bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Examination Variables Predict Response to Conservative Treatment of Nonchronic Plantar Fasciitis: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Footwear Study
Authors: Wrobel James S. , Fleischer Adam E. , Matzkin‐Bridger Jonathon , Fascione Jeanna , Crews Ryan T. , Bruning Nicholas , Jarrett Beth
Published: September 2015

Background

Plantar fasciitis is a common, disabling condition, and the prognosis of conservative treatment is difficult to predict.

Objective

To determine whether initial clinical findings could help predict patient response to conservative treatment that primarily consisted of supportive footwear and stretching.

Setting

Patients were recruited and seen at 2 outpatient podiatric clinics in the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area.

Patients

Seventy‐seven patients with nonchronic plantar fasciitis were recruited. Patients were excluded if they had a heel injection in the previous 6 months or were currently using custom foot orthoses at the time of screening. Sixty‐nine patients completed the final follow‐up visit 3 months after receiving the footwear intervention.

Methods

Treatment failure was considered a <50% reduction in heel pain at 3 month follow‐up. Logistic regression models evaluated the possible association between more than 30 clinical and physical examination findings prospectively assessed at enrollment, and treatment response.

Results

Inability to dorsiflex the ankle past −5° (odds ratio [OR] 3.9, P = .024), nonsevere (≤7 on ordinal scale) first‐step pain (OR 3.8, P = .021), and heel valgus in relaxed stance (OR 4.0, P = .014) each predicted treatment failure in multivariable analysis (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve = .769). Limited ankle dorsiflexion also correlated with greater heel pain severity at initial presentation (r = − 0.312, P = .006).

Conclusions

Patients with severe ankle equinus were nearly 4 times more likely to experience a favorable response to treatment centered on home Achilles tendon stretching and supportive therapy. Thus, earlier use of more advanced therapies may be most appropriate in those presenting without severe ankle equinus or without severe first step pain. The findings from our study may not be clinically intuitive because patients with less severe equinus and less severe pain at presentation did worse with conservative care.
Quotation, perfection and the eloquence of form: introducingBeatius/Cum humanum
Authors: ZAYARUZNAYA ANNA
Published: September 2015

The newly reconstructed motetBeatius/Cum humanumis remarkable in several respects. It ranks among the longest of Ars Nova motets, and divides neatly into three parts of which the middle is an eighty-breve untexted hocket section. It also contains an extended quotation – textual as well as musical – from the Fauvel motetFirmissime/Adesto. The quoted material speaks of ‘Trinity and unity’, turning a spotlight onto the tripartite form ofBeatius/Cum humanum.Firmissime/Adestohas occasioned comment because it is built up of duple (‘imperfect’) notes even though it praises the perfect Trinity.Beatius/Cum humanumcan be read as participating in the same conversation. By shifting the salience of the number three from local rhythmical organisation to the global level of form, it serves as an example of how music can depict perfectionex imperfectis.
Paytan Receives 2015 Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Dansgaard Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: September 2015

Adina Paytan will receive the inaugural Dansgaard Award at the 2015 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, to be held 14–18 December in San Francisco, Calif., as selected by a Dansgaard Award selection committee. The award is given in recognition of the awardee's research impact, innovative interdisciplinary work, educational accomplishments (mentoring), societal impact, and other relevant contributions and to acknowledge that the awardee shows exceptional promise for continued leadership in paleoceanography or paleoclimatology.
Food availability affects the strength of mutualistic host–microbiota interactions in Daphnia magna
Authors: Callens Martijn , Macke Emilie , Muylaert Koenraad , Bossier Peter , Lievens Bart , Waud Michael , Decaestecker Ellen
Published: September 2015

The symbiotic gut microbial community is generally known to have a strong impact on the fitness of its host. Nevertheless, it is less clear how the impact of symbiotic interactions on the hosts’ fitness varies according to environmental circumstances such as changes in the diet. This study aims to get a better understanding of host–microbiota interactions under different levels of food availability. We conducted experiments with the invertebrate, experimental model organism Daphnia magna and compared growth, survival and reproduction of conventionalized symbiotic Daphnia with germ-free individuals given varying quantities of food. Our experiments revealed that the relative importance of the microbiota for the hosts’ fitness varied according to dietary conditions. The presence of the microbiota had strong positive effects on Daphnia when food was sufficient or abundant, but had weaker effects under food limitation. Our results indicate that the microbiota can be a potentially important factor in determining host responses to changes in dietary conditions. Characterization of the host-associated microbiota further showed that Aeromonas sp. was the most prevalent taxon in the digestive tract of Daphnia.
Functional classification of memory CD8+ T cells by CX3CR1 expression
Authors: Böttcher Jan P. , Beyer Marc , Meissner Felix , Abdullah Zeinab , Sander Jil , Höchst Bastian , Eickhoff Sarah , Rieckmann Jan C. , Russo Caroline , Bauer Tanja , Flecken Tobias , Giesen Dominik , Engel Daniel , Jung Steffen , Busch Dirk H. , Protzer Ulrike , Thimme Robert , Mann Matthias , Kurts Christian , Schultze Joachim L. , Kastenmüller Wolfgang , Knolle Percy A.
Published: September 2015

Localization of memory CD8+ T cells to lymphoid or peripheral tissues is believed to correlate with proliferative capacity or effector function. Here we demonstrate that the fractalkine-receptor/CX3CR1 distinguishes memory CD8+ T cells with cytotoxic effector function from those with proliferative capacity, independent of tissue-homing properties. CX3CR1-based transcriptome and proteome-profiling defines a core signature of memory CD8+ T cells with effector function. We find CD62LhiCX3CR1+ memory T cells that reside within lymph nodes. This population shows distinct migration patterns and positioning in proximity to pathogen entry sites. Virus-specific CX3CR1+ memory CD8+ T cells are scarce during chronic infection in humans and mice but increase when infection is controlled spontaneously or by therapeutic intervention. This CX3CR1-based functional classification will help to resolve the principles of protective CD8+ T-cell memory.
Standards and figure-of-merits for quantifying the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators
Authors: Zi Yunlong , Niu Simiao , Wang Jie , Wen Zhen , Tang Wei , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: September 2015

Triboelectric nanogenerators have been invented as a highly efficient, cost-effective and easy scalable energy-harvesting technology for converting ambient mechanical energy into electricity. Four basic working modes have been demonstrated, each of which has different designs to accommodate the corresponding mechanical triggering conditions. A common standard is thus required to quantify the performance of the triboelectric nanogenerators so that their outputs can be compared and evaluated. Here we report figure-of-merits for defining the performance of a triboelectric nanogenerator, which is composed of a structural figure-of-merit related to the structure and a material figure of merit that is the square of the surface charge density. The structural figure-of-merit is derived and simulated to compare the triboelectric nanogenerators with different configurations. A standard method is introduced to quantify the material figure-of-merit for a general surface. This study is likely to establish the standards for developing TENGs towards practical applications and industrialization.
A mutation in the POT1 gene is responsible for cardiac angiosarcoma in TP53-negative Li–Fraumeni-like families
Authors: Calvete Oriol , Martinez Paula , Garcia-Pavia Pablo , Benitez-Buelga Carlos , Paumard-Hernández Beatriz , Fernandez Victoria , Dominguez Fernando , Salas Clara , Romero-Laorden Nuria , Garcia-Donas Jesus , Carrillo Jaime , Perona Rosario , Triviño Juan Carlos , Andrés Raquel , Cano Juana María , Rivera Bárbara , Alonso-Pulpon Luis , Setien Fernando , Esteller Manel , Rodriguez-Perales Sandra , Bougeard Gaelle , Frebourg Tierry , Urioste Miguel , Blasco Maria A. , Benítez Javier
Published: September 2015

Cardiac angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare malignant tumour whose genetic basis is unknown. Here we show, by whole-exome sequencing of a TP53-negative Li–Fraumeni-like (LFL) family including CAS cases, that a missense variant (p.R117C) in POT1 (protection of telomeres 1) gene is responsible for CAS. The same gene alteration is found in two other LFL families with CAS, supporting the causal effect of the identified mutation. We extend the analysis to TP53-negative LFL families with no CAS and find the same mutation in a breast AS family. The mutation is recently found once in 121,324 studied alleles in ExAC server but it is not described in any other database or found in 1,520 Spanish controls. In silico structural analysis suggests how the mutation disrupts POT1 structure. Functional and in vitro studies demonstrate that carriers of the mutation show reduced telomere-bound POT1 levels, abnormally long telomeres and increased telomere fragility.
Macroscopic and high-throughput printing of aligned nanostructured polymer semiconductors for MHz large-area electronics
Authors: Bucella Sadir G. , Luzio Alessandro , Gann Eliot , Thomsen Lars , McNeill Christopher R. , Pace Giuseppina , Perinot Andrea , Chen Zhihua , Facchetti Antonio , Caironi Mario
Published: September 2015

High-mobility semiconducting polymers offer the opportunity to develop flexible and large-area electronics for several applications, including wearable, portable and distributed sensors, monitoring and actuating devices. An enabler of this technology is a scalable printing process achieving uniform electrical performances over large area. As opposed to the deposition of highly crystalline films, orientational alignment of polymer chains, albeit commonly achieved by non-scalable/slow bulk alignment schemes, is a more robust approach towards large-area electronics. By combining pre-aggregating solvents for formulating the semiconductor and by adopting a room temperature wired bar-coating technique, here we demonstrate the fast deposition of submonolayers and nanostructured films of a model electron-transporting polymer. Our approach enables directional self-assembling of polymer chains exhibiting large transport anisotropy and a mobility up to 6.4 cm2 V−1 s−1, allowing very simple device architectures to operate at 3.3 MHz. Thus, the proposed deposition strategy is exceptionally promising for mass manufacturing of high-performance polymer circuits.
Hot-carrier cooling and photoinduced refractive index changes in organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites
Authors: Price Michael B. , Butkus Justinas , Jellicoe Tom C. , Sadhanala Aditya , Briane Anouk , Halpert Jonathan E. , Broch Katharina , Hodgkiss Justin M. , Friend Richard H. , Deschler Felix
Published: September 2015

Metal-halide perovskites are at the frontier of optoelectronic research due to solution processability and excellent semiconductor properties. Here we use transient absorption spectroscopy to study hot-carrier distributions in CH3NH3PbI3 and quantify key semiconductor parameters. Above bandgap, non-resonant excitation creates quasi-thermalized carrier distributions within 100 fs. During carrier cooling, a sub-bandgap transient absorption signal arises at ∼1.6 eV, which is explained by the interplay of bandgap renormalization and hot-carrier distributions. At higher excitation densities, a ‘phonon bottleneck’ substantially slows carrier cooling. This effect indicates a low contribution from inelastic carrier-impurity or phonon–impurity scattering in these polycrystalline materials, which supports high charge-carrier mobilities. Photoinduced reflectivity changes distort the shape of transient absorption spectra and must be included to extract physical constants. Using a simple band-filling model that accounts for these changes, we determine a small effective mass of mr=0.14 mo, which agrees with band structure calculations and high photovoltaic performance.
Three-dimensional non-destructive soft-tissue visualization with X-ray staining micro-tomography
Authors: Silva Juliana Martins de S. e , Zanette Irene , Noël Peter B. , Cardoso Mateus B. , Kimm Melanie A. , Pfeiffer Franz
Published: September 2015

Low inherent contrast in soft tissues has been limiting the use of X-ray absorption micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to access high-resolution structural information of animal organs. The staining agents used in micro-CT to improve the contrast fail in providing high-quality images of whole organs of animals due to diffusion problems of the staining agent into the sample. We demonstrate a staining protocol that incorporates a biochemical conditioning step prior to exposure to the staining agent that succeeds in overcoming the diffusion problems, thus quickly providing high-quality micro-CT images of whole organs of mammals. Besides of yielding non-distorted three-dimensional information at the same spatial resolution accessible in histological sections, micro-CT images of whole organs stained by our method enable easy screening of slices along any direction of the volume thus demonstrating new possibilities of structural analysis in biomedical science.
The AP-1 transcription factor homolog Pf-AP-1 activates transcription of multiple biomineral proteins and potentially participates in Pinctada fucata biomineralization
Authors: Zheng Xiangnan , Cheng Minzhang , Xiang Liang , Liang Jian , Xie Liping , Zhang Rongqing
Published: September 2015

Activator protein-1 (AP-1) is an important bZIP transcription factor that regulates a series of physiological processes by specifically activating transcription of several genes and one of its well-chartered functions in mammals is participating in bone mineralization. We isolated and cloned the complete cDNA of a Jun/AP-1 homolog from Pinctada fucata and called it Pf-AP-1. Pf-AP-1 had a highly conserved bZIP region and phosphorylation sites compared with those from mammals. A tissue distribution analysis showed that Pf-AP-1 was ubiquitously expressed in P. fucata and the mRNA level of Pf-AP-1 is extremely high in mantle. Pf-AP-1 expression was positively associated with multiple biomineral proteins in the mantle. The luciferase reporter assay in a mammalian cell line showed that Pf-AP-1 significantly up-regulates the transcriptional activity of the promoters of KRMP, Pearlin and Prisilkin39. Inhibiting the activity of Pf-AP-1 depressed the expression of multiple matrix proteins. Pf-AP-1 showed a unique expression pattern during shell regeneration and pearl sac development, which was similar to the pattern observed for biomineral proteins. These results suggest that the Pf-AP-1 AP-1 homolog is an important transcription factor that regulates transcription of several biomineral proteins simultaneously and plays a role in P. fucata biomineralization, particularly during pearl and shell formation.
Graph theoretic network analysis reveals protein pathways underlying cell death following neurotropic viral infection
Authors: Ghosh Sourish , Kumar G. Vinodh , Basu Anirban , Banerjee Arpan
Published: September 2015

Complex protein networks underlie any cellular function. Certain proteins play a pivotal role in many network configurations, disruption of whose expression proves fatal to the cell. An efficient method to tease out such key proteins in a network is still unavailable. Here, we used graph-theoretic measures on protein-protein interaction data (interactome) to extract biophysically relevant information about individual protein regulation and network properties such as formation of function specific modules (sub-networks) of proteins. We took 5 major proteins that are involved in neuronal apoptosis post Chandipura Virus (CHPV) infection as seed proteins in a database to create a meta-network of immediately interacting proteins (1st order network). Graph theoretic measures were employed to rank the proteins in terms of their connectivity and the degree upto which they can be organized into smaller modules (hubs). We repeated the analysis on 2nd order interactome that includes proteins connected directly with proteins of 1st order. FADD and Casp-3 were connected maximally to other proteins in both analyses, thus indicating their importance in neuronal apoptosis. Thus, our analysis provides a blueprint for the detection and validation of protein networks disrupted by viral infections.
Information content of contact-pattern representations and predictability of epidemic outbreaks
Authors: Holme Petter
Published: September 2015

To understand the contact patterns of a population—who is in contact with whom and when the contacts happen—is crucial for modeling outbreaks of infectious disease. Traditional theoretical epidemiology assumes that any individual can meet any with equal probability. A more modern approach, network epidemiology, assumes people are connected into a static network over which the disease spreads. Newer yet, temporal network epidemiology, includes the time in the contact representations. In this paper, we investigate the effect of these successive inclusions of more information. Using empirical proximity data, we study both outbreak sizes from unknown sources and from known states of ongoing outbreaks. In the first case, there are large differences going from a fully mixed simulation to a network and from a network to a temporal network. In the second case, differences are smaller. We interpret these observations in terms of the temporal network structure of the data sets. For example, a fast overturn of nodes and links seem to make the temporal information more important.
CRB2 completes a fully expressed Crumbs complex in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Authors: Paniagua Antonio E. , Herranz-Martín Saúl , Jimeno David , Jimeno Ángela M. , López-Benito Saray , Carlos Arévalo Juan , Velasco Almudena , Aijón José , Lillo Concepción
Published: September 2015

The CRB proteins CRB1, CRB2 and CRB3 are members of the cell polarity complex Crumbs in mammals that together with Scribble and Par complexes stablish the polarity of a variety of cell types. Although many members of the Crumbs complex proteins are expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and even though the mRNA of CRB2 has been detected in ARPE-19 cells and in the RPE/Choroid, to date no CRB protein has yet been found in this tissue. To investigate this possibility, we generated an antibody that specifically recognize the mouse CRB2 protein and we demonstrate the expression of CRB2 in mouse RPE. Confocal analysis shows that CRB2 is restricted to the apicolateral membrane of RPE cells and more precisely, in the tight junctions. Our study identified CRB2 as the member of the CRB protein family that is present together with the rest of the components of the Crumbs complex in the RPE apico-lateral cell membrane. Considering that the functions of CRB proteins are decisive in the establishment and maintenance of cell-cell junctions in several epithelial-derived cell types, we believe that these findings are a relevant starting point for unraveling the functions that CRB2 might perform in the RPE.
A novel immunochromatographic strip test for rapid detection of Cry1Ac and Cry8Ka5 proteins in genetically modified crops
Authors: Santos Vanessa O. , Pelegrini Patrícia B. , Mulinari Fernanda , Moura Rodrigo S. , Cardoso Ludimila P. V. , Bührer-Sékula Samira , Miller Robert N. G. , Pinto Eduardo R. C. , Grossi-de-Sá Maria Fátima
Published: September 2015

Immunocromatographic strip test could be employed for the detection of GM crops.
Amphiphilic polymeric micelles as microreactors: improving the photocatalytic hydrogen production of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic in water
Authors: Wang Feng , Wen Min , Feng Ke , Liang Wen-Jing , Li Xu-Bing , Chen Bin , Tung Chen-Ho , Wu Li-Zhu
Published: September 2015

An amphiphilic polymeric micelle is utilized as a microreactor to load a hydrophobic [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic for photocatalytic hydrogen production in water.
Ultrasensitive self-powered cytosensors based on exogenous redox-free enzyme biofuel cells as point-of-care tools for early cancer diagnosis
Authors: Gai Panpan , Song Rongbin , Zhu Cheng , Ji Yusheng , Wang Wengjing , Zhang Jian-Rong , Zhu Jun-Jie
Published: September 2015

An exogenous redox-free, membraneless enzyme biofuel cell-based ultrasensitive self-powered cytosensor was constructed as a point-of-care tool for early diagnosis of cancer.
Functional metal–bipyridinium frameworks: self-assembly and applications
Authors: Sun Jian-Ke , Zhang Jie
Published: September 2015

Metal–organic frameworks as newly emerged materials have experienced rapid development in the last few years. This perspective highlights recent progress of study on the self-assembly of metal–bipyridinium frameworks and their intriguing properties for various applications.
Bioaccessibility study of plant sterol-enriched fermented milks
Authors: Vaghini Silvia , Cilla Antonio , Garcia-Llatas Guadalupe , Lagarda María Jesús
Published: September 2015

The bioaccessibility (BA) of total and individual plant sterols (PS) of four commercial PS-enriched fermented milk beverages (designated as A to D) was evaluated usingin vitrogastrointestinal digestion including the formation of mixed micelles.
Elemental fractionation and matrix effects in laser sampling based spectrometry
Authors: Zhang Shudi , He Miaohong , Yin Zhibin , Zhu Eryi , Hang Wei , Huang Benli
Published: September 2015

The present review summarizes the research work dealing with elemental fractionation and matrix effects in laser sampling approaches.
MnO2nanomaterials for flexible supercapacitors: performance enhancement via intrinsic and extrinsic modification
Authors: Zhai Teng , Lu Xihong , Wang Fuxin , Xia Hui , Tong Yexiang
Published: September 2015

This review aims to describe the recent progress in MnO2nanomaterials for flexible supercapacitors (SCs) and summarizes in detail the intrinsic and extrinsic modifications of MnO2as high performance electrodes.
Conversion of lapachol to lomatiol: synthesis of novel naphthoquinone derivatives
Authors: Eyong Kenneth O. , Chinthapally Kiran , Senthilkumar Soundararasu , Lamshöft Marc , Folefoc Gabriel N. , Baskaran Sundarababu
Published: September 2015

The biomimetic synthesis of lomatiol from lapachol and the subsequent transformation of lomatiol to biologically important furano- and pyrano-napthoquinone derivatives have been reported.
Porous nitrogen-doped carbon derived from silk fibroin protein encapsulating sulfur as a superior cathode material for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Zhang Jiawei , Cai Yurong , Zhong Qiwei , Lai Dongzhi , Yao Juming
Published: September 2015

The features of a carbon substrate are crucial for the electrochemical performance of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries.
Increasing the thermopower of crown-ether-bridged anthraquinones
Authors: Ismael Ali K. , Grace Iain , Lambert Colin J.
Published: September 2015

We investigate strategies for increasing the thermopower of crown-ether-bridged anthraquinones.
Thermoresponsive, stretchable, biodegradable and biocompatible poly(glycerol sebacate)-based polyurethane hydrogels
Authors: Frydrych Martin , Román Sabiniano , Green Nicola H. , MacNeil Sheila , Chen Biqiong
Published: September 2015

This work reports the synthesis and characterization of thermoresponsive, stretchable, biodegradable and biocompatible poly(glycerol sebacate)-based polyurethane hydrogels.
One-pot synthesis and self-assembly of supramolecular dendritic polymers
Authors: Chen Senbin , Schulz Matthias , Lechner Bob-Dan , Appiah Clement , Binder Wolfgang H.
Published: September 2015

A X–Y2 type heterotropic single-chain polymer, Ba-(PnBuA-HW)2, is prepared in a one-pot two-step reaction, subsequently self-assembling into supramolecular dendrimers, which are displaying solvent-dependent disc-like hierarchical nanoscopic structures as evidenced by AFM.
Influence of sucrose on the stability of W1/O/W2 double emulsion droplets
Authors: Li Jie , Su Lin , Li Jing , Liu Mei-Fang , Chen Su-Fen , Li Bo , Zhang Zhan-Wen , Liu Yi-Yang
Published: September 2015

Number of emulsion particles vs. time with various sucrose (Suc) concentration in rotating flow field. (Large sized W1/O/W2 double emulsion droplets with uniform wall thickness and diameters were prepared by adopting the emulsion microencapsulation method.)
Role of oxygen vacancy tuning in EBPVD deposited LaxCe1−xO2−δfilms in high temperature oxidation protection
Authors: Aadhavan R. , Babu K. Suresh
Published: September 2015

La0.05Ce0.95O2−δcoated AISI 304 shows superior oxidation protection than CeO2coated AISI 304 and bare AISI 304.
Colorimetric detection of glutathione based on transverse overgrowth of high aspect ratio gold nanorods investigated by MCR-ALS
Authors: Fahimi-Kashani Nafiseh , Shadabipour Parisa , Hormozi-Nezhad M. Reza
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we present a simple platform for colorimetric detection of glutathione using gold nanorods (AR ∼ 6.5 ± 0.2) as a plasmonic sensor.
S-layer based biomolecular imprinting
Authors: Ladenhauf Eva M. , Pum Dietmar , Wastl Daniel S. , Toca-Herrera Jose Luis , Phan Nam V. H. , Lieberzeit Peter A. , Sleytr Uwe B.
Published: September 2015

AFM image of an S-layer protein array used for making molecular imprints.
In situ synthesis and excellent photocatalytic activity of tiny Bi decorated bismuth tungstate nanorods
Authors: Lu Shi-Yu , Yu Ya-Nan , Bao Shu-Juan , Liao Sheng-Hui
Published: September 2015

Uniformly dispersed Bi in close contact with bismuth tungstate can enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of the bismuth tungstate.
The influence of structural and processing parameters of modifiers on the interlayer structure of modified montmorillonite
Authors: Chen Hsuan-Hsuan , Thirumavalavan Munusamy , Ma Yi-Jun , Lee Jiunn-Fwu
Published: September 2015

Effects of various parameters on the interlamellar spacing of modified sodium montmorillonites and their potential applications.
Acid catalysed cross-linking of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) by glutaraldehyde: effect of crosslink density on the characteristics of PVA membranes used in single chambered microbial fuel cells
Authors: Rudra Ruchira , Kumar Vikash , Kundu Patit Paban
Published: September 2015

In the present study, acid catalysed cross-linking of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) with varying concentrations of glutaraldehyde was analyzed and the cross-linked PVAs were utilized as membrane separators in single chambered microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
l-Proline-promoted synthesis of 2-amino-4-arylquinoline-3-carbonitriles as sustainable corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 1 M HCl: experimental and computational studies
Authors: Verma Chandrabhan , Quraishi M. A. , Olasunkanmi L. O. , Ebenso Eno E.
Published: September 2015

The inhibition of mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl by 3-aryl substituted 2-aminoquinoline-3-carbonitriles has been investigated using weight loss, electrochemical, surface and quantum chemical calculation methods.
Persistent four-coordinate iron-centered radical stabilized by π-donation
Authors: Sunada Yusuke , Ishida Shintaro , Hirakawa Fumiya , Shiota Yoshihito , Yoshizawa Kazunari , Kanegawa Shinji , Sato Osamu , Nagashima Hideo , Iwamoto Takeaki
Published: September 2015

Generation of four-coordinate iron-centered radical3was realized by the thermal homolysis of the unsupported Fe–Fe bond of2.
Accurate calculation of the absolute free energy of binding for drug molecules
Authors: Aldeghi Matteo , Heifetz Alexander , Bodkin Michael J. , Knapp Stefan , Biggin Philip C.
Published: September 2015

Free energy calculations based on molecular dynamics and thermodynamic cycles accurately reproduce experimental affinities of diverse bromodomain inhibitors.
Redox-induced umpolung of transition metal carbenes
Authors: Cui Peng , Iluc Vlad M.
Published: September 2015

An unprecedented umpolung of a nucleophilic palladium carbene complex was realized by successive one-electron oxidations to generate a cationic carbene complex, which shows electrophilic behavior toward nucleophiles resulting from a polarity inversion of the Pd–Ccarbene bond.
Facile and scalable synthesis of coal tar-derived, nitrogen and sulfur-codoped carbon nanotubes with superior activity for O2 reduction by employing an evocating agent
Authors: Liu Ziwu , Fu Xin , Wei Xianyong , Peng Feng
Published: September 2015

Nitrogen and sulfur-codoped carbon nanotubes were synthesized with coal tar as nitrogen and sulfur precursors by employing the evocating agent of dicyandiamide. Resultant samples exhibited superior activities for the oxygen reduction reaction in both acidic and alkaline media.
Effect of nickel oxidation state on the structural and electrochemical characteristics of lithium-rich layered oxide cathodes
Authors: Knight James C. , Manthiram Arumugam
Published: September 2015

Increasing the Ni oxidation state in Li-rich layered oxides enhances the cyclability and reduces the voltage decay due to a decreased degree of Mn4+ reduction and layered-to-spinel transformation.
Architectural design and phase engineering of N/B-codoped TiO2(B)/anatase nanotube assemblies for high-rate and long-life lithium storage
Authors: Chen Chaoji , Hu Xianluo , Zhang Bao , Miao Ling , Huang Yunhui
Published: September 2015

Unique TiO2nanotube assemblies with tailored architectures and crystal phases are fabricated for lithium-storage applications.
From kröhnkite- to alluaudite-type of structure: novel method of synthesis of sodium manganese sulfates with electrochemical properties in alkali-metal ion batteries
Authors: Marinova D. , Kostov V. , Nikolova R. , Kukeva R. , Zhecheva E. , Sendova-Vasileva M. , Stoyanova R.
Published: September 2015

Alluaudite-type Na2+δMn2−δ/2(SO4)3is obtained by dehydration of the kröhnkite-type phase Na2Mn(SO4)3·2H2O and can deliver a reversible capacity of 135 mA h g−1as cathode materials in lithium ion cells.
Tetrabutylammonium methacrylate as a novel receptor for selective extraction of sulphonylurea drugs from biological fluids using molecular imprinting
Authors: Hasanah A. N. , Pessagno F. , Kartasasmita R. E. , Ibrahim S. , Manesiotis P.
Published: September 2015

Tetrabutylammonium methacrylate introduced as functional monomer for the stoichiometric imprinting of sulfonylurea drug glibenclamide.
Magnetoelastic coupling in the cobalt adipate metal–organic framework from quasi-harmonic lattice dynamics
Authors: Svane Katrine L. , Saines Paul J. , Walsh Aron
Published: September 2015

We explore how thermal expansion influences the magnetic interactions in hybrid frameworks.
Determining optimal switching speed for memristors in neuromorphic system
Authors: Yakopcic C. , Taha T.M.
Published: September 2015

As non‐volatile memory based on resistive switching becomes more mature, memristor devices with very fast switching times are becoming more prominent. However, this reported work shows that memristor devices with slow switching times (of about 10 µs) are more appropriate for use in neuromorphic systems. This is done by modelling a series of memristors that differ in their switching time. Simulation of a memristor‐based neuromorphic circuit is performed using each of these modelled devices. Devices with a high switching speed require unrealistically small voltage pulses to incrementally change the memristor resistance.
Resource optimised reconfigurable modular parallel pipelined stochastic approximation‐based self‐tuning regulator architecture with reduced latency
Authors: Vaidyan Varghese Mathew , Shankar Ashok
Published: September 2015

Present self‐tuning regulator architectures based on recursive least‐square estimation are computationally expensive and require large amount of resources and time in generating the first control signal due to computational bottlenecks imposed by the calculations involved in estimation stage, different stages of matrix multiplications and the number of intermediate variables at each iteration and precludes its use in applications that have fast required response times and those which run on embedded computing platforms with low‐power or low‐cost requirements with constraints on resource usage. A salient feature of this study is that a new modular parallel pipelined stochastic approximation‐based self‐tuning regulator architecture which reduces the time required to generate the first control signal, reduces resource usage and reduces the number of intermediate variables is proposed. Fast matrix multiplication, pipelining and high‐speed arithmetic function implementations were used for improving the performance. Results of implementation demonstrate that the proposed architecture has an improvement in control signal generation time by 38% and reduction in resource usage by 41% in terms of multipliers and 44.4% in terms of adders compared with the best existing related work, opening up new possibilities for the application of online embedded self‐tuning regulators.
Atmospheric pressure microplasmas in ZnO nanoforests under high voltage stress
Authors: Noor Nafisa , Manthina Venkata , Cil Kadir , Adnane Lhacene , Agrios Alexander G. , Gokirmak Ali , Silva Helena
Published: September 2015

Atmospheric pressure ZnO microplasmas have been generated by high amplitude single pulses and DC voltages applied using micrometer-separated probes on ZnO nanoforests. The high voltage stress triggers plasma breakdown and breakdown in the surrounding air followed by sublimation of ZnO resulting in strong blue and white light emission with sharp spectral lines and non-linear current-voltage characteristics. The nanoforests are made of ZnO nanorods (NRs) grown on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, poly-crystalline silicon and bulk p-type silicon substrates. The characteristics of the microplasmas depend strongly on the substrate and voltage parameters. Plasmas can be obtained with pulse durations as short as ∼1 μs for FTO glass substrate and ∼100 ms for the silicon substrates. Besides enabling plasma generation with shorter pulses, NRs on FTO glass substrate also lead to better tunability of the operating gas temperature. Hot and cold ZnO microplasmas have been observed with these NRs on FTO glass substrate. Sputtering of nanomaterials during plasma generation in the regions surrounding the test area has also been noticed and result in interesting ZnO nanostructures (‘nano-flowers’ and ‘nano-cauliflowers’). A practical way of generating atmospheric pressure ZnO microplasmas may lead to various lighting, biomedical and material processing applications.
Three-dimensional transparent parabolic concentrator for photovoltaics
Authors: Lin Huichuan , Xie Peng , Liu Yong , Zhou Xiang , Li Baojun
Published: September 2015

A three-dimensional transparent parabolic concentrator made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was designed and fabricated for photovoltaic applications. The measured maximum concentration ratio of the concentrator is 8.31, which means that for normal incident light, optical energy can be concentrated as high as 8.31 times by the concentrator. Even for oblique incident lights with an incident angle of between 5° and 15°, the concentrator maintains a concentration ratio of between 6.81 and 3.72. The concentrator was connected to Si cell, which increased the maximum output power of the Si cell by 12 times, compared with that of the bare cell. This indicates that the concentrator can increase the energy generated by Si cell by 12 times.
The universal instability in general geometry
Authors: Helander P. , Plunk G. G.
Published: September 2015

The “universal” instability has recently been revived by Landreman et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 095003 (2015)], who showed that it indeed exists in plasma geometries with straight (but sheared) magnetic field lines. Here, it is demonstrated analytically that this instability can be presented in more general sheared and toroidal geometries. In a torus, the universal instability is shown to be closely related to the trapped-electron mode, although the trapped-electron drive is usually dominant. However, this drive can be weakened or eliminated, as in the case in stellarators with the maximum-J property, leaving the parallel Landau resonance to drive a residual mode, which is identified as the universal instability.
Dynamic ubiquitination drives herpesvirus neuroinvasion
Authors: Huffmaster Nicholas J. , Sollars Patricia J. , Richards Alexsia L. , Pickard Gary E. , Smith Gregory A.
Published: September 2015

Significance

The neuroinvasive herpesviruses cause a wide range of diseases in humans and livestock. These viruses have the unusual ability to routinely enter the mammalian nervous system following infection of mucous membranes. Although infection is often asymptomatic, the consequences of the resulting lifelong nervous system infections are not fully understood. This study uncovers two opposing nervous system protective barriers that the virus defeats by changing its properties during the course of infection. The molecular switch governing this change underlies the herpesvirus neuroinvasive phenotype.
Non‐circular chainring improves aerobic cycling performance in non‐cyclists
Authors: Hintzy Frédérique , Horvais Nicolas
Published: September 2015

Non‐circular chainrings alter the crank velocity profile over a pedalling cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of this altered crank velocity profile on the aerobic performance compared to a circular chainring (CC). Ten male non‐cyclists performed two incremental maximal tests at 80 rpm on a cycle ergometer: one with a circular (Shimano) and the other with a non‐circular chainring Osymetric® (Somovedi), at least 50 h apart. Each test started with a workload of 100 W lasting 3 min. During the first 12 min, the workload was increased by 30 W every 3 min. Thereafter, the workload was increased by 30 W every 2 min until exhaustion. The power output, the intra‐cycle crank angular velocity and the physiological parameters were monitored continuously, averaged over the last 30 s of each increment and at exhaustion, and compared for the two chainrings. Results showed a higher maximal aerobic power attained with the non‐circular chainring (362.6 ± 37.9 vs. 338.8 ± 32.6 W, p < .001; moderate effect), which could be explained by a significantly lower energy expenditure during the first increment at 100 W. It could be hypothesised that the use of the non‐circular chainring allowed saving a small part of energy expenditure throughout the test, allowing the exhaustion of the subject at a higher increment for a similar maximal energy expenditure, in comparison with a CC. Although this improvement is obtained only for non‐cyclists, it allowed highlighting the link between cycling equipment modifying the pedalling motion and physiological responses.
Deciphering the associations between gene expression and copy number alteration using a sparse double Laplacian shrinkage approach
Authors: Shi Xingjie , Zhao Qing , Huang Jian , Xie Yang , Ma Shuangge
Published: September 2015

Motivation: Both gene expression levels (GEs) and copy number alterations (CNAs) have important biological implications. GEs are partly regulated by CNAs, and much effort has been devoted to understanding their relations. The regulation analysis is challenging with one gene expression possibly regulated by multiple CNAs and one CNA potentially regulating the expressions of multiple genes. The correlations among GEs and among CNAs make the analysis even more complicated. The existing methods have limitations and cannot comprehensively describe the regulation.

Results: A sparse double Laplacian shrinkage method is developed. It jointly models the effects of multiple CNAs on multiple GEs. Penalization is adopted to achieve sparsity and identify the regulation relationships. Network adjacency is computed to describe the interconnections among GEs and among CNAs. Two Laplacian shrinkage penalties are imposed to accommodate the network adjacency measures. Simulation shows that the proposed method outperforms the competing alternatives with more accurate marker identification. The Cancer Genome Atlas data are analysed to further demonstrate advantages of the proposed method.

Availability and implementation: R code is available at http://works.bepress.com/shuangge/49/

Contact:  shuangge.ma@yale.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The management of chronic subdural haematoma
Authors: Borg Nick , Kolias Angelos G. , Santarius Thomas , Hutchinson Peter J.
Published: September 2015

Chronic subdural haematoma is one of the most common conditions in general neurosurgical practice. Its incidence in the general population is about 5 per 100,000 per year, with increasing incidence linked to age. It presents with a wide variety of symptoms and accounts for approximately 1% of all hospital admissions with acute confusion. This chapter explores the management of chronic subdural haematoma through a case study. As more patients survive into their ninth and tenth decades, not only will the incidence of CSDH continue to rise, but surgeons will be faced with increasingly complex patients with multiple medical co-morbidities. In particular, the issue of anticoagulation is likely to become more pertinent. Further research should be directed towards establishing evidence-based guidelines for resuming anticoagulation and antiplatelet medication after CSDH surgery. By identifying risk factors for both recurrence and thromboembolism, the decision can then be taken on a case-by-case basis, tailored to the individual’s risk factors.
Intramedullary spinal cord tumour
Authors: deSouza Ruth-Mary , Choi David
Published: September 2015

Intramedullary spinal cord tumours (IMSCT) are rare, constituting about 2-4% of CNS tumours. In adults they represent about a fifth of spinal malignancies and a higher proportion in children, approaching 40%. The main body of evidence for surgery in IMSCTs comes from retrospective series. The lack of level 1 and 2 evidence available with regard to IMSCTs and the high risk nature of surgery makes this a challenging area of neurosurgery, and this chapter covers the challenges and controversies. The most common type of IMSCT in adults is ependymoma (about 70%), followed by astrocytoma (about 20%). In children astrocytoma is the most common tumour type (70%) with low grade being more common than high grade astrocytoma. Other IMSCTs include haemangioblastoma, cavernoma, oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma. Intramedullary metastases are extremely rare, have a poor prognosis and are typically managed with palliative radiotherapy.
Intracranial abscess
Authors: Hill Ciaran Scott , Samandouras George
Published: September 2015

Chronic supperative otitis externa is a longstading infection of the middle ear. If treatement is delayed or insufficient then severe intracranial complications can occur. These include subdural empyemas or intracranial cerebral abscess. At least 50% of all brain absceses come from ear infections. This chapter explores the presentation, diagnosis and treatement of cerebral abscesses through the use of a richly illustrated case study. The classic clinical triad of headache, high temperature and focal neurological deficit occurs in <50% of cases. The management of brain abscesses from an otogenic origin is controversial. Otological infections that spread to the brain lie at the interface of neurosurgery, ENT and microbiology. Treatments include pure pharmacological management, single or repeat aspirations, capsule excision and extensive ENT procedures. This chapter also highlights radiographic and microscopic staging of cerebral abscesses, House-Brackmann classification of facial palsy, routes of infection, non-operative management, operative tips and a review of the current evidence for various surgical approaches.
Principles of chemotherapy
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

Principles of radiation oncology outlines the physical and biological effects of ionising radiation, and its use in clinical oncology. Radiobiology, examining the response of tissue to ionising radiation, is described with regards to normal and malignant tissues. The effect of fractionation, the delivery of radiotherapy in a series of repeated exposures, is examined. The damaging effects on normal tissues are considered, particularly nonreversible late effects including carcinogenesis. Therapeutic exposure to ionising radiation is contrasted between radical and palliative radiotherapy. The physical properties of ionising radiation beams are described for superficial x-rays, megavoltage x-rays, and electrons. The process of treatment planning is summarised through beam dosimetry, target and critical organ outlining, dose planning, treatment verification, prescription and delivery. Computerised tomography is used for outlining and for verification, using cone beam CT. 0ther methods for image guided radiotherapy include fiducial markers. Increasingly intensity modulated radiotherapy is proving beneficial in reducing normal tissue damage during radical treatment. Stereotactic radiotherapy is used in the radical treatment of small unresectable malignancies. The clinical use of electron therapy, brachytherapy and intraoperative radiotherapy is described. Nuclear medicine uses unsealed radionuclides in imaging primary malignancies and their metastases, and in targeted radiotherapy. Examples include PET scanning, bone scanning, and radio iodine therapy. Whole body irradiation is used to improve outcomes after high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.
Clinical trials
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

An overview of this rapidly evolving area of systemic anti-cancer therapy, designed to provide the reader with a starting point from which to keep up-to-date with current recommendations.
Head and neck cancers
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

Outlines the epidemiology, aetiology, pathology and metastatic patterns of the common gynaecological diseases. Includes ovarian, uterine, cervical, vulval and trophoblastic cancers. Guides to diagnosis, staging and planning therapy. Outlines surgical, radiotherapy and chemotherapy options for both early stage and metastatic disease. Highlights the common dilemmas in planning therapy in women of child bearing potential and older women with concurrent illneses.
Haematological malignancies
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

A concise, up-to-date overview of the epidemiology, aetiology, pathology, presentation and multi-disciplinary management of skin cancers.
Superior vena cava obstruction and raised intracranial pressure
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

Raised intracranial pressure outlines the causes of this problem, with particular emphasis on the different mechanisms which can be triggered by malignant disease. The clinical picture is described and investigations summarised, in particular imaging by either CT or MRI with contrast enhancement. Acute management is described along with brief discussion of further treatment options.
Biochemical crises
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

Malignant hypercalcaemia - Hyponatraemia - Hyperkalaemia - Hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia - Acute renal failure - Tumour lysis syndrome