bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Lasting Legacy of War: Epidemiology of Injuries from Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance in Afghanistan, 2002–2006
Authors: Bilukha Oleg O. , Brennan Muireann , Anderson Mark
Published: December 2015

Introduction:

Due to several decades of armed conflict and civil unrest, Afghanistan is one of the countries most affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance worldwide.

Objective:

The study was performed to assess the magnitude of injuries due to landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan during 2002–2006 and to describe epidemiological patterns and potential risk factors for these events.

Methods:

Surveillance data including 5,471 injuries caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan during 2002-2006 were analyzed. The International Committee of the Red Cross collects data on such injuries from 490 reporting health facilities and volunteers throughout the country. These surveillance data were used to describe injury trends, victim demographics, injury types, risk behaviors, and explosive types related to landmine and unexploded ordnance accidents.

Results:

The largest number of injuries (1,706) occurred in 2002. The number declined sharply to 1,049 injuries in 2003, and remained relatively stable with slight decline thereafter. Overall, 92% of victims were civilians, 91% were males, and 47% were children < 18 years of age. The case-fatality ratio was 17%. Approximately 50% of all injuries were caused by unexploded ordnance and 42% by landmines. Among children, 65% of injuries were caused by unexploded ordnance and only 27% by landmines, whereas in adults, most injuries (56%) were caused by landmines. The most common risk behaviors among children were tending animals, playing, and tampering with explosive devices. In adults, most common risk behaviors were traveling, performing activities of economic necessity, and tampering with explosives. Twenty-eight percent of the surviving victims who received mine awareness training and 2% of those who did not receive such training reported that the area where event occurred was marked.

Conclusions:

The large number of injuries and high proportion of child victims suggest that clearance and risk education activities fall short of achieving their goals, and must be substantially improved or expanded. Especially concerning is the high proportion of injuries caused by unexploded ordnance, and the high number of injuries sustained while tampering with explosive devices. Because unexploded ordnance is more visible than are landmines, and ordnance contaminated areas are cheaper to clear than are minefields, these injuries are highly preventable and should be a priority for clearance and risk education efforts.
The Relative Contributions of Experiential Avoidance and Distress Tolerance to OC Symptoms
Authors: Blakey Shannon M. , Jacoby Ryan J. , Reuman Lillian , Abramowitz Jonathan S.
Published: December 2015

Background: Obsessive beliefs account for substantial (but not all) obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Intolerance of internal experiences (IIE), which encompasses the constructs of experiential avoidance (EA) and distress tolerance (DT), refers to difficulty managing unwanted thoughts, emotions, and other internal states, and might add to current explanatory models. Although IIE appears to be conceptually relevant to obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, scant research has examined this relationship empirically. Aim: The present study examined the relative contributions of EA and DT as predictors of OC symptom dimensions. Method: A nonclinical sample (n = 496) completed self-report questionnaires measuring general distress, EA, DT and OC symptom dimensions. Results: All variables of interest were significantly (all ps ≤ .001) correlated with one another, such that higher general distress, higher EA, and lower DT were associated with greater OC symptom severity for all symptom dimensions; however, only EA independently predicted obsessional symptoms, but not other OC symptom dimensions. Conclusions: One's willingness to endure (i.e. EA), rather than their ability to tolerate (i.e. DT) unpleasant internal experiences best predicts obsessional symptoms (i.e. obsessing) above and beyond general distress. Potential implications for understanding, assessing, and treating OC symptoms are discussed.
Binge Drinkers Are Fast, Able to Stop – but They Fail to Adjust
Authors: Bø Ragnhild , Aker Martin , Billieux Joël , Landrø Nils Inge
Published: December 2015

Binge drinking leads to brain damage. However, at present few studies have taken into account the continuity in the binge drinking phenomenon, and treated binge drinking as a clearly separable category from other types of drinking patterns. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether severity of binge drinking can predict specific neurocognitive changes in healthy young adults. A total of 121 students aged 18 to 25 were assessed by means of the three last questions of the Alcohol Use Questionnaire combined into binge score. The binge score was entered as a predictor of cognitive performance of the CANTAB Stop Signal Task including reaction time, inhibition processing time, and response adjustment. Anxiety and depression symptoms were also measured. Binge score significantly predicted less adjustment following failures, and faster reaction times. Binge score did not predict inhibition performance. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were not significantly related to binge score. Binge drinking in healthy young adults predicts impairment in response adjustment and fast reaction time, but is unrelated to inhibition. The study supports the view that binge drinking is a continuous phenomenon, rather than discrete category, and the findings are possibly shedding light on why binge drinkers continue their drinking pattern despite negative consequences. (JINS, 2016,22, 38–46)
Re-assembling objects: a new look at the L2 acquisition of pronominal clitics
Authors: SHIMANSKAYA ELENA , SLABAKOVA ROUMYANA
Published: December 2015

We test the predictions of the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis (FRH) as applied to the L2 acquisition of French pronominal clitics by Anglophone learners, capitalizing on the fact that different semantic and morphosyntactic features are lexically encoded by French and English pronouns. A picture selection task and a self-paced reading task examine how the information encoded in the L2 forms affects off-line and on-line pronoun interpretation. Our findings suggest that the initial L1–L2 mapping was indeed influenced by the L1. Nevertheless, L2 learners successfully reassembled features into L2 bundles, as evidenced by target-like off-line performance. L2 reading time patterns, however, indicate that L1 representations may have a longer-lasting impact: learners’ reactions to the mismatching input followed a different pattern and were slightly delayed as compared to native speakers’. These results are in line with the FRH, which conceptualizes L1 influence as the transfer of atomic linguistic features and their combinations.
Second language processing and revision of garden-path sentences: a visual word study
Authors: POZZAN LUCIA , TRUESWELL JOHN C.
Published: December 2015

We asked whether children's well-known difficulties revising initial sentence processing commitments characterize the immature or the learning parser. Adult L2 speakers of English acted out temporarily ambiguous and unambiguous instructions. While online processing patterns indicate that L2 adults experienced garden-paths and were sensitive to referential information to a similar degree as native adults, their act-out patterns indicate increased difficulties revising initial interpretations, at rates similar to those observed for 5-year-old native children (e.g., Trueswell, Sekerina, Hill & Logrip, 1999). We propose that L2 learners’ difficulties with revision stem from increased recruitment of cognitive control networks during processing of a not fully proficient language, resulting in the reduced availability of cognitive control for parsing revisions.
Implications of supermarket access, neighbourhood walkability and poverty rates for diabetes risk in an employee population
Authors: Herrick Cynthia J , Yount Byron W , Eyler Amy A
Published: December 2015

Objective

Diabetes is a growing public health problem, and the environment in which people live and work may affect diabetes risk. The goal of the present study was to examine the association between multiple aspects of environment and diabetes risk in an employee population.

Design

This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis. Home environment variables were derived using employees’ zip code. Descriptive statistics were run on all individual- and zip-code-level variables, stratified by diabetes risk and worksite. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was then conducted to determine the strongest associations with diabetes risk.

Setting

Data were collected from employee health fairs in a Midwestern health system, 2009–2012.

Subjects

The data set contains 25 227 unique individuals across four years of data. From this group, using an individual’s first entry into the database, 15 522 individuals had complete data for analysis.

Results

The prevalence of high diabetes risk in this population was 2·3 %. There was significant variability in individual- and zip-code-level variables across worksites. From the multivariable analysis, living in a zip code with higher percentage of poverty and higher walk score was positively associated with high diabetes risk, while living in a zip code with higher supermarket density was associated with a reduction in high diabetes risk.

Conclusions

Our study underscores the important relationship between poverty, home neighbourhood environment and diabetes risk, even in a relatively healthy employed population, and suggests a role for the employer in promoting health.
Development of a Cathodoluminescence Detection System for the (S)TEM Demonstrating Sub-nm Spatial and Sub-meV Spectral Resolution
Authors: Stowe D.J. , Beeching L. , Vince R.J. , Oliver J. , Parsons J. , Galloway S.A.
Published: December 2015

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, August 4 – August 8, 2013.
Theoretical study of liquid crystal dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguide
Authors: Armand Hamed , Dashti Ardakani M.
Published: December 2015

A fully two-dimensional theoretical study of the electromagnetic wave propagation through Metal–Liquid Crystal–Metal (M–LC–M) waveguide structure is presented. Dispersion relations corresponding to both symmetric and antisymmetric-coupled surface plasmons polaritons modes in M–LC–M structure are derived and numerically solved. The effects of LC tilt angles on the effective refractive index and propagation length are proposed. The analytical method is in good agreement with those obtained from finite-difference time-domain simulation. The obtained analytic formula can be used as an efficient element in designing tunable ultrahigh nanoscale integrated plasmonic devices.
Model of Solar Cycle's Impact on Climate Gets Upgrade
Authors: Zastrow Mark
Published: December 2015

A new model of how the Sun's 11-year cycle affects climate leads to slight changes in model results on atmospheric chemistry, but temperature and wind results are consistent with the previous model.
Laser Beams Brighten Prospects for Cave Science
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: December 2015

Armed with laser technology, scientists now plot and study vivid maps of underground spaces with stunning accuracy. But the equipment is costly, fragile, and hard to maneuver through tight passages.
Declining resilience of ecosystem functions under biodiversity loss
Authors: Oliver Tom H. , Isaac Nick J. B. , August Tom A. , Woodcock Ben A. , Roy David B. , Bullock James M.
Published: December 2015

The composition of species communities is changing rapidly through drivers such as habitat loss and climate change, with potentially serious consequences for the resilience of ecosystem functions on which humans depend. To assess such changes in resilience, we analyse trends in the frequency of species in Great Britain that provide key ecosystem functions—specifically decomposition, carbon sequestration, pollination, pest control and cultural values. For 4,424 species over four decades, there have been significant net declines among animal species that provide pollination, pest control and cultural values. Groups providing decomposition and carbon sequestration remain relatively stable, as fewer species are in decline and these are offset by large numbers of new arrivals into Great Britain. While there is general concern about degradation of a wide range of ecosystem functions, our results suggest actions should focus on particular functions for which there is evidence of substantial erosion of their resilience.
Magnetic microscopy and topological stability of homochiral Néel domain walls in a Pt/Co/AlOx trilayer
Authors: Benitez M. J. , Hrabec A. , Mihai A. P. , Moore T. A. , Burnell G. , McGrouther D. , Marrows C. H. , McVitie S.
Published: December 2015

The microscopic magnetization variation in magnetic domain walls in thin films is a crucial property when considering the torques driving their dynamic behaviour. For films possessing out-of-plane anisotropy normally the presence of Néel walls is not favoured due to magnetostatic considerations. However, they have the right structure to respond to the torques exerted by the spin Hall effect. Their existence is an indicator of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI). Here we present direct imaging of Néel domain walls with a fixed chirality in device-ready Pt/Co/AlOx films using Lorentz transmission electron and Kerr microscopies. It is shown that any independently nucleated pair of walls in our films form winding pairs when they meet that are difficult to annihilate with field, confirming that they all possess the same topological winding number. The latter is enforced by the DMI. The field required to annihilate these winding wall pairs is used to give a measure of the DMI strength. Such domain walls, which are robust against collisions with each other, are good candidates for dense data storage.
PICH promotes sister chromatid disjunction and co-operates with topoisomerase II in mitosis
Authors: Nielsen Christian F. , Huttner Diana , Bizard Anna H. , Hirano Seiki , Li Tian-Neng , Palmai-Pallag Timea , Bjerregaard Victoria A. , Liu Ying , Nigg Erich A. , Wang Lily Hui-Ching , Hickson Ian D.
Published: December 2015

PICH is a SNF2 family DNA translocase that binds to ultra-fine DNA bridges (UFBs) in mitosis. Numerous roles for PICH have been proposed from protein depletion experiments, but a consensus has failed to emerge. Here, we report that deletion of PICH in avian cells causes chromosome structural abnormalities, and hypersensitivity to an inhibitor of Topoisomerase II (Topo II), ICRF-193. ICRF-193-treated PICH−/− cells undergo sister chromatid non-disjunction in anaphase, and frequently abort cytokinesis. PICH co-localizes with Topo IIα on UFBs and at the ribosomal DNA locus, and the timely resolution of both structures depends on the ATPase activity of PICH. Purified PICH protein strongly stimulates the catalytic activity of Topo II in vitro. Consistent with this, a human PICH−/− cell line exhibits chromosome instability and chromosome condensation and decatenation defects similar to those of ICRF-193-treated cells. We propose that PICH and Topo II cooperate to prevent chromosome missegregation events in mitosis.
The Notch and Wnt pathways regulate stemness and differentiation in human fallopian tube organoids
Authors: Kessler Mirjana , Hoffmann Karen , Brinkmann Volker , Thieck Oliver , Jackisch Susan , Toelle Benjamin , Berger Hilmar , Mollenkopf Hans-Joachim , Mangler Mandy , Sehouli Jalid , Fotopoulou Christina , Meyer Thomas F.
Published: December 2015

The epithelial lining of the fallopian tube is of critical importance for human reproduction and has been implicated as a site of origin of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Here we report on the establishment of long-term, stable 3D organoid cultures from human fallopian tubes, indicative of the presence of adult stem cells. We show that single epithelial stem cells in vitro can give rise to differentiated organoids containing ciliated and secretory cells. Continuous growth and differentiation of organoids depend on both Wnt and Notch paracrine signalling. Microarray analysis reveals that inhibition of Notch signalling causes downregulation of stem cell-associated genes in parallel with decreased proliferation and increased numbers of ciliated cells and that organoids also respond to oestradiol and progesterone treatment in a physiological manner. Thus, our organoid model provides a much-needed basis for future investigations of signalling routes involved in health and disease of the fallopian tube.
EPPS rescues hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice by disaggregation of amyloid-β oligomers and plaques
Authors: Kim Hye Yun , Kim Hyunjin Vincent , Jo Seonmi , Lee C. Justin , Choi Seon Young , Kim Dong Jin , Kim YoungSoo
Published: December 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the transition of amyloid-β (Aβ) monomers into toxic oligomers and plaques. Given that Aβ abnormality typically precedes the development of clinical symptoms, an agent capable of disaggregating existing Aβ aggregates may be advantageous. Here we report that a small molecule, 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinepropanesulphonic acid (EPPS), binds to Aβ aggregates and converts them into monomers. The oral administration of EPPS substantially reduces hippocampus-dependent behavioural deficits, brain Aβ oligomer and plaque deposits, glial γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release and brain inflammation in an Aβ-overexpressing, APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model when initiated after the development of severe AD-like phenotypes. The ability of EPPS to rescue Aβ aggregation and behavioural deficits provides strong support for the view that the accumulation of Aβ is an important mechanism underlying AD.
The structural origin of anomalous properties of liquid water
Authors: Nilsson Anders , Pettersson Lars G. M.
Published: December 2015

Water is unique in its number of unusual, often called anomalous, properties. When hot it is a normal simple liquid; however, close to ambient temperatures properties, such as the compressibility, begin to deviate and do so increasingly on further cooling. Clearly, these emerging properties are connected to its ability to form up to four well-defined hydrogen bonds allowing for different local structural arrangements. A wealth of new data from various experiments and simulations has recently become available. When taken together they point to a heterogeneous picture with fluctuations between two classes of local structural environments developing on temperature-dependent length scales.
Engineering coherent interactions in molecular nanomagnet dimers
Authors: Ardavan Arzhang , Bowen Alice M , Fernandez Antonio , Fielding Alistair J , Kaminski Danielle , Moro Fabrizio , Muryn Christopher A , Wise Matthew D , Ruggi Albert , McInnes Eric J L , Severin Kay , Timco Grigore A , Timmel Christiane R , Tuna Floriana , Whitehead George F S , Winpenny Richard E P
Published: December 2015

Proposals for systems embodying condensed matter spin qubits cover a very wide range of length scales, from atomic defects in semiconductors all the way to micron-sized lithographically defined structures. Intermediate scale molecular components exhibit advantages of both limits: like atomic defects, large numbers of identical components can be fabricated; as for lithographically defined structures, each component can be tailored to optimise properties such as quantum coherence. Here we demonstrate what is perhaps the most potent advantage of molecular spin qubits, the scalability of quantum information processing structures using bottom-up chemical self-assembly. Using Cr7Ni spin qubit building blocks, we have constructed several families of two-qubit molecular structures with a range of linking strategies. For each family, long coherence times are preserved, and we demonstrate control over the inter-qubit quantum interactions that can be used to mediate two-qubit quantum gates.
Biological pathways modulated by antipsychotics in the blood plasma of schizophrenia patients and their association to a clinical response
Authors: Martins-de-Souza Daniel , Solari Fiorella A , Guest Paul C , Zahedi René P , Steiner Johann
Published: December 2015

Proteomics is a valuable tool to unravel molecular mechanisms involved in human disorders. Considering the mediocre effectiveness of antipsychotics, which are the main class of drug used to treat schizophrenia, we analyzed a cohort of 58 schizophrenia patients who had blood collected before and after 6 weeks of antipsychotic treatment using a shotgun mass spectrometry proteomic profiling approach. Our aim was to unravel molecular pathways involved with an effective drug response. The results showed that all patients had essentially the same biochemical pathways triggered Independent of the antipsychotic response outcome. However, we observed that these pathways were regulated in different directions in blood samples from those who responded well to antipsychotics, compared with those who had a poorer outcome. These data are novel, timely and may help to guide new research efforts in the design of new treatments or medications for schizophrenia based on biologically relevant pathways.
Species-wide genome sequence and nucleotide polymorphisms from the model allopolyploid plant Brassica napus
Authors: Schmutzer Thomas , Samans Birgit , Dyrszka Emmanuelle , Ulpinnis Chris , Weise Stephan , Stengel Doreen , Colmsee Christian , Lespinasse Denis , Micic Zeljko , Abel Stefan , Duchscherer Peter , Breuer Frank , Abbadi Amine , Leckband Gunhild , Snowdon Rod , Scholz Uwe
Published: December 2015

Brassica napus (oilseed rape, canola) is one of the world’s most important sources of vegetable oil for human nutrition and biofuel, and also a model species for studies investigating the evolutionary consequences of polyploidisation. Strong bottlenecks during its recent origin from interspecific hybridisation, and subsequently through intensive artificial selection, have severely depleted the genetic diversity available for breeding. On the other hand, high-throughput genome profiling technologies today provide unprecedented scope to identify, characterise and utilise genetic diversity in primary and secondary crop gene pools. Such methods also enable implementation of genomic selection strategies to accelerate breeding progress. The key prerequisite is availability of high-quality sequence data and identification of high-quality, genome-wide sequence polymorphisms representing relevant gene pools. We present comprehensive genome resequencing data from a panel of 52 highly diverse natural and synthetic B. napus accessions, along with a stringently selected panel of 4.3 million high-confidence, genome-wide SNPs. The data is of great interest for genomics-assisted breeding and for evolutionary studies on the origins and consequences in allopolyploidisation in plants.
W-state Analyzer and Multi-party Measurement-device-independent Quantum Key Distribution
Authors: Zhu Changhua , Xu Feihu , Pei Changxing
Published: December 2015

W-state is an important resource for many quantum information processing tasks. In this paper, we for the first time propose a multi-party measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol based on W-state. With linear optics, we design a W-state analyzer in order to distinguish the four-qubit W-state. This analyzer constructs the measurement device for four-party MDI-QKD. Moreover, we derived a complete security proof of the four-party MDI-QKD and performed a numerical simulation to study its performance. The results show that four-party MDI-QKD is feasible over 150 km standard telecom fiber with off-the-shelf single photon detectors. This work takes an important step towards multi-party quantum communication and a quantum network.
Identification of new genotype of Echovirus 19 from children with Acute Flaccid Paralysis in Pakistan
Authors: Angez Mehar , Shaukat Shahzad , Zahra Rabaab , Sharif Salmaan , Alam Muhammad Masroor , Khurshid Adnan , Rana Muhammad Suleman , Zaidi Syed Sohail Zahoor
Published: December 2015

Enteroviruses are known to cause childhood paralysis. The purpose of this study was to examine the genetic diversity and to determine the association of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) with acute flaccid Paralysis (AFP). Stool samples (n = 1191) of children with AFP were collected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Poliovirus was isolated in 205 (17.2%) samples and NPEVs were found in 215 (18.0%) samples. Out of 215 viruses, 124 (57.7%) were typed into 19 different types of enteroviruses while 91 (42.3%) remained untypeable on microneutralization assay that were reconfirmed as NPEVs by real time PCR. Echovirus 19 (20/35; 57.1%) was found the most prevalent type based on VP1 nucleotide sequencing with increased genetic diversity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the circulation of a new genotype of E-19 in the country. The findings of this study are of great importance for future research and propose to establish the enterovirus surveillance system in the country to readily identify more enteroviruses and to monitor the emergence of new variants/genotypes especially at the moment when we are at the verge of polio eradication phase.
Phylogenetics reveals the crustacean order Amphionidacea to be larval shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea)
Authors: De Grave Sammy , Chan Tin-Yam , Chu Ka Hou , Yang Chien-Hui , Landeira José M.
Published: December 2015

We present evidence that the single representative of the crustacean order Amphionidacea is a decapod shrimp and not a distinct order. After reviewing available morphological evidence, it is concluded that Amphionides is a larval form, but with an as yet unknown parentage. Although the most likely adult form is in the family Pandalidae, the limited molecular data available cannot fully resolve its affinity. We therefore propose to treat Amphionides reynaudii as incertae sedis within Caridea, rather than a separate family. In view of the large scale, tropical and subtropical distribution of the taxon, the possibility is discussed that Amphionides is more likely to be a composite taxon at generic level, rather than larvae of a single shrimp species.
Cognitive caching promotes flexibility in task switching: evidence from event-related potentials
Authors: Lange Florian , Seer Caroline , Müller Dorothea , Kopp Bruno
Published: December 2015

Time-consuming processes of task-set reconfiguration have been shown to contribute to the costs of switching between cognitive tasks. We describe and probe a novel mechanism serving to reduce the costs of task-set reconfiguration. We propose that when individuals are uncertain about the currently valid task, one task set is activated for execution while other task sets are maintained at a pre-active state in cognitive cache. We tested this idea by assessing an event-related potential (ERP) index of task-set reconfiguration in a three-rule task-switching paradigm involving varying degrees of task uncertainty. In high-uncertainty conditions, two viable tasks were equally likely to be correct whereas in low-uncertainty conditions, one task was more likely than the other. ERP and performance measures indicated substantial costs of task-set reconfiguration when participants were required to switch away from a task that had been likely to be correct. In contrast, task-set-reconfiguration costs were markedly reduced when the previous task set was chosen under high task uncertainty. These results suggest that cognitive caching of alternative task sets adds to human cognitive flexibility under high task uncertainty.
Quantification of the boron speciation in alkali borosilicate glasses by electron energy loss spectroscopy
Authors: Cheng Shaodong , Yang Guang , Zhao Yanqi , Peng MingYing , Skibsted Jørgen , Yue Yuanzheng
Published: December 2015

Transmission electron microscopy and related analytical techniques have been widely used to study the microstructure of different materials. However, few research works have been performed in the field of glasses, possibly due to the electron-beam irradiation damage. In this paper, we have developed a method based on electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) data acquisition and analyses, which enables determination of the boron speciation in a series of ternary alkali borosilicate glasses with constant molar ratios. A script for the fast acquisition of EELS has been designed, from which the fraction of BO4 tetrahedra can be obtained by fitting the experimental data with linear combinations of the reference spectra. The BO4 fractions (N4) obtained by EELS are consistent with those from 11B MAS NMR spectra, suggesting that EELS can be an alternative and convenient way to determine the N4 fraction in glasses. In addition, the boron speciation of a CeO2 doped potassium borosilicate glass has been analyzed by using the time-resolved EELS spectra. The results clearly demonstrate that the BO4 to BO3 transformation induced by the electron beam irradiation can be efficiently suppressed by doping CeO2 to the borosilicate glasses.
Primary prevention of atrial fibrillation with beta-blockers in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis
Authors: Lin Ting-Tse , Chiang Jiun-Yang , Liao Min-Tsun , Tsai Chia-Ti , Hwang Juey Jen , Chiang Fu-Tien , Lin Jiunn-Lee , Lin Lian-Yu
Published: December 2015

Current evidence suggests that beta-blocker lower the risk of development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and in-hospital stroke after cardiac surgery. This study was to assess whether beta-blockers could decrease incidence of new-onset AF in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). We identified patients from a nation-wide database called Registry for Catastrophic Illness, which encompassed almost 100% of the patients receiving dialysis therapy in Taiwan from 1995 to 2008. Propensity score matching and Cox’s proportional hazards regression model were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for new-onset AF. Among 100066 patients, 41.7% received beta-blockers. After a median follow-up of 1500 days, the incidence of new-onset AF significantly decreased in patients treated with beta-blockers (HR = 0.483, 95% confidence interval = 0.437-0.534). The prevention of new-onset AF was significantly better in patients taking longer duration of beta-blockers therapy (P for time trend <0.001). The AF prevention effect remains robust in subgroup analyses. In conclusion, beta-blockers seem effective in the primary prevention of AF in ESRD patients. Hence, beta-blockers may be the target about upstream treatment of AF.
Contribution and Mobilization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis
Authors: Liu Yan , Yang Xue , Jing Yingying , Zhang Shanshan , Zong Chen , Jiang Jinghua , Sun Kai , Li Rong , Gao Lu , Zhao Xue , Wu Dong , Shi Yufang , Han Zhipeng , Wei Lixin
Published: December 2015

Hepatic fibrosis is associated with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). In this study, we aimed to determine what role MSCs play in the process and how they mobilize from bone marrow (BM). We employed a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis. Frozen section was used to detect MSCs recruited to mice and human fibrotic liver. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was detected to assess liver function. It was found that MSCs of both exogenous and endogenous origin could aggravate liver fibrosis and attenuate liver damage as indicated by lower serum ALT and AST levels. Stromal cell–derived factor-1 (SDF-1α)/ CXCR4 was the most important chemotactic axis regulating MSCs migration from BM to fibrotic liver. Frozen section results showed that the migration did not start from the beginning of liver injury but occured when the expression balance of SDF-1α between liver and BM was disrupted, where SDF-1α expression in liver was higher than that in BM. Our findings provide further evidence to show the role of BM-MSCs in liver fibrosis and to elucidate the mechanism underlying MSCs mobilization in our early liver fibrosis mice model induced by CCl4.
Selective self-assembly of adenine-silver nanoparticles forms rings resembling the size of cells
Authors: Choi Sungmoon , Park Soonyoung , Yang Seon-Ah , Jeong Yujin , Yu Junhua
Published: December 2015

Self-assembly has played critical roles in the construction of functional nanomaterials. However, the structure of the macroscale multicomponent materials built by the self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks is hard to predict due to multiple intermolecular interactions of great complexity. Evaporation of solvents is usually an important approach to induce kinetically stable assemblies of building blocks with a large-scale specific arrangement. During such a deweting process, we tried to monitor the possible interactions between silver nanoparticles and nucleobases at a larger scale by epifluorescence microscopy, thanks to the doping of silver nanoparticles with luminescent silver nanodots. ssDNA oligomer-stabilized silver nanoparticles and adenine self-assemble to form ring-like compartments similar to the size of modern cells. However, the silver ions only dismantle the self-assembly of adenine. The rings are thermodynamically stable as the drying process only enrich the nanoparticles-nucleobase mixture to a concentration that activates the self-assembly. The permeable membrane-like edge of the ring is composed of adenine filaments glued together by silver nanoparticles. Interestingly, chemicals are partially confined and accumulated inside the ring, suggesting that this might be used as a microreactor to speed up chemical reactions during a dewetting process.
Quantitating intracellular oxygen tension in vivo by phosphorescence lifetime measurement
Authors: Hirakawa Yosuke , Yoshihara Toshitada , Kamiya Mako , Mimura Imari , Fujikura Daichi , Masuda Tsuyoshi , Kikuchi Ryohei , Takahashi Ippei , Urano Yasuteru , Tobita Seiji , Nangaku Masaomi
Published: December 2015

Hypoxia appears to have an important role in pathological conditions in many organs such as kidney; however, a method to quantify intracellular oxygen tension in vivo has not been well established. In this study, we established an optical method to quantify oxygen tension in mice kidneys using a cationic lipophilic phosphorescence probe, BTPDM1, which has an intracellular oxygen concentration-sensitive phosphorescence lifetime. Since this probe is distributed inside the tubular cells of the mice kidney, we succeeded in detecting acute renal hypoxic conditions and chronic kidney disease. This technique enabled us to estimate intracellular partial pressures of oxygen in vivo by extrapolating the calibration curve generated from cultured tubular cells. Since intracellular oxygen tension is directly related to cellular hypoxic reactions, such as the activation of hypoxia-inducible factors, our method will shed new light on hypoxia research in vivo.
Sub-second thermoplastic forming of bulk metallic glasses by ultrasonic beating
Authors: Ma Jiang , Liang Xiong , Wu Xiaoyu , Liu Zhiyuan , Gong Feng
Published: December 2015

The work proposed a novel thermoplastic forming approach–the ultrasonic beating forming (UBF) method for bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) in present work. The rapid forming approach can finish the thermoplastic forming of BMGs in less than one second, avoiding the time-dependent crystallization and oxidation to the most extent. Besides, the UBF is also proved to be competent in the fabrication of structures with the length scale ranging from macro scale to nano scale. Our results propose a novel route for the thermoplastic forming of BMGs and have promising applications in the rapid fabrication of macro to nano scale products and devices.
Hypoxia facilitates neurogenic dural plasma protein extravasation in mice: a novel animal model for migraine pathophysiology
Authors: Hunfeld Anika , Segelcke Daniel , Bäcker Ingo , Mecheri Badreddine , Hemmer Kathrin , Dlugosch Elisabeth , Andriske Michael , Paris Frank , Zhu Xinran , Lübbert Hermann
Published: December 2015

Migraine animal models generally mimic the onset of attacks and acute treatment processes. A guinea pig model used the application of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) to trigger immediate dural plasma protein extravasation (PPE) mediated by 5-HT2B receptors. This model has predictive value for antimigraine drugs but cannot explain the delayed onset of efficacy of 5-HT2B receptor antagonists when clinically used for migraine prophylaxis. We found that mCPP failed to induce dural PPE in mice. Considering the role 5-HT2B receptors play in hypoxia-induced pulmonary vessel muscularization, we were encouraged to keep mice under hypoxic conditions and tested whether this treatment will render them susceptible to mCPP-induced dural PPE. Following four-week of hypoxia, PPE, associated with increased transendothelial transport, was induced by mCPP. The effect was blocked by sumatriptan. Chronic application of 5-HT2B receptor or nitric oxide synthase blockers during hypoxia prevented the development of susceptibility. Here we present a migraine model that distinguishes between a migraine-like state (hypoxic mice) and normal, normoxic mice and mimics processes that are related to chronic activation of 5-HT2B receptors under hypoxia. It seems striking, that chronic endogenous activation of 5-HT2B receptors is crucial for the sensitization since 5-HT2B receptor antagonists have strong, albeit delayed migraine prophylactic efficacy.
Gene expression changes triggered by end-of-day far-red light treatment on early developmental stages of Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn.
Authors: Takemura Yoshihiro , Kuroki Katsuou , Katou Masahiro , Kishimoto Masayuki , Tsuji Wataru , Nishihara Eiji , Tamura Fumio
Published: December 2015

To better understand the molecular mechanisms related to growth promotion in the early developmental stages of Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn. under end-of-day far-red light (EOD-FR) treatment, we analyzed the leaf transcriptome of treated (EOD) and untreated plants (Cont) by using RNA-seq technology. EOD-FR treatment for only about 2 weeks in regions with limited sunshine during winter resulted in significantly higher internode length between the 3rd and 4th nodes on the main stem in EOD than in Cont. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to synthesis or transport of auxin, higher levels of YUCCA (CL6581) and PIN4 (CL6181) were noted after treatment in EOD than in Cont in the leaf. In addition, high expression levels of GA20ox (Unigene11862) related to gibberellin (GA) synthesis and transcription factor bHLH 135 (CL7761) were observed in the stem of EOD, 3 h after treatment. A vertical section of the stem showed that the pith length of cells at the 4th node was longer in EOD than in Cont. Collectively, these results suggested that EOD-FR treatment increased the expression of DEGs related to GA and auxin biosynthesis, bHLH transcription factor and internodal cell elongation along the longitudinal axis of Eustoma plants.
Bio-inspired heterogeneous composites for broadband vibration mitigation
Authors: Chen Yanyu , Wang Lifeng
Published: December 2015

Structural biological materials have developed heterogeneous and hierarchical architectures that are responsible for the outstanding performance to provide protection against environmental threats including static and dynamic loading. Inspired by this observation, this research aims to develop new material and structural concepts for broadband vibration mitigation. The proposed composite materials possess a two-layered heterogeneous architecture where both layers consist of high-volume platelet-shape reinforcements and low-volume matrix, similar to the well-known “brick and mortar” microstructure of biological composites. Using finite element method, we numerically demonstrated that broadband wave attenuation zones can be achieved by tailoring the geometric features of the heterogeneous architecture. We reveal that the resulting broadband attenuation zones are gained by directly superimposing the attenuation zones in each constituent layer. This mechanism is further confirmed by the investigation into the phonon dispersion relation of each layer. Importantly, the broadband wave attenuation capability will be maintained when the mineral platelet orientation is locally manipulated, yet a contrast between the mineral platelet concentrations of the two constituent layers is essential. The findings of this work will provide new opportunities to design heterogeneous composites for broadband vibration mitigation and impact resistance under mechanically challenging environmental conditions.
Seven gene deletions in seven days: Fast generation of Escherichia coli strains tolerant to acetate and osmotic stress
Authors: Jensen Sheila I. , Lennen Rebecca M. , Herrgård Markus J. , Nielsen Alex T.
Published: December 2015

Generation of multiple genomic alterations is currently a time consuming process. Here, a method was established that enables highly efficient and simultaneous deletion of multiple genes in Escherichia coli. A temperature sensitive plasmid containing arabinose inducible lambda Red recombineering genes and a rhamnose inducible flippase recombinase was constructed to facilitate fast marker-free deletions. To further speed up the procedure, we integrated the arabinose inducible lambda Red recombineering genes and the rhamnose inducible FLP into the genome of E. coli K-12 MG1655. This system enables growth at 37 °C, thereby facilitating removal of integrated antibiotic cassettes and deletion of additional genes in the same day. Phosphorothioated primers were demonstrated to enable simultaneous deletions during one round of electroporation. Utilizing these methods, we constructed strains in which four to seven genes were deleted in E. coli W and E. coli K-12. The growth rate of an E. coli K-12 quintuple deletion strain was significantly improved in the presence of high concentrations of acetate and NaCl. In conclusion, we have generated a method that enables efficient and simultaneous deletion of multiple genes in several E. coli variants. The method enables deletion of up to seven genes in as little as seven days.
Perinatal Oxidative Stress May Affect Fetal Ghrelin Levels in Humans
Authors: Luo Zhong-Cheng , Bilodeau Jean-François , Monique Nuyt Anne , Fraser William D. , Julien Pierre , Audibert Francois , Xiao Lin , Garofalo Carole , Levy Emile
Published: December 2015

In vitro cell model studies have shown that oxidative stress may affect beta-cell function. It is unknown whether oxidative stress may affect metabolic health in human fetuses/newborns. In a singleton pregnancy cohort (n = 248), we studied maternal (24–28 weeks gestation) and cord plasma biomarkers of oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA), F2-isoprostanes] in relation to fetal metabolic health biomarkers including cord plasma glucose-to-insulin ratio (an indicator of insulin sensitivity), proinsulin-to-insulin ratio (an indicator of beta-cell function), insulin, IGF-I, IGF-II, leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin concentrations. Strong positive correlations were observed between maternal and cord plasma biomarkers of oxidative stress (r = 0.33 for MDA, r = 0.74 for total F2-isoprostanes, all p < 0.0001). Adjusting for gestational age at blood sampling, cord plasma ghrelin concentrations were consistently negatively correlated to oxidative stress biomarkers in maternal (r = −0.32, p < 0.0001 for MDA; r = −0.31, p < 0.0001 for F2-isoprostanes) or cord plasma (r = −0.13, p = 0.04 for MDA; r = −0.32, p < 0.0001 for F2-isoprostanes). Other fetal metabolic health biomarkers were not correlated to oxidative stress. Adjusting for maternal and pregnancy characteristics, similar associations were observed. Our study provides the first preliminary evidence suggesting that oxidative stress may affect fetal ghrelin levels in humans. The implications in developmental “programming” the vulnerability to metabolic syndrome related disorders remain to be elucidated.
Orthogonal-band-multiplexed offset-QAM optical superchannel generation and coherent detection
Authors: Zheng Zhennan , Wang Dan , Zhu Xiaoqi , Lv Xin , Zou Kaiheng , Zhu Yixiao , Zhang Fan , Chen Zhangyuan
Published: December 2015

Nowadays the Internet not only has fast growing data traffic, but also has a fast growing number of on-line devices. This leads to high demand of capacity and flexibility of the future networks. The conventional Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Nyquist pulse shaping signals have the advantage of high spectral efficiency when consisting of superchannels in the Wavelength-Division-Multiplexing (WDM) way. However, they face a cost issue when the spectral granularity of the superchannel is decreased to support more users. This paper proposes for the first time the scheme of Orthogonal-band-multiplexed offset-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (OBM-OQAM) superchannel. OBM-OQAM superchannel provides large capacity and high spectral efficiency. Furthermore, it has the advantage of offering subbands of variable symbol rate without changing the system configuration. We provide a proof-of-principle demonstration of OBM-OQAM superchannel transmission. In our experiment, 400 Gbps 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) OBM-OQAM superchannel transmission over 400 km Standard Single Mode Fiber (SSMF) is conducted. The experimental results show that the OBM-OQAM signal has low penalty in multi-band aggregation.
Ultra-sensitive detection of tumorigenic cellular impurities in human cell-processed therapeutic products by digital analysis of soft agar colony formation
Authors: Kusakawa Shinji , Yasuda Satoshi , Kuroda Takuya , Kawamata Shin , Sato Yoji
Published: December 2015

Contamination with tumorigenic cellular impurities is one of the most pressing concerns for human cell-processed therapeutic products (hCTPs). The soft agar colony formation (SACF) assay, which is a well-known in vitro assay for the detection of malignant transformed cells, is applicable for the quality assessment of hCTPs. Here we established an image-based screening system for the SACF assay using a high-content cell analyzer termed the digital SACF assay. Dual fluorescence staining of formed colonies and the dissolution of soft agar led to accurate detection of transformed cells with the imaging cytometer. Partitioning a cell sample into multiple wells of culture plates enabled digital readout of the presence of colonies and elevated the sensitivity for their detection. In practice, the digital SACF assay detected impurity levels as low as 0.00001% of the hCTPs, i.e. only one HeLa cell contained in 10,000,000 human mesenchymal stem cells, within 30 days. The digital SACF assay saves time, is more sensitive than in vivo tumorigenicity tests and would be useful for the quality control of hCTPs in the manufacturing process.
Ultrafast Thermal Nonlinearity
Authors: Khurgin Jacob B. , Sun Greg , Chen Wei Ting , Tsai Wei-Yi , Tsai Din Ping
Published: December 2015

Third order nonlinear optical phenomena explored in the last half century have been predicted to find wide range of applications in many walks of life, such as all-optical switching, routing and others, yet this promise has not been fulfilled primarily because the strength of nonlinear effects is too low when they are to occur on the picosecond scale required in today’s signal processing applications. The strongest of the third-order nonlinearities, engendered by thermal effects, is considered to be too slow for the above applications. In this work we show that when optical fields are concentrated into the volumes on the scale of few tens of nanometers, the speed of the thermo-optical effects approaches picosecond scale. Such a sub-diffraction limit concentration of field can be accomplished with the use of plasmonic effects in metal nanoparticles impregnating the thermo-optic dielectric (e.g. amorphous Si) and leads to phase shifts sufficient for all optical switching on ultrafast scale.