bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using aptamers to elucidate esophageal cancer clinical samples
Authors: Liu Zhenxu , Lu Yi , Pu Ying , Liu Jun , Liu Bo , Yu Bo , Chen Ke , Fu Ting , Yang Chaoyong James , Liu Huixia , Tan Weihong 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is closely correlated with the occurrence and development of various cancers of epithelial origin. This study tested, for the first time, the ability of EpCAM aptamer SYL3C to detect EpCAM expression in 170 cases of esophageal cancer (EC) and precancerous lesions, as well as 20 cases of EC series samples, using immunofluorescence imaging analysis. Corresponding antibodies were used as control. EpCAM overexpression was 98% in both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EACA) and 100% in metastasis, but no EpCAM overexpression was detected in undifferentiated EC (UEC). Significant differences were noted among various stages of differentiation (p < 0.05) with the degree of differentiation inversely correlated with the expression of EpCAM. Overexpressed EpCAM was detected in severe dysplasia, but negative in mild to moderate dysplasia and benign esophageal lesions. In a competitive binding experiment, EpCAM aptamer generated a staining pattern similar to that of antibody, but the binding sites with EpCAM were different. Based on these results, it can be concluded that EpCAM is suitable for use as an EC biomarker, therapeutic target and effective parameter for tumor transfer and prognosis evaluation by aptamer SYL3C staining.
Graphene based widely-tunable and singly-polarized pulse generation with random fiber lasers
Authors: Yao B. C. , Rao Y. J. , Wang Z. N. , Wu Y. , Zhou J. H. , Wu H. , Fan M. Q. , Cao X. L. , Zhang W. L. , Chen Y. F. , Li Y. R. , Churkin D. , Turitsyn S. , Wong C. W. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractPulse generation often requires a stabilized cavity and its corresponding mode structure for initial phase-locking. Contrastingly, modeless cavity-free random lasers provide new possibilities for high quantum efficiency lasing that could potentially be widely tunable spectrally and temporally. Pulse generation in random lasers, however, has remained elusive since the discovery of modeless gain lasing. Here we report coherent pulse generation with modeless random lasers based on the unique polarization selectivity and broadband saturable absorption of monolayer graphene. Simultaneous temporal compression of cavity-free pulses are observed with such a polarization modulation, along with a broadly-tunable pulsewidth across two orders of magnitude down to 900 ps, a broadly-tunable repetition rate across three orders of magnitude up to 3 MHz and a singly-polarized pulse train at 41 dB extinction ratio, about an order of magnitude larger than conventional pulsed fiber lasers. Moreover, our graphene-based pulse formation also demonstrates robust pulse-to-pulse stability and wide-wavelength operation due to the cavity-less feature. Such a graphene-based architecture not only provides a tunable pulsed random laser for fiber-optic sensing, speckle-free imaging and laser-material processing, but also a new way for the non-random CW fiber lasers to generate widely tunable and singly-polarized pulses.
Serological Measures of Trachoma Transmission Intensity
Authors: Martin Diana L. , Wiegand Ryan , Goodhew Brook , Lammie Patrick , Black Carolyn M. , West Sheila , Gaydos Charlotte A. , Dize Laura , Mkocha Harran , Kasubi Mabula , Gambhir Manoj 
Published: December 2015

AbstractOcular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis can lead to trachoma, a leading infectious cause of blindness. Trachoma is targeted for elimination by 2020. Clinical grading for ocular disease is currently used for evaluating trachoma elimination programs, but serological surveillance can be a sensitive measure of disease transmission and provide a more objective testing strategy than clinical grading. We calculated the basic reproduction number from serological data in settings with high, medium and low disease transmission based on clinical disease. The data showed a striking relationship between age seroprevalence and clinical data, demonstrating the proof-of-principle that age seroprevalence predicts transmission rates and therefore could be used as an indicator of decreased transmission of ocular trachoma.
T cell responses are elicited against Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the absence of signalling through TLRs, RLRs and IL-1R/IL-18R
Authors: Goritzka Michelle , Pereira Catherine , Makris Spyridon , Durant Lydia R. , Johansson Cecilia 
Published: December 2015

AbstractPattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and cytokine receptors are key players in the initiation of immune responses to infection. PRRs detecting viral RNA, such as toll like receptor (TLR)-3, -7/8 and RIG-I like receptors (RLRs; RIG-I and MDA-5), as well as cytokine receptors such as interleukin 1 receptor (IL-1R), have been implicated in responses to RNA viruses that infect the airways. The latter includes respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a human pathogen that can cause severe lower respiratory tract infections, especially in infants. To evaluate the collective contribution of PRRs and IL-1R signalling to RSV immunity, we generated Myd88/Trif/Mavs−/− mice that are deficient in signalling by all TLRs, RLRs and IL-1R, as well as other cytokine receptors such as IL-18 receptor. Early production of pro-inflammatory mediators and lung infiltration by immune cells were completely abrogated in infected Myd88/Trif/Mavs−/− mice. However, RSV-specific CD8+ T cells were elicited and recruited into the lungs and airways. Consistent with these findings, Myd88/Trif/Mavs−/− mice survived RSV infection but displayed higher viral load and weight loss. These data highlight an unappreciated level of redundancy in pathways that couple innate virus sensing to adaptive immunity, providing the host with remarkable resilience to infection.
High total antioxidant capacity of the porcine seminal plasma (SP-TAC) relates to sperm survival and fertility
Authors: Barranco Isabel , Tvarijonaviciute Asta , Perez-Patiño Cristina , Parrilla Inmaculada , Ceron Jose J. , Martinez Emilio A. , Rodriguez-Martinez Heriberto , Roca Jordi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe study attempted to clarify the role of total antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma (SP-TAC) on boar sperm survival and fertility after artificial insemination (AI). SP-TAC differed (P < 0.001) among boars (n° = 15) and, to a lesser degree, among ejaculates within male (4 ejaculates/boar). SP-TAC also differed (P < 0.001) among ejaculate fractions (43 ejaculates and 3 fractions per ejaculate), of which the sperm-peak portion of the sperm rich ejaculate fraction (SRF) had the highest SP-TAC. SP-TAC was not correlated with sperm quality (motility and viability) or functionality (intracellular ROS generation and lipid peroxidation) of liquid AI-semen samples stored at 17 °C for 72 h (90 AI-samples), but the decline in sperm quality was larger (P < 0.05) in ejaculates with low, compared with high SP-TAC (hierarchically grouped). The SP-TAC differences among ejaculate portions agree with sperm cryosurvival rates (14 ejaculates from 7 boars), showing sperm from sperm-peak portion better (P < 0.01) post-thaw quality and functionality than those from the entire ejaculate (mainly post-SRF). Boars (n° = 18) with high SP-TAC (hierarchically grouped) had higher (P < 0.05) fertility outcomes (5,546 AI-sows) than those with low SP-TAC. Measurement of SP-TAC ought to be a discriminative tool to prognosis fertility in breeding boars.
Antibiotic regimen based on population analysis of residing persister cells eradicates Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms
Authors: Yang Shoufeng , Hay Iain D. , Cameron David R. , Speir Mary , Cui Bintao , Su Feifei , Peleg Anton Y. , Lithgow Trevor , Deighton Margaret A. , Qu Yue 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBiofilm formation is a major pathogenicity strategy of Staphylococcus epidermidis causing various medical-device infections. Persister cells have been implicated in treatment failure of such infections. We sought to profile bacterial subpopulations residing in S. epidermidis biofilms and to establish persister-targeting treatment strategies to eradicate biofilms. Population analysis was performed by challenging single biofilm cells with antibiotics at increasing concentrations ranging from planktonic minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) to biofilm MBCs (MBCbiofilm). Two populations of “persister cells” were observed: bacteria that survived antibiotics at MBCbiofilm for 24/48 hours were referred to as dormant cells; those selected with antibiotics at 8 X MICs for 3 hours (excluding dormant cells) were defined as tolerant-but-killable (TBK) cells. Antibiotic regimens targeting dormant cells were tested in vitro for their efficacies in eradicating persister cells and intact biofilms. This study confirmed that there are at least three subpopulations within a S. epidermidis biofilm: normal cells, dormant cells and TBK cells. Biofilms comprise more TBK cells and dormant cells than their log-planktonic counterparts. Using antibiotic regimens targeting dormant cells, i.e. effective antibiotics at MBCbiofilm for an extended period, might eradicate S. epidermidis biofilms. Potential uses for this strategy are in antibiotic lock techniques and inhaled aerosolized antibiotics.
Quantum-to-classical crossover near quantum critical point
Authors: Vasin M. , Ryzhov V. , Vinokur V. M. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractA quantum phase transition (QPT) is an inherently dynamic phenomenon. However, while non-dissipative quantum dynamics is described in detail, the question, that is not thoroughly understood is how the omnipresent dissipative processes enter the critical dynamics near a quantum critical point (QCP). Here we report a general approach enabling inclusion of both adiabatic and dissipative processes into the critical dynamics on the same footing. We reveal three distinct critical modes, the adiabatic quantum mode (AQM), the dissipative classical mode [classical critical dynamics mode (CCDM)] and the dissipative quantum critical mode (DQCM). We find that as a result of the transition from the regime dominated by thermal fluctuations to that governed by the quantum ones, the system acquires effective dimension d + zΛ(T), where z is the dynamical exponent and temperature-depending parameter Λ(T) ∈ [0, 1] decreases with the temperature such that Λ(T = 0) = 1 and Λ(T → ∞) = 0. Our findings lead to a unified picture of quantum critical phenomena including both dissipation- and dissipationless quantum dynamic effects and offer a quantitative description of the quantum-to-classical crossover.
Biofunctionalization of Selenium Nanoparticle with Dictyophora Indusiata Polysaccharide and Its Antiproliferative Activity through Death-Receptor and Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptotic Pathways
Authors: Liao Wenzhen , Yu Zhiqiang , Lin Zehua , Lei Zhuogui , Ning Zhengxiang , Regenstein Joe M. , Yang Jiguo , Ren Jiaoyan 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBio-functionalized nanoparticles with semiconducting/metallic core encapsulated in a bio- or bio-derived materials are promising for applications in biology and especially in cancer diagnostic and healing. In this report, we report a facile, single-step, first-time synthesis and in-situ functionalization strategy for the preparation of monodispersed selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) functionalized using a novel polysaccharide (DP1) extracted from Dictyophora indusiata (a fungus). The DP1 functionalized SeNPs (DP1-SeNPs), where DP1 is attached to the surface via Se-O bond as well as physic-sorption had, an average diameter of 89 nm and were highly uniform, extremely stable compared to bare SeNPs. Detailed investigation of the biological properties of DP1-SeNP illustrated that they exhibit unprecedented, enhanced and selective antiproliferative activity through inducing cell apoptosis confirmed by nuclear condensation, DNA cleavage and accumulation of S phase cell arrest. The mechanism of the induced apoptosis was found to be a combination of the activation of caspases 3, 8 and 9, the Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD), reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. It is envisioned that the reported DP1-SeNPs will offer a new phase space for high-efficiency anticancer treatment with little side effect.
Contact rate modulates foraging efficiency in leaf cutting ants
Authors: Bouchebti S. , Ferrere S. , Vittori K. , Latil G. , Dussutour A. , Fourcassié V. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractLane segregation is rarely observed in animals that move in bidirectional flows. Consequently, these animals generally experience a high rate of head-on collisions during their journeys. Although these collisions have a cost (each collision induces a delay resulting in a decrease of individual speed), they could also have a benefit by promoting information transfer between individuals. Here we explore the impact of head-on collisions in leaf-cutting ants moving on foraging trails by artificially decreasing the rate of head-on collisions between individuals. We show that head-on collisions do not influence the rate of recruitment in these ants but do influence foraging efficiency, i.e. the proportion of ants returning to the nest with a leaf fragment. Surprisingly, both unladen and laden ants returning to the nest participate in the modulation of foraging efficiency: foraging efficiency decreases when the rate of contacts with both nestbound laden or unladen ants decreases. These results suggest that outgoing ants are able to collect information from inbound ants even when these latter do not carry any leaf fragment and that this information can influence their foraging decisions when reaching the end of the trail.
miRNA-132-3p inhibits osteoblast differentiation by targeting Ep300 in simulated microgravity
Authors: Hu Zebing , Wang Yixuan , Sun Zhongyang , Wang Han , Zhou Hua , Zhang Lianchang , Zhang Shu , Cao Xinsheng 
Published: December 2015

AbstractRecent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs can play important roles in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. However, the function of miRNAs in bone loss induced by microgravity remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the differentially expressed miRNAs in both the femur tissues of hindlimb unloading rats and primary rat osteoblasts (prOB) exposed to simulated microgravity. Specifically, miR-132-3p was found up-regulated and negatively correlated with osteoblast differentiation. Overexpression of miR-132-3p significantly inhibited prOB differentiation, whereas inhibition of miR-132-3p function yielded an opposite effect. Furthermore, silencing of miR-132-3p expression effectively attenuated the negative effects of simulated microgravity on prOB differentiation. Further experiments confirmed that E1A binding protein p300 (Ep300), a type of histone acetyltransferase important for Runx2 activity and stability, was a direct target of miR-132-3p. Up-regulation of miR-132-3p by simulated microgravity could inhibit osteoblast differentiation in part by decreasing Ep300 protein expression, which, in turn, resulted in suppression of the activity and acetylation of Runx2, a key regulatory factor of osteoblast differentiation. Taken together, our findings are the first to demonstrate that miR-132-3p can inhibit osteoblast differentiation and participate in the regulation of bone loss induced by simulated microgravity, suggesting a potential target for counteracting decreases in bone formation.
A semi-automated luminescence based standard membrane feeding assay identifies novel small molecules that inhibit transmission of malaria parasites by mosquitoes
Authors: Vos Martijn W. , Stone Will J. R. , Koolen Karin M. , van Gemert Geert-Jan , van Schaijk Ben , Leroy Didier , Sauerwein Robert W. , Bousema Teun , Dechering Koen J. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractCurrent first-line treatments for uncomplicated falciparum malaria rapidly clear the asexual stages of the parasite, but do not fully prevent parasite transmission by mosquitoes. The standard membrane feeding assay (SMFA) is the biological gold standard assessment of transmission reducing activity (TRA), but its throughput is limited by the need to determine mosquito infection status by dissection and microscopy. Here we present a novel dissection-free luminescence based SMFA format using a transgenic Plasmodium falciparum reporter parasite without resistance to known antimalarials and therefore unrestricted in its utility in compound screening. Analyses of sixty-five compounds from the Medicines for Malaria Venture validation and malaria boxes identified 37 compounds with high levels of TRA (>80%); different assay modes allowed discrimination between gametocytocidal and downstream modes of action. Comparison of SMFA data to published assay formats for predicting parasite infectivity indicated that individual in vitro screens show substantial numbers of false negatives. These results highlight the importance of the SMFA in the screening pipeline for transmission reducing compounds and present a rapid and objective method. In addition we present sixteen diverse chemical scaffolds from the malaria box that may serve as a starting point for further discovery and development of malaria transmission blocking drugs.
Enhanced Osteogenesis by Reduced Graphene Oxide/Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites
Authors: Lee Jong Ho , Shin Yong Cheol , Lee Sang-Min , Jin Oh Seong , Kang Seok Hee , Hong Suck Won , Jeong Chang-Mo , Huh Jung Bo , Han Dong-Wook 
Published: December 2015

AbstractRecently, graphene-based nanomaterials, in the form of two dimensional substrates or three dimensional foams, have attracted considerable attention as bioactive scaffolds to promote the differentiation of various stem cells towards specific lineages. On the other hand, the potential advantages of using graphene-based hybrid composites directly as factors inducing cellular differentiation as well as tissue regeneration are unclear. This study examined whether nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) (rGO/HAp NCs) could enhance the osteogenesis of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts and promote new bone formation. When combined with HAp, rGO synergistically promoted the spontaneous osteodifferentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells without hindering their proliferation. This enhanced osteogenesis was corroborated from determination of alkaline phosphatase activity as early stage markers of osteodifferentiation and mineralization of calcium and phosphate as late stage markers. Immunoblot analysis showed that rGO/HAp NCs increase the expression levels of osteopontin and osteocalcin significantly. Furthermore, rGO/HAp grafts were found to significantly enhance new bone formation in full-thickness calvarial defects without inflammatory responses. These results suggest that rGO/HAp NCs can be exploited to craft a range of strategies for the development of novel dental and orthopedic bone grafts to accelerate bone regeneration because these graphene-based composite materials have potentials to stimulate osteogenesis.
Hybrid DC/DC converter based on dual three‐level circuit and half‐bridge circuit
Authors: Lin Bor‐Ren 
Published: December 2015

This study presents the system analysis and circuit implementation of a new hybrid DC/DC converter. The proposed circuit includes a dual three‐level converter and an un‐regulated half‐bridge converter. The un‐regulated half‐bridge converter, shared the lagging‐leg switches of three‐level converter, is adopted to extend the zero voltage switching (ZVS) range of lagging‐leg switches. The dual three‐level circuit based on phase‐shifted pulse‐width modulation is adopted to regulate the output voltage and reduce the current stress of passive components on the output side. To overcome the high circulating current losses in conventional three‐level converter, a resonant capacitor is used on the primary side to reduce the circulating current to zero in the freewheeling interval. The secondary windings of three‐level converter and half‐bridge converter are connected in series so that the rectified voltage on the secondary side is positive instead of zero voltage in the conventional three‐level converter. Therefore, the output current ripple can be reduced. The main advantages of the proposed converter are low circulating current losses, low voltage stress of switches, wide ZVS range and less output current ripple. Finally, experiments based on a 1920 W prototype are provided to validate the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed converter.
Landlocked Fall Chinook Salmon Kidney Bacteria in Relation to Egg Survival
Authors: Nero Patrick A , Barnes Michael , Bergmann David 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
A survey of kidney bacteria from female landlocked fall Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha broodstock from Lake Oahe, South Dakota, was conducted to investigate possible links to subsequent egg survival. Bacteria were isolated from 22 spent females. The kidneys of two females contained no bacteria, and no eggs survived from the spawn of these two fish. All kidneys sampled appeared normal with no gross abnormalities. Twelve bacteria genera were isolated and identified to the genus level: Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Brevundimonas, Chryseobacterium, Flavobacterium, Acidovorax, Arthrobacter, Deinococcus, Enterococcus, Leucobacter, Micrococcus, and Oerskovia. Screening for Renibacterium salmoninarum was not conducted. Colony forming units (CFU) per gram ranged from 0 to 10,542. There were no significant correlations between egg survival and CFU from samples incubated on agar containing either R2A or Coomassie Brilliant Blue. In addition, no relationship was observed between any of the bacterial species isolated and egg survival to the eyed stage. Bacteria present in the kidneys of this specific population of Chinook Salmon do not appear to have any effect on female condition or subsequent egg survival, although several potentially pathogenic bacteria genera were isolated.
Montaigne’s Education
Authors: Hoffmann George 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
In spite of Montaigne’s dismissal of his schooling as a “failure,” significant features of his thought can be traced to his humanist education. Not only did he acquire literacy in French at school, but also he picked up a comic outlook from the plays of Terence in which he acted. Further, George Buchanan exposed the young Montaigne to Reformation ideas. Later, Marc-Antoine Muret’s Julius Caesar would school Montaigne in displaying confidence in the face of fortune’s vicissitudes, an attitude that he would incorporate into the “heroic” skepticism of the Essays. More generally, he adopted images, language, and postures from the stage as a way of understanding the life as a comédie humaine. Montaigne, however, preferred to award a determining influence for his adult character to the infancy he spent in a rural village.
Multiculturalism and Liberalism
Authors: Hooker Juliet 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This chapter examines the debate about multiculturalism in political theory. It traces the emergence of a philosophical literature to justify policies enacted by contemporary liberal democratic states that seek to fairly accommodate cultural diversity and remedy racial injustice. It traces the origins of the contemporary philosophical debate about multiculturalism (particularly in the United States and Canada) to the communitarian critique of theories of liberal neutrality that emphasized individual freedom and autonomy at the expense of collective membership. The liberal–communitarian debate culminated in liberal defenses of minority group rights that emphasize the centrality of culture and group membership to individual autonomy. The essay goes on to consider three remaining sources of tension in liberal multiculturalism: the question of how to reconcile commitments to gender equality and multiculturalism, the issue of how to deal with illiberal minority cultures (particularly religious groups), and the failure to adequately conceive racial justice.