bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multimodal Imaging of Nanocomposite Microspheres for Transcatheter Intra-Arterial Drug Delivery to Liver Tumors
Authors: Kim Dong-Hyun , Li Weiguo , Chen Jeane , Zhang Zhuoli , Green Richard M. , Huang Sui , Larson Andrew C. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractA modern multi-functional drug carrier is critically needed to improve the efficacy of image-guided catheter-directed approaches for the treatment of hepatic malignancies. For this purpose, a nanocomposite microsphere platform was developed for selective intra-arterial transcatheter drug delivery to liver tumors. In our study, continuous microfluidic methods were used to fabricate drug-loaded multimodal MRI/CT visible microspheres that included both gold nanorods and magnetic clusters. The resulting hydrophilic, deformable and non-aggregated microspheres were mono-disperse and roughly 25 um in size. Sustained drug release and strong MRI T2 and CT contrast effects were achieved with the embedded magnetic nano-clusters and radiopaque gold nanorods. The microspheres were successfully infused through catheters selectively placed within the hepatic artery in rodent models and subsequent distribution in the targeted liver tissues and hepatic tumors confirmed with MRI and CT imaging. These multimodal nanocomposite drug carriers should be ideal for selective intra-arterial catheter-directed administration to liver tumors while permitting MRI/CT visualization for patient-specific confirmation of tumor-targeted delivery.
Survivability of Deterministic Dynamical Systems
Authors: Hellmann Frank , Schultz Paul , Grabow Carsten , Heitzig Jobst , Kurths Jürgen 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe notion of a part of phase space containing desired (or allowed) states of a dynamical system is important in a wide range of complex systems research. It has been called the safe operating space, the viability kernel or the sunny region. In this paper we define the notion of survivability: Given a random initial condition, what is the likelihood that the transient behaviour of a deterministic system does not leave a region of desirable states. We demonstrate the utility of this novel stability measure by considering models from climate science, neuronal networks and power grids. We also show that a semi-analytic lower bound for the survivability of linear systems allows a numerically very efficient survivability analysis in realistic models of power grids. Our numerical and semi-analytic work underlines that the type of stability measured by survivability is not captured by common asymptotic stability measures.
Development of near-zero water consumption cement materials via the geopolymerization of tektites and its implication for lunar construction
Authors: Wang Kai-tuo , Tang Qing , Cui Xue-min , He Yan , Liu Le-ping 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe environment on the lunar surface poses some difficult challenges to building long-term lunar bases; therefore, scientists and engineers have proposed the creation of habitats using lunar building materials. These materials must meet the following conditions: be resistant to severe lunar temperature cycles, be stable in a vacuum environment, have minimal water requirements and be sourced from local Moon materials. Therefore, the preparation of lunar building materials that use lunar resources is preferred. Here, we present a potential lunar cement material that was fabricated using tektite powder and a sodium hydroxide activator and is based on geopolymer technology. Geopolymer materials have the following properties: approximately zero water consumption, resistance to high- and low-temperature cycling, vacuum stability and good mechanical properties. Although the tektite powder is not equivalent to lunar soil, we speculate that the alkali activated activity of lunar soil will be higher than that of tektite because of its low Si/Al composition ratio. This assumption is based on the tektite geopolymerization research and associated references. In summary, this study provides a feasible approach for developing lunar cement materials using a possible water recycling system based on geopolymer technology.
A joint analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data uncovers enhanced enzyme-metabolite coupling in breast cancer
Authors: Auslander Noam , Yizhak Keren , Weinstock Adam , Budhu Anuradha , Tang Wei , Wang Xin Wei , Ambs Stefan , Ruppin Eytan 
Published: July 2016

AbstractDisrupted regulation of cellular processes is considered one of the hallmarks of cancer. We analyze metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles jointly collected from breast cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma patients to explore the associations between the expression of metabolic enzymes and the levels of the metabolites participating in the reactions they catalyze. Surprisingly, both breast cancer and hepatocellular tumors exhibit an increase in their gene-metabolites associations compared to noncancerous adjacent tissues. Following, we build predictors of metabolite levels from the expression of the enzyme genes catalyzing them. Applying these predictors to a large cohort of breast cancer samples we find that depleted levels of key cancer-related metabolites including glucose, glycine, serine and acetate are significantly associated with improved patient survival. Thus, we show that the levels of a wide range of metabolites in breast cancer can be successfully predicted from the transcriptome, going beyond the limited set of those measured.
Evaluation of short synthetic antimicrobial peptides for treatment of drug-resistant and intracellular Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Mohamed Mohamed F. , Abdelkhalek Ahmed , Seleem Mohamed N. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections present a serious challenge because of the emergence of resistance to numerous conventional antibiotics. Due to their unique mode of action, antimicrobial peptides are novel alternatives to traditional antibiotics for tackling the issue of bacterial multidrug resistance. Herein, we investigated the antibacterial activity of two short novel peptides (WR12, a 12 residue peptide composed exclusively of arginine and tryptophan, and D-IK8, an eight residue β-sheet peptide) against multidrug resistant staphylococci. In vitro, both peptides exhibited good antibacterial activity against MRSA, vancomycin-resistant S. aureus, linezolid-resistant S. aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. WR12 and D-IK8 were able to eradicate persisters, MRSA in stationary growth phase, and showed significant clearance of intracellular MRSA in comparison to both vancomycin and linezolid. In vivo, topical WR12 and D-IK8 significantly reduced both the bacterial load and the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in MRSA-infected skin lesions. Moreover, both peptides disrupted established in vitro biofilms of S. aureus and S. epidermidis significantly more so than traditional antimicrobials tested. Taken together, these results support the potential of WR12 and D-IK8 to be used as a topical antimicrobial agent for the treatment of staphylococcal skin infections.
Gene expression in term placentas is regulated more by spinal or epidural anesthesia than by late-onset preeclampsia or gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lekva Tove , Lyle Robert , Roland Marie Cecilie Paasche , Friis Camilla , Bianchi Diana W. , Jaffe Iris Z. , Norwitz Errol R. , Bollerslev Jens , Henriksen Tore , Ueland Thor 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPre-eclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are common complications of pregnancy, but the mechanisms underlying these disorders remain unclear. The aim was to identify the extent of altered gene expression in term placentas from pregnant women with late-onset PE and GDM compared to controls. RNAseq identified few significantly differentially regulated genes in placental biopsies between PE, GDM, or uncomplicated pregnancy (n = 10 each group). Five genes were altered in placentas from PE including 4 non-coding genes and Angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2). No genes were significantly regulated by GDM. In contrast, many genes were significantly regulated by fetal, maternal and delivery-specific variables, particularly spinal and epidural anesthesia. We selected ANGPT2 and Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 14 (CXCL14) to test with qPCR in a larger set of placentas (n = 475) and found no differences between the groups. However, regression analysis revealed a stronger association between placental ANGPT2 and CXCL14 mRNA expression and fetal, maternal and delivery-specific variables than diagnostic group. To conclude, the gene expression in term placentas are highly affected by fetal, maternal and delivery specific variables. Few regulated genes were found in late-onset PE and GDM placentas, which may suggest that these conditions could be more affected by maternal factors.
Involucratusins A–H: Unusual Cadinane Dimers from Stahlianthus involucratus with Multidrug Resistance Reversal Activity
Authors: Li Qiang-Ming , Luo Jian-Guang , Wang Rui-Zhi , Wang Xiao-Bing , Yang Ming-Hua , Luo Jun , Kong Ling-Yi 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThree novel cadinane dimers, involucratusins A–C (1–3), five unique nor-cadinane-dimers, involucratusins D–H (4–8), together with a known compound (9) were isolated from the rhizomes of Stahlianthus involucratus. Their challenging structures and absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data, CD experimentation, chemical conversions and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1–3 are unusual cadinane dimers with new connection and novel cores. Compound 4 is a unique nor-cadinane-dimer and 5 and 6 are two pairs of hemiketal racemates with novel dinor-cadinane-dimer backbone. Compounds 7 and 8 represent unusual dodecanor-cadinane-dimer and tetradecanor-cadinane-dimer carbon skeletons, respectively. The possible biogenetic pathways of 1–8 were proposed, involving nucleophilic addition, SN2 nucleophilic displacement, [3 + 3] benzannulation, oxidative cleavage, decarboxylation and oxidative phenol coupling reactions. Multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal activity assay of the isolates were evaluated in doxorubicin-resistant human breast cancer cells (MCF-7/DOX). The combined use of these novel cadinane dimers at a concentration of 10 μM increased the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin by 2.2–5.8-fold. It is the first report about the MDR reversal activity of cadinane dimers.
Tunable switch mediated shikimate biosynthesis in an engineered non-auxotrophic Escherichia coli
Authors: Gu Pengfei , Su Tianyuan , Wang Qian , Liang Quanfeng , Qi Qingsheng 
Published: July 2016

AbstractShikimate is a key intermediate in the synthesis of neuraminidase inhibitors. Compared with traditional methods, microbial production of shikimate has the advantages of environmental friendliness, low cost, feed stock renewability and product selectivity and diversity. Despite these advantages, shikimate kinase I and II respectively encoded by aroK and aroL are inactivated in most shikimate microbial producers, thus requiring the addition of aromatic compounds during the fermentation process. To overcome this problem, we constructed a non-auxotrophic, shikimate-synthesising strain of Escherichia coli. By inactivation of repressor proteins, blocking of competitive pathways and overexpression of key enzymes, we increased the shikimate production of wild-type E. coli BW25113 to 1.73 g/L. We then designed a tunable switch that can conditionally decrease gene expression and substituted it for the original aroK promoters. Expression of aroK in the resulting P-9 strain was maintained at a high level during the growth phase and then reduced at a suitable time by addition of an optimal concentration of inducer. In 5-L fed-batch fermentation, strain P-9 produced 13.15 g/L shikimate without the addition of any aromatic compounds. The tunable switch developed in this study is an efficient tool for regulating indispensable genes involved in critical metabolic pathways.
Intranasal delivery of nanomicelle curcumin promotes corneal epithelial wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice
Authors: Guo Chuanlong , Li Mengshuang , Qi Xia , Lin Guiming , Cui Fenghua , Li Fengjie , Wu Xianggen 
Published: July 2016

AbstractCorneal nerves are mainly derived from the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal ganglion (TG). Corneal neuropathy contributes to epithelial degenerative changes in diabetic keratopathy. Efficient drug delivery to TG may be beneficial for the treatment of diabetic keratopathy. This article described intranasal delivery of nanomicelle curcumin to correct pathophysiological conditions in TG to promote corneal epithelial/nerve wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. A diabetic mice model with corneal epithelium abrasion was established. Ocular topical and/or intranasal nanomicelle curcumin treatments were performed and treatment efficacy and mechanisms of action were explored. Results showed that intranasal nanomicelle curcumin treatment promoted corneal epithelial wound healing and recovery of corneal sensation. Enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species, reduced free radical scavengers, increased mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines and decreased mRNA expressions of neurotrophic factors in the cornea and TG neuron were observed in diabetic mice with corneal epithelium abrasions. Intranasal nanomicelle curcumin treatment effectively recovered these pathophysiological conditions, especially that of the TG neuron and a strengthened recovery was observed with ocular topical combined with intranasal treatment. These findings indicated that intranasal curcumin treatment effectively helped promote diabetic corneal epithelial/nerve wound healing. This novel treatment might be a promising strengthened therapy for diabetic keratopathy.
Subtractive Color Filters Based on a Silicon-Aluminum Hybrid-Nanodisk Metasurface Enabling Enhanced Color Purity
Authors: Yue Wenjing , Gao Song , Lee Sang-Shin , Kim Eun-Soo , Choi Duk-Yong 
Published: July 2016

AbstractHighly efficient subtractive tri-color filters of cyan, magenta and yellow with enhanced color purity and robustness have been proposed and realized, by exploiting a silicon-aluminum (Si-Al) hybrid-nanodisk (ND) metasurface atop a Si substrate. The aspect ratio of the Si-Al hybrid ND is much lower than that of the conventional Si nanowire, which is disadvantageous due to its fragility and low color purity. In response to incident light impinging upon the metasurface, the hybrid-NDs individually play the role in exciting a magnetic dipole (MD) resonance through the mediation of Mie-scattering between the hybrid ND and air. The light stored in the resonance is coupled to the substrate, giving rise to a suppressed reflection. By virtue of the top Al ND, the excited MD resonance is strongly confined by the Si ND. As a consequence, a near-zero resonant dip that exhibits high off-resonance reflection and narrow bandwidth is produced for embodying highly efficient tri-color filters with enhanced color purity. The spectral position can be tuned by a simple adjustment of the hybrid-ND diameter. A full-color palette was successfully created with a high color purity and large color gamut. The proposed devices may be applied for photorealistic high-resolution color printing and holographic displays.
Polyhydroxycurcuminoids but not curcumin upregulate neprilysin and can be applied to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Chen Po-Ting , Chen Zih-ten , Hou Wen-Chi , Yu Lung-Chih , Chen Rita P.-Y. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractNeprilysin (NEP) is the most important Aβ-degrading enzyme. Its expression level decreases with age and inversely correlated with amyloid accumulation, suggesting its correlation with the late-onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, many reports showed that upregulating NEP level is a promising strategy in the prevention and therapy of Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we used a sensitive fluorescence-based Aβ digestion assay to screen 25 curcumin analogs for their ability to upregulate NEP activity. To our surprise, four compounds, dihydroxylated curcumin, monohydroxylated demethoxycurcumin and mono- and di-hydroxylated bisdemethoxycurcumin, increased NEP activity, while curcumin did not. The ability of these polyhydroxycurcuminoids to upregulate NEP was further confirmed by mRNA and protein expression levels in the cell and mouse models. Finally, feeding monohydroxylated demethoxycurcumin (also named demethylcurcumin) or dihydroxylated bisdemethoxycurcumin (also named bisdemethylcurcumin) to APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice upregulated NEP levels in the brain and reduced Aβ accumulation in the hippocampus and cortex. These polyhydroxycurcuminoids offer hope in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Polymer physics of chromosome large-scale 3D organisation
Authors: Chiariello Andrea M. , Annunziatella Carlo , Bianco Simona , Esposito Andrea , Nicodemi Mario 
Published: July 2016

AbstractChromosomes have a complex architecture in the cell nucleus, which serves vital functional purposes, yet its structure and folding mechanisms remain still incompletely understood. Here we show that genome-wide chromatin architecture data, as mapped by Hi-C methods across mammalian cell types and chromosomes, are well described by classical scaling concepts of polymer physics, from the sub-Mb to chromosomal scales. Chromatin is a complex mixture of different regions, folded in the conformational classes predicted by polymer thermodynamics. The contact matrix of the Sox9 locus, a region linked to severe human congenital diseases, is derived with high accuracy in mESCs and its molecular determinants identified by the theory; Sox9 self-assembles hierarchically in higher-order domains, involving abundant many-body contacts. Our approach is also applied to the Bmp7 locus. Finally, the model predictions on the effects of mutations on folding are tested against available data on a deletion in the Xist locus. Our results can help progressing new diagnostic tools for diseases linked to chromatin misfolding.
Function of human pluripotent stem cell-derived photoreceptor progenitors in blind mice
Authors: Barnea-Cramer Alona O. , Wang Wei , Lu Shi-Jiang , Singh Mandeep S. , Luo Chenmei , Huo Hongguang , McClements Michelle E. , Barnard Alun R. , MacLaren Robert E. , Lanza Robert 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPhotoreceptor degeneration due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a primary cause of inherited retinal blindness. Photoreceptor cell-replacement may hold the potential for repair in a completely degenerate retina by reinstating light sensitive cells to form connections that relay information to downstream retinal layers. This study assessed the therapeutic potential of photoreceptor progenitors derived from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs and iPSCs) using a protocol that is suitable for future clinical trials. ESCs and iPSCs were cultured in four specific stages under defined conditions, resulting in generation of a near-homogeneous population of photoreceptor-like progenitors. Following transplantation into mice with end-stage retinal degeneration, these cells differentiated into photoreceptors and formed a cell layer connected with host retinal neurons. Visual function was partially restored in treated animals, as evidenced by two visual behavioral tests. Furthermore, the magnitude of functional improvement was positively correlated with the number of engrafted cells. Similar efficacy was observed using either ESCs or iPSCs as source material. These data validate the potential of human pluripotent stem cells for photoreceptor replacement therapies aimed at photoreceptor regeneration in retinal disease.
Facile synthesis of hybrid CNTs/NiCo2S4 composite for high performance supercapacitors
Authors: Li Delong , Gong Youning , Pan Chunxu 
Published: July 2016

AbstractIn this work, a novel carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/NiCo2S4 composite for high performance supercapacitors was prepared via a simple chemical bath deposition combined with a post-anion exchange reaction. The morphologies and phase structures of the composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low-temperature sorption of nitrogen (BET). The electro-chemical tests revealed that the CNT/NiCo2S4 composite exhibited high electrochemical performance, because the CNTs were used as a conductive network for the NiCo2S4 hexagonal nanoplates. Compared with pure NiCo2S4 and the mechanically mixed CNTs/NiCo2S4 composite, the CNTs/NiCo2S4 composite electrode material exhibited excellent supercapacitive performance, such as a high specific capacitance up to 1537 F/g (discharge current density of 1 A/g) and an outstanding rate capability of 78.1% retention as the discharge current density increased to 100 A/g. It is therefore expected to be a promising alternative material in the area of energy storage.
Unravelling the community structure of the climate system by using lags and symbolic time-series analysis
Authors: Tirabassi Giulio , Masoller Cristina 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMany natural systems can be represented by complex networks of dynamical units with modular structure in the form of communities of densely interconnected nodes. Unraveling this community structure from observed data requires the development of appropriate tools, particularly when the nodes are embedded in a regular space grid and the datasets are short and noisy. Here we propose two methods to identify communities and validate them with the analysis of climate datasets recorded at a regular grid of geographical locations covering the Earth surface. By identifying mutual lags among time-series recorded at different grid points and by applying symbolic time-series analysis, we are able to extract meaningful regional communities, which can be interpreted in terms of large-scale climate phenomena. The methods proposed here are valuable tools for the study of other systems represented by networks of dynamical units, allowing the identification of communities, through time-series analysis of the observed output signals.
Eco-friendly nitrogen-containing carbon encapsulated LiMn2O4 cathodes to enhance the electrochemical properties in rechargeable Li-ion batteries
Authors: Ilango P. Robert , Prasanna K. , Do Su Jung , Jo Yong Nam , Lee Chang Woo 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThis study describes the synthesis of nitrogen-containing carbon (N-C) and an approach to apply the N-C material as a surface encapsulant of LiMn2O4 (LMO) cathode material. The N heteroatoms in the N-C material improve the electrochemical performance of LMO. A low-cost wet coating method was used to prepare N-C@LMO particles. The N-C@LMO was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high-resolution Raman spectroscopy (HR-Raman), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and field emission scanning transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) with elemental mapping. Furthermore, the prepared samples were electrochemically studied using the AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the electrochemical cycler. XPS suggested that the N-C coating greatly reduced the dissolution of Mn and EIS showed that the coating greatly suppressed the charge transfer resistance, even after long-term cycling. The control of Mn dissolution and inner resistance allowed faster Li-ion transport between the two electrodes resulting in improved discharge capacity and cycling stability.