bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complication rates of open surgical versus percutaneous tracheostomy in critically ill patients
Authors: Johnson‐Obaseki Stephanie , Veljkovic Andrea , Javidnia Hedyeh
Published: April 2016

Background

In the setting of critical care, the most common indications for tracheostomy include: prolonged intubation, to facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation, and for pulmonary toileting. In this setting, tracheostomy can be performed either via open surgical or percutaneous technique. Advantages for percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) include: simplicity, smaller incision, less tissue trauma, lower incidence of wound infection, lower incidence of peristomal bleeding, decreased morbidity from patient transfer, and cost‐effectiveness. Despite many studies comparing surgical tracheostomy (ST) versus PDT, there remains no consensus on which of these techniques minimizes complications in critically ill patients.

Purpose

To provide an updated meta‐analysis to answer the following question: Is there a difference in complication rates between ST and PDT in the setting of critically ill patients? Our secondary outcome of interest was to examine the difference in procedure time in the ST versus PDT groups.

Methods

We conducted a literature search using the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Studies from 1985 until October 2014 published in French or English languages in peer‐reviewed journals were included.

Results

With regard to rates of mortality, intraoperative hemorrhage, and postoperative hemorrhage, there was no statistically significant difference between the two techniques. Evaluation of infections rates and operative time, however, revealed a statistically significant difference, favoring PDT over ST.

Conclusion

In critically ill patients, PDT appears to be a safe and efficient alternative to open ST.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 126:2459–2467, 2016
Flavonoid glycosides from Persea caerulea. Unraveling their interactions with SDS‐micelles through matrix‐assisted DOSY, PGSE, mass spectrometry, and NOESY
Authors: Álvarez Juan M. , Raya‐Barón Álvaro , Nieto Pedro M. , Cuca Luis E. , Carrasco‐Pancorbo Alegría , Fernández‐Gutiérrez Alberto , Fernández Ignacio
Published: April 2016

Two flavonoid glycosides derived from rhamnopyranoside (1) and arabinofuranoside (2) have been isolated from leaves of Persea caerulea for the first time. The structures of 1 and 2 have been established by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and IR spectroscopy, together with LC–ESI–TOF and LC–ESI–IT MS spectrometry. From the MS and MS/MS data, the molecular weights of the intact molecules as well as those of quercetin and kaempferol together with their sugar moieties were deduced. The NMR data provided information on the identity of the compounds, as well as the α and β configurations and the position of the glycosides on quercetin and kaempferol. We have also explored the application of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) normal micelles in binary aqueous solution, at a range of concentrations, to the diffusion resolution of these two glycosides, by the application of matrix‐assisted diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) and pulse field gradient spin echo (PGSE) methodologies, showing that SDS micelles offer a significant resolution which can, in part, be rationalized in terms of differing degrees of hydrophobicity, amphiphilicity, and steric effects. In addition, intra‐residue and inter‐residue proton–proton distances using nuclear Overhauser effect build‐up curves were used to elucidate the conformational preferences of these two flavonoid glycosides when interacting with the micelles. By the combination of both diffusion and nuclear Overhauser spectroscopy techniques, the average location site of kaempferol and quercetin glycosides has been postulated, with the former exhibiting a clear insertion into the interior of the SDS‐micelle, whereas the latter is placed closer to the surface. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
‘It is a Big Thing’: Exploring the Impact of Osteoarthritis from the Perspective of Adults Caring for Parents – The Sandwich Generation
Authors: Barker Karen L. , Minns Lowe Catherine J. , Toye Francine
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences and impact of caring for an individual with severe osteoarthritis (OA) from the perspective of adult children, looking at the relationship between adult children caring for parents with this condition and the tensions of the ‘sandwich generation’.

Methods

A mixed qualitative approach, combining focus groups and individual semi‐structured interviews was used. In total, 36 participants were purposively sampled and discussed the impact of caring for a parent with OA. Data analysis was based upon interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

Findings reported the impact and complexity of caring for a parent with OA. We present three themes related to the work of caring for a relative with this condition: (i) the physical and emotional work of caring; (ii) changes in reciprocal family roles; (iii) the imbalance in caring roles within the family.

Conclusions

Participants described the significant and extensive impact on their lives of caring for a parent with long‐term OA, particularly when faced with the pressures of caring for their own children as well. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Musculoskeletal Care Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Improving surface structure of photocatalytic self‐cleaning membrane by WO3/PANI nanoparticles
Authors: Shafaei Nader , Peyravi Majid , Jahanshahi Mohsen
Published: April 2016

To create a self‐cleaning feature and improve antifouling property, polysulfone (PSf) membranes were modified with WO3 and polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles (0–2 wt%) via phase inversion method for ultrafiltration of landfill leachate. The mass ratio of WO3 nanoparticles was varied between 0, 40 and 60 wt% in different loadings. All synthesized membranes were tested with and without UV irradiation to evaluate the self‐cleaning feature. The synthesized PANI was analyzed with scanning electron morphology (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface hydrophilicity of the modified membranes increases with increasing the nanoparticle loadings (0–2 wt%). The membrane morphology indicated higher porosity and more finger like pores for the modified membranes. The porosity of 86.8% was achieved for the membrane containing 2 wt% PANI. The flux recovery ratio (FR) of membranes without UV radiation was increased by increasing the ratio of PANI to WO3 nanoparticles, while the antifouling ability of membranes including WO3 nanoparticles improved and reached to 98.87% after UV radiation. The highest COD removal before (76.65 %) and after (78.42%) UV radiation was obtained for the membrane containing 2 wt% nanoparticle loading. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systems Pharmacology Approach for Prediction of Pulmonary and Systemic Pharmacokinetics and Receptor Occupancy of Inhaled Drugs
Authors: Boger E , Evans N , Chappell M , Lundqvist A , Ewing P , Wigenborg A , Fridén M
Published: April 2016

Pulmonary drug disposition after inhalation is complex involving mechanisms, such as regional drug deposition, dissolution, and mucociliary clearance. This study aimed to develop a systems pharmacology approach to mechanistically describe lung disposition in rats and thereby provide an integrated understanding of the system. When drug‐ and formulation‐specific properties for the poorly soluble drug fluticasone propionate were fed into the model, it proved predictive of the pharmacokinetics and receptor occupancy after intravenous administration and nose‐only inhalation. As the model clearly distinguishes among drug‐specific, formulation‐specific, and system‐specific properties, it was possible to identify key determinants of pulmonary selectivity of receptor occupancy of inhaled drugs: slow particle dissolution and slow drug‐receptor dissociation. Hence, it enables assessment of factors for lung targeting, including molecular properties, formulation, as well as the physiology of the animal species, thereby providing a general framework for rational drug design and facilitated translation of lung targeting from animal to man.
Growth of zinc sulfide by mist chemical vapor deposition depending on mist size and thermal conditions in susceptor
Authors: Uno Kazuyuki , Yamasaki Yuichiro , Gu Ping , Tanaka Ichiro
Published: April 2016

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) films were successfully grown by using mist chemical vapor deposition (mist‐CVD) with fine‐channel susceptor made of quartz. For the investigation of growth dynamics, two types of mist generators and two types of susceptors were prepared and distribu¬tion profiles of film thickness were examined.

Thermal efficiency of susceptor depends on heat¬penetration efficiency and line‐velocity of the mists, which are influenced by the fine‐channel gap‐height of the susceptors. Using larger size of mists requires higher thermal efficiency in susceptor to obtain a flat thickness distribution. This result indicates that the optimization of the mist size and the susceptor structure is important for the film uniformity of grown films by the mist‐CVD. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Polyphenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Cold‐Pressed Seed Oil from Finola Cultivar of Cannabis sativa L.
Authors: Smeriglio Antonella , Galati Enza M. , Monforte Maria T. , Lanuzza Francesco , D'Angelo Valeria , Circosta Clara
Published: April 2016

The aim of this study was to characterize the polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of cold‐pressed seed oil from Finola cultivar of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Several methodologies have been employed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of Finola hempseed oil (FHSO) and both lipophilic (LF) and hydrophilic fractions (HF). The qualitative and quantitative composition of the phenolic fraction of FHSO was performed by HPLC analyses. From the results is evident that FHSO has high antioxidative activity, as measured by DPPH radical (146.76 mmol of TE/100 g oil), inhibited β‐carotene bleaching, quenched a chemically generated peroxyl radical in vitro and showed high ferrous ion chelating activity. Reactivity towards 2,2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) radical cation and ferric‐reducing antioxidant power values were 695.2 µmol of TE/100g oil and 3690.6 µmol of TE/100 g oil respectively. FHSO contains a significant amount of phenolic compounds of which 2780.4 mg of quercetin equivalent/100 g of total flavonoids. The whole oil showed higher antioxidant activity compared with LF and HF. Our findings indicate that the significant antioxidant properties shown from Finola seed oil might generally depend on the phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, such as flavanones, flavonols, flavanols and isoflavones. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Calibrating random forests for probability estimation
Authors: Dankowski Theresa , Ziegler Andreas
Published: April 2016

Probabilities can be consistently estimated using random forests. It is, however, unclear how random forests should be updated to make predictions for other centers or at different time points. In this work, we present two approaches for updating random forests for probability estimation. The first method has been proposed by Elkan and may be used for updating any machine learning approach yielding consistent probabilities, so‐called probability machines. The second approach is a new strategy specifically developed for random forests. Using the terminal nodes, which represent conditional probabilities, the random forest is first translated to logistic regression models. These are, in turn, used for re‐calibration. The two updating strategies were compared in a simulation study and are illustrated with data from the German Stroke Study Collaboration. In most simulation scenarios, both methods led to similar improvements. In the simulation scenario in which the stricter assumptions of Elkan's method were not met, the logistic regression‐based re‐calibration approach for random forests outperformed Elkan's method. It also performed better on the stroke data than Elkan's method. The strength of Elkan's method is its general applicability to any probability machine. However, if the strict assumptions underlying this approach are not met, the logistic regression‐based approach is preferable for updating random forests for probability estimation. © 2016 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
An Upgrading Procedure for Adaptive Assessment of Knowledge
Authors: Anselmi Pasquale , Robusto Egidio , Stefanutti Luca , de Chiusole Debora
Published: April 2016

In knowledge space theory, existing adaptive assessment procedures can only be applied when suitable estimates of their parameters are available. In this paper, an iterative procedure is proposed, which upgrades its parameters with the increasing number of assessments. The first assessments are run using parameter values that favor accuracy over efficiency. Subsequent assessments are run using new parameter values estimated on the incomplete response patterns from previous assessments. Parameter estimation is carried out through a new probabilistic model for missing-at-random data. Two simulation studies show that, with the increasing number of assessments, the performance of the proposed procedure approaches that of gold standards.
Comparison of turbulent boundary layers over smooth and rough surfaces up to high Reynolds numbers
Authors: Squire D. T. , Morrill-Winter C. , Hutchins N. , Schultz M. P. , Klewicki J. C. , Marusic I.
Published: April 2016

Turbulent boundary layer measurements above a smooth wall and sandpaper roughness are presented across a wide range of friction Reynolds numbers, ${\it\delta}_{99}^{+}$, and equivalent sand grain roughness Reynolds numbers, $k_{s}^{+}$ (smooth wall: $2020\leqslant {\it\delta}_{99}^{+}\leqslant 21\,430$, rough wall: $2890\leqslant {\it\delta}_{99}^{+}\leqslant 29\,900$; $22\leqslant k_{s}^{+}\leqslant 155$; and $28\leqslant {\it\delta}_{99}^{+}/k_{s}^{+}\leqslant 199$). For the rough-wall measurements, the mean wall shear stress is determined using a floating element drag balance. All smooth- and rough-wall data exhibit, over an inertial sublayer, regions of logarithmic dependence in the mean velocity and streamwise velocity variance. These logarithmic slopes are apparently the same between smooth and rough walls, indicating similar dynamics are present in this region. The streamwise mean velocity defect and skewness profiles each show convincing collapse in the outer region of the flow, suggesting that Townsend’s (The Structure of Turbulent Shear Flow, vol. 1, 1956, Cambridge University Press.) wall-similarity hypothesis is a good approximation for these statistics even at these finite friction Reynolds numbers. Outer-layer collapse is also observed in the rough-wall streamwise velocity variance, but only for flows with ${\it\delta}_{99}^{+}\gtrsim 14\,000$. At Reynolds numbers lower than this, profile invariance is only apparent when the flow is fully rough. In transitionally rough flows at low ${\it\delta}_{99}^{+}$, the outer region of the inner-normalised streamwise velocity variance indicates a dependence on $k_{s}^{+}$ for the present rough surface.
Double Dispersion for Double Diffusive Boundary Layer in Non-Darcy Saturated Porous Medium Filled by a Nanofluid
Authors: Bouaziz A. M. , Hanini S.
Published: April 2016

This work investigates mainly the double dispersion on the double diffusive convective boundary layer between a vertical plate immersed into a non-Darcy saturated porous medium with a nanofluid. The similarity transformations are involved and the governing system of nonlinear partial differential equations is converted into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Results are displayed graphically to illustrate the influence of δ, and ξ on the velocity, the temperature and concentration of the species profiles. Two interesting cases are treated, isothermal and non-isothermal wall plate. For a nanofluid, the rate of mass transfer is affected strongly by the double dispersion while the rate of heat transfer coefficient is less sensitive to it.
Die Behandlung der Tuberkulose
Authors: Degen Thomas , Bregenzer Thomas
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die Tuberkulose wird seltener. Sie wirft aber immer wieder Fragen auf, wenn sie verzögert diagnostiziert wurde und mögliche Ansteckungen in der Umgebung des Patienten berücksichtigt werden müssen oder weil wir zunehmend mit Resistenzen rechnen müssen. Als Standard wird mit einer Viererkombination aus Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Ethambutol und Pyrazinamid empirisch die Therapie angefangen. Dieses initiale Regime dient der Reduktion der Keimzahl. Die Konsolidierungsphase der Therapie mit zwei Substanzen dient der Elimination verbleibender Keime. Therapiedauer und Adherence sind die kritischen Grössen, um eine Heilung zu erreichen. Die preemptive Therapie der latenten Tuberkulose besteht weiterhin aus einer Isoniazid-Monotherapie über sechs bis neun Monate. Für komplexere Situationen wie die Therapie von immunsupprimierten Patienten oder im Fall von Resistenzen sollte Rücksprache mit Experten genommen werden.
Warum Frühpädagog/in werden?
Authors: Weiß Sabine , Keller-Schneider Manuela , Neuß Norbert , Albrecht Carla , Kiel Ewald
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Untersuchung greift das Forschungsdesiderat der Berufswahlmotivation von angehenden Frühpädagog/innen (n = 190) auf und kontrastiert diese mit der zukünftiger Lehrkräfte an Grundschulen (n = 219) und Gymnasien (n = 403). Dazu wird ein bereits bestehendes Messinstrument zu Studien- und Berufswahlmotiven eingesetzt, das durch eine konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse überprüft wird. Varianzanalytische Vergleiche verweisen auf eine intrinsisch-pädagogische Motivstruktur, die der von Grundschullehramtsstudierenden teilweise ähnelt, aber deutlich von der Gymnasiallehreramtsstudierender differiert. Motive wie pädagogisches Arbeiten und das Fördern von Kindern und Jugendlichen mit ungünstigen Voraussetzungen erfahren eine höhere Gewichtung gegenüber zukünftigen Lehrer/innen an Gymnasien. Der berufliche Idealismus ist im Vergleich geringer ausgeprägt. Das Interesse an (der Vermittlung von) Bildungsinhalten von Frühpädagogikstudierenden bleibt hinter dem von Lehramtsstudierenden zurück. Gleiches gilt für die Bedeutung von extrinsischen Motiven. Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund des gegenwärtigen Professionalisierungsprozesses diskutiert. Es werden Ansatzpunkte für weitere Forschung zu Berufswahlprozessen erarbeitet.
Leptin changes differentiation fate and induces senescence in chondrogenic progenitor cells
Authors: Zhao X , Dong Y , Zhang J , Li D , Hu G , Yao J , Li Y , Huang P , Zhang M , Zhang J , Huang Z , Zhang Y , Miao Y , Xu Q , Li H
Published: April 2016

Body weight is a component of the mechanical theory of OA (osteoarthritis) pathogenesis. Obesity was also found to be a risk factor for digital OA involving non-weight-bearing joints, which suggested that metabolism influences the occurrence and progression of OA. The metabolic origin of OA has been partially attributed to the involvement of adipokines, such as leptin, the levels of which are significantly and positively correlated with cartilage degeneration in OA patients. However, the mechanisms by which leptin-induced cartilage degeneration occurs are poorly understood. The discovery of chondrogenic progenitor cells (CPCs) opened up new opportunities for investigation. Investigating the effects of leptin on differentiation and proliferation in CPCs would increase our understanding of the roles played by leptin in the aetiology and development of OA. Here, CPCs were harvested using single-cell sorting from rat cartilage tissues to obtain mesenchymal stem-like cells, which possess clonogenicity, proliferation and stemness. High doses of leptin decreased the ability of the CPCs to migrate, inhibited their chondrogenic potential and increased their osteogenic potential, suggesting that leptin changes differentiation fates in CPCs. High doses of leptin induced cell cycle arrest and senescence in CPCs by activating the p53/p21 pathway and inhibiting the Sirt1 pathway. Inhibiting the Sirt1 pathway accelerated cartilage senescence in knockout (KO) mice. Activating the leptin pathway induced higher Ob-Rb expression and was significantly correlated with cartilage degeneration (lower levels of Coll-2) and tissue senescence (higher levels of p53/p21 and lower levels of Sirt1) in OA patients, suggesting that leptin-induced CPCs senescence contributes to the development of OA. Taken together, our results reveal new links between obesity and cartilage damage that are induced by leptin-mediated effects on cell behaviour and senescence.
Activation of PPARγ/P53 signaling is required for curcumin to induce hepatic stellate cell senescence
Authors: Jin H , Lian N , Zhang F , Chen L , Chen Q , Lu C , Bian M , Shao J , Wu L , Zheng S
Published: April 2016

Activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major event in hepatic fibrogenesis, along with enhancement of cell proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix. Although inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis are potential strategies to block the activation of HSCs, a better understanding of the senescence of activated HSCs can provide a new therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. The antioxidant curcumin, a phytochemical from turmeric, has been shown to suppress HSC activation in vitro and in vivo. The current work was aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on senescence of activated HSCs and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this study, curcumin promoted the expression of senescence marker Hmga1 in rat fibrotic liver. In addition, curcumin increased the number of senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive HSCs in vitro. At the same time, curcumin induced HSC senescence by elevating the expression of senescence markers P16, P21 and Hmga1, concomitant with reduced abundance of HSC activation markers α-smooth muscle actin and α1(I)-procollagen in cultured HSCs. Moreover, curcumin affected the cell cycle and telomerase activity. We further demonstrated that P53 pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or transfection with P53 siRNA abrogated the curcumin-induced HSC senescence in vitro. Meanwhile, curcumin disruption of P53 leading to increased senescence of activated HSCs was further verified in vivo. Further studies indicated that curcumin promoted the expression of P53 through a PPARγ activation-dependent mechanism. Moreover, promoting PPARγ transactivating activity by a PPARγ agonist 15d-PGJ2 markedly enhanced curcumin induction of senescence of activated HSCs. However, the PPARγ antagonist PD68235 eliminated curcumin induction of HSC senescence. Taken together, our results provided a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying curcumin inhibition of HSC activation through inducing senescence.
Using the incidence and impact of behavioural conditions in guide dogs to investigate patterns in undesirable behaviour in dogs
Authors: Caron-Lormier Geoffrey , Harvey Naomi D. , England Gary C. W. , Asher Lucy
Published: April 2016

The domestic dog is one of our most popular companions and longest relationships, occupying different roles, from pet to working guide dog for the blind. As dogs age different behavioural issues occur and in some cases dogs may be relinquished or removed from their working service. Here we analyse a dataset on working guide dogs that were removed from their service between 1994 and 2013. We use the withdrawal reasons as a proxy for the manifestation of undesirable behaviour. More than 7,500 dogs were in the dataset used, 83% of which were retired (due to old age) and 17% were withdrawn for behavioural issues. We found that the main reasons for behaviour withdrawal were environmental anxiety, training and fear/aggression. Breed and sex had an effect on the odds of dogs being withdrawn under the different reasons. The age at withdrawal for the different withdrawal reasons suggested that dogs were more likely to develop fear/aggression related issues early on, whilst issues related to training could develop at almost any age. We found no evidence for heterosis effecting behaviour. We believe that this work is relevant to the pet dog population and had implications for understanding ageing and genetic influences on behaviour.
Siderophore biosynthesis coordinately modulated the virulence-associated interactive metabolome of uropathogenic Escherichia coli and human urine
Authors: Su Qiao , Guan Tianbing , Lv Haitao
Published: April 2016

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) growth in women’s bladders during urinary tract infection (UTI) incurs substantial chemical exchange, termed the “interactive metabolome”, which primarily accounts for the metabolic costs (utilized metabolome) and metabolic donations (excreted metabolome) between UPEC and human urine. Here, we attempted to identify the individualized interactive metabolome between UPEC and human urine. We were able to distinguish UPEC from non-UPEC by employing a combination of metabolomics and genetics. Our results revealed that the interactive metabolome between UPEC and human urine was markedly different from that between non-UPEC and human urine, and that UPEC triggered much stronger perturbations in the interactive metabolome in human urine. Furthermore, siderophore biosynthesis coordinately modulated the individualized interactive metabolome, which we found to be a critical component of UPEC virulence. The individualized virulence-associated interactive metabolome contained 31 different metabolites and 17 central metabolic pathways that were annotated to host these different metabolites, including energetic metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and gut microbe metabolism. Changes in the activities of these pathways mechanistically pinpointed the virulent capability of siderophore biosynthesis. Together, our findings provide novel insights into UPEC virulence, and we propose that siderophores are potential targets for further discovery of drugs to treat UPEC-induced UTI.
Automated Chemotactic Sorting and Single-cell Cultivation of Microbes using Droplet Microfluidics
Authors: Dong Libing , Chen Dong-Wei , Liu Shuang-Jiang , Du Wenbin
Published: April 2016

We report a microfluidic device for automated sorting and cultivation of chemotactic microbes from pure cultures or mixtures. The device consists of two parts: in the first part, a concentration gradient of the chemoeffector was built across the channel for inducing chemotaxis of motile cells; in the second part, chemotactic cells from the sample were separated and mixed with culture media to form nanoliter droplets for encapsulation, cultivation, enumeration and recovery of single cells. Chemotactic responses were assessed by imaging and statistical analysis of droplets based on Poisson distribution. An automated procedure was developed for rapid enumeration of droplets with cell growth, following with scale-up cultivation on agar plates. The performance of the device was evaluated by the chemotaxis assays of Escherichia coli (E. coli) RP437 and E. coli RP1616. Moreover, enrichment and isolation of non-labelled Comamonas testosteroni CNB-1 from its 1:10 mixture with E. coli RP437 was demonstrated. The enrichment factor reached 36.7 for CNB-1, based on its distinctive chemotaxis toward 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. We believe that this device can be widely used in chemotaxis studies without necessarily relying on fluorescent labelling and isolation of functional microbial species from various environments.
Interleukin-10 deficiency impairs regulatory T cell-derived neuropilin-1 functions and promotes Th1 and Th17 immunity
Authors: Wang Shimin , Gao Xiang , Shen Guobo , Wang Wei , Li Jingyu , Zhao Jingyi , Wei Yu-Quan , Edwards Carl K.
Published: April 2016

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expand in peripheral lymphoid organs and can produce immunosuppressive cytokines to support tumor growth. IL-10 abrogation efficiently induces Treg formation but dampens tumoral neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1) Treg signaling, which simultaneously augments Th1 and Th17 immunity. These effects are associated with the plasticity and stability of Tregs and effector T cell functions that can limit tumorigenesis. Within the tumor microenvironment, there appears to be a “mutual antagonism” between immunoenhancement and immunosuppression mechanisms, eventually leading to decreased metastasis. In contrast, tumor progression is paralleled by a reduction in Nrp-1-producing Tregs controlled by the IL-10 and TGF-β1 levels. However, Th1, Th17 and Treg immunity is primarily regulated by IL-10 or Nrp-1 and not TGF-β1 except when combined with IL-10. These results emphasize the important implications for the therapeutic use of Tregs. The number of Treg cells must be maintained in a healthy and dynamic homeostatic range to prevent malignant diseases. Moreover, Treg-mediated immunosuppression can be limited by reducing tumor-derived Treg Nrp-1 levels.
Abattoir-based estimates of mycobacterial infections in Cameroon
Authors: Egbe N. F. , Muwonge A. , Ndip L. , Kelly R. F. , Sander M. , Tanya V. , Ngwa V. Ngu , Handel I. G. , Novak A. , Ngandalo R. , Mazeri S. , Morgan K. L. , Asuquo A. , Bronsvoort B. M. de C.
Published: April 2016

Mycobacteria cause major diseases including human tuberculosis, bovine tuberculosis and Johne’s disease. In livestock, the dominant species isM. boviscausing bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a disease of global zoonotic importance. In this study, we estimated the prevalence of Mycobacteria in slaughter cattle in Cameroon. A total of 2,346 cattle were examined in a cross-sectional study at four abattoirs in Cameroon. Up to three lesions per animal were collected for further study and a retropharyngeal lymph node was collected from a random sample of non-lesioned animals. Samples were cultured on Lowenstein Jensen media and the BACTEC MGIT 960 system, and identified using the Hain®Genotype kits. A total of 207/2,346 cattle were identified with bTB-like lesions, representing 4.0% (45/1,129), 11.3% (106/935), 23.8% (38/160) and 14.8% (18/122) of the cattle in the Bamenda, Ngaoundere, Garoua and Maroua abattoirs respectively. The minimum estimated prevalence ofM. boviswas 2.8% (1.9–3.9), 7.7% (6.1–9.6), 21.3% (15.2–28.4) and 13.1% (7.7–20.4) in the four abattoirs respectively. OneM. tuberculosisand threeM. bovisstrains were recovered from non-lesioned animals. The high prevalence ofM. bovisis of public health concern and limits the potential control options in this setting without a viable vaccine as an alternative.
Observed 3D Structure, Generation, and Dissipation of Oceanic Mesoscale Eddies in the South China Sea
Authors: Zhang Zhiwei , Tian Jiwei , Qiu Bo , Zhao Wei , Chang Ping , Wu Dexing , Wan Xiuquan
Published: April 2016

Oceanic mesoscale eddies with horizontal scales of 50–300 km are the most energetic form of flows in the ocean. They are the oceanic analogues of atmospheric storms and are effective transporters of heat, nutrients, dissolved carbon, and other biochemical materials in the ocean. Although oceanic eddies have been ubiquitously observed in the world oceans since 1960s, our understanding of their three-dimensional (3D) structure, generation, and dissipation remains fragmentary due to lack of systematic full water-depth measurements. To bridge this knowledge gap, we designed and conducted a multi-months field campaign, called the South China Sea Mesoscale Eddy Experiment (S-MEE), in the northern South China Sea in 2013/2014. The S-MEE for the first time captured full-depth 3D structures of an anticyclonic and cyclonic eddy pair, which are characterized by a distinct vertical tilt of their axes. By observing the eddy evolution at an upstream versus downstream location and conducting an eddy energy budget analysis, the authors further proposed that generation of submesoscale motions most likely constitutes the dominant dissipation mechanism for the observed eddies.
Planktonic events may cause polymictic-dimictic regime shifts in temperate lakes
Authors: Shatwell Tom , Adrian Rita , Kirillin Georgiy
Published: April 2016

Water transparency affects the thermal structure of lakes and within certain lake depth ranges, it can determine whether a lake mixes regularly (polymictic regime) or stratifies continuously (dimictic regime) from spring through summer. Phytoplankton biomass can influence transparency but the effect of its seasonal pattern on stratification is unknown. Therefore we analysed long term field data from two lakes of similar depth, transparency and climate but one polymictic and one dimictic and simulated a conceptual lake with a hydrodynamic model. Transparency in the study lakes was typically low during spring and summer blooms and high in between during the clear water phase (CWP), caused when zooplankton graze the spring bloom. The effect of variability of transparency on thermal structure was stronger at intermediate transparency and stronger during a critical window in spring when the rate of lake warming is highest. Whereas the spring bloom strengthened stratification in spring, the CWP weakened it in summer. The presence or absence of the CWP influenced stratification duration and under some conditions determined the mixing regime. Therefore seasonal plankton dynamics, including biotic interactions that suppress the CWP, can influence lake temperatures, stratification duration and potentially also the mixing regime.
Green self-assembly of zein-conjugated ZnO/Cd(OH)Cl hierarchical nanocomposites with high cytotoxicity and immune organs targeting
Authors: Wang Hua-Jie , Cao Ying , Wang Cai-Feng , Cui Shi-Zhong , Mi Li-Wei , Miyazawa Teruo
Published: April 2016

Inorganic nanomedicines in the fight against cancer have progressed rapidly during recent years, with the synergistic advantages of multifunctional nanosystems compared to single component. Herein, a drug-combination opinion was introduced into “nanomedicine” based on the understanding of Trojan horse-anti-tumor mechanism of inorganic nano-medicines. Moreover, we reported the green and facile synthesis route of mono-dispersed and rod-like zein-conjugated ZnO/Cd(OH)Cl hierarchical nanocomposites. We found that the nanocomposites exhibited high-efficiency killing ability to tumor cells through lipid peroxidation mediated-membrane disintegration route. The safety studies in BALB/c mice didn’t detect injection anaphylaxis, hemolysis and cytotoxicity. More interestingly, the nano-composites could specially accumulate in liver and kidney, which will be helpful for targeting cure to these regional cancers.
Have GRACE satellites overestimated groundwater depletion in the Northwest India Aquifer?
Authors: Long Di , Chen Xi , Scanlon Bridget R. , Wada Yoshihide , Hong Yang , Singh Vijay P. , Chen Yaning , Wang Cunguang , Han Zhongying , Yang Wenting
Published: April 2016

The Northwest India Aquifer (NWIA) has been shown to have the highest groundwater depletion (GWD) rate globally, threatening crop production and sustainability of groundwater resources. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites have been emerging as a powerful tool to evaluate GWD with ancillary data. Accurate GWD estimation is, however, challenging because of uncertainties in GRACE data processing. We evaluated GWD rates over the NWIA using a variety of approaches, including newly developed constrained forward modeling resulting in a GWD rate of 3.1 ± 0.1 cm/a (or 14 ± 0.4 km3/a) for Jan 2005–Dec 2010, consistent with the GWD rate (2.8 cm/a or 12.3 km3/a) from groundwater-level monitoring data. Published studies (e.g., 4 ± 1 cm/a or 18 ± 4.4 km3/a) may overestimate GWD over this region. This study highlights uncertainties in GWD estimates and the importance of incorporating a priori information to refine spatial patterns of GRACE signals that could be more useful in groundwater resource management and need to be paid more attention in future studies.
Carrier-induced transient defect mechanism for non-radiative recombination in InGaN light-emitting devices
Authors: Bang Junhyeok , Sun Y. Y. , Song Jung-Hoon , Zhang S. B.
Published: April 2016

Non-radiative recombination (NRR) of excited carriers poses a serious challenge to optoelectronic device efficiency. Understanding the mechanism is thus crucial to defect physics and technological applications. Here, by using first-principles calculations, we propose a new NRR mechanism, where excited carriers recombine via a Frenkel-pair (FP) defect formation. While in the ground state the FP is high in energy and is unlikely to form, in the electronic excited states its formation is enabled by a strong electron-phonon coupling of the excited carriers. This NRR mechanism is expected to be general for wide-gap semiconductors, rather than being limited to InGaN-based light emitting devices.
Structural, electron transportation and magnetic behavior transition of metastable FeAlO granular films
Authors: Bai Guohua , Wu Chen , Jin Jiaying , Yan Mi
Published: April 2016

Metal-insulator granular film is technologically important for microwave applications. It has been challenging to obtain simultaneous high electrical resistivity and large saturation magnetization due to the balance of insulating non-magnetic and metallic magnetic components. FeAlO granular films satisfying both requirements have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The as-deposited film exhibits a high resistivity of 3700 μΩ∙cm with a negative temperature coefficient despite that Fe content (0.77) exceeds the percolation threshold. This originates from its unique microstructure containing amorphous Fe nanoparticles embedded in Al2O3 network. By optimizing the annealing conditions, superior electromagnetic properties with enhanced saturation magnetization (>1.05 T), high resistivity (>1200 μΩ∙cm) and broadened Δf (>3.0 GHz) are obtained. Phase separation with Al2O3 aggregating as inclusions in crystallized Fe(Al) matrix is observed after annealing at 673 K, resulting in a metallic-like resistivity. We provide a feasible way to achieve both high resistivity and large saturation magnetization for the FeAlO films with dominating metallic component and show that the microstructure can be tuned for desirable performance.
Wheatstone bridge configuration for evaluation of plasmonic energy transfer
Authors: Gosciniak J. , Mooney M. , Gubbins M. , Corbett B.
Published: April 2016

We propose an internal (on-chip) Wheatstone bridge configuration to evaluate the efficiency of near-field transducers (NFT) as used in heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). The electric field enhancement between the transducer and the image plane is monitored by measuring the resistance of metal electrodes composing the image plane. The absorption of the enhanced electric field causes an increase in the metal temperature and thereby, in its resistance whose variation is monitored with an internal Wheatstone bridge which is accurately balanced in the absence of the electric field.
Growth factor restriction impedes progression of wound healing following cataract surgery: identification of VEGF as a putative therapeutic target
Authors: Eldred Julie A. , McDonald Matthew , Wilkes Helen S. , Spalton David J. , Wormstone I. Michael
Published: April 2016

Secondary visual loss occurs in millions of patients due to a wound-healing response, known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO), following cataract surgery. An intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted into residual lens tissue, known as the capsular bag, following cataract removal. Standard IOLs allow the anterior and posterior capsules to become physically connected. This places pressure on the IOL and improves contact with the underlying posterior capsule. New open bag IOL designs separate the anterior capsule and posterior capsules and further reduce PCO incidence. It is hypothesised that this results from reduced cytokine availability due to greater irrigation of the bag. We therefore explored the role of growth factor restriction on PCO using human lens cell and tissue culture models. We demonstrate that cytokine dilution, by increasing medium volume, significantly reduced cell coverage in both closed and open capsular bag models. This coincided with reduced cell density and myofibroblast formation. A screen of 27 cytokines identified nine candidates whose expression profile correlated with growth. In particular, VEGF was found to regulate cell survival, growth and myofibroblast formation. VEGF provides a therapeutic target to further manage PCO development and will yield best results when used in conjunction with open bag IOL designs.
The identification of goat peroxiredoxin-5 and the evaluation and enhancement of its stability by nanoparticle formation
Authors: Feng Xiaozhou , Liu Juanjuan , Fan Shuai , Liu Fan , Li Yadong , Jin Yuanyuan , Bai Liping , Yang Zhaoyong
Published: April 2016

An anticancer bioactive peptide (ACBP), goat peroxiredoxin-5 (gPRDX5), was identified from goat-spleen extract after immunizing the goat with gastric cancer-cell lysate. Its amino acid sequence was determined by employing 2D nano-LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS combined with Mascot database search in the goat subset of the Uniprot database. The recombinant gPRDX5 protein was acquired by heterogeneous expression in Escherichia coli. Subsequently, the anti-cancer bioactivity of the peptide was measured by several kinds of tumor cells. The results indicated that the gPRDX5 was a good anti-cancer candidate, especially for killing B16 cells. However, the peptide was found to be unstable without modification with pharmaceutical excipients, which would be a hurdle for future medicinal application. In order to overcome this problem and find an effective way to evaluate the gPRDX5, nanoparticle formation, which has been widely used in drug delivery because of its steadiness in application, less side-effects and enhancement of drug accumulation in target issues, was used here to address the issues. In this work, the gPRDX5 was dispersed into nanoparticles before delivered to B16 cells. By the nanotechnological method, the gPRDX5 was stabilized by a fast and accurate procedure, which suggests a promising way for screening the peptide for further possible medicinal applications.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells orchestrate TLR7-mediated innate and adaptive immunity for the initiation of autoimmune inflammation
Authors: Takagi Hideaki , Arimura Keiichi , Uto Tomofumi , Fukaya Tomohiro , Nakamura Takeshi , Choijookhuu Narantsog , Hishikawa Yoshitaka , Sato Katsuaki
Published: April 2016

Endosomal toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated detection of viral nucleic acids (NAs) and production of type I interferon (IFN-I) are key elements of antiviral defense, while inappropriate recognition of self NAs with the induction of IFN-I responses is linked to autoimmunity such as psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are cells specialized in robust IFN-I secretion by the engagement of endosomal TLRs and predominantly express sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin (Siglec)-H. However, how pDCs control endosomal TLR-mediated immune responses that cause autoimmunity remains unclear. Here we show a critical role of pDCs in TLR7-mediated autoimmunity using gene-modified mice with impaired expression of Siglec-H and selective ablation of pDCs. pDCs were shown to be indispensable for the induction of systemic inflammation and effector T-cell responses triggered by TLR7 ligand. pDCs aggravated psoriasiform dermatitis mediated through the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and enhanced dermal infiltration of granulocytes and γδ T cells. Furthermore, pDCs promoted the production of anti-self NA antibodies and glomerulonephritis in lupus-like disease by activating inflammatory monocytes. On the other hand, Siglec-H regulated the TLR7-mediated activation of pDCs. Thus, our findings reveal that pDCs provide an essential link between TLR7-mediated innate and adaptive immunity for the initiation of IFN-I-associated autoimmune inflammation.
Hsp90aa1: a novel target gene of miR-1 in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury
Authors: Zhu Wen Si , Guo Wei , Zhu Jie Ning , Tang Chun Mei , Fu Yong Heng , Lin Qiu Xiong , Tan Ning , Shan Zhi Xin
Published: April 2016

The role of microRNA-1 (miR-1) in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury is not well illustrated. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and potential target of miR-1 in the myocardium of a rat model of I/R. The apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in the ischemic rat myocardium increased on day 1, then attenuated on day 3 and day 7 post-I/R. Heat shot protein 90 (Hsp90) aa1 mRNA expression was decreased post-I/R and Hsp90aa1 protein level was decreased on day1 post-I/R, but was reversed on day 3 and day 7 post-I/R. MiR-1 was downregulated post-I/R and repression of miR-1 in cultured neonatal rat ventricular cells (NRVCs) led to an increase of Bcl-2 and decreases of Bax and active caspase-3. Dual luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-1 interacted with the 310–315 nt site at the 3′UTR of Hsp90aa1 and miR-1 was verified to inhibit Hsp90aa1 expression at the posttranscriptional level. Over-expression of Hsp90aa1 could attenuate oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced apoptosis of NRVCs. Additionally, miR-1 mimic, in parallel to Hsp90aa1 siRNA, could enhance OGD-induced apoptosis of NRVCs. Taken together, our results reveal that Hsp90aa1 is a novel target of miR-1 and repression of miR-1 may contribute to the recovery of Hsp90aa1 during myocardial I/R.
On migration of primary/peritectic interface during interrupted directional solidification of Sn-Ni peritectic alloy
Authors: Peng Peng , Li Xinzhong , Li Jiangong , Su Yanqing , Guo Jingjie , Fu Hengzhi
Published: April 2016

The migration of the primary/peritectic interface in local isothermal condition is observed in dendritic structure of Sn–Ni peritectic alloy after experiencing interrupted directional solidification. It was observed that this migration of primary Ni3Sn2/peritectic Ni3Sn4 interface towards the primary Ni3Sn2 phase was accompanied by migration of liquid film located at this interface. The migration velocity of this interface was confirmed to be much faster than that of peritectic transformation, so this migration was mostly caused by superheating of primary Ni3Sn2 phase below TP, leading to nucleation and migration of liquid film at this interface. This migration can be classified as a kind of liquid film migration (LFM), and the migration velocity at the horizontal direction has been confirmed to be much faster than that along the direction of temperature gradient. Analytical prediction has shown that the migration of liquid film could be divided into two stages depending on whether primary phase exists below TP. If the isothermal annealing time is not long enough, both the liquid film and the primary/peritectic interface migrate towards the primary phase until the superheated primary phase has all been dissolved. Then, this migration process towards higher temperature is controlled by temperature gradient zone melting (TGZM).