bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Naming and Categorization in Healthy Participants: Crowded Domains and Blurred Effects of Gender
Authors: Moreno-Martínez Francisco Javier , Moratilla-Pérez Iván
Published: September 2016

The study of category-specific effects has produced compelling insights into the structure, organization and functioning of cognitive processes. According to some accounts, the greater intra-category structural similarity for living things (LT) contributes to faster access to superordinate pictorial information, making LT easier to classify than structurally dissimilar items (i.e., nonliving things: NLT). Conversely, LT would be harder to name than NLT, as they must compete with within-domain structurally similar items in order to be properly discriminated. Additionally, it has been reported that men perform better with NLT than women, whereas women surpass men with LT but the reasons for this remain unclear. In the current study, we explored both the visual crowding hypothesis and the effects of gender by testing the performance of 40 healthy participants in classification and naming tasks. Analyses revealed that LT were classified significantly faster than NLT (ηp2= .11), but named significantly slower (ηp2= .25). Interestingly, the same results persisted after removing atypical categories that are known to distort the interpretation of data from the analyses. Moreover, we did not find the expected effects of gender. Men were more accurate than women naming NLT (ηp2= .13), and women did not surpass men in any task.
Polymedikation in der Praxis
Authors: Taegtmeyer Anne , Salili Ali Reza , Curkovic Ivanka
Published: September 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die Zunahme der Multimorbidität in der Bevölkerung führt dazu, dass auch die Anzahl an Patienten mit einer Polymedikation wächst. Es ist wichtig zwischen «angemessener» und «problematischer» Polymedikation zu unterscheiden. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit werden Tools zur Unterstützung im komplexen Prozess der Medikamentenverordnung vorgestellt. Die Tools wurden anhand von Erfahrungen, welche mit zahlreichen Patienten über mehrere Behandlungsjahre gesammelt wurden, entwickelt.
Age-related differences in the predictive ability of executive functions for intelligence
Authors: Buczylowska Dorota , Daseking Monika , Petermann Franz
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The Executive Functions Module of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) were used to investigate age-related differences in the predictability of intelligence with executive functions. The NAB subtests age and sex better predicted the WAIS-IV index scales and the Full Scale IQ in the older than in the younger age group, with total variance explained up to 75 % in 60- to 88-year-olds and up to 46 % in 18- to 59-year-olds. The NAB subtests Categories and Word Generation were most frequently included, whereas Letter Fluency was least frequently included in the best-fitting models of WAIS-IV prediction. Mazes predicted better in the younger age group, whereas Judgment predicted better in the older age group.
Phylogenomic networks reveal limited phylogenetic range of lateral gene transfer by transduction
Authors: Popa Ovidiu , Landan Giddy , Dagan Tal
Published: September 2016

Bacteriophages are recognized DNA vectors and transduction is considered as a common mechanism of lateral gene transfer (LGT) during microbial evolution. Anecdotal events of phage-mediated gene transfer were studied extensively, however, a coherent evolutionary viewpoint of LGT by transduction, its extent and characteristics, is still lacking. Here we report a large-scale evolutionary reconstruction of transduction events in 3982 genomes. We inferred 17 158 recent transduction events linking donors, phages and recipients into a phylogenomic transduction network view. We find that LGT by transduction is mostly restricted to closely related donors and recipients. Furthermore, a substantial number of the transduction events (9%) are best described as gene duplications that are mediated by mobile DNA vectors. We propose to distinguish this type of paralogy by the term autology. A comparison of donor and recipient genomes revealed that genome similarity is a superior predictor of species connectivity in the network in comparison to common habitat. This indicates that genetic similarity, rather than ecological opportunity, is a driver of successful transduction during microbial evolution. A striking difference in the connectivity pattern of donors and recipients shows that while lysogenic interactions are highly species-specific, the host range for lytic phage infections can be much wider, serving to connect dense clusters of closely related species. Our results thus demonstrate that DNA transfer via transduction occurs within the context of phage–host specificity, but that this tight constraint can be breached, on rare occasions, to produce long-range LGTs of profound evolutionary consequences.
Real-time visualization of conformational changes within single MloK1 cyclic nucleotide-modulated channels
Authors: Rangl Martina , Miyagi Atsushi , Kowal Julia , Stahlberg Henning , Nimigean Crina M. , Scheuring Simon
Published: September 2016

Eukaryotic cyclic nucleotide-modulated (CNM) ion channels perform various physiological roles by opening in response to cyclic nucleotides binding to a specialized cyclic nucleotide-binding domain. Despite progress in structure-function analysis, the conformational rearrangements underlying the gating of these channels are still unknown. Here, we image ligand-induced conformational changes in single CNM channels from Mesorhizobium loti (MloK1) in real-time, using high-speed atomic force microscopy. In the presence of cAMP, most channels are in a stable conformation, but a few molecules dynamically switch back and forth (blink) between at least two conformations with different heights. Upon cAMP depletion, more channels start blinking, with blinking heights increasing over time, suggestive of slow, progressive loss of ligands from the tetramer. We propose that during gating, MloK1 transitions from a set of mobile conformations in the absence to a stable conformation in the presence of ligand and that these conformations are central for gating the pore.
Sub-10-fs control of dissociation pathways in the hydrogen molecular ion with a few-pulse attosecond pulse train
Authors: Nabekawa Yasuo , Furukawa Yusuke , Okino Tomoya , Amani Eilanlou A , Takahashi Eiji J. , Yamanouchi Kaoru , Midorikawa Katsumi
Published: September 2016

The control of the electronic states of a hydrogen molecular ion by photoexcitation is considerably difficult because it requires multiple sub-10 fs light pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) wavelength region with a sufficiently high intensity. Here, we demonstrate the control of the dissociation pathway originating from the 2pσu electronic state against that originating from the 2pπu electronic state in a hydrogen molecular ion by using a pair of attosecond pulse trains in the XUV wavelength region with a train-envelope duration of ∼4 fs. The switching time from the peak to the valley in the oscillation caused by the vibrational wavepacket motion in the 1sσg ground electronic state is only 8 fs. This result can be classified as the fastest control, to the best of our knowledge, of a molecular reaction in the simplest molecule on the basis of the XUV-pump and XUV-probe scheme.
Biological application of Compressed Sensing Tomography in the Scanning Electron Microscope
Authors: Ferroni Matteo , Signoroni Alberto , Sanzogni Andrea , Masini Luca , Migliori Andrea , Ortolani Luca , Pezza Alessandro , Morandi Vittorio
Published: September 2016

The three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction of a biological sample, namely collagen fibrils in human dermal tissue, was obtained from a set of projection-images acquired in the Scanning Electron Microscope. A tailored strategy for the transmission imaging mode was implemented in the microscope and proved effective in acquiring the projections needed for the tomographic reconstruction. Suitable projection alignment and Compressed Sensing formulation were used to overcome the limitations arising from the experimental acquisition strategy and to improve the reconstruction of the sample. The undetermined problem of structure reconstruction from a set of projections, limited in number and angular range, was indeed supported by exploiting the sparsity of the object projected in the electron microscopy images. In particular, the proposed system was able to preserve the reconstruction accuracy even in presence of a significant reduction of experimental projections.
Ablation of Y1 receptor impairs osteoclast bone-resorbing activity
Authors: Sousa Daniela M. , Conceição Francisco , Silva Diana I. , Leitão Luís , Neto Estrela , Alves Cecília J. , Alencastre Inês S. , Herzog Herbert , Aguiar Paulo , Lamghari Meriem
Published: September 2016

Y1 receptor (Y1R)-signalling pathway plays a pivotal role in the regulation of bone metabolism. The lack of Y1R-signalling stimulates bone mass accretion that has been mainly attributed to Y1R disruption from bone-forming cells. Still, the involvement of Y1R-signalling in the control of bone-resorbing cells remained to be explored. Therefore, in this study we assessed the role of Y1R deficiency in osteoclast formation and resorption activity. Here we demonstrate that Y1R germline deletion (Y1R−/−) led to increased formation of highly multinucleated (n > 8) osteoclasts and enhanced surface area, possibly due to monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) overexpression regulated by RANKL-signalling. Interestingly, functional studies revealed that these giant Y1R−/− multinucleated cells produce poorly demineralized eroded pits, which were associated to reduce expression of osteoclast matrix degradation markers, such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAcP5b), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and cathepsin-K (CTSK). Tridimensional (3D) morphologic analyses of resorption pits, using an in-house developed quantitative computational tool (BonePit), showed that Y1R−/− resorption pits displayed a marked reduction in surface area, volume and depth. Together, these data demonstrates that the lack of Y1Rs stimulates the formation of larger multinucleated osteoclasts in vitro with reduced bone-resorbing activity, unveiling a novel therapeutic option for osteoclastic bone diseases based on Y1R-signalling ablation.
Experimental investigation of a four-qubit linear-optical quantum logic circuit
Authors: Stárek R. , Mičuda M. , Miková M. , Straka I. , Dušek M. , Ježek M. , Fiurášek J.
Published: September 2016

We experimentally demonstrate and characterize a four-qubit linear-optical quantum logic circuit. Our robust and versatile scheme exploits encoding of two qubits into polarization and path degrees of single photons and involves two crossed inherently stable interferometers. This approach allows us to design a complex quantum logic circuit that combines a genuine four-qubit C3Z gate and several two-qubit and single-qubit gates. The C3Z gate introduces a sign flip if and only if all four qubits are in the computational state |1〉. We verify high-fidelity performance of this central four-qubit gate using Hofmann bounds on quantum gate fidelity and Monte Carlo fidelity sampling. We also experimentally demonstrate that the quantum logic circuit can generate genuine multipartite entanglement and we certify the entanglement with the use of suitably tailored entanglement witnesses.
Multi-Phenotypic subtyping of circulating tumor cells using sequential fluorescent quenching and restaining
Authors: Adams Daniel L , Alpaugh R. Katherine , Tsai Susan , Tang Cha-Mei , Stefansson Steingrimur
Published: September 2016

In tissue biopsies formalin fixed paraffin embedded cancer blocks are micro-sectioned producing multiple semi-identical specimens which are analyzed and subtyped proteomically, and genomically, with numerous biomarkers. In blood based biopsies (BBBs), blood is purified for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and clinical utility is typically limited to cell enumeration, as only 2–3 positive fluorescent markers and 1 negative marker can be used. As such, increasing the number of subtyping biomarkers on each individual CTC could dramatically enhance the clinical utility of BBBs, allowing in depth interrogation of clinically relevant CTCs. We describe a simple and inexpensive method for quenching the specific fluors of fluorescently stained CTCs followed by sequential restaining with additional biomarkers. As proof of principle a CTC panel, immunosuppression panel and stem cell panel were used to sequentially subtype individual fluorescently stained patient CTCs, suggesting a simple and universal technique to analyze multiple clinically applicable immunomarkers from BBBs.
Retinal transcriptome sequencing sheds light on the adaptation to nocturnal and diurnal lifestyles in raptors
Authors: Wu Yonghua , Hadly Elizabeth A. , Teng Wenjia , Hao Yuyang , Liang Wei , Liu Yu , Wang Haitao
Published: September 2016

Owls (Strigiformes) represent a fascinating group of birds that are the ecological night-time counterparts to diurnal raptors (Accipitriformes). The nocturnality of owls, unusual within birds, has favored an exceptional visual system that is highly tuned for hunting at night, yet the molecular basis for this adaptation is lacking. Here, using a comparative evolutionary analysis of 120 vision genes obtained by retinal transcriptome sequencing, we found strong positive selection for low-light vision genes in owls, which contributes to their remarkable nocturnal vision. Not surprisingly, we detected gene loss of the violet/ultraviolet-sensitive opsin (SWS1) in all owls we studied, but two other color vision genes, the red-sensitive LWS and the blue-sensitive SWS2, were found to be under strong positive selection, which may be linked to the spectral tunings of these genes toward maximizing photon absorption in crepuscular conditions. We also detected the only other positively selected genes associated with motion detection in falcons and positively selected genes associated with bright-light vision and eye protection in other diurnal raptors (Accipitriformes). Our results suggest the adaptive evolution of vision genes reflect differentiated activity time and distinct hunting behaviors.
Comparative transcriptome profiling of longissimus muscle tissues from Qianhua Mutton Merino and Small Tail Han sheep
Authors: Sun Limin , Bai Man , Xiang Lujie , Zhang Guishan , Ma Wei , Jiang Huaizhi
Published: September 2016

The Qianhua Mutton Merino (QHMM) is a new sheep (Ovis aries) variety with better meat performance compared with the traditional local variety Small Tail Han (STH) sheep. We aimed to evaluate the transcriptome regulators associated with muscle growth and development between the QHMM and STH. We used RNA-Seq to obtain the transcriptome profiles of the longissimus muscle from the QHMM and STH. The results showed that 960 genes were differentially expressed (405 were up-regulated and 555 were down-regulated). Among these, 463 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were probably associated with muscle growth and development and were involved in biological processes such as skeletal muscle tissue development and muscle cell differentiation; molecular functions such as catalytic activity and oxidoreductase activity; cellular components such as mitochondrion and sarcoplasmic reticulum; and pathways such as metabolic pathways and citrate cycle. From the potential genes, a gene-act-network and co-expression-network closely related to muscle growth and development were identified and established. Finally, the expressions of nine genes were validated by real-time PCR. The results suggested that some DEGs, including MRFs, GXP1 and STAC3, play crucial roles in muscle growth and development processes. This genome-wide transcriptome analysis of QHMM and STH muscle is reported for the first time.
A Hardy Plant Facilitates Nitrogen Removal via Microbial Communities in Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands in Winter
Authors: Wang Penghe , Zhang Hui , Zuo Jie , Zhao Dehua , Zou Xiangxu , Zhu Zhengjie , Jeelani Nasreen , Leng Xin , An Shuqing
Published: September 2016

The plants effect in subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSF-CWs) is controversial, especially at low temperatures. Consequently, several SSF-CWs planted with Iris pseudacorus (CWI) or Typha orientalis Presl. (CWT) and several unplanted ones (CWC) were set up and fed with secondary effluent of sewage treatment plant during the winter in Eastern China. The 16S rDNA Illumina Miseq sequencing analysis indicated the positive effects of I. pseudacorus on the bacterial community richness and diversity in the substrate. Moreover, the community compositions of the bacteria involved with denitrification presented a significant difference in the three systems. Additionally, higher relative abundances of nitrifying bacteria (0.4140%, 0.2402% and 0.4318% for Nitrosomonas, Nitrosospira and Nitrospira, respectively) were recorded in CWI compared with CWT (0.2074%, 0.0648% and 0.0181%, respectively) and CWC (0.3013%, 0.1107% and 0.1185%, respectively). Meanwhile, the average removal rates of NH4+-N and TN in CWI showed a prominent advantage compared to CWC, but no distinct advantage was found in CWT. The hardy plant I. pseudacorus, which still had active root oxygen release in cold temperatures, positively affected the abundance of nitrifying bacteria in the substrate, and accordingly was supposed to contribute to a comparatively high nitrogen removal efficiency of the system during the winter.
Impact of TROP2 expression on prognosis in solid tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Zeng Ping , Chen Min-Bin , Zhou Li-Na , Tang Min , Liu Chao-Ying , Lu Pei-Hua
Published: September 2016

Over-expression of TROP2 (the trophoblast cell surface antigen 2) was reported to predict poor prognosis in various solid tumors in number of studies. However, the results remained not comprehensive. Therefore, we here carried out this meta-analysis of relevant studies published on this topic to quantitatively evaluate the clinicopathological significance of TROP2 in solid tumors. Relevant articles were identified through searching the PubMed, Web of Science and Embase database. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In this meta-analysis, 16 studies involving 2,569 participants were included and we drew the conclusion that TROP2 overexpression was significantly associated with poor OS (pooled HR = 1.896, 95% CI = 1.599–2.247,P < 0.001) and short DFS (pooled HR = 2.336, 95% CI = 1.596–3.419,P < 0.001). Furthermore, the subgroup analysis revealed that the associations between TROP2 overexpression and the outcome endpoints (OS or DFS) were significant in in patients with female genital system neoplasms, as well in gastrointestine neoplasms. In addition, subgroup analysis found no difference HR across populations of different descent.Taken together, TROP2 overexpression was associated with poor survival in human solid tumors. TROP2 may be a valuable prognosis predictive biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in human solid tumors.
Electrically controllable sudden reversals in spin and valley polarization in silicene
Authors: Zhang Qingtian , Chan K. S. , Li Jingbo
Published: September 2016

We study the spin and valley dependent transport in a silicene superlattice under the influence of a magnetic exchange field, a perpendicular electric field and a voltage potential. It is found that a gate-voltage-controllable fully spin and valley polarized current can be obtained in the proposed device and the spin and valley polarizations are sensitive oscillatory functions of the voltage potential. In properly designed superlattice structure, the spin and valley polarizations can be reversed from −100% to 100% by a slight change in the external voltage potential. The energy dispersion relations of the superlattice structure are also investigated, which helps us to understand the effects of the superlattice structure. The switching of the spin direction and the valley of the tunneling electrons by a gate voltage enables new possibilities for spin or valley control in silicene-based spintronics and valleytronics.
Induction of triglyceride accumulation and mitochondrial maintenance in muscle cells by lactate
Authors: Sun Jingquan , Ye Xin , Xie Minhao , Ye Jianping
Published: September 2016

Muscle exercise induces intramuscular triglyceride (TG) accumulation and promotes mitochondrial maintenance in myotubes. However, the mechanism underlying exercise effects remains unknown. In this study, lactic acid was tested as a signaling molecule in C2C12 myotubes to understand the mechanism. Intracellular TG storage was induced in the cells by sodium lactate. The lactate activity was observed with an inhibition of the cAMP-PKA pathway as indicated by a reduction in the phosphorylation status of CREB (pCREB). Induction of pCREB signal by forskolin was blocked by pretreatment of cells with lactate. The impact of lactate on mitochondrial function was examined with a focus on the activities of two enzymes, MCAT (malonylCoA:ACP transferase) and PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase). The enzyme activities were induced in the cells by lactate. Expression of the lactate receptor (GPR81) and lactate transporters (MCT1/4) were induced as well by lactate. The lactate activities were observed at concentrations between 4–64 mM, and were not dependent on the increase in intracellular pyruvate. Pyruvate treatment did not generate the same effects in the cells. Those results suggest that lactate may induce intramuscular TG storage and mitochondrial maintenance in myotubes through inhibition of the cAMP pathway by activation of GPR81 in a positive feedback manner.
Gamma-glutamyltransferase as novel biomarker in patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Schwameis Richard , Grimm Christoph , Brodowicz Thomas , Petru Edgar , Hefler-Frischmuth Katrin , Staudigl Christine , Reinthaller Alexander , Heinze Georg , Polterauer Stephan , Polterauer Mariella
Published: September 2016

Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is an established marker for proliferative/apoptotic balance and has been associated with cancer risk and prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of pre-treatment GGT serum levels as prognostic biomarker in patients with primary uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS). Data of women with ULMS were extracted from a multi-center database. Pre-treatment GGT serum levels were measured and patients assigned to predefined GGT risk groups. GGT values were correlated with clinico-pathological parameters and univariate and multivariable survival analyses were performed. A total of 44 patients with ULMS were analyzed. Mean (SD) pre-therapeutic GGT serum level was 33.8 (39.8) U/L. In Figo Stage I versus II-IV mean (SD) GGT values were 28.8 (34.0) U/l and 43.5 (49.2) U/l, respectively (p = 0.25). Five-year overall survival (OS) rates in ULMS patients with normal low versus higher GGT levels were 70% and 37%, respectively (p = 0.043). Univariate and multivariable analyses revealed that higher GGT serum levels (p = 0.043, p = 0.005) and high histological grade (p = 0.029, p = 0.012) were independently associated with impaired OS, respectively. Higher pre-treatment GGT serum levels were independently associated with unfavorable prognosis in women with ULMS. Thus, GGT seems to be a useful novel biomarker in ULMS.
Anterior eye tissue morphology: Scleral and conjunctival thickness in children and young adults
Authors: Read Scott A. , Alonso-Caneiro David , Vincent Stephen J. , Bremner Alexander , Fothergill Annabel , Ismail Brittney , McGraw Rebecca , Quirk Charlotte J. , Wrigley Elspeth
Published: September 2016

The sclera and conjunctiva form part of the eye’s tough, protective outer coat, and play important roles in the eye’s mechanical protection and immune defence, as well as in determining the size and shape of the eye globe. Advances in ocular imaging technology now allow these tissues in the anterior eye to be imaged non-invasively and with high resolution, however there is a paucity of data examining the dimensions of these tissues in paediatric populations. In this study, we have used optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to examine the normal in vivo thickness profile of the anterior sclera and overlying conjunctiva in 111 healthy young participants, including a large proportion of paediatric subjects. We demonstrate that the thickness of the anterior sclera varies significantly with measurement location and meridian. Tissue thickness also varied significantly with age, with younger subjects exhibiting significantly thinner scleras and significantly greater conjunctival thickness. Males were also found to exhibit significantly greater scleral thickness. Refractive error however was not significantly associated with either scleral or conjunctival thickness in this population. These findings provide new data describing the normative dimensions of anterior eye tissues in children and the factors that can influence these dimensions in young populations.
High content reduced graphene oxide reinforced copper with a bioinspired nano-laminated structure and large recoverable deformation ability
Authors: Xiong Ding-Bang , Cao Mu , Guo Qiang , Tan Zhanqiu , Fan Genlian , Li Zhiqiang , Zhang Di
Published: September 2016

By using CuO/graphene-oxide/CuO sandwich-like nanosheets as the building blocks, bulk nacre-inspired copper matrix nano-laminated composite reinforced by molecular-level dispersed and ordered reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with content as high as ∼45 vol% was fabricated via a combined process of assembly, reduction and consolidation. Thanks to nanoconfinement effect, reinforcing effect, as well as architecture effect, the nanocomposite shows increased specific strength and at least one order of magnitude greater recoverable deformation ability as compared with monolithic Cu matrix.
An Energy Harvesting Underwater Acoustic Transmitter for Aquatic Animals
Authors: Li Huidong , Tian Chuan , Lu Jun , Myjak Mitchell J. , Martinez Jayson J. , Brown Richard S. , Deng Zhiqun Daniel
Published: September 2016

Acoustic telemetry is the primary method to actively track aquatic animals for behavioral studies. However, the small storage capacities of the batteries used in the transmitters limit the time that the implanted animals can be studied. In this research, we developed and implemented a battery-free acoustic transmitter that uses a flexible piezoelectric beam to harvest energy from fish swimming as the power source. The transmitter sends out a unique identification code with a sufficiently strong signal (150 dB, ref: 1 μPa at 1 meter) that has a detection range of up to 100 meters. Two prototypes, 100 mm and 77 mm long, respectively, weighing only about 1 gram or less in air, were sub-dermally implanted in two species of live fish. Transmissions were successfully detected as the fish swam in a natural manner. This represents the first known implanted energy-harvesting transmitter demonstrated in vivo. Successful development of this transmitter greatly expands the potential for long-term studies of the behaviors of aquatic animals and for subsequently developing strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts of renewable energy systems.
Superhydrophobic porous networks for enhanced droplet shedding
Authors: Liu Yahua , Wang Zuankai
Published: September 2016

Recent research has shown that the use of submillimeter-scale tapered post arrays could generate the so-called pancake bouncing, which is characterized by the fast shedding of impinging drops from the surface in a pancake shape without undergoing the retraction stage as observed on conventional superhydrophobic surfaces. Despite this exciting discovery, the fabrication of this unique superhydrophobic surface with tapered post arrays involves complex processes, hindering its wide applications in practical sectors. Here, we report on the facile strategy to prepare a new hierarchical multilayered superhydrophobic surface directly from commercially available porous matrix that allows for efficient drop shedding. Further study shows that the enhanced drop mobility observed on such a surface is attributed to the synergistic cooperation of hierarchical structures endowing an adequate energy storage and effective energy release. The facile fabrication of superhydrophobic surface with enhanced drop mobility may find many practical applications including anti-icing, dropwise condensation and self-cleaning.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 and risk of depression in older people: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Chigogora S , Zaninotto P , Kivimaki M , Steptoe A , Batty G D
Published: September 2016

Depressive disorders are a leading cause of disability in older age. Although the role of psychosocial and behavioural predictors has been well examined, little is known about the biological origins of depression. Findings from animal studies have implicated insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in the aetiology of this disorder. A total of 6017 older adults (mean age of 65.7 years; 55% women) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing provided serum levels of IGF-1 (mean=15.9 nmol l−1, s.d. 5.7) during a nurse visit in 2008. Depression symptoms were assessed in the same year and again in 2012 using the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Self-reports of a physician-diagnosis of depression were also collected at both time points. In separate analyses for men and women, the results from both the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses revealed a ‘U’-shaped pattern of association, such that lower and higher levels of IGF-1 were associated with a slightly elevated risk of depression, whereas the lowest risk was seen around the median levels. Thus, in men, with the lowest quintile of IGF-1 as the referent, the age-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of developing depression symptoms after 4 years of follow-up, for increasing quintiles of IGF-1, were: 0.51 (0.28–0.91), 0.50 (0.27–0.92), 0.63 (0.35–1.15) and 0.63 (0.35–1.13) (P-value for quadratic association 0.002). Some attenuation of these effects was apparent after adjustment for co-morbidity, socioeconomic status and health behaviours. In conclusion, in the present study of older adults, there was some evidence that moderate levels of IGF-1 levels conferred a reduced risk of depression.
Prediction of transition from ultra-high risk to first-episode psychosis using a probabilistic model combining history, clinical assessment and fatty-acid biomarkers
Authors: Clark S R , Baune B T , Schubert K O , Lavoie S , Smesny S , Rice S M , Schäfer M R , Benninger F , Feucht M , Klier C M , McGorry P D , Amminger G P
Published: September 2016

Current criteria identifying patients with ultra-high risk of psychosis (UHR) have low specificity, and less than one-third of UHR cases experience transition to psychosis within 3 years of initial assessment. We explored whether a Bayesian probabilistic multimodal model, combining baseline historical and clinical risk factors with biomarkers (oxidative stress, cell membrane fatty acids, resting quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG)), could improve this specificity. We analyzed data of a UHR cohort (n=40) with a 1-year transition rate of 28%. Positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated for predictor variables with statistically significant receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs), which excluded oxidative stress markers and qEEG parameters as significant predictors of transition. We clustered significant variables into historical (history of drug use), clinical (Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale positive, negative and general scores and Global Assessment of Function) and biomarker (total omega-3, nervonic acid) groups, and calculated the post-test probability of transition for each group and for group combinations using the odds ratio form of Bayes’ rule. Combination of the three variable groups vastly improved the specificity of prediction (area under ROC=0.919, sensitivity=72.73%, specificity=96.43%). In this sample, our model identified over 70% of UHR patients who transitioned within 1 year, compared with 28% identified by standard UHR criteria. The model classified 77% of cases as very high or low risk (P>0.9, <0.1) based on history and clinical assessment, suggesting that a staged approach could be most efficient, reserving fatty-acid markers for 23% of cases remaining at intermediate probability following bedside interview.
Overview of the crystal chemistry of the actinide chalcogenides: incorporation of the alkaline-earth elements
Authors: Mesbah Adel , Prakash Jai , Ibers James. A.
Published: September 2016

This review focuses on the results of exploratory syntheses of alkaline-earth-metal actinide chalcogenides Ak–An–Q (Ak = Ba, Sr; An = Th, U; Q = S, Se, and Te). About thirty new compounds and eleven new structure types are described.
An ultrasensitive colorimetric strategy for protein O-GlcNAcylation detection via copper deposition-enabled nonenzymatic signal amplification
Authors: Liu Yingshuai , Xie Jin , Zhang Zeying , Lu Zhisong
Published: September 2016

An ultrasensitive colorimetric method for protein O-GlcNAcylation analysis is developed using AuNP-catalyzed copper deposition as a nonenzymatic signal amplification strategy.
Porous dendritic copper: an electrocatalyst for highly selective CO2 reduction to formate in water/ionic liquid electrolyte
Authors: Huan Tran Ngoc , Simon Philippe , Rousse Gwenaëlle , Génois Isabelle , Artero Vincent , Fontecave Marc
Published: September 2016

An ionic liquid/water electrolyte promotes excellent selectivity for CO2 electroreduction to formic acid at a porous dendritic copper electrode material.
The drug ornidazole inhibits photosynthesis in a different mechanism described for protozoa and anaerobic bacteria
Authors: Marcus Yehouda , Tal Noam , Ronen Mordechai , Carmieli Raanan , Gurevitz Michael
Published: September 2016

Ornidazole of the 5-nitroimidazole drug family is used to treat protozoan and anaerobic bacterial infections via a mechanism that involves preactivation by reduction of the nitro group, and production of toxic derivatives and radicals. Metronidazole, another drug family member, has been suggested to affect photosynthesis by draining electrons from the electron carrier ferredoxin, thus inhibiting NADP+ reduction and stimulating radical and peroxide production. Here we show, however, that ornidazole inhibits photosynthesis via a different mechanism. While having a minute effect on the photosynthetic electron transport and oxygen photoreduction, ornidazole hinders the activity of two Calvin cycle enzymes, triose-phosphate isomerase (TPI) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Modeling of ornidazole's interaction with ferredoxin of the protozoan Trichomonas suggests efficient electron tunneling from the iron–sulfur cluster to the nitro group of the drug. A similar docking site of ornidazole at the plant-type ferredoxin does not exist, and the best simulated alternative does not support such efficient tunneling. Notably, TPI was inhibited by ornidazole in the dark or when electron transport was blocked by dichloromethyl diphenylurea, indicating that this inhibition was unrelated to the electron transport machinery. Although TPI and GAPDH isoenzymes are involved in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, ornidazole's effect on respiration of photoautotrophs is moderate, thus raising its value as an efficient inhibitor of photosynthesis. The scarcity of Calvin cycle inhibitors capable of penetrating cell membranes emphasizes on the value of ornidazole for studying the regulation of this cycle.
High performance DRAM architecture with split row buffer
Authors: Lee M.‐K. , Chung K.‐S.
Published: September 2016

In dynamic random access memory (DRAM)‐based main memory, access latency is a key performance metric. Commonly, the access latency is improved by employing row buffers that store the most recently accessed row data. However, if a new request tries to access a different row address from that in the row buffer, which is a row buffer conflict, the access latency is significantly increased. In a heterogeneous multi‐core system, row buffer conflicts occur frequently because various types of processors with different access patterns share the main memory. A novel DRAM architecture that hides the latency penalty due to row buffer conflicts is proposed. The key idea is that read or write commands serviced during activate and precharge operations for different rows in the same bank are carried out by splitting the row buffer into two buffers. Experimental results show that the proposed DRAM architecture achieves up to 16% higher system performance for memory‐intensive applications compared with a conventional DRAM architecture.
(n, n(n − 1), n − 1) Permutation codes based on packing and Mendelsohn designs
Authors: Peng Li
Published: September 2016

Mendelsohn design was first used to construct n − 1 blocks of one optimal 2−(n, n, 2) packing which is isomorphic to an (n, n − 1, n − 1) permutation array. The n‐ary shift register (SR) formed by a group of k binary SRs of length n was constructed and then used to operate n − 1 blocks of the 2−(n, n, 2) packing which can generate n(n − 1) blocks of another optimal 2−(n, n, 2n) packing from which a family of (n, n(n − 1), n − 1) permutation codes can be constructed.
High‐power single‐chip GaN‐based white LED with 3058 lm
Authors: Ding Mingdi , Zhang Yibin , Xu Jianwei , Zhao Desheng , Huang Hongjuan , Xu Xin , Miao Zhenlin , He Peng , Wang Yanming , Dong Yongjun , Zhang Baoshun , Cai Yong
Published: September 2016

A high‐power phosphor‐converted white LED with 3058 lm is reported. The high‐power white LED was manufactured by utilising a single‐blue LED chip with a cerium‐doped yttrium aluminium garnet phosphor crystal film, and the LED chip consists of 16 LED cells that are connected in series, the chip dimensions are of 4.5 × 4.5 mm2. The electrical and optical characteristics of the LED were measured up to a 500 mA injection current under direct operation conditions. Results show that the luminous flux and luminous efficacy at 500 mA reach to 3058 lm and 128 lm/W, respectively.
100 Gb/s and 2 V Vπ InP Mach‐Zehnder modulator with an n‐i‐p‐n heterostructure
Authors: Ogiso Y. , Ozaki J. , Kashio N. , Kikuchi N. , Tanobe H. , Ohiso Y. , Kohtoku M.
Published: September 2016

An ultra‐high bandwidth (BW) and a low Vπ InP Mach‐Zehnder modulator with an n‐i‐p‐n heterostructure is proposed. The combination of the n‐i‐p‐n heterostructure and the capacitive‐loaded travelling‐wave electrode provides a modulator with extremely low electrical loss. The device exhibits a 3 dB electro‐optic BW of over 67 GHz and a Vπ of 2.0 V. A 100 Gb/s non‐return‐to‐zero on–off keying modulation with an extinction ratio of over 10 dB is also realised.
Medical feminism, working mothers, and the limits of home: finding a balance between self-care and other-care in cross-cultural debates about health and lifestyle, 1952–1956
Authors: Cooper Frederick
Published: September 2016

Post-war medical debates about the psychiatric consequences of married women’s economic behaviour witnessed far more divergence and collision between perspectives than has often been acknowledged. Practitioners who approached women primarily as facilitators of family health—as wives and mothers—were mistrustful of the competing demands presented by paid employment. They were faced by a growing spectrum of opinion, however, which represented women as atrophying in the confines of domestic life, and which positioned work as a therapeutic act. Advocates of work tapped into anxieties about family instability by emphasizing the dangers posed by frustrated housewives, shifting clinical faith away from full-time motherhood, but nevertheless allowing responsibilities towards husbands and children to continue to frame argument about women’s behaviour. Doctors, researchers and social critics, in this context, became preoccupied with questions of balance, mapping a path which sought to harmonize public and private fulfilment, identity and responsibility. This article traces this discursive shift through a series of conferences held by the Medical Women’s International Association during the early-to-mid 1950s, connecting debates in Britain with systems of broader intellectual exchange. It enriches and complicates historical knowledge of post-war relationships between medicine and feminism, at the same time as offering a conceptual and linguistic context for modern discussion about work-life balance and gender. This article is published as part of a collection entitled “On balance: lifestyle, mental health and wellbeing”.
Comparison of vibrational dynamics between non-ionic and ionic vibrational probes in water: Experimental study with two-dimensional infrared and infrared pump-probe spectroscopies
Authors: Okuda Masaki , Ohta Kaoru , Tominaga Keisuke
Published: September 2016

Dynamics of the hydration structure around small vibrational probes have been extensively studied over the past few decades. However, we need to gain insight into how vibrational dynamics is affected by the molecular nature of the probe molecules in water. In this study, 2-nitro-5-thiocyanate benzoic acid (NTBA), which has an SCN group attached to an aromatic ring, and thiocyanate ion (SCN−) were used to investigate the vibrational dynamics of two vibrational probes, including vibrational frequency fluctuations and rotational relaxation. By performing two-dimensional infrared spectroscopic measurements, the vibrational frequency fluctuations of the SCN anti-stretching modes of these solutes were compared. The frequency-frequency time correlation function (FFTCF) of these solutes can be modeled by a delta function plus an exponential function and a constant. The FFTCF of NTBA was characterized by a time constant of 1.1 ps, which is similar to that of SCN−. Moreover, no component was longer than this constant. Consequently, the loss of the correlation in frequency fluctuations of the SCN anti-stretching mode of NTBA may be controlled by a mechanism similar to that of the ionic probe, which involves the hydrogen bonding dynamics of water. Polarization-controlled IR pump-probe measurements were performed for these vibrational probes in water to study the vibrational energy relaxation (VER) and reorientational relaxation processes. The VER rate of NTBA is much smaller than that of SCN−, which indicates that the intramolecular relaxation process is significant for VER of NTBA. Based on the rotational relaxation time of NTBA being shorter than that of SCN−, the internal rotational motion of the SCN group around the Cphenyl–S bond axis, where Cphenyl denotes a carbon atom of the aromatic ring to which the SCN group is attached, may play an important role in the anisotropic decay of NTBA in H2O.
Electronic detection of surface plasmon polaritons by metal-oxide-silicon capacitor
Authors: Peale Robert E. , Smith Evan , Smith Christian W. , Khalilzadeh-Rezaie Farnood , Ishigami Masa , Nader Nima , Vangala Shiva , Cleary Justin W.
Published: September 2016

An electronic detector of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is reported. SPPs optically excited on a metal surface using a prism coupler are detected by using a close-coupled metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitor. Incidence-angle dependence is explained by Fresnel transmittance calculations, which also are used to investigate the dependence of photo-response on structure dimensions. Electrodynamic simulations agree with theory and experiment and additionally provide spatial intensity distributions on and off the SPP excitation resonance. Experimental dependence of the photoresponse on substrate carrier type, carrier concentration, and back-contact biasing is qualitatively explained by simple theory of MOS capacitors.
Noise spectrum of quantum transport through double quantum dots: Renormalization and non-Markovian effects
Authors: Shi Pengqin , Hu Menghan , Ying Yaofeng , Jin Jinshuang
Published: September 2016

Based on the time-nonlocal particle number-resolved master equation, we investigate the sequential electron transport through the interacting double quantum dots. Our calculations show that there exists the effect of energy renormalization in the dispersion of the bath interaction spectrum and it is sensitive to the the bandwidth of the bath. This effect would strongly affect the stationary current and its zero-frequency shot noise for weak inter-dot coherent coupling strength, but for strong inter-dot coupling regime, it is negligible due to the strong intrinsic Rabi coherent dynamics. Moreover, the possible observable effects of the energy renormalization in the noise spectrum are also investigated through the Rabi coherence signal. Finally, the non-Markovian effect is manifested in the finite-frequency noise spectrum with the appearance of quasisteps, and the magnitude of these quasisteps are modified by the dispersion function.
Beam loading in the bubble regime in plasmas with hollow channels
Authors: Golovanov A. A. , Kostyukov I. Yu. , Thomas J. , Pukhov A.
Published: September 2016

Based on the already existing analytical theory of the strong nonlinear wakefield (which is called “bubble”) in transversely inhomogeneous plasmas, we study the particular behavior of non-loaded (empty) bubbles and bubbles with accelerated bunches. We obtain an analytical expression for the shape of a non-loaded bubble in a general case and verify it with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. We derive a method of calculating the acceleration efficiency for arbitrary accelerated bunches. The influence of flat-top electron bunches on the shape of a bubble is studied. It is also shown that it is possible to achieve the acceleration in a homogeneous longitudinal electric field by the adjustment of the longitudinal density profile of the accelerated electron bunch. The predictions of the model are verified by 3D PIC simulations and are in a good agreement with them.
Low power RF amplifier circuit for ion trap applications
Authors: Noriega J. R. , García-Delgado L. A. , Gómez-Fuentes R. , García-Juárez A.
Published: September 2016

A low power RF amplifier circuit for ion trap applications is presented and described. The amplifier is based on a class-D half-bridge amplifier with a voltage mirror driver. The RF amplifier is composed of an RF class-D amplifier, an envelope modulator to ramp up the RF voltage during the ion analysis stage, a detector or amplitude demodulation circuit for sensing the output signal amplitude, and a feedback amplifier that linearizes the steady state output of the amplifier. The RF frequency is set by a crystal oscillator and the series resonant circuit is tuned to the oscillator frequency. The resonant circuit components have been chosen, in this case, to operate at 1 MHz. In testings, the class-D stage operated at a maximum of 78 mW at 1.1356 MHz producing 225 V peak.
Electrical detection of magnetic domain wall in Fe4N nanostrip by negative anisotropic magnetoresistance effect
Authors: Gushi Toshiki , Ito Keita , Higashikozono Soma , Takata Fumiya , Oosato Hirotaka , Sugimoto Yoshimasa , Toko Kaoru , Honda Syuta , Suemasu Takashi
Published: September 2016

The magnetic structure of the domain wall (DW) of a 30-nm-thick Fe4N epitaxial film with a negative spin polarization of the electrical conductivity is observed by magnetic force microscopy and is well explained by micromagnetic simulation. The Fe4N film is grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a SrTiO3(001) substrate and processed into arc-shaped ferromagnetic nanostrips 0.3 μm wide by electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching with Cl2 and BCl3 plasma. Two electrodes mounted approximately 12 μm apart on the nanostrip register an electrical resistance at 8 K. By changing the direction of an external magnetic field (0.2 T), the presence or absence of a DW positioned in the nanostrip between the two electrodes can be controlled. The resistance is increased by approximately 0.5 Ω when the DW is located between the electrodes, which signifies the negative anisotropic magnetoresistance effect of Fe4N. The electrical detection of the resistance change is an important step toward the electrical detection of current-induced DW motion in Fe4N.