bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SGLT1 activity in lung alveolar cells of diabetic rats modulates airway surface liquid glucose concentration and bacterial proliferation
Authors: Oliveira Tales Lyra , Candeia-Medeiros Návylla , Cavalcante-Araújo Polliane M. , Melo Igor Santana , Fávaro-Pípi Elaine , Fátima Luciana Alves , Rocha Antônio Augusto , Goulart Luiz Ricardo , Machado Ubiratan Fabres , Campos Ruy R. , Sabino-Silva Robinson 
Published: February 2016

AbstractHigh glucose concentration in the airway surface liquid (ASL) is an important feature of diabetes that predisposes to respiratory infections. We investigated the role of alveolar epithelial SGLT1 activity on ASL glucose concentration and bacterial proliferation. Non-diabetic and diabetic rats were intranasally treated with saline, isoproterenol (to increase SGLT1 activity) or phlorizin (to decrease SGLT1 activity); 2 hours later, glucose concentration and bacterial proliferation (methicillin-resistant Sthaphylococcus aureus, MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. aeruginosa) were analyzed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL); and alveolar SGLT1 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. BAL glucose concentration and bacterial proliferation increased in diabetic animals: isoproterenol stimulated SGLT1 migration to luminal membrane, and reduced (50%) the BAL glucose concentration; whereas phlorizin increased the BAL glucose concentration (100%). These regulations were accompanied by parallel changes of in vitro MRSA and P. aeruginosa proliferation in BAL (r = 0.9651 and r = 0.9613, respectively, Pearson correlation). The same regulations were observed in in vivo P. aeruginosa proliferation. In summary, the results indicate a relationship among SGLT1 activity, ASL glucose concentration and pulmonary bacterial proliferation. Besides, the study highlights that, in situations of pulmonary infection risk, such as in diabetic subjects, increased SGLT1 activity may prevent bacterial proliferation whereas decreased SGLT1 activity can exacerbate it.
Succinyl-proteome profiling of a high taxol containing hybrid Taxus species (Taxus × media) revealed involvement of succinylation in multiple metabolic pathways
Authors: Shen Chenjia , Xue Jie , Sun Tao , Guo Hong , Zhang Lei , Meng Yijun , Wang Huizhong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractProtein lysine succinylation, a ubiquitous protein post-translational modification among eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, represents a vital regulator of various metabolic processes. However, little is known about its functions and cellular distribution in Taxus × media, which is a hybrid Taxus species containing a high content of taxol. In this study, LC-MS/MS was used to identify peptides enriched by immune-purification with high-efficiency succinyl-lysine antibody. A total of 193 succinylated proteins and 325 succinylation sites were identified. The bioinformatics analysis indicated that these succinylated proteins were involved in a wide range of cellular functions from metabolism to protein binding and showed diverse subcellular localizations. Furthermore, our findings suggested that lysine succinylation in Taxus × media involved a diverse array of metabolic processes and protein–protein interactions. Many enzymes involved in multiple metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and carbon fixation, were identified as substrates for lysine succinylation, suggesting the presence of a common mechanism underlying the participation of succinylation in metabolic regulation. These results provide the first comprehensive view of the succinylome of Taxus × media and may catalyze future biological investigation of succinylation.
Inverted Ultrathin Organic Solar Cells with a Quasi-Grating Structure for Efficient Carrier Collection and Dip-less Visible Optical Absorption
Authors: In Sungjun , Park Namkyoo 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWe propose a metallic-particle-based two-dimensional quasi-grating structure for application to an organic solar cell. With the use of oblate spheroidal nanoparticles in contact with an anode ofinverted, ultrathinorganic solar cells (OSCs), the quasi-grating structure offers strong hybridization between localized surface plasmons and plasmonic gap modes leading to broadband (300~800 nm) and uniform (average ~90%) optical absorption spectra. Both strong optical enhancement in extreme confinement within the active layer (90 nm) and improved hole collection are thus realized. A coupled optical-electrical multi-physics optimization shows a large (~33%) enhancement in the optical absorption (corresponding to an absorption efficiency of ~47%, AM1.5G weighted, visible) when compared to a control OSC without the quasi-grating structure. That translates into a significant electrical performance gain of ~22% in short circuit current and ~15% in the power conversion efficiency (PCE), leading to an energy conversion efficiency (~6%) which is comparable to that of optically-thick inverted OSCs (3–7%). Detailed analysis on the influences of mode hybridization to optical field distributions, exciton generation rate, charge carrier collection efficiency and electrical conversion efficiency is provided, to offer an integrated understanding on the coupled optical-electrical optimization of ultrathin OSCs.
Noninvasive Assessment of Early Dental Lesion Using a Dual-Contrast Photoacoustic Tomography
Authors: Cheng Renxiang , Shao Jiaojiao , Gao Xiaoxiang , Tao Chao , Ge Jiuyu , Liu Xiaojun 
Published: February 2016

AbstractDental hard tissue lesions, including caries, cracked-tooth, etc., are the most prevalent diseases of people worldwide. Dental lesions and correlative diseases greatly decrease the life quality of patients throughout their lifetime. It is still hard to noninvasively detect these dental lesions in their early stages. Photoacoustic imaging is an emerging hybrid technology combining the high spatial resolution of ultrasound in deep tissue with the rich optical contrasts. In this study, a dual-contrast photoacoustic tomography is applied to detect the early dental lesions. One contrast, named B-mode, is related to the optical absorption. It is good at providing the sharp image about the morphological and macro-structural features of the teeth. Another contrast, named S-mode, is associated with the micro-structural and mechanical properties of the hard tissue. It is sensitive to the change of tissue properties induced by the early dental lesions. Experiments show that the comprehensive analysis of dual-contrast information can provide reliable information of the early dental lesions. Moreover, the imaging parameter of S-mode is device-independent and it could measure tissue properties quantitatively. We expect that the proposed scheme could be beneficial for improving safety, accuracy and sensitivity of the clinical diagnosis of the dental lesion.
Effects of forests, roads and mistletoe on bird diversity in monoculture rubber plantations
Authors: Sreekar Rachakonda , Huang Guohualing , Yasuda Mika , Quan Rui-Chang , Goodale Eben , Corlett Richard T. , Tomlinson Kyle W. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractRising global demand for natural rubber is expanding monoculture rubber (Hevea brasilensis) at the expense of natural forests in the Old World tropics. Conversion of forests into rubber plantations has a devastating impact on biodiversity and we have yet to identify management strategies that can mitigate this. We determined the life-history traits that best predict bird species occurrence in rubber plantations in SW China and investigated the effects of surrounding forest cover and distance to roads on bird diversity. Mistletoes provide nectar and fruit resources in rubber so we examined mistletoe densities and the relationship with forest cover and rubber tree diameter. In rubber plantations, we recorded less than half of all bird species extant in the surrounding area. Birds with wider habitat breadths and low conservation value had a higher probability of occurrence. Species richness and diversity increased logarithmically with surrounding forest cover, but roads had little effect. Mistletoe density increased exponentially with rubber tree diameters, but was unrelated to forest cover. To maximize bird diversity in rubber-dominated landscapes it is therefore necessary to preserve as much forest as possible, construct roads through plantations and not forest and retain some large rubber trees with mistletoes during crop rotations.
Mechanical Fracturing of Core-Shell Undercooled Metal Particles for Heat-Free Soldering
Authors: Çınar Simge , Tevis Ian D. , Chen Jiahao , Thuo Martin 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPhase-change materials, such as meta-stable undercooled (supercooled) liquids, have been widely recognized as a suitable route for complex fabrication and engineering. Despite comprehensive studies on the undercooling phenomenon, little progress has been made in the use of undercooled metals, primarily due to low yields and poor stability. This paper reports the use of an extension of droplet emulsion technique (SLICE) to produce undercooled core-shell particles of structure; metal/oxide shell-acetate (‘/’ = physisorbed, ‘-’ = chemisorbed), from molten Field’s metal (Bi-In-Sn) and Bi-Sn alloys. These particles exhibit stability against solidification at ambient conditions. Besides synthesis, we report the use of these undercooled metal, liquid core-shell, particles for heat free joining and manufacturing at ambient conditions. Our approach incorporates gentle etching and/or fracturing of outer oxide-acetate layers through mechanical stressing or shearing, thus initiating a cascade entailing fluid flow with concomitant deformation, combination/alloying, shaping, and solidification. This simple and low cost technique for soldering and fabrication enables formation of complex shapes and joining at the meso- and micro-scale at ambient conditions without heat or electricity.
H18 Carbon: A New Metallic Phase with sp2-sp3 Hybridized Bonding Network
Authors: Zhao Chun-Xiang , Niu Chun-Yao , Qin Zhi-Jie , Ren Xiao Yan , Wang Jian-Tao , Cho Jun-Hyung , Jia Yu 
Published: February 2016

AbstractDesign and synthesis of three-dimensional metallic carbons are currently one of the hot issues in contemporary condensed matter physics because of their fascinating properties. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we discover a novel stable metallic carbon allotrope (termed H18 carbon) in "Equation missing" ("Equation missing") symmetry with a mixed sp2-sp3 hybridized bonding network. The dynamical stability of H18 carbon is verified by phonon mode analysis and molecular dynamics simulations and its mechanical stability is analyzed by elastic constants, bulk modulus and shear modulus. By simulating the x-ray diffraction patterns, we propose that H18 carbon would be one of the unidentified carbon phases observed in recent detonation experiments. The analysis of the band structure and density of states reveal that this new carbon phase has a metallic feature mainly due to the C atoms with sp2 hybridization. This novel 3D metallic carbon phase is anticipated to be useful for practical applications such as electronic and mechanical devices.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: One-step Conjugation of Glycyrrhetinic Acid to Cationic Polymers for High-performance Gene Delivery to Cultured Liver Cell
Authors: Cong Yue , Shi Bingyang , Lu Yiqing , Wen Shihui , Chung Roger , Jin Dayong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractGene therapies represent a promising therapeutic route for liver cancers, but major challenges remain in the design of safe and efficient gene-targeting delivery systems. For example, cationic polymers show good transfection efficiency as gene carriers, but are hindered by cytotoxicity and non-specific targeting. Here we report a versatile method of one-step conjugation of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) to reduce cytotoxicity and improve the cultured liver cell -targeting capability of cationic polymers. We have explored a series of cationic polymer derivatives by coupling different ratios of GA to polypropylenimine (PPI) dendrimer. These new gene carriers (GA-PPI dendrimer) were systematically characterized by UV-vis,1H NMR titration, electron microscopy, zeta potential, dynamic light-scattering, gel electrophoresis, confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. We demonstrate that GA-PPI dendrimers can efficiently load and protect pDNA, via formation of nanostructured GA-PPI/pDNA polyplexes. With optimal GA substitution degree (6.31%), GA-PPI dendrimers deliver higher liver cell transfection efficiency (43.5% vs 22.3%) and lower cytotoxicity (94.3% vs 62.5%, cell viability) than the commercial bench-mark DNA carrier bPEI (25kDa) with cultured liver model cells (HepG2). There results suggest that our new GA-PPI dendrimer are a promising candidate gene carrier for targeted liver cancer therapy.
The genome of the miiuy croaker reveals well-developed innate immune and sensory systems
Authors: Xu Tianjun , Xu Guoliang , Che Rongbo , Wang Rixin , Wang Yanjin , Li Jinrui , Wang Shanchen , Shu Chang , Sun Yuena , Liu Tianxing , Liu Jiang , Wang Aishuai , Han Jingjing , Chu Qing , Yang Qiong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe miiuy croaker, Miichthys miiuy, is a representative Sciaenidae known for its exceptionally large otoliths. This species mainly inhabits turbid aquatic environments with mud to sandy mud bottoms. However, the characteristics of the immune system of this organism and its specific aquatic environment adaptations are poorly understood. Thus, we present a high-quality draft genome of miiuy croaker. The expansions of several gene families which are critical for the fish innate immune system were identified. Compared with the genomes of other fishes, some changes have occurred in the miiuy croaker sensory system including modification of vision and expansion of taste and olfaction receptors. These changes allow miiuy croaker to adapt to the environment during the long-term natural selection. The genome of miiuy croaker may elucidate its relatively well-developed immune defense and provide an adaptation model of the species thriving in turbid deep aquatic environments.
Mussel-inspired Functionalization of Cotton for Nano-catalyst Support and Its Application in a Fixed-bed System with High Performance
Authors: Xi Jiangbo , Xiao Junwu , Xiao Fei , Jin Yunxia , Dong Yue , Jing Feng , Wang Shuai 
Published: February 2016

AbstractInspired by the composition of adhesive and reductive proteins secreted by marine mussels, polydopamine (PDA) was used to coat cotton microfiber (CMF) and then acted as reducing agent for the growth of Pd nanoparticles on PDA coated CMF (PDA@CMF) composites. The resultant CMF@PDA/Pd composites were then packed in a column for the further use in fixed-bed system. For the catalysis of the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the flow rate of the 4-aminophenol solution (0.5 mM) was as high as 60 mL/min. The obtained fixed-bed system even exhibited superior performance to conventional batch reaction process because it greatly facilitated the efficiency of the catalytic fibers. Consequently, its turnover frequency (TOF) was up to 1.587 min−1, while the TOF in the conventional batch reaction was 0.643 min−1. The catalytic fibers also showed good recyclability, which can be recycled for nine successive cycles without a loss of activity. Furthermore, the catalytic system based on CMF@PDA/Pd can also be applied for Suzuki coupling reaction with the iodobenzene conversion up to 96.7%. The strategy to prepare CMF@PDA/Pd catalytic fixed bed was simple, economical and scalable, which can also be applied for coating different microfibers and loading other noble metal nanoparticles, was amenable for automated industrial processes.
Laetoli’s lost tracks: 3D generated mean shape and missing footprints
Authors: Bennett M. R. , Reynolds S. C. , Morse S. A. , Budka M. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe Laetoli site (Tanzania) contains the oldest known hominin footprints, and their interpretation remains open to debate, despite over 35 years of research. The two hominin trackways present are parallel to one another, one of which is a composite formed by at least two individuals walking in single file. Most researchers have focused on the single, clearly discernible G1 trackway while the G2/3 trackway has been largely dismissed due to its composite nature. Here we report the use of a new technique that allows us to decouple the G2 and G3 tracks for the first time. In so doing we are able to quantify the mean footprint topology of the G3 trackway and render it useable for subsequent data analyses. By restoring the effectively ‘lost’ G3 track, we have doubled the available data on some of the rarest traces directly associated with our Pliocene ancestors.
Synchronization of phase oscillators with frequency-weighted coupling
Authors: Xu Can , Sun Yuting , Gao Jian , Qiu Tian , Zheng Zhigang , Guan Shuguang 
Published: February 2016

AbstractRecently, the first-order synchronization transition has been studied in systems of coupled phase oscillators. In this paper, we propose a framework to investigate the synchronization in the frequency-weighted Kuramoto model with all-to-all couplings. A rigorous mean-field analysis is implemented to predict the possible steady states. Furthermore, a detailed linear stability analysis proves that the incoherent state is only neutrally stable below the synchronization threshold. Nevertheless, interestingly, the amplitude of the order parameter decays exponentially (at least for short time) in this regime, resembling the Landau damping effect in plasma physics. Moreover, the explicit expression for the critical coupling strength is determined by both the mean-field method and linear operator theory. The mechanism of bifurcation for the incoherent state near the critical point is further revealed by the amplitude expansion theory, which shows that the oscillating standing wave state could also occur in this model for certain frequency distributions. Our theoretical analysis and numerical results are consistent with each other, which can help us understand the synchronization transition in general networks with heterogenous couplings.
Macroscopic tensile plasticity by scalarizating stress distribution in bulk metallic glass
Authors: Gao Meng , Dong Jie , Huan Yong , Wang Yong Tian , Wang Wei-Hua 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe macroscopic tensile plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) is highly desirable for various engineering applications. However, upon yielding, plastic deformation of BMGs is highly localized into narrow shear bands and then leads to the “work softening” behaviors and subsequently catastrophic fracture, which is the major obstacle for their structural applications. Here we report that macroscopic tensile plasticity in BMG can be obtained by designing surface pore distribution using laser surface texturing. The surface pore array by design creates a complex stress field compared to the uniaxial tensile stress field of conventional glassy specimens and the stress field scalarization induces the unusual tensile plasticity. By systematically analyzing fracture behaviors and finite element simulation, we show that the stress field scalarization can resist the main shear band propagation and promote the formation of larger plastic zones near the pores, which undertake the homogeneous tensile plasticity. These results might give enlightenment for understanding the deformation mechanism and for further improvement of the mechanical performance of metallic glasses.
Simultaneous induction of jasmonic acid and disease-responsive genes signifies tolerance of American elm to Dutch elm disease
Authors: Sherif S. M. , Shukla M. R. , Murch S. J. , Bernier L. , Saxena P. K. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractDutch elm disease (DED), caused by three fungal species in the genusOphiostoma, is the most devastating disease of both native European and North American elm trees. Although many tolerant cultivars have been identified and released, the tolerance mechanisms are not well understood and true resistance has not yet been achieved. Here we show that the expression of disease-responsive genes in reactions leading to tolerance or susceptibility is significantly differentiated within the first 144 hours post-inoculation (hpi). Analysis of the levels of endogenous plant defense molecules such as jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) in tolerant and susceptible American elm saplings suggested SA and methyl-jasmonate as potential defense response elicitors, which was further confirmed by field observations. However, the tolerant phenotype can be best characterized by a concurrent induction of JA and disease-responsive genes at 96 hpi. Molecular investigations indicated that the expression of fungal genes (i.e.cerato ulmin) was also modulated by endogenous SA and JA and this response was unique among aggressive and non-aggressive fungal strains. The present study not only provides better understanding of tolerance mechanisms to DED, but also represents a first, verified template for examining simultaneous transcriptomic changes during American elm-fungus interactions.
Pygo2 functions as a prognostic factor for glioma due to its up-regulation of H3K4me3 and promotion of MLL1/MLL2 complex recruitment
Authors: Zhou Cefan , Zhang Yi , Dai Jun , Zhou Mengzhou , Liu Miao , Wang Yefu , Chen Xing-Zhen , Tang Jingfeng 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPygo2 has been discovered as an important Wnt signaling component contributing to the activation of Wnt-target gene transcription. In the present study, we discovered that Pygo2 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in the majority of (152/209) human brain glioma tissues and five glioma cell lines and significantly correlated with the age, the WHO tumor classification and poor patient survival. The histone methyltransferase complex components (WDR5, Ash2 and menin, but not CXCC1 or NCOA6) were down-regulated at the promoter loci of Wnt target genes after Pygo2 knockdown and this was accompanied by the down-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity. Further, we demonstrated that the involvement of Pygo2 in the activation of the Wnt pathway in human glioma progression is through up-regulation of the H3K4me3 (but not H3K4me2) by promoting the recruitment of the histone methyltransferase MLL1/MLL2 complex to Wnt target gene promoters. Thus, our study provided evidence that Pygo2 functions as a novel prognostic marker and represents a potential therapeutic target.
Neurotensin-induced miR-133α expression regulates neurotensin receptor 1 recycling through its downstream target aftiphilin
Authors: Law Ivy Ka Man , Jensen Dane , Bunnett Nigel W. , Pothoulakis Charalabos 
Published: February 2016

AbstractNeurotensin (NT) triggers signaling in human colonic epithelial cells by activating the G protein-coupled receptor, the neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1). Activated NTR1 traffics from the plasma membrane to early endosomes and then recycles. Although sustained NT/NTR1 signaling requires efficient NTR1 recycling, little is known about the regulation of NTR1 recycling. We recently showed that NT/NTR1 signaling increases expression of miR-133α. Herein, we studied the mechanism of NT-regulated miR-133α expression and examined the role of miR-133α in intracellular NTR1 trafficking in human NCM460 colonocytes. We found that NT-induced miR-133α upregulation involves the negative transcription regulator, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1. Silencing of miR-133α or overexpression of aftiphilin (AFTPH), a binding target of miR-133α, attenuated NTR1 trafficking to plasma membrane in human colonocytes, without affecting NTR1 internalization. We localized AFTPH to early endosomes and the trans-Golgi network (TGN) in unstimulated human colonic epithelial cells. AFTPH overexpression reduced NTR1 localization in early endosomes and increased expression of proteins related to endosomes and the TGN trafficking pathway. AFTPH overexpression and de-acidification of intracellular vesicles increased NTR1 expression. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of GPCR trafficking in human colonic epithelial cells by which a microRNA, miR-133α regulates NTR1 trafficking through its downstream target AFTPH.