bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chromatographic HPV‐16 E6/E7 plasmid vaccine purification employing L‐histidine and 1‐benzyl‐L‐histidine affinity ligands
Authors: Amorim Lúcia F. A. , Gaspar Rita , Pereira Patrícia , Černigoj Urh , Sousa Fani , Queiroz João António , Sousa Ângela 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAffinity chromatography based on amino acids as interacting ligands was already indicated as an alternative compared to ion exchange or hydrophobic interaction for plasmid DNA purification. Understanding the recognition mechanisms occurring between histidine‐based ligands and nucleic acids enables more efficient purification of a DNA vaccine, as the binding and elution conditions can be adjusted in order to enhance the purification performance. Decreasing pH to slightly acidic conditions increases the positive charge of histidine ligand, what influences the type of interaction between chromatographic support and analytes. This was proven in this work, where hydrophobic effects established in the presence of ammonium sulfate were affected at pH 5.0 in comparison to pH 8.0, while electrostatic and cation‐π interactions were intensified. Histidine ligand at pH 5.0 interacts with phosphate groups or aromatic rings of plasmid DNA. Due to different responses of RNA and pDNA on mobile phase changes, the elution order between RNA and pDNA was changed with mobile phase pH decrease from 8.0 to 5.0. The phenomenon was more evident with L‐histidine ligand due to more hydrophilic character, leading to an improved selectivity of L‐histidine‐modified chromatographic monolith, allowing the product recovery with 99% of purity (RNA removal). With the 1‐benzyl‐ L‐histidine ligand, stronger and less selective interactions with the nucleic acids were observed due to the additional hydrophobicity associated with the phenyl aromatic ring. Optimization of sample displacement chromatography parameters (especially (NH4)2SO4 concentration) at slightly acidic pH enabled excellent isolation of pDNA, by the removal of RNA in a negative mode, with binding capacities above 1.5 mg pDNA per mL of chromatographic support.
Supramolecular gel electrophoresis of large DNA fragments
Authors: Tazawa Shohei , Kobayashi Kazuhiro , Oyoshi Takanori , Yamanaka Masamichi 
Published: July 2017

AbstractPulsed‐field gel electrophoresis is a frequent technique used to separate exceptionally large DNA fragments. In a typical continuous field electrophoresis, it is challenging to separate DNA fragments larger than 20 kbp because they migrate at a comparable rate. To overcome this challenge, it is necessary to develop a novel matrix for the electrophoresis. Here, we describe the electrophoresis of large DNA fragments up to 166 kbp using a supramolecular gel matrix and a typical continuous field electrophoresis system. C3‐symmetric tris‐urea self‐assembled into a supramolecular hydrogel in tris‐boric acid‐EDTA buffer, a typical buffer for DNA electrophoresis, and the supramolecular hydrogel was used as a matrix for electrophoresis to separate large DNA fragments. Three types of DNA marker, the λ‐Hind III digest (2 to 23 kbp), Lambda DNA‐Mono Cut Mix (10 to 49 kbp), and Marker 7 GT (10 to 165 kbp), were analyzed in this study. Large DNA fragments of greater than 100 kbp showed distinct mobility using a typical continuous field electrophoresis system.
Exposure effects of levonorgestrel on oogenesis in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)
Authors: Frankel Tyler , Yonkos Lance , Frankel Jack 
Published: July 2017

Abstract

The synthetic progestin levonorgestrel is commonly utilized in human oral contraceptives. It enters the environment as a component of wastewater treatment plant effluent, and has been measured at low ng/L concentrations in surface waters. It has been shown to activate fish androgen receptors, causing the physical masculinization of females, changes in reproductive behavior, and decreases in fecundity. In the present study, the effects of levonorgestrel exposure on early-stage oogenesis in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) was examined. Adult females were exposed to 0, 10, or 100 ng/L levonorgestrel for 14 d using a flow-through exposure system. The ovaries from each female were then removed via dissection and weighed for gonadosomatic index (GSI) calculations, and oocytes from one lobe preserved in Serra's fixative. Total numbers of late-stage vitellogenic oocytes exhibiting a germinal vesicle were then quantified. In a second exposure, blood plasma samples were collected from adult females and analyzed for vitellogenin concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Females exposed to both concentrations of levonorgestrel developed male secondary sexual characteristics in a dose-dependent manner, and ovaries contained significantly fewer late stage oocytes. Exposure to 100 ng/L of levonorgestrel resulted in decreased GSI and blood plasma vitellogenin concentrations. The results suggest that female exposure to levonorgestrel alone may have profound effects on reproduction in progestin-contaminated environments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3299–3304. © 2017 SETAC
Gene cloning, characterization, and cytotoxic activity of methionine γ‐lyase from Clostridium novyi
Authors: Kulikova Vitalia V. , Morozova Elena A. , Revtovich Svetlana V. , Kotlov Mikhail I. , Anufrieva Natalya V. , Bazhulina Natalya P. , Raboni Samanta , Faggiano Serena , Gabellieri Edi , Cioni Patrizia , Belyi Yury F. , Mozzarelli Andrea , Demidkina Tatyana V. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe exploitation of methionine‐depleting enzyme methionine γ‐lyase (MGL) is a promising strategy against specific cancer cells that are strongly dependent on methionine. To identify MGL from different sources with high catalytic activity and efficient anticancer action, we have expressed and characterized MGL from Clostridium novyi and compared its catalytic efficiency with the previously studied MGL from Citrobacter freundii. The purified recombinant MGL exhibits kcat and kcat/Km for methionine γ‐elimination reaction that are 2.4‐ and 1.36‐fold higher than C. freundii enzyme, respectively, whereas absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectra are very similar, as expected on the basis of 87% sequence identity and high conservation of active site residues. The reactivity of cysteine residues with DTNB and iodoacetamide was investigated as well as the impact of their chemical modification on catalytic activity. This information is relevant because for increasing bioavailability and reducing immunogenity, MGL should be decorated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). It was found that Cys118 is a faster reacting residue, which results in a significant decrease in the γ‐elimination activity. Thus, the protection of Cys118 before conjugation with cysteine‐reacting PEG represents a valuable strategy to preserve MGL activity. The anticancer action of C. novyi MGL, evaluated in vitro against prostate (PC‐3), chronic myelogenous leucemia (K562), and breast (MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF7) cancer cells, exhibits IC50 of 1.3 U mL−1, 4.4 U mL−1, 1.2 U mL−1, and 3.4 U mL−1, respectively. A higher cytotoxicity of C. novyi MGL was found against cancer cells with respect to C. freundii MGL, with the exception of PC‐3, where a lower cytotoxicity was observed. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(9):668–676, 2017
BRD4 promotes gastric cancer progression through the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of c‐MYC
Authors: Ba Mingchen , Long Hui , Yan Zhaofei , Wang Shuai , Wu Yinbing , Tu Yinuo , Gong Yuanfeng , Cui Shuzhong 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAlthough the significance of BRD4 in the epigenetic memory and cancer genesis has been intensively investigated, little is known about its function and potential roles during the generation and progression of gastric cancer. We report here that BRD4 increases the proliferation and represses the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells through activating c‐MYC via transcriptional and epigenetic regulation mechanisms. Expression analyses in both small and large cohort of sample show that BRD4 is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues/cells when compared with the adjacent non‐tumor tissues/normal cells. We also find a positive correlation between the expression of BRD4 and c‐MYC in patient samples. The repression of BRD4 by siRNAs leads to the down‐regulation of c‐MYC in gastric cancer cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation‐qPCR and luciferase assays show that BRD4 binds to and coordinately activates c‐MYC promoter, indicating that c‐MYC is transcriptional target of BRD4 and BRD4 regulates its basal expression. Further evidence show that the histone acetylation inhibitor reduces the binding of BRD4 as well as the histone activation level on c‐MYC promoter, and leads to the down‐regulation of c‐MYC, suggesting that BRD4 regulates the expression of c‐MYC through epigenetic mechanism. Functionally, the suppression of BRD4 leads to growth inhibition and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. Force expression of c‐MYC alongside with BRD4 repression rescue the anti‐cancer effects caused by BRD4 repression. Collectively, our data not only uncovered the mechanism of BRD4 in regulating the proliferation of gastric cancer cells but also provides a new therapeutic strategy for this type of cancer.
Salting‐out extraction of bio‐based isobutanol from an aqueous solution
Authors: Yi Conghua , Zhang Yulei , Xie Shaoqu , Song Wenli , Qiu Xueqing 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDMore efficient downstream separation technologies need to be explored due to the low concentration of bio‐based isobutanol in the fermentation broth. The salting‐out extraction of isobutanol from its aqueous solution by employing nine salts (K4P2O7·3H2O, K2HPO4·3H2O, K3PO4·3H2O, K2CO3, K2SO4, KCl, Na2CO3, Na2SO4, NaCl) as salting‐out agents and three organic solvents (2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol, cyclopentanol, 2‐methyl‐2‐butanol) as extractants were investigated at 298.15 K.RESULTSThe recovery was greatly influenced by the salt concentration and types of salts and organic solvents. When the initial molar K4P2O7 concentration was equal to or higher than 1.01 mol kg‐1 and the mass ratio of aqueous isobutanol solution to 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol was 1:1, the recovery of isobutanol reached 100%, and more than 91.62% of water was removed from the organic phase.CONCLUSIONThe salting‐out effects of different anions in nine salts were ordered in the sequence: Cl‐ < SO42‐ < HPO42‐ < CO32‐ < PO43‐ < P2O74‐ at the same initial molar salt concentration and using the same organic solvent. 2‐Ethyl‐1‐hexanol was verified to be the most suitable extractant. The distribution behavior and salting‐out extraction effects can be evaluated by tie‐line correlations and solubility correlation. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
A comprehensive data set for tropical cyclone storm surge‐induced inundation for the east coast of India
Authors: Sahoo Bishnupriya , Bhaskaran Prasad K. 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTThe Indian Ocean region is one among the six major cyclone prone regions in the world with an annual average of about five to six cyclones. Prior studies conducted for this region are location‐specific and confined to storm surge characteristic and associated inundation. A detailed study to develop precomputed scenarios on storm surge and inundation maps for the entire Indian coast is still lacking for emergency preparedness. An effort in this direction can drastically reduce preparedness time in the eventuality of a real cyclone approaching its landfall location for effective coastal zone management measures. The present study is a motivation in this direction leading to the generation of a comprehensive data set on storm surges and associated coastal flooding for entire Odisha coast located in the east coast of India and that can be extended to other coastal regions as well. Historically, the Odisha State experiences highest number of cyclone strikes with the highest risk of exposure to storm surge and inundation. The novelty of this study is in the preparation of a comprehensive storm data set using synthetic tracks simulated with various combinations of landfall location, angle of attack, intensity, and forward translation speed. It also generates possible storm surge and inundation associated with intensified cyclones expected in a changing climate scenario. Further, the study also correlates power dissipation index with storm tide all along this coast. The distribution of surge height follows a third‐order polynomial to wind speed. An in‐depth analysis was also carried out to understand the characteristics of storm surge height and extent of coastal inundation with respect to coastal geomorphology, angle of attack, and varying forward speed of cyclones. The authors believe that information and analysis from this comprehensive data set will have immense potential in understanding the impacts from tropical cyclone climatology and disaster management applications.
Augmentation of fracture healing by hydroxyapatite/collagen paste and bone morphogenetic protein‐2 evaluated using a rat femur osteotomy model
Authors: Wei Xuetao , Egawa Satoru , Matsumoto Renpei , Yasuda Hiroaki , Hirai Keigo , Yoshii Toshitaka , Okawa Atsushi , Nakajima Takehiko , Sotome Shinichi 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTIn fracture treatment, biological bone union generally depends on the bone's natural fracture healing capacity, even in surgically treated cases. Hydroxyapatite/collagen composite (HAp/Col) has high osteoconductivity and stimulates osteogenic progenitors. Furthermore, it has the potent capacity to adsorb bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). In this study, we prepared an injectable HAp/Col paste and evaluated its augmentation of bone union. Furthermore, the effect of HAp/Col paste combined with BMP‐2 was also evaluated. We used a rat femur osteotomy model with a defect size of 1 mm. Male Wistar rats were assigned to one of the following four groups; a control group without any implant, a HAp/Col implant group, a group that received an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) implant impregnated with BMP‐2 (1 μg), and a group that received a HAp/Col implant impregnated with BMP‐2 implant. Micro‐CT analysis, three‐point bending tests, and histological evaluation were performed. Bone union was achieved in two of eight cases in the HAp/Col group, five of eight cases in the ACS + BMP‐2 group, and all cases in the HAp/Col + BMP‐2 group at 8 weeks post‐surgery. The control group did not achieve bone union. In addition, in the HAp/Col + BMP‐2 group, the biomechanical strength of the fused femurs was comparable to that of the contralateral intact femur; the ratio of the mechanical load at the breaking point of the osteotomy side relative to that of the contralateral side was 1.00 ± 0.151 (SD). These results indicate that HAp/Col paste with or without BMP‐2 augments bone union. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:129–137, 2018.
Growth plate expression profiling: Large and small breed dogs provide new insights in endochondral bone formation
Authors: Teunissen Michelle , Riemers Frank M. , van Leenen Dik , Groot Koerkamp Marian J. A. , Meij Björn P. , Alblas Jacqueline , Penning Louis C. , Miranda‐Bedate Alberto , Tryfonidou Marianna A. 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACTThe difference in the adult height of mammals, and hence in endochondral bone formation, is not yet fully understood and may serve to identify targets for bone and cartilage regeneration. In line with this hypothesis, the intra‐species disparity between the adult height of Great Danes and Miniature Poodles was investigated at a transcriptional level. Microarray analysis of the growth plate of five Great Danes and five Miniature Poodles revealed 2,981 unique genes that were differentially expressed, including many genes with an unknown role in skeletal development. A signaling pathway impact analysis indicated activation of the cell cycle, extracellular matrix receptor interaction and the tight junction pathway, and inhibition of pathways associated with inflammation and the complement cascade. In additional validation steps, the gene expression profile of the separate growth plate zones for both dog breeds were determined. Given that the BMP signaling is known for its crucial role in skeletal development and fracture healing, and BMP‐2 is used in orthopaedic and spine procedures for bone augmentation, further investigations concentrated on the BMP pathway.The canonical BMP‐2 and BMP‐6 signaling pathway was activated in the Great Danes compared to Miniature Poodles. In conclusion, investigating the differential expression of genes involved in endochondral bone formation in small and large breed dogs, could be a game changing strategy to provide new insights in growth plate development and identify new targets for bone and cartilage regeneration. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research® published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 36:138–148, 2018.
Botolinum toxin in rhinitis: Literature review and posterior nasal injection in allergic rhinitis
Authors: Zhang Edward Zhiyong , Tan Sophocles , Loh Ian 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundCurrent pharmacological management of allergic rhinitis (AR) varies in onset, duration, symptom control, and requires frequent administration. Single‐dose botulinum toxin (BTX) has been documented in various trials as a treatment option in rhinitis.ObjectiveWe review the current literature on the use of BTX in rhinitis and investigate the efficacy and safety profile of a novel intranasal injection site for AR control.Study DesignSingle‐arm pilot study.MethodsTen adult patients having moderate to severe AR with proven house dust‐mite allergy were recruited. Each patient received 12.5 units of Botox injected to the posterior lateral wall of each side of the nose under endoscopic guidance. Immediate postprocedural discomfort and Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) at 2 and 4 weeks were used as primary outcome measures. Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was used as secondary outcome measure.ResultsOverall TNSS (minimum = 0; maximum = 20) showed an improvement from a mean of 15.1 (preinjection) to 7.6 (2 weeks) and 7.7 (4 weeks). Greatest effect was seen in subscales of rhinorrhea (4.0–1.7) followed by sneeze, nasal congestion, and itch. Mean discomfort of the procedure was scored 5.7 over 10. RQLQ scores similarly showed an improvement in all domains of quality of life. Two subjects complained of mild headache not requiring any medical intervention.ConclusionBased on our review of current literature, BTX shows clear efficacy on symptoms of both intrinsic and allergic rhinitis, with a good safety profile. Single‐dose posterior nasal injection demonstrates good efficacy and duration of action, with moderate discomfort.Level of Evidence4. Laryngoscope, 127:2447–2454, 2017
Metabolomic Studies of Indonesian Jamu Medicines: Prediction of Jamu Efficacy and Identification of Important Metabolites
Authors: Wijaya Sony Hartono , Batubara Irmanida , Nishioka Takaaki , Altaf‐Ul‐Amin Md. , Kanaya Shigehiko 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn order to obtain a better understanding why some Jamu formulas can be used to treat a specific disease, we performed metabolomic studies of Jamu by taking into consideration the biologically active compounds existing in plants used as Jamu ingredients. A thorough integration of information from omics is expected to provide solid evidence‐based scientific rationales for the development of modern phytomedicines. This study focused on prediction of Jamu efficacy based on its component metabolites and also identification of important metabolites related to each efficacy group. Initially, we compared the performance of Support Vector Machines and Random Forest to predict the Jamu efficacy with three different data pre‐processing approaches, such as no filtering, Single Filtering algorithm, and a combination of Single Filtering algorithm and feature selection using Regularized Random Forest. Both classifiers performed very well and according to 5‐fold cross‐validation results, the mean accuracy of Support Vector Machine with linear kernel was slightly better than Random Forest. It can be concluded that machine learning methods can successfully relate Jamu efficacy with metabolites. In addition, we extended our analysis by identifying important metabolites from the Random Forest model. The inTrees framework was used to extract the rules and to select important metabolites for each efficacy group. Overall, we identified 94 significant metabolites associated to 12 efficacy groups and many of them were validated by published literature and KNApSAcK Metabolite Activity database.
Study on the correlation of serum amyloid A level with overall survival and radiation pneumonitis in non‐small cell lung cancer patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy
Authors: Zhao Jing , Li Xiaoyu , Zhao Xueqi , Wang Jianhua , Xi Qingsong , Hu Guangyuan 
Published: July 2017

AbstractObjectiveSerum amyloid A (SAA) is a non‐specific acute phase reaction protein that shows much higher levels in patients with cancer than in healthy individuals. The present study was designed to investigate the correlation of SAA level with overall survival (OS) and radiation pneumonitis (RP) in non‐small cell lung cancer patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy.MethodsPatients with locally advanced non‐small cell lung cancer receiving thoracic radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy were eligible for the study. Plasma samples were collected before radiotherapy (baseline), 2 and 4 weeks during radiotherapy, and at 3 months after the end of radiotherapy. The incidence of RP was recorded 1 year after radiotherapy. OS was defined as the interval between the date of treatment initiation and the date of death or last follow up if the patients were still alive. spss 18.0 and GraphPad Prism 5.0 software were used for statistical analyses, and P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsIn total, data from 114 patients were used for the final analyses. The median baseline SAA level was 101.4 μg/mL; patients with lower baseline SAA levels had a longer OS than those with a higher SAA level (25.8 vs 14.3 months, χ2 = 5.519, P = 0.019). In multivariate analysis, sex, radiation dose, and baseline SAA level were independent prognostic factors. The SAA level after radiotherapy was significantly lower than that at baseline (142.6 vs 420.1 μg/mL, t = 3.50, P = 0.001). The average SAA level in patients with grade 2 or higher and less than grade 2 RP after radiotherapy was 476.7 μg/mL and 113.0 μg/mL, respectively, t = 2.72, P = 0.009.ConclusionsSAA level might be a predictive biomarker for RP and OS in patients with locally advanced non‐small cell lung cancer receiving thoracic radiotherapy.