bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain responses to bladder filling in older women without urgency incontinence
Authors: Tadic Stasa D. , Tannenbaum Cara , Resnick Neil M. , Griffiths Derek
Published: March 2013

Aims

To investigate normal brain responses to bladder filling, especially when there is little or no sensation as in much of daily life.

Methods

We performed an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of brain responses to bladder filling in normal female subjects, evoked by infusion and withdrawal of fluid in and out of the bladder. Using the contrast (infusion–withdrawal), we imaged brain activity at small bladder volumes with weak filling sensation and also with full bladder and strong desire to void.

Results

Eleven women, average age 65 years (range: 60–71 years) were included. With full bladder and strong desire to void, filling provoked a well‐known pattern of activation near the right insula and (as a trend) in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and supplementary motor area. There was no significant deactivation. With small bladder volume filling provoked widespread apparent deactivation and no significant activation. Apparent deactivation was associated with increased fMRI signal during withdrawal rather than decrease during infusion, suggesting artifact. A correction for global changes in cerebral blood flow eliminated it and revealed significant subcortical activation, although none in frontal or parietal cortex.

Conclusions

In older women with normal bladder function, infusion into an already full bladder resulted in strong sensation and brain activation near the insula and in the dorsal anterior cingulate/supplementary motor complex. With near‐empty bladder and little sensation, the situation during much of daily life, these cortical areas were not detectably activated, but activation in midbrain and parahippocampal regions presumably indicated unconscious monitoring of ascending bladder signals. Neurourol. Urodynam. 32: 435–440, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functionalization of porous agarose film with single‐walled carbon nanotubes as excellent electrochemical interface materials
Authors: Li Ru , Li Hongbo , Zhang Jing , Jin Hehua , Li Qingwen
Published: March 2013

Three‐dimensional (3D) agarose gel network could be readily modified with single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) through their noncovalent interactions. Because of the embedded SWNT network, the agarose‐SWNT film fabricated by the gel‐drying method well maintained its in‐plane shape and size. Compared with pure agarose film, the maximum strain at break and strength of agarose‐SWNT film could be increased by 67.2% and 24%, respectively. More importantly, modifying the bare glass carbon electrode (GCE) with agarose‐SWNT film, we observed 12 times increase in dopamine (DA) electrochemical peak current, and 2.6 times increase in the case of potassium ferricyanide (K3Fe(CN)6). The porous 3D agarose network interpenetrated with high‐conductivity SWNT network might contribute to the excellent electrochemical interface property. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Epoxy composites based on inexpensive char filler obtained from plastic waste and natural resources
Authors: Ahmetli Gulnare , Kocaman Suheyla , Ozaytekin Ilkay , Bozkurt Pınar
Published: March 2013

In this study, plastic [polyethylene terephthalate (PET)] waste was recycled as raw material for the preparation of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A‐type epoxy composite materials. The other inexpensive fillers used to prepare the composites were wood shavings char and pine cone char (PCC), obtained from natural resources. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that plastic waste char (PWC) and PCC can significantly improve the thermal stability of neat epoxy resin at temperatures above 300°C. The best thermal and electrical conductivity results were obtained with PWC. The residual weight of the composite with 30 wt% PWC was 69%. Surface hardness, Young's modulus, and tensile strength of the composites were higher than those with a pure epoxy polymer matrix. The composite morphology was characterized by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Characterization of UHMWPE/wood composites produced via dry‐blending and compression molding
Authors: Mahfoudh A. , Cloutier A. , Rodrigue D.
Published: March 2013

In this study, composites made from wood flour and ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were produced and characterized. In particular, the composites were initially prepared using a simple dry mixing technique and then compression molded. The effect of wood content on the mechanical properties was determined up to 30wt%. Characterization included scanning electron microscopy to investigate wood dispersion and interfacial bonding quality, while the mechanical tests included tensile, torsion, and flexion. The results show that good dispersion and adhesion was achieved and wood flour addition increased substantially (up to 97%) all the moduli in the range of conditions tested. Finally, it was found that hardness increased by about 5 Shore D points by adding 30% wood flour in UHMWPE. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Vital Exhaustion and Markers of Low‐Grade Inflammation in Healthy Adults: The Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study
Authors: Hoekstra Trynke , Barbosa‐Leiker Celestina , Twisk Jos W.R.
Published: March 2013

This study analyses distinct trajectories of vital exhaustion (VE; a measure of mental health incorporating signs of stress and depression) over a period of 15 years in healthy adults and investigates further the consequences for markers of low‐grade inflammation as indicators of cardiovascular disease risk. Data of 341 participants of the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study were utilized. VE was measured by the Maastricht Questionnaire. Markers of low‐grade inflammation included interleukin‐6, interleukin‐8 and tumour necrosis factor‐α. Distinct trajectories of VE were obtained by latent class growth models, and consequences for markers of low‐grade inflammation of the trajectories were analysed by linear regressions. We found comparable trajectories of VE for men and women; a ‘never vitally exhausted’ subgroup (16.9% and 25.1%, respectively), a ‘stable preclinical VE’ subgroup (51.7% and 68.1%) and a ‘chronic VE state’ subgroup (31.5% and 6.7%). The subgroups had similar levels of the markers investigated. This study is the first to analyse VE longitudinally in healthy adults and indicates that although distinct trajectories of VE were identified, differential consequences for cardiovascular disease risk were unapparent. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface‐Mediated Nucleic Acid Delivery by Lipoplexes Prepared in Microwell Arrays
Authors: Wu Yun , Terp Megan Cavanaugh , Kwak Kwang Joo , Gallego‐Perez Daniel , Nana‐Sinkam Serge P. , Lee L. James
Published: March 2013

Many delivery methods have been developed to improve the therapeutic efficacy and facilitate the clinical translation of nucleic acid‐based therapeutics. A facile surface‐mediated nucleic acid delivery by lipoplexes is prepared in a microwell array, which combines the advantages of lipoplexes as an efficient carrier system, surface‐mediated delivery, and the control of surface topography. Uniform disc‐like lipoplexes containing nucleic acids are formed in the microwell array with a diameter of ∼818 nm and thickness of ∼195 nm. The microwell array‐mediated delivery of lipoplexes containing FAM‐oligodeoxynucleotides is ∼18.6 and ∼10.6 times more efficient than the conventional transfection method in an adherent cell line (A549 non‐small cell lung cancer cells) and a suspension cell line (KG‐1a acute myelogenous leukemia cells), respectively. MicroRNA‐29b is then used as a model nucleic acid to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of lipoplexes delivered by the microwell array. Compared to conventional transfection methods, the effective therapeutic dosage of microRNA‐29b is reduced from the microgram level to the nanogram level by lipoplexes prepared in the microwell array. The microwell array is also a very flexible platform. Both nucleic acid therapeutics and imaging reagents are incorporated in lipoplexes and successfully delivered to A549 cells, demonstrating its potential applications in theranostic medicine.
A graph decomposition‐based approach for water distribution network optimization
Authors: Zheng Feifei , Simpson Angus R. , Zecchin Aaron C. , Deuerlein Jochen W.
Published: March 2013

Key Points

Decomposition optimization method has been developed and demonstrated

Solution choice table approach proposed is effective for network optimization

Pre‐conditioning method proposed is effective to improve the efficiency
An adaptive moving finite volume scheme for modeling flood inundation over dry and complex topography
Authors: Zhou Feng , Chen Guoxian , Huang Yuefei , Yang Jerry Zhijian , Feng Hui
Published: March 2013

Key Points

AMFV is well‐balanced positivity preserving for modeling flood inundation

Shock‐capturing capability is improved over dry and complex topography

Predictive accuracy and spatial resolution is improved with fewer meshes
Long‐term trends in evapotranspiration and runoff over the drainage basins of the Gulf of Mexico during 1901–2008
Authors: Liu Mingliang , Tian Hanqin , Yang Qichun , Yang Jia , Song Xia , Lohrenz Steven E. , Cai Wei‐Jun
Published: March 2013

Key Points

Significant regional differences in ET and R trends are found.

Land use change, as well as climate change, affects trends of water fluxes

None significant long‐term trends in freshwater discharge to the GOM is found
Laparoscopic Treatment for Unsuspected Common Bile Duct Stones by Transcystic Sphincter of Oddi Pneumatic Balloon Dilation and Pressure‐Washing Technique
Authors: Masoni Luigi , Mari Francesco Saverio , Pietropaolo Vincenzo , Onorato Maurizio , Meucci Massimo , Brescia Antonio
Published: March 2013

Background

Unsuspected common bile duct stones (CBDS) are found in 4–5 % of patients with cholelithiasis. The optimal strategy for the treatment of asymptomatic CBDS, diagnosed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), is not yet well established. A one‐stage solution is preferable to solve the CBDS during the LC and to avoid the exposure of patients to the risks of a second procedure, such as complications or failure.

Methods

We attempted to remove CBDS by transcystic sphincter of Oddi pneumatic balloon dilation and common bile duct pressure‐washing in all cases of intraoperative identification of CBDS since September 2008.

Results

In 29 cases, unsuspected CBDS was identified by intraoperative cholangiography; in 28 cases a single stone with a mean diameter of 4.3 mm (range = 3–6) was detected and in one case three 5–8‐mm‐diameter stones were identified. Clearance of the common bile duct was obtained in 27 cases (96 %), with a mean operative time of 54 min (range = 36–90) and mean length of hospital stay of 2.5 days.

Conclusion

Treatment of unsuspected CBDS detected by intraoperative cholangiography during LC with this original technique was safe and effective and a viable alternative of the transcystic endoscopic approach.
Aggregation Behavior of Perfluorononanoic Acid/Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Mixtures
Authors: Torres María Florencia , de Rossi Rita H. , Fernández Mariana Adela
Published: March 2013

The mixed system of an anionic hydrocarbon surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and a perfluorinated surfactant, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), was investigated by a combination of methods. The critical micellar concentrations (CMC) were determined over a wide range of sample compositions by surface tension, conductivity and UV–visible spectrophotometry using N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)perfluorononanamide as a molecular probe. The values of CMC obtained by different techniques were in good agreement. In addition, the aggregation numbers were determined in the mixtures with a low content of hydrocarbon surfactant, by measuring the fluorescence quenching of pyrene. The hydrodynamic radii of the aggregates were estimated through the diffusion ordered 19F‐ and 1H‐NMR spectroscopy. The values obtained are in agreement with those expected according to the measured aggregation numbers. The analysis of the data with different aggregation models suggests the formation of a non‐ideal mixed micelle that is enriched in the perfluorinated surfactant when its mole fraction increases, and that is practically formed by PFNA only at mole fractions higher than 0.8.
Effects of Surfactant Hydrophilicity on the Oil Solubilization and Rheological Behavior of a Nonionic Hexagonal Phase
Authors: Alam Mohammad Mydul , Matsumoto Yohei , Aramaki Kenji
Published: March 2013

The effects of surfactant hydrophilicity on the phase behavior and rheology of a hexagonal phase (H1) and related O/H1 emulsions in a water/C12EOn/isohexadecane system (n = 7, 9) have been investigated. In this phase behavior study, a variety of surfactant aggregates (micellar, Wm; hexagonal, H1; bicontinuous cubic, V1; lamellar, Lα; inverse micellar, Om) have been observed in water‐C12EOn binary systems. The oil solubility of different surfactant aggregates was strongly affected by the surfactant hydrophilicity, i.e., surfactant aggregates in the C12EO7 system could solubilize a larger amount of oil than those in the C12EO9 system. It can be inferred that the surfactant with long hydrophilic head groups could be closely packed in the interface, leading to a reduction in the oil solubility in the micellar core due to the strong head group interaction. Interestingly, the rheology of the H1 phase also exhibits behavior that is dependent on the surfactant hydrophilicity, i.e., high values of the elastic modulus G′ and complex viscosity |η*| have been observed in the C12EO9 system, possibly due to the strong neighboring head group interaction. Hexagon structure of the H1 phase was calculated by using the Bohlin model. The viscosity of the O/H1 emulsions decreases with increasing oil concentration, possibly due to the low volume fraction of the continuous phase (the H1 phase).
Pro‐Oxidant Effects of β‐Carotene During Thermal Oxidation of Edible Oils
Authors: Zeb Alam , Murkovic Michael
Published: March 2013

β‐Carotene is one of the most important fat soluble pigments with well‐known antioxidant and pro‐vitamin A activity. It is used in industries as a food colorant and a source of vitamin A. The thermal induced degradation during processing of wide varieties of carotenoid‐rich foods leads to color and properties losses. The thermal stability of edible oils is thus of great importance to food manufacturers. Corn oil, rapeseed, and sunflower oils were fortified with 50–300 μg/g of β‐carotene and oxidized using a Rancimat apparatus (air flow rate 20 L/h) at 110 °C for 14 h. β‐Carotene degradation was measured using high performance thin layer chromatography and confirmed by HPLC–DAD–MS. Triacylglycerols and polar compounds (PC) were determined using LC–ESI–MS. Results showed that most of the β‐carotene was degraded during the first 5 h of the thermal oxidation. It was found that the addition of β‐carotene produces significant effects (P < 0.05) on the peroxide index, free fatty acid values and radical scavenging activity of the three oils. Triacylglycerols containing high amounts of oleic acid show higher stability toward thermal oxidation and β‐carotene treatment. Among the oils, rapeseed oil was the most stable oil in terms of the formation of polar compounds (PC), followed by corn oil, while sunflower oil was more prone to oxidation and thus higher amounts of PC were formed.
Size-dependent cellular toxicity and uptake of commercial colloidal gold nanoparticles in DU-145 cells
Authors: Vedantam Pallavi , Huang George , Tzeng T. R. Jeremy
Published: March 2013

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a predominant condition in prostate cancer patients.Escherichia coliORN178 (EC-178) is the uropathogen that causes recurrent infection by binding specifically to adhesins of prostate cancer cells (DU-145 cells). Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been used in biodiagnosis of pathogens. In this study, we have investigated the binding time of EC-178 to DU-145 cells, the cytotoxicity and uptake of plain and mannose functionalized and 20 and 200 nm GNPs (d-mannan (Mn)-GNPs). We also investigated the protein corona of GNPs when incubated with fetal bovine serum to study the protein corona which decides the biological fate of the GNPs. It was seen that EC-178 binds and is inside the DU-145 cells by 3 h of incubation period. Plain 20 nm GNPs decrease the percentage of viable cells in 48 and 72 h in log and lag phase of DU-145 cells. It was also observed that the Mn-GNPs were taken up by the DU-145 cells significantly more than the plain GNPs. Protein corona was observed when GNPs were incubated with fetal bovine serum which was confirmed by dynamic light scattering measurements and SDS-PAGE gel.
Connectomics: novel methods for the dense reconstruction of neuronal circuits
Authors: Helmstaedter M.
Published: March 2013

The nervous system is characterized by ex­tremely complex cell-to-cell interactions which primarily occur via chemical synaps­es. Mapping the structure of these intercel­lular networks is one of the major challeng­es in neuroscience. The new field of connec­tomics which has developed in recent years aims at the dense reconstruction of increas­ingly comprehensive nerve cell networks. Au­tomated volume electron microscopy tech­niques are employed for image acquisition. A major obstacle, however, is data reconstruc­tion, for which unusual solutions (e.g., mass reconstruction by crowd sourcing and on­line computer games) are currently being pursued.
CONSTRUCTIONS BY RULER AND COMPASS, TOGETHER WITH A FIXED CONIC
Authors: BAEK SEUNGJIN , CHOE INSONG , JUNG YOONHO , LEE DONGWOOK , SEO JUNGGYO
Published: March 2013

It is well known to be impossible to trisect an arbitrary angle and duplicate an arbitrary cube by a ruler and a compass. On the other hand, it is known from ancient times that these constructions can be performed when the use of several conic curves is allowed. In this paper, we prove that any point constructible from conics can be constructed using a ruler and a compass, together with a single fixed nondegenerate conic different from a circle.
TWO QUESTIONS OF L. VAŠ ON -CLEAN RINGS
Authors: CHEN JIANLONG , CUI JIAN
Published: March 2013

A $\ast $-ring $R$ is called (strongly) $\ast $-clean if every element of $R$ is the sum of a unit and a projection (that commute). Vaš [‘$\ast $-Clean rings; some clean and almost clean Baer $\ast $-rings and von Neumann algebras’, J. Algebra 324(12) (2010), 3388–3400] asked whether there exists a $\ast $-ring that is clean but not $\ast $-clean and whether a unit regular and $\ast $-regular ring is strongly $\ast $-clean. In this paper, we answer these two questions. We also give some characterisations related to $\ast $-regular rings.
GROUPOID -ALGEBRAS WITH HAUSDORFF SPECTRUM
Authors: GOEHLE GEOFF
Published: March 2013

Suppose that $G$ is a second countable, locally compact Hausdorff groupoid with abelian stabiliser subgroups and a Haar system. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the groupoid ${C}^{\ast } $-algebra to have Hausdorff spectrum. In particular, we show that the spectrum of ${C}^{\ast } (G)$ is Hausdorff if and only if the stabilisers vary continuously with respect to the Fell topology, the orbit space ${G}^{(0)} / G$ is Hausdorff, and, given convergent sequences ${\chi }_{i} \rightarrow \chi $ and ${\gamma }_{i} \cdot {\chi }_{i} \rightarrow \omega $ in the dual stabiliser groupoid $\widehat{S}$ where the ${\gamma }_{i} \in G$ act via conjugation, if $\chi $ and $\omega $ are elements of the same fibre then $\chi = \omega $.
The Dreams of Middle Class: Consumption, Life-course and Migration Between Bangladesh and Portugal
Authors: MAPRIL JOSÉ
Published: March 2013

In the past 20 years, Bangladeshi migration to Southern European countries has gained an increasing importance. Portugal is no exception, and today more than 4,500 Bangladeshis live in the country. One of the more interesting facets of this population, though, is their educational and economic profile. They come from what has been roughly summed up as the ‘new’ Bangladeshi ‘middle classes’. Their families are both rural and urban, have properties, and own businesses. Other members of their domestic units work in NGOs, and private and state owned companies. Simultaneously, they have considerable educational backgrounds, with college and university degrees, and most are fluent in English. But what was their motivation to come to Europe in the first place? And what does this tell us about the young Bangladeshi middle class? For these young Bangladeshi adults, it is through geographic mobility that one can earn enough economic capital to access the ‘modern’ and to progress in the life-course. By remaining in Bangladesh, their access to middle class status and adulthood is not guaranteed and thus migrating to Europe is seen as a possible avenue for achieving such dreams and expectations. The main argument in this paper is that migration—as a resource and a discoursive formation—is itself constitutive of this ‘middle class’.
Fairness and the Politics of Resentment
Authors: HOGGETT PAUL , WILKINSON HEN , BEEDELL PHEOBE
Published: March 2013

The role of the emotions in the framing of welfare policies is still relatively underexplored. This article examines the role of resentment in the construction of a particular form of ‘anti-welfare populism’ advanced by the Coalition Government in the UK after 2010. We argue that UK political parties have appropriated the discourse of fairness to promote fundamentally divisive policies which have been popular with large sections of the electorate including, paradoxically, many poorer voters. In focus group research in white working class communities in the UK undertaken just before the 2010 General Election, resentments related to perceived unfairness and loss emerged as very strong themes among our respondents. We examine such resentments in terms of an underlying ‘structure of feeling’ which fuels the reactionary populism seen in ‘anti-welfare’ discourses. These promote increasingly conditional and punitive forms of welfare in countries experiencing austerity, such as the UK, creating rivalries rather than building solidarities amongst those who ‘have little’ and drawing attention away from greater inequalities.
The Promise and Challenges of Global Labor History
Authors: van der Linden Marcel
Published: March 2013

The idea that the histories of different regions in the world are interconnected is not particularly novel; it already existed several centuries ago. Thus, for example, when the German historian and playwright Friedrich Schiller was granted a chair at the University of Jena in 1789, he declared in his inaugural address that “the most remote regions of the world contribute to our luxury.” After all, he continued, “The clothes we wear, the spices in our food, and the price for which we buy them, many of our strongest medicines, and also many new tools of our destruction—do they not presuppose a Columbus who discovered America, a Vasco da Gama who circumnavigated the tip of Africa”?2Nevertheless it took quite some time before professional historians began to consider these global connections seriously in their research. Colonial and “imperial” historians led the way. They were joined by economic historians. Labor historians became interested in intercontinental perspectives only more recently; until the 1970s, they typically locked themselves into the framework of individual nation-states. Even great innovators in the discipline, such as E. P. Thompson, thought mostly in terms of “national” working classes.
AUTOMORPHISMS AND OPPOSITION IN TWIN BUILDINGS
Authors: DEVILLERS ALICE , PARKINSON JAMES , VAN MALDEGHEM HENDRIK
Published: March 2013

We show that every automorphism of a thick twin building interchanging the halves of the building maps some residue to an opposite one. Furthermore, we show that no automorphism of a locally finite 2-spherical twin building of rank at least 3 maps every residue of one fixed type to an opposite (a key step in the proof is showing that every duality of a thick finite projective plane admits an absolute point). Our results also hold for all finite irreducible spherical buildings of rank at least 3, and imply that every involution of a thick irreducible finite spherical building of rank at least 3 has a fixed residue.
CARMICHAEL NUMBERS IN ARITHMETIC PROGRESSIONS
Authors: MATOMÄKI KAISA
Published: March 2013

We prove that when$(a, m)= 1$and$a$is a quadratic residue$\hspace{0.167em} \mathrm{mod} \hspace{0.167em} m$, there are infinitely many Carmichael numbers in the arithmetic progression$a\hspace{0.167em} \mathrm{mod} \hspace{0.167em} m$. Indeed the number of them up to$x$is at least${x}^{1/ 5} $when$x$is large enough (depending on$m$).
Essential oil of Ocotea odorifera: An alternative against Sitophilus zeamais
Authors: Mossi Altemir J. , Zanella Camila A. , Kubiak Gabriela , Lerin Lindomar A. , Cansian Rogerio L. , Frandoloso Fernando Scarati , Prá Valéria Dal , Mazutti Marcio Antonio , Costa Jorge Alberto Vieira , Treichel Helen
Published: March 2013

Nowadays, the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais—Motsch 1855 is the most relevant pest found during storage of maize grains. Aiming at protecting the agricultural crops, high amounts of synthetic pesticides are used around the world. In this sense, this work aimed at evaluating the insecticidal and repellent effect of essential oil of Ocotea odorifera (Vellozo) Rohwer (Lauraceae) (O. odorifera (sassafras)) leaves against the maize weevil in maize grains. The essential oil's chemical composition showed that sassafras contains camphor (43%) and safrole (42%) as major compounds. Our results show that sassafras oil was insecticidal and repellent to maize weevil. About 100% mortality was achieved using a concentration of 0.32 μl cm−2, after 24 h of exposure. The LD50 value was 14.1 μl or 0.09 μl cm−2 and the study of the effect on insect mortality at the lethal doses (LD50) showed that after 72 h mortality was 100%. The values of the preference index varied from −0.39 (0.065 μl cm−2) to −0.63 (0.659 μl cm−2), demonstrating that the plant oil presents repellent activity. The repellency bioassay simulating small bins showed the repellent effect level from 0.64 (0.36 μl cm−3) to 0.94 (2.9 μl cm−3). The essential oil of sassafras presented insecticidal and repellency against maize weevil. Although from an economical point of view synthetic chemicals are still more frequently used as repellents, natural products (essential oils) have the potential to provide efficient and safer repellents for humans and the environment.
Human uraemic serum displays calcific potential in vitro that increases with advancing chronic kidney disease
Authors: Patidar Ashish , Singh Dhruv K. , Winocour Peter , Farrington Ken , Baydoun Anwar R.
Published: March 2013

Vascular calcification (VC) strongly correlates with declining renal function and contributes to the high morbidity and mortality of patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease). It is closely regulated by circulating factors but little is known about the capacity of serum from patients to induce calcification outside the disease setting, which we now define as the calcific potential of serum. We have therefore examined the ability of serum from age- and sex-matched subjects with and without advancing CKD to induce calcification of cultured SMCs (smooth muscle cells). Samples from patients with CKD induced significant calcification compared with controls. More importantly, samples from patients on haemodialysis induced significantly higher calcification than those with moderate or advanced CKD. The calcification induced by the latter two but not those on haemodialysis could be enhanced with calcium chloride and β-GP (β-glycerophosphate). A positive correlation was evident between measured serum creatinine, phosphate, PTH (parathyroid hormone), OPG (osteoprotegerin) and the degree of calcification in vitro. eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate), DBP (diastolic blood pressure), haemoglobin and serum albumin correlated negatively. Stepwise multivariate analysis of log-transformed calcific potential data highlighted serum creatinine, albumin and OPG as significant predictors, explaining approximately 50% of the variation. Thus, other regulators, either not investigated or as yet unidentified, may contribute to the calcification potential of serum in vitro. Furthermore, uraemic serum can induce graded calcification outside of the disease milieu that reflects the degree of kidney impairment in vivo. These findings could have important clinical relevance in terms of developing novel diagnostic and/or therapeutic strategies for subjects with CKD.
The release of trapped gases from amorphous solid water films. I. “Top-down” crystallization-induced crack propagation probed using the molecular volcano
Authors: May R. Alan , Smith R. Scott , Kay Bruce D.
Published: March 2013

In this (Paper I) and the companion paper (Paper II; R. May, R. Smith, and B. Kay, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 104502 (2013)10.1063/1.4793312), we investigate the mechanisms for the release of trapped gases from underneath amorphous solid water (ASW) films. In prior work, we reported the episodic release of trapped gases in concert with the crystallization of ASW, a phenomenon that we termed the “molecular volcano.” The observed abrupt desorption is due to the formation of cracks that span the film to form a connected pathway for release. In this paper, we utilize the “molecular volcano” desorption peak to characterize the formation of crystallization-induced cracks. We find that the crack length distribution is independent of the trapped gas (Ar, Kr, Xe, CH4, N2, O2, or CO). Selective placement of the inert gas layer is used to show that cracks form near the top of the film and propagate downward into the film. Isothermal experiments reveal that, after some induction time, cracks propagate linearly in time with an Arrhenius dependent velocity corresponding to an activation energy of 54 kJ/mol. This value is consistent with the crystallization growth rates reported by others and establishes a direct connection between crystallization growth rate and the crack propagation rate. A two-step model in which nucleation and crystallization occurs in an induction zone near the top of the film followed by the propagation of a crystallization/crack front into the film is in good agreement with the temperature programmed desorption results.
Work function and electron affinity of the fluorine-terminated (100) diamond surface
Authors: Rietwyk K. J. , Wong S. L. , Cao L. , O'Donnell K. M. , Ley L. , Wee A. T. S. , Pakes C. I.
Published: March 2013

The work function and electron affinity of fluorine-terminated (100) diamond surfaces prepared by exposure to dissociated XeF2 have been determined using synchrotron-based photoemission. After vacuum annealing to 350 °C a clean, monofluoride terminated C(100):F surface was obtained for which an electron affinity of 2.56 eV was measured. This is the highest electron affinity reported for any diamond surface termination so far, and it exceeds the value predicted by recent density functional theory calculations by 0.43 eV. The work function of 7.24 eV measured for the same surface places the Fermi energy of 0.79 eV above the valence band maximum.
The effect of blast wave re-focusing on a laser-induced plasma
Authors: Brieschenk Stefan , Kleine Harald , O'Byrne Sean
Published: March 2013

The effect of laser-induced plasma confinement on lifetime and temperature is reported using cylindrical reflectors. This is determined experimentally in a gas cell, with hydrogen as test gas, and cylindrical shock reflectors of different diameters. The temperature evolution of confined and unconfined laser-induced plasma has been measured using plasma emission spectroscopy. Temperatures were determined through the plasma line-to-continuum thermometry technique in the hydrogen Balmer series using the Hα and Hβ transitions at λ = 656 nm and λ = 486 nm, respectively. The experiments found that re-focusing the blast wave can significantly increase temperatures during the exponential decay of the plasma. The experimental results also show that confinement increases peak plasma temperatures, and that plasma lifetimes are only marginally affected by the confinement.
Momentum-imaging apparatus for the study of dissociative electron attachment dynamics
Authors: Moradmand A. , Williams J. B. , Landers A. L. , Fogle M.
Published: March 2013

An ion-momentum spectrometer is used to study the dissociative dynamics of electron attachment to molecules. A skimmed, supersonic gas jet is crossed with a pulsed beam of low-energy electrons, and the resulting negative ions are extracted toward a time- and position-sensitive detector. Calculations of the momentum in three dimensions may be used to determine the angular dependence of dissociative attachment as well as the energetics of the reaction.
Effects of oxidation on reaction front instabilities and average propagation speed in Ni/Ti multilayer foils
Authors: McDonald Joel P. , Reeves Robert V. , Jones Eric D. , Chinn Kathryn A. , Adams David P.
Published: March 2013

Vapor-deposited, equiatomic Ni/Ti multilayer foils exhibit low-speed, self-propagating formation reactions that are characterized by a spin-like reaction front instability. In addition to the intermetallic reaction between Ni and Ti, reactions performed in air can also exhibit a discrete combustion wave associated with the oxidation of Ti. In general, the oxidation wave trails the complex intermetallic reaction front. Multilayers that have a large reactant layer periodicity (≥200 nm) exhibit a decrease in net reaction speed as air pressure is reduced. Oxidation has a much smaller effect on the net propagation speed of multilayers with small layer periodicity (<100 nm). The net propagation speed of the multilayers is increased when air is present, due to the added energy release of Ti oxidation. High-speed optical microscopy shows that the increased front speed is associated with an increased nucleation rate of the reaction bands that typify the spinning reaction instability of the Ni/Ti system.
Internal friction associated with the premartensitic transformation and twin boundary motion of Ni50+xMn25−xGa25 (x = 0−2) alloys
Authors: Liu Junyi , Wang Jingmin , Jiang Chengbao , Xu Huibin
Published: March 2013

The internal friction (IF) during the martensitic transformation (MT) has been extensively studied in NiMnGa alloys. In this paper, temperature dependence of the IF associated with the premartensitic transformation (PMT) and twin boundary motion (TBM) was investigated in Ni50+xMn25−xGa25 (x = 0−2) alloys. Both the composition and frequency had no obvious effect on the IF peak position of the PMT and TBM. With increasing frequency from 0.1 Hz to 5 Hz, the IF peak height corresponding to the TBM was significantly decreased, but was kept constant during the PMT. The observed phenomena were discussed in terms of the different microscopic mechanisms of the TBM and PMT.
Performance tuning of InGaZnO thin-film transistors with a SnInGaZnO electron barrier layer
Authors: Huang Hau-Yuan , Wang Shui-Jinn , Wu Chien-Hung , Chiang Chen-Kuo , Su Je-Yi
Published: March 2013

Indium gallium zinc oxide (InGaZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a co-sputtered tin indium gallium zinc oxide (SnInGaZnO) electron barrier layer (EBL) are fabricated. The effect of the SnInGaZnO layer thickness on device characteristics is investigated. With stacking a 250-nm-thick SnInGaZnO EBL in the source/drain region, it introduces an additional potential barrier of around 0.14 V to the channel carriers. Experimental results show that the turn-off voltage of TFTs increases from −0.5 V to about 0 V, the on/off current ratio increases from 1.9 × 105 to 1.9 × 106, and the subthreshold swing decreases from 0.13 V/dec to 0.073 V/dec.
Note: Broadband cavity ring-down spectroscopy of an intra-cavity bulk sample
Authors: Zeuner T. , Paa W. , Mühlig C. , Stafast H.
Published: March 2013

A cavity ring-down (CRD) setup equipped with a pulsed broadband light source (480 nm ⩽ λ⩽ 650 nm) and a multichannel detection system (temporal gate width Δτ = 20 ns) is used to simultaneously record the optical loss spectrum of an intra-cavity CaF2 sample and its changes upon transverse ArF laser irradiation at 193 nm. The CRD setup with mirrors of high reflectivity (R > 99.93%) allows to register loss changes of 5 × 10−5 with a spectral resolution of 0.3 nm in less than 2 min.
Local control of emission energy of semiconductor quantum dots using volume expansion of a phase-change material
Authors: Takahashi Motoki , Syafawati Humam Nurrul , Tsumori Nobuhiro , Saiki Toshiharu , Regreny Philippe , Gendry Michel
Published: March 2013

A method is proposed to precisely control the emission energy of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) by the application of local strain due to volume expansion of a phase-change material (GeSbTe) upon amorphization. The feasibility of the method is experimentally demonstrated using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy of single InAs/InP QDs on which a GeSbTe thin film is deposited. A significant red-shift of the PL peak energy upon amorphization and subsequent recovery by recrystallization with laser annealing were observed.
Large and electric field tunable superelasticity in BaTiO3 crystals predicted by an incremental domain switching criterion
Authors: Li Y. W. , Ren X. B. , Li F. X. , Luo H. S. , Fang D. N.
Published: March 2013

Superelasticity is very common in shape memory alloys but is rather difficult to realize in ferroelectric ceramics and had never appeared in normal ferroelectric single crystals. Here we show that guided by a proposed incremental 90° domain switching criterion, large and electric-field-tunable superelastic strains up to 0.85% has been realized in a specially poled BaTiO3 crystal cube via compression loading/unloading with a positive dc bias electric field along the poling direction. Moreover, the tunable superelasticity has a large damping factor of up to 0.76, which is very promising in intelligent damping devices.
Single cell in-vivo carbon nanotube device with multimodal sensing potential
Authors: Scavelli Alexandra , Gottipati Abhishek , Comfort Everett , Jayaseelan Sabarinath , Murray Thomas , Rizzolo Michael , Tenenbaum Scott , Lee Ji Ung
Published: March 2013

Single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) field effect transistors (NTFETs) are quickly becoming the foundation for bioelectronic sensors. We describe a multimodal NTFET device that could be used as a real time single cell biosensor with the potential for chemical, optical and electrical sensing capabilities. This device utilizes the natural movement of a cell through the trench of a NTFET to provide a working cell-SWNT interaction where the nanotube is suspended. The use of individual suspended SWNTs in lieu of non-suspended SWNTs in our device provides the basis for an in vivo NTFET multimodal single cell biosensor.
freeIbis: an efficient basecaller with calibrated quality scores for Illumina sequencers
Authors: Renaud Gabriel , Kircher Martin , Stenzel Udo , Kelso Janet
Published: March 2013

Motivation: The conversion of the raw intensities obtained from next-generation sequencing platforms into nucleotide sequences with well-calibrated quality scores is a critical step in the generation of good sequence data. While recent model-based approaches can yield highly accurate calls, they require a substantial amount of processing time and/or computational resources. We previously introduced Ibis, a fast and accurate basecaller for the Illumina platform. We have continued active development of Ibis to take into account developments in the Illumina technology, as well as to make Ibis fully open source.

Results: We introduce here freeIbis, which offers significant improvements in sequence accuracy owing to the use of a novel multiclass support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. Sequence quality scores are now calibrated based on empirically observed scores, thus providing a high correlation to their respective error rates. These improvements result in downstream advantages including improved genotyping accuracy.

Availability and implementation: FreeIbis is freely available for use under the GPL (http://bioinf.eva.mpg.de/freeibis/). It requires a Python interpreter and a C++ compiler. Tailored versions of LIBOCAS and LIBLINEAR are distributed along with the package.

Contact:  kelso@eva.mpg.de

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MitoSeek: extracting mitochondria information and performing high-throughput mitochondria sequencing analysis
Authors: Guo Yan , Li Jiang , Li Chung-I , Shyr Yu , Samuels David C.
Published: March 2013

Motivation: Exome capture kits have capture efficiencies that range from 40 to 60%. A significant amount of off-target reads are from the mitochondrial genome. These unintentionally sequenced mitochondrial reads provide unique opportunities to study the mitochondria genome.

Results: MitoSeek is an open-source software tool that can reliably and easily extract mitochondrial genome information from exome and whole genome sequencing data. MitoSeek evaluates mitochondrial genome alignment quality, estimates relative mitochondrial copy numbers and detects heteroplasmy, somatic mutation and structural variants of the mitochondrial genome. MitoSeek can be set up to run in parallel or serial on large exome sequencing datasets.

Availability: https://github.com/riverlee/MitoSeek

Contact: yan.guo@vanderbilt.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Identification of Resistance to Races of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici with Broad Virulence in Triticale (×Triticosecale)
Authors: Olivera P. D. , Pretorius Z. A. , Badebo A. , Jin Y.
Published: March 2013

Triticale (×Triticosecale), an amphiploid of wheat (mainly Triticum turgidum) and cereal rye (Secale cereale), is an excellent source of resistance to wheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. A collection of 567 triticale accessions originating from 21 countries was evaluated at the seedling stage for reaction to races of P. graminis f. sp. tritici with broad virulence, including TTKSK, TRTTF, and TTTTF. A high frequency (78.4%) of accessions was resistant to race TTKSK, with low infection types ranging from 0; to X. A selection of 353 TTKSK-resistant accessions was evaluated for reaction to three South African isolates of P. graminis f. sp. tritici with single and/or combined virulences to stem rust resistance genes SrSatu, Sr27, and SrKw present in triticale. Genes SrSatu, Sr27, and SrKw were postulated to be present in 141 accessions and contributed to TTKSK resistance. The remaining 212 resistant accessions may possess uncharacterized genes or combinations of known genes that could not be determined with these isolates. These accessions were further evaluated for resistance to races TTKST, TPMKC, RKQQC, RCRSC, QTHJC, QCCSM, and MCCFC. Resistance remained effective across the entire set of races in the majority of the accessions (n = 200), suggesting that the resistances are effective against a broad spectrum of virulence. In all, 129 (79.6%) resistant accessions with noncharacterized genes were resistant to moderately resistant in field stem rust nurseries at Debre Zeit (Ethiopia) and St. Paul (Minnesota). Results from evaluating F2 populations derived from resistant–susceptible crosses revealed that resistance to TTKSK in triticale was conferred mostly by single genes with dominant effects.
PedsQL Eosinophilic Esophagitis Module
Authors: Franciosi James P. , Hommel Kevin A. , Bendo Cristiane B. , King Eileen C. , Collins Margaret H. , Eby Michael D. , Marsolo Keith , Abonia J. Pablo , von Tiehl Karl F. , Putnam Philip E. , Greenler Alexandria J. , Greenberg Allison B. , Bryson Ronald A. , Davis Carla M. , Olive Anthony P. , Gupta Sandeep K. , Erwin Elizabeth A. , Klinnert Mary D. , Spergel Jonathan M. , Denham Jolanda M. , Furuta Glenn T. , Rothenberg Marc E. , Varni James W.
Published: March 2013

Objective:

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic esophageal inflammatory condition with a paucity of information on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL). The objective of the study was to report on the measurement properties of the PedsQL EoE Module.

Methods:

The PedsQL EoE Module was completed in a multisite study by 196 pediatric patients with EoE and 262 parents of patients with EoE.

Results:

The PedsQL EoE Module scales evidenced excellent feasibility (0.6%–3.1% missing), excellent group comparison reliability across total scale scores (patient α 0.93; parent proxy α 0.94), good reliability for the 7 individual scales (patient α 0.75–0.87; parent proxy α 0.81–0.92), excellent test–retest reliability (patient intraclass correlation coefficient 0.88; parent intraclass correlation coefficient 0.82), demonstrated no floor effects and low ceiling effects, and demonstrated a high percentage of scaling success for most scales. Intercorrelations with the PedsQL Generic Core Scales were in the medium (0.30) to large (0.50) range. PedsQL EoE Module scores were worse among patients with active histologic disease (≥5 eos/hpf) compared with those in remission (patient self‐report: 63.3 vs 69.9 [P < 0.05]; parent proxy report: 65.1 vs 72.3 [P < 0.01]), and those treated with dietary restrictions compared with those with no restrictions (patient self‐report: 61.6 vs 74.3 [P < 0.01]; parent proxy report: 65.5 vs 74.7 [P < 0.01]).

Conclusions:

The results demonstrate excellent measurement properties of the PedsQL EoE Module. Patients with active histologic disease and those treated with dietary restrictions demonstrated worse PedsQL scores. The PedsQL EoE Module may be used in the evaluation of pediatric EoE disease‐specific HRQOL in clinical research and practice.
c-Jun is required for the specification of joint cell fates
Authors: Kan Akinori , Tabin Clifford J.
Published: March 2013

Joints form within the developing skeleton through the segmentation and cavitation of initially continuous cartilage condensations. However, the molecular pathways controlling joint formation largely remain to be clarified. In particular, while several critical secreted signals have been identified, no transcription factors have yet been described as acting in the early stages of joint formation. Working upstream of the early joint marker Wnt9a, we found that the transcription factor c-Jun plays a pivotal role in specifying joint cell fates. We first identified an enhancer upstream of the Wnt9a gene driving joint-specific expression in transgenic reporter mice. A comprehensive in silico screen suggested c-Jun as a candidate transcription factor activating this Wnt9a enhancer element. c-Jun is specifically expressed in joints during embryonic joint development, and its conditional deletion from early limb bud mesenchyme in mice severely affects both initiation and subsequent differentiation of all limb joints. c-Jun directly regulates Wnt16 as well as Wnt9a during early stages of joint development, causing a decrease of canonical Wnt activity in the joint interzone. Postnatally, c-Jun-deficient mice show a range of joint abnormalities, including cartilaginous continuities between juxtaposed skeletal elements, irregular articular surfaces, and hypoplasia of ligaments.