bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and functionalization of dendron‐polymer conjugate based hydrogels via sequential thiol‐ene “click” reactions
Authors: Kaga Sadik , Gevrek Tugce N. , Sanyal Amitav , Sanyal Rana 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACTFabrication and functionalization of hydrogels from well‐defined dendron‐polymer‐dendron conjugates is accomplished using sequential radical thiol‐ene “click” reactions. The dendron‐polymer conjugates were synthesized using an azide‐alkyne “click” reaction of alkene‐containing polyester dendrons bearing an alkyne group at their focal point with linear poly(ethylene glycol)‐bisazides. Thiol‐ene “click” reaction was used for crosslinking these alkene functionalized dendron‐polymer conjugates using a tetrathiol‐based crosslinker to provide clear and transparent hydrogels. Hydrogels with residual alkene groups at crosslinking sites were obtained by tuning the alkene‐thiol stoichiometry. The residual alkene groups allow efficient postfunctionalization of these hydrogel matrices with thiol‐containing molecules via a subsequent radical thiol‐ene reaction. The photochemical nature of radical thiol‐ene reaction was exploited to fabricate micropatterned hydrogels. Tunability of functionalization of these hydrogels, by varying dendron generation and polymer chain length was demonstrated by conjugation of a thiol‐containing fluorescent dye. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 926–934
Some of the most interesting CASP11 targets through the eyes of their authors
Authors: Kryshtafovych Andriy , Moult John , Baslé Arnaud , Burgin Alex , Craig Timothy K. , Edwards Robert A. , Fass Deborah , Hartmann Marcus D. , Korycinski Mateusz , Lewis Richard J. , Lorimer Donald , Lupas Andrei N. , Newman Janet , Peat Thomas S. , Piepenbrink Kurt H. , Prahlad Janani , van Raaij Mark J. , Rohwer Forest , Segall Anca M. , Seguritan Victor , Sundberg Eric J. , Singh Abhimanyu K. , Wilson Mark A. , Schwede Torsten 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACTThe Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction (CASP) experiment would not have been possible without the prediction targets provided by the experimental structural biology community. In this article, selected crystallographers providing targets for the CASP11 experiment discuss the functional and biological significance of the target proteins, highlight their most interesting structural features, and assess whether these features were correctly reproduced in the predictions submitted to CASP11. Proteins 2016; 84(Suppl 1):34–50. © 2015 The Authors. Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A New Model for Prediction of One Electron Reduction Potential of Nitroaryl Compounds
Authors: Fareghi‐Alamdari Reza , Zandi Farzad , Keshavarz Mohammad Hossein 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis paper introduces a simple model for prediction of one electron reduction potential [E(RNO2/R•NO2–)] of various nitroaryl compounds. The new method uses energy difference between highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) in gas phase at the B3LYP/6‐311++G** level (ΔEHOMO‐LUMO) and some structural parameters. It was used for 35 nitroaryl compounds including nitrobenzenes, nitrofurans, 2‐nitroimidazoles, 4‐nitroimidazoles, 5‐ninuintidazoles, nitroazaindoles, nitroacridines, and miscellaneous nitroaryl compounds. The root mean square (rms) percent deviation and the average absolute error of predictions of E(RNO2/R•NO2–) relative to experiment were decreased from 12.4 % and 0.42 V to 3.5 % and 0.11 V, respectively, upon consideration of several structural parameters. Increment of the value of ΔEHOMO‐LUMO and inclusion of specific polar groups can increase thermodynamic stability of these compounds.
Evaluating Mind Fitness Training and Its Potential Effects on Surgical Residents’ Well‐Being: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study
Authors: Lases S. S. , Lombarts M. J. M. H. , Slootweg Irene A. , Arah Onyebuchi A. , Pierik E. G. J. M. , Heineman Erik 
Published: October 2015

AbstractBackgroundResidents’ well‐being is essential for both the individual physician and the quality of patient care they deliver. Therefore, it is important to maintain or possibly enhance residents’ well‐being. We investigated (i) the influence of mind fitness training (MFT) on quality of care‐related well‐being characteristics: work engagement, empathy, work satisfaction and stress perception and explored (ii) residents’ perceptions of MFT.MethodsA multicenter study was conducted in eight Dutch teaching hospitals, from September 2012 to February 2014, using mixed methods—that is, quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Eighty‐nine surgical residents were invited to participate in pre‐ and post‐intervention questionnaire surveys. Twenty‐two residents participated in MFT and were additionally invited to evaluate the training by post‐intervention interviews including open questions.ResultsAt baseline 22 (100 %) residents in intervention group and 47 (70.2 %) residents in control group, and post‐intervention 20 (90.9 %) residents in intervention group and 41 (66.1 %) residents in control group completed the questionnaires. In intervention‐group, residents’ specialty satisfaction increased by 0.23 point on 5‐point Likert scale (95 % CI 0.23–0.24, P < 0.001) while stress scores decreased by −0.94 point on 10‐point scale (95 % CI −1.77 to −0.12, P = 0.026). No substantial changes were observed in control group. Participation in MFT was positively associated with residents’ empathy (b = 7.22; 95 % CI 4.33–10.11; P < 0.001) and specialty satisfaction scores (b = 0.42; 95 % CI 0.18–0.65; P = 0.001). Residents positively evaluated MFT with median scores of 6.80 for training design and 7.21 for outcome (10‐point scale). Residents perceived improvement in focusing skills and reported being more aware of their own state of mind and feeling calmer and more in control.ConclusionMind fitness training could improve residents’ empathy, specialty satisfaction, stress perception, and focusing skills, and was positively received by surgical residents.
The effects of moderate energy restriction on apnoea severity and CVD risk factors in obese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Fernandes Julia Freitas Rodrigues , Araújo Luciene da Silva , Kaiser Sergio Emanuel , Sanjuliani Antonio Felipe , Klein Márcia Regina Simas Torres 
Published: October 2015

AbstractNutritional intervention for weight loss is one of the treatment options for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in patients with overweight or obesity. However, the effects of moderate energy restriction on OSA severity are not yet known. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of moderate energy restriction on OSA severity and CVD risk factors in obese patients with OSA. In this 16-week randomised clinical trial, twenty-one obese subjects aged 20–55 years and presenting an apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI)≥5 events/h were randomised into two groups: the energy restriction group (ERG) and the control group (CG). The ERG was instructed to follow an energy-restricted diet −3347·2 kJ/d (−800 kcal/d) and the CG was advised not to change their food intake. At the beginning and at the end of the study, participants underwent evaluation of the following: OSA (Watch-PAT200®), nutritional parameters, blood pressure, sympathetic activity, inflammatory biomarkers, metabolic profile and endothelial function. The ERG (n11), compared with the CG (n10), had a significantly greater reduction in body weight (Cohen’sd=−1·19;P<0·001), in AHI (Cohen’sd=−0·95;P=0·04) and in plasma concentrations of adrenaline (Cohen’sd=−1·02;P=0·04) as well as a significantly greater increase in minimum O2saturation (Cohen’sd=1·08;P=0·03). Although energy restriction was not associated with significant improvements in CVD risk factors, medium-to-large effect sizes were observed, suggesting that the statistically non-significant difference between groups may be due to the small sample size. This study suggests that in obese patients with OSA, moderate energy restriction is able to reduce the parameters of OSA severity and sympathetic activity.
A War Within a War: Mizo rebels and the Bangladesh liberation struggle
Authors: VAN SCHENDEL WILLEM 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn 1971 a war led to the creation of Bangladesh. Instantly three narratives sprang up: the war as a national triumph, the war as betrayal and shame, and the war as a glorious campaign. Today more layered interpretations are superseding these ‘first-generation narratives’. Taking the case of insurgents from neighbouring India who, against their will, became embroiled in the war, this article seeks to contribute to ‘second-generation narratives’ that challenge the historiographical apportioning of blame and the national/ethnic framing of the conflict. The article uses hitherto-unpublished photographs from private collections to demonstrate how the war for the liberation of Mizoram (India) and that for the liberation of Bangladesh became entangled. Jointly they produced a ‘war within a war’ that unsettles common assumptions about both these struggles.
How do healthcare workers judge pain in older palliative care patients with delirium near the end of life?
Authors: Gagliese Lucia , Rodin Rebecca , Chan Vincent , Stevens Bonnie , Zimmermann Camilla 
Published: October 2015

AbstractObjective:Pain and delirium are commonly reported in older people with advanced cancer. However, assessing pain in this population is challenging, and there is currently no validated assessment tool for this task. The present retrospective cohort study was conducted to understand how healthcare workers (HCWs; nurses and physicians) determine that older cancer patients with delirium are in pain.Method:We reviewed the medical records of consecutive palliative care inpatients, 65 years of age and above (N= 113), in order to identify patient-based cues used by HCWs to make pain judgments and to examine how the cues differ by delirium subtype and outcome.Results:We found that HCWs routinely make judgments about pain in older patients with delirium using a repertoire of strategies that includes patient self-report and observations of spontaneous and evoked behavior. Using these strategies, HCWs judged pain to be highly prevalent in this inpatient palliative care setting.Significance of results:These novel findings will inform the development of valid and reliable tools to assess pain in older cancer patients with delirium.
Ultrafast electronic state conversion at room temperature utilizing hidden state in cuprate ladder system
Authors: Fukaya R. , Okimoto Y. , Kunitomo M. , Onda K. , Ishikawa T. , Koshihara S. , Hashimoto H. , Ishihara S. , Isayama A. , Yui H. , Sasagawa T. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractPhoto-control of material properties on femto- (10−15) and pico- (10−12) second timescales at room temperature has been a long-sought goal of materials science. Here we demonstrate a unique ultrafast conversion between the metallic and insulating state and the emergence of a hidden insulating state by tuning the carrier coherence in a wide temperature range in the two-leg ladder superconductor Sr14-xCaxCu24O41 through femtosecond time-resolved reflection spectroscopy. We also propose a theoretical scenario that can explain the experimental results. The calculations indicate that the holes injected by the ultrashort light reduce the coherence among the inherent hole pairs and result in suppression of conductivity, which is opposite to the conventional photocarrier-doping mechanism. By using trains of ultrashort laser pulses, we successively tune the carrier coherence to within 1 picosecond. Control of hole-pair coherence is shown to be a realistic strategy for tuning the electronic state on ultrafast timescales at room temperature.
High-temperature superconductivity in space-charge regions of lanthanum cuprate induced by two-dimensional doping
Authors: Baiutti F. , Logvenov G. , Gregori G. , Cristiani G. , Wang Y. , Sigle W. , van Aken P. A. , Maier J. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe exploitation of interface effects turned out to be a powerful tool for generating exciting material properties. Such properties include magnetism, electronic and ionic transport and even superconductivity. Here, instead of using conventional homogeneous doping to enhance the hole concentration in lanthanum cuprate and achieve superconductivity, we replace single LaO planes with SrO dopant planes using atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (two-dimensional doping). Electron spectroscopy and microscopy, conductivity measurements and zinc tomography reveal such negatively charged interfaces to induce layer-dependent superconductivity (Tc up to 35 K) in the space-charge zone at the side of the planes facing the substrate, where the strontium (Sr) profile is abrupt. Owing to the growth conditions, the other side exhibits instead a Sr redistribution resulting in superconductivity due to conventional doping. The present study represents a successful example of two-dimensional doping of superconducting oxide systems and demonstrates its power in this field.
A non-proteolytic role for ubiquitin in deadenylation of MHC-I mRNA by the RNA-binding E3-ligase MEX-3C
Authors: Cano Florencia , Rapiteanu Radu , Sebastiaan Winkler G. , Lehner Paul J. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe regulation of protein and mRNA turnover is essential for many cellular processes. We recently showed that ubiquitin—traditionally linked to protein degradation—directly regulates the degradation of mRNAs through the action of a newly identified family of RNA-binding E3 ubiquitin ligases. How ubiquitin regulates mRNA decay remains unclear. Here, we identify a new role for ubiquitin in regulating deadenylation, the initial and often rate-limiting step in mRNA degradation. MEX-3C, a canonical member of this family of RNA-binding ubiquitin ligases, associates with the cytoplasmic deadenylation complexes and ubiquitinates CNOT7(Caf1), the main catalytic subunit of the CCR4-NOT deadenylation machinery. We establish a new role for ubiquitin in regulating MHC-I mRNA deadenylation as ubiquitination of CNOT7 by MEX-3C regulates its deadenylation activity and is required for MHC-I mRNA degradation. Since neither proteasome nor lysosome inhibitors rescued MEX-3C-mediated MHC-I mRNA degradation, our findings suggest a new non-proteolytic function for ubiquitin in the regulation of mRNA decay.
Predictive analytics of environmental adaptability in multi-omic network models
Authors: Angione Claudio , Lió Pietro 
Published: October 2015

AbstractBacterial phenotypic traits and lifestyles in response to diverse environmental conditions depend on changes in the internal molecular environment. However, predicting bacterial adaptability is still difficult outside of laboratory controlled conditions. Many molecular levels can contribute to the adaptation to a changing environment: pathway structure, codon usage, metabolism. To measure adaptability to changing environmental conditions and over time, we develop a multi-omic model of Escherichia coli that accounts for metabolism, gene expression and codon usage at both transcription and translation levels. After the integration of multiple omics into the model, we propose a multiobjective optimization algorithm to find the allowable and optimal metabolic phenotypes through concurrent maximization or minimization of multiple metabolic markers. In the condition space, we propose Pareto hypervolume and spectral analysis as estimators of short term multi-omic (transcriptomic and metabolic) evolution, thus enabling comparative analysis of metabolic conditions. We therefore compare, evaluate and cluster different experimental conditions, models and bacterial strains according to their metabolic response in a multidimensional objective space, rather than in the original space of microarray data. We finally validate our methods on a phenomics dataset of growth conditions. Our framework, named METRADE, is freely available as a MATLAB toolbox.
The conservation and signatures of lincRNAs in Marek’s disease of chicken
Authors: He Yanghua , Ding Yi , Zhan Fei , Zhang Huanmin , Han Bo , Hu Gangqing , Zhao Keji , Yang Ning , Yu Ying , Mao Li , Song Jiuzhou 
Published: October 2015

AbstractLong intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) associated with a number of cancers and other diseases have been identified in mammals, but they are still formidable to be comprehensively identified and characterized. Marek’s disease (MD) is a T cell lymphoma of chickens induced by Marek’s disease virus (MDV). Here, we used a MD chicken model to develop a precise pipeline for identifying lincRNAs and to determine the roles of lincRNAs in T cell tumorigenesis. More than 1,000 lincRNA loci were identified in chicken bursa. Computational analyses demonstrated that lincRNAs are conserved among different species such as human, mouse and chicken. The putative lincRNAs were found to be associated with a wide range of biological functions including immune responses. Interestingly, we observed distinct lincRNA expression signatures in bursa between MD resistant and susceptible lines of chickens. One of the candidate lincRNAs, termed linc-satb1, was found to play a crucial role in MD immune response by regulating a nearby protein-coding gene SATB1. Thus, our results manifested that lincRNAs may exert considerable influence on MDV-induced T cell tumorigenesis and provide a rich resource for hypothesis-driven functional studies to reveal genetic mechanisms underlying susceptibility to tumorigenesis.
Mass Spectrometric and Spectrofluorometric Studies of the Interaction of Aristolochic Acids with Proteins
Authors: Li Weiwei , Hu Qin , Chan Wan 
Published: October 2015

AbstractAristolochic acid (AA) is a potent carcinogen and nephrotoxin and is associated with the development of “Chinese herb nephropathy” and Balkan endemic nephropathy. Despite decades of research, the specific mechanism of the observed nephrotoxicity has remained elusive and the potential effects on proteins due to the observed toxicity of AA are not well-understood. To better understand the pharmacotoxicological features of AA, we investigated the non-covalent interactions of AA with proteins. The protein-binding properties of AA with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme were characterized using spectrofluorometric and mass spectrometric (MS) techniques. Moreover, the protein-AA complexes were clearly identified by high-resolution MS analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first direct evidence of non-covalently bound protein-AA complexes. An analysis of the spectrofluorometric data by a modified Stern−Volmer plot model also revealed that both aristolochic acid I (AAI) and aristolochic acid II (AAII) were bound to BSA and lysozyme in 1:1 stoichiometries. A significantly stronger protein binding property was observed in AAII than in AAI as evidenced by the spectrofluorometric and MS analyses, which may explain the observed higher mutagenicity of AAII.
Artificial Gauge Field and Topological Phase in a Conventional Two-dimensional Electron Gas with Antidot Lattices
Authors: Shi Likun , Lou Wenkai , Cheng F. , Zou Y. L. , Yang Wen , Chang Kai 
Published: October 2015

AbstractBased on the Born-Oppemheimer approximation, we divide the total electron Hamiltonian in a spin-orbit coupled system into the slow orbital motion and the fast interband transition processes. We find that the fast motion induces a gauge field on the slow orbital motion, perpendicular to the electron momentum, inducing a topological phase. From this general designing principle, we present a theory for generating artificial gauge field and topological phase in a conventional two-dimensional electron gas embedded in parabolically graded GaAs/InxGa1−xAs/GaAs quantum wells with antidot lattices. By tuning the etching depth and period of the antidot lattices, the band folding caused by the antidot potential leads to the formation of minibands and band inversions between neighboring subbands. The intersubband spin-orbit interaction opens considerably large nontrivial minigaps and leads to many pairs of helical edge states in these gaps.
RNAi knockdown of acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene eliminates jinggangmycin-enhanced reproduction and population growth in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens
Authors: Zhang Yi-Xin , Ge Lin-Quan , Jiang Yi-Ping , Lu Xiu-Li , Li Xin , Stanley David , Song Qi-Sheng , Wu Jin-Cai 
Published: October 2015

AbstractA major challenge in ecology lies in understanding the coexistence of intraguild species, well documented at the organismal level, but not at the molecular level. This study focused on the effects of the antibiotic, jinggangmycin (JGM), a fungicide widely used in Asian rice agroecosystems, on reproduction of insects within the planthopper guild, including the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens and the white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera, both serious resurgence rice pests. JGM exposure significantly increased BPH fecundity and population growth, but suppressed both parameters in laboratory and field WBPH populations. We used digital gene expression and transcriptomic analyses to identify a panel of differentially expressed genes, including a set of up-regulated genes in JGM-treated BPH, which were down-regulated in JGM-treated WBPH. RNAi silencing of Acetyl Co-A carboxylase (ACC), highly expressed in JGM-treated BPH, reduced ACC expression (by > 60%) and eliminated JGM-induced fecundity increases in BPH. These findings support our hypothesis that differences in ACC expression separates intraguild species at the molecular level.
Effects of Scorpion venom peptide B5 on hematopoietic recovery in irradiated mice and the primary mechanisms
Authors: Wang Caixia , Zhou Meixun , Li Ting , Wang Yan , Xing Baiqian , Kong Tianhan , Dong Weihua 
Published: October 2015

AbstractScorpion venom peptide B5 (SVP-B5) stimulates recovery of hematopoiesis after exposure to radiation. However, its radioprotective effects and mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of SVP-B5 on hematopoietic recovery in mice after total body irradiation (TBI) at a dose of 7.5Gy and 6Gy and to explore the possible primary mechanisms. SVP-B5 at a dose of 2.63 μg/kg significantly reduced the mortality rate of mice after TBI (p < 0.05). It showed markedly protective effects against radiation injury. SVP-B5 also significantly increased the number of bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNCs) and increased the colony forming unit (CFU) number in irradiated mice, accelerated the post-irradiation recovery of peripheral blood leukocytes and platelets in mice. SVP-B5 treatment markedly reduced the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels in BMNCs after TBI, reduced γH2AX levels and decreased the relative expression levels of p16 and p21 mRNA at day14 (d14) after irradiation. Our study indicated that SVP-B5 could partially mitigate radiation-induced DNA damage, enhance the post-radiation hematopoietic recovery and improve the survival rate probably through the ROS-p16/p21 pathway.