bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Extinction risk of soil biota
Authors: Veresoglou Stavros D. , Halley John M. , Rillig Matthias C. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractNo species lives on earth forever. Knowing when and why species go extinct is crucial for a complete understanding of the consequences of anthropogenic activity, and its impact on ecosystem functioning. Even though soil biota play a key role in maintaining the functioning of ecosystems, the vast majority of existing studies focus on aboveground organisms. Many questions about the fate of belowground organisms remain open, so the combined effort of theorists and applied ecologists is needed in the ongoing development of soil extinction ecology.
Extremely stretchable and conductive water-repellent coatings for low-cost ultra-flexible electronics
Authors: Mates Joseph E. , Bayer Ilker S. , Palumbo John M. , Carroll Patrick J. , Megaridis Constantine M. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractRapid advances in modern electronics place ever-accelerating demands on innovation towards more robust and versatile functional components. In the flexible electronics domain, novel material solutions often involve creative uses of common materials to reduce cost, while maintaining uncompromised performance. Here we combine a commercially available paraffin wax–polyolefin thermoplastic blend (elastomer matrix binder) with bulk-produced carbon nanofibres (charge percolation network for electron transport, and for imparting nanoscale roughness) to fabricate adherent thin-film composite electrodes. The simple wet-based process produces composite films capable of sustained ultra-high strain (500%) with resilient electrical performance (resistances of the order of 101–102 Ω sq−1). The composites are also designed to be superhydrophobic for long-term corrosion protection, even maintaining extreme liquid repellency at severe strain. Comprised of inexpensive common materials applied in a single step, the present scalable approach eliminates manufacturing obstacles for commercially viable wearable electronics, flexible power storage devices and corrosion-resistant circuits.
TRIM33 switches off Ifnb1 gene transcription during the late phase of macrophage activation
Authors: Ferri Federica , Parcelier Aude , Petit Vanessa , Gallouet Anne-Sophie , Lewandowski Daniel , Dalloz Marion , van den Heuvel Anita , Kolovos Petros , Soler Eric , Squadrito Mario Leonardo , De Palma Michele , Davidson Irwin , Rousselet Germain , Romeo Paul-Henri 
Published: November 2015

AbstractDespite its importance during viral or bacterial infections, transcriptional regulation of the interferon-β gene (Ifnb1) in activated macrophages is only partially understood. Here we report that TRIM33 deficiency results in high, sustained expression of Ifnb1 at late stages of toll-like receptor-mediated activation in macrophages but not in fibroblasts. In macrophages, TRIM33 is recruited by PU.1 to a conserved region, the Ifnb1 Control Element (ICE), located 15 kb upstream of the Ifnb1 transcription start site. ICE constitutively interacts with Ifnb1 through a TRIM33-independent chromatin loop. At late phases of lipopolysaccharide activation of macrophages, TRIM33 is bound to ICE, regulates Ifnb1 enhanceosome loading, controls Ifnb1 chromatin structure and represses Ifnb1 gene transcription by preventing recruitment of CBP/p300. These results characterize a previously unknown mechanism of macrophage-specific regulation of Ifnb1 transcription whereby TRIM33 is critical for Ifnb1 gene transcription shutdown.
Scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy with reconstruction of vertical interaction
Authors: Wang Le , Xu Xiaoji G. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractScattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy provides access to super-resolution spectroscopic imaging of the surfaces of a variety of materials and nanostructures. In addition to chemical identification, it enables observations of nano-optical phenomena, such as mid-infrared plasmons in graphene and phonon polaritons in boron nitride. Despite the high lateral spatial resolution, scattering-type near-field optical microscopy is not able to provide characteristics of near-field responses in the vertical dimension, normal to the sample surface. Here, we present an accurate and fast reconstruction method to obtain vertical characteristics of near-field interactions. For its first application, we investigated the bound electromagnetic field component of surface phonon polaritons on the surface of boron nitride nanotubes and found that it decays within 20 nm with a considerable phase change in the near-field signal. The method is expected to provide characterization of the vertical field distribution of a wide range of nano-optical materials and structures.
Structure and substrate selectivity of the 750-kDa α6β6 holoenzyme of geranyl-CoA carboxylase
Authors: Jurado Ashley R. , Huang Christine S. , Zhang Xing , Zhou Z. Hong , Tong Liang 
Published: November 2015

AbstractGeranyl-CoA carboxylase (GCC) is essential for the growth of Pseudomonas organisms with geranic acid as the sole carbon source. GCC has the same domain organization and shares strong sequence conservation with the related biotin-dependent carboxylases 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCC) and propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC). Here we report the crystal structure of the 750-kDa α6β6 holoenzyme of GCC, which is similar to MCC but strikingly different from PCC. The structures provide evidence in support of two distinct lineages of biotin-dependent acyl-CoA carboxylases, one carboxylating the α carbon of a saturated organic acid and the other carboxylating the γ carbon of an α-β unsaturated acid. Structural differences in the active site region of GCC and MCC explain their distinct substrate preferences. Especially, a glycine residue in GCC is replaced by phenylalanine in MCC, which blocks access by the larger geranyl-CoA substrate. Mutation of this residue in the two enzymes can change their substrate preferences.
Atomistic Design of Favored Compositions for Synthesizing the Al-Ni-Y Metallic Glasses
Authors: Wang Q. , Li J. H. , Liu J. B. , Liu B. X. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractFor a ternary alloy system promising for obtaining the so-called bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), the first priority issue is to predict the favored compositions, which could then serve as guidance for the appropriate alloy design. Taking the Al-Ni-Y system as an example, here we show an atomistic approach, which is developed based on a recently constructed and proven realistic interatomic potential of the system. Applying the Al-Ni-Y potential, series simulations not only clarify the glass formation mechanism, but also predict in the composition triangle, a hexagonal region, in which a disordered state, i.e., the glassy phase, is favored energetically. The predicted region is defined as glass formation region (GFR) for the ternary alloy system. Moreover, the approach is able to calculate an amorphization driving force (ADF) for each possible glassy alloy located within the GFR. The calculations predict an optimized sub-region nearby a stoichiometry of Al80Ni5Y15, implying that the Al-Ni-Y metallic glasses designed in the sub-region could be the most stable. Interestingly, the atomistic predictions are supported by experimental results observed in the Al-Ni-Y system. In addition, structural origin underlying the stability of the Al-Ni-Y metallic glasses is also discussed in terms of a hybrid packing mode in the medium-range scale.
Mechanistic analysis of a synthetic inhibitor of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasI quorum-sensing signal synthase
Authors: Lidor O. , Al-Quntar A. , Pesci E. C. , Steinberg D. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractPseudomonas aeruginosais an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen responsible for many human infections. LasI is an acyl-homoserine lactone synthase that produces a quorum-sensing (QS) signal that positively regulates numerousP. aeruginosavirulence determinants. The inhibition of the LasI protein is therefore an attractive drug target. In this study, a novelin silicotoin vitrocomplementation was applied to screen thiazolidinedione-type compounds for their ability to inhibit biofilm formation at concentrations not affecting bacterial growth. The compound (z)-5-octylidenethiazolidine-2, 4-dione (TZD-C8) was a strong inhibitor of biofilm formation and chosen for further study. Structural exploration ofin silicodocking predicted that the compound had high affinity for the LasI activity pocket. The TZD-C8 compound was also predicted to create hydrogen bonds with residues Arg30 and Ile107. Site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) of these two sites demonstrated that TZD-C8 inhibition was abolished in thelasIdouble mutant PAO-R30D, I107S. In addition,in vitroswarming motility and quorum sensing signal production were affected by TZD-C 8, confirming this compound alters the cell to cell signalling circuitry. Overall, this novel inhibitor ofP. aeruginosaquorum sensing shows great promise and validates our mechanistic approach to discovering inhibitors of LuxI-type acyl-homoserine lactone synthases.
Plant phenolics are detoxified by prophenoloxidase in the insect gut
Authors: Wu Kai , Zhang Jie , Zhang Qiaoli , Zhu Shoulin , Shao Qimiao , Clark Kevin D. , Liu Yining , Ling Erjun 
Published: November 2015

AbstractPlant phenolics are a group of important secondary metabolites that are toxic to many animals and insects if ingested at high concentrations. Because most insects consume plant phenolics daily, they have likely evolved the capacity to detoxify these compounds. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster, Bombyx mori and Helicoverpa armigera as models to study the metabolism of plant phenolics by prophenoloxidases. We found that insect foreguts release prophenoloxidases into the lumen and that the survival of prophenoloxidase-deletion mutants was impaired when fed several plant phenolics and tea extracts. Using l-DOPA as a model substrate, biochemical assays in large Lepidopteran insects demonstrated that low levels of l-DOPA are rapidly metabolized into intermediates by phenoloxidases. Feeding with excess l-DOPA showed that the metabolic intermediate 5,6-dihydroxyindole reached the hindgut either by passing directly through the midgut, or by transport through the hemolymph. In the hindgut, 5,6-dihydroxyindole was further oxidized by prophenoloxidases. Intermediates exerted no toxicity in the hemocoel or midgut. These results show that plant phenolics are not toxic to insects unless prophenoloxidase genes are lost or the levels of phenolics exceed the catalytic activity of the gut prophenoloxidases.
Remote influence of Atlantic multidecadal variability on Siberian warm season precipitation
Authors: Sun Cheng , Li Jianping , Zhao Sen 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe time series of 20th century Siberian warm season (May to October) precipitation (SWP) shows variations over decadal timescales, including a wetting trend since the 1970s. Here, it is shown that the Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) can be implicated as a remote driver of the decadal-scale variations in SWP. Observational analysis identifies a significant in-phase relationship between the AMV and SWP and the SWP decadal variability can be largely explained by the AMV. The physical mechanism for this relationship is investigated using both observations and numerical simulations. The results suggest that North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) warming associated with the positive AMV phase can excite an eastward propagating wave train response across the entire Eurasian continent, which includes an east–west dipole structure over Siberia. The dipole then leads to anomalous southerly winds bringing moisture northward to Siberia; the precipitation increases correspondingly. The mechanism is further supported by linear barotropic modeling and Rossby wave ray tracing analysis.
Engraftment of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes in immunocompetent mice via 3D co-aggregation and encapsulation
Authors: Song Wei , Lu Yen-Chun , Frankel Angela S. , An Duo , Schwartz Robert E. , Ma Minglin 
Published: November 2015

AbstractCellular therapies for liver diseases andin vitromodels for drug testing both require functional human hepatocytes (Hum-H), which have unfortunately been limited due to the paucity of donor liver tissues. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent a promising and potentially unlimited cell source to derive Hum-H. However, the hepatic functions of these hPSC-derived cells to date are not fully comparable to adult Hum-H and are more similar to fetal ones. In addition, it has been challenging to obtain functional hepatic engraftment of these cells with prior studies having been done inimmunocompromisedanimals. In this report, we demonstrated successful engraftment of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (iPS-H) inimmunocompetentmice by pre-engineering 3D cell co-aggregates with stromal cells (SCs) followed by encapsulation in recently developed biocompatible hydrogel capsules. Notably, upon transplantation, human albumin and α1-antitrypsin (A1AT) in mouse sera secreted by encapsulated iPS-H/SCs aggregates reached a level comparable to the primary Hum-H/SCs control. Further immunohistochemistry of human albumin in retrieved cell aggregates confirmed the survival and function of iPS-H. This proof-of-concept study provides a simple yet robust approach to improve the engraftment of iPS-H and may be applicable to many stem cell-based therapies.
Biophysical Regulation of Chromatin Architecture Instills a Mechanical Memory in Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Heo Su-Jin , Thorpe Stephen D. , Driscoll Tristan P. , Duncan Randall L. , Lee David A. , Mauck Robert L. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractMechanical cues direct the lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, we identified the operative molecular mechanisms through which dynamic tensile loading (DL) regulates changes in chromatin organization and nuclear mechanics in MSCs. Our data show that, in the absence of exogenous differentiation factors, short term DL elicits a rapid increase in chromatin condensation, mediated by acto-myosin based cellular contractility and the activity of the histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2. The resulting change in chromatin condensation stiffened the MSC nucleus, making it less deformable when stretch was applied to the cell. We also identified stretch induced ATP release and purinergic calcium signaling as a central mediator of this chromatin condensation process. Further, we showed that DL, through differential stabilization of the condensed chromatin state, established a ‘mechanical memory’ in these cells. That is, increasing strain levels and number of loading events led to a greater degree of chromatin condensation that persisted for longer periods of time after the cessation of loading. These data indicate that, with mechanical perturbation, MSCs develop a mechanical memory encoded in structural changes in the nucleus which may sensitize them to future mechanical loading events and define the trajectory and persistence of their lineage specification.
eIF5A1/RhoGDIα pathway: a novel therapeutic target for treatment of spinal cord injury identified by a proteomics approach
Authors: Liu Wei , Shang Fei-Fei , Xu Yang , Belegu Visar , Xia Lei , Zhao Wei , Liu Ran , Wang Wei , Liu Jin , Li Chen-Yun , Wang Ting-Hua 
Published: November 2015

AbstractSpinal cord injury (SCI) is frequently accompanied by a degree of spontaneous functional recovery. The underlying mechanisms through which such recovery is generated remain elusive. In this study, we observed a significant spontaneous motor function recovery 14 to 28 days after spinal cord transection (SCT) in rats. Using a comparative proteomics approach, caudal to the injury, we detected difference in 20 proteins. Two of these proteins, are eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A1 (eIF5A1) that is involved in cell survival and proliferation and Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha (RhoGDIα), a member of Rho GDI family that is involved in cytoskeletal reorganization. After confirming the changes in expression levels of these two proteins following SCT, we showed that in vivo eIF5A1 up-regulation and down-regulation significantly increased and decreased, respectively, motor function recovery. In vitro, eIF5A1 overexpression in primary neurons increased cell survival and elongated neurite length while eIF5A1 knockdown reversed these results. We found that RhoGDIα up-regulation and down-regulation rescues the effect of eIF5A1 down-regulation and up-regulation both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, we have identified eIF5A1/RhoGDIα pathway as a new therapeutic target for treatment of spinal cord injured patients.
MicroRNA-155-IFN-γ Feedback Loop in CD4+T Cells of Erosive type Oral Lichen Planus
Authors: Hu Jing-Yu , Zhang Jing , Ma Jing-Zhi , Liang Xue-Yi , Chen Guan-Ying , Lu Rui , Du Ge-Fei , Zhou Gang 
Published: November 2015

AbstractOral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated immune disorder and we have indicated a Th1-dominated immune response in OLP. MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) could promote Th1 cells polarization. The present study aims to determine the role of miR-155 in immune response of OLP. The expression of miR-155 and the target mRNA was tested by Real-Time PCR. The serum levels of IL-2, 4, 10 and IFN-γ were examined with ELISA. Furthermore, in vitro study was built to observe the function of miR-155 in erosive-type OLP (EOLP). Finally, we determined the expression and correlation of miR-155 and SOCS1 in EOLP CD4+ T cells. The results showed miR-155 was high related with the disease severities. Besides, serum IFN-γ was specifically increased in EOLP group, while IL-4 was decreased. In vitro studies showed miR-155 could reinforce IFN-γ signal transducer and the induction of IFN-γ could also promote miR-155 expression in EOLP CD4+ T cells. In addition, miR-155 levels were negatively related with SOCS1 mRNA expression in EOLP CD4+ T cells. Our study revealed a positive miR-155- IFN-γ feedback loop in EOLP CD4+ T cell, which might contribute to the Th1-dominated immune response. Furthermore, miR-155 could be used for the evaluation and treatment of OLP.
MLN4924 Synergistically Enhances Cisplatin-induced Cytotoxicity via JNK and Bcl-xL Pathways in Human Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Ho I-Lin , Kuo Kuan-Lin , Liu Shing-Hwa- , Chang Hong-Chiang , Hsieh Ju-Ton , Wu June-Tai , Chiang Chih-Kang , Lin Wei-Chou , Tsai Yu-Chieh , Chou Chien-Tso , Hsu Chen-Hsun , Pu Yeong-Shiau , Shi Chung-Sheng , Huang Kuo-How 
Published: November 2015

AbstractCisplatin-based chemotherapy is the primary treatment for metastatic bladder urothelial carcinoma. However, the response rate is only 40–65%. This study investigated the anti-tumor effect and underlying mechanisms of the combination of cisplatin and the NEDD8-activating enzyme inhibitor MLN4924 in human bladder urothelial carcinoma. The combination of cisplatin and MLN4924 exerted synergistic cytotoxicity on two high-grade bladder urothelial carcinoma cell lines, NTUB1 and T24 (combination index <1). MLN4924 also potentiated the cisplatin-induced apoptosis and activation of caspase-3 and -7, phospho-histone H2A.X and PARP. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and a down-regulation of B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) were also observed during cisplatin and MLN4924 treatment. Inhibition of JNK activation partially restored cell viability and Bcl-xL expression. Bcl-xL overexpression also rescued cell viability. MLN4924 significantly potentiated cisplatin-induced tumor suppression in urothelial carcinoma xenograft mice. In summary, MLN4924 synergistically enhanced the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin via an increase in DNA damage, JNK activation and down-regulation of Bcl-xL in urothelial carcinoma cells. These findings provide a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Goodness-of-fit test for meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Zhongxue , Zhang Guoyi , Li Jing 
Published: November 2015

AbstractMeta-analysis is a very useful tool to combine information from different sources. Fixed effect and random effect models are widely used in meta-analysis. Despite their popularity, they may give us misleading results if the models don’t fit the data but are blindly used. Therefore, like any statistical analysis, checking the model fitting is an important step. However, in practice, the goodness-of-fit in meta-analysis is rarely discussed. In this paper, we propose some tests to check the goodness-of-fit for the fixed and random effect models with assumption of normal distributions in meta-analysis. Through simulation study, we show that the proposed tests control type I error rate very well. To demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed tests, we also apply them to some real data sets. Our study shows that the proposed tests are useful tools in checking the goodness-of-fit of the normal models used in meta-analysis.
RA-XII inhibits tumour growth and metastasis in breast tumour-bearing mice via reducing cell adhesion and invasion and promoting matrix degradation
Authors: Leung Hoi-Wing , Zhao Si-Meng , Yue Grace Gar-Lee , Lee Julia Kin-Ming , Fung Kwok-Pui , Leung Ping-Chung , Tan Ning-Hua , Lau Clara Bik-San 
Published: November 2015

AbstractCancer cells acquire invasive ability to degrade and adhere to extracellular matrix (ECM) and migrate to adjacent tissues. This ultimately results metastasis. Hence, the present study investigated the in vitro effects of cyclopeptide glycoside, RA-XII on cell adhesion, invasion, proliferation and matrix degradation and its underlying mechanism in murine breast tumour cells, 4T1. The effect of RA-XII on tumour growth and metastasis in 4T1-bearing mice was also investigated. Our results showed that RA-XII inhibited tumour cell adhesion to collagen, fibronectin and laminin, RA-XII also reduced the expressions of vascular cell adhesion molecule, intracellular adhesion molecule and integrins and integrin binding. In addition, RA-XII significantly inhibited breast tumour cell migration via interfering cofilin signaling and chemokine receptors. The activities of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and urokinase-type of plasminogen activator and the expressions of ECM-associated proteinases were attenuated significantly by RA-XII. Furthermore, RA-XII induced G1 phase arrest and inhibited the expressions of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases. RA-XII inhibited the expressions of molecules in PI3K/AKT, NF-kappaB, FAK/pSRC, MAPK and EGFR signaling. RA-XII was also shown to have anti-tumour, anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic activities in metastatic breast tumour-bearing mice. These findings strongly suggested that RA-XII is a potential anti-metastatic agent for breast cancer.
Tuning the Quantum Efficiency of Random Lasers - Intrinsic Stokes-Shift and Gain
Authors: Lubatsch Andreas , Frank Regine 
Published: November 2015

AbstractWe report the theoretical analysis for tuning the quantum efficiency of solid state random lasers. Vollhardt-Wölfle theory of photonic transport in disordered non-conserving and open random media, is coupled to lasing dynamics and solved positionally dependent. The interplay of non-linearity and homogeneous non-radiative frequency conversion by means of a Stokes-shift leads to a reduction of the quantum efficiency of the random laser. At the threshold a strong decrease of the spot-size in the stationary state is found due to the increase of non-radiative losses. The coherently emitted photon number per unit of modal surface is also strongly reduced. This result allows for the conclusion that Stokes-shifts are not sufficient to explain confined and extended mode regimes.