bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cannabidiol zur Verbesserung der Genesung in frühen Stadien einer Schizophrenie
Authors: Rohleder C. , Müller J. K. , Hirjak D. , Meyer-Lindenberg A. , Leweke F. M.
Published: May 2018

Die Behandlung von Patienten mit schizophrenen Psychosen stellt trotz der Fortschritte der vergangenen Jahrzehnte immer noch eine große Herausforderung insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Genesung der Patienten dar. Obschon gerade die Akutsymptomatik mit den verfügbaren Antipsychotika verhältnismäßig gut zu behandeln ist, stellen deren eingeschränkte Wirksamkeit gegen Negativsymptomatik und kognitiven Einschränkungen und das Profil unerwünschter Wirkungen ein Problem im Hinblick auf die vollständige Wiederherstellung der sozialen und beruflichen Leistungsfähigkeit und Integration vieler Patienten dar. Im Rahmen des ESPRIT-Forschungsnetzwerkes führen wir daher eine klinische Prüfung von Cannabidiol als Zusatzmedikation bei post-akuten schizophrenen Psychosen in frühen Erkrankungsstadien durch. Hierbei werden die längerfristige Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit dieser Substanz geprüft, deren Wirkmechanismus die Modulation des Endocannabinoidsystems umfasst. Damit stellt Cannabidiol eine potentiell neue Wirkstoffklasse in der Behandlung von Psychosen dar, die die Genesung von Patienten hoffentlich zu verbessern hilft.
Ecological Momentary Assessment
Authors: Mohnke S. , Walter H. , Vogel B.
Published: May 2018

Die Erfassung von Psychopathologie und psychischen Problemen ist typischerweise stark abhängig von der retrospektiven Selbstauskunft der Patienten und beeinflusst durch die unnatürliche Umgebung, in der diese Informationen erhoben werden. Erinnerungsverzerrungen (recall biases) und die statische Natur von Fragebögen und klinischen Interviews, welche meist nur eine Momentaufnahme des Befindens und Verhaltens des Patienten darstellen, machen diese traditionelle Erhebungsart ungeeignet für die Erfassung von dynamischen Veränderungen von Symptomen über die Zeit und unterschiedliche Kontexte. Das Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) bietet eine Möglichkeit zur Reduzierung dieser Fehlerquellen durch die dynamische Erhebung von subjektiven und objektiven Daten im alltagsnahen Umfeld der Patienten, oft mit Hilfe von elektronischen Geräten. Durch den Einsatz von EMA in Forschung und Praxis können Erinnerungsverzerrungen minimiert, die ökologische Validität erhöht und somit eine genauere Abbildung von Psychopathologie erreicht werden. In dieser kurzen Übersicht stellen wir das EMA und seine Anwendungsbereiche vor, diskutieren die Anwendung von EMA bei Patienten mit Psychose im Allgemeinen und im ESPRIT-Verbund.
Beurteilung der chemosensorischen Funktion mit validierten Riech- und Schmecktests
Authors: Göktas Önder , Fräßdorf Susann , Walliczek-Dworschak Ute , Han Pengfei , Hummel Thomas
Published: May 2018

Etwa 5 % der Bevölkerung leiden unter einer funktionellen Anosmie, bei weiteren 15 % ist die Riechfunktion eingeschränkt. Ein Grundpfeiler der Behandlung durch
den HNO-Arzt ist die Beurteilung der chemosensorischen Funktion durch psychophysische Riech- und Schmecktests. Die Verwendung standardisierter validierter
Instrumente ist zwingend erforderlich, um Patienten nach dem neuesten wissenschaftlichen Stand über Therapieverfahren beraten zu können.
Perioperative and Long-term Oncological Results of Minimally Invasive Pancreatoduodenectomy as Hybrid Technique – A Matched Pair Analysis of 120 Cases
Authors: Deichmann Steffen , Bolm Louisa , Honselmann Kim , Wellner Ulrich , Lapshyn Hryhoriy , Keck Tobias , Bausch Dirk
Published: May 2018

Background Laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy is a highly challenging procedure. The aim of this study was to analyse post-operative morbidity and mortality as well as long term overall survival in patients undergoing hybrid LPD, as compared to open pancreaticoduodenecomy (OPD) in a single surgeon series.

Methods Patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in the period from 2000 to 2015 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. All LPD procedures were performed by one specialised pancreatic surgeon (TK). Patients were matched 1 : 1 for age, sex, BMI, ASA, histological diagnosis, pancreatic texture and portal venous resection (PVR). All LPD procedures were performed as hybrid LPD – combining laparoscopic resection and open reconstruction via mini laparotomy.

Results A total of 549 patients were identified, including 489 patients in the OPD group and 60 patients in the LPD group. 60 patients were identified who underwent LPD between 2010 and 2015 versus 60 OPD patients operated in the same period. Median overall operation time was shorter in the LPD group than with OPD patients (LPD 352 vs. OPD 397 min; p = 0.002). Overall transfusion units were lower in the LPD group (LPD range 0 – 4 vs. OPD range 0 – 11; p = 0.032). Intensive care unit stay (LPD 1 vs. OPD 6 d; p = 0.008) and overall hospital stay (OHS: LPD 14 vs. OPD 18 d; p = 0.012) were shorter in the LPD groups than in the OPD group. As regards postoperative complications, LPD was associated with reduced rates of clinically relevant grade B/C postoperative pancreatic fistula (LPD 15 vs. OPD 36%; p = 0.036) and grade B/C delayed gastric emptying (LPD 8 vs. OPD 20%; p = 0.049). A total of 56 patients were diagnosed with malignant disease. The number of harvested lymph nodes and R0-resection rates were equal for LPD and OPD patients. LPD patients showed a trend to improved median overall survival (LPD mean 56 months vs. OPD mean 48 months; p = 0.056).

Conclusion Hybrid LPD is a safe procedure associated with a reduction in clinically relevant postoperative complications and allows faster recovery. Long term oncological outcome of hybrid LPD for malignant disease is equal to that with the standard open approach.
Frequency-preserved non-reciprocal acoustic propagation in a granular chain
Authors: Cui Jian-Guo , Yang Tianzhi , Chen Li-Qun
Published: May 2018

Experimental evidence is presented for demonstrating frequency-preserved non-reciprocal acoustic propagation in a lower frequency range. A 23-bead granular chain and a conical rod are combined to realize this phenomenon. The conical rod is used to amplify the amplitude of the incident wave. Because of the inherent nonlinearity, this granular system offers an ideal testing platform that can provide an amplitude-dependent bandgap. By carefully tuning the taper ratio of the conical rod, a strong non-reciprocal acoustic propagation is observed. Moreover, such a phenomenon does not change the frequency of the incident wave due to the weak nonlinearity, which is different from previous studies. The result represents an advance in acoustic metamaterial systems using simple materials and paves the way for practical applications.
2D-HB-Network at the air-water interface: A structural and dynamical characterization by means of ab initio and classical molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Pezzotti Simone , Serva Alessandra , Gaigeot Marie-Pierre
Published: May 2018

Following our previous work where the existence of a special 2-Dimensional H-Bond (2D-HB)-Network was revealed at the air-water interface [S. Pezzotti et al., J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 8, 3133 (2017)], we provide here a full structural and dynamical characterization of this specific arrangement by means of both Density Functional Theory based and Force Field based molecular dynamics simulations. We show in particular that water at the interface with air reconstructs to maximize H-Bonds formed between interfacial molecules, which leads to the formation of an extended and non-interrupted 2-Dimensional H-Bond structure involving on average ∼90% of water molecules at the interface. We also show that the existence of such an extended structure, composed of H-Bonds all oriented parallel to the surface, constrains the reorientional dynamics of water that is hence slower at the interface than in the bulk. The structure and dynamics of the 2D-HB-Network provide new elements to possibly rationalize several specific properties of the air-water interface, such as water surface tension, anisotropic reorientation of interfacial water under an external field, and proton hopping.
Enhancing thermoelectric properties through a three-terminal benzene molecule
Authors: Sartipi Z. , Vahedi J.
Published: May 2018

The thermoelectric transport through a benzene molecule with three metallic terminals is discussed. Using general local and non-local transport coefficients, we investigated different conductance and thermopower coefficients within the linear response regime. Based on the Onsager coefficients which depend on the number of terminal efficiencies, efficiency at maximum power is also studied. In the three-terminal setup with tuning temperature differences, a great enhancement of the figure of merit is observed. Results also show that the third terminal model can be useful in improving the efficiency at maximum output power compared to the two-terminal model.
Magnonic waveguide based on exchange-spring magnetic structure
Authors: Wang Lixiang , Gao Leisen , Jin Lichuan , Liao Yulong , Wen Tianlong , Tang Xiaoli , Zhang Huaiwu , Zhong Zhiyong
Published: May 2018

A soft/hard exchange-spring coupled bilayer magnetic structure is proposed to obtain a narrow channel for spin-wave propagation. Micromagnetic simulations show that broad-band Damon-Eshbach geometry spin waves are strongly constrained within the channel and propagate effectively with a high group velocity. The beam width of the bound spin waves is almost independent from the frequency and is smaller than 24nm. Two side spin beams appearing at the low-frequency excitation are demonstrated to be coupled with the channel spins by dipole-dipole interaction. In contrast to a domain wall, the channel formed by exchange-spring coupling is easier to be realized in experimental scenarios and holds stronger immunity to surroundings. This work is expected to open new possibilities for energy-efficient spin-wave guiding as well as to help shape the field of beam magnonics.
Breaking of scale invariance in the time dependence of correlation functions in isotropic and homogeneous turbulence
Authors: Tarpin Malo , Canet Léonie , Wschebor Nicolás
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we present theoretical results on the statistical properties of stationary, homogeneous, and isotropic turbulence in incompressible flows in three dimensions. Within the framework of the non-perturbative renormalization group, we derive a closed renormalization flow equation for a generic n-point correlation (and response) function for large wave-numbers with respect to the inverse integral scale. The closure is obtained from a controlled expansion and relies on extended symmetries of the Navier-Stokes field theory. It yields the exact leading behavior of the flow equation at large wave-numbers |p→i| and for arbitrary time differences ti in the stationary state. Furthermore, we obtain the form of the general solution of the corresponding fixed point equation, which yields the analytical form of the leading wave-number and time dependence of n-point correlation functions, for large wave-numbers and both for small ti and in the limit ti → ∞. At small ti, the leading contribution at large wave-numbers is logarithmically equivalent to −α(εL)2/3|∑tip→i|2, where α is a non-universal constant, L is the integral scale, and ε is the mean energy injection rate. For the 2-point function, the (tp)2 dependence is known to originate from the sweeping effect. The derived formula embodies the generalization of the effect of sweeping to n-point correlation functions. At large wave-numbers and large ti, we show that the ti2 dependence in the leading order contribution crosses over to a |ti| dependence. The expression of the correlation functions in this regime was not derived before, even for the 2-point function. Both predictions can be tested in direct numerical simulations and in experiments.
Observation of photoassociation of ultracold sodium and cesium at the asymptote Na (3S1/2) + Cs (6P1/2)
Authors: Wu Jizhou , Liu Wenliang , Wang Xiaofeng , Ma Jie , Li Dan , Sovkov Vladimir B. , Xiao Liantuan , Jia Suotang
Published: May 2018

We report on the production of ultracold heteronuclear NaCs* molecules in a dual-species magneto-optical trap through photoassociation. The electronically excited molecules are formed below the Na (3S1/2) + Cs (6P1/2) dissociation limit. 12 resonance lines are detected using trap-loss spectroscopy based on a highly sensitive modulation technique. The highest observed rovibrational level exhibits clear hyperfine structure, which is detected for the first time. This structure is simulated within a simplified model consisting of 4 coupled levels belonging to the initially unperturbed Hund’s case “a” electronic states, which have been explored in our previous work that dealt with the Na (3S1/2) + Cs (6P3/2) asymptote [W. Liu et al., Phys. Rev. A 94, 032518 (2016)].
Comparison of swirling strengths derived from two- and three-dimensional velocity fields in channel flow
Authors: Chen Huai , Li Danxun , Bai Ruonan , Wang Xingkui
Published: May 2018

Swirling strength is an effective vortex indicator in wall turbulence, and it can be determined based on either two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) velocity fields, written as λci2D and λci3D, respectively. A comparison between λci2D and λci3D has been made in this paper in sliced XY, YZ, and XZ planes by using 3D DNS data of channel flow. The magnitude of λci2D in three orthogonal planes differs in the inner region, but the difference tends to diminish in the outer flow. The magnitude of λci3D exceeds each λci2D, and the square of λci3D is greater than the summation of squares of three λci2D. Extraction with λci2D in XY, YZ, and XZ planes yields different population densities and vortex sizes, i.e., in XZ plane, the vortices display the largest population density and the smallest size, and in XY and YZ planes the vortices are similar in size but fewer vortices are extracted in the XY plane in the inner layer. Vortex size increases inversely with the threshold used for growing the vortex region from background turbulence. When identical thresholds are used, the λci3D approach leads to a slightly smaller population density and a greater vortex radius than the λci2D approach. A threshold of 0.8 for the λci3D approach is approximately equivalent to a threshold of 1.5 for the λci2D approach.
Potential for the Vishniac instability in ionizing shock waves propagating into cold gases
Authors: Robinson A. P. L. , Pasley J.
Published: May 2018

The Vishniac instability was posited as an instability that could affect supernova remnants in their late stage of evolution when subject to strong radiative cooling, which can drive the effective ratio of specific heats below 1.3. The potential importance of this instability to these astrophysical objects has motivated a number of laser-driven laboratory studies. However, the Vishniac instability is essentially a dynamical instability that should operate independently of whatever physical processes happen to reduce the ratio of specific heats. In this paper, we examine the possibility that ionization and molecular dissociation processes can achieve this, and we show that this is possible for a certain range of shock wave Mach numbers for ionizing/dissociating shock waves propagating into cold atomic and molecular gases.
Three-dimensional numerical investigation of vortex-induced vibration of a rotating circular cylinder in uniform flow
Authors: Munir Adnan , Zhao Ming , Wu Helen , Lu Lin , Ning Dezhi
Published: May 2018

The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of an elastically mounted rotating circular cylinder vibrating in a uniform flow is studied numerically. The cylinder is allowed to vibrate only in the cross-flow direction. In the numerical simulations, the Reynolds number, the mass ratio, and the damping ratio are kept constants to 500, 11.5, and 0, respectively. Simulations are performed for rotation rates of α = 0, 0.5, and 1 and a range of reduced velocities from 1 to 13, which covers the entire lock-in regime. It is found that the lock-in regime of a rotating cylinder is wider than that of a non-rotating cylinder for α = 0, 0.5, and 1. The vortex shedding pattern of a rotating cylinder is found to be similar to that of a non-rotating cylinder. Next, simulations are performed for three typical reduced velocities inside the lock-in regime and a range of higher rotation rates from α = 1.5 to 3.5 to investigate the effect of the rotation rate on the suppression of VIV. It is found that the VIV is suppressed when the rotation rate exceeds a critical value, which is dependent on the reduced velocity. For a constant reduced velocity, the amplitude of the vibration is found to increase with increasing rotation rate until the latter reaches its critical value for VIV suppression, beyond which the vibration amplitude becomes extremely small. If the rotation rate is greater than its critical value, vortex shedding ceases and hairpin vortices are observed due to the rotation of the cylinder.
Revisiting first type self-similar solutions of explosions containing ultrarelativistic shocks
Authors: Tian Jun
Published: May 2018

We revisit the first type self-similar solutions for ultrarelativistic shock waves produced by explosions propagating into cold external medium whose density profile decreases with radius as ρ ∝ r−k. The first-type solutions proposed by Blandford and McKee (hereafter BM solution) conforms to the global conservation of energy and applies when k < 4. They have been found to be invalid when k > 17/4 because of the divergence of total energy contained in the shocked fluids. So far no attention has been paid to the particle number. We use the BM solution to calculate the total particle number traversed by the shock and find that it diverges when k > 3. This is inconsistent with the finite particles in the surrounding medium. We propose a possible solution when k > 3 based on the conservation of particle number and discuss its implication for the second-type solutions.
Oxygen-vacancy-mediated dielectric property in perovskite Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-δ epitaxial thin films
Authors: Li Weiwei , Gu Junxing , He Qian , Zhang Kelvin H. L. , Wang Chunchang , Jin Kuijuan , Wang Yongqiang , Acosta Matias , Wang Haiyan , Borisevich Albina Y. , MacManus-Driscoll Judith L. , Yang Hao
Published: May 2018

Dielectric relaxation in ABO3 perovskite oxides can result from many different charge carrier-related phenomena. Despite a strong understanding of dielectric relaxations, a detailed investigation of the relationship between the content of oxygen vacancies (VO) and dielectric relaxation has not been performed in perovskite oxide films. In this work, we report a systematic investigation of the influence of the VO concentration on the dielectric relaxation of Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-δ epitaxial thin films. Nuclear resonance backscattering spectrometry was used to directly measure the oxygen concentration in Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-δ films. We found that dipolar defects created by VO interact with the off-centered Ti ions, which results in the dielectric relaxation in Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-δ films. Activation energy gradually increases with the increasing content of VO. The present work significantly extends our understanding of relaxation properties in oxide films.
A short response time atomic source for trapped ion experiments
Authors: Ballance T. G. , Goodwin J. F. , Nichol B. , Stephenson L. J. , Ballance C. J. , Lucas D. M.
Published: May 2018

Ion traps are often loaded from atomic beams produced by resistively heated ovens. We demonstrate an atomic oven which has been designed for fast control of the atomic flux density and reproducible construction. We study the limiting time constants of the system and, in tests with 40Ca, show that we can reach the desired level of flux in 12 s, with no overshoot. Our results indicate that it may be possible to achieve an even faster response by applying an appropriate one-off heat treatment to the oven before it is used.
Role of ultrafast dissociation in the fragmentation of chlorinated methanes
Authors: Kokkonen E. , Jänkälä K. , Patanen M. , Cao W. , Hrast M. , Bučar K. , Žitnik M. , Huttula M.
Published: May 2018

Photon-induced fragmentation of a full set of chlorinated methanes (CH3Cl, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CCl4) has been investigated both experimentally and computationally. Using synchrotron radiation and electron-ion coincidence measurements, the dissociation processes were studied after chlorine 2p electron excitation. Experimental evidence for CH3Cl and CH2Cl2 contains unique features suggesting that fast dissociation processes take place. By contrast, CHCl3 and CCl4 molecules do not contain the same features, hinting that they experience alternative mechanisms for dissociation and charge migration. Computational work indicates differing rates of charge movement after the core-excitation, which can be used to explain the differences observed experimentally.
Vortical structures and development of laminar flow over convergent-divergent riblets
Authors: Xu Fang , Zhong Shan , Zhang Shanying
Published: May 2018

In this work, the development of a laminar boundary layer over a rectangular convergent-divergent riblet section with a finite streamwise length is studied experimentally using dye visualization and particle image velocimetry in a water flume. The flow topology over this highly directional spanwise roughness is established from this study. It is shown that convergent-divergent riblets generate a spanwise flow above the riblets from the diverging line toward the adjacent converging line. This consequently leads to the formation of a weak recirculating secondary flow in cross-stream planes across the boundary layer that creates a downwash motion over the diverging line and an upwash motion over the converging line. It is found that the fluid inside the riblet valley follows a helicoidal path and it also interacts with the crossflow boundary layer hence playing a key role in determining the structure of the secondary flow across the boundary layer. The impact of riblet wavelength on vortical structures is also revealed for the first time. A larger riblet wavelength is seen to produce a stronger upwash/downwash and hence a more intense secondary flow as well as a stronger deceleration effect on the crossflow. Furthermore, the streamwise development of the flow over the riblet section can be divided into a developing stage followed by a developed stage. In the developing stage, the magnitude of induced streamwise velocity and vorticity over the converging line continues to increase, whereas in the developed stage the values of these parameters remain essentially unchanged.
Doubly charged coronene clusters—Much smaller than previously observed
Authors: Mahmoodi-Darian Masoomeh , Raggl Stefan , Renzler Michael , Goulart Marcelo , Huber Stefan E. , Mauracher Andreas , Scheier Paul , Echt Olof
Published: May 2018

The smallest doubly charged coronene cluster ions reported so far, Cor152+, were produced by charge exchange between bare coronene clusters and He2+ [H. A. B. Johansson et al., Phys. Rev. A 84, 043201 (2011)]. These dications are at least five times larger than the estimated Rayleigh limit, i.e., the size at which the activation barrier for charge separation vanishes. Such a large discrepancy is unheard of for doubly charged atomic or molecular clusters. Here we report the mass spectrometric observation of doubly charged coronene trimers, produced by electron ionization of helium nanodroplets doped with coronene. The observation implies that Cor32+ features a non-zero fission barrier too large to overcome under the present experimental conditions. The height of the barriers for the dimer and trimer has been estimated by means of density functional theory calculations. A sizeable barrier for the trimer has been revealed in agreement with the experimental findings.
Numerical study focusing on the entropy analysis of MHD squeezing flow of a nanofluid model using Cattaneo–Christov theory
Authors: Akmal N. , Sagheer M. , Hussain S.
Published: May 2018

The present study gives an account of the heat transfer characteristics of the squeezing flow of a nanofluid between two flat plates with upper plate moving vertically and the lower in the horizontal direction. Tiwari and Das nanofluid model has been utilized to give a comparative analysis of the heat transfer in the Cu-water and Al2O3–water nanofluids with entropy generation. The modeling is carried out with the consideration of Lorentz forces to observe the effect of magnetic field on the flow. The Joule heating effect is included to discuss the heat dissipation in the fluid and its effect on the entropy of the system. The nondimensional ordinary differential equations are solved using the Keller box method to assess the numerical results which are presented by the graphs and tables. An interesting observation is that the entropy is generated more near the lower plate as compared with that at the upper plate. Also, the heat transfer rate is found to be higher for the Cu nanoparticles in comparison with the Al2O3 nanoparticles.
The effect of bulk nucleation parameters on the formation of macroscopic grain of the large-scale titanium slab ingot during EBCHM
Authors: Liu Qian-Li , Jiang Ye-Hua , Li Xiang-Ming
Published: May 2018

The application of single electron beam cold hearth melting (EBCHM) to the production of large-scale rectangular titanium ingots has the potential to produce high-quality titanium strip coils and achieve significant cost reductions. In this study, multi-scale modelling of macroscopic grain formation in large-scale titanium slab ingots during EBCHM was carried out, by combining the finite element (FE) method on the macroscale with a cellular automaton (CA) model on the microscale. The effects of bulk nucleation parameters on the formation of macroscopic grains were studied, and the predictions arising from simulations were compared with experimental results. Based on the nucleation parameters that were investigated, the process parameters could be optimised during EBCHM to achieve a solidification structure favourable for rolling.
Mechanical properties of heat-treated duplex electroless nickel coatings
Authors: Vitry Veronique , Francq Elodie , Bonin Luiza
Published: May 2018

Electroless nickel coatings present complementary properties: coatings formed using hypophosphite present usually better corrosion resistance while those made with borohydride present better mechanical and wear properties. Duplex coatings, combining both kinds of deposits, are designed to combine features of both nickel–phosphorus (ENP) and nickel–boron (ENB) coatings. In this study, monolayer and bilayer coatings were synthesised on mild steel substrates, in various combinations of ENP and ENB, with a total thickness of 20 µm and heat treated (400°C – 1 h) under non-reactive atmosphere (95% Ar–5% H2) to enhance their mechanical properties. The morphology, roughness, hardness, abrasive wear resistance and scratch behaviour of the coatings were investigated. Samples with ENP as the top layer showed a higher roughness than samples with ENB as the external layer. However, samples with ENB as the top layer provided better wear resistance, even if they presented a lower combined hardness. ENB monolayer showed the best resistance to scratch testing.
Polysilazane-based coatings: corrosion protection and anti-graffiti properties
Authors: Rossi S. , Deflorian F. , Fedel M.
Published: May 2018

Polyorganosilazanes (PSZs) are innovative materials which can be used to develop thin coatings of potential interest where corrosion protection, anti-graffiti and ease to clean properties are requested. In this work, the properties of polysilazane coatings deposited on AA1050 have been studied. A trialkoxysilylane substituted polymethyl-(hydro)/polymethylsilazane was employed to obtain 400–500 nm thick transparent coatings. The effect of four different curing temperatures (80–230°C) and four different curing times (30–180 min) on the final properties of the coatings has been evaluated. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements have been carried out in order to assess the corrosion protection properties of the deposited films. The temperature has been proved to have a greater influence on corrosion protection performance compared to the curing time. Contact angle measurements and marking/cleaning tests have been carried out to highlight the anti-graffiti properties.
Adherens junctions influence tight junction formation via changes in membrane lipid composition
Authors: Shigetomi Kenta , Ono Yumiko , Inai Tetsuichiro , Ikenouchi Junichi
Published: May 2018

Tight junctions (TJs) are essential cell adhesion structures that act as a barrier to separate the internal milieu from the external environment in multicellular organisms. Although their major constituents have been identified, it is unknown how the formation of TJs is regulated. TJ formation depends on the preceding formation of adherens junctions (AJs) in epithelial cells; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, loss of AJs in α-catenin–knockout (KO) EpH4 epithelial cells altered the lipid composition of the plasma membrane (PM) and led to endocytosis of claudins, a major component of TJs. Sphingomyelin with long-chain fatty acids and cholesterol were enriched in the TJ-containing PM fraction. Depletion of cholesterol abolished the formation of TJs. Conversely, addition of cholesterol restored TJ formation in α-catenin–KO cells. Collectively, we propose that AJs mediate the formation of TJs by increasing the level of cholesterol in the PM.
Local gradient estimates for heat equation on 𝑅𝐶𝐷*(𝑘,𝑛) metric measure spaces
Authors: Huang Jia-Cheng
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we will establish a local gradient estimate and a Liouville type theorem for weak solutions of the heat equation on

R
C

D
∗

(
K
,
N
)

RCD^*(K,N)

metric measure spaces.
Monomial basis in Korenblum type spaces of analytic functions
Authors: Bonet José , Lusky Wolfgang , Taskinen Jari
Published: May 2018

It is shown that the monomials

Λ
=
(

z
n

)

n
=
0

∞

\Lambda =(z^n)_{n=0}^{\infty }

are a Schauder basis of the Fréchet spaces

A
+

−
γ

,
 
γ
≥
0
,

A_+^{-\gamma }, \ \gamma \geq 0,

that consists of all the analytic functions

f
f

on the unit disc such that

(
1
−

|

z

|

)

μ

|

f
(
z
)

|

(1-|z|)^{\mu }|f(z)|

is bounded for all

μ
>
γ

\mu > \gamma

. Lusky proved that

Λ
\Lambda

is not a Schauder basis for the closure of the polynomials in weighted Banach spaces of analytic functions of type

H

∞

H^{\infty }

. A sequence space representation of the Fréchet space

A
+

−
γ

A_+^{-\gamma }

is presented. The case of (LB)-spaces

A

−

−
γ

,
 
γ
>
0
,

A_{-}^{-\gamma }, \ \gamma > 0,

that are defined as unions of weighted Banach spaces is also studied.
Correction to “On some subspaces of Banach spaces whose duals are 𝐿₁ spaces”
Authors: Zippin M.
Published: May 2018

E. Casini, E. Miglierina, L. Piasecki, and L. Veselý have recently constructed an example of an

L

1

L_{1}

-predual hyperplane

W
W

of

c
c

which does not contain a subspace isometric to

c
c

, in spite of the fact that the closed unit ball of

W
W

contains an extreme point. This example shows that Remark A of Section 4 of [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 23 (1969), pp. 378-385], titled as above, is false. The purpose of this note is to present two correct versions of that Remark A and a short proof of our 1969 main result.
Residues for maps generically transverse to distributions
Authors: Câmara Leonardo , Corrêa Maurício
Published: May 2018

We show a residues formula for maps generically transversal to regular holomorphic distributions.
An isolated CLASP TOG domain suppresses microtubule catastrophe and promotes rescue
Authors: Majumdar Shreoshi , Kim Tae , Chen Zhe , Munyoki Sarah , Tso Shih-Chia , Brautigam Chad A. , Rice Luke M.
Published: May 2018

Microtubules are heavily regulated dynamic polymers of αβ-tubulin that are required for proper chromosome segregation and organization of the cytoplasm. Polymerases in the XMAP215 family use arrayed TOG domains to promote faster microtubule elongation. Regulatory factors in the cytoplasmic linker associated protein (CLASP) family that reduce catastrophe and/or increase rescue also contain arrayed TOGs, but how CLASP TOGs contribute to activity is poorly understood. Here, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Stu1 as a model CLASP, we report structural, biochemical, and reconstitution studies that clarify functional properties of CLASP TOGs. The two TOGs in Stu1 have very different tubulin-binding properties: TOG2 binds to both unpolymerized and polymerized tubulin, and TOG1 binds very weakly to either. The structure of Stu1-TOG2 reveals a CLASP-specific residue that likely confers distinctive tubulin-binding properties. The isolated TOG2 domain strongly suppresses microtubule catastrophe and increases microtubule rescue in vitro, contradicting the expectation that regulatory activity requires an array of TOGs. Single point mutations on the tubulin-binding surface of TOG2 ablate its anti-catastrophe and rescue activity in vitro, and Stu1 function in cells. Revealing that an isolated CLASP TOG can regulate polymerization dynamics without being part of an array provides insight into the mechanism of CLASPs and diversifies the understanding of TOG function.
Blockade of TLR4 Within the Paraventricular Nucleus Attenuates Blood Pressure by Regulating ROS and Inflammatory Cytokines in Prehypertensive Rats
Authors: Wang Mo-Lin , Yu Xiao-Jing , Li Xiao-Guang , Pang De-Zhi , Su Qing , Saahene Roland Osei , Li Hong-Bao , Mao Xu-Ying , Liu Kai-Li , Fu Li-Yan , Li Ying , Zhu Guo-Qing , Kang Yu-Ming
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been implicated in the progression of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. However, the role of TLR4 in the development of prehypertension is uncertain.

METHODS

Prehypertensive rats were treated with 8% salt for 12 weeks to induce prehypertension. These rats were then given either TAK-242 selective TLR4 blocker, or vehicle by bilateral micro-injection to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Blood pressure (BP) and renal sympathetic nerve activity were recorded. PVN expression of TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, proinflammation cytokines (PICs), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (NOX2), NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) level, tyrosine hydroxylase, and 67 kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67) were tested to determine the influence of TLR4 blockade.

RESULTS

TLR4 expression increased significantly in the PVN of high-salt groups with a corresponding increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and PICs. TLR4 blockade significantly reduced the signaling molecules downstream TLR4 and the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, decreased ROS, NOX2, NOX4 level, increased Cu/Zn-SOD, re-balanced neurotransmitters, and regulated sympathetic nerve activity in the PVN of prehypertensive rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Salt-induced prehypertension is partly due to the upregulation of TLR4 in PVN. Blockade of TLR4 in the brain reduced salt-induced prehypertension response, possibly through downregulation of ROS and PICs expression, and the restorage of neurotransmitter balance in the PVN.
Impact of Blunted Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping on Cardiac Systolic Function in Community Participants Not Receiving Antihypertensive Therapy
Authors: Woodiwiss Angela J , Libhaber Carlos D , Sareli Pinhas , Norton Gavin R
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

Blunted nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping (nondipping) predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and is associated with heart failure (HF) independent of office BP. Whether nondipping is independently associated with cardiac systolic function prior to the development of HF is uncertain.

METHODS

We assessed whether nocturnal BP dipping pattern and nocturnal BP were associated with indexes of cardiac systolic function [endocardial fractional shortening (endFS), midwall FS (mFS), ejection fraction (EF)] independent of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT) in 491 randomly selected community participants not receiving antihypertensive therapy. Nocturnal BP and dipping pattern were determined from 24-hour BP monitoring where nighttime was defined from fixed-clock time intervals. BP dipping was defined as night-to-day BP ratio. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was determined using SphygmoCor, and total peripheral resistance (TPR) was calculated from echocardiographic data.

RESULTS

On bivariate analyses, nocturnal BP and BP dipping but not day BP were correlated with indexes of cardiac systolic function (P < 0.005). After adjustments for potential confounders including age, LVMI (or RWT) and 24 hour (or day) BP, endFS (P < 0.01), mFS (P < 0.05), and EF (P < 0.01) were associated with nocturnal BP and BP dipping. These relationships survived further adjustments for PWV, and the homeostasis model of insulin resistance. The decreased mFS in reverse dippers was in-part explained by an increased TPR.

CONCLUSIONS

In an untreated community sample, blunted nocturnal BP dipping is independently and inversely associated with cardiac systolic function. Hence, nondipping is related to a reduced cardiac systolic function prior to the development of HF.
Edge-group sparse PCA for network-guided high dimensional data analysis
Authors: Min Wenwen , Liu Juan , Zhang Shihua
Published: May 2018

Motivation

Principal component analysis (PCA) has been widely used to deal with high-dimensional gene expression data. In this study, we proposed an Edge-group Sparse PCA (ESPCA) model by incorporating the group structure from a prior gene network into the PCA framework for dimension reduction and feature interpretation. ESPCA enforces sparsity of principal component (PC) loadings through considering the connectivity of gene variables in the prior network. We developed an alternating iterative algorithm to solve ESPCA. The key of this algorithm is to solve a new k-edge sparse projection problem and a greedy strategy has been adapted to address it. Here we adopted ESPCA for analyzing multiple gene expression matrices simultaneously. By incorporating prior knowledge, our method can overcome the drawbacks of sparse PCA and capture some gene modules with better biological interpretations.

Results

We evaluated the performance of ESPCA using a set of artificial datasets and two real biological datasets (including TCGA pan-cancer expression data and ENCODE expression data), and compared their performance with PCA and sparse PCA. The results showed that ESPCA could identify more biologically relevant genes, improve their biological interpretations and reveal distinct sample characteristics.

Availability and implementation

An R package of ESPCA is available at http://page.amss.ac.cn/shihua.zhang/

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MICAN-SQ: a sequential protein structure alignment program that is applicable to monomers and all types of oligomers
Authors: Minami Shintaro , Sawada Kengo , Ota Motonori , Chikenji George
Published: May 2018

Motivation

Protein structure alignment is a significant tool to understand evolutionary processes and physicochemical properties of proteins. Important targets of structure alignment are not only monomeric but also oligomeric proteins that sometimes include domain swapping or fusions. Although various protein structural alignment programs have been developed, no method is applicable to any protein pair regardless of the number of chain components and oligomeric states with retaining sequential restrictions: structurally equivalent regions must be aligned in the same order along protein sequences.

Results

In this paper, we introduced a new sequential protein structural alignment algorithm MICAN-SQ, which is applicable to protein structures in all oligomeric states. In particular, MICAN-SQ allows the complicated structural alignments of proteins with domain swapping or fusion regions. To validate MICAN-SQ, alignment accuracies were evaluated using curated alignments of monomers and examples of domain swapping, and compared with those of pre-existing protein structural alignment programs. The results of this study show that MICAN-SQ has superior accuracy and robustness in comparison with previous programs and offers limited computational times. We also demonstrate that MICAN-SQ correctly aligns very large complexes and fused proteins. The present computations warrant the consideration of MICAN-SQ for studies of evolutionary and physicochemical properties of monomeric structures and all oligomer types.

Availability and implementation

The MICAN program was implemented in C. The source code and executable file can be freely downloaded from http://www.tbp.cse.nagoya-u.ac.jp/MICAN/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Recombinational DSBs-intersected genes converge on specific disease- and adaptability-related pathways
Authors: Yang Zhi-Kai , Luo Hao , Zhang Yanming , Wang Baijing , Gao Feng
Published: May 2018

Motivation

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model species powerful for studying the recombination of eukaryotes. Although many recombination studies have been performed for this species by experimental methods, the population genomic study based on bioinformatics analyses is urgently needed to greatly increase the range and accuracy of recombination detection. Here, we carry out the population genomic analysis of recombination in S.cerevisiae to reveal the potential rules between recombination and evolution in eukaryotes.

Results

By population genomic analysis, we discover significantly more and longer recombination events in clinical strains, which indicates that adverse environmental conditions create an obviously wider range of genetic combination in response to the selective pressure. Based on the analysis of recombinational double strand breaks (DSBs)-intersected genes (RDIGs), we find that RDIGs significantly converge on specific disease- and adaptability-related pathways, indicating that recombination plays a biologically key role in the repair of DSBs related to diseases and environmental adaptability, especially the human neurological disorders. By evolutionary analysis of RDIGs, we find that the RDIGs highly prevailing in populations of yeast tend to be more evolutionarily conserved, indicating the accurate repair of DSBs in these RDIGs is critical to ensure the eukaryotic survival or fitness.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
VarExp: estimating variance explained by genome-wide GxE summary statistics
Authors: Laville Vincent , Bentley Amy R , Privé Florian , Zhu Xiaofeng , Gauderman Jim , Winkler Thomas W , Province Mike , Rao D C , Aschard Hugues
Published: May 2018

Many genome-wide association studies and genome-wide screening for gene–environment (GxE) interactions have been performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of human traits and diseases. When the analyzed outcome is quantitative, the overall contribution of identified genetic variants to the outcome is often expressed as the percentage of phenotypic variance explained. This is commonly done using individual-level genotype data but it is challenging when results are derived through meta-analyses. Here, we present R package, ‘VarExp’, that allows for the estimation of the percentage of phenotypic variance explained using summary statistics only. It allows for a range of models to be evaluated, including marginal genetic effects, GxE interaction effects and both effects jointly. Its implementation integrates all recent methodological developments and does not need external data to be uploaded by users.

Availability and implementation

The R package is available at https://gitlab.pasteur.fr/statistical-genetics/VarExp.git.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Whole-genome de novo sequencing reveals unique genes that contributed to the adaptive evolution of the Mikado pheasant
Authors: Lee Chien-Yueh , Hsieh Ping-Han , Chiang Li-Mei , Chattopadhyay Amrita , Li Kuan-Yi , Lee Yi-Fang , Lu Tzu-Pin , Lai Liang-Chuan , Lin En-Chung , Lee Hsinyu , Ding Shih-Torng , Tsai Mong-Hsun , Chen Chien-Yu , Chuang Eric Y.
Published: May 2018

Background

The Mikado pheasant (Syrmaticus mikado) is a nearly endangered species indigenous to high-altitude regions of Taiwan. This pheasant provides an opportunity to investigate evolutionary processes following geographic isolation. Currently, the genetic background and adaptive evolution of the Mikado pheasant remain unclear.

Results

We present the draft genome of the Mikado pheasant, which consists of 1.04 Gb of DNA and 15,972 annotated protein-coding genes. The Mikado pheasant displays expansion and positive selection of genes related to features that contribute to its adaptive evolution, such as energy metabolism, oxygen transport, hemoglobin binding, radiation response, immune response, and DNA repair. To investigate the molecular evolution of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) across several avian species, 39 putative genes spanning 227 kb on a contiguous region were annotated and manually curated. The MHC loci of the pheasant revealed a high level of synteny, several rapidly evolving genes, and inverse regions compared to the same loci in the chicken. The complete mitochondrial genome was also sequenced, assembled, and compared against four long-tailed pheasants. The results from molecular clock analysis suggest that ancestors of the Mikado pheasant migrated from the north to Taiwan about 3.47 million years ago.

Conclusions

This study provides a valuable genomic resource for the Mikado pheasant, insights into its adaptation to high altitude, and the evolutionary history of the genus Syrmaticus, which could potentially be useful for future studies that investigate molecular evolution, genomics, ecology, and immunogenetics.
The LOINC RSNA radiology playbook - a unified terminology for radiology procedures
Authors: Vreeman Daniel J , Abhyankar Swapna , Wang Kenneth C , Carr Christopher , Collins Beverly , Rubin Daniel L , Langlotz Curtis P
Published: May 2018

Objective

This paper describes the unified LOINC/RSNA Radiology Playbook and the process by which it was produced.

Methods

The Regenstrief Institute and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) developed a unification plan consisting of six objectives 1) develop a unified model for radiology procedure names that represents the attributes with an extensible set of values, 2) transform existing LOINC procedure codes into the unified model representation, 3) create a mapping between all the attribute values used in the unified model as coded in LOINC (ie, LOINC Parts) and their equivalent concepts in RadLex, 4) create a mapping between the existing procedure codes in the RadLex Core Playbook and the corresponding codes in LOINC, 5) develop a single integrated governance process for managing the unified terminology, and 6) publicly distribute the terminology artifacts.

Results

We developed a unified model and instantiated it in a new LOINC release artifact that contains the LOINC codes and display name (ie LONG_COMMON_NAME) for each procedure, mappings between LOINC and the RSNA Playbook at the procedure code level, and connections between procedure terms and their attribute values that are expressed as LOINC Parts and RadLex IDs. We transformed all the existing LOINC content into the new model and publicly distributed it in standard releases. The organizations have also developed a joint governance process for ongoing maintenance of the terminology.

Conclusions

The LOINC/RSNA Radiology Playbook provides a universal terminology standard for radiology orders and results.