bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Src inhibitor reduces permeability without disturbing vascularization and prevents bone destruction in steroid-associated osteonecrotic lesions in rabbits
Authors: He Yi-Xin , Liu Jin , Guo Baosheng , Wang Yi-Xiang , Pan Xiaohua , Li Defang , Tang Tao , Chen Yang , Peng Songlin , Bian Zhaoxiang , Liang Zicai , Zhang Bao-Ting , Lu Aiping , Zhang Ge 
Published: March 2015

AbstractTo examine the therapeutic effect of Src inhibitor on the VEGF mediating vascular hyperpermeability and bone destruction within steroid-associated osteonecrotic lesions in rabbits. Rabbits with high risk for progress to destructive repair in steroid-associated osteonecrosis were selected according to our published protocol. The selected rabbits were systemically administrated with either Anti-VEGF antibody (Anti-VEGF Group) or Src inhibitor (Src-Inhibition Group) or VEGF (VEGF-Supplement Group) or a combination of VEGF and Src inhibitor (Supplement & Inhibition Group) or control vehicle (Control Group) for 4 weeks. At 0, 2 and 4 weeks after administration, in vivo dynamic MRI, micro-CT based-angiography, histomorphometry and immunoblotting were employed to evaluate the vascular and skeletal events in different groups. The incidence of the destructive repair in the Anti-VEGF Group, Src-Inhibition Group and Supplement & Inhibition Group was all significantly lower than that in the Control Group. The angiogenesis was promoted in VEGF-Supplement Group, Src-Inhibition Group and Supplement & Inhibition Group, while the hyperpermeability was inhibited in Anti-VEGF Group, Src-Inhibition Group and Supplement & Inhibition Group. The trabecular structure was improved in Src-Inhibition Group and Supplement & Inhibition Group. Src inhibitor could reduce permeability without disturbing vascularization and prevent destructive repair in steroid-associated osteonecrosis.
Does toxicity of aromatic pollutants increase under remote atmospheric conditions?
Authors: Kroflič Ana , Grilc Miha , Grgić Irena 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAromatic compounds contribute significantly to the budget of atmospheric pollutants and represent considerable hazard to living organisms. However, they are only rarely included into atmospheric models which deviate substantially from field measurements. A powerful experimental-simulation tool for the assessment of the impact of low- and semi-volatile aromatic pollutants on the environment due to their atmospheric aqueous phase aging has been developed and introduced for the first time. The case study herein reveals that remote biotopes might be the most damaged by wet urban guaiacol-containing biomass burning aerosols. It is shown that only after the primary pollutant guaiacol has been consumed, its probably most toxic nitroaromatic product is largely formed. Revising the recent understanding of atmospheric aqueous phase chemistry, which is mostly concerned with the radical nitration mechanisms, the observed phenomenon is mainly attributed to the electrophilic nitrogen-containing reactive species. Here, their intriguing role is closely inspected and discussed from the ecological perspective.
High incubation temperatures enhance mitochondrial energy metabolism in reptile embryos
Authors: Sun Bao-Jun , Li Teng , Gao Jing , Ma Liang , Du Wei-Guo 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDevelopmental rate increases exponentially with increasing temperature in ectothermic animals, but the biochemical basis underlying this thermal dependence is largely unexplored. We measured mitochondrial respiration and metabolic enzyme activities of turtle embryos (Pelodiscus sinensis) incubated at different temperatures to identify the metabolic basis of the rapid development occurring at high temperatures in reptile embryos. Developmental rate increased with increasing incubation temperatures in the embryos ofP. sinensis. Correspondingly, in addition to the thermal dependence of mitochondrial respiration and metabolic enzyme activities, high-temperature incubation further enhanced mitochondrial respiration and COX activities in the embryos. This suggests that embryos may adjust mitochondrial respiration and metabolic enzyme activities in response to developmental temperature to achieve high developmental rates at high temperatures. Our study highlights the importance of biochemical investigations in understanding the proximate mechanisms by which temperature affects embryonic development.
Extinction during memory reconsolidation blocks recovery of fear in adolescents
Authors: Johnson D. C. , Casey B. J. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAdolescence is a time of intensified emotional experiences, during which anxiety and stress-related disorders peak. The most effective behavioral therapies for treating these disorders share exposure-based techniques as a core component. Exposure-based therapies build on the principles of fear extinction learning and involve desensitizing the individual to cues that trigger anxiety. Yet, recent evidence shows an adolescent-specific diminished capacity to extinguish fear responses, suggesting that adolescents may respond less well to exposure-based therapies than other age groups. Here we demonstrate an alternative method for blocking the recall of fear memories in adolescents, building on principles of memory reconsolidation in adults. During memory reconsolidation, a memory that is recalled becomes labile during which time it can be updated. Prior research has shown that extinction training during memory reconsolidation attenuates the recovery of fear memory in human adults and in rodents. Using this method, we show attenuation of fear memory in adolescent humans. These findings have significant implications for treating one of the most vulnerable populations to anxiety and stress related disorders - adolescents - by optimizing exposure therapy based on principles of memory reconsolidation.
A Dual-Reporter System for Real-Time Monitoring and High-throughput CRISPR/Cas9 Library Screening of the Hepatitis C Virus
Authors: Ren Qingpeng , Li Chan , Yuan Pengfei , Cai Changzu , Zhang Linqi , Luo Guangxiang George , Wei Wensheng 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the leading causes of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas and infects approximately 170 million people worldwide. Although several reporter systems have been developed, many shortcomings limit their use in the assessment of HCV infections. Here, we report a real-time live-cell reporter, termed the NIrD (NS3-4A Inducible rtTA-mediated Dual-reporter) system, which provides an on-off switch specifically in response to an HCV infection. Using the NIrD system and a focused CRISPR/Cas9 library, we identified CLDN1, OCLN and CD81 as essential genes for both the cell-free entry and the cell-to-cell transmission of HCV. The combination of this ultra-sensitive reporter system and the CRISPR knockout screening provides a powerful and high-throughput strategy for the identification of critical host components for HCV infections.
Development of Bipolar All-solid-state Lithium Battery Based on Quasi-solid-state Electrolyte Containing Tetraglyme-LiTFSA Equimolar Complex
Authors: Gambe Yoshiyuki , Sun Yan , Honma Itaru 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe development of high energy–density lithium-ion secondary batteries as storage batteries in vehicles is attracting increasing attention. In this study, high-voltage bipolar stacked batteries with a quasi-solid-state electrolyte containing a Li-Glyme complex were prepared and the performance of the device was evaluated. Via the successful production of double-layered and triple-layered high-voltage devices, it was confirmed that these stacked batteries operated properly without any internal short-circuits of a single cell within the package: Their plateau potentials (6.7 and 10.0 V, respectively) were two and three times that (3.4 V) of the single-layered device, respectively. Further, the double-layered device showed a capacity retention of 99% on the 200th cycle at 0.5 C, which is an indication of good cycling properties. These results suggest that bipolar stacked batteries with a quasi-solid-state electrolyte containing a Li-Glyme complex could readily produce a high voltage of 10 V.
Genetic Variability and Phylogenetic Analysis of Han Population from Guanzhong Region of China based on 21 non-CODIS STR Loci
Authors: Zhang Yu-Dang , Tang Xiao-Li , Meng Hao-Tian , Wang Hong-Dan , Jin Rui , Yang Chun-Hua , Yan Jiang-Wei , Yang Guang , Liu Wen-Juan , Shen Chun-Mei , Zhu Bo-Feng 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn the present study, we presented the population genetic data and their forensic parameters of 21 non-CODIS autosomal STR loci in Chinese Guanzhong Han population. A total of 166 alleles were observed with corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0018 to 0.5564. No STR locus was observed to deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibriums after applying Bonferroni correction. The cumulative power of discrimination and probability of exclusion of all the 21 STR loci were 0.99999999999999999993814 and 0.999998184, respectively. The results of genetic distances, phylogenetic trees and principal component analysis revealed that the Guanzhong Han population had a closer relationship with Ningxia Han, Tujia and Bai groups than other populations tested. In summary, these 21 STR loci showed a high level of genetic polymorphisms for the Guanzhong Han population and could be used for forensic applications and the studies of population genetics.
Freely designable optical frequency conversion in Raman-resonant four-wave-mixing process
Authors: Zheng Jian , Katsuragawa Masayuki 
Published: March 2015

AbstractNonlinear optical processes are governed by the relative-phase relationships among the relevant electromagnetic fields in these processes. In this Report, we describe the physics of arbitrary manipulation of Raman-resonant four-wave-mixing process by artificial control of relative phases. As a typical example, we show freely designable optical-frequency conversions to extreme spectral regions, mid-infrared and vacuum-ultraviolet, with near-unity quantum efficiencies. Furthermore, we show that such optical-frequency conversions can be realized by using a surprisingly simple technology where transparent plates are placed in a nonlinear optical medium and their positions and thicknesses are adjusted precisely. In a numerical simulation assuming practically applicable parameters in detail, we demonstrate a single-frequency tunable laser that covers the whole vacuum-ultraviolet spectral range of 120 to 200 nm.
Human iPSC-based Cardiac Microphysiological System For Drug Screening Applications
Authors: Mathur Anurag , Loskill Peter , Shao Kaifeng , Huebsch Nathaniel , Hong SoonGweon , Marcus Sivan G. , Marks Natalie , Mandegar Mohammad , Conklin Bruce R. , Lee Luke P. , Healy Kevin E. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDrug discovery and development are hampered by high failure rates attributed to the reliance on non-human animal models employed during safety and efficacy testing. A fundamental problem in this inefficient process is that non-human animal models cannot adequately represent human biology. Thus, there is an urgent need for high-content in vitro systems that can better predict drug-induced toxicity. Systems that predict cardiotoxicity are of uppermost significance, as approximately one third of safety-based pharmaceutical withdrawals are due to cardiotoxicty. Here, we present a cardiac microphysiological system (MPS) with the attributes required for an ideal in vitro system to predict cardiotoxicity: i) cells with a human genetic background; ii) physiologically relevant tissue structure (e.g. aligned cells); iii) computationally predictable perfusion mimicking human vasculature; and, iv) multiple modes of analysis (e.g. biological, electrophysiological and physiological). Our MPS is able to keep human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiac tissue viable and functional over multiple weeks. Pharmacological studies using the cardiac MPS show half maximal inhibitory/effective concentration values (IC50/EC50) that are more consistent with the data on tissue scale references compared to cellular scale studies. We anticipate the widespread adoption of MPSs for drug screening and disease modeling.
Controllable Thermal Rectification Realized in Binary Phase Change Composites
Authors: Chen Renjie , Cui Yalong , Tian He , Yao Ruimin , Liu Zhenpu , Shu Yi , Li Cheng , Yang Yi , Ren Tianling , Zhang Gang , Zou Ruqiang 
Published: March 2015

AbstractPhase transition is a natural phenomenon happened around our daily life, represented by the process from ice to water. While melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, a high heat of fusion is accompanied, classified as the latent heat. Phase change material (PCM) has been widely applied to store and release large amount of energy attributed to the distinctive thermal behavior. Here, with the help of nanoporous materials, we introduce a general strategy to achieve the binary eicosane/PEG4000 stuffed reduced graphene oxide aerogels, which has two ends with different melting points. It's successfully demonstrated this binary PCM composites exhibits thermal rectification characteristic. Partial phase transitions within porous networks instantaneously result in one end of the thermal conductivity saltation at a critical temperature and therefore switch on or off the thermal rectification with the coefficient up to 1.23. This value can be further raised by adjusting the loading content of PCM. The uniqueness of this device lies in its performance as a normal thermal conductor at low temperature, only exhibiting rectification phenomenon when temperature is higher than a critical value. The stated technology has broad applications for thermal energy control in macroscopic scale such as energy-efficiency building or nanodevice thermal management.
Irisin – a myth rather than an exercise-inducible myokine
Authors: Albrecht Elke , Norheim Frode , Thiede Bernd , Holen Torgeir , Ohashi Tomoo , Schering Lisa , Lee Sindre , Brenmoehl Julia , Thomas Selina , Drevon Christian A. , Erickson Harold P. , Maak Steffen 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe myokine irisin is supposed to be cleaved from a transmembrane precursor, FNDC5 (fibronectin type III domain containing 5) and to mediate beneficial effects of exercise on human metabolism. However, evidence for irisin circulating in blood is largely based on commercial ELISA kits which are based on polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) not previously tested for cross-reacting serum proteins. We have analyzed four commercial pAbs by Western blotting, which revealed prominent cross-reactivity with non-specific proteins in human and animal sera. Using recombinant glycosylated and non-glycosylated irisin as positive controls, we found no immune-reactive bands of the expected size in any biological samples. A FNDC5 signature was identified at ~20 kDa by mass spectrometry in human serum but was not detected by the commercial pAbs tested. Our results call into question all previous data obtained with commercial ELISA kits for irisin and provide evidence against a physiological role for irisin in humans and other species.
Metabolomic identification of biochemical changes induced by fluoxetine and imipramine in a chronic mild stress mouse model of depression
Authors: Zhao Jing , Jung Yang-Hee , Jang Choon-Gon , Chun Kwang-Hoon , Kwon Sung Won , Lee Jeongmi 
Published: March 2015

AbstractMetabolomics was applied to a C57BL/6N mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS). Such mice were treated with two antidepressants from different categories: fluoxetine and imipramine. Metabolic profiling of the hippocampus was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis on samples prepared under optimized conditions, followed by principal component analysis, partial least squares-discriminant analysis and pair-wise orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analyses. Body weight measurement and behavior tests including an open field test and the forced swimming test were completed with the mice as a measure of the phenotypes of depression and antidepressive effects. As a result, 23 metabolites that had been differentially expressed among the control, CMS and antidepressant-treated groups demonstrated that amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, adenosine receptors and neurotransmitters are commonly perturbed by drug treatment. Potential predictive markers for treatment effect were identified: myo-inositol for fluoxetine and lysine and oleic acid for imipramine. Collectively, the current study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of the antidepressant effects of two widely used medications.
P38/MAPK contributes to endothelial barrier dysfunction via MAP4 phosphorylation-dependent microtubule disassembly in inflammation-induced acute lung injury
Authors: Li Lingfei , Hu Jiongyu , He Ting , Zhang Qiong , Yang Xu , Lan Xiaodong , Zhang Dongxia , Mei Hao , Chen Bing , Huang Yuesheng 
Published: March 2015

AbstractExcessive activation of inflammation and the accompanying lung vascular endothelial barrier disruption are primary pathogenic features of acute lung injury (ALI). Microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4), a tubulin assembly-promoting protein, is important for maintaining the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton and cell-cell junctional structures. However, both the involvement and exact mechanism of MAP4 in the development of endothelial barrier disruption in ALI remains unknown. In this study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were applied to human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) to mimic the endothelial damage during inflammation in vitro. We demonstrated that the MAP4 (Ser696 and Ser787) phosphorylation increased concomitantly with the p38/MAPK pathway activation by the LPS and TNF-α stimulation of HPMECs, which induced MT disassembly followed by hyperpermeability. Moreover, the application of taxol, the overexpression of a MAP4 (Ala) mutant, or the application of the p38/MAPK inhibitor SB203580 inhibited the MT disruption and the intracellular junction dysfunction. In contrast, MKK6 (Glu), which constitutively activated p38/MAPK, resulted in microtubule depolymerisation and, subsequently, hyperpermeability. Our findings reveal a novel role of MAP4 in endothelial barrier dysfunction.
Tumor cell secretion of soluble factor(s) for specific immunosuppression
Authors: Kano Arihiro 
Published: March 2015

AbstractStudies of tumor models using syngeneic transplantation have advanced our understanding of tumor immunity, including both immune surveillance and evasion. Murine mammary carcinoma 4T1 cells secrete immunosuppressive soluble factors as demonstrated in splenocyte culture. Cultured primary splenocytes secrete IFN-γ, which was strikingly elevated when the cells were isolated from 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. The secretion of IFN-γ peaked a week after 4T1 inoculation and then declined. This reduction may be due to the relatively decreased lymphocytes and increased granulocytes in a spleen accompanied by splenomegaly with time after the 4T1 inoculation. IFN-γ production was further suppressed with the addition of the conditioned media from 4T1 cells to the splenocyte culture. This suppressive effect was more evident in the splenocytes isolated from mice that had 4T1 tumors for a longer period of time and was not observed in the conditioned medium either from CT26 cells or with splenocytes isolated from CT26 tumor-bearing mice. These results suggest that the IFN-γ suppression is 4T1 tumor-specific. The soluble factor(s) in the 4T1-conditioned media was a protein between 10 to 100 kDa. The cytokine tip assay demonstrated several known cytokines that negatively regulate immune responses and may be candidates for this immunosuppression activity.
Superior broadband antireflection from buried Mie resonator arrays for high-efficiency photovoltaics
Authors: Zhong Sihua , Zeng Yang , Huang Zengguang , Shen Wenzhong 
Published: March 2015

AbstractEstablishing reliable and efficient antireflection structures is of crucial importance for realizing high-performance optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. In this study, we provide a design guideline for buried Mie resonator arrays, which is composed of silicon nanostructures atop a silicon substrate and buried by a dielectric film, to attain a superior antireflection effect over a broadband spectral range by gaining entirely new discoveries of their antireflection behaviors. We find that the buried Mie resonator arrays mainly play a role as a transparent antireflection structure and their antireflection effect is insensitive to the nanostructure height when higher than 150 nm, which are of prominent significance for photovoltaic applications in the reduction of photoexcited carrier recombination. We further optimally combine the buried Mie resonator arrays with micron-scale textures to maximize the utilization of photons and thus have successfully achieved an independently certified efficiency of 18.47% for the nanostructured silicon solar cells on a large-size wafer (156 mm × 156 mm).
Mechanisms shaping size structure and functional diversity of phytoplankton communities in the ocean
Authors: Acevedo-Trejos Esteban , Brandt Gunnar , Bruggeman Jorn , Merico Agostino 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe factors regulating phytoplankton community composition play a crucial role in structuring aquatic food webs. However, consensus is still lacking about the mechanisms underlying the observed biogeographical differences in cell size composition of phytoplankton communities. Here we use a trait-based model to disentangle these mechanisms in two contrasting regions of the Atlantic Ocean. In our model, the phytoplankton community can self-assemble based on a trade-off emerging from relationships between cell size and (1) nutrient uptake, (2) zooplankton grazing and (3) phytoplankton sinking. Grazing ‘pushes’ the community towards larger cell sizes, whereas nutrient uptake and sinking ‘pull’ the community towards smaller cell sizes. We find that the stable environmental conditions of the tropics strongly balance these forces leading to persistently small cell sizes and reduced size diversity. In contrast, the seasonality of the temperate region causes the community to regularly reorganize via shifts in species composition and to exhibit, on average, bigger cell sizes and higher size diversity than in the tropics. Our results raise the importance of environmental variability as a key structuring mechanism of plankton communities in the ocean and call for a reassessment of the current understanding of phytoplankton diversity patterns across latitudinal gradients.
The 2014 Josephine Waters Bennett Lecture: “Certain of Death”: Michelangelo’s Late Life and Art*
Authors: Wallace William E. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis essay is a preliminary sketch for a book that examines Michelangelo Buonarroti’s final eighteen years, from his appointment as architect of St. Peter’s until his death in 1564, that is, from age seventy-one to a few weeks shy of eighty-nine. This period represents nearly a quarter of his approximately seventy-five-year artistic career, yet it remains the least familiar segment of Michelangelo’s long life. It is paradoxical that in the final phase of his career, Michelangelo remained prodigiously creative and influential without being prolific — as he had been earlier in his career. His late life was concerned less with making things than with finding the courage and devotion to continue tasks that he knew he would never see to fruition, and this despite the loss of his closest friends, greatest patron, and his entire family.