bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methylparaben‐induced decrease in collagen production and viability of cultured human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Majewska Natalia , Zaręba Ilona , Surażyński Arkadiusz , Galicka Anna 
Published: April 2017

AbstractParabens owing to their many advantageous properties are widely applied in cosmetics, food products and pharmaceuticals. However, recent research results have shown that they possess the ability to accumulate in the human body and exert many adverse effects. In this study, the impact of methylparaben (MP) as the most frequently used preservative in cosmetics, on human dermal fibroblasts and collagen production was evaluated. In cells treated with 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05% MP a dose‐dependent decrease in collagen biosynthesis was revealed, which was positively correlated with the activity of prolidase responsible for the recovery of proline. Consequently, the concentration of total collagen secreted into the medium was markedly diminished. A similar reduction in expression of the major skin collagen type I at both the protein and mRNA level as well as collagen type III and VI at the mRNA level was also detected. The decrease in the collagen level may result not only from the reduced synthesis but also increased degradation owing to MP‐induced activation of pro‐MMP‐2 (72 kDa). The increase in activity of MMP‐2 (66 kDa) was accompanied by a reduction in the inhibitory activity of TIMP‐2. In addition, an inhibitory effect of MP on cell survival and proliferation was revealed in this study. The increased expression and nuclear translocation of caspase‐3 as well as increased Bax and decreased Bcl‐2 expression may suggest MP‐induced cell apoptosis. In summary, we have provided new data on the adverse effects of methylparaben on human dermal fibroblasts and the main structural protein of the skin. Further studies on the mechanisms responsible for its action are in progress. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication and characterization of electrospun polycaprolactone and gelatin composite cuffs for tissue engineered blood vessels
Authors: Strobel Hannah A. , Calamari Elizabeth L. , Beliveau Alexander , Jain Anjana , Rolle Marsha W. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractSewing cuffs incorporated within tissue‐engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) enable graft anastomosisin vivo, and secure TEBVs to bioreactorsin vitro. Alternative approaches to cuff design are required to achieve cuff integration with scaffold‐free TEBVs during tissue maturation. To create porous materials that promote tissue integration, we used electrospinning to fabricate cuffs from polycaprolactone (PCL), PCL blended with gelatin, and PCL coated with gelatin, and evaluated cuff mechanical properties, porosity, and cellular attachment and infiltration. Gelatin blending significantly decreased cuff ultimate tensile stress and failure strain over PCL alone, but no significant differences were observed in elastic modulus or failure load. Interestingly, gelatin incorporation by blending or coating did not produce significant differences in cellular attachment or pore size. We then created tissue tubes by fusing self‐assembled smooth muscle cell rings together with electrospun cuffs on either end. After 7 days, rings and cuffs fused seamlessly, and the resulting tubes were harvested for pull‐to‐failure tests to measure the strength of cuff–tissue integration. Tubes with gelatin‐coated PCL cuffs failed more frequently at the cuff–tissue interface compared to PCL and PCL:gelatin blended groups. This work demonstrates that electrospun cuffs integrated successfully with scaffold‐free TEBVs, and that the addition of gelatin did not significantly improve cuff integration over PCL alone for this application. Electrospun cuffs may aid cannulation for dynamic culture and testing of tubular constructs during engineered tissue maturation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 817–826, 2018.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Mice Increases Hepatic Expression of Genes Carrying a Premature Termination Codon via a Nutritional Status‐Independent GRP78‐Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Harada Nagakatsu , Okuyama Maiko , Yoshikatsu Aya , Yamamoto Hironori , Ishiwata Saori , Hamada Chikako , Hirose Tomoyo , Shono Masayuki , Kuroda Masashi , Tsutsumi Rie , Takeo Jiro , Taketani Yutaka , Nakaya Yutaka , Sakaue Hiroshi 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTNonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD) degrades mRNAs carrying a premature termination codon (PTC) in eukaryotes. Cellular stresses, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inhibit NMD, and up‐regulate PTC‐containing mRNA (PTC‐mRNA) levels in several cell lines. However, whether similar effects exist under in vivo conditions that involve systemic nutritional status is unclear. Here, we compared the effects of pharmacological induction of ER stress with those of nutritional interventions on hepatic PTC‐mRNA levels in mice. In mouse livers, the ER stress inducer tunicamycin increased PTC‐mRNA levels of endogenous marker genes. Tunicamycin decreased body weight and perturbed nutrient metabolism in mice. Food restriction or deprivation mimicked the effect of tunicamycin on weight loss and metabolism, but did not increase PTC‐mRNA levels. Hyperphagia‐induced obesity also had little effect on hepatic PTC‐mRNA levels. Meanwhile, in mouse liver phosphorylation of eIF2α, a factor that regulates NMD, was increased by both tunicamycin and nutritional interventions. Hepatic expression of GRP78, a central chaperone in ER stress responses, was increased by tunicamycin but not by the nutritional interventions. In cultured liver cells (Hepa), exogenous overexpression of a phosphomimetic eIF2α failed to increase PTC‐mRNA levels. However, GRP78 overexpression in Hepa cells increased PTC‐mRNA and PTC‐mRNA‐derived protein levels. ER stress promoted localization of GRP78 to mitochondria, and exogenous expression of a GRP78 fusion protein targeted to mitochondria mimicked the effect of wild type GRP78. These results indicate that GRP78, but not nutritional status, is a potent up‐regulator of hepatic PTC‐mRNA levels during induction of ER stress in vivo. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3810–3824, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantified analysis of histological components and architectural patterns of gleason grades in apparent diffusion coefficient restricted areas upon diffusion weighted MRI for peripheral or transition zone cancer locations
Authors: Helfrich Olivier , Puech Philippe , Betrouni Nacim , Pinçon Claire , Ouzzane Adil , Rizk Jérome , Marcq Gauthier , Randazzo Marco , Durand Matthieu , Lakroum Said , Leroy Xavier , Villers Arnauld 
Published: April 2017

PurposeTo quantify and compare the histological components and architectural patterns of Gleason grades in cancerous areas with restriction on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps.Materials and MethodsTwelve consecutive cases with 14 separate ADC restriction areas, positive for cancer in the peripheral zone (PZ) and transition zone (TZ) were included. All had 3 Tesla MRI and radical prostatectomy. Ten regions of interest (ROIs) within and outside the 14 ADC restriction areas positive for cancer were selected. For each ROI, we performed quantitative analysis of (a) prostate benign and malignant histological component surface ratios, including stroma, glands, epithelium, lumen, cellular nuclei; (b) percent of Gleason grades and measures of ADC values. Means of histological components according to ADC restriction for cancerous area were compared with analyses of variance with repeated measures.ResultsIndependent predictors of the probability of cancer were median epithelium/ROI ratio (P = 0.001) and nuclei/ROI ratio (P = 0.03). Independent predictors of the probability of ADC restriction were malignant glands/ROI and luminal space/ROI (P < 0.0001). Effect of malignant glands/ROI area was different according to the localization of the ROI (P = 0.03). We observed an overall difference between the means for all of the histological components for the comparison of true positive and false negative (P < 0.0001), except for the percent of Gleason grade 4 (P = 0.18). In TZ cancers, a predominant grade 3 pattern was associated with low ADC values. In PZ cancers, a predominant grade 4 pattern was associated with low ADC values.ConclusionDeterminants of low ADC were high ratio of malignant glands/ROI area which may be seen in Gleason grades 3 or 4 cancers.Level of Evidence: 3Technical Efficacy: Stage 3J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1786–1796.
Investigation of aerosol effects on the Arctic surface temperature during the diurnal cycle: part 1 – total aerosol effect
Authors: Stofferahn Eric , Boybeyi Zafer 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTTemperature changes in the Arctic due to anthropogenic climate change are larger in magnitude than those at lower latitudes, with sea ice extent and thickness diminishing since the dawn of the satellite era. Aerosols may play a vital role in determining these changes, as the radiation reaching the Arctic surface is impacted directly by aerosol absorption and scattering, as well as the ability of aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN). This study uses the Weather Research and Forecasting Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) model to show the impact of aerosol absorption, scattering, and CCN contribution on the Arctic surface, with a particular focus on how these effects change throughout the diurnal cycle. Part 1 of this two‐part study investigates the changes in surface temperature, radiation, and cloud properties due to the total aerosol effect in the Arctic. A suite of ensemble runs is used to develop a filtering mechanism based upon the t‐test to eliminate the effects of meteorological variability. While much has been speculated about the cooling role of aerosols, this study shows that aerosols have both a warming and cooling effect. The warming effect is prominent at night, while the cooling effect dominates during the day. In both cases, the magnitude of the effect is dependent upon aerosol concentration.
Future warming rates over the Hawaiian Islands based on elevation‐dependent scaling factors
Authors: Elison Timm Oliver 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTRegional climate change scenarios are important for understanding their impacts on environments of oceanic islands. This study presents a statistical method that estimates elevation‐dependent warming rates for the Hawaiian Islands. The downscaling is facilitated by two important aspects found in the climate change scenarios produced by general circulation models. First, climate model simulations show a strong relationship between height and amplitude of the temperature change over the northern subtropical Pacific. Second, the ratio between the upper air temperature and the surface temperature change is independent of the global warming rate. This information is exploited to produce high‐resolution maps with the expected range of future temperature changes for the Hawaiian Islands by the mid and late 21st century. The expected surface warming and its uncertainty is analysed with an ensemble of global climate scenarios for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios (RCP4.5 and 8.5). It is found that the highest mountain elevations warm by a factor 1.5 ± 0.2 compared with the ambient surface temperature anomalies at the sea level. In scenario RCP8.5, high elevations above 3000 m reach up to 4–5 °C warmer temperatures by the late 21st century. The uncertainty due to multi‐model ensemble spread is overall larger than the statistical downscaling uncertainty, except for the highest elevations where both contribute equally to the uncertainty range. For the late 21st century, however, the largest uncertainty stems from the choice of emission scenarios.
Double maturation raisonnée: the impact of on‐vine berry dehydration on the berry and wine composition of Merlot (Vitis vinifera L.)
Authors: Rusjan Denis , Mikulic‐Petkovsek Maja 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDDouble maturation raisonnée (DMR) is a potential canopy measure that affects grape and wine composition. The aim of this work was to study for the first time the DMR impact on the physical, biochemical and sensorial characteristics of the berries and wines of Merlot, one of the world's fastest‐expanding grapevine varieties.RESULTSDMR significantly increased the content of soluble solids (1.2‐fold), free amino nitrogen (1.8‐fold) and acidity in berries but decreased the weight of 100 berries on harvest (approx. 28%). Irrespective of the vintage, DMR‐treated grapes had a significantly higher content of non‐astringent tannins (0.73–0.78 mg L−1) and anthocyanin extractability (34.7–36.4%) but a lower index of astringency (31.2–33.7) when compared to the control. Consequently, the DMR wines achieved higher alcohol, total acidity and extract, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanol and flavonol contents, whereas the content of anthocyanins was similar to that of the control. Sensorial evaluation showed that DMR wines were not rated higher and would not be appreciated more than control wines.CONCLUSIONChanges in berries during DMR altered the wine characteristics only in terms of primary metabolites. A reduced accumulation of phenolics, especially anthocyanin content, in the berry skin of DMR‐treated grapes was not reflected in their presence in wines. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that has reported an impact of DMR on the grape and wine composition of Merlot, as one of the most promising red varieties. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
The plant growth‐promoting bacterium Kosakonia radicincitans improves fruit yield and quality of Solanum lycopersicum
Authors: Berger Beatrice , Baldermann Susanne , Ruppel Silke 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDProduction and the quality of tomato fruits have a strong economic relevance. Microorganisms such as the plant growth‐promoting bacterium (PGPB) Kosakonia radicincitans (DSM 16656) have been demonstrated to improve shoot and root growth of young tomato plants, but data on yield increase and fruit quality by K. radicincitans are lacking.RESULTSThis study investigated how K. radicincitans affects tomato fruits. After inoculation of tomato seeds with K. radicincitans or a sodium chloride buffer control solution, stalk length, first flowering and the amount of ripened fruits produced by inoculated and non‐inoculated plants were monitored over a period of 21 weeks. Inoculation of tomato seeds with K. radicincitans accelerated flowering and ripening of tomato fruits. Sugars, acidity, amino acids, volatile organic compounds and carotenoids in the fruits were also analyzed.CONCLUSIONIt was found that the PGPB K. radicincitans affected the amino acid, sugar and volatile composition of ripened fruits, contributing to a more pleasant‐tasting fruit without forfeiting selected quality indicators. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Preparation of a magnetic porous carbon with hierarchical structures from waste biomass for the extraction of some carbamates
Authors: Wang Yao , Ma Ruiyang , Xiao Ruobai , Wu Qiuhua , Wang Chun , Wang Zhi 
Published: April 2017

In this study, corn stalk was used to synthesize a magnetic adsorbent by pyrolysis together with KHCO3 as the chemical activator and iron(III) salt as the magnetic reagent. The characterization by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis showed that the magnetic carbon adsorbent had a structure of hierarchical pores with a high specific surface area. To evaluate its adsorption performance, the adsorbent was used for the extraction of carbamates pesticides (propoxur, isoprocarb and fenobucarb) from water and zucchini samples before high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. The result showed that the adsorbent had a good adsorption capability for the analytes. Under the optimized conditions, a good linearity for the analytes existed in the range of 0.1–100.0 ng/mL for water samples and 0.5–100.0 ng/g for zucchini samples with the correlation coefficients of 0.9992–0.9998. The limits of detection for the analytes at a signal to noise ratio of 3 were 0.03 ng/mL for water samples and 0.20–0.50 ng/g for zucchini samples.
Complexities Surrounding China's Soil Action Plan
Authors: Hou Deyi , Li Fasheng 
Published: April 2017

AbstractChina's soil pollution is serious, with 16·1% of all soil samples exceeding soil quality standard according to a national soil quality survey. On 31 May 2016, the Chinese government unleashed an ambitious plan to address its soil pollution problem. The large scale and fast pace of the proposed plan pose many challenges. There are biogeochemical complexities governing the fate and transport of soil contaminants that require more thorough study. There are also human‐related complexities and dynamic feedback loops, which determine the behaviour of farmers, industrial polluters, remediation practitioners and regulators. Soil pollution prevention and remediation also have externalities and spillover effects ranging from greenhouse gas emission to social justice. Rigorous policy instruments must be developed to account for complex human behaviour, to strengthen risk management and to encourage interdisciplinary scientific research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dissolved iron distribution in the western and central subarctic Pacific: HNLC water formation and biogeochemical processes
Authors: Nishioka Jun , Obata Hajime 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIt is well known that phytoplankton growth is broadly limited by iron (Fe) availability in the subarctic Pacific. To investigate which Fe sources control the amplitude of seasonal variation in biogeochemical parameters in the subarctic Pacific, we examined the spatial variation in the west‐to‐east distribution of dissolved Fe (DFe) across the western and central subarctic Pacific through the Japanese GEOTRACES program. The vertical section profile of the western subarctic Pacific gyre showed high dissolved Fe concentrations from the bottom of the surface mixed layer to as deep as approximately 3000 m, suggesting that Fe‐rich intermediate water is transported laterally and distributed across the western subarctic gyre, over 2000 km. The section data also indicate that the influence of the western Fe‐rich intermediate water does not reach the Alaskan gyre. Fe* index (= [DFe] (observed) – [PO4] (observed) × RFe : P) distribution clearly indicates that the western Fe‐rich intermediate water is well explained by external sedimentary Fe sources and water transport systems from a subpolar marginal sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the continental margin. The spatial pattern of Fe to nutrient stoichiometry supplied from the intermediate water to the surface, in comparison with reported Fe and nutrient demand in surface phytoplankton, quantitatively explains the differences in surface macronutrient consumption between the western and eastern gyre as well as the formation of the high nutrient and low chlorophyll region in the whole subarctic Pacific.
Photon‐nanosieve for ultrabroadband and large‐angle‐of‐view holograms
Authors: Huang Kun , Liu Hong , Si Guangyuan , Wang Qian , Lin Jiao , Teng Jinghua 
Published: April 2017

AbstractHolography is of great interest for both scientific research and industry applications, but it has always suffered from the strong dependence on wavelength and polarization of the incident light. Having revisited the Huygens–Fresnel principle, we propose a novel holography mechanism by elaborately choosing discrete point sources (PSs) and realize it experimentally by mimicking the radiated fields of these PSs through carefully designed photon‐nanosieves. Removing the modulation dispersion usually existing in traditional and metasurface holograms, our hologram empowers the simultaneous operation throughout the ultraviolet, entire visible and near‐infrared wavelength regions without polarization dependence. Due to the deep‐subwavelength dimension of nanosieves, this robust hologram offers a large angle‐of‐view of 40°×40° and possesses a lensing effect under a spherical‐wave illumination, which can work as a high‐resolution, lens‐less and distortion‐free microprojector that displays a 260× magnified image. It might open an avenue to a high‐tolerance holographic technique for electromagnetic and acoustic waves.
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Squaraine‐Based Polymers: Toward Optimized Structures for Optoelectronic Devices
Authors: Broggi Alessandra , Kim Hyungsug , Jung Jihye , Bracciale Maria Paola , Santarelli Maria Laura , Kim Choongik , Marrocchi Assunta 
Published: April 2017

A novel polymer semiconductor based on squaric acid is successfully prepared through polycondensation reaction. Physicochemical properties of polysquaraine are explored by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐vis) absorption spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/MTDSC) analyses, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Next, the charge carrier properties are investigated through the fabrication and characterization of field‐effect transistors (FETs) using solution‐processed polymeric films. It is found that the polysquaraine is FET active and exhibits decent p‐type mobilities (up to 5 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1), which illustrates the promising properties of this semiconductor in optoelectronics. Notably, there is no precedent for the use of squaraine‐based polymers in field‐effect transistors. Bulk heterojunction solar cells (BHJ‐OSCs) are finally prepared from the blends of polysquaraine with the fullerene derivative [6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM). Power conversion efficiencies up to 0.86% are achieved for nonoptimized system under simulated air mass 1.5 (AM1.5) conditions.
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The effect of noise and lipid signals on determination of Gaussian and non‐Gaussian diffusion parameters in skeletal muscle
Authors: Cameron Donnie , Bouhrara Mustapha , Reiter David A. , Fishbein Kenneth W. , Choi Seongjin , Bergeron Christopher M. , Ferrucci Luigi , Spencer Richard G. 
Published: April 2017

This work characterizes the effect of lipid and noise signals on muscle diffusion parameter estimation in several conventional and non‐Gaussian models, the ultimate objectives being to characterize popular fat suppression approaches for human muscle diffusion studies, to provide simulations to inform experimental work and to report normative non‐Gaussian parameter values. The models investigated in this work were the Gaussian monoexponential and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) models, and the non‐Gaussian kurtosis and stretched exponential models. These were evaluated via simulations, and in vitro and in vivo experiments. Simulations were performed using literature input values, modeling fat contamination as an additive baseline to data, whereas phantom studies used a phantom containing aliphatic and olefinic fats and muscle‐like gel. Human imaging was performed in the hamstring muscles of 10 volunteers. Diffusion‐weighted imaging was applied with spectral attenuated inversion recovery (SPAIR), slice‐select gradient reversal and water‐specific excitation fat suppression, alone and in combination. Measurement bias (accuracy) and dispersion (precision) were evaluated, together with intra‐ and inter‐scan repeatability. Simulations indicated that noise in magnitude images resulted in <6% bias in diffusion coefficients and non‐Gaussian parameters (α, K), whereas baseline fitting minimized fat bias for all models, except IVIM. In vivo, popular SPAIR fat suppression proved inadequate for accurate parameter estimation, producing non‐physiological parameter estimates without baseline fitting and large biases when it was used. Combining all three fat suppression techniques and fitting data with a baseline offset gave the best results of all the methods studied for both Gaussian diffusion and, overall, for non‐Gaussian diffusion. It produced consistent parameter estimates for all models, except IVIM, and highlighted non‐Gaussian behavior perpendicular to muscle fibers (α ~ 0.95, K ~ 3.1). These results show that effective fat suppression is crucial for accurate measurement of non‐Gaussian diffusion parameters, and will be an essential component of quantitative studies of human muscle quality.