased BCL-2 levels suggest induced-cell death. In addition, MBZ demonstrated anti-angiogenic, anti-metastatic, and anti-proliferative effects, as indicated by reduced VEGF levels, MMP-2:TIMP-1 ratios, and reduced cyclin D1 levels and Ki67 immunostaining, respectively. Our main finding was that MBZ targeted downstream signal of the MAPK pathway by inhibiting ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Targeting downstream MAPK signalling by MBZ and upstream signalling by SO is a novel approach to minimizing resistance and prolonging survival.
Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale
Authors: Evangelista Marina C. , Watanabe Ryota , Leung Vivian S. Y. , Monteiro Beatriz P. , O’Toole Elizabeth , Pang Daniel S. J. , Steagall Paulo V. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractGrimace scales have been used for pain assessment in different species. This study aimed to develop and validate the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) to detect naturally-occurring acute pain. Thirty-five client-owned and twenty control cats were video-recorded undisturbed in their cages in a prospective, case-control study. Painful cats received analgesic treatment and videos were repeated one hour later. Five action units (AU) were identified: ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change and head position. Four observers independently scored (0–2 for each AU) 110 images of control and painful cats. The FGS scores were higher in painful than in control cats; a very strong correlation with another validated instrument for pain assessment in cats was observed (rho = 0.86, p < 0.001) as well as good overall inter-rater reliability [ICC = 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92)], excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC > 0.91), and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89). The FGS detected response to analgesic treatment (scores after analgesia were lower than before) and a cut-off score was determined (total pain score > 0.39 out of 1.0). The FGS is a valid and reliable tool for acute pain assessment in cats.
The first global deep-sea stable isotope assessment reveals the unique trophic ecology of Vampire Squid Vampyroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda)
Authors: Golikov Alexey V. , Ceia Filipe R. , Sabirov Rushan M. , Ablett Jonathan D. , Gleadall Ian G. , Gudmundsson Gudmundur , Hoving Hendrik J. , Judkins Heather , Pálsson Jónbjörn , Reid Amanda L. , Rosas-Luis Rigoberto , Shea Elizabeth K. , Schwarz Richard , Xavier José C. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractVampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope analyses of a unique collection of beaks from 104 specimens from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Cephalopods typically are active predators occupying a high trophic level (TL) and exhibit an ontogenetic increase in δ15N and TL. Our results, presenting the first global comparison for a deep-sea invertebrate, demonstrate that V. infernalis has an ontogenetic decrease in δ15N and TL, coupled with niche broadening. Juveniles are mobile zooplanktivores, while larger Vampyroteuthis are slow-swimming opportunistic consumers and ingest particulate organic matter. Vampyroteuthis infernalis occupies the same TL (3.0–4.3) over its global range and has a unique niche in deep-sea ecosystems. These traits have enabled the success and abundance of this relict species inhabiting the largest ecological realm on the planet.
Discovery of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids as potential inhibitors against Dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease
Authors: Bharadwaj Shiv , Lee Kyung Eun , Dwivedi Vivek Dhar , Yadava Umesh , Panwar Aleksha , Lucas Stuart. J. , Pandey Amit , Kang Sang Gu 
Published: December 2019

AbstractDengue virus (DENV) infection causes serious health problems in humans for which no drug is currently available. Recently, DENV NS2B-NS3 protease has been proposed as a primary target for anti-dengue drug discovery due to its important role in new virus particle formation by conducting DENV polyprotein cleavage. Triterpenoids from the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum have been suggested as pharmacologically bioactive compounds and tested as anti-viral agents against various viral pathogens including human immunodeficiency virus. However, no reports are available concerning the anti-viral activity of triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum against DENV. Therefore, we employed a virtual screening approach to predict the functional triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum as potential inhibitors of DENV NS2B-NS3 protease, followed by an in vitro assay. From in silico analysis of twenty-two triterpenoids of Ganoderma lucidum, four triterpenoids, viz. Ganodermanontriol (−6.291 kcal/mol), Lucidumol A (−5.993 kcal/mol), Ganoderic acid C2 (−5.948 kcal/mol) and Ganosporeric acid A (−5.983 kcal/mol) were predicted to be viral protease inhibitors by comparison to reference inhibitor 1,8-Dihydroxy-4,5-dinitroanthraquinone (−5.377 kcal/mol). These results were further studied for binding affinity and stability using the molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area method and Molecular Dynamics simulations, respectively. Also, in vitro viral infection inhibition suggested that Ganodermanontriol is a potent bioactive triterpenoid.
Human immune cells infiltrate the spinal cord and impair recovery after spinal cord injury in humanized mice
Authors: Carpenter Randall S. , Jiang Roselyn R. , Brennan Faith H. , Hall Jodie C. E. , Gottipati Manoj K. , Niewiesk Stefan , Popovich Phillip G. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractHumanized mice can be used to better understand how the human immune system responds to central nervous system (CNS) injury and inflammation. The optimal parameters for using humanized mice in preclinical CNS injury models need to be established for appropriate use and interpretation. Here, we show that the developmental age of the human immune system significantly affects anatomical and functional outcome measures in a preclinical model of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, it takes approximately 3–4 months for a stable and functionally competent human immune system to develop in neonatal immune compromised mice after they are engrafted with human umbilical cord blood stem cells. Humanized mice receiving a SCI before or after stable engraftment exhibit significantly different neuroinflammatory profiles. Importantly, the development of a mature human immune system was associated with worse lesion pathology and neurological recovery after SCI. In these mice, human T cells infiltrate the spinal cord lesion and directly contact human macrophages. Together, data in this report establish an optimal experimental framework for using humanized mice to help translate promising preclinical therapies for CNS injury.
Oxidized-monolayer tunneling barrier for strong Fermi-level depinning in layered InSe transistors
Authors: Chen Yi-Hsun , Cheng Chih-Yi , Chen Shao-Yu , Rodriguez Jan Sebastian Dominic , Liao Han-Ting , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Chen Chun-Wei , Sankar Raman , Chou Fang-Cheng , Chiu Hsiang-Chih , Wang Wei-Hua 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn two-dimensional (2D)-semiconductor-based field-effect transistors and optoelectronic devices, metal–semiconductor junctions are one of the crucial factors determining device performance. The Fermi-level (FL) pinning effect, which commonly caused by interfacial gap states, severely limits the tunability of junction characteristics, including barrier height and contact resistance. A tunneling contact scheme has been suggested to address the FL pinning issue in metal–2D-semiconductor junctions, whereas the experimental realization is still elusive. Here, we show that an oxidized-monolayer-enabled tunneling barrier can realize a pronounced FL depinning in indium selenide (InSe) transistors, exhibiting a large pinning factor of 0.5 and a highly modulated Schottky barrier height. The FL depinning can be attributed to the suppression of metal- and disorder-induced gap states as a result of the high-quality tunneling contacts. Structural characterizations indicate uniform and atomically thin-surface oxidation layer inherent from nature of van der Waals materials and atomically sharp oxide–2D-semiconductor interfaces. Moreover, by effectively lowering the Schottky barrier height, we achieve an electron mobility of 2160 cm2/Vs and a contact barrier of 65 meV in two-terminal InSe transistors. The realization of strong FL depinning in high-mobility InSe transistors with the oxidized-monolayer presents a viable strategy to exploit layered semiconductors in contact engineering for advanced electronics and optoelectronics.
A nanobiosensor based on graphene oxide and DNA binding dye for multi-microRNAs detection
Authors: Rahaie Mahdi , Noroozi Saman Khayat 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Multiplex assays for detection of biomarkers, provide advantageous analyses of different factors related to diagnoses of diseases. The Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common disease in old people in societies which is increasing, significantly. A group of microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in developing the disease which can be considered as early stage biomarkers. Since, selective, sensitive, simple and rapid method for detection of these miRNAs in a single test is critical for early diagnosis and efficient therapy of the disease, herein, we report a sensitive fluorescence assay based on enzyme-free and isothermal hybridization chain reaction with SYBR Green and graphene oxide (GOX) for early detection of miR-137 and miR-142, as two Alzheimer’s biomarkers. Fluorescence spectrophotometry based on SYBR Green signal and GOX as the fluorescence quencher was used for detection and quantification of targets’ miRNAs and change in fluorescence intensity due to absence and presence of the targets was measured. The limit of detection in the newly designed nanobiosensor was achieved as 82 pM with a sensitive detection of the miRNAs from 0.05 to 5 nM, that is critical for detecting the biomarkers. Given the real range of concentrations of miRNAs in blood (from nanomolar to femtomolar values), the method holds great promise in dual and multiple targets detection due to its sensitivity, rapidness, inexpensive and specificity which provides a convenient detection method of Alzheimer’s in early stage.
RNA-sequencing analysis reveals the potential contribution of lncRNAs in palmitic acid-induced insulin resistance of skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Han Mei , You Lianghui , Wu Yanting , Gu Nan , Wang Yan , Feng Xiaodan , Xiang Lanlan , Chen Yajun , Zeng Yu , Zhong Tianying 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Insulin resistance (IR) has been considered as the common pathological basis and developmental driving force for most metabolic diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as pivotal regulators in modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the comprehensive profile of lncRNAs in skeletal muscle cells under the insulin resistant status and the possible biological effects of them were not fully studied. In this research, using C2C12 myotubes as cell models in vitro, deep RNA-sequencing was performed to profile lncRNAs and mRNAs between palmitic acid-induced IR C2C12 myotubes and control ones. The results revealed that a total of 144 lncRNAs including 70 up-regulated and 74 down-regulated (|fold change| &gt; 2, q &lt; 0.05) were significantly differentially expressed in palmitic acid-induced insulin resistant cells. In addition, functional annotation analysis based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases revealed that the target genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were significantly enriched in fatty acid oxidation, lipid oxidation, PPAR signaling pathway, and insulin signaling pathway. Moreover, Via qPCR, most of selected lncRNAs in myotubes and db/db mice skeletal muscle showed the consistent expression trends with RNA-sequencing. Co-expression analysis also explicated the key lncRNA–mRNA interactions and pointed out a potential regulatory network of candidate lncRNA ENSMUST00000160839. In conclusion, the present study extended the skeletal muscle lncRNA database and provided novel potential regulators for future genetic and molecular studies on insulin resistance, which is helpful for prevention and treatment of the related metabolic diseases.
The association between dietary protein intake and esophageal cancer risk: a meta-analysis
Authors: Kong Fanjuan , Geng Erdong , Ning Juan , Liu Zhiyu , Wang Aihua , Zhang Siyu , Wang Hua 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Several papers studied dietary protein intake as a potential influence factor for esophageal cancer, but their findings were inconsistent. Thus, this meta-analysis was performed to identify the effect of protein intake on esophageal cancer risk. Potential case–control studies or cohort studies from the databases of Embase, Web of Science and PubMed were searched. The strength of association was quantified by pooling odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). In total, 11 articles involving 2537 cases and 11432 participants were included in this meta-analysis. As a result, dietary protein intake had non-significant association on esophageal cancer risk overall (pooled OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.88–1.40). Meanwhile, we obtained consistent results in the subgroups analyses by study design, protein type, geographic locations and number of cases. Interestingly, dietary protein intake could significantly increase the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (pooled OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.62), instead of other disease type. To sum up, dietary protein intake had no significant association with esophageal cancer risk in the overall analysis; but, protein intake may be associated with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. While some limitations existed in the present paper, more studies with large sample size are warranted to further confirm this result.
Building Emotional Intelligence for Student Success: A Pilot Study
Authors: Shah Amee P. , Galantino Mary Lou 
Published: December 2019

Purpose
Nationwide, upward trends exist in student issues with anxiety, stress, depression, and lowered classroom performance. As emotional awareness and emotional regulation skills are typically not addressed in professional discipline-specific courses, students experience challenges in their academic performance. This pilot research explored the effect of brief targeted classroom practices within an empowerment-based framework on domains of emotional intelligence.

Method

Twenty-two students in an undergraduate speech-language pathology class received a 13-week, biweekly, 15-min session of empowerment-based worksheet exercises to develop increased self-esteem, emotional awareness and regulation, and communication. Assessments of self-esteem, emotional intelligence, communication competence, and communication apprehension were conducted using validated scales, namely, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (
Rosenberg, 1965
), the Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment (
Mohapel, 2015
), the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (
McCroskey & McCroskey, 2013
), and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (
McCroskey, 1982
), respectively. Midsemester and semester-end student reflections were collected.

Results

Paired
t
tests were significant in self-esteem and emotional quotient, including subdomains of emotional awareness, emotional management, social emotional awareness, and relational management. Significance was noted in communication competence in the subdomains of dyad interaction, stranger interaction, and acquaintance. Students' reflection showed significant improvement in empowerment and self-rated improvements in confidence, communication, connections with peers, and trust with instructor.

Conclusion
Preliminary evidence demonstrates positive outcomes with integration of intentional classroom exercises to build emotional intelligence (including emotional awareness and regulation), self-esteem, and communication. This empowerment model may assist faculty in developing effective pedagogical strategies to build students' self-resiliency.
Structural analysis of massive galaxies using HST deep imaging at z < 0.5
Authors: dos Reis Sandra N. , Buitrago Fernando , Papaderos Polychronis , Matute Israel , Afonso José , Amarantidis Stergios , Breda Iris , Gomes Jean M. , Humphrey Andrew , Lobo Catarina , Lorenzoni Silvio , Pappalardo Cirino , Paulino-Afonso Ana , Scott Tom 
Published: December 2019

Context. The most massive galaxies (Mstellar ≥ 1011 M⊙) in the local Universe are characterized by a bulge-dominated morphology and old stellar populations, in addition to being confined to a tight mass-size relation. Identifying their main components can provide insights into their formation mechanisms and subsequent mass assembly.
Aims. Taking advantage of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) CANDELS data, we analyze the lowest redshift (z <  0.5) massive galaxies in the H and I band in order to disentangle their structural constituents and study possible faint non-axisymmetric features.
Methods. Our final sample consists of 17 massive galaxies. Due to the excellent HST spatial resolution for intermediate redshift objects, they are hard to model by purely automatic parametric fitting algorithms. We performed careful single and double (bulge-disk decompositions) Sérsic fits to their galaxy surface brightness profiles. We compare the model color profiles with the observed ones and also derive multi-component global effective radii attempting to obtain a better interpretation of the mass-size relation. Additionally, we test the robustness of our measured structural parameters via simulations.
Results. We find that the Sérsic index does not offer a good proxy for the visual morphological type for our sample of massive galaxies. Our derived multi-component effective radii give a better description of the size of our sample galaxies than those inferred from single Sérsic models with GALFIT. Our galaxy population lies on the scatter of the local mass-size relation, indicating that these massive galaxies have not experienced a significant growth in size since z ∼ 0.5. Interestingly, the few outliers are late-type galaxies, indicating that spheroids must reach the local mass-size relation earlier. For most of our sample galaxies, both single- and multi-component Sérsic models with GALFIT show substantial systematic deviations from the observed surface brightness profiles in the outskirts. These residuals may be partly due to several factors, namely a nonoptimal data reduction for low surface brightness features or the existence of prominent stellar haloes for massive galaxies, or they could also arise from conceptual shortcomings of parametric 2D image decomposition tools. They consequently propagate into galaxy color profiles. This is a significant obstacle to the exploration of the structural evolution of galaxies, which calls for a critical assessment and refinement of existing surface photometry techniques.