bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acarbose Decreases the Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk of Diabetic Patients and Attenuates the Incidence and Severity of Collagen-induced Arthritis in Mice
Authors: Chen Hsin-Hua , Chen Der-Yuan , Chao Ya-Hsuan , Chen Yi-Ming , Wu Chao-Liang , Lai Kuo-Lung , Lin Ching-Heng , Lin Chi-Chen 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAcarbose has been found to decrease some inflammatory parameters in diabetic patients. This study aimed to examine the influence of acarbose on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and on the incidence and severity of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. In a nationwide, matched case–control study, we identified 723 incident RA cases and selected 7,230 age-, sex- and RA diagnosis date–matched controls from all newly treated DM patients. We found that use of acarbose at > 16,950 mg per year was associated with a lower RA risk (odds ratio 0.60; 95% CI, 0.41–0.89). In the CIA mouse study, acarbose was orally administered from days -7 to 38 relative to type II collagen (CII) immunization. The results revealed that acarbose at the dose of 500 mg/kg/day attenuated the incidence and severity of arthritis and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-17 in the paw tissues. Acarbose further decreased the productions of anti-CII-IgG, IL-17 and IFN-γ by collagen-reactive lymph node cells. This work suggests that the use of acarbose decreased RA risk in DM patients and the incidence of CIA in mice. Acarbose also attenuated the severity of CIA via anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.
In-Situ Probing Plasmonic Energy Transfer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Solar Cells by Ultrabroadband Femtosecond Pump-Probe Spectroscopy
Authors: Chen Shih-Chen , Wu Kaung-Hsiung , Li Jia-Xing , Yabushita Atsushi , Tang Shih-Han , Luo Chih Wei , Juang Jenh-Yih , Kuo Hao-Chung , Chueh Yu-Lun 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this work, we demonstrated a viable experimental scheme for in-situ probing the effects of Au nanoparticles (NPs) incorporation on plasmonic energy transfer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells by elaborately analyzing the lifetimes and zero moment for hot carrier relaxation with ultrabroadband femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. The signals of enhanced photobleach (PB) and waned photoinduced absorption (PIA) attributable to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au NPs were in-situ probed in transient differential absorption spectra. The results suggested that substantial carriers can be excited from ground state to lower excitation energy levels, which can reach thermalization much faster with the existence of SPR. Thus, direct electron transfer (DET) could be implemented to enhance the photocurrent of CIGS solar cells. Furthermore, based on the extracted hot carrier lifetimes, it was confirmed that the improved electrical transport might have been resulted primarily from the reduction in the surface recombination of photoinduced carriers through enhanced local electromagnetic field (LEMF). Finally, theoretical calculation for resonant energy transfer (RET)-induced enhancement in the probability of exciting electron-hole pairs was conducted and the results agreed well with the enhanced PB peak of transient differential absorption in plasmonic CIGS film. These results indicate that plasmonic energy transfer is a viable approach to boost high-efficiency CIGS solar cells.
Identification of a novel antimicrobial peptide from amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum by in silico and functional analyses
Authors: Liu Haohan , Lei Miaomiao , Du Xiaoyuan , Cui Pengfei , Zhang Shicui 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) microbes leads to urgent demands for novel antibiotics exploration. We demonstrated a cDNA from amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum, designated Bjamp1, encoded a protein with features typical of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which is not homologous to any AMPs currently discovered. It was found that Bjamp1 was expressed in distinct tissues and its expression was remarkably up-regulated following challenge with LPS and LTA. Moreover, the synthesized putative mature AMP, mBjAMP1, underwent a coil-to-helix transition in the presence of TFE or SDS, agreeing well with the expectation that BjAMP1 was a potential AMP. Functional assays showed that mBjAMP1 inhibited the growth of all the bacteria tested and induced membrane/cytoplasmic damage. ELISA indicated that mBjAMP1 was a pattern recognition molecule capable of identifying LPS and LTA. Importantly, mBjAMP1 disrupted the bacterial membranes by a membranolytic mechanism. Additionally, mBjAMP1 was non-cytotoxic to mammalian cells. Collectively, these data indicate that mBjAMP1 is a new AMP with a high bacterial membrane selectivity, rendering it a promising template for the design of novel peptide antibiotics against MDR microbes. It also shows for the first time that use of signal conserved sequence of AMPs is effective identifying potential AMPs across different animal classes.
Maximal Neighbor Similarity Reveals Real Communities in Networks
Authors: Žalik Krista Rizman 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAn important problem in the analysis of network data is the detection of groups of densely interconnected nodes also called modules or communities. Community structure reveals functions and organizations of networks. Currently used algorithms for community detection in large-scale real-world networks are computationally expensive or require a priori information such as the number or sizes of communities or are not able to give the same resulting partition in multiple runs. In this paper we investigate a simple and fast algorithm that uses the network structure alone and requires neither optimization of pre-defined objective function nor information about number of communities. We propose a bottom up community detection algorithm in which starting from communities consisting of adjacent pairs of nodes and their maximal similar neighbors we find real communities. We show that the overall advantage of the proposed algorithm compared to the other community detection algorithms is its simple nature, low computational cost and its very high accuracy in detection communities of different sizes also in networks with blurred modularity structure consisting of poorly separated communities. All communities identified by the proposed method for facebook network and E-Coli transcriptional regulatory network have strong structural and functional coherence.
Deletion of Tricellulin Causes Progressive Hearing Loss Associated with Degeneration of Cochlear Hair Cells
Authors: Kamitani Toru , Sakaguchi Hirofumi , Tamura Atsushi , Miyashita Takenori , Yamazaki Yuji , Tokumasu Reitaro , Inamoto Ryuhei , Matsubara Ai , Mori Nozomu , Hisa Yasuo , Tsukita Sachiko 
Published: December 2015

AbstractTricellulin (also known as MARVELD2) is considered as a central component of tricellular tight junctions and is distributed among various epithelial tissues. Although mutations in the gene encoding tricellulin are known to cause deafness in humans (DFNB49) and mice, the influence of its systemic deletion in vivo remains unknown. When we generated tricellulin-knockout mice (Tric−/−), we found an early-onset rapidly progressive hearing loss associated with the degeneration of hair cells (HCs); however, their body size and overall appearance were normal. Tric−/− mice did not show any morphological change pertaining to other organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidney, thyroid gland and heart. The endocochlear potential (EP) was normal in Tric−/− mice, suggesting that the tight junction barrier is maintained in the stria vascularis, where EP is generated. The degeneration of HCs, which occurred after the maturation of EP, was prevented in the culture medium with an ion concentration similar to that of the perilymph. These data demonstrate the specific requirement of tricellulin for maintaining ion homeostasis around cochlear HCs to ensure their survival. The Tric−/− mouse provides a new model for understanding the distinct roles of tricellulin in different epithelial systems as well as in the pathogenesis of DFNB49.
Compact Wireless Microscope for In-Situ Time Course Study of Large Scale Cell Dynamics within an Incubator
Authors: Jin Di , Wong Dennis , Li Junxiang , Luo Zhang , Guo Yiran , Liu Bifeng , Wu Qiong , Ho Chih-Ming , Fei Peng 
Published: December 2015

AbstractImaging of live cells in a region of interest is essential to life science research. Unlike the traditional way that mounts CO2 incubator onto a bulky microscope for observation, here we propose a wireless microscope (termed w-SCOPE) that is based on the “microscope-in-incubator” concept and can be easily housed into a standard CO2 incubator for prolonged on-site observation of the cells. The w-SCOPE is capable of tunable magnification, remote control and wireless image transmission. At the same time, it is compact, measuring only ~10 cm in each dimension and cost-effective. With the enhancement of compressive sensing computation, the acquired images can achieve a wide field of view (FOV) of ~113 mm2 as well as a cellular resolution of ~3 μm, which enables various forms of follow-up image-based cell analysis. We performed 12 hours time-lapse study on paclitaxel-treated MCF-7 and HEK293T cell lines using w-SCOPE. The analytic results, such as the calculated viability and therapeutic window, from our device were validated by standard cell detection assays and imaging-based cytometer. In addition to those end-point detection methods, w-SCOPE further uncovered the time course of the cell’s response to the drug treatment over the whole period of drug exposure.
A toxic endophyte-infected grass helps reverse degradation and loss of biodiversity of over-grazed grasslands in northwest China
Authors: Yao Xiang , Christensen Michael J. , Bao Gensheng , Zhang Chunping , Li Xiuzhang , Li Chunjie , Nan Zhibiao 
Published: December 2015

AbstractOvergrazing of China’s grasslands is increasingly causing biodiversity to decline. In degenerated grasslands of northwest China endophyte (Epichloё gansuensis) infected Achnatherum inebrians (drunken horse grass) is becoming widely distributed because of its toxicity to livestock. In this study, we investigated the ecological consequences of endophyte toxicity in this native grass, at three sites in northwest China, by comparing seed production of plant species and arthropod abundance in overgrazed grasslands with and without the presence of A. inebrians. Our findings demonstrate that the presence of endophyte infected A. inebrians reduces the loss of plant and arthropod biodiversity by providing a protected nursery free of animal grazing. Therefore, A. inebrians, typically regarded as an unwanted toxic invader by pastoralists, should be viewed as beneficial for grasslands as its presence maintains plant and arthropod biodiversity and provides a foundation stone in the reconstruction and restoration of these grassland ecosystems.
Tunable Optical Nanoantennas Incorporating Bowtie Nanoantenna Arrays with Stimuli-Responsive Polymer
Authors: Wang Qiugu , Liu Longju , Wang Yifei , Liu Peng , Jiang Huawei , Xu Zhen , Ma Zhuo , Oren Seval , Chow Edmond K. C. , Lu Meng , Dong Liang 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWe report on a temperature-responsive tunable plasmonic device that incorporates coupled bowtie nanoantenna arrays (BNAs) with a submicron-thick, thermosensitive hydrogel coating. The coupled plasmonic nanoparticles provide an intrinsically higher field enhancement than conventional individual nanoparticles. The favorable scaling of plasmonic dimers at the nanometer scale and ionic diffusion at the submicron scale is leveraged to achieve strong optical resonance and rapid hydrogel response, respectively. We demonstrate that the hydrogel-coated BNAs are able to sense environmental temperature variations. The phase transition of hydrogel leads to 16.2 nm of resonant wavelength shift for the hydrogel-coated BNAs, whereas only 3 nm for the uncoated counterpart. The response time of the device to temperature variations is only 250 ms, due to the small hydrogel thickness at the submicron scale. The demonstration of the ability of the device to tune its optical resonance in response to an environmental stimulus (here, temperature) suggests a possibility of making many other tunable plasmonic devices through the incorporation of coupled plasmonic nanostructures and various environmental-responsive hydrogels.
Nox1 in cardiovascular diseases: regulation and pathophysiology
Authors: Gimenez Marcela , Schickling Brandon M. , Lopes Lucia R. , Miller Francis J. 
Published: December 2015

Since its discovery in 1999, a number of studies have evaluated the role of Nox1 NADPH oxidase in the cardiovascular system. Nox1 is activated in vascular cells in response to several different agonists, with its activity regulated at the transcriptional level as well as by NADPH oxidase complex formation, protein stabilization and post-translational modification. Nox1 has been shown to decrease the bioavailability of nitric oxide, transactivate the epidermal growth factor receptor, induce pro-inflammatory signalling, and promote cell migration and proliferation. Enhanced expression and activity of Nox1 under pathologic conditions results in excessive production of reactive oxygen species and dysregulated cellular function. Indeed, studies using genetic models of Nox1 deficiency or overexpression have revealed roles for Nox1 in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases ranging from atherosclerosis to hypertension, restenosis and ischaemia/reperfusion injury. These data suggest that Nox1 is a potential therapeutic target for vascular disease, and drug development efforts are ongoing to identify a specific bioavailable inhibitor of Nox1.
Evaluation of the clinical relevance and limitations of current pre-clinical models of peripheral artery disease
Authors: Krishna Smriti Murali , Omer Safraz Mohamed , Golledge Jonathan 
Published: December 2015

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) usually results from atherosclerosis and associated thrombosis and limits blood supply to the lower limbs. Common presenting symptoms include intermittent claudication (IC), rest pain and tissue loss. When limb viability is threatened, known as critical limb ischaemia (CLI), surgical and endovascular interventions are frequently undertaken; however, these are not always successful and ultimately major amputation may be required. There is significant interest in developing new therapeutic approaches to manage PAD which can be applied to patients unlikely to benefit from interventional approaches. Many of the therapeutic agents successful in inducing angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in pre-clinical animal models of PAD have failed to have efficacy in human randomized control trials. One possible reason for this inability to translate findings to patients could be the type of pre-clinical animal models used. In the present review, we describe currently available pre-clinical models of PAD and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the available models. A detailed assessment of the currently available pre-clinical animal models shows major limitations such as variability in the surgical procedure used to induce limb ischaemia, variability in the strains of rodents used, lack of risk factors incorporated into the model and lack of standardized functional outcomes. The most commonly used outcome assessments in studies within pre-clinical models differ from those employed in clinical trials within PAD patients. Most current pre-clinical models are designed to produce acute ischaemia which leads to muscle necrosis and inflammation. Patients, however, most commonly present with chronic ischaemia suggesting that more representative models are needed to evaluate therapeutic modalities that can be potentially translated to clinical practice.
Stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3) and β3GalT5 are cancer specific and significant markers for breast cancer stem cells
Authors: Cheung Sarah K. C. , Chuang Po-Kai , Huang Han-Wen , Hwang-Verslues Wendy W. , Cho Candy Hsin-Hua , Yang Wen-Bin , Shen Chia-Ning , Hsiao Michael , Hsu Tsui-Ling , Chang Chuan-Fa , Wong Chi-Huey 
Published: December 2015

Significance
Cancer stem cells are cancer cells with self-renewal and tumor-growth properties and are important targets for development of anticancer therapy. We have found breast cancer stem cells can be enriched by stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA-3) and known protein markers (CD24 and CD44), and as few as 10 such enriched cells can develop tumor in mice. Also, the enzyme galactosyltransferase (β3GalT5) for the biosynthesis of SSEA-3 is expressed in breast cancer stem cells and cancer cells but not in normal cells, and both SSEA-3 and β3GalT5 are shown to be essential for cancer cell survival. These findings have led to the development of a new anticancer strategy with a proof of principle shown in this and previous studies.
COOMET.QM-S5 (COOMET project No 576/RU/12) 'Supplementary comparison of national standards in the field of analysis of gas mixtures containing CO2, CO, C3H8 in nitrogen ("automotive" gas mixtures)'
Authors: Konopelko L A , Kolobova A V , Rozhnov M S , Melnyk D M , Petryshyn P V , Shpilnyi S A , Iakubov S E , Bakovec N V , Kluchits A S , Kipphardt H , Aleksandrov V V 
Published: December 2015

The relevance of the COOMET.QM-S5 comparison is founded on tightening of requirements to a control of automobile emissions (realization of environmental standards of EURO 4, EURO-5). Participating laboratories: VNIIM, BAM, BelGIM, Ukrmetrteststandart, KazInMetr. This comparison was carried out in 2013-2014. This supplementary comparison supports CMC claims for: CO2 in the range (4–16) · 10−2 mol/mol; CO in the range (0.5–5) · 10−2 mol/mol; C3H8 in the range (0.01–0.3) · 10−2 mol/mol. Results:

Component CO:

All laboratories identified the values of carbon monoxide mole fraction in the gas mixture within ±0.9134%.

Component CO2:

All laboratories identified the values of carbon dioxide mole fraction in the gas mixture within ±0.3042%.

Component C3H8:

All laboratories identified the values of propane mole fraction in the gas mixture within ±0.443%.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.
The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Philanthrocapitalism comes of age
Authors: Bishop Matthew , Green Michael 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The chapter build on previous work to explore how philanthrocapitalism has evolved. Despite the financial crisis of 2008, engaged giving has expanded and become more institutionalized rather than withering away. Indeed, even governments are now advocates. The chapter functions as a set of debates addressing key critics of philanthrocapitalism—as such it is, itself, somewhat controversial. Yet, the chapter highlights several important issues that go beyond its particular perspective, such as the value of more diligent impact measurement and improved transparency and accountability in the grant-making sector. The chapter goes on to highlight some of the emerging innovations in this sector including philanthropic ‘marketplaces’ such as the Clinton Global Initiative. The chapter concludes with a cautious reminder that taking risks can pay off, but demonstrable successes are important too.
Impact investing
Authors: Oleksiak Anna , Nicholls Alex , Emerson Jed 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The chapter begins by establishing a definition for this market and discussing the main contexts and trends that can be observed shaping its development. A section on key characteristics follows that covers such issues as geographical spread and diversity, sectoral spread, financial instruments, and risk and return profiles. It then discusses the emerging market structure of impact investing and give an account of the important role of policy in shaping and supporting the field. The chapter then moves on to consider future directions, opportunities, and challenges. The arguments and analyses of the chapter as a whole are finally summed up in a conclusion. Throughout the chapter short case examples provide important real world grounding to the analysis and commentary.
Public policy for social finance in context
Authors: Spear Roger , Paton Rob , Nicholls Alex 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe chapter examines well-developed policies and institutional arrangements to provide or enable social finance in three different jurisdictions (the UK, the USA, and Quebec). The chapter reviews what governments have actually done, why they became involved, and how their policies and new institutions developed over time. By contrasting two liberal market economies with a coordinated market economy the chapter aims to move the discussion and analysis beyond the Anglo-American concerns that often frame discussions of social finance. The chapter draws some conclusions from its research in the form of a broad argument about how different policies regarding social finance in different jurisdictions emerge and mature.
Building the social finance infrastructure
Authors: Schwartz Rodney , Jones Clare , Nicholls Alex 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This chapter explores the emerging infrastructure supporting the social finance market. It first establishes the wider background for the subsequent discussion by discussing in detail the basic requirements for the flourishing of a social economy. Building on this, the chapter then goes on to identify and explore four key types of infrastructure that support the development of the social finance market: governmental, facilitative, intellectual, transactional. Each type of infrastructure is explored in detail and its position in the social finance ecosystem analysed. The chapter includes a range of international case examples to illustrate its analysis. Conclusions sum up the key contributions of this chapter.
Implicatures and grammar
Authors: Asher Nicholas 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThis chapter develops a research program on implicatures and discourse structure with implications for grammar. The program shows the centrality of discourse structure in linguistic interpretation by detailing how discourse structure provides an important source of information to computing so-called scalar implicatures. While scalar implicatures have typically received a Gricean treatment based on reasoning about the content of sentences in isolation since the work of Larry Horn, the Gricean tradition misses an important, indeed decisive, component in the calculation of implicatures—discourse structure. This has general implications for the way discourse structure is treated within grammar. This chapter considers settings where implicatures are generated in the absence of strong Gricean cooperativity, in particular, non-cooperative settings where Gricean principles do not really apply as they are formulated by current proposals. The study proposes a different mechanism for deriving implicatures in such settings.