bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chemical and absorption signatures of Xiao Chai Hu Tang
Authors: Du Ting , Zeng Min , Chen Li , Cao Zheng , Cai Hua , Yang Guangde 
Published: March 2018

RationaleXiao Chai Hu Tang (XCHT, Sho‐saiko‐to in Japanese) is a well‐known medicine formula that has been used in Asia for centuries. However, the quality control and the absorption of XCHT components are the major remaining concerns. The study aimed to develop a sensitive and robust method to characterize the chemical components in XCHT and evaluate their absorptions.MethodsUltra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI‐QTOF‐MS/MS) was used to identify the compounds in XCHT. The Caco‐2 cell culture model was employed to determine the absorption of the identified components.ResultsThe results showed that 109 compounds were identified including organic acids, flavonoids, saikosaponins, ginsenosides, licoricesaponins and gingerols. The absorption study showed that among those identified, 33 compounds have decent absorption permerbilities ranging from 1.46 ± 0.24 × 10−7 to 3.10 ± 0.61 × 10−5 cm/s. These compounds were classified as classes II and IV in the biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS).ConclusionsThese identified compounds could be used to characterize the quality of XCHT and those absorbed compounds with decent permreabiliteis are the potential active components in XCHT. Future pharmacodynamics studies should focus on these absorbed compounds.
Development of a multi‐functional concurrent assay using weak cation‐exchange solid‐phase extraction (WCX‐SPE) and reconstitution with a diluted sample aliquot for anti‐doping analysis
Authors: Kim Yongseok , Jeon Mijin , Min Hophil , Son Junghyun , Lee Jaeick , Kwon Oh‐Seung , Moon Myeong Hee , Kim Ki Hun 
Published: March 2018

RationaleIn addition to the development of adequate screening methods for multiple compounds, the World Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA) requires anti‐doping laboratories to analyze prohibited substances and their metabolites from various classes. This task presents a difficult challenge for all agencies and interests involved in the field of doping control.MethodsA screening method is reported in which hybrid sample preparation was performed using a combination of weak cation‐exchange solid‐phase extraction (WCX‐SPE) and the ‘Dilute and Shoot’ strategy in order to take advantage of both the methodologies. Target substances were extracted using a WCX cartridge and reconstituted with a diluted sample aliquot that included 20% of an untreated urine sample. The target substances were further analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS).ResultsThe SPE procedure was optimized using a cartridge‐washing step, elution conditions, and elution volume. The cartridge‐washing step, which was performed using 10% methanol, improved the overall recovery of target substances. Since the recovery was observed to vary according to the pH of the eluting solution, we applied an elution step using both an acid and a basic organic solvent to achieve complementary recovery. Reconstitution of the diluted aliquot sample was performed to recover the polar substances.ConclusionsThe method was validated and applied to real samples in accordance with the external quality assessment scheme of WADA and to the previously reported samples that had provided positive test results. This novel method using hybrid sample preparation and LC/MS could be useful to screen multiple classes of the 264 targeted substances in anti‐doping analysis.
Towards robot‐assisted anchor deployment in beating‐heart mitral valve surgery
Authors: Cheng Lingbo , Sharifi Mojtaba , Tavakoli Mahdi 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundBeating‐heart intracardiac surgery promises significant benefits for patients compared with cardiopulmonary bypass based procedures. However, the fast motions of the heart introduce serious challenges for surgeons.MethodsIn this work, a new impedance‐controlled master–slave telerobotic system is developed to help perform anchor deployment for mitral valve annuloplasty under the guidance of live ultrasound images of the heart. The proposed bilateral teleoperation system can both reflect the non‐oscillatory portion of slave–heart tissue interaction force on the surgeon's hand as haptic feedback and implement rapid compensation for the beating heart's motion. The surgical task involves performing anchor deployment on a simulated moving heart tissue to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy for safely interacting with a moving organ.Results and ConclusionsThe results obtained show that the telerobotic system increases the success rate of anchor deployment by 100% and reduces the excess force application rate by 70% compared with manual attempts.
Human herpesvirus portal proteins: Structure, function, and antiviral prospects
Authors: Kornfeind Ellyn M. , Visalli Robert J. 
Published: March 2018

SummaryHerpesviruses (Herpesvirales) and tailed bacteriophages (Caudovirales) package their dsDNA genomes through an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. Much is known about the biochemistry and structural biology of phage portal proteins and the DNA encapsidation (viral genome cleavage and packaging) process. Although not at the same level of detail, studies on HSV‐1, CMV, VZV, and HHV‐8 have revealed important information on the function and structure of herpesvirus portal proteins. During dsDNA phage and herpesviral genome replication, concatamers of viral dsDNA are cleaved into single length units by a virus‐encoded terminase and packaged into preformed procapsids through a channel located at a single capsid vertex (portal). Oligomeric portals are formed by the interaction of identical portal protein monomers. Comparing portal protein primary aa sequences between phage and herpesviruses reveals little to no sequence similarity. In contrast, the secondary and tertiary structures of known portals are remarkable. In all cases, function is highly conserved in that portals are essential for DNA packaging and also play a role in releasing viral genomic DNA during infection. Preclinical studies have described small molecules that target the HSV‐1 and VZV portals and prevent viral replication by inhibiting encapsidation. This review summarizes what is known concerning the structure and function of herpesvirus portal proteins primarily based on their conserved bacteriophage counterparts and the potential to develop novel portal‐specific DNA encapsidation inhibitors.
Autonomous legged hill ascent
Authors: Ilhan B. Deniz , Johnson Aaron M. , Koditschek D. E. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper reports on an autonomous ascent by a legged robotic platform in outdoor forested terrain. Two controllers govern the integration of online inertial measurement unit and light detection and ranging sensor signals into commands for climbing by means of an abstracted (unicycle) representation of the platform in support of different performance goals: a kinematic version for endurance and a dynamic version for speed. These control laws, backed by a suite of formal correctness guarantees, encourage a stripped‐down sensory suite supporting a simplified world model whose departures from the actual physical environment are handled by the mechanical competence of the legged platform. Both behaviors are implemented on a version of the legged RHex platform, and experiments spanning almost a kilometer (thousands of body lengths) in various challenging settings are conducted.
Effect of depth on food‐web interactions in a thermally stratified floodplain lake following inundation
Authors: Palijan G. , Galir Balkić A. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWe investigated the controlling mechanisms of microbial and metazooplankton food‐web components at the surface‐ and bottom‐water layers of a thermally stratified floodplain lake (Lake Sakadaš, Kopački Rit floodplain, Croatia) during its connection with the river. Throughout the study, the lake was stratified continuously. The permutational multivariate analysis of variance provided evidence that only the surface‐water layer was impacted on by the flow and flood pulses, whereas the bottom‐water layer represented a zone of stable environmental conditions. The water depth was by one order of magnitude more important in determining environmental variables and plankton abundance than the hydrological phases. Under such circumstances, path analysis provided evidence that the planktonic food‐web interactions were strongly influenced by the sample layer, regardless of the flooding conditions. The transfer of organic matter to higher trophic levels at the surface was dominated by herbivory and, to a lesser extent, by predation, whereas bottom‐water layer was represented by additional routes (bacterivory and omnivory). The transfer of organic matter was different through the investigated water layers, of which the surface‐water layer was additionally structured by the floodplain hydrology.
Quality-Quantity Control Culture Enhances Vasculogenesis and Wound Healing Efficacy of Human Diabetic Peripheral Blood CD34+ Cells
Authors: Tanaka Rica , Masuda Haruchika , Fujimura Satoshi , Ito-Hirano Rie , Arita Kayo , Kakinuma Yusuke , Hagiwara Hiroko , Kado Makiko , Hayashi Ayato , Mita Tomoya , Ogawa Takasuke , Watada Hirotaka , Mizuno Hiroshi , Sawada Naoki , Asahara Takayuki 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
Autologous endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) therapy is commonly used to stimulate angiogenesis in ischemic repair and wound healing. However, low total numbers and functional deficits of EPCs make autologous EPC therapy ineffective in diabetes. Currently, no known ex vivo culture techniques can expand and/or ameliorate the functional deficits of EPCs for clinical usage. Recently, we showed that a quality-quantity culture (QQc) system restores the vasculogenic and wound-healing efficacy of murine diabetic EPCs. To validate these results and elucidate the mechanism in a translational study, we evaluated the efficacy of this QQc system to restore the vasculogenic potential of diabetic human peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ cells. CD34+ cells purified from PB of diabetic and healthy patients were subjected to QQc. Gene expression, vascular regeneration, and expression of cytokines and paracrine mediators were analyzed. Pre- or post-QQc diabetic human PB-CD34+ cells were transplanted into wounded BALB/c nude mice and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice to assess functional efficacy. Post-QQc diabetic human PB-CD34+ cell therapy significantly accelerated wound closure, re-epithelialization, and angiogenesis. The higher therapeutic efficacy of post-QQc diabetic human PB-CD34+ cells was attributed to increased differentiation ability of diabetic CD34+ cells, direct vasculogenesis, and enhanced expression of angiogenic factors and wound-healing genes. Thus, QQc can significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of human PB-CD34+ cells in diabetic wounds, overcoming the inherent limitation of autologous cell therapy in diabetic patients, and could be useful for treatment of not only wounds but also other ischemic diseases.
Concise Review: Altered Versus Unaltered Amniotic Membrane as a Substrate for Limbal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Utheim Tor Paaske , Aass Utheim Øygunn , Salvanos Panagiotis , Jackson Catherine J. , Schrader Stefan , Geerling Gerd , Sehic Amer 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) can result from a variety of corneal disorders, including chemical and thermal burns, infections, and autoimmune diseases. The symptoms of LSCD may include irritation, epiphora, blepharospasms, photophobia, pain, and decreased vision. There are a number of treatment options, ranging from nonsurgical treatments for mild LSCD to various forms of surgery that involve different cell types cultured on various substrates. Ex vivo expansion of limbal epithelial cells (LEC) involves the culture of LEC harvested either from the patient, a living relative, or a cadaver on a substrate in the laboratory. Following the transfer of the cultured cell sheet onto the cornea of patients suffering from LSCD, a successful outcome can be expected in approximately three out of four patients. The phenotype of the cultured cells has proven to be a key predictor of success. The choice of culture substrate is known to affect the phenotype. Several studies have shown that amniotic membrane (AM) can be used as a substrate for expansion of LEC for subsequent transplantation in the treatment of LSCD. There is currently a debate over whether AM should be denuded (i.e., de-epithelialized) prior to LEC culture, or whether this substrate should remain intact. In addition, crosslinking of the AM has been used to increase the thermal and mechanical stability, optical transparency, and resistance to collagenase digestion of AM. In the present review, we discuss the rationale for using altered versus unaltered AM as a culture substrate for LEC.
Surface phenomena during the early stage of liquid phase SPS of a mixture of coarse WC and Ni‐alloy particles
Authors: Maizza G. , Montanari R. , Richetta M. , Varone A. , Kaciulis S. , Mezzi A. , Soltani P. 
Published: March 2018

The tool industry strongly demands more economical, high‐performance, healthy, and ecological Co‐free WC‐based composites. Nickel is considered the optimal substitute of Co in WC‐based cermets to attain nearly comparable, if not superior properties in terms of wear resistance and fracture toughness. The combination of WC‐Ni with spark plasma sintering (SPS) process may represent a key factor to enhance the properties of future WC‐Ni composites. This work aims at studying the early stage of liquid phase sintering of a WC‐Ni‐alloy powder mixture made of coarse spheroidal WC (80 vol%) and Ni‐brazing alloy (20 vol%) particles during low pressure (16 MPa) pulsed SPS. Liquid phase phenomena were investigated both morphologically and analytically by energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results reveal that the interface reaction between the liquid Ni and WC particles causes the formation of an outer reaction shell within the WC particles, which is an Ni‐W solid solution. Most of necks originated between WC particles were favored by the presence of such reaction shell without any liquid interlayer. A relevant presence of graphitic carbon was observed over the surface of WC particles. The larger atomic W2C/WC ratio in the initial WC powder decreased in the compact after SPS owing to the stabilization reaction between W2C and carbon diffusing across the reaction shell.
Oxidative treatment effect on TiH2 powders
Authors: Kaciulis S. , Soltani P. , Mezzi A. , Montanari R. , Lapi G. , Richetta M. , Varone A. , Barbieri G. 
Published: March 2018

Titanium hydride (TiH2) is a brittle powder, which is highly reactive when exposed to heat or strong oxidizers. Namely due to its high reactivity, TiH2 powder is widely applied in pyrotechnics, initiator squibs, and igniters. All the industrial applications of TiH2 are based on its decomposition and consequent hydrogen release.The surface of TiH2 powders has been analysed after different heat treatments in air realized by changing time and temperature. Hydrogen release during heating was investigated by temperature programmed desorption, whereas the crystalline phases were examined by X‐ray diffraction. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the chemical states of the surface layers of the treated TiH2 particles. The oxide thickness after different heat treatments was determined by using the XPS depth profiling.The XPS results revealed the presence of Ti3+ and Ti4+ species on the TiH2 surface. The thickness of titanium oxide layer on the TiH2 particles was estimated from the XPS depth profiles. In general, this work explains the result of an experimental campaign directed to study the effect of various heat treatments on phase transformation and surface structure of TiH2 in relation to hydrogen desorption.
Osmotic Effects in Track‐Etched Nanopores
Authors: Apel Pavel Y. , Blonskaya Irina V. , Lizunov Nikolay E. , Olejniczak Katarzyna , Orelovitch Oleg L. , Toimil‐Molares María E. , Trautmann Christina 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAsymmetrically etched ion‐track membranes attract great interest for both fundamental and technical reasons because of a large variety of applications. So far, conductometric measurements during track etching provide only limited information about the complicated asymmetric etching process. In this paper, monitoring of osmotic phenomena is used to elucidate the initial phase of nanopore formation. It is shown that strong alkaline solutions generate a considerable osmotic flow of water through newborn conical pores. The interplay between diffusion and convection in the pore channel results in a substantially nonlinear alkali concentration gradient and a rapid change in the pore geometry after breakthrough. Similar phenomena are observed in experiments with cylindrical track‐etched pores of 15–30 nm in radius. A theoretical description of the diffusion–convection processes in the pores is provided.
Nanostructure and Microstructure Fabrication: From Desired Properties to Suitable Processes
Authors: van Assenbergh Peter , Meinders Erwin , Geraedts Jo , Dodou Dimitra 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWhen designing a new nanostructure or microstructure, one can follow a processing‐based manufacturing pathway, in which the structure properties are defined based on the processing capabilities of the fabrication method at hand. Alternatively, a performance‐based pathway can be followed, where the envisioned performance is first defined, and then suitable fabrication methods are sought. To support the latter pathway, fabrication methods are here reviewed based on the geometric and material complexity, resolution, total size, geometric and material diversity, and throughput they can achieve, independently from processing capabilities. Ten groups of fabrication methods are identified and compared in terms of these seven moderators. The highest resolution is obtained with electron beam lithography, with feature sizes below 5 nm. The highest geometric complexity is attained with vat photopolymerization. For high throughput, parallel methods, such as photolithography (≈101m2h−1), are needed. This review offers a decision‐making tool for identifying which method to use for fabricating a structure with predefined properties.
The State and Challenges of Anode Materials Based on Conversion Reactions for Sodium Storage
Authors: Wu Chao , Dou Shi‐Xue , Yu Yan 
Published: March 2018

AbstractSodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have huge potential for applications in large‐scale energy storage systems due to their low cost and abundant sources. It is essential to develop new electrode materials for SIBs with high performance in terms of energy density, cycle life, and cost. Metal binary compounds that operate through conversion reactions hold promise as advanced anode materials for sodium storage. This Review highlights the storage mechanisms and advantages of conversion‐type anode materials and summarizes their recent development. Although conversion‐type anode materials have high theoretical capacities and abundant varieties, they suffer from multiple challenging obstacles to realize commercial applications, such as low reversible capacity, large voltage hysteresis, low initial coulombic efficiency, large volume changes, and low cycling stability. These key challenges are analyzed in this Review, together with emerging strategies to overcome them, including nanostructure and surface engineering, electrolyte optimization, and battery configuration designs. This Review provides pertinent insights into the prospects and challenges for conversion‐type anode materials, and will inspire their further study.
Nanostructuring Lipophilic Dyes in Water Using Stable Vesicles, Quatsomes, as Scaffolds and Their Use as Probes for Bioimaging
Authors: Ardizzone Antonio , Kurhuzenkau Siarhei , Illa‐Tuset Sílvia , Faraudo Jordi , Bondar Mykhailo , Hagan David , Van Stryland Eric W. , Painelli Anna , Sissa Cristina , Feiner Natalia , Albertazzi Lorenzo , Veciana Jaume , Ventosa Nora 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA new kind of fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) is obtained using quatsomes (QSs), a family of nanovesicles proposed as scaffolds for the nanostructuration of commercial lipophilic carbocyanines (1,1′‐dioctadecyl‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl‐indocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI), 1,1′‐dioctadecyl‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl‐indodicarbocyanine perchlorate (DiD), and 1,1′‐dioctadecyl‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl‐indotricarbocyanine iodide (DiR)) in aqueous media. The obtained FONs, prepared by a CO2‐based technology, show excellent colloidal‐ and photostability, outperforming other nanoformulations of the dyes, and improve the optical properties of the fluorophores in water. Molecular dynamics simulations provide an atomistic picture of the disposition of the dyes within the membrane. The potential of QSs for biological imaging is demonstrated by performing superresolution microscopy of the DiI‐loaded vesicles in vitro and in cells. Therefore, fluorescent QSs constitute an appealing nanomaterial for bioimaging applications.
Probing Adsorption Behaviors of BSA onto Chiral Surfaces of Nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Xinyi , Wang Xiaofeng , Wang Mingzhe , Zhang Di , Yang Qi , Liu Tao , Lei Rong , Zhu Shuifang , Zhao Yuliang , Chen Chunying 
Published: March 2018

AbstractChiral properties of nanoscale materials are of importance as they dominate interactions with proteins in physiological environments; however, they have rarely been investigated. In this study, a systematic investigation is conducted for the adsorption behaviors of bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto the chiral surfaces of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), involving multiple techniques and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The adsorption of BSA onto both L‐ and D‐chiral surfaces of AuNPs shows discernible differences involving thermodynamics, adsorption orientation, exposed charges, and affinity. As a powerful supplement, MD simulation provides a molecular‐level understanding of protein adsorption onto nanochiral surfaces. Salt bridge interaction is proposed as a major driving force at protein–nanochiral interface interaction. The spatial distribution features of functional groups (COO−, NH3+, and CH3) of chiral molecules on the nanosurface play a key role in the formation and location of salt bridges, which determine the BSA adsorption orientation and binding strength to chiral surfaces. Sequentially, BSA corona coated on nanochiral surfaces affects their uptake by cells. The results enhance the understanding of protein corona, which are important for biological effects of nanochirality in living organisms.