bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Universal guidelines for the conversion of proteins and dyes into functional nanothermometers
Authors: Spicer Graham , Efeyan Alejo , Adam Alejandro P. , Thompson Sebastian A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn the last decade, technological advances in chemistry and photonics have enabled real‐time measurement of temperature at the nanoscale. Nanothermometers, probes specifically designed to relay these nanoscale temperature changes, provide a high degree of temperature, temporal, and spatial resolution and precision. Several different approaches have been proposed, including microthermocouples, luminescence and fluorescence polarization anisotropy‐based nanothermometers. Anisotropy‐based nanothermometers excel in terms of biocompatibility because they can be built from endogenous proteins conjugated to dyes, minimizing any system perturbation. Moreover, the resulting fluorescent proteins can retain their native structure and activity while performing the temperature measurement, allowing precise temperature recordings from the native environment or during an enzymatic reaction in any given experimental system. To facilitate the future use of these nanothermometers in research, here we present a theoretical model that predicts the optimal sensitivity for anisotropy‐based thermometers starting with any protein or dye, based on protein size and dye fluorescence lifetime. Using this model, most proteins and dyes can be converted to nanothermometers. The utilization of these nanothermometers by a broad spectrum of disciplines within the scientific community will bring new knowledge and understanding that today remains unavailable with current techniques.
Impact of crystallinity and crystal size of nanostructured carbonated hydroxyapatite on pre‐osteoblast in vitro biocompatibility
Authors: dos Anjos Suzana , Mavropoulos Elena , Alves Gutemberg G. , Costa Andrea M. , de Alencar Hausen Moema , Spiegel Carolina N. , Longuinho Mariana M. , Mir Mirta , Granjeiro José M. , Rossi Alexandre M. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractNanostructured carbonated hydroxyapatite (nCHA) is a promising biomaterial for bone tissue engineering due to its chemical properties, similar to those of the bone mineral phase and its enhanced in vivo bioresorption. However, the biological effects of nCHA nanoparticles on cells and tissues are not sufficiently known. This study assessed the impact of exposing pre‐osteoblasts to suspensions with high doses of nCHA nanoparticles with high or low crystallinity. MC3T3‐E1 pre‐osteoblasts were cultured for 1 or 7 days in a culture medium previously exposed to CHA nanoparticles for 1 day. Control groups were produced by centrifugation for removal of bigger nCHA aggregates before exposure. Interaction of nanoparticles with the culture medium drastically changed medium composition, promoting Ca, P, and protein adsorption. Transmission Electron microscopy revealed that exposed cells were able to internalize both materials, which seemed concentrated inside endosomes. No cytotoxicity was observed for both materials, regardless of centrifugation, and the exposure did not induce alterations in the release of pro‐and anti‐inflammatory cytokines. Morphological analysis revealed strong interactions of nCHA aggregates with cell surfaces, however without marked alterations in morphological features and cytoskeleton ultrastructure. The overall in vitro biocompatibility of nCHA materials, regardless of physicochemical characteristics such as crystallinity, encourages further studies on their clinical applications.
Enhanced bone formation onto the bone surface using a hydroxyapatite/collagen bone‐like nanocomposite
Authors: Hiratsuka Taizo , Uezono Masayoshi , Takakuda Kazuo , Kikuchi Masanori , Oshima Sho , Sato Taira , Suzuki Shoichi , Moriyama Keiji 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe process of bone formation onto the bone surface using a hydroxyapatite/collagen bone‐like nanocomposite (HAp/Col) was investigated. Immersion tests were performed to evaluate the impact of pH on the degradation of the specimens in an aqueous environment. The specimens were soaked in aqueous solutions of pH 4.0, 5.0, and 7.0. Using standardized images, the top‐view areas of the specimens were measured. Animal experiments were performed to investigate the bone formation process onto the bone surface. The specimens were placed under the rat calvarial periosteum, and μCT image analysis and histological observation were performed on samples harvested on postoperative Days 3, 5, and 7. In all experiments, β‐tricalciumphosphate (β‐TCP) was adopted as the control. HAp/Col turned to gel in acidic environments below pH 5.0. In contrast to the β‐TCP, the HAp/Col specimens placed under the periosteum expanded and attained a hollow structure with a gel‐filled center, accompanied by larger volume of new bone and appearance of TRAP‐positive multinucleated cells on postoperative Day 5. Therefore, HAp/Col can enhance bone formation onto the bone surface via induction of TRAP‐positive multinucleated cells, and may have clinical applications.
Combining proteomics and bioinformatics to explore novel tegumental antigens as vaccine candidates against Echinococcus granulosus infection
Authors: Miles Sebastián , Portela Madelón , Cyrklaff Marek , Ancarola María Eugenia , Frischknecht Friedrich , Durán Rosario , Dematteis Sylvia , Mourglia‐Ettlin Gustavo 
Published: May 2019

AbstractEchinococcus granulosus is the parasite responsible for cystic echinococcosis (CE), an important worldwide‐distributed zoonosis. New effective vaccines against CE could potentially have great economic and health benefits. Here, we describe an innovative vaccine design scheme starting from an antigenic fraction enriched in tegumental antigens from the protoscolex stage (termed PSEx) already known to induce protection against CE. We first used mass spectrometry to characterize the protein composition of PSEx followed by Gene Ontology analysis to study the potential Biological Processes, Molecular Functions, and Cellular Localizations of the identified proteins. Following, antigenicity predictions and determination of conservancy degree against other organisms were determined. Thus, nine novel proteins were identified as potential vaccine candidates. Furthermore, linear B cell epitopes free of posttranslational modifications were predicted in the whole PSEx proteome through colocalization of in silico predicted epitopes within peptide fragments identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐TOF/TOF. Resulting peptides were termed “clean linear B cell epitopes,” and through BLASTp scanning against all nonhelminth proteins, those with 100% identity against any other protein were discarded. Then, the secondary structure was predicted for peptides and their corresponding proteins. Peptides with highly similar secondary structure respect to their parental protein were selected, and those potentially toxic and/or allergenic were discarded. Finally, the selected clean linear B cell epitopes were mapped within their corresponding 3D‐modeled protein to analyze their possible antibody accessibilities, resulting in 14 putative peptide vaccine candidates. We propose nine novel proteins and 14 peptides to be further tested as vaccine candidates against CE.
3,3′,4,4′,5‐Pentachlorobiphenyl influences mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in granulosa cells
Authors: Zhong Tao , Zhang Jianmei , Han Xiaoying , Gongye Xiaoxiao , Lyu Tianqi , Jiang Menghan , Yu Kaiwei , Meng Xiaoqian , Cheng Dong , Lyu Hui , Zhang Tianliang , Zhang Lei , Liu Shuzhen 
Published: May 2019

Abstract3,3′,4,4′,5‐Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB126) is a persistent organic environmental pollutant which can affect various biological activities of organisms, such as immunity, neurological function, and reproduction. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of PCB126 on granulosa cells (GCs). GCs were collected from ovaries in PMSG‐treated mice, after 24 hours culture. GCs were then incubated with 10 pg/mL, 100 pg/mL, and 10 ng/mL of PCB126 for another 24 hours. Following these steps, exposed GCs were collected for further experimentation. Our data showed that the number of GCs in the 10 ng/mL PCB126 decreased. Meanwhile, pyknotic nuclei and condensed chromatin increased, while the apoptotic cells in the 10 ng/mL PCB126 group were significantly increased. Furthermore, the expression of the apoptotic executive protein caspase‐3 increased after PCB126 treatment. The expression of Bax, Bcl‐2, and Bim related to the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway were also influenced to different degrees. Thus, our data suggested that PCB126 affect the GCs apoptosis, and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was involved in this process.
The expression of long noncoding RNA CRCAL‐3 in colorectal cancer and its impacts on cell proliferation and migration
Authors: Chang Hui , Wang Guan‐Nan , Tao Ya‐Lan 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC). And lncRNA RP11‐138J23.1 (CRCAL‐3) was previously reported as a candidate regulator of CRC development. But its regulating functions have not been fully elucidated. Here, we analyzed RNA sequencing data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 253 CRC patients treated in our hospital to assess expression dysregulation of CRCAL‐3, and the correlation between CRCAL‐3 expression and disease progression. Further, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay on different cell lines and knockdown experiments by small interfering RNA were performed to assess functions of CRCAL‐3 in proliferation and migration of CRC cells. As a result, analyses on TCGA datasets showed an upregulated CRCAL‐3 expression in 14 solid tumors, including CRC. PCR assay on 253 cases of CRC tissue and 114 cases of normal adjacent tissue confirmed this expression upregulation. Also, CRCAL‐3 expression was exhibited by survival analyses on the 253 CRC patients, to have a negative correlation with patients' overall and progression‐free survivals. PCR assay on different cell lines showed that CRC cells expressed a higher level of CRCAL‐3, compared with normal colonic epithelial cells. In vitro knockdown of CRCAL‐3 resulted in an obvious retardation of proliferation and migration in two CRC cell lines (HCT116 and DLD‐1). Moreover, CRCAL‐3 knockdown was observed in xenograft models to repress cell proliferation and enhance cisplatin sensitivity. Taking these results together, CRCAL‐3 emerged as a biomarker for early diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and individualized treatment of CRC.
Melatonin is an appropriate candidate for breast cancer treatment: Based on known molecular mechanisms
Authors: Amin Negin , Shafabakhsh Rana , Reiter Russel J. , Asemi Zatollah 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and one of the most important causes of death in women throughout the world. Breast cancer risk factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, personal and family history, hypertension, and hormone therapy, long‐term use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and tobacco usage. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and neoadjuvant therapy are the current means for breast cancer treatment. Despite hormonal agents and chemotherapy, which have beneficial effects on lowering breast cancer death rate, the reaction of different people to these treatments is still a challenging point. Melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxy tryptamine) is a methoxy indole compound that is mainly secreted by the pineal gland at night; it is as an antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and oncostatic agent. On the basis of recent studies, melatonin has antitumor properties on different cancer types and it may suppress cancer development in vitro and as well as in animal models. It is suggested that melatonin inhibits the development of breast cancer by various mechanisms. This paper summarizes the roles of melatonin in breast cancer treatment from the aspect of its molecular actions.
Resveratrol increases stem cell function in the treatment of damaged pancreas
Authors: Chen Tung‐Sheng , Kuo Chia‐Hua , Day Cecilia Hsuan , Pan Lung‐Fa , Chen Ray‐Jade , Chen Bih‐Cheng , Padma Vijaya V. , Lin Yueh‐Min , Huang Chih‐Yang 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPancreatic damage results in insufficient insulin secretion, leading to type 1 diabetes. Stem cell‐based therapy has recently shown potential in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Resveratrol supplementation has demonstrated a beneficial effect in treating diabetes. This study investigates if adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSC), preconditioned with resveratrol, show better effects on experimental diabetic animals. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including sham (normal rats), DM (diabetic rats induced by SZT injection), DM+ADSC (DM rats with receiving autologous ADSC transplantation) and DM+R‐ADSC (DM rats receiving resveratrol preconditioned ADSC). The experimental results show that SZT induced pancreatic damage (DM group), including reduction of islet size, fibrosis pathway activation, survival signaling suppression, and apoptotic pathway expression, lead to serum glucose elevation. Autologous ADSC (DM+ADSC group) transplantation shows improvement in the above observations in DM rats. Furthermore, ADSC precondition with resveratrol (DM+R‐ADSC group) reveals significant improvement in the above pathological observations over both DM and DM+ADSC groups. We found that ADSC precondition with resveratrol increases the survival marker p‐Akt expression, leading to enhanced ADSC viability. This study suggests that ADSC precondition with resveratrol shows potential in the treatment of patients with type 1 DM.
Evaluation of cytokeratin 19 as a prognostic tumoral and metastatic marker with focus on improved detection methods
Authors: Mehrpouya Masoumeh , Pourhashem Zeinab , Yardehnavi Najmeh , Oladnabi Morteza 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn the last few years, there has been a growing interest in Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) studies in the cancer research field. CK19 belongs to the Type I CKs, serves as a useful research tool in prognosis, diagnosis, and management of the tumors. In this paper, we dissect the metastatic potential of CK19, its relation with cancer stem cells and retinal epithelial cells behavior, its application as a tumor marker and its role among 30 cancers such as thyroid, thoracic, lung, pancreatic, cervical, colorectal, and so forth. CK19 expressed in several cancer types because of its metastatic potential. This paper also presents modified detection methods of CK19 in disseminated tumor cells.
Off‐Label Treatment of 4 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients With 4‐Aminopyridine
Authors: Peikert Kevin , Naumann Marcel , Günther René , Wegner Florian , Hermann Andreas 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder characterized by degeneration of the upper and lower motor neuron. Among the at least 25 known genes associated with familial (hereditary) and sporadic ALS, mutations in fused‐in‐sarcoma (FUS) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) have been extensively investigated in the past years, with emphasis on altered excitability of affected neurons. Recently, we reported on hypoexcitability and increased cell death in a FUS/SOD1‐ALS–induced pluripotent stem cell–derived motor neuron model, which was partly reversible by a treatment with the potassium channel blocker 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP). Based on this study, we aimed to examine this US Food and Drug Administration–approved drug as a potential individualized treatment for patients with ALS. We therefore retrospectively investigated 4 FUS/SOD1‐ALS patients who were prescribed 4‐AP. Two patients expressed an improved quality of life due to regain of facial muscle motor function and decreased disease progression rate, respectively. Together with recent pathophysiologic findings, this case series supports the need for clinical trials to examine the efficacy of this potential treatment in distinct ALS subgroups and disease stages.
Selective separation and recovery of fluoride ion from ammonia‐based flue gas desulfurization slurry using electrodialysis
Authors: Luo Zhengwei , Zhu Dongmei , Wang Dan , Xu Jiahuan , Jiang Hui , Geng Wenhua , Wei Wuji , Lian Zhouyang 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe ammonia‐based wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system generates fluoride‐rich slurry, the concentration of which reaches several thousand mg L−1. Therefore this slurry has to be treated to avoid damage to industrial equipment, human health and environment safety. This work aims at separating fluoride from high‐concentrated ammonia‐based wet FGD slurry and purifying the ammonium sulfate byproduct using electrodialysis (ED).RESULTSThe effects of experimental conditions such as applied potential, circular flow rate, pH and temperature were investigated for the ED process. The influence of competing ions such as Cl− and SO42− on the removal efficiency was also studied. The use of a homogeneous AMX membrane in the first stage of ED and an ACS monovalent anion selective membrane in the second stage of ED proved to be a feasible and cost‐effective strategy for F− removal. The total recovery rate of F− was 81.4%, while the content of NH4F increased from 0.35 to 40.70%. The power consumption and current efficiency were also studied to evaluate the suitability of ED for the defluoridation of FGD slurry.CONCLUSIONThe separation and recovery of F− using the designed ED is cost‐effective and efficient, and the process can be extended to other FGD techniques. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Synthesis, Characterization, Molecular Docking, and Anticancer Evaluation of 4‐Thiazolidinone Analogues
Authors: Mushtaque Md , Avecilla Fernando , Hafeez Zubair Bin , Rizvi Mohammad Moshahid A. 
Published: May 2019

Scaffolds containing one or more heteroatoms are ubiquitous in nature and are responsible for almost every biological processes in flora and fauna. The fact that heterocyclic cores have high propensity for biological targets, several nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur‐containing heterocyclic compounds have been reported in the last few decades. One such intriguing class is 4‐thiazolidinone that exhibit diverse range of pharmacological activities. In the present study, we report synthesis, characterization, molecular docking, and anticancer evaluation of 10 new 4‐thiazolidinone analogues (5–14). One of the compounds (11) was structurally characterized using single crystal X structure. Anticancer evaluation against hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) revealed that compound (7) was the most potent (IC50 = 75 μM) while other showed moderate to low activity (85–530 μM). To underpin the druggability and possible modes of action, drug‐likeness was determined and docking studies were carried out against β‐carbonic anhydrase receptor (PDB ID: 3IA). Attempts have also been made to establish a structure–activity relationship of the reported compounds.
Distance to clinic is a barrier to PrEP uptake and visit attendance in a community in rural Uganda
Authors: Mayer Christopher M , Owaraganise Asiphas , Kabami Jane , Kwarisiima Dalsone , Koss Catherine A , Charlebois Edwin D , Kamya Moses R , Petersen Maya L , Havlir Diane V , Jewell Britta L 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIntroductionGeographic and transportation barriers are associated with poorer HIV‐related health outcomes in sub‐Saharan Africa, but data on the impact of these barriers on prevention interventions are limited. We estimated the association between distance to clinic and other transportation‐related barriers on pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and initial clinic visit attendance in a rural community in southwestern Uganda enrolled in the ongoing SEARCH study (NCT01864603).MethodsCommunity‐wide HIV testing was conducted and offered to adult (≥15 years) participants in Ruhoko. Participants were eligible for PrEP based on an empiric risk score, having an HIV‐discordant partner, or self‐referral at either the community health campaign or during home‐based testing from March to April 2017. We collected data from PrEP‐eligible households on GPS‐measured distance to clinic, walking time to clinic and road difficulty. A sample of participants was also asked to identify their primary barriers to PrEP use with a semi‐quantitative questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between transportation barriers and (1) PrEP uptake among PrEP‐eligible individuals and (2) four‐week clinic visit attendance among PrEP initiators.ResultsOf the 701 PrEP‐eligible participants, 272 (39%) started PrEP within four weeks; of these, 45 (17%) were retained at four weeks. Participants with a distance to clinic of ≥2 km were less likely to start PrEP (aOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.79, p = 0.012) and less likely to be retained on PrEP once initiated (aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.84; p = 0.024). Participants who were deemed eligible during home‐based testing and did not have the option of same‐day PrEP start were also substantially less likely to initiate PrEP (aOR 0.16, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.37, p < 0.001). Of participants asked to name barriers to PrEP use (N = 98), the most frequently cited were “needing to take PrEP every day” (N = 18) and “low/no risk of getting HIV” (N = 18). Transportation‐related barriers, including “clinic is too far away” (N = 6) and “travel away from home” (N = 4) were also reported.ConclusionsDistance to clinic is a significant predictor of PrEP uptake and four‐week follow‐up visit attendance in a community in rural Uganda. Interventions that address geographic and transportation barriers may improve PrEP uptake and retention in sub‐Saharan Africa.
A novel method to dynamic thermal impedance and channel temperature extraction of GaN HEMTs
Authors: Wang Liu , Liu Jun , Zhou Wenyong , Xu Zhongchao , Wu Yuanyuan , Tao Hongqi 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAn improved method to extract dynamic thermal impedance for power transistor is proposed, and the nonlinear thermal effect is considered. A novel model to characterize transistor dynamic thermal impedance is established. A four‐node R‐L network is attached in model to characterize self‐heating. And the method to extract model parameters is given. A constant m is defined to judge the change of thermal impedance with temperature. Thermal impedance Zth can be solved through rigorous mathematical calculation. This model is validated by using an AlGaN/GaN HEMT device under different measurement conditions, which demonstrates its potential to characterize the complete dynamic self‐heating behaviors for power transistors.