bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Protein Phosphatase 1 dephosphorylates TDP‐43 and suppresses its function in tau exon 10 inclusion
Authors: Gu Jianlan , Wang Weihua , Miao Shichen , Chen Feng , Wu Feng , Hu Wen , Iqbal Khalid , Gong Cheng‐Xin , Liu Fei 
Published: January 2018

Transactive response DNA‐binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP‐43) regulates RNA processing, including alternative splicing of tau exon 10. Pathological TDP‐43 is hyperphosphorylated. However, how do the protein phosphatase(s) (PP) regulate TDP‐43 phosphorylation is unclear. Here, we found that both PP1 and PP2A were coimmunoprecipitated with TDP‐43. Treatment with calyculin A, but not with okadaic acid, increased TDP‐43 phosphorylation at Ser379, Ser403/404, and Ser409/410 in cultured cells. PP1α, PP1β, and PP1γ interacted with TDP‐43. Overexpression of PP1α and PP1γ, but not PP1β, suppressed TDP‐43 phosphorylation at Ser403/404 and Ser409/410 and TDP‐43‐induced tau exon 10 inclusion. These findings suggest that PP1α and PP1γ regulate TDP‐43 phosphorylation and its function in tau exon 10 inclusion mainly through its phosphorylation at Ser403/404 and Ser409/410.
Constraints Imposed by Rift Inheritance on the Compressional Reactivation of a Hyperextended Margin: Mapping Rift Domains in the North Iberian Margin and in the Cantabrian Mountains
Authors: Cadenas P. , Fernández‐Viejo G. , Pulgar J. A. , Tugend J. , Manatschal G. , Minshull T. A. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe Alpine Pyrenean‐Cantabrian orogen developed along the plate boundary between Iberia and Europe, involving the inversion of Mesozoic hyperextended basins along the southern Biscay margin. Thus, this margin represents a natural laboratory to analyze the control of structural rift inheritance on the compressional reactivation of a continental margin. With the aim to identify former rift domains and investigate their role during the subsequent compression, we performed a structural analysis of the central and western North Iberian margin, based on the interpretation of seismic reflection profiles and local constraints from drill‐hole data. Seismic interpretations and published seismic velocity models enabled the development of crustal thickness maps that helped to constrain further the offshore and onshore segmentation. Based on all these constraints, we present a rift domain map across the central and western North Iberian margin, as far as the adjacent western Cantabrian Mountains. Furthermore, we provide a first‐order description of the margin segmentation resulting from its polyphase tectonic evolution. The most striking result is the presence of a hyperthinned domain (e.g., Asturian Basin) along the central continental platform that is bounded to the north by the Le Danois High, interpreted as a rift‐related continental block separating two distinctive hyperextended domains. From the analysis of the rift domain map and the distribution of reactivation structures, we conclude that the landward limit of the necking domain and the hyperextended domains, respectively, guide and localize the compressional overprint. The Le Danois block acted as a local buttress, conditioning the inversion of the Asturian Basin.
Advances in Microfluidics‐Based Assisted Reproductive Technology: From Sperm Sorter to Reproductive System‐on‐a‐Chip
Authors: Kashaninejad Navid , Shiddiky Muhammad Johirul Alam , Nguyen Nam‐Trung 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe fields of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) have progressed rapidly, yet still need further improvements. Microfluidic technology can incorporate various ART procedures such as embryo/gamete (sperm/oocyte) analysis, sorting, manipulation, culture, and monitoring. The introduction of paper‐based and droplet‐based microfluidics further improves the commercialization potential of this technology. The progress in 3D printing technology allows for the integration of microfluidics with tissue engineering that may revolutionize current practices in biology and medicine. This review categorizes ART methods according to continuous‐flow microfluidics, paper‐based microfluidics, droplet‐based microfluidics, and organ‐on‐a‐chip. The advances are summarized and potential opportunities in infertility diagnosis, sperm selection, sperm guidance, oocyte selection, insemination, embryo culture, embryo monitoring, and cryopreservation are identified. While some advances of continuous‐flow microfluidics for ART have already been reviewed, other microfluidic techniques are still in their early stages. It is envisioned that advances in droplet‐based microfluidics, especially digital microfluidics, will allow for more progress in human IVF, particularly single embryo transfer. Droplet‐based microfluidics may also lead to fully integrated and high‐throughput platforms for animal IVF. Recent advances in organ‐on‐a‐chip including ovary/uterus/oviduct‐on‐chip platforms hold promise for the integration of the whole human reproductive system‐on‐a‐chip for clinical applications.
Robust Fabrication of Nonstick, Noncorrosive, Conductive Graphene‐Coated Liquid Metal Droplets for Droplet‐Based, Floating Electrodes
Authors: Chen Yuzhen , Zhou Tingjiao , Li Yaoyao , Zhu Lifei , Handschuh‐Wang Stephan , Zhu Deyong , Zhou Xiaohu , Liu Zhou , Gan Tiansheng , Zhou Xuechang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNontoxic liquid metals (conductive materials in a liquid state at room temperature) are an emerging class of materials for applications ranging from soft electronics and robotics to medical therapy and energy devices. Their sticky and corrosive properties, however, are becoming more of a critical concern for circuits and devices containing other metals as these are easily destroyed or contaminated by the liquid metals. Herein, a feasible method for fabricating highly conductive graphene‐coated liquid metal (GLM) droplets is reported and their application as nonstick, noncorrosive, movable, soft contacts for electrical circuits is demonstrated. The as‐prepared GLM droplets consist of a liquid‐phase soft core of liquid metal and a slippery outer layer of graphene sheets. These structures address the issue of simultaneous control of the wettability and conductivity of a soft electronic contact by combining extraordinary properties, i.e., nonstick, noncorrosive, yet exhibiting high electronic conductivity while in contact with metal substrates, e.g., Au, Cu, Ag, and Ni. As proof‐of‐concept, the as‐prepared GLM droplets are demonstrated as floating electrodes for movable, recyclable electronic soft contacts in electrical circuits.
Time‐Resolved Studies of Energy Transfer in Thin Films of Green and Red Fluorescent Proteins
Authors: Zajac Joanna M. , Schubert Marcel , Roland Thomas , Keum Changmin , Samuel Ifor D. W. , Gather Malte C. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBiologically derived fluorescent proteins are attractive candidates for lasing and sensing due to their excellent optical properties, including their high quantum yield, spectral tunability, and robustness against concentration quenching. Here, a time‐resolved study of the fluorescence dynamics of protein thin films is reported for the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), the red‐emitting tandem‐dimer protein tdTomato, and blends of EGFP and tdTomato. The exciton dynamics are characterized by using spectrally and time‐resolved measurements of fluorescence and a threefold reduction in lifetime is observed when going from solution to thin film, down to 1 and 0.6 ns for EGFP and tdTomato, respectively. This finding is attributed to a dipole–dipole nonradiative Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) in solid state. The temporal characteristics of FRET in blended thin films are also studied and increased nonradiative transfer rates are found. Finally, efficient sensitization of a semiconductor surface with a protein thin film is reported. Such a configuration may have important implications for energy harvesting in hybrid organic–inorganic solar cells and other hybrid optoelectronic devices.
Fluorinated and Alkylthiolated Polymeric Donors Enable both Efficient Fullerene and Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells
Authors: Zhang Guangjun , Xu Xiaopeng , Bi Zhaozhao , Ma Wei , Tang Dongsheng , Li Ying , Peng Qiang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn this work, four donor (D)–acceptor (A) copolymers based on benzodithiophene (BDT) and benzothiadiazole (BT) with different alkylthiolated and/or fluorinated side chains are developed for efficient fullerene and nonfullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). The synergistic effect of sulfuration and fluorination on the optical absorption, energy level, crystallinity, carrier mobility, blend morphology, and photovoltaic performance is investigated systematically. By incorporating sulfur atoms onto the side chains, a little blueshifted but significantly increased absorption can be obtained for PBDTS‐FBT compared to PBDT‐FBT. On the other side, a little more blueshifted but much stronger absorption and much lower‐lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level can be realized for PBDTF‐FBT when introducing fluorine atoms instead of sulfur atoms. With the combination of both fluorination and sulfuration strategies, PBDTS‐FBT exhibits the best absorption ability, lowest HOMO energy level, and highest crystallinity, which make PBDTSF‐FBT devices show the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.69% in fullerene PSCs and 11.66% in nonfullerene PSCs. The PCE of 11.66% is the best value for PSCs based on BT‐containing copolymer donors reported so far. The results indicate that fluorination and sulfuration have a synergistically positive effect on the performance of D–A photovoltaic copolymers and their solar cell devices.
Nitric Oxide Dependent Degradation of Polyethylene Glycol‐Modified Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Implications for Intra‐Articular Delivery
Authors: Bhattacharya Kunal , Sacchetti Cristiano , Costa Pedro M. , Sommertune Jens , Brandner Birgit D. , Magrini Andrea , Rosato Nicola , Bottini Nunzio , Bottini Massimo , Fadeel Bengt 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPolyethylene glycol (PEG)‐modified carbon nanotubes have been successfully employed for intra‐articular delivery in mice without systemic or local toxicity. However, the fate of the delivery system itself remains to be understood. In this study 2 kDa PEG‐modified single‐walled carbon nanotubes (PNTs) are synthesized, and trafficking and degradation following intra‐articular injection into the knee‐joint of healthy mice are studied. Using confocal Raman microspectroscopy, PNTs can be imaged in the knee‐joint and are found to either egress from the synovial cavity or undergo biodegradation over a period of 3 weeks. Raman analysis discloses that PNTs are oxidatively degraded mainly in the chondrocyte‐rich cartilage and meniscus regions while PNTs can also be detected in the synovial membrane regions, where macrophages can be found. Furthermore, using murine chondrocyte (ATDC‐5) and macrophage (RAW264.7) cell lines, biodegradation of PNTs in activated, nitric oxide (NO)‐producing chondrocytes, which is blocked upon pharmacological inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), can be shown. Biodegradation of PNTs in macrophages is also noted, but after a longer period of incubation. Finally, cell‐free degradation of PNTs upon incubation with the peroxynitrite‐generating compound, SIN‐1 is demonstrated. The present study paves the way for the use of PNTs as delivery systems in the treatment of diseases of the joint.
Soft Artificial Bladder Detrusor
Authors: Yang Xuxu , An Chengrui , Liu Shuting , Cheng Tingyu , Bunpetch Varitsara , Liu Yixiao , Dong Shurong , Li Shijian , Zou Xiaohui , Li Tiefeng , Ouyang Hongwei , Wu Zhaohui , Yang Wei 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDeveloping soft devices for invasive procedures bears great importance for human health. The softness and large strain actuation of responsive hydrogels promise the potential to fabricate soft devices, which can attach on and assist to the function of organs. The key challenges lie in the fabrication of soft devices with robust actuating ability and biocompatibility to the attached organ. This paper presents a solution that integrates the thermoresponsive hydrogel membrane with flexible electronics and silk scaffold into a balloon‐like soft device. As an example, the actuation assisting function of this soft device for shrinking an animal bladder is presented. The mechanical behaviors of the balloon‐like soft device are experimentally and theoretically investigated. The concepts are applicable to other applications such as soft implants, soft robotics, and microfluidics.
Engineering Polymersomes for Diagnostics and Therapy
Authors: Leong Jiayu , Teo Jye Yng , Aakalu Vinay K. , Yang Yi Yan , Kong Hyunjoon 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEngineered polymer vesicles, termed as polymersomes, confer a flexibility to control their structure, properties, and functionality. Self‐assembly of amphiphilic copolymers leads to vesicles consisting of a hydrophobic bilayer membrane and hydrophilic core, each of which is loaded with a wide array of small and large molecules of interests. As such, polymersomes are increasingly being studied as carriers of imaging probes and therapeutic drugs. Effective delivery of polymersomes necessitates careful design of polymersomes. Therefore, this review article discusses the design strategies of polymersomes developed for enhanced transport and efficacy of imaging probes and therapeutic drugs. In particular, the article focuses on overviewing technologies to regulate the size, structure, shape, surface activity, and stimuli‐ responsiveness of polymersomes and discussing the extent to which these properties and structure of polymersomes influence the efficacy of cargo molecules. Taken together with future considerations, this article will serve to improve the controllability of polymersome functions and accelerate the use of polymersomes in biomedical applications.
Mobility Engineering in Vertical Field Effect Transistors Based on Van der Waals Heterostructures
Authors: Shin Yong Seon , Lee Kiyoung , Kim Young Rae , Lee Hyangsook , Lee I. Min , Kang Won Tae , Lee Boo Heung , Kim Kunnyun , Heo Jinseong , Park Seongjun , Lee Young Hee , Yu Woo Jong 
Published: January 2018

AbstractVertical integration of 2D layered materials to form van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) offers new functional electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the mobility in vertical carrier transport in vdWHs of vertical field‐effect transistor (VFET) is not yet investigated in spite of the importance of mobility for the successful application of VFETs in integrated circuits. Here, the mobility in VFET of vdWHs under different drain biases, gate biases, and metal work functions is first investigated and engineered. The traps in WSe2 are the main source of scattering, which influences the vertical mobility and three distinct transport mechanisms: Ohmic transport, trap‐limited transport, and space‐charge‐limited transport. The vertical mobility in VFET can be improved by suppressing the trap states by raising the Fermi level of WSe2. This is achieved by increasing the injected carrier density by applying a high drain voltage, or decreasing the Schottky barrier at the graphene/WSe2 and metal/WSe2 junctions by applying a gate bias and reducing the metal work function, respectively. Consequently, the mobility in Mn vdWH at +50 V gate voltage is about 76 times higher than the initial mobility of Au vdWH. This work enables further improvements in the VFET for successful application in integrated circuits.
Slit Tubes for Semisoft Pneumatic Actuators
Authors: Belding Lee , Baytekin Bilge , Baytekin Hasan Tarik , Rothemund Philipp , Verma Mohit S. , Nemiroski Alex , Sameoto Dan , Grzybowski Bartosz A. , Whitesides George M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis article describes a new principle for designing soft or ‘semisoft’ pneumatic actuators: SLiT (for SLit‐in‐Tube) actuators. Inflating an elastomeric balloon, when enclosed by an external shell (a material with higher Young's modulus) containing slits of different directions and lengths, produces a variety of motions, including bending, twisting, contraction, and elongation. The requisite pressure for actuation depends on the length of the slits, and this dependence allows sequential actuation by controlling the applied pressure. Different actuators can also be controlled using external “sliders” that act as reprogrammable “on‐off” switches. A pneumatic arm and a walker constructed from SLiT actuators demonstrate their ease of fabrication and the range of motions they can achieve.
Hot‐Electron‐Assisted Femtosecond All‐Optical Modulation in Plasmonics
Authors: Taghinejad Mohammad , Taghinejad Hossein , Xu Zihao , Liu Yawei , Rodrigues Sean P. , Lee Kyu‐Tae , Lian Tianquan , Adibi Ali , Cai Wenshan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe optical Kerr nonlinearity of plasmonic metals provides enticing prospects for developing reconfigurable and ultracompact all‐optical modulators. In nanostructured metals, the coherent coupling of light energy to plasmon resonances creates a nonequilibrium electron distribution at an elevated electron temperature that gives rise to significant Kerr optical nonlinearities. Although enhanced nonlinear responses of metals facilitate the realization of efficient modulation devices, the intrinsically slow relaxation dynamics of the photoexcited carriers, primarily governed by electron–phonon interactions, impedes ultrafast all‐optical modulation. Here, femtosecond (≈190 fs) all‐optical modulation in plasmonic systems via the activation of relaxation pathways for hot electrons at the interface of metals and electron acceptor materials, following an on‐resonance excitation of subradiant lattice plasmon modes, is demonstrated. Both the relaxation kinetics and the optical nonlinearity can be actively tuned by leveraging the spectral response of the plasmonic design in the linear regime. The findings offer an opportunity to exploit hot‐electron‐induced nonlinearities for design of self‐contained, ultrafast, and low‐power all‐optical modulators based on plasmonic platforms.
Co(OH)2 Nanoparticle‐Encapsulating Conductive Nanowires Array: Room‐Temperature Electrochemical Preparation for High‐Performance Water Oxidation Electrocatalysis
Authors: Wu Dan , Wei Yicheng , Ren Xiang , Ji Xuqiang , Liu Yiwei , Guo Xiaodong , Liu Zhiang , Asiri Abdullah M. , Wei Qin , Sun Xuping 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIt is highly desired but still remains challenging to design and develop a Co‐based nanoparticle‐encapsulated conductive nanoarray at room temperature for high‐performance water oxidation electrocatalysis. Here, it is reported that room‐temperature anodization of a Co(TCNQ)2 (TCNQ = tetracyanoquinodimethane) nanowire array on copper foam at alkaline pH leads to in situ electrochemcial oxidation of TCNQ− into water‐insoluable TCNQ nanoarray embedding Co(OH)2 nanoparticles. Such Co(OH)2‐TCNQ/CF shows superior catalytic activity for water oxidation and demands only a low overpotential of 276 mV to drive a geometrical current density of 25 mA cm−2 in 1.0 m KOH. Notably, it also demonstrates strong long‐term electrochemical durability with its activity being retrained for at least 25 h, a high turnover frequency of 0.97 s−1 at an overpotential of 450 mV and 100% Faradic efficiency. This study provides an exciting new method for the rational design and development of a conductive TCNQ‐based nanoarray as an interesting 3D material for advanced electrochemical applications.
Near‐Infrared Light‐Sensitive Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel Photoresist for Spatiotemporal Control of Cell‐Instructive 3D Microenvironments
Authors: Qin Xiao‐Hua , Wang Xiaopu , Rottmar Markus , Nelson Bradley J. , Maniura‐Weber Katharina 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAdvanced hydrogel systems that allow precise control of cells and their 3D microenvironments are needed in tissue engineering, disease modeling, and drug screening. Multiphoton lithography (MPL) allows true 3D microfabrication of complex objects, but its biological application requires a cell‐compatible hydrogel resist that is sufficiently photosensitive, cell‐degradable, and permissive to support 3D cell growth. Here, an extremely photosensitive cell‐responsive hydrogel composed of peptide‐crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is designed to expand the biological applications of MPL. PVA hydrogels are formed rapidly by ultraviolet light within 1 min in the presence of cells, providing fully synthetic matrices that are instructive for cell‐matrix remodeling, multicellular morphogenesis, and protease‐mediated cell invasion. By focusing a multiphoton laser into a cell‐laden PVA hydrogel, cell‐instructive extracellular cues are site‐specifically attached to the PVA matrix. Cell invasion is thus precisely guided in 3D with micrometer‐scale spatial resolution. This robust hydrogel enables, for the first time, ultrafast MPL of cell‐responsive synthetic matrices at writing speeds up to 50 mm s−1. This approach should enable facile photochemical construction and manipulation of 3D cellular microenvironments with unprecedented flexibility and precision.
Nanocage‐Therapeutics Prevailing Phagocytosis and Immunogenic Cell Death Awakens Immunity against Cancer
Authors: Lee Eun Jung , Nam Gi‐Hoon , Lee Na Kyeong , Kih Minwoo , Koh Eunee , Kim Yoon Kyoung , Hong Yeonsun , Kim Soyoun , Park Seung‐Yoon , Jeong Cherlhyun , Yang Yoosoo , Kim In‐San 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA growing appreciation of the relationship between the immune system and the tumorigenesis has led to the development of strategies aimed at “re‐editing” the immune system to kill tumors. Here, a novel tactic is reported for overcoming the activation‐energy threshold of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and mediating the delivery and presentation of tumor neoantigens to the host's immune system. This nature‐derived nanocage not only efficiently presents ligands that enhance cancer cell phagocytosis, but also delivers drugs that induce immunogenic cancer cell death. The designed nanocage‐therapeutics induce the release of neoantigens and danger signals in dying tumor cells, and leads to enhancement of tumor cell phagocytosis and cross‐priming of tumor specific T cells by neoantigen peptide‐loaded antigen‐presenting cells. Potent inhibition of tumor growth and complete eradication of tumors is observed through systemic tumor‐specific T cell responses in tumor draining lymph nodes and the spleen and further, infiltration of CD8+ T cells into the tumor site. Remarkably, after removal of the primary tumor, all mice treated with this nanocage‐therapeutics are protected against subsequent challenge with the same tumor cells, suggesting development of lasting, tumor‐specific responses. This designed nanocage‐therapeutics “awakens” the host's immune system and provokes a durable systemic immune response against cancer.
3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomeric Actuators with Spatially Programed Nematic Order
Authors: Kotikian Arda , Truby Ryan L. , Boley John William , White Timothy J. , Lewis Jennifer A. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractLiquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are soft materials capable of large, reversible shape changes, which may find potential application as artificial muscles, soft robots, and dynamic functional architectures. Here, the design and additive manufacturing of LCE actuators (LCEAs) with spatially programed nematic order that exhibit large, reversible, and repeatable contraction with high specific work capacity are reported. First, a photopolymerizable, solvent‐free, main‐chain LCE ink is created via aza‐Michael addition with the appropriate viscoelastic properties for 3D printing. Next, high operating temperature direct ink writing of LCE inks is used to align their mesogen domains along the direction of the print path. To demonstrate the power of this additive manufacturing approach, shape‐morphing LCEA architectures are fabricated, which undergo reversible planar‐to‐3D and 3D‐to‐3D′ transformations on demand, that can lift significantly more weight than other LCEAs reported to date.