bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of cup-shaped micro-electromechanical systems-based vector hydrophone
Authors: Xu Wei , Liu Yuan , Zhang Guojun , Wang Renxin , Xue Chenyang , Zhang Wendong , Liu Jun
Published: September 2016

Similar to the vital performance factors, the receiving sensitivity and the bandwidth exist interactively in the micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based vector hydrophones. Some existing methods can improve the sensitivity of the hydrophone, but these improvements are usually gained at a cost of the bandwidth. However, the cup-shaped MEMS vector hydrophone that is presented in this paper can improve its sensitivity while retaining a sufficient bandwidth. The cup-shaped structure acts as a new sensing unit in the MEMS vector hydrophone, replacing the bionic columnar hair that was previously used for sensing. The relationships between the parameters of the cup-shaped structure and the sensitivity of the vector hydrophone were determined by a theoretical deduction. In addition, simulation analyses were performed, and optimized structural parameters were obtained in this work. ANSYS 15.0 simulation was used to derive the optimum characteristics for the cup-shaped structure. The results of the calibration experiments showed that the sensitivity reached up to −188.5 dB (gain of 40 dB, 1 kHz, 0 dB@1 V/μPa), and the bandwidth was in the 20 Hz–1 kHz range, which is sufficient for an underwater acoustic detection at low frequencies. This work has, thus, proved that the cup-shaped vector hydrophone has superior properties for the engineering applications.
Demonstration of imaging X-ray Thomson scattering on OMEGA EP
Authors: Belancourt Patrick X. , Theobald Wolfgang , Keiter Paul A. , Collins Tim J. B. , Bonino Mark J. , Kozlowski Pawel M. , Regan Sean P. , Drake R. Paul
Published: September 2016

Foams are a common material for high-energy-density physics experiments because of low, tunable densities, and being machinable. Simulating these experiments can be difficult because the equation of state is largely unknown for shocked foams. The focus of this experiment was to develop an x-ray scattering platform for measuring the equation of state of shocked foams on OMEGA EP. The foam used in this experiment is resorcinol formaldehyde with an initial density of 0.34 g/cm3. One long-pulse (10 ns) beam drives a shock into the foam, while the remaining three UV beams with a 2 ns square pulse irradiate a nickel foil to create the x-ray backlighter. The primary diagnostic for this platform, the imaging x-ray Thomson spectrometer, spectrally resolves the scattered x-ray beam while imaging in one spatial dimension. Ray tracing analysis of the density profile gives a compression of 3 ± 1 with a shock speed of 39 ± 6 km/s. Analysis of the scattered x-ray spectra gives an upper bound temperature of 20 eV.
Generation of a mean flow by an internal wave
Authors: Semin B. , Facchini G. , Pétrélis F. , Fauve S.
Published: September 2016

We experimentally study the generation of a mean flow by a two-dimensional progressive internal gravity wave. Due to the viscous damping of the wave, a non-vanishing Reynolds stress gradient forces a mean flow. When the forcing amplitude is low, the wave amplitude is proportional to the forcing and the mean flow is quadratic in the forcing. When the forcing amplitude is large, the mean flow decreases the wave amplitude. This feedback saturates both the wave and the mean flow. The profiles of the mean flow and the wave are compared with a one-dimensional analytical model. Decreasing the forcing frequency leads to a wave and a mean flow localized on a smaller height, in agreement with the model.
Integrative characterization of the thermoelectric performance of an individual multiwalled carbon nanotube
Authors: Miao Tingting , Shi Shaoyi , Yan Shen , Ma Weigang , Zhang Xing , Takahashi Koji , Ikuta Tatsuya
Published: September 2016

Carbon nanotube-based organic composites and carbon nanotube networks are important flexible and lightweight thermoelectric materials. Characterization of the thermoelectric performance of individual carbon nanotubes is of vital importance for exploring the coupling mechanism between carbon nanotubes and organic composites, and proposing further improvement measures. The thermoelectric performance of an individual multiwalled carbon nanotube with a diameter of 66 nm has been comprehensively studied by applying our T-type method from 260 K to 420 K, using the same measurement configuration. The figure of merit increases from 4.84 × 10−8 to 1.32 × 10−6 on increasing the temperature, which is smaller than previous experimental results on carbon nanotube samples. The thermal conductivity increases from 706 W m−1 K−1 at 260 K to 769.3 W m−1 K−1 at 320 K, and then stays nearly constant until 420 K. The phonons dominate the thermal transport. The electrical conductivity exhibits thermally activated carrier generation and transport with an energy barrier of 194.5 meV. The Seebeck coefficient is in the range of 29.4–41.0 μV K−1 and tends to decrease with temperature.
Investigation of magneto-optical effects on properties of surface modes in one dimensional magnetized plasma photonic crystals
Authors: Shukla Shikha , Prasad Surendra , Singh Vivek
Published: September 2016

We have studied the properties of surface modes on one dimensional magnetized plasma photonic crystals in two configurations: Faraday and Voigt configurations. The results have been demonstrated by using the transfer matrix method and employing boundary conditions for TE and TM modes, respectively. For the Voigt effect, only the TM mode is considered because the TE modes under the influence of external magnetic field have the same properties as un-magnetized plasma. The influence of external magnetic field has been studied for three cases, i.e., TE left circular polarization, TE right circular polarization, and TM surface modes. It is shown that the properties of surface modes can be tuned correspondingly by changing the cap layer thickness, wave vector, and external magnetic field in the desired photonic band gap. The results show that collision frequency has a negligible effect on surface modes. A new type of wave called Fano mode has been reported for the Voigt effect for the TM mode in the first band gap. Proof of its existence has been demonstrated in the present paper.
CdTe nBn photodetectors with ZnTe barrier layer grown on InSb substrates
Authors: He Zhao-Yu , Campbell Calli M. , Lassise Maxwell B. , Lin Zhi-Yuan , Becker Jacob J. , Zhao Yuan , Boccard Mathieu , Holman Zachary , Zhang Yong-Hang
Published: September 2016

We have demonstrated an 820 nm cutoff CdTe nBn photodetector with ZnTe barrier layer grown on an InSb substrate. At room temperature, under a bias of −0.1 V, the photodetector shows Johnson and shot noise limited specific detectivity (D*) of 3 × 1013 cm Hz1/2/W at a wavelength of 800 nm and 2 × 1012 cm Hz1/2/W at 200 nm. The D* is optimized by using a top contact design of ITO/undoped-CdTe. This device not only possesses nBn advantageous characteristics, such as generation-recombination dark current suppression and voltage-bias-addressed two-color photodetection, but also offers features including responsivity enhancements by deep-depletion and by using a heterostructure ZnTe barrier layer. In addition, this device provides a platform to study nBn device physics at room temperature, which will help us to understand more sophisticated properties of infrared nBn photodetectors that may possess a large band-to-band tunneling current at a high voltage bias, because this current is greatly suppressed in the large-bandgap CdTe nBn photodetector.
Spaces of paths and the path topology
Authors: Low Robert J.
Published: September 2016

The natural topology on the space of causal paths of a space-time depends on the topology chosen on the space-time itself. Here we consider the effect of using the path topology on space-time instead of the manifold topology, and its consequences for how properties of space-time are reflected in the structure of the space of causal paths.
Dynamic interactions of Leidenfrost droplets on liquid metal surface
Authors: Ding Yujie , Liu Jing
Published: September 2016

Leidenfrost dynamic interaction effects of the isopentane droplets on the surface of heated liquid metal were disclosed. Unlike conventional rigid metal, such conductive and deformable liquid metal surface enables the levitating droplets to demonstrate rather abundant and complex dynamics. The Leidenfrost droplets at different diameters present diverse morphologies and behaviors like rotation and oscillation. Depending on the distance between the evaporating droplets, they attract and repulse each other through the curved surfaces beneath them and their vapor flows. With high boiling point up to 2000 °C, liquid metal offers a unique platform for testing the evaporating properties of a wide variety of liquid even solid.
Effects of quasiperiodic forcing in epidemic models
Authors: Bilal Shakir , Singh Brajendra K. , Prasad Awadhesh , Michael Edwin
Published: September 2016

We study changes in the bifurcations of seasonally driven compartmental epidemic models, where the transmission rate is modulated temporally. In the presence of periodic modulation of the transmission rate, the dynamics varies from periodic to chaotic. The route to chaos is typically through period doubling bifurcation. There are coexisting attractors for some sets of parameters. However in the presence of quasiperiodic modulation, tori are created in place of periodic orbits and chaos appears via finite torus doublings. Strange nonchaotic attractors (SNAs) are created at the boundary of chaotic and torus dynamics. Multistability is found to be reduced as a function of quasiperiodic modulation strength. It is argued that occurrence of SNAs gives an opportunity of asymptotic predictability of epidemic growth even when the underlying dynamics is strange.
A new hyperchaotic circuit with two memristors and its application in image encryption
Authors: Wang Zhulin , Min Fuhong , Wang Enrong
Published: September 2016

Memristor is a kind of resistance with a memory function and its special properties decide its broad prospect for application. At present, the focus and difficulty of the research in memristor lie in the establishment of new models and related applications. Therefore, in this paper a new continuous and smooth memristor model is put forward first and the correctness of this new model is proved through the study in the phase trajectory relationship between voltage and current. Then based on Chua’s circuit, a new fifth-order hyper-chaotic circuit including two new memristor models is designed and the dimensionless mathematical model is deduced. By the classical nonlinear method of circuit analysis, the dissipation of the new system is put into study in this paper. It is proved through numerical simulation, bifurcation diagram, Lyapunov spectrum that the new system has its unique dynamical behavior. At last, chaotic sequence of the new system is used to encrypt the image and the encrypted histogram, the correlation and anti-attack capability between adjacent pixels and the key sensitivity are emphatically analyzed. It turns out that when applied to image encryption, the newly proposed memristor chaotic system has relatively high safety performance.
Brassinosteroids participate in the control of basal and acquired freezing tolerance of plants
Authors: Eremina Marina , Unterholzner Simon J. , Rathnayake Ajith I. , Castellanos Marcos , Khan Mamoona , Kugler Karl G. , May Sean T. , Mayer Klaus F. X. , Rozhon Wilfried , Poppenberger Brigitte
Published: September 2016

Significance

Cold stress is an influential environmental factor that affects plant distribution and can strongly limit crop productivity. Plants have evolved sophisticated signaling cascades that enable them to withstand chilling or even freezing temperatures. These cascades alter the biochemical composition of cells for protection from damage caused by low-temperature stress. In addition, cold stress has a profound impact on plant morphologies, causing growth repression and reduced yields. In this work we reveal that the brassinosteroids, a class of steroid hormones that is known for its role in growth control, also confers freezing tolerance in plants and describe regulatory circuits that contribute to this activity. Implications for the breeding of cold-resistant plants are discussed.
From Song to Instrumental Style
Authors: Wollenberg Susan
Published: September 2016

Building on my recent work Schubert’s Fingerprints: Studies in the Instrumental Works, this chapter examines closely the stylistic ‘fingerprints’ evident in Schubert’s piano, chamber and orchestral works. The works referred to include the ‘Wanderer’ Fantasy, D 760; the Impromptus for Piano, D 899 No. 2 and No. 4; the Piano Duet Fantasy in F minor, D 940; the G major Piano Sonata, D 894; the last three Piano Sonatas, D 958–60; the Quartettsatz, D 703; the last three String Quartets, especially the G major Quartet, D 887; the String Quintet, D 956; the ‘Unfinished’ Symphony, D 859; and the ‘Great’ C major Symphony, D 944. The fingerprints to be investigated will include such aspects as Schubert’s treatment of episodic forms, especially in his slow movements; the ramifications of his major-minor usage; the application of variation processes in his instrumental forms; and Schubert’s penchant for mirror effects (palindrome).
Narrative Dislocations in the First Movement of Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ Symphony
Authors: Hascher Xavier
Published: September 2016

This essay considers the first movement of Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ Symphony from the perspective of its narrative trajectory. In reference to the vocabulary introduced by Freud in his dream theory, it distinguishes between a ‘manifest’ narration on the surface and a deeper, hidden, ‘latent’ one that influences the former and accounts for the spectacular, violent outbursts that periodically interrupt its course. Whereas the surface narration seems to follow the narrative programme normally associated with sonata form, what is actually happening in the movement makes use of this unfolding to recount a different story, one that is entirely static, non-evolving and obsessional in nature. The manifest narrative trajectory is underlain by an anti-narration, a non-trajectory that distorts and dislocates it, so that the movement only progresses through a succession of crises and interruptions.
Axial Lyric Space in Two Late Songs
Authors: Spitzer Michael
Published: September 2016

The deserved prestige of Der Winterreise and Schwanengesang distracts from the many other extraordinary songs of Schubert’s final years. This essay considers two of these late songs, ‘Im Freien’ (1826) and ‘Der Winterabend’ (1828), as consummate examples of the composer’s late style and considers how and why it differs from the paradigmatic case of late style—Beethoven’s. Whereas Adorno framed the aesthetic spectacles through which we view Schubert’s great contemporary, I explore ways in which Heidegger can illuminate the ontology of Schubert’s late songs, with their ethos of sonority, lyric temporality and memory. That Schubert fits within a phenomenological tradition of music analysis was suggested by David Lewin’s famous Husserlian analysis of ‘Morgengrüss’. This chapter extrapolates strands of Lewin’s approach to the aesthetic domain of Spätstil.
Schubert through a Neo-Riemannian Lens
Authors: Clark Suzannah
Published: September 2016

Franz Schubert’s ‘Schwanengesang’ (‘Wie klag’ ich’s aus’), D744, sets a poem by Johann Chrysostomus Senn (1795–1857) that begins with a swan song and ends with a narrator’s commentary. The inherent Volkslied quality of Senn’s highly regular strophic poem was recast by Schubert into a modified strophic setting, within which the swan song itself—the song within a song—is a highly modulatory, through-composed structure. These constant modulations aptly capture the swan’s gradual metamorphosis. I argue that scrutinising Schubert’s modulatory strategy through a neo-Riemannian lens has profound theoretical and aesthetic implications. I contend that Schubert’s propensity to colour repeated tones in the vocal line with different harmonies in the accompaniment led him not only to intuit the contents of the PLR neo-Riemannian cycle of the ‘chicken-wire’ Tonnetz, but also to transform the role of the accompaniment from its deliberately superfluous function within the Volkslied aesthetic into a vital vehicle of musical meaning.
The End of the Road in Schubert’s Winterreise
Authors: Stein Deborah
Published: September 2016

Schubert’s Winterreise has undergone tremendous scrutiny for many years, and yet two issues remain unresolved: first, where is the climax of the cycle; and second, what is the fate of the wanderer? To some, the cycle climaxes in the final song, ‘Der Leiermann’, where the wanderer succumbs to madness; to others, the cycle culminates in ‘Der Wegweiser’, where the weary wanderer embraces death. While I agree that ‘Der Wegweiser’ is the cycle’s climax, I propose a third option for the wanderer’s fate: that the signpost points away from his struggle and torment and towards uncharted territory, suggtesting that, in fact, the cycle never really comes to an end. My interpretation of the cycle’s irresolution focuses upon the extraordinary chromaticism of ‘Der Wegweiser’ and the German Romantic concept of the fragment, which champions incompletion and irresolution.
Challenging the Context
Authors: Bodley Lorraine Byrne
Published: September 2016

The image of ‘poor Schubert’, partly born of the Romantic idea of the unrecognised artistic genius thus set in antithesis with the canonical artist and titanic personality of Goethe, has contributed to misconceptions about the relationship between Goethe and Schubert. This chapter will throw new light on Goethe’s reception of Schubert and unveil how the deep affinity between these artists, which has been overshadowed by the reception of these letters, is continually unveiled in Schubert’s Wanderlieder. Although this personal identification is overt in ‘Der Musensohn’, Goethe’s wanderer is not merely the poet, but a finite being whose existence is endeavour, whose striving never slackens until death. This philosophical principle found expression in Schubert’s life and lieder. His preoccupation with Goethe’s dispossessed, alienated wanderer figure was particularly intense in 1822–4, when it is clear that he was writing music defiantly in tune with the laws of his own artistic nature.
The Dictionary divides: 1884–1887
Authors: Gilliver Peter
Published: September 2016

This chapter describes the progress of the Dictionary down to the appointment of Henry Bradley as its second Editor in 1887. It examines the early critical reception of the Dictionary, including the review of Part I by Bradley, through which he was identified as a collaborator; it describes the involvement of Philip Lyttelton Gell with the project following his appointment as Secretary to the Delegates of OUP, and the efforts (by Benjamin Jowett and others) to persuade James Murray to resign his position at Mill Hill and move to Oxford. The appointments of other key members of the Dictionary’s staff, and Murray’s continuing struggles with finances, are also noted.
Interregnum: 1933–1957
Authors: Gilliver Peter
Published: September 2016

This chapter describes the two and a half decades following the completion of the 1933 Supplement. The main projects in English historical lexicography during this period were based outside Oxford, but many of them derived from or were related to the OED, and they are summarized here, including the Middle English Dictionary, the abortive Early Modern English Dictionary project, the Dictionary of American English, the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (both partially edited by William Craigie), and the Scottish National Dictionary. In Oxford, the compilation of the Oxford Latin Dictionary was the main activity of James Wyllie; in due course he was identified as an appropriate person to revise the Supplement to the OED, but this plan had to be abandoned following Wyllie’s breakdown, and the search for an alternative editor eventually settled on Robert Burchfield. The chapter concludes with the commencement of preparatory work for the new Supplement.
“Blessed be Allāh, Most Fair”
Authors: Einboden Jeffrey
Published: September 2016

Ezra Stiles, early American diarist and president of Yale during the Revolution, was a foundational figure in U.S. education and historiography. His public profile and patriotism, however, shields Stiles’ private devotion to Islamic learning and Arabic literacy, striving to read the language of the Qur’ān even while recording his nation’s struggles for independence. Uncovering informal marginalia inscribed in volumes at the Redwood Athenaeum, as well as Yale University manuscripts never before published, this chapter reveals surprising overlaps between Stiles’ Islamic interests and his American identity, tracing revolutions of both country and creed embedded in his receptions of Muslim sources.
“To look at the Koran through his spectacles”
Authors: Einboden Jeffrey
Published: September 2016

A “household name in America” who was acclaimed as “the first woman in the republic,” Lydia Maria Child enjoyed a literary celebrity surpassing nearly all her contemporaries. Publishing across a wide generic range—historical novels, children’s tales, advice columns, antislavery polemics—Child also ranged across religious expressions, personally appealing to Muslim sources even while producing homespun American wisdom. This chapter traces Child’s consistent concern for Qur’ānic precedents as she pursued her progressive social reform, appealing to Islam while advocating for abolitionism and women’s rights, culminating in her Progress of Religious Ideas (1855) and Aspirations of the World (1878). Reviving print sources now neglected, the core of this chapter addresses Child’s manuscript renditions of the Qur’ān via George Sale’s translation, witnessing the private Islamic investments that underlie Child’s popular “household” writings.
Cerebral Biomarkers in Women With Preeclampsia Are Still Elevated 1 Year Postpartum
Authors: Bergman Lina , Åkerud Helena , Wikström Anna Karin , Larsson Marita , Naessen Tord , Akhter Tansim
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

There is evidence of cerebral involvement among women with preeclampsia. Levels of the cerebral biomarkers neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B are elevated during pregnancy in women developing preeclampsia. It is although not known if these biomarkers return to normal range postpartum. The aim with this study was to compare levels of S100B and NSE during pregnancy and 1 year postpartum in women who have had preeclampsia to women with normal pregnancies.

METHODS

This study was a longitudinal study of cases (n = 53) with preeclampsia and controls (n = 58) consisted of normal pregnant women in matched gestational weeks. Plasma samples were collected at inclusion during pregnancy and 1 year postpartum. Plasma samples were analyzed for levels of S100B and NSE by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays kits.

RESULTS

Levels of NSE and S100B in women with preeclampsia were higher during pregnancy than in women with normal pregnancies. One year postpartum, women who have had preeclampsia still had a higher median level of both NSE (5.07 vs. 4.28 µg/l, P < 0.05) and S100B (0.07 vs. 0.06 µg/l, P < 0.05) compared to women with previous normal pregnancies. High levels of NSE and S100B postpartum remained associated with previous preeclampsia after adjustment for confounding factors. Levels of NSE correlated to S100B during pregnancy and postpartum.

CONCLUSIONS

Levels of NSE and S100B are still elevated 1 year postpartum in women who have had preeclampsia in contrast to women with previous normal pregnancies. We hypothesize that there might be a persistent cerebral involvement among women with preeclampsia even 1 year postpartum.
Predicting inpatient clinical order patterns with probabilistic topic models vs conventional order sets
Authors: Chen Jonathan H , Goldstein Mary K , Asch Steven M , Mackey Lester , Altman Russ B
Published: September 2016

Objective: Build probabilistic topic model representations of hospital admissions processes and compare the ability of such models to predict clinical order patterns as compared to preconstructed order sets.

Materials and Methods: The authors evaluated the first 24 hours of structured electronic health record data for > 10 K inpatients. Drawing an analogy between structured items (e.g., clinical orders) to words in a text document, the authors performed latent Dirichlet allocation probabilistic topic modeling. These topic models use initial clinical information to predict clinical orders for a separate validation set of > 4 K patients. The authors evaluated these topic model-based predictions vs existing human-authored order sets by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, precision, and recall for subsequent clinical orders.

Results: Existing order sets predict clinical orders used within 24 hours with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.81, precision 16%, and recall 35%. This can be improved to 0.90, 24%, and 47% (P < 10−20) by using probabilistic topic models to summarize clinical data into up to 32 topics. Many of these latent topics yield natural clinical interpretations (e.g., “critical care,” “pneumonia,” “neurologic evaluation”).

Discussion: Existing order sets tend to provide nonspecific, process-oriented aid, with usability limitations impairing more precise, patient-focused support. Algorithmic summarization has the potential to breach this usability barrier by automatically inferring patient context, but with potential tradeoffs in interpretability.

Conclusion: Probabilistic topic modeling provides an automated approach to detect thematic trends in patient care and generate decision support content. A potential use case finds related clinical orders for decision support.
Lon Protease Is Involved in RhpRS-Mediated Regulation of Type III Secretion in Pseudomonas syringae
Authors: Zhou Tianhong , Yin Chunyan , Zhang Yingchao , Shi Heng , Wang Jingru , Sun Linbo , Shao Xiaolong , Gao Ruxia , Wang Wei , Deng Xin
Published: September 2016

Pseudomonas syringae depends on the type III secretion system (T3SS) to directly translocate effectors into host cells. Previously, we reported a nonpathogenic rhpS mutant, suggesting that the two-component transduction system rhpRS is an important regulator of T3SS in P. syringae. rhpRS regulates itself and a variety of downstream genes under an inverted repeat element promoter in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Here, we identify lon as a suppressor of the rhpS mutant through transposon screening. A lon/rhpS double mutant restored the phenotypes of the rhpS mutant. The expression level of lon was higher in rhpS and other T3SS-deficient mutants than the wild-type strain, suggesting a negative feedback mechanism between lon and T3SS genes. lon was also induced by a novel T3SS inhibitor, acetate, which substantially compromises the activation of T3SS genes in minimal medium and bacterial growth in host plants.
Safety and Long-Term Efficacy of Forehead Contouring With a Polycaprolactone-Based Dermal Filler
Authors: Bae Byunggi , Lee Gyuyub , OH Sewoong , Hong Kyungkook
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Recently, a biostimulatory dermal filler based on polycaprolactone (PCL) microspheres was introduced. To our knowledge, no report has examined the safety and efficacy of PCL-based dermal fillers in forehead augmentation.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of forehead augmentation using a PCL-based dermal filler.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population consisted of 58 patients (57 women, 98%; 1 man, 2%), aged 20 to 65 years, undergoing forehead augmentation using a PCL-based dermal filler between October 2013 and October 2015 at our clinic. The physicians used the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) to evaluate its efficacy 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

The mean GAIS score at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months was 2.14 ± 0.95, 2.38 ± 0.77, 2.50 ± 0.76, 2.45 ± 0.52, and 2.33 ± 0.50, respectively. The scores increased markedly from 1 to 3 months and were maintained at 24 months.

CONCLUSION

A PCL-based dermal filler is a good option for soft tissue augmentation of the forehead, as it is safe and has long-lasting favorable cosmetic efficacy.
Analytical Validation and Cross-Validation of an NFAT-Regulated Gene Expression Assay for Pharmacodynamic Monitoring of Therapy With Calcineurin Inhibitors
Authors: Abdel-Kahaar Emaad , Giese Thomas , Sommerer Claudia , Rieger Hannah , Shipkova Maria , Wieland Eberhard
Published: September 2016

Background:

Analysis of residual gene expression of the nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT)-regulated genes has been developed as a pharmacodynamic biomarker to monitor therapy with calcineurin inhibitors. The availability of commercial primer sets (Search-LC) and the well-established assay protocol makes this biomarker a promising candidate to be used clinically in different laboratories. However, implementation of the method in routine practice requires analytical robustness and comparable results across laboratories. Therefore, a protocol originally established at the Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg was verified at the Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Klinikum Stuttgart, and a comparison study was conducted between the 2 laboratories.

Methods:

For the analytical verification, whole blood samples of healthy individuals were incubated with tacrolimus in vitro. Linearity, imprecision, and limit of quantification, as well as sample stability, were investigated. For interlaboratory comparison, samples of patients under cyclosporine A therapy were analyzed in Heidelberg and then reanalyzed in Stuttgart within 24 hours.

Results:

Tacrolimus (6.25–50 mcg/L) decreased the expression of NFAT-regulated genes in vitro dose dependently (15%–89%). Within- and between-assay coefficient of variations (n = 6 each) were <17%. The limit of quantification was <200 cDNA copies for each of the interleukin-2, interferon-γ, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor genes. Samples were stable for 24 hours. Interlaboratory comparison using patient samples correlated well (r = 0.951) but showed an inconsistent bias depending on the magnitude of residual gene expression.

Conclusions:

The assay can be set up with a satisfactory analytical performance in a routine molecular biological laboratory and shows comparable results between laboratories. The reproducibility of the NFAT-regulated gene expression assay across laboratories can facilitate the implementation of this assay for pharmacodynamic routine monitoring of calcineurin inhibitors in different centers.
Abdominal Closure after TRAM Flap Breast Reconstruction with Transversus Abdominis Muscle Release and Mesh
Authors: Espinosa-de-los-Monteros Antonio , Avendano-Peza Héctor , Novitsky Yuri W.
Published: September 2016

Breast reconstruction with a pedicled transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flap can result in significant abdominal wall donor-site morbidity. Although the pedicled TRAM flap donor area reinforced with mesh results in decreased rates of postoperative abdominal bulging and hernias, the best technique to accomplish that is yet to be elucidated. We present our novel technique of posterior components separation with transversus abdominis muscle release and retromuscular mesh reinforcement for donor-area closure during pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction.
The Impact of Treatment on the Serum Concentration of Interleukin-1 Beta in Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Anusiem Chikere A. , Okonkwo Paul O.
Published: September 2016

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in the world. Further elucidation of the pathogenesis and identification of suitable biomarkers of the disease have remained research priorities. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β) signaling is known to be high in active tuberculosis. In this study, we followed up a cohort of adult sputum-positive tuberculosis patients and investigated the impact of anti-tuberculosis treatment on the serum concentrations of IL-1 β. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu. Each participant gave informed consent. Serum concentration of Interleukin-1 was measured before treatment, after 2 months of treatment, and after 6 months of treatment by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Forty-two tuberculosis patients and 31 healthy volunteers completed the study. The patients had good clinical response to treatment. The mean serum concentration of Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β) for the patients before treatment was very high (30.20 ± 2.0 pg/mL) compared with those of healthy controls (13.30 ± 1.30). As treatment progressed there was remarkable, progressive and statistically significant (P< 0.05) reduction in the mean IL-1 β serum concentration of the patients: 21.80 ± 1.1 pg/ml after 2 months and 16.96 ± 1.3 pg/mL after 6 months treatment. At the completion of treatment, the mean serum concentration of IL-1 β of the patients was comparable but slightly higher than those of the healthy controls. Serum concentration of Interleukin-1 beta is thus considered a potential host biomarker for active tuberculosis in adult humans.
Radiation Dose Comparison Between 70 kVp and 100 kVp With Spectral Beam Shaping for Non–Contrast-Enhanced Pediatric Chest Computed Tomography
Authors: Weis Meike , Henzler Thomas , Nance John W. , Haubenreisser Holger , Meyer Mathias , Sudarski Sonja , Schoenberg Stefan O. , Neff K. Wolfgang , Hagelstein Claudia
Published: September 2016

Objective

The aim of this prospective randomized controlled study was to compare 2 techniques for radiation dose reduction in non–contrast-enhanced pediatric chest computed tomography (CT): low peak kilovoltage imaging at 70 kVp and spectral beam shaping at 100 kVp using a dedicated tin filter (100-kVp Sn).

Materials and Methods

All chest CT examinations were performed on a third-generation dual-source CT system (SOMATOM Force; Siemens Healthineers, Germany). Fifty children (mean age, 6.8 ± 5.1 years) were examined using the 100-kVp Sn protocol, whereas 25 children received the 70-kVp protocol (mean age, 5.7 ± 5.2 years; 2:1 randomization scheme). Radiation metrics and organ doses were compared between acquisition techniques using commercially available radiation dose analysis software (Radimetrics Inc, Bayer AG, Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Objective image quality, expressed by signal-to-noise ratio and subjective image quality based on a 4-point scale (1, best; 4, worst image quality), were compared.

Results

Volume CT dose index and size-specific dose estimate were significantly lower in the 100-kVp Sn group compared with the 70-kVp group (0.19 ± 0.12 mGy vs 0.81 ± 0.70 mGy and 0.34 ± 0.13 mGy vs 1.48 ± 1.11 mGy; P < 0.0001 for both). Accordingly, mean effective dose was significantly lower for the 100-kVp Sn examinations (0.21 ± 0.10 mSv) compared with the 70-kVp examinations (0.83 ± 0.49 mSv; P < 0.0001). Calculated organ doses were also significantly lower using the 100-kVp Sn protocol when compared with the 70-kVp protocol; for example, breast dose was reduced by a factor of 4.3. Signal-to-noise ratio was slightly superior for 70-kVp images while lung image quality of the 100-kVp Sn protocol was preferred in subjective analysis (P = 0.0004).

Conclusions

Pediatric chest CT performed at 100 kVp with an additional tin filter for spectral shaping significantly reduces radiation dose when compared with low peak kilovoltage imaging at 70 kVp and therefore should be preferred in non–contrast-enhanced pediatric chest CT examinations, particularly (given the improved subjective image quality) when the main focus is evaluation of the lung parenchyma.
tDCS Effects on Verbal Fluency: A Response to Vannorsdall et al (2016)
Authors: Cattaneo Zaira , Pisoni Alberto , Gallucci Marcello , Papagno Costanza
Published: September 2016

In a prior study (Cattaneo et al, 2011. Neuroscience. 183:64–70), we demonstrated that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus enhanced verbal fluency in healthy young adults. Although our data are in line with the results of other published studies, another research group recently failed to report anodal tDCS effects on verbal fluency using a paradigm similar to ours (Vannorsdall et al, 2016. Cogn Behav Neurol. 29:11–17). Here we discuss aspects of study design and interpretation of results that should be considered in replications, focusing particularly on homogeneity of procedures. Notwithstanding the possibility that our study may indeed not be replicable, we hypothesize that Vannorsdall et al found an interesting modifier of the tDCS effects on verbal production by introducing a critical methodologic difference from our original study. We demonstrate this difference by presenting the results of an additional experiment. We believe that the sharing of data between research groups and constructive debate on possible differences in results should be encouraged because they help define the boundaries of applicability of an experimental paradigm. This is even more important for research findings that may have clinical implications, as is the case here.
Elevated Cystatin C Levels Are Associated with Cognitive Impairment and Progression of Parkinson Disease
Authors: Hu Wei-Dong , Chen Jing , Mao Cheng-Jie , Feng Ping , Yang Ya-Ping , Luo Wei-Feng , Liu Chun-Feng
Published: September 2016

Objective:

We investigated the relationship between serum cystatin C (CysC) levels and cognitive dysfunction and disease progression in patients with Parkinson disease.

Background:

Previous studies have reported altered CysC levels in neurodegenerative disorders, but only a few studies have explored the role of CysC and its relationship to cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson disease.

Methods:

We measured serum levels of CysC, creatinine, urea, and uric acid in 142 patients with Parkinson disease and 146 healthy controls. We assessed disease progression using the Hoehn and Yahr scale, and cognitive function using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Beijing version).

Results:

The patients with Parkinson disease had significantly higher CysC levels than the controls (P<0.001). CysC level correlated significantly with age (r=0.494, P<0.001), sex (r=0.150, P=0.011), and serum creatinine level (r=0.377, P<0.001), but not with levels of urea or uric acid (P>0.05). CysC level was a significant independent predictor of Parkinson disease (odds ratio=23.143, 95% confidence interval: 5.485-97.648, P<0.001) in multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the Parkinson disease group, a higher CysC level was associated with a more advanced Hoehn and Yahr stage (r=0.098, P<0.05) and a lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (r=−0.381, P=0.003).

Conclusions:

Serum CysC levels can predict disease severity and cognitive dysfunction in patients with Parkinson disease. The exact role of CysC remains to be determined.
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 strains isolated in Argentina (South America) are different from those recovered in North America and present a higher risk for humans
Authors: Callejo Raquel , Zheng Han , Du Pengcheng , Prieto Monica , Xu Jianguo , Zielinski Gustavo , Auger Jean-Philippe , Gottschalk Marcelo
Published: September 2016

Introduction:

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is an important swine pathogen and emerging zoonotic agent causing meningitis and septicemia/septic shock. Strains are usually virulent (Eurasia) or of intermediate/low virulence (North America). Very few data regarding human and swine isolates from South America are available.

Case presentation:

Seventeen new human S. suis cases in Argentina (16 serotype 2 strains and a serotype 5 strain) are reported. Alongside, 14 isolates from pigs are analyzed: 12 from systemic disease, one from lungs and one from tonsils of a healthy animal. All human serotype 2 strains and most swine isolates are sequence type (ST) 1, as determined by multilocus sequence typing and present a mrp+/epf+/sly
+ genotype typical of virulent Eurasian ST1 strains. The remaining two strains (recovered from swine lungs and tonsils) are ST28 and possess a mrp+/epf
−
/sly−
genotype typical of low virulence North American strains. Representative human ST1 strains as well as one swine ST28 strain were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing and compared with genomes from GenBank. ST1 strains clustered together with three strains from Vietnam and this cluster is close to another one composed of 11 strains from the United Kingdom.

Conclusion:

Close contact with pigs/pork products, a good surveillance system, and the presence of potentially virulent Eurasian-like serotype 2 strains in Argentina may be an important factor contributing to the higher number of human cases observed. In fact, Argentina is now fifth among Western countries regarding the number of reported human cases after the Netherlands, France, the UK and Poland.
The tubulin repertoire ofC. eleganssensory neurons and its context dependent role in process outgrowth
Authors: Lockhead Dean , Schwarz Erich M. , O'Hagan Robert , Bellotti Sebastian , Krieg Michael , Barr Maureen , Dunn Alexander R. , Sternberg Paul W. , Goodman Miriam B
Published: September 2016

Microtubules contribute to many cellular processes, including transport, signaling, and chromosome separation during cell division (Kapitein and Hoogenraad, 2015). They are comprised of αβ-tubulin heterodimers arranged into linear protofilaments and assembled into tubes. Eukaryotes express multiple tubulin isoforms (Gogoneaet al., 1999), and there has been a longstanding debate as to whether the isoforms are redundant or perform specialized roles as part of a tubulin code (Fulton and Simpson, 1976). Here, we use the well-characterized touch receptor neurons (TRNs) ofCaenorhabditis elegansto investigate this question, through genetic dissection of process outgrowth bothin vivoandin vitro. With single-cell RNA-seq, we compare transcription profiles for TRNs with those of two other sensory neurons, and present evidence that each sensory neuron expresses a distinct palette of tubulin genes. In the TRNs, we analyze process outgrowth and show that four tubulins (tba-1,tba-2,tbb-1, andtbb-2) function partially or fully redundantly, while two others (mec-7andmec-12) perform specialized, context-dependent roles. Our findings support a model in which sensory neurons express overlapping subsets of tubulin genes whose functional redundancy varies between cell types andin vivoandin vitrocontexts.

Highlight Summary

Microtubules contribute to key cellular processes and are composed of αβ-tubulin heterodimers. Neurons inC. elegansexpress cell type-specific isoforms in addition to a shared repertoire and rely on tubulins for neurite outgrowth. Isoform function varies betweenin vivoandin vitrocontexts.

Abbreviations

TRNs

Touch Receptor Neurons

RNA-seq

RNA sequencing

RFG

Receptive Field Gap

TPM

Transcripts per Million

ECM

Extracellular Matrix,

CV

Coefficient of Variation

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflicting financial interests.
Diverse roles of guanine nucleotide exchange factors in regulating collective cell migration
Authors: Zaritsky Assaf , Tseng Yun-Yu , Angeles Rabadan M. , Krishna Shefali , Overholtzer Michael , Danuser Gaudenz , Hall Alan
Published: September 2016

Efficient collective migration depends on a balance between contractility and cytoskeletal rearrangements, adhesion, and mechanical cell-cell communication, all controlled by GTPases of the RHO family. By comprehensive screening of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) in human bronchial epithelial cell monolayers, we identified GEFs that are required for collective migration at large, such as SOS1 andβ-PIX, and RHOA GEFs that are implicated in intercellular communication. Downregulation of the latter GEFs differentially enhanced front-to-back propagation of guidance cues through the monolayer, and was mirrored by downregulation of RHOA expression and myosin-II activity. Phenotype-based clustering of knock-down behaviors identified RHOA-ARHGEF18 and ARHGEF3-ARHGEF28-ARHGEF11 clusters, indicating that the latter may signal through other RHO-family GTPases. Indeed, knock-down of RHOC produced an intermediate between the two phenotypes. We conclude that for effective collective migration the RHOA-GEFs-→ARHOA/C→ actomyosin pathways must be optimally tuned to compromise between generation of motility forces and restriction of intercellular communication.
Excitable RhoA dynamics drive pulsed contractions in the earlyC. elegansembryo
Authors: Michaux Jonathan B. , Robin François B. , McFadden William M. , Munro Edwin M.
Published: September 2016

Pulsed actomyosin contractility underlies diverse modes of tissue morphogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we combine quantitative imaging with genetic perturbations to identify a core mechanism for pulsed contractility in earlyC. elegansembryos. We show that pulsed accumulation of actomyosin is governed by local control of assembly and disassembly downstream of RhoA. Pulsed activation and inactivation of RhoA precede, respectively, accumulation and disappearance of actomyosin, and persist in the nearly complete absence of Myosin II. We find that fast positive feedback on RhoA activation drives pulse initiation, while F-actin dependent accumulation of the RhoA GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) RGA-3/4 provides delayed negative feedback to terminate each pulse. An experimentally constrained mathematical model confirms that in principle these feedbacks are sufficient to generate locally excitable RhoA dynamics. We propose that excitable RhoA dynamics are a common driver for pulsed contractility that can be differently tuned or coupled to actomyosin dynamics to produce a diversity of morphogenetic outcomes.
Cellobiose consumption uncouples extracellular glucose sensing and glucose metabolism inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Chomvong Kulika , Benjamin Daniel I. , Nomura Daniel K. , Cate Jamie H.D.
Published: September 2016

Glycolysis is central to energy metabolism in most organisms, and is highly regulated to enable optimal growth. In the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, feedback mechanisms that control flux through glycolysis span transcriptional control to metabolite levels in the cell. Using a cellobiose consumption pathway, we decoupled glucose sensing from carbon utilization, revealing new modular layers of control that induce ATP consumption to drive rapid carbon fermentation. Alterations of the beta subunit of phosphofructokinase (PFK2), H+-plasma membrane ATPase (PMA1), and glucose sensors(SNF3, RGT2)revealed the importance of coupling extracellular glucose sensing to manage ATP levels in the cell. Controlling the upper bound of cellular ATP levels may be a general mechanism used to regulate energy levels in cells, via a regulatory network that can be uncoupled from ATP concentrations under perceived starvation conditions.

Importance

Living cells are fine-tuned through evolution to thrive in their native environments. Genome alterations to create organisms for specific biotechnological applications may result in unexpected and undesired phenotypes. We used a minimal synthetic biological system in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaeas a platform to reveal novel connections between carbon sensing, starvation conditions and energy homeostasis.