pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
DNA nanocarriers for systemic administration: characterization and in vivo bioimaging in healthy mice.
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Systemic DNA Administration in Healthy Mice

International audienceWe hereby present different DNA nanocarriers consisting of new multimodular systems (MMS), containing the cationic lipid dioleylaminesuccinylparomomycin (DNA MMS DOSP), or bis (guanidinium)-tren-cholesterol (DNA MMS BGTC), and DNA lipid nanocapsules (DNA LNCs). Active targeting of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) using galactose as a ligand for DNA MMS (GAL DNA MMS) and passive targeting using a polyethylene glycol coating for DNA LNCs (PEG DNA LNCs) should improve the properties of these DNA nanocarriers. All systems were characterized via physicochemical methods and the DNA payload of DNA LNCs was quantified for the first time. Afterwards, their biodistribution in healthy mice was analyzed after encapsulation of a fluorescent dye via in vivo biofluorescence imaging (BFI), revealing various distribution profiles depending on the cationic lipid used and their surface characteristics. Furthermore, the two vectors with the best prolonged circulation profile were administered twice in healthy mice revealing that the new DNA MMS DOSP vectors showed no toxicity and the same distribution profile for both injections, contrary to PEG DNA LNCs which showed a rapid clearance after the second injection, certainly due to the accelerated blood clearance phenomenon.Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids (2013) 2, e64; doi:10.1038/mtna.2012.56; published online 8 January 2013
Gold nanoelectrode ensembles for direct trace electroanalysis of iodide

A procedure for the standardization of ensembles of gold nanodisk electrodes (NEE) of 30 nm diameter is presented, which is based on the\ud
analytical comparison between experimental cyclic voltammograms (CV) obtained at the NEEs in diluted solutions of redox probes and CV\ud
patterns obtained by digital simulation. Possible origins of defects sometimes found in NEEs are discussed. Selected NEEs are then employed\ud
for the study of the electrochemical oxidation of iodide in acidic solutions. CV patterns display typical quasi-reversible behavior which involves\ud
associated chemical reactions between adsorbed and solution species. The main CV characteristics at the NEE compare with those observed at\ud
millimeter sized gold disk electrodes (Au-macro), apart a slight shift in E1/2 values and slightly higher peak to peak separation at the NEE. The\ud
detection limit (DL) at NEEs is 0.3 M, which is more than one order of magnitude lower than DL at the Au-macro (4 M). The mechanism\ud
of the electrochemical oxidation of iodide at NEEs is discussed. Finally, NEEs are applied to the direct determination of iodide at micromolar\ud
concentration levels in real samples, namely in some ophthalmic drugs and iodized table salt
Controls on Gold Solubility in Arc Magmas: An Experimental Study at 1000°C and 4 kbar

International audienceIn order to (1), explain the worldwide association between epithermal gold-copper-molybdenum deposits and arc magmas and (2), test the hypothesis that adakitic magmas would be Au-specialized, we have determined the solubility of Au at 4 kbar and 1000°C for three intermediate magmas (two adakites and one calc-alkaline composition) from the Philippines. The experiments were performed over a fO2 range corresponding to reducing (not, vert, similarNNO-1), moderately oxidizing (not, vert, similarNNO+1.5) and strongly oxidizing (not, vert, similarNNO+3) conditions as measured by solid Ni-Pd-O sensors. They were carried out in gold containers, the latter serving also as the source of gold, in presence of variable amounts of H2O and, in a few additional experiments, of S. Concentrations of Au in glasses were determined by LA-ICPMS. Gold solubility in melt is very low (30-240 ppb) but increases with fO2 in a way consistent with the dissolution of gold as both Au1+ and Au3+ species. In the S-bearing experiments performed at not, vert, similarNNO-1, gold solubility reaches much higher values, from not, vert, similar1200 to 4300 ppb, and seems to correlate with melt S content. No systematic difference in gold solubility is observed between the adakitic and non-adakitic compositions investigated. Oxygen fugacity and the sulfur concentration in melt are the main parameters controlling the incorporation and concentration of gold in magmas. Certain adakitic and non-adakitic magmas have high fO2 and magmatic S concentrations favorable to the incorporation and transport of gold. Therefore, the cause of a particular association between some arc magmas and Au-Cu-Mo deposits needs to be searched in the origin of those specialized magmas by involvement of Au- and S-rich protoliths. The subducted slab, which contains metal-rich massive sulfides, may constitute a potentially favorable protolith for the genesis of magmas specialized with respect to gold
Quantitative reconstruction of climatic variations during the Bronze and early Iron ages based on pollen and lake-level data in the NW Alps, France

International audienceVegetation and lake-level data from the archaeological site of Tresserve, on the eastern shore of Lake Le Bourget (Savoie, France), are used to provide quantitative estimates of climatic variables over the period 4000-2300 cal BP in the northern French Pre-Alps, and to examine the possible impact of climatic changes on societies of the Bronze and early Iron Ages. The results obtained indicate that phases of higher lake level at 3500-3100 and 2750-2350 cal BP coincided with major climate reversals in the North Atlantic area. In west-central Europe, they were marked by cooler and wetter conditions. These two successive events may have affected ancient agricultural communities in west-central Europe by provoking harvest failures, more particularly due to increasing precipitation during the growing season. However, archaeological data in the region of Franche-Comté (Jura Mountains, eastern France) show a general expansion of population density from the middle Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. This suggests a relative emancipation of proto-historic societies from climatic conditions, probably in relation to the spread of new modes of social and economic organisation
Structural and functional basis for lipid synergy on the activity of the antibacterial peptide ABC transporter McjD

The lipid bilayer is a dynamic environment that consists of a mixture of lipids with different properties that regulate the function of membrane proteins; these lipids are either annular, masking the protein hydrophobic surface, or specific lipids, essential for protein function. In this study, using tandem mass spectrometry, we have identified specific lipids associated with the Escherichia coli ABC transporter McjD, which translocates the antibacterial peptide MccJ25. Using non-denaturing mass spectrometry, we show that McjD in complex with MccJ25 survives the gas-phase. Partial delipidation of McjD resulted in reduced ATPase activity and thermostability as shown by Circular Dichroism, both of which could be restored upon addition of defined E. coli lipids. We have resolved a phosphatidylglycerol lipid associated with McjD at 3.4 Å resolution, while molecular dynamic simulations carried out in different lipid environments assessed the binding of specific lipids to McjD. Combined, our data show a synergistic effect of zwitterionic and negatively charged lipids on the activity of McjD; the zwitterionic lipids provide structural stability to McjD whereas the negatively charged lipids are essential for its function
A model for the simulation of energy gains when using distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT) in photovoltaic arrays

Over the past years, the photovoltaic (PV) market has been invaded with numerous power optimizers and micro-inverters that claim large energy gains when used in PV generators with shading or module mismatch. These products provide distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT), normally at module level, allowing the maximum power to be extracted from each PV module. This topology can be beneficial in situations where the PV generator is shaded or when there is large module mismatch. However, it is not clear that this power gain will result in energy improvements over a whole year or the lifetime of the system. This paper presents a very detailed and precise model for simulating energy gains with DMPPT as well as its verification and simulation results with different shading profiles, showing the possible energy gain over a whole year. Simulation results show that the yearly energy gain is much lower than the maximum power gain. However, interesting yearly gains of up to 12% are obtained in one of the simulations
A global inventory of mountains for bio-geographical applications

Mountains are hotspots of biodiversity. Yet, evaluating their importance in global biodiversity inventories requires the adoption of a pertinent definition of mountains. Here, we first compare the well-established WCMC and GMBA definitions, which both use geographical information systems. We show that the WCMC approach arrives at twice the global mountain area and much higher human population numbers than the GMBA one, which is explained by the inclusion of (mostly) low latitude hill country below 600 m elevation. We then present an inventory of the world’s mountains based on the GMBA definition. In this inventory, each of the 1003 entries corresponds to a polygon drawn around a mountain or a mountain range and includes the name of the delineated object, the area of mountainous terrain it covers stratified into different bioclimatic belts (all at 2.5′ resolution), and demographic information. Taken together, the 1003 polygons cover 13.8 Mio km2 of mountain terrain, of which 3.3 Mio km2 are in the alpine and nival belts. This corresponds to 83.7% of the global mountain area sensu GMBA, and 94% of the alpine/nival area. The 386 Mio people inhabiting mountainous terrain within polygons represent 75% of the people globally inhabiting mountains sensu GMBA. This inventory offers a robust framework for the integration of mountain biota in regional and larger scale biodiversity assessments, for biogeography, bioclimatology, macroecology, and conservation research, and for the exploration of a multitude of socio-ecological and climate change-related research questions in mountain biota, including the potential pressure on alpine ecosystems
Growth of Bi doped cadmium zinc telluride single crystals by Bridgman oscillation method and its structural, optical, and electrical analyses

The II-VI compound semiconductor cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is very useful for room temperature radiation detection applications. In the present research, we have successfully grown Bi doped CZT single crystals with two different zinc  concentrations (8 and 14 at. %) by the Bridgman oscillation method, in which one experiment has been carried out with a platinum (Pt) tube as the ampoule support. Pt also acts as a cold finger and reduces the growth velocity and enhances crystalline perfection. The grown single crystals have been studied with different analysis methods. The stoichiometry was confirmed by energy dispersive by x-ray and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy analyses and it was found there is no incorporation of impurities in the grown crystal. The presence of Cd and Te vacancies was determined by cathodoluminescence studies. Electrical properties were assessed by I-V analysis and indicated higher resistive value (8.53 x 10^8 Ω cm) for the crystal grown with higher zinc concentration (with Cd excess) compare to the other (3.71 x 10^5 Ω cm)
Host cell P-glycoprotein is essential for cholesterol uptake and replication of toxoplasma gondii

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a membrane-bound efflux pump which actively exports a wide range of compounds from the cell and is associated with the phenomenon of multidrug-resistance. However, the role of P-gp in normal physiological processes remains elusive. Using P-gp deficient fibroblasts, we showed that P-gp was critical for the replication of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, but was not involved in invasion of host cells by the parasite. Importantly, we found that the protein participated in the transport of host-derived cholesterol to the intracellular parasite. T. gondii replication in P-gp deficient host cells not only resulted in reduced cholesterol content in the parasite but also altered its sphingolipid metabolism. In addition, we found that different levels of P-gp expression modified the cholesterol metabolism in uninfected fibroblasts. Collectively our findings reveal a key and previously undocumented role of P-gp in host-parasite interaction and suggest a physiological role of P-gp in cholesterol trafficking in mammalian cells
Correlation of Raman and X-Ray Diffraction Measurements of Annealed Pulsed Laser Deposited ZnO Thin Films.

Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and atomic force microscopy have been used to characterise ZnO thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition as a function of the post-growth annealing temperature. The results show substantial enhancement and broadening of certain Raman features which correlate excellently with the change in width of the X-ray diffraction peaks. The 570 cm[-1] Raman feature showed pronounced asymmetry and enhanced intensity in the unannealed sample. An increase in grain size observed after subsequent annealing produced a substantial reduction in both the asymmetry and intensity of this peak. Our experimental data suggest that electric fields, due to charge trapping at grain boundaries, in conjunction with localised and surface phonon modes are the cause of the intensity enhancement and asymmetry of this feature
Approach to Identify Internal Best Practices in a Software Organization.

Current approaches to software process improvements (SPI) in software organizations is based on identifying gaps by comparing the way organizations work with respect to practices contained in the reference models. Later, these gaps will be targeted for establishing software process improvements. This paper presents an approach for identifying best practices within the organization. This is considered a key element in order to compare the way software organizations work with the reference models. After that, these practices will be complemented with practices contained in these models depending on the organization's business goals
Solving complex problems with a bioinspired model

Membrane systems are parallel and bioinspired systems which simulate membranes behavior when processing information. As a part of unconventional computing, P-systems are proven to be effective in solvingcomplexproblems.\ud
A software technique is presented here that obtain good results when dealing with such problems. The rules application phase is studied and updated accordingly to obtain the desired results. Certain rules are candidate to be eliminated which can make the model improving in terms of time
An optimized QoS scheme for IMS-NEMO in heterogeneous networks

The network mobility (NEMO) is proposed to support the mobility management when users move as a whole. In IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the individual Quality of Service (QoS) control for NEMO results in excessive signaling cost. On the other hand, current QoS schemes have two drawbacks: unawareness of the heterogeneous wireless environment and inefficient utilization of the reserved bandwidth. To solve these problems, we present a novel heterogeneous bandwidth sharing (HBS) scheme for QoS provision under IMS-based NEMO (IMS-NEMO). The HBS scheme selects the most suitable access network for each session and enables the new coming non-real-time sessions to share bandwidth with the Variable Bit Rate (VBR) coded media flows. The modeling and simulation results demonstrate that the HBS can satisfy users' QoS requirement and obtain a more efficient use of the scarce wireless bandwidth
Additive decomposition in two-stage DEA: An alternative approach

Typically, a two-stage production process assumes that the first stage transforms external inputs to a number of intermediate measures, which then are used as inputs to the second stage that produces the final outputs. The three fundamental approaches to efficiency assessment in the context of DEA (two-stage DEA) are the simple (or independent), the multiplicative and the additive. The simple approach does not assume any relationship between the two stages and estimates the overall efficiency and the individual efficiencies for the two stages independently with typical DEA models. The other two approaches assume a series relationship between the two stages and differ in the way they conceptualize the decomposition of the overall efficiency to the efficiencies of the individual stages.  This paper presents an alternative approach to additive efficiency decomposition in two-stage DEA. We show that when using the intermediate measures as pivot, it is possible to aggregate the efficiency assessment models of the two individual stages in a single linear program. We test our models with data sets taken from previous studies and we compare the results with those reported in the literature.
The determinants of board size and composition: Evidence from the UK

This paper examines the trends and determinants of board structure for a large sample of UK firms from 1981 to 2002. We extend the predominantly US based literature in a number of important ways. Firstly, a comparative analysis of the UK and US legal and institutional settings leads us to hypothesize that UK boards will play a weaker monitoring role and hence board structures will not be determined by monitoring related factors. Our evidence supports this conjecture, showing that board structure determinants differ in predictable ways across different institutional settings. Secondly, in contrast to recent US mandatory reforms, UK reforms have been voluntary. As such they provide an interesting comparison, being arguably more effective than a mandatory approach by allowing firms to choose board structures most appropriate for their own needs. Our results support this point of view. Although the UK reforms do have a significant impact on board structures, a large number of firms choose not to comply, and those that do appear to do so for strong economic reasons. The reforms also appear to reduce the ability of well performing CEOs to influence board structures
Investigating HCI challenges for designing smart environments

With the advancement of technologies related to ‘Internet of Things’, we are moving towards environments characterised by full integration and semantics. Various environments are often summarized with terms such as ‘Smart City’, ‘Smart Home’, ‘Smart Buildings’ or ‘Smart Commerce’. In the meantime, technologies and standards for interoperability have been developed. However, to realise the full potential one remaining challenge is the design, integration and interoperability of many elements into a smart environment. In order to address this challenge, researchers have proposed concepts for Information Systems Design and Enterprise Architectures. By inspecting interaction challenges -in particular activities in which Humans are involved- during the design process, we endeavour in this paper to identify key challenges for designing smart environments. In order to address the challenges we propose a conversational approach that supports the main design phases and allows professionals to interact during the design phases for smart environments
Experimental and numerical FSI study of compliant hydrofoils

A propulsion system based on tandem hydrofoils is studied experimentally and numerically. An experimental measurement system is developed to extract hydrodynamic loads on the foils and capture their twisting deformation during operation. The measured data allowed us to assess the efficiency of the propulsion system as a function of travel speed and stroke frequency. The numerical simulation of the propulsion system is also presented and involves 3D, full-scale fluid–structure interaction (FSI) computation of a single (forward) foil. The foil is modeled as a combination of the isogeometric rotation-free Kirchhoff–Love shell and bending-stabilized cable, while the hydrodynamics makes use of the finite-element-based arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian variational multiscale formulation. The large added mass is handled through a quasi-direct FSI coupling technique. The measurement data collected is used in the validation of the FSI simulation, and excellent agreement is achieved between the predicted and measured hydrodynamic loads and foil twisting motio
siRNA delivery by a transferrin-associated lipid-based vector: a non-viral strategy to mediate gene silencing

RNA interference provides a powerful technology for specific gene silencing. Therapeutic applications of small interfering RNA (siRNA) however require efficient vehicles for stable complexation, protection, and extra- and intracellular delivery of these nucleic acids. Here, we evaluated the potential of transferrin (Tf)-associated liposomes for siRNA complexation and gene silencing.Cationic liposomes composed of DOTAP : Cholesterol associated with or without transferrin (Tf) were complexed with siRNA at different lipid/siRNA charge ratios. Complexation and protection of siRNA from enzymatic degradation was assessed with the PicoGreen intercalation assay and gel electrophoresis. Cellular internalization of these siRNA Tf-lipoplexes was detected by confocal microscopy. Luciferase assay, immunoblot and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis were used to evaluate reporter gene silencing in Huh-7 hepatocarcinoma and U-373 glioma cells. c-Jun knockdown in HT-22 cells was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cytotoxicity of the siRNA complexes was assessed by Alamar blue, lactate dehydrogenase and MTT assays.Complexation of siRNA with the cationic liposomes in the presence of Tf results in the formation of stable particles and prevents serum-mediated degradation. Confocal microscopy showed fast cellular internalization of the Tf-lipoplexes via endocytosis. In the GFP glioma cells Tf-lipoplexes showed enhanced gene silencing at minimum toxicity in comparison to Tf-free lipoplexes. Targeting luciferase in the hepatocarcinoma cell line resulted in more than 70% reduction of luciferase activity, while in HT-22 cells 50% knockdown of endogenous c-Jun resulted in a significant protection from glutamate-mediated toxicity.Cationic liposomes associated with Tf form stable siRNA lipoplexes with reduced toxicity and enhanced specific gene knockdown activity compared to conventional lipoplexes. Thus, such formulations may constitute efficient delivery systems for therapeutic siRNA applications. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jgm.100