bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Direct Measurement of Optical Force Induced by Near-Field Plasmonic Cavity Using Dynamic Mode AFM
Authors: Guan Dongshi , Hang Zhi Hong , Marcet Zsolt , Liu Hui , Kravchenko I. I. , Chan C. T. , Chan H. B. , Tong Penger 
Published: November 2015

AbstractPlasmonic nanostructures have attracted much attention in recent years because of their potential applications in optical manipulation through near-field enhancement. Continuing experimental efforts have been made to develop accurate techniques to directly measure the near-field optical force induced by the plasmonic nanostructures in the visible frequency range. In this work, we report a new application of dynamic mode atomic force microscopy (DM-AFM) in the measurement of the enhanced optical force acting on a nano-structured plasmonic resonant cavity. The plasmonic cavity is made of an upper gold-coated glass sphere and a lower quartz substrate patterned with an array of subwavelength gold disks. In the near-field when the sphere is positioned close to the disk array, plasmonic resonance is excited in the cavity and the induced force by a 1550 nm infrared laser is found to be increased by an order of magnitude compared with the photon pressure generated by the same laser light. The experiment demonstrates that DM-AFM is a powerful tool for the study of light induced forces and their enhancement in plasmonic nanostructures.
Importance of Oceanian small mountainous rivers (SMRs) in global land-to-ocean output of lignin and modern biospheric carbon
Authors: Bao Hongyan , Lee Tsung-Yu , Huang Jr-Chuan , Feng Xiaojuan , Dai Minhan , Kao Shuh-Ji 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe land-to-ocean export of particulate organic carbon (POC) connects carbon flow from the atmosphere through land to the ocean, of which the contemporary fraction that reaches the deep sea for burial may effectively affect atmospheric CO2. In this regard, small mountainous rivers (SMRs) in Oceania, a global erosion hotspot driven by torrential typhoon rain and active earthquakes are potentially important. Here we measured typhoon lignin discharges for Taiwan SMRs. We found that the particulate lignin export in 96 hours by a single SMR amounting to ~20% of the annual export by Mississippi River. The yearly particulate lignin discharge from Taiwan Island (35,980 km2) is governed by the frequency and magnitude of typhoon; thus, the historical lignin export ranged widely from 1.5 to 99.7 Gg yr−1, which resulted in a 10–100 times higher areal yield relative to non-Oceanian rivers. The lignin-derived modern POC output from Oceania region is 37 ± 21 Tg C yr−1, account for approximately 20% of the annual modern POC export from global rivers. Coupled with the hyperpycnal pathway, the forested watersheds of SMRs in Oceania may serve as a giant factory to rapidly produce and efficiently convey modern POC into deep sea for sequestration.
An anthrax toxin variant with an improved activity in tumor targeting
Authors: Wein Alexander N. , Peters Diane E. , Valivullah Zaheer , Hoover Benjamin J. , Tatineni Aparna , Ma Qian , Fattah Rasem , Bugge Thomas H. , Leppla Stephen H. , Liu Shihui 
Published: November 2015

AbstractAnthrax lethal toxin (LT) is an A-B type toxin secreted by Bacillus anthracis, consisting of the cellular binding moiety, protective antigen (PA) and the catalytic moiety, lethal factor (LF). To target cells, PA binds to cell-surface receptors and is then proteolytically processed forming a LF-binding competent PA oligomer where each LF binding site is comprised of three subsites on two adjacent PA monomers. We previously generated PA-U2-R200A, a urokinase-activated PA variant with LF-binding subsite II residue Arg200 mutated to Ala and PA-L1-I210A, a matrix metalloproteinase-activated PA variant with subsite III residue Ile210 mutated to Ala. PA-U2-R200A and PA-L1-I210A displayed reduced cytotoxicity when used singly. However, when combined, they formed LF-binding competent heterogeneous oligomers by intermolecular complementation and achieved high specificity in tumor targeting. Nevertheless, each of these proteins, in particular PA-L1-I210A, retained residual LF-binding ability. In this work, we screened a library containing all possible amino acid substitutions for LF-binding site to find variants with activity strictly dependent upon intermolecular complementation. PA-I207R was identified as an excellent replacement for the original clockwise-side variant, PA-I210A. Consequently, the new combination of PA-L1-I207R and PA-U2-R200A showed potent anti-tumor activity and low toxicity, exceeding the performance of the original combination and warranting further investigation.
Compact component for integrated quantum optic processing
Authors: Sahu Partha Pratim 
Published: November 2015

AbstractQuantum interference is indispensable to derive integrated quantum optic technologies (1–2). For further progress in large scale integration of quantum optic circuit, we have introduced first time two mode interference (TMI) coupler as an ultra compact component. The quantum interference varying with coupling length corresponding to the coupling ratio is studied and the larger HOM dip with peak visibility ~0.963 ± 0.009 is found at half coupling length of TMI coupler. Our results also demonstrate complex quantum interference with high fabrication tolerance and quantum visibility in TMI coupler.
Hepatitis B virus spliced variants are associated with an impaired response to interferon therapy
Authors: Chen Jieliang , Wu Min , Wang Fan , Zhang Wen , Wang Wei , Zhang Xiaonan , Zhang Jiming , Liu Yinghui , Liu Yi , Feng Yanling , Zheng Ye , Hu Yunwen , Yuan Zhenghong 
Published: November 2015

AbstractDuring hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, spliced HBV genomes and splice-generated proteins have been widely described, however, their biological and clinical significance remains to be defined. Here, an elevation of the proportion of HBV spliced variants in the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is shown to correlate with an impaired respond to interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy. Transfection of the constructs encoding the three most dominant species of spliced variants into cells or ectopic expression of the two major spliced protein including HBSP and N-terminal-truncated viral polymerase protein result in strong suppression of IFN-α signaling transduction, while mutation of the major splicing-related sites of HBV attenuates the viral anti-IFN activities in both cell and mouse models. These results have associated the productions of HBV spliced variants with the failure response to IFN therapy and illuminate a novel mechanism where spliced viral products are employed to resist IFN-mediated host defense.
Atomically Sharp Interface in an h-BN-epitaxial graphene van der Waals Heterostructure
Authors: Sediri Haikel , Pierucci Debora , Hajlaoui Mahdi , Henck Hugo , Patriarche Gilles , Dappe Yannick J. , Yuan Sheng , Toury Bérangère , Belkhou Rachid , Silly Mathieu G. , Sirotti Fausto , Boutchich Mohamed , Ouerghi Abdelkarim 
Published: November 2015

AbstractStacking various two-dimensional atomic crystals is a feasible approach to creating unique multilayered van der Waals heterostructures with tailored properties. Herein for the first time, we present a controlled preparation of large-area h-BN/graphene heterostructures via a simple chemical deposition of h-BN layers on epitaxial graphene/SiC(0001). Van der Waals forces, which are responsible for the cohesion of the multilayer system, give rise to an abrupt interface without interdiffusion between graphene and h-BN, as shown by X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and direct observation using scanning and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM/HRTEM). The electronic properties of graphene, such as the Dirac cone, remain intact and no significant charge transfer i.e. doping, is observed. These results are supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. We demonstrate that the h-BN capped graphene allows the fabrication of vdW heterostructures without altering the electronic properties of graphene.
Predictive assessment in pharmacogenetics of XRCC1 gene on clinical outcomes of advanced lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy
Authors: Yuan Zhengrong , Li Jiao , Hu Ruiqi , Jiao Yang , Han Yingying , Weng Qiang 
Published: November 2015

AbstractPublished data have shown inconsistent results about the pharmacogenetics of XRCC1 gene on clinical outcomes of advanced lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. This meta-analysis aimed to summarize published findings and provide more reliable association. A total of 53 eligible studies including 7433 patients were included. Patients bearing the favorable TrpTrp and TrpArg genotypes of Arg194Trp were more likely to better response rates to platinum-based chemotherapy compared to those with the unfavorable ArgArg genotype (TrpTrp+TrpArg vs. ArgArg: odds ratio (OR) = 2.02, 95% CI, 1.66–2.45). The GlnGln and GlnArg genotypes of Arg399Gln were significantly associated with the poorer response rates compared to those with the ArgArg genotype (GlnGln +GlnArg vs. ArgArg: OR = 0.68, 95% CI, 0.54–0.86). The GlnGln genotype might be more closely associated with shorter survival time and higher risks of death for patients (GlnGln vs. ArgArg: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.14, 95% CI, 0.75–1.75). Our cumulative meta-analyses indicated a distinct apparent trend toward a better response rate for Arg194Trp, but a poorer response rate in Arg399Gln. These findings indicate a predictive role of XRCC1 polymorphisms in clinical outcomes. The use of XRCC1 polymorphisms as predictive factor of clinical outcomes in personalized chemotherapy treatment requires further verification from large well-designed pharmacogenetics studies.
Detection of Infertility-related Neutralizing Antibodies with a Cell-free Microfluidic Method
Authors: Eyer Klaus , Root Katharina , Verboket Pascal E. , Dittrich Petra S. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe unwanted emergence of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against an endogenous or a therapeutic protein can result in deficiency diseases or therapy failure. Here, we developed a cell-free microfluidic method for the sensitive detection and quantification of nAbs in human serum that are associated with infertility. We used cell-derived vesicles containing the luteinizing hormone (LH)/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHHCGR) to detect nAbs against LH. The method exploits the entire cellular signal amplification mechanism and facilitates the detection of as little as 0.44 nM of LH-nAb (Kd 1.5 nM) in human serum matrix within only 15 minutes. In addition, dose-response curves can be generated in less than 2 hours to evaluate the nAB concentration and dissociation constant. The developed system is devoid of problems associated with cell-based assays and we believe that this simple effect-directed analysis can be used in clinical environments and is adaptable to other hormones or cytokines and their respective nAbs.
Transcriptional analysis of micronutrient zinc-associated response for enhanced carbohydrate utilization and earlier solventogenesis in Clostridium acetobutylicum
Authors: Wu You-Duo , Xue Chuang , Chen Li-Jie , Wan Hui-Hui , Bai Feng-Wu 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe micronutrient zinc plays vital roles in ABE fermentation byClostridium acetobutylicum. In order to elucidate the zinc-associated response for enhanced glucose utilization and earlier solventogenesis, transcriptional analysis was performed on cells grown in glucose medium at the exponential growth phase of 16 h without/with supplementary zinc. Correspondingly, the geneglcG(CAC0570) encoding a glucose-specific PTS was significantly upregulated accompanied with the other two genes CAC1353 and CAC1354 for glucose transport in the presence of zinc. Additionally, genes involved in the metabolisms of six other carbohydrates (maltose, cellobiose, fructose, mannose, xylose and arabinose) were differentially expressed, indicating that the regulatory effect of micronutrient zinc is carbohydrate-specific with respects to the improved/inhibited carbohydrate utilization. More importantly, multiple genes responsible for glycolysis (glcKandpykA), acidogenesis (thlA, crt, etfA, etfBandbcd) and solventogenesis (ctfBandbdhA) ofC. acetobutylicumprominently responded to the supplementary zinc at differential expression levels. Comparative analysis of intracellular metabolites revealed that the branch node intermediates such as acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA, butyl-CoA and reducing power NADH remained relatively lower whereas more ATP was generated due to enhanced glycolysis pathway and earlier initiation of solventogenesis, suggesting that the micronutrient zinc-associated response for the selected intracellular metabolisms is significantly pleiotropic.
The human decapping scavenger enzyme DcpS modulates microRNA turnover
Authors: Meziane Oussama , Piquet Sandra , Bossé Gabriel D. , Gagné Dominic , Paquet Eric , Robert Claude , Tones Michael A. , Simard Martin J. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe decapping scavenger enzyme DcpS is known for its role in hydrolyzing the cap structure following mRNA degradation. Recently, we discovered a new function in miRNA degradation activation for the ortholog of DcpS in C. elegans. Here we show that human DcpS conserves its role in miRNA turnover. In human cells, DcpS is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein that activates miRNA degradation independently of its scavenger decapping activity in the cytoplasmic compartment. We also demonstrate that this new function for DcpS requires the contribution of the 5′-3′ exonuclease Xrn2. Our findings support a conserved role of DcpS as a modulator of miRNA turnover in animals.
A new cost-effective method to mitigate ammonia loss from intensive cattle feedlots: application of lignite
Authors: Chen Deli , Sun Jianlei , Bai Mei , Dassanayake Kithsiri B. , Denmead Owen T. , Hill Julian 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIn open beef feedlot systems, more than 50% of dietary nitrogen (N) is lost as ammonia (NH3). Here we report an effective and economically-viable method to mitigate NH3 emissions by the application of lignite. We constructed two cattle pens (20 × 20 m) to determine the effectiveness of lignite in reducing NH3 emissions. Twenty-four steers were fed identical commercial rations in each pen. The treatment pen surface was dressed with 4.5 kg m−2 lignite dry mass while no lignite was applied in the control pen. We measured volatilised NH3 concentrations using Ecotech EC9842 NH3 analysers in conjunction with a mass balance method to calculate NH3 fluxes. Application of lignite decreased NH3 loss from the pen by approximately 66%. The cumulative NH3 losses were 6.26 and 2.13 kg N head−1 in the control and lignite treatment, respectively. In addition to the environmental benefits of reduced NH3 losses, the value of retained N nutrient in the lignite treated manure is more than $37 AUD head−1 yr−1, based on the current fertiliser cost and estimated cost of lignite application. We show that lignite application is a cost-effective method to reduce NH3 loss from cattle feedlots.
Synthesis of Extended Atomically Perfect Zigzag Graphene - Boron Nitride Interfaces
Authors: Drost Robert , Kezilebieke Shawulienu , M. Ervasti Mikko , Hämäläinen Sampsa K. , Schulz Fabian , Harju Ari , Liljeroth Peter 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe combination of several materials into heterostructures is a powerful method for controlling material properties. The integration of graphene (G) with hexagonal boron nitride (BN) in particular has been heralded as a way to engineer the graphene band structure and implement spin- and valleytronics in 2D materials. Despite recent efforts, fabrication methods for well-defined G-BN structures on a large scale are still lacking. We report on a new method for producing atomically well-defined G-BN structures on an unprecedented length scale by exploiting the interaction of G and BN edges with a Ni(111) surface as well as each other.
Multidrug resistance protein 1 reduces the aggregation of mutant huntingtin in neuronal cells derived from the Huntington’s disease R6/2 model
Authors: Im Wooseok , Ban Jae-Jun , Chung Jin-Young , Lee Soon-Tae , Chu Kon , Kim Manho 
Published: November 2015

AbstractMutant huntingtin (mHtt) aggregation in the nucleus is the most readily apparent phenotype and cause of neuronal death in Huntington’s disease (HD). Inhibiting mHtt aggregation reduces cell death in the brain and is thus a promising therapeutic approach. The results of the present study demonstrated that mHtt aggregation in the nucleus was altered by the activity of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1), which was experimentally modulated by verapamil, siRNA and an expression vector. MDR1 detoxifies drugs and metabolites through its excretory functions in the membrane compartment, thereby protecting cells against death or senescence. When they were treated with verapamil, R6/2 mice showed a progressive decline in rotarod performance and increased mHtt aggregation in the brain. Using neuronal stem cells from R6/2 mice, we developed an in vitro HD model to test mHtt accumulation in the nuclei of neurons. When MDR1 activity in cells was decreased by verapamil or siRNA, mHtt aggregation in the nuclei increased, whereas the induction of MDR1 resulted in a decrease in mHtt aggregation. Thus, our data provide evidence that MDR1 plays an important role in the clearance of mHtt aggregation and may thus be a potential target for improving the survival of neurons in Huntington’s disease.
First-principles study of the effect of functional groups on polyaniline backbone
Authors: Chen X. P. , Jiang J. K. , Liang Q. H. , Yang N. , Ye H. Y. , Cai M. , Shen L. , Yang D. G. , Ren T. L. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractWe present a first-principles density functional theory study focused on how the chemical and electronic properties of polyaniline are adjusted by introducing suitable substituents on a polymer backbone. Analyses of the obtained energy barriers, reaction energies and minimum energy paths indicate that the chemical reactivity of the polyaniline derivatives is significantly enhanced by protonic acid doping of the substituted materials. Further study of the density of states at the Fermi level, band gap, HOMO and LUMO shows that both the unprotonated and protonated states of these polyanilines are altered to different degrees depending on the functional group. We also note that changes in both the chemical and electronic properties are very sensitive to the polarity and size of the functional group. It is worth noting that these changes do not substantially alter the inherent chemical and electronic properties of polyaniline. Our results demonstrate that introducing different functional groups on a polymer backbone is an effective approach to obtain tailored conductive polymers with desirable properties while retaining their intrinsic properties, such as conductivity.
Establishment and Characterization of Human Germline Stem Cell Line with Unlimited Proliferation Potentials and no Tumor Formation
Authors: Hou Jingmei , Niu Minghui , Liu Linhong , Zhu Zijue , Wang Xiaobo , Sun Min , Yuan Qingqing , Yang Shi , Zeng Wenxian , Liu Yang , Li Zheng , He Zuping 
Published: November 2015

AbstractSpermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) have significant applications in both reproductive and regenerative medicine. However, primary human SSCs are very rare and a human SSC line has not yet been available. In this study, we have for the first time reported a stable human SSC line by stably expressing human SV40 large T antigen. RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and Western blots revealed that this cell line was positive for a number of human spermatogonial and SSC hallmarks, including VASA, DAZL, MAGEA4, GFRA1, RET, UCHL1, GPR125, PLZF and THY1, suggesting that these cells are human SSCs phenotypically. Proliferation analysis showed that the cell line could be expanded with significant increases of cells for 1.5 years and high levels of PCNA, UCHL1 and SV40 were maintained for long-term culture. Transplantation assay indicated that human SSC line was able to colonize and proliferatein vivoin the recipient mice. Neither Y chromosome microdeletions of numerous genes nor tumor formation was observed in human SSC line although there was abnormal karyotype in this cell line. Collectively, we have established a human SSC line with unlimited proliferation potentials and no tumorgenesis, which could provide an abundant source of human SSCs for their mechanistic studies and translational medicine.
A Wireless Intracranial Brain Deformation Sensing System for Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Song S. , Race N. S. , Kim A. , Zhang T. , Shi R. , Ziaie B. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractBlast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been linked to a multitude of delayed-onset neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, but complete understanding of their pathogenesis remains elusive. To develop mechanistic relationships between bTBI and post-blast neurological sequelae, it is imperative to characterize the initiating traumatic mechanical events leading to eventual alterations of cell, tissue and organ structure and function. This paper presents a wireless sensing system capable of monitoring the intracranial brain deformation in real-time during the event of a bTBI. The system consists of an implantable soft magnet and an external head-mounted magnetic sensor that is able to measure the field in three dimensions. The change in the relative position of the soft magnet WITH respect to the external sensor as the result of the blast wave induces changes in the magnetic field. The magnetic field data in turn is used to extract the temporal and spatial motion of the brain under the blast wave in real-time. The system has temporal and spatial resolutions of 5 μs and 10 μm. Following the characterization and validation of the sensor system, we measured brain deformations in a live rodent during a bTBI.
Quantum secret sharing via local operations and classical communication
Authors: Yang Ying-Hui , Gao Fei , Wu Xia , Qin Su-Juan , Zuo Hui-Juan , Wen Qiao-Yan 
Published: November 2015

AbstractWe investigate the distinguishability of orthogonal multipartite entangled states in d-qudit system by restricted local operations and classical communication. According to these properties, we propose a standard (2, n)-threshold quantum secret sharing scheme (called LOCC-QSS scheme), which solves the open question in [Rahaman et al., Phys. Rev. A, 91, 022330 (2015)]. On the other hand, we find that all the existing (k, n)-threshold LOCC-QSS schemes are imperfect (or “ramp”), i.e., unauthorized groups can obtain some information about the shared secret. Furthermore, we present a (3, 4)-threshold LOCC-QSS scheme which is close to perfect.