bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Downregulation of STRAP promotes tumor growth and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma via reducing PTEN level
Authors: Wu Qiong , Yu Shijun , Chen Jingde , Li Yandong , Gao Yong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe serine‐threonine kinase receptor‐associated protein (STRAP) has been implicated in multiple human cancers. However, its expression and function are currently unclear and controversial in different tissue types. In the present study, we report that aberrant downregulation of STRAP in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) facilitated tumor cell growth and metastasis in a phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN)‐dependent manner. Immunohistochemical analysis and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction results indicated that STRAP was frequently downregulated in HCC samples. Functionally, knockdown of STRAP by RNA inference in HCC cells promoted proliferation and migration in vitro and tumorigenicity and lung metastasis in vivo. Through detecting the expression of some tumor‐related genes using western blot analysis, we found the tumor suppressor PTEN was decreased upon STRAP silencing. Further analyses demonstrated that silenced STRAP led to PTEN protein degradation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that STRAP expression was closely associated with PTEN expression in 30 cases of HCC samples. These findings strongly suggest that STRAP plays an inhibitory role in HCC via regulating PTEN expression and could be a potential therapeutic target for this disease. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 70(2):120–128, 2018
Release of vancomycin and tobramycin from polymethylmethacrylate cements impregnated with calcium polyphosphate hydrogel
Authors: Zhou Zubin , Seta Joe , Markel David C. , Song Wei , Yurgelevic Sally M. , Yu Xiao Wei , Ren Weiping 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe influence of calcium polyphosphate (CPP) gel incorporation on the release of vancomycin and tobramycin from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cement (Simplex P, SP) has been studied. Adding 10% CPP gel to SP led to a much lower burst release of vancomycin and considerably extended release of both vancomycin and tobramycin up to 24 weeks. Antibiotics released from this new material retain their bactericidal activity for up to 15 weeks. The improvement in the antibiotic release is mainly due to the molecular interactions of antibiotics with embedded CPP polyphosphate chains as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy analysis. The inclusion of CPP hydrogel also increased the SP surface roughness and pore sizes, leading to a higher release rate of antibiotics. The new material is biocompatible and has similar handling properties and mechanical strength as compared to SP cements. We believe that incorporating CPP gel provides a better and usable drug carrier for PMMA cement. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2827–2840, 2018.
Forskolin ameliorates mancozeb‐induced testicular and epididymal toxicity in Wistar rats by reducing oxidative toxicity and by stimulating steroidogenesis
Authors: Girish B.P. , Reddy P. Sreenivasula 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn the present study, we have tested the beneficial effects of forskolin in protecting the mancozeb‐induced reproductive toxicity in rats. Adult male Wistar rats were exposed to either mancozeb (500 mg/kg body weight/day) or forskolin (5 mg/kg body weight/day) or both for 65 days and analyzed for spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis and testicular and epididymal oxidative toxicity. A significant decrease in daily sperm production, epididymal sperm count, motile, viable, and hypo‐osmotic swelling‐tail swelled sperm was observed in mancozeb‐treated rats. The activity levels of testicular 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and circulatory testosterone levels were significantly decreased in mancozeb‐treated rats. Exposure to mancozeb resulted in a significant decrease in glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase and catalase activity levels with an increase in lipid peroxidation levels in the testes and epididymis. Coadministration of forskolin mitigated the mancozeb‐induced oxidative toxicity and suppressed steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Momelotinib in Subjects With Hepatic or Renal Impairment
Authors: Xin Yan , Kawashima Jun , Weng Winnie , Kwan Ellen , Tarnowski Thomas , Silverman Jeffrey A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMomelotinib is a Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of myelofibrosis. Two phase 1 open‐label, parallel‐group, adaptive studies were conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of a single 200‐mg oral dose of momelotinib in subjects with hepatic or renal impairment compared with healthy matched control subjects with normal hepatic or renal function. Plasma pharmacokinetics of momelotinib and its major active metabolite, M21, were evaluated, and geometric least‐squares mean ratios (GMRs) and associated 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for impaired versus each control group were calculated for plasma exposures (area under concentration–time curve from time 0 to ∞ [AUC∞] and maximum concentration) of momelotinib and M21. There was no clinically significant difference in plasma exposures of momelotinib and M21 between subjects with moderate or severe renal impairment or moderate hepatic impairment and healthy control subjects. Compared with healthy control subjects, momelotinib AUC∞ was increased (GMR, 197%; 90%CI, 129%–301%), and M21 AUC∞ was decreased (GMR, 52%; 90%CI, 34%–79%) in subjects with severe hepatic impairment. The safety profile following a single dose of momelotinib was similar between subjects with hepatic or renal dysfunction and healthy control subjects. These pharmacokinetic and safety results indicate that dose adjustment is not necessary for momelotinib in patients with renal impairment or mild to moderate hepatic impairment. In patients with severe hepatic impairment, however, the dose of momelotinib should be reduced.
Impact of cellular restriction gene (TRIM5α, BST‐2) polymorphisms on the acquisition of HIV‐1 and disease progression
Authors: Singh HariOm , Samani Dharmesh , Ghate Manisha V. , Gangakhedkar Raman R. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundTRIM5α and BST‐2 are cellular restriction factors affecting the HIV‐1 infection and its progression. Genetic variability in these genes alters the expression pattern. Hence, we aimed to examine the impact of the TRIM5α (rs10838525, rs7127617 and rs904375) and BST2 (rs3217318 and rs71694748) polymorphisms on the acquisition of HIV‐1 and its progression.MethodsGenotyping of TRIM5α and BST‐2 polymorphisms was performed in a total of 153 HIV‐infected patients and 158 unrelated healthy individuals using a polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism method.ResultsNo significant differences were found in the genotype frequencies of TRIM5α polymorphisms between HIV patients and healthy controls. BST‐2 Δ19/i19 and i19/i19+ Δ19/i19 genotypes appeared more frequently in HIV patients compared to healthy controls (10.4% versus 7.0%, p = 0.20; 11.10% versus 7.6%, p = 0.16). The BST‐2 i19 allele was associated with the acquisition of HIV‐1 [odds ratio (OR) = 2.76, p = 0.030)]. TRIM5α haplotypes ATG and ACA elevated the risk, whereas haplotype ATA reduced the risk for the acquisition of HIV‐1 (OR = 1.92, p = 0.026; OR = 4.88, p = 0.016; OR = 0.31, p = 0.014). BST‐2 Δ19/i19 and i19/i19+ Δ19/i19 genotypes were more prevalent in patients with early HIV disease stage compared to healthy controls (15.9% versus 7.0%, p = 0.096; 15.9% versus 7.6%, p = 0.12). The prevalence of TRIM5α rs7127617 CC and BST‐2 Δ19/i19 genotypes was observed to be higher in alcohol‐using HIV patients compared to non‐users (27.8% versus 20.0%, p = 0.35, 22.2% versus 10.0%, p = 0.24).ConclusionsTRIM5α haplotypes and the BST‐2 i19 allele may significantly affect the modulation of HIV‐1 acquisition and its progression. TRIM5α rs7127617 CC and BST‐2 Δ19/i19 genotypes in alcohol‐using HIV patients elevated the risk of HIV disease progression.
Differential outcomes of TLR2 engagement in inflammation-induced preterm birth
Authors: Cappelletti Monica , Lawson Matthew J , Chan Calvin C , Wilburn Adrienne N , Divanovic Senad 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of neonatal mortality worldwide. Infection and inflammation are considered main causes of PTB. Among multiple pathogens, Gram-positive bacteria are commonly linked with induction of PTB. Although activation of innate immune responses, via TLR2 engagement, by Gram-positive bacteria is a likely cause, whether induction of PTB depends on the potency of specific microbial components to induce Toll-like receptor (TLR)2-driven inflammation has not been elucidated. Here, we show that TLR2 activation by synthetic lipopeptides, Pam2Cys, and Pam3Cys specifically, variably influenced inflammation and subsequent induction of PTB. Pam2Cys challenge, compared to Pam3Cys, induced PTB and promoted significantly higher expression of inflammatory cytokines, specifically IL-6 and IFN-β, both in vivo and in vitro. Notably, antibody-mediated neutralization of IL-6 or genetic deletion of type I IFN receptor (IFNAR) was sufficient to protect from Pam2Cys-driven PTB and to temper excessive proinflammatory cytokine production. Conversely, IFN-β or IL-6 was not sufficient to promote induction of PTB by Pam3Cys. In summary, our data implies a divergent function of TLR2-activating lipopeptides in the magnitude and type of ligand-driven inflammatory vigor in induction of PTB.
Scientific Creativity: Divergent and Convergent Thinking and the Impact of Culture
Authors: de Vries Herie B. , Lubart Todd I. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis paper examines the contrast and distinction between divergent and convergent scientific creativity, and the paradoxical relationship of scientific creativity with cultural factors in elementary students. With a newly developed measure of potential for scientific creativity, EPoC Science (Lubart et al., in press), students produce ideas in response to scientific problems, and both divergent‐exploratory as well as convergent‐integrative processes involved in scientific creativity are analyzed. An empirical study (n = 118) was conducted in France with elementary school children (ages 7–10). The divergent‐exploratory task was scored for fluency and statistical uniqueness. For the convergent‐integrative task, the number of concepts that a student integrated and synthesized, and the originality of the synthesis were scored. Results showed that divergent and convergent task performances were weakly related to each other. This suggests that divergence and convergence are two relatively distinct processes for scientific creativity, and that the relation is more complex than commonly assumed. In terms of culture‐related variables, immigrant cultural background (number of family members born outside of France) was significantly and negatively correlated with the originality of divergent and convergent scientific creativity. Findings are discussed and educational implications are proposed.
Creative Reading in the Information Age: Paradoxes of Close and Distant Reading
Authors: van de Ven Inge 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis article reflects on transformations of modes of reading in an information age, asking what “creative reading” entails in information‐intensive, multimodal environments. We currently face the challenge of the development of reading strategies that oscillate between “close” and “distant” reading. For years, these reading strategies have been a topic of debate between practitioners of Digital Humanities on the one hand, and “traditional” humanists on the other. This ongoing polemics presents reading methods in an unnecessarily polarized manner. I argue that creativity research can be operationalized to come to a more productive model to characterize the ways we read in an information age. I show that the “schism” between close and distant reading is structured around a number of apparent paradoxes that I unravel such as hyper‐ and deep attention/attention and distraction, and convergence and divergence. The paradox of creativity resides in the fact that we find convergence in divergence and vice versa, that the two by definition intertwine. Building on these concepts, I propose a model that considers reading in terms of scale variance. I suggest the humanities turn to creativity research and the interrelations between divergent‐exploratory and convergent‐integrative thinking (Lubart), for a conceptual framework that will allow us to train students on all levels how to read (and how and when not to read), in an information age.
Paradoxes of “creativity”: Examining the creative process through an antenarrative lens
Authors: Stierand Marc , Boje David M. , Glăveanu Vlad , Dörfler Viktor , Haley Usha C. V. , Feuls Miriam 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAccounts of the creative process tend to be retrospective and implicitly ground the creative act within the person, the mind, the moment, the idea; in doing so, they often miss the larger sociomaterial qualities that can provide us with important insights about the social relationality and playfulness of the creative process. In this article, we examine the creative process through an antenarrative lens that we consider very useful for theorizing the creative process from a cultural and sociomaterial perspective. More specifically, we argue that ‘having an idea’ is a contextualized and embodied process that can be regarded as an antenarrative of the overall creative process. We also discuss how the paradoxical relation between the formative and sudden manifestations of the creative act can be understood through the notion of play.
Conference report—A report from the 5th International Taiwan Symposium on Raman Spectroscopy (TISRS 2017) and Taiwan Association of Raman Spectroscopy (TARS) Summer Camp
Authors: Huang Cheng‐Liang , Huang Chia‐Chi , Chen Wenlung 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe 5th International Taiwan Symposium on Raman Spectroscopy (TISRS 2017) and Taiwan Association of Raman Spectroscopy (TARS) Summer Camp were held from June 27th to 30th at National Chiayi University in Taiwan. Four plenary speakers and 14 invited speakers, from France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and United States, presented their research findings in TISRS in front of an audience of more than 200 participants from 12 countries. Thirty‐seven posters in biology and material sciences were exhibited at the symposium. Following TISRS, five experts delivered lectures to students in the summer camp. The mission of this congress was to promote continuous developments and applications of Raman spectroscopy, with a focus this year on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), imaging methods, and their applications to molecular, biological, and nanomaterial sciences. This meeting also served as a platform for junior researchers to exhibit their recent studies. In this report, we highlight novel findings and perspectives in Raman spectroscopy that emerged in this symposium. The topics of lecture given in the summer camp are listed.
Investigation of solvation of ammonium salts: A Raman spectroscopy and ab initio study
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Anamika , Dubey Pankaj 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe effect of dissolved salts on the hydrogen bonded network in water is extremely important to be understood, as it plays an important role in many aspects of structure and dynamics in aqueous solutions. We have undertaken a study of this phenomenon, using NH4Cl (AC) and (NH4)2SO4 (AS), as the salts for influencing the hydrogen bonded network in water. The effects of varying the temperature and concentration in these aqueous solutions of both the salts, on the Raman spectra were studied, over the wavenumber range 50–4000 cm−1. It was found that at 25 °C, with increasing AS concentration, a monotonic increase in intensity of spectral features on the low wavenumber side (~3200 cm−1 region) of the O–H stretching band was observed, whereas AC showed the opposite effect. A parameter (χstruct) is defined from the spectral data, which indicates that more hydrogen bonded network forms in presence of AS salt compared with AC salt, in aqueous solution. Temperature variation study also reveals that, presence of AC induces a more disordered network in aqueous solutions, than AS. To support these conclusions, we have performed ab initio calculation for the salt⋯nW species, where n = 1−8, using the MP2/6–31+G(d,p) level of theory. Solvent separated ion pair formation has been reported for NH4+ and Cl− ions, whereas NH4+ and SO42− ions remain as contact ion pair up to AS⋯8W cluster. This study helps understand the effect of salt water interaction at the molecular level and may have huge implications in atmospheric physics, geophysics, and ice crystallization.
Effect of harvest time on the levels of phytochemicals, free radical‐scavenging activity, α‐amylase inhibition and bile acid‐binding capacity of spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
Authors: Barkat Noorani , Singh Jashbir , Jayaprakasha Guddadarangavvanahally K , Patil Bhimanagouda S 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDSpinach is a green leafy vegetable that is rich in health‐promoting compounds. The present study analyzed the levels of phytochemicals and health‐promoting properties of spinach harvested at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days after planting.RESULTSThe time of harvest had a significant effect on nitrate levels, which increased from 1909 ± 70.6 µg g−1 (20 days) to 3668 ± 101.3 µg g−1 (40 days) and then decreased to 974 ± 164 µg g−1 (60 days). Lutein and chlorophylls a and b were found to be maximum at 60 days, whereas β‐carotene was higher at 50 days. Liquid chromatography/high‐resolution quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC/HR‐QTOF‐MS) was used to identify 12 flavonoids, and their tentative fragmentation pathways have been proposed. Spinach harvested at 30 and 60 days exhibited significantly higher 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical‐scavenging activities and inhibition of amylase. The levels of total phenolics ranged from 885 ± 35.1 to 1162 ± 112.4 µg g−1 in the samples. In vitro bile acid‐binding capacity showed that glycochenodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate were bound to maximum levels in all spinach samples.CONCLUSIONThe harvest time has a major effect on the levels of phytochemicals and health‐beneficial properties, which indicates that consumption of both baby and mature spinach will provide maximum health benefits. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Chemical profiling of bioactive constituents in hop cones and pellets extracts by online comprehensive two‐dimensional liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and direct infusion Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry
Authors: Sommella Eduardo , Pagano Francesco , Salviati Emanuela , Chieppa Marcello , Bertamino Alessia , Manfra Michele , Sala Marina , Novellino Ettore , Campiglia Pietro 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHumulus lupulus L. (hop) is highly interesting from a nutraceutical perspective. The hop phytocomplex contains a wide range of bioactive metabolites, and its characterization is challenging. To tackle such a task, for the first time we applied and compared a combined approach consisting of online comprehensive two‐dimensional liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and direct infusion Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry. A reversed phase × reversed phase approach with a shifted gradient in the second dimension ensured selectivity and two‐dimensional space coverage. Hyphenation with an ion trap time‐of‐flight analyzer led to the identification of 83 compounds in 70 min, comprising a novel quercetin derivative and six unknown bitter acids. On the other hand, the direct infusion method was able to identify 40 analytes (except isomers) with high mass accuracy (≤ 0.1 ppm) in less than 1 min analysis time. The developed approach can be used in a complementary way, combining the separation capability and high informative spectra of two‐dimensional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with the ultra‐high mass accuracy of direct infusion, for potential compound discovery or the accurate profiling of bioactive compounds in different hop cultivars as well as for monitoring processing and storage of hop‐based products.
Air‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on a new hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for the preconcentration of benzophenone‐type UV filters from aqueous samples
Authors: Ge Dandan , Zhang Yi , Dai Yixiu , Yang Shumin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractDeep eutectic solvents are considered as new and green solvents that can be widely used in analytical chemistry such as microextraction. In the present work, a new dl‐menthol‐based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent was synthesized and used as extraction solvents in an air‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method for preconcentration and extraction of benzophenone‐type UV filters from aqueous samples followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. In an experiment, the deep eutectic solvent formed by dl‐menthol and decanoic acid was added to an aqueous solution containing the UV filters, and then the mixture was sucked up and injected five times by using a glass syringe, and a cloudy state was achieved. After extraction, the solution was centrifuged and the upper phase was subjected to high‐performance liquid chromatography for analysis. Various parameters such as the type and volume of the deep eutectic solvent, number of pulling, and pushing cycles, solution pH and salt concentration were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the developed method exhibited low limits of detection and limits of quantitation, good linearity, and precision. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to determine the benzophenone‐type filters in environmental water samples with relative recoveries of 88.8–105.9%.
A comparison study between endoscope‐assisted and the standard approach in the harvesting of the free rectus femoris muscle flap
Authors: Lee Jiunn‐Tat , Hsu Honda , Lin Chih‐Ming , Huang Chieh‐Chi , Chien Sou‐Hsin 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundEndoscopic harvesting of muscle flaps is well described for gracilis, latissimus dorsi, gastrocnemius, and pectoralis major amongst others. So far there has been no description of endoscopic harvesting of the rectus femoris muscle as a free flap. The purpose of this study was to compare the perioperative outcomes of harvesting the free rectus femoris muscle flap endoscopically as compared to the standard approach.MethodsFifty patients with lower limb defects reconstructed with free rectus femoris muscle flap between January 2014 and December 2016 were included in this study. Their ages ranged from 37 years old to 92 years old. The flaps were harvested with both the standard and endoscopical method. Comparative data between the two methods collected included: age, gender, comorbid illnesses, flap size, defect size, reconstruction time, and flap survival rateResultsTwenty patients underwent flap harvesting endoscopically and 30 were harvested with the standard technique. Their mean ages were 67 ± 9.4 and 65 ± 14 years old respectively (P = .47). The defect size was 96 ± 60 cm2 versus 81 ± 74 cm2 (P = .45). The flap size was 72 ± 34 cm2 in the endoscopic group and 60 ± 42 cm2 in the standard group (P = .52). The mean total reconstruction time in the endoscopic group was 228 ± 48 minutes and 216 ± 64 minutes in the standard group (P = .50). There was no significant difference between flap survival (P = N/A), complication rates (P = .33), and length of admission (P = .84) in the two groups.ConclusionEndoscope‐assisted harvesting of a free rectus femoris muscle flap is a feasible option and permits a small scar at the donor site.