bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guideline Implementation: Preventing Hypothermia
Authors: Bashaw Marie A.
Published: February 2016

The updated AORN “Guideline for prevention of unplanned patient hypothermia” provides guidance for identifying factors associated with intraoperative hypothermia, preventing hypothermia, educating perioperative personnel on this topic, and developing relevant policies and procedures. This article focuses on key points of the guideline, which addresses performing a preoperative assessment for factors that may contribute to hypothermia, measuring and monitoring the patient's temperature in all phases of perioperative care, and implementing interventions to prevent hypothermia. Perioperative RNs should review the complete guideline for additional information and for guidance when writing and updating policies and procedures.
The Gold in Garbage: Implementing a Waste Segregation and Recycling Initiative
Authors: Wyssusek Kerstin H. , Foong Wai Mee , Steel Catherine , Gillespie Brigid M.
Published: February 2016

Generally, ORs produce approximately one‐fifth to one‐third of all waste in a hospital. Before our quality improvement project was performed in our tertiary care facility, all OR waste was disposed of as clinical waste. Disposal of clinical waste is more costly than disposal of general waste. Therefore, accurately segregating waste can have significant financial incentives. Our quality improvement project involved the implementation of processes that segregated general waste in the OR from clinical waste and translated to an almost 60% reduction of waste disposal costs for OR waste. Further, we implemented a recycling program that reclaimed a portion of the general waste. In total, our efforts reduced the amount of clinical waste produced by the OR by 82%, and the amount of total OR waste was reduced by more than 50%.
Promiscuity, Polygyny, and the Power of Revenge: The Past and Future of Burmese Buddhist Law in Myanmar
Authors: CROUCH Melissa
Published: February 2016

Myanmar is the only Buddhism-majority country in the world that has developed and maintained a system of family law for Buddhists enforced by the courts. This article considers the construction of Burmese Buddhist law by lawyers, judges, and legislators, and the changes made through legislative intervention in 2015. It begins by addressing the creation and contestation of Burmese Buddhist law to demonstrate that it has largely been defined by men and by its perceived opposites, Hinduism and Islam. Three aspects of Burmese Buddhist law that affect women are then examined more closely. First, Burmese Buddhist law carries no penalties for men who commit adultery, although women may risk divorce and the loss of her property. Second, a man can take more than one wife under Burmese Buddhist law; a woman cannot. Third, restrictions on Buddhist women who marry non-Buddhist men operate to ensure the primacy of Burmese Buddhist law over the potential application of Islamic law. This article deconstructs the popular claim that women are better off under Burmese Buddhist law than under Hindu law or Islamic law by showing how Burmese Buddhist law has been preoccupied with regulating the position of women. The 2015 laws build on this history of Burmese Buddhist law, creating new problems, but also potentially operating as a new source of revenge.
Effects of mate tea consumption on muscle strength and oxidative stress markers after eccentric exercise
Authors: Panza Vilma Pereira , Diefenthaeler Fernando , Tamborindeguy Aline Cavalheiro , Camargo Carolina de Quadros , de Moura Bruno Monteiro , Brunetta Henver Simionato , Sakugawa Raphael Luiz , de Oliveira Marina Vieira , Puel Emiliana de Oliveira , Nunes Everson Araújo , da Silva Edson Luiz
Published: February 2016

Dietary phytochemical supplementation may improve muscle recovery from exercise. In this study, we investigated the effect of mate tea (MT) consumption – a phenol-rich beverage – on muscle strength and oxidative stress biomarkers after eccentric exercise. In a randomised, cross-over design, twelve men were assigned to drink either MT or water (control; CON) for 11 d. On the 8th day, subjects performed three sets of twenty maximal eccentric elbow flexion exercises. Maximal isometric elbow flexion force was measured before and at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after exercise. Blood samples were obtained before and at 24, 48 and 72 h after exercise and analysed for total phenolics, GSH, GSSG, GSH:GSSG ratio and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH). After eccentric exercise, muscle strength was significantly reduced over time, regardless of treatments. However, MT improved the rate of strength recovery by 8·6 % on the 1st day after exercise (P<0·05). Plasma concentration of total phenolic compounds was higher in MT than in CON at all time points (P<0·05) but decreased significantly at 72 h after exercise in both trials (P<0·05). Blood levels of GSH were significantly decreased at 48 and 72 h after exercise in CON (P<0·05) but did not change over time in MT. No significant changes were observed for GSSG, GSH:GSSG ratio and LOOH levels. MT intake did not influence muscle strength at all time points assessed but hastened the strength recovery over 24 h after exercise. MT also favoured the concentration of blood antioxidant compounds.
AT THE NATION-STATE’S EDGE: CENTRE–PERIPHERY RELATIONS IN POST-1947 SOUTH ASIA
Authors: LEAKE ELISABETH
Published: February 2016

This article examines centre–periphery relations in post-colonial India and Pakistan, providing a specific comparative history of autonomy movements in Nagaland (1947–63) and Baluchistan (1973–7). It highlights the key role played by the central government – particularly by Jawaharlal Nehru and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – in quelling both insurgencies and in taking further steps to integrate these regions. It argues that a shared colonial history of political autonomy shaped local actors’ resistance to integration into the independent nation-states of India and Pakistan. This article also reveals that Indian and Pakistani officials used their shared colonial past in very different ways to mould their borderlands policies. India's central government under Nehru agreed to a modified Naga State within the Indian Union that allowed the Nagas a large degree of autonomy, continuing a colonial method of semi-integration. In contrast, Bhutto's government actively sought to abandon long-standing Baluch political and social structures to reaffirm the sovereignty of the Pakistani state. The article explains this divergence in terms of the different governing exigencies facing each country at the time of the insurgencies. It ultimately calls for an expansion in local histories and subnational comparisons to extend understanding of post-1947 South Asia, and the decolonizing world more broadly.
Dr. Billy Taylor, “America's Classical Music,” and the Role of the Jazz Ambassador
Authors: ARNOLD-FORSTER TOM
Published: February 2016

The idea of jazz as “America's classical music” has become a powerful way of defining the music, asserting its national and artistic value, and shaping its scholarly study. The present article provides a history of this idea through a close analysis of its primary theorist and most visible spokesperson, Dr. Billy Taylor. It argues that the idea was not a neoclassical and conservative product of the 1980s, but had important roots in the Black Arts imperatives of the later 1960s and early 1970s. It suggests that Taylor initially made the idea work inventively and productively in a variety of contexts, especially through his community arts project Jazzmobile, but that these contexts diverged as his public profile was stretched thin across and beyond the United States. The idea's disintegration into clichéd ubiquity in the mid-1980s then provides a critical perspective on the idea of the “jazz renaissance,” and an opportunity to consider the role of the jazz ambassador in the context of debates about African American intellectuals.
Older age of onset in child L2 acquisition can be facilitative: evidence from the acquisition of English passives by Spanish natives
Authors: ROTHMAN JASON , LONG DREW , IVERSON MICHAEL , JUDY TIFFANY , LINGWALL ANNE , CHAKRAVARTY TUSHAR
Published: February 2016

We report a longitudinal comprehension study of (long) passive constructions in two native-Spanish child groups differing by age of initial exposure to L2 English (young group: 3;0–4;0; older group: 6;0–7;0), where amount of input, L2 exposure environment, and socioeconomic status are controlled. Data from a forced-choice task show that both groups comprehend active sentences, not passives, initially (after 3·6 years of exposure). One year later, both groups improve, but only the older group reaches ceiling on both actives and passives. Two years from initial testing, the younger group catches up. Input alone cannot explain why the younger group takes five years to accomplish what the older group does in four. We claim that some properties take longer to acquire at certain ages because language development is partially constrained by general cognitive and linguistic development (e.g. de Villiers, 2007; Long & Rothman, 2014; Paradis, 2008, 2010, 2011; Tsimpli, 2014).
The sooner the better? An investigation into the role of age of onset and its relation with transfer and exposure in bilingual Frisian–Dutch children
Authors: BLOM ELMA , BOSMA EVELYN
Published: February 2016

In this study, age of onset (AoO) was investigated in five- and six-year-old bilingual Frisian–Dutch children. AoO to Dutch ranged between zero and four and had a positive effect on Dutch receptive vocabulary size, but hardly influenced the children's accurate use of Dutch inflection. The influence of AoO on vocabulary was more prominent than the influence of exposure. Regarding inflection, the reverse was found. Accuracy at using Frisian inflection emerged as a significant predictor; this transfer effect was modulated by lexical overlap between the two languages. This study shows that ‘the sooner the better’ does not necessarily hold for language development. In fact, for the correct use of inflection, it does not matter whether children start at age zero or four. For rapidly learning words in a new language it may be helpful to first build a substantial vocabulary in the first language before learning a new language.
A NOTE ON THE RATIONALITY TEST
Authors: Ilek Alex
Published: February 2016

The rationality test is based on regressing the actual series of variable in period t on its forecast formed in period t − 1. The nonrejection of the rationality hypothesis requires expectations' unbiasedness and efficiency. We show that in a model with t − 1 dating, where expectations strongly and positively affect the economy, the rationality test suffers from low power. It provides a high probability of nonrejection of the rationality hypothesis against numerous alternatives for expectations formation. This result is attained because the realization of the economy is driven by the public's expectations, irrespective of how well they are formed, via the structural relationship between them. The parameters in this test are predetermined by the parameters of the structural model, supporting expectations' unbiasedness under reasonable assumptions. Thus, successfully passing the rationality test could be misleading in terms of interpretation of the quality of the expectations and could lead to questionable accuracy of many applications.
EXISTENTIAL GRAPHS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF LOGICAL ANALYSIS: PART I. ALPHA
Authors: BELLUCCI FRANCESCO , PIETARINEN AHTI-VEIKKO
Published: February 2016

Peirce considered the principal business of logic to be the analysis of reasoning. He argued that the diagrammatic system of Existential Graphs, which he had invented in 1896, carries the logical analysis of reasoning to the furthest point possible. The present paper investigates the analytic virtues of the Alpha part of the system, which corresponds to the sentential calculus. We examine Peirce’s proposal that the relation of illation is the primitive relation of logic and defend the view that this idea constitutes the fundamental motive of philosophy of notation both in algebraic and graphical logic. We explain how in his algebras and graphs Peirce arrived at a unifying notation for logical constants that represent both truth-function and scope. Finally, we show that Shin’s argument for multiple readings of Alpha graphs is circular.
God in the Barrio?: The Determinants of Religiosity and Civic Engagement among Latinos in the United States
Authors: Gershon Sarah Allen , Pantoja Adrian D. , Taylor J. Benjamin
Published: February 2016

It is often assumed that Latinos in the United States are deeply religious, and that this religious identity plays an important role in shaping their political beliefs and behaviors. A more controversial though unexplored proposition is that Latinos may not be as religious as is commonly believed and that forces beyond their religiosity play more prominent roles in shaping their political engagement. Relying on data from the 2006 Latino National Survey, we examine secularism — measured by church attendance — and civic engagement among Latinos. Our efforts are to analyze the social forces that shape levels of religiosity and find that generational status plays a significant role. Additionally, we further find that while church attendance declines among later generations, second and third generation Latinos have higher levels of civic engagement than their first generation peers, indicating that a decline in church participation does not depress political participation among later generations of Latinos.
An Unprecedented View of Biogeochemistry off India's West Coast
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: February 2016

Yearlong study reveals seasonal changes in oxygen levels, nutrient availability, and plankton growth.
Conscious sedation: is this provision equitable? Analysis of sedation services provided within primary dental care in England, 2012–2014
Authors: L Wanyonyi Kristina , White Sandra , Gallagher Jennifer E
Published: February 2016

Aim:

Patients receiving primary dental care may occasionally require conscious sedation as an adjunct to care. It is one of a range of options to support anxious patients or those undergoing difficult procedures. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of conscious sedation within primary dental care in relation to patient demography, deprivation status, geography (local authority, region) and type of care (Band) within England to examine equity in distribution of service provision.

Materials and Methods:

Descriptive analysis of cross-sectional primary dental care data, obtained from national claims held by the National Health Service (NHS) Business Services Authority, on patients who had received one or more courses of care involving sedation.

Results:

Just under 137,000 episodes of care involving sedation are provided for over 120,000 patients per year, the majority of which are for adults. Four out of ten (41%) patients were children, with 6–12-year-olds forming the largest group; 6% were aged under six years. Eleven per cent of patients had more than one course of care involving sedation, with adults aged 25–34 years having the highest rate: 1.17 (s.d.: 0.887) in 2012/2013 and 1.16 (s.d.: 0.724) in 2013/2014. There was a clear social gradient, whereby the most deprived quintile had the highest volume of patients that had received sedation at least once in primary dental care in both years (31.5%). Whilst there was a clear social gradient amongst children and young adults who received sedation, the gradient flattened among middle-aged and was flat amongst older adults. The majority of courses of care involving sedation were associated with Band 2 claims for care (88.6% in 2012/2013; 88.8 in 2013/2014). Whilst one or more patients in all higher tier local authorities received care involving sedation, there were marked geographic inequalities.

Discussion:

Patients receive sedation in support of NHS primary dental care across the life course and social spectrum. Whilst the pattern of uptake of care parallels the social gradient in younger age groups overall, there are clear geographical inequalities in provision. As sedation is only one of a series of adjuncts to care which may be provided across different sectors of the health system, a wider systems analysis should be undertaken as the findings raise important issues about equitable access to appropriate care. Furthermore, there should be a greater emphasis on prevention to reduce the need for care. The implications for child oral health, access and quality are discussed.
The efficacy of disinfectants in the decontamination of dental unit water lines: an in vitro laboratory study
Authors: Patel Mrudula , Desai Jainisha , Owen Peter C
Published: February 2016

Objectives/Aims:

This in vitro laboratory study compared the efficacy of water, sodium percarbonate (SPC) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) solutions in the disinfection of dental unit water lines (DUWLs).

Materials and Methods:

New DUWL tubes were cut, split open, and mono-culture and mixed-culture biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus mutans were grown. Harvested biofilms from the sectioned DUWL tubes were exposed to sterile distilled water, SPC or 5 and 10 p.p.m. ClO2 in both a stationary phase and through a constant flow. Bacterial counts were compared using the Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric rank test.

Results:

In the mono-culture biofilms, SPC, 5 and 10 p.p.m. ClO2 significantly reduced all the test organisms (P<0.01). However, no significant difference was found between SPC and ClO2. In the mixed-culture biofilms exposed to disinfectant without flow, ClO2 significantly reduced the biofilm (P=0.02) compared with water and SPC. Similarly, in the constant flow study, ClO2 proved to be superior to water.

Conclusion:

At low concentrations, ClO2 with and without flow significantly reduced the mixed-culture biofilm grown in vitro on the sections of the DUWL tubes. Therefore, it has the potential to be used in the patient treatment water, as it is potable at these concentrations, and to decontaminate and limit the biofilm formation in the water lines.
A polyalanine peptide derived from polar fish with anti-infectious activities
Authors: Cardoso Marlon H. , Ribeiro Suzana M. , Nolasco Diego O. , de la Fuente-Núñez César , Felício Mário R. , Gonçalves Sónia , Matos Carolina O. , Liao Luciano M. , Santos Nuno C. , Hancock Robert E. W. , Franco Octávio L. , Migliolo Ludovico
Published: February 2016

Due to the growing concern about antibiotic-resistant microbial infections, increasing support has been given to new drug discovery programs. A promising alternative to counter bacterial infections includes the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which have emerged as model molecules for rational design strategies. Here we focused on the study ofPa-MAP 1.9, a rationally designed AMP derived from the polar fishPleuronectes americanus.Pa-MAP 1.9 was active against Gram-negative planktonic bacteria and biofilms, without being cytotoxic to mammalian cells. By using AFM, leakage assays, CD spectroscopy andin silicotools, we found thatPa-MAP 1.9 may be acting both on intracellular targets and on the bacterial surface, also being more efficient at interacting with anionic LUVs mimicking Gram-negative bacterial surface, where this peptide adopts α-helical conformations, than cholesterol-enriched LUVs mimicking mammalian cells. Thus, as bacteria present varied physiological features that favor antibiotic-resistance,Pa-MAP 1.9 could be a promising candidate in the development of tools against infections caused by pathogenic bacteria.
Strong vacuum squeezing from bichromatically driven Kerrlike cavities: from optomechanics to superconducting circuits
Authors: Garcés Rafael , de Valcárcel Germán J.
Published: February 2016

Squeezed light, displaying less fluctuation than vacuum in some observable, is key in the flourishing field of quantum technologies. Optical or microwave cavities containing a Kerr nonlinearity are known to potentially yield large levels of squeezing, which have been recently observed in optomechanics and nonlinear superconducting circuit platforms. Such Kerr-cavity squeezing however suffers from two fundamental drawbacks. First, optimal squeezing requires working close to turning points of a bistable cycle, which are highly unstable against noise thus rendering optimal squeezing inaccessible. Second, the light field has a macroscopic coherent component corresponding to the pump, making it less versatile than the so-called squeezed vacuum, characterised by a null mean field. Here we prove analytically and numerically that the bichromatic pumping of optomechanical and superconducting circuit cavities removes both limitations. This finding should boost the development of a new generation of robust vacuum squeezers in the microwave and optical domains with current technology.
Surface functionality and electrochemical investigations of a graphitic electrode as a candidate for alkaline energy conversion and storage devices
Authors: Soliman Ahmed B. , Abdel-Samad Hesham S. , Abdel Rehim Sayed S. , Hassan Hamdy H.
Published: February 2016

Graphite is a typical electrocatalyst support in alkaline energy conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells, supercapacitores and lithium ion batteries. The electrochemical behaviour of a graphite electrode in 0.5 M NaOH was studied to elucidate its surface structure/electrochemical activity relationship. Graphite voltammograms are characterized by an anodic shoulder AI and a cathodic peak CI in addition to the oxygen reduction reaction plateaus, PI and PII. AI and CI were attributed to oxidation and reduction of some graphite surface function groups, respectively. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) study revealed two different oxygen types assigned as inner and outer oxygen. The inner oxygen was reduced via the more efficient 4-electron pathway. The outer oxygen reduction proceeded with a lower efficient 2-electron pathway. The calculated percentages of the 4-electron pathway were ranged from 70% to 90%. A full mechanism for the graphite surface function groups changes over the studied potential window was suggested through the combination between the voltammetric, FT-IR and Raman results.
Understanding HIV-Mycobacteria synergism through comparative proteomics of intra-phagosomal mycobacteria during mono- and HIV co-infection
Authors: Ganji Rakesh , Dhali Snigdha , Rizvi Arshad , Rapole Srikanth , Banerjee Sharmistha
Published: February 2016

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the most common co-infection in HIV patients and a serious co-epidemic. Apart from increasing the risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis (TB), HIV infection also permits opportunistic infection of environmental non-pathogenic mycobacteria. To gain insights into mycobacterial survival inside host macrophages and identify mycobacterial proteins or processes that influence HIV propagation during co-infection, we employed proteomics approach to identify differentially expressed intracellular mycobacterial proteins during mono- and HIV co-infection of human THP-1 derived macrophage cell lines. Of the 92 proteins identified, 30 proteins were upregulated during mycobacterial mono-infection and 40 proteins during HIV-mycobacteria co-infection. We observed down-regulation of toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules, up-regulation of cation transporters, Type VII (Esx) secretion systems, proteins involved in cell wall lipid or protein metabolism, glyoxalate pathway and branched chain amino-acid synthesis during co-infection. The bearings of these mycobacterial factors or processes on HIV propagation during co-infection, as inferred from the proteomics data, were validated using deletion mutants of mycobacteria. The analyses revealed mycobacterial factors that possibly via modulating the host environment, increased viral titers during co-infection. The study provides new leads for investigations towards hitherto unknown molecular mechanisms explaining HIV-mycobacteria synergism, helping address diagnostics and treatment challenges for effective co-epidemic management.
Field trials to evaluate the effects of transgenic cry1Ie maize on the community characteristics of arthropod natural enemies
Authors: Guo Jingfei , He Kanglai , Hellmich Richard L. , Bai Shuxiong , Zhang Tiantao , Liu Yunjun , Ahmed Tofael , Wang Zhenying
Published: February 2016

Possible non-target effect of transgeniccry1Iemaize exerts on natural enemy community biodiversity in the field is unresolved. In the present study, a 2-yr comparison of transgeniccry1Iemaize (Event IE09S034, Bt maize) and its near isoline (Zong 31, non-Bt maize) on natural enemy community biodiversity were compared with whole plant inspections, pitfall traps and suction sampler. Natural enemy diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener’, Simpson’s and Pielou’s index) and abundance suggested there were no significant differences between the two types of maize. The only exceptions were the Pielou’s index for whole plant inspections in 2013 and abundance for pitfall traps in 2012, which were significantly higher in Bt maize than those of non-Bt maize. The main species of natural enemies were identical in Bt and non-Bt maize plots for each method and the three methods combined. For whole plant inspections, Bt maize had no time-dependent effect on the entire arthropod natural enemy community, and also no effect on community dissimilarities between Bt and non-Bt maize plots. These results suggested that despite the presence of a relatively minor difference in natural enemy communities between Bt and non-Bt maize, transgeniccry1Iemaize had little, if any, effect on natural enemy community biodiversity.
Accelerating coordination in temporal networks by engineering the link order
Authors: Masuda Naoki
Published: February 2016

Social dynamics on a network may be accelerated or decelerated depending on which pairs of individuals in the network communicate early and which pairs do later. The order with which the links in a given network are sequentially used, which we call the link order, may be a strong determinant of dynamical behaviour on networks, potentially adding a new dimension to effects of temporal networks relative to static networks. Here we study the effect of the link order on linear coordination (i.e., synchronisation) dynamics. We show that the coordination speed considerably depends on specific orders of links. In addition, applying each single link for a long time to ensure strong pairwise coordination before moving to a next pair of individuals does not often enhance coordination of the entire network. We also implement a simple greedy algorithm to optimise the link order in favour of fast coordination.
Prognostic Impact of Modulators of G proteins in Circulating Tumor Cells from Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Barbazan Jorge , Dunkel Ying , Li Hongying , Nitsche Ulrich , Janssen Klaus-Peter , Messer Karen , Ghosh Pradipta
Published: February 2016

The consequence of a loss of balance between G-protein activation and deactivation in cancers has been interrogated by studying infrequently occurring mutants of trimeric G-protein α-subunits and GPCRs. Prior studies on members of a newly identified family of non-receptor guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), GIV/Girdin, Daple, NUCB1 and NUCB2 have revealed that GPCR-independent hyperactivation of trimeric G proteins can fuel metastatic progression in a variety of cancers. Here we report that elevated expression of each GEF in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated from the peripheral circulation of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer is associated with a shorter progression-free survival (PFS). The GEFs were stronger prognostic markers than two other markers of cancer progression, S100A4 and MACC1, and clustering of all GEFs together improved the prognostic accuracy of the individual family members; PFS was significantly lower in the high-GEFs versus the low-GEFs groups [H.R = 5, 20 (95% CI; 2,15–12,57)]. Because nucleotide exchange is the rate-limiting step in cyclical activation of G-proteins, the poor prognosis conferred by these GEFs in CTCs implies that hyperactivation of G-protein signaling by these GEFs is an important event during metastatic progression, and may be more frequently encountered than mutations in G-proteins and/or GPCRs.
Experimental Demonstration of Spectral Intensity Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Ryczkowski Piotr , Turunen Jari , Friberg Ari T. , Genty Goëry
Published: February 2016

We demonstrate experimentally spectral-domain intensity optical coherence tomography using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with balanced detection. We show that the technique allows for a point spread function with reduced full-width at half maximum compared to conventional optical coherence tomography. The method further provides benefits similar to those of chirped-pulse interferometry in terms of dispersion cancellation but only requires a broadband incoherent source and standard detectors. The measurements are in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. Finally, we propose an approach that enables the elimination of potential artefacts arising from multiple interfaces.
Generation and characterization of rat liver stem cell lines and their engraftment in a rat model of liver failure
Authors: Kuijk Ewart W. , Rasmussen Shauna , Blokzijl Francis , Huch Meritxell , Gehart Helmuth , Toonen Pim , Begthel Harry , Clevers Hans , Geurts Aron M. , Cuppen Edwin
Published: February 2016

The rat is an important model for liver regeneration. However, there is no in vitro culture system that can capture the massive proliferation that can be observed after partial hepatectomy in rats. We here describe the generation of rat liver stem cell lines. Rat liver stem cells, which grow as cystic organoids, were characterized by high expression of the stem cell marker Lgr5, by the expression of liver progenitor and duct markers and by low expression of hepatocyte markers, oval cell markers and stellate cell markers. Prolonged cultures of rat liver organoids depended on high levels of WNT-signalling and the inhibition of BMP-signaling. Upon transplantation of clonal lines to a Fah−/−Il2rg−/− rat model of liver failure, the rat liver stem cells engrafted into the host liver where they differentiated into areas with FAH and Albumin positive hepatocytes. Rat liver stem cell lines hold potential as consistent reliable cell sources for pharmacological, toxicological or metabolic studies. In addition, rat liver stem cell lines may contribute to the development of regenerative medicine in liver disease. To our knowledge, the here described liver stem cell lines represent the first organoid culture system in the rat.
Evolution of the assassin’s arms: insights from a phylogeny of combined transcriptomic and ribosomal DNA data (Heteroptera: Reduvioidea)
Authors: Zhang Junxia , Gordon Eric R. L. , Forthman Michael , Hwang Wei Song , Walden Kim , Swanson Daniel R. , Johnson Kevin P. , Meier Rudolf , Weirauch Christiane
Published: February 2016

Assassin bugs (Reduvioidea) are one of the most diverse (>7,000 spp.) lineages of predatory animals and have evolved an astounding diversity of raptorial leg modifications for handling prey. The evolution of these modifications is not well understood due to the lack of a robust phylogeny, especially at deeper nodes. We here utilize refined data from transcriptomes (370 loci) to stabilize the backbone phylogeny of Reduvioidea, revealing the position of major clades (e.g., the Chagas disease vectors Triatominae). Analyses combining transcriptomic and Sanger-sequencing datasets result in the first well-resolved phylogeny of Reduvioidea. Despite amounts of missing data, the transcriptomic loci resolve deeper nodes while the targeted ribosomal genes anchor taxa at shallower nodes, both with high support. This phylogeny reveals patterns of raptorial leg evolution across major leg types. Hairy attachment structures (fossula spongiosa), present in the ancestor of Reduvioidea, were lost multiple times within the clade. In contrast to prior hypotheses, this loss is not directly correlated with the evolution of alternative raptorial leg types. Our results suggest that prey type, predatory behavior, salivary toxicity, and morphological adaptations pose intricate and interrelated factors influencing the evolution of this diverse group of predators.
A Concept of Cross-Ferroic Plasma Turbulence
Authors: Inagaki S. , Kobayashi T. , Kosuga Y. , Itoh S.-I. , Mitsuzono T. , Nagashima Y. , Arakawa H. , Yamada T. , Miwa Y. , Kasuya N. , Sasaki M. , Lesur M. , Fujisawa A. , Itoh K.
Published: February 2016

The variety of scalar and vector fields in laboratory and nature plasmas is formed by plasma turbulence. Drift-wave fluctuations, driven by density gradients in magnetized plasmas, are known to relax the density gradient while they can generate flows. On the other hand, the sheared flow in the direction of magnetic fields causes Kelvin-Helmholtz type instabilities, which mix particle and momentum. These different types of fluctuations coexist in laboratory and nature, so that the multiple mechanisms for structural formation exist in extremely non-equilibrium plasmas. Here we report the discovery of a new order in plasma turbulence, in which chained structure formation is realized by cross-interaction between inhomogeneities of scalar and vector fields. The concept of cross-ferroic turbulence is developed and the causal relation in the multiple mechanisms behind structural formation is identified, by measuring the relaxation rate and dissipation power caused by the complex turbulence-driven flux.
Resistin Induces Hypertension and Insulin Resistance in Mice via a TLR4-Dependent Pathway
Authors: Jiang Yun , Lu Linfang , Hu Youtao , Li Qiang , An Chaoqiang , Yu Xiaolan , Shu Le , Chen Ao , Niu Congcong , Zhou Lei , Yang Zaiqing
Published: February 2016

Resistin, an adipokine involved in insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes, has recently been reported to play a role in cardiovascular events. However, its effect on blood pressure (BP) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we showed that resistin induces hypertension and IR in wild type (WT) mice, but not intlr4−/−mice. Resistin upregulated angiotensinogen (Agt) expression in WT mice, whereas it had no effect ontlr4−/−mice, or in mice treated with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril. Real-time PCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation further confirmed that resistin activates the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) via the TLR4/P65/Agt pathway. This finding suggested an essential role of resistin in linking IR and hypertension, which may offer a novel target in clinic on the study of the association between diabetes and hypertension.
A glycoconjugate of Haemophilus influenzae Type b capsular polysaccharide with tetanus toxoid protein: hydrodynamic properties mainly influenced by the carbohydrate
Authors: Abdelhameed Ali Saber , Adams Gary G. , Morris Gordon A. , Almutairi Fahad M. , Duvivier Pierre , Conrath Karel , Harding Stephen E.
Published: February 2016

Three important physical properties which may affect the performance of glycoconjugate vaccines against serious disease are molar mass (molecular weight), heterogeneity (polydispersity), and conformational flexibility in solution. The dilute solution behaviour of native and activated capsular polyribosylribitol (PRP) polysaccharides extracted from Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and the corresponding glycoconjugate made by conjugating this with the tetanus toxoid (TT) protein have been characterized and compared using a combination of sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity in the analytical ultracentrifuge with viscometry. The weight average molar mass of the activated material was considerably reduced (Mw ~ 0.24 × 106 g.mol−1) compared to the native (Mw ~ 1.2 × 106 g.mol−1). Conjugation with the TT protein yielded large polydisperse structures (of Mw ~ 7.4 × 106 g.mol−1), but which retained the high degree of flexibility of the native and activated polysaccharide, with frictional ratio, intrinsic viscosity, sedimentation conformation zoning behaviour and persistence length all commensurate with highly flexible coil behaviour and unlike the previously characterised tetanus toxoid protein (slightly extended and hydrodynamically compact structure with an aspect ratio of ~3). This non-protein like behaviour clearly indicates that it is the carbohydrate component which mainly influences the physical behaviour of the glycoconjugate in solution.
Thermoplasmonic Study of a Triple Band Optical Nanoantenna Strongly Coupled to Mid IR Molecular Mode
Authors: Hasan Dihan , Ho Chong Pei , Pitchappa Prakash , Yang Bin , Yang Chunsheng , Lee Chengkuo
Published: February 2016

We report the first thermal study of a triple band plasmonic nanoantenna strongly coupled to a molecular mode at mid IR wavelength (MW IR). The hybrid plasmonic structure supports three spatially and spectrally variant resonances of which two are magnetic and one is dipolar in nature. A hybridized mode is excited by coupling the structure’s plasmonic mode with the vibrational mode of PMMA at 5.79 μm. Qualitative agreement between the spectral changes in simulation and experiment clearly indicates that resistive heating is the dominant mechanisms behind the intensity changes of the dipolar and magnetic peaks. The study also unveils the thermal insensitivity of the coupled mode intensity as the temperature is increased. We propose a mechanism to reduce the relative intensity change of the coupled mode at elevated temperature by mode detuning and surface current engineering and demonstrate less than 9% intensity variation. Later, we perform a temperature cycling test and investigate into the degradation of the Au-PMMA composite device. The failure condition is identified to be primarily associated with the surface chemistry of the material interface rather than the deformation of the nanopatterns. The study reveals the robustness of the strongly coupled hybridized mode even under multiple cycling.
The association between telomere length and cancer risk in population studies
Authors: Zhu Xun , Han Wei , Xue Wenjie , Zou Yuxia , Xie Cuiwei , Du Jiangbo , Jin Guangfu
Published: February 2016

Telomeres are crucial in the maintenance of chromosome integrity and genomic stability. A series of epidemiological studies have examined the association between telomere length and the risk of cancers, but the findings remain conflicting. We performed literature review and meta-analysis to demonstrate the relationship between telomere length and cancer risk. A total of 23,379 cases and 68,792 controls from 51 publications with 62 population studies were included in this meta-analysis to assess the association between overall cancer or cancer-specific risk and telomere length. General association and dose-response relationship were evaluated based on two and three groups, respectively. The estimates of association were evaluated with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals by the random-effects or fixed-effects model based on heterogeneity test. We observed a non-significant association between short telomeres and overall risk of cancer. Convincing evidence was observed for the association of short telomeres with an increased risk of gastrointestinal tumor and head and neck cancer. Significant dose-response associations were also observed for gastrointestinal tumor and head and neck cancer. Our findings indicate that telomeres may play diverse roles in different cancers and short telomeres may be risk factors for the tumors of digestive system.
Two-step C–H, C–P bond activation at an α-diimine iron dinitrogen complex
Authors: Ghosh Chandrani , Groy Thomas L. , Bowman Amanda C. , Trovitch Ryan J.
Published: February 2016

Thermolysis of newly prepared (Ph2PPrDI)Fe(N2) results in chelate C–H and C–P bond activation to yield phosphide-bridged dimers.
Ultrasensitive detection of microbial cells using magnetic focus enhanced lateral flow sensors
Authors: Ren Wen , Cho Il-Hoon , Zhou Zhongwu , Irudayaraj Joseph
Published: February 2016

Magnetic focused LFIA for naked-eye pathogen detection with highly improved sensitivity at a near single cell limit.
Photoswitchable basicity through the use of azoheteroarenes
Authors: Weston Claire E. , Richardson Robert D. , Fuchter Matthew J.
Published: February 2016

We report an azoheteroarene photoswitchable base, where proton stabilisation in Z isomer is facilitated by neighbouring imidazole rings. A 1.3 unit difference in pKa is observed between the E and Z isomers, which leads to the ability to reversibly control solution pH.
Dendritic α-Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites with improved visible light photocatalytic activity
Authors: Li Xin , Lin Huiming , Chen Xiang , Niu Hao , Liu Jiuyu , Zhang Ting , Qu Fengyu
Published: February 2016

A branch-like α-Fe2O3/TiO2 heterostructure has been synthesized controllably through an electrospinning method combined with a hydrothermal approach.
DPPH-HPLC-DAD analysis combined HSCCC for screening and identification of radical scavengers in Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.
Authors: Wang Gaohong , Huang Xinyi , Pei Dong , Duan Wenda , Quan Kaijun , Li Xiaoting , Di Duolong
Published: February 2016

A speedy, efficient and reproductive technique to systematically isolate antioxidant compounds from complex natural products.
Rapid capillary filling via ion–water interactions over the nanoscale
Authors: Bakli Chirodeep , Chakraborty Suman
Published: February 2016

Interplay of hydrodynamic and electrical forces at nanoscale can overcome giant frictional resistances at moderate wettabilities leading to rapid capillary rise.
A performance study on the electrocoating process with a CuZnAl nanocatalyst for a methanol steam reformer: the effect of time and voltage
Authors: Mahmoudizadeh Masoud , Irankhah Abdullah , Irankhah Reza
Published: February 2016

A metal microreactor combined with the EPD technique is an alternative strategy to improve catalyst performance by optimization of the physical coating parameters.
Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of novel 1-(4-imino-1-substituted-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-5(4H)-yl)urea derivatives
Authors: Mishra Chandra Bhushan , Mongre Raj Kumar , Kumari Shikha , Jeong Dong Kee , Tiwari Manisha
Published: February 2016

A series of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine and urea hybrids have been designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activityin vitroandin vivocancer models.
Directly deposited Nafion/TiO2 composite membranes for high power medium temperature fuel cells
Authors: Wehkamp Niklas , Breitwieser Matthias , Büchler Andreas , Klingele Matthias , Zengerle Roland , Thiele Simon
Published: February 2016

This work presents a simple production method for TiO2 reinforced Nafion® membranes which are stable up to a 120 °C operation temperature and achieve record breaking fuel cell efficiencies.
Salt-induced formation of hollow and mesoporous CoOx/SiO2 spheres and their catalytic behavior in toluene oxidation
Authors: Lin Liang-Yi , Bai Hsunling
Published: February 2016

The CoOx/SiO2 spherical particles with hollow or mesoporous structure were successfully prepared by spray pyrolysis by using the NaCl and NaNO3 as in situ formed templates for the first time.
rGO-Wrapped flowerlike Bi2Se3 nanocomposite: synthesis, experimental and simulation-based investigation on cold cathode applications
Authors: Das Biswajit , Sarkar Samrat , Khan Rimpa , Santra Saswati , Das Nirmalya Sankar , Chattopadhyay Kalyan Kumar
Published: February 2016

Bi2Se3 nanoflowers (NFs) – reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite (BG) synthesized via cost-effective, ecofriendly and easy hydrothermal route: smart cold cathode for future display device.
The thermodynamic stability of intermediate solid solutions in LiFePO4 nanoparticles
Authors: Abdellahi A. , Akyildiz O. , Malik R. , Thornton K. , Ceder G.
Published: February 2016

In this paper, we explain the persistence of solid-solution states in phase-separating LiFePO4 nanoparticles cycled at low-to-moderate C-rates, thereby resolving an important paradox in the Li-ion battery community.
In situ generation of electron acceptor to amplify the photoelectrochemical signal from poly(dopamine)-sensitized TiO2 signal crystal for immunoassay
Authors: Li Yilin , Dai Hong , Zhang Qingrong , Zhang Shupei , Chen Sihong , Hong Zhensheng , Lin Yanyu
Published: February 2016

A photoelectrochemical protocol was designed for quantitative monitoring of tumor markers by utilizing poly(dopamine)-sensitized TiO2 signal crystal.
Rapid fabrication of functionalized plates for peptides, glycopeptides and protein purification and mass spectrometry analysis
Authors: Liao Hsin-Yi , Tsai Fuu-Jen , Lai Chien-Chen , Tseng Mei-Chun , Hsu Chung Y. , Chen Chao-Jung
Published: February 2016

A rapid and simple approach for fabricating a disposable functionalized membrane on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) targets, glass, or plastic substrates was developed for sample enrichment and mass spectrometry analysis.
A novel dual-emission fluorescent probe for the simultaneous detection of H2S and GSH
Authors: Li H. , Peng W. , Feng W. , Wang Y. , Chen G. , Wang S. , Li S. , Li H. , Wang K. , Zhang J.
Published: February 2016

A novel chlorinated coumarin–malononitrile fluorescent probe was synthesized for the simultaneous detection of H2S and GSH from different emission channels.
Native defects determine phase-dependent photoluminescence behavior of Eu2+ and Eu3+ in In2O3 nanocrystals
Authors: Ghodsi Vahid , Layek Arunasish , Hegde Manu , Yildirim Baran , Radovanovic Pavle V.
Published: February 2016

Photoluminescence of Eu2+ and Eu3+ dopants in In2O3 nanocrystals is determined by the structure-dependent interactions between dopants and native defects.
A structural investigation of ionic liquid mixtures
Authors: Matthews Richard P. , Villar-Garcia Ignacio J. , Weber Cameron C. , Griffith Jeraime , Cameron Fiona , Hallett Jason P. , Hunt Patricia A. , Welton Tom
Published: February 2016

The role of hydrogen bonding, π+–π+ stacking and anion–π+ interactions on the structure of ionic liquid mixtures has been elucidated through a combined theoretical and experimental approach.
Effects of melt aging and off-stoichiometric melts on CsSrI3:Eu2+ single crystal scintillators
Authors: Wu Yuntao , Zhuravleva Mariya , Johnson II Jesse Ashby , Wei Hua , Koschan Merry , Melcher Charles L.
Published: February 2016

In this work, the effects of vacuum aging of the melt (melt aging) and use of off-stoichiometric melts via introduction of excess CsI on the crystal quality and scintillation properties of CsSrI3:Eu2+, a promising scintillator for gamma-ray detection applications, are investigated.
Iron-mediated inter- and intramolecular reductive cross-coupling of unactivated alkyl chlorides with aryl bromides
Authors: Li Zhuang , Sun Hong-Mei , Shen Qi
Published: February 2016

Efficient inter- and intramolecular reductive cross-coupling of unactivated alkyl chlorides by Fe(PPh3)2Cl3.
Diblock metallocopolymers containing various iron sandwich complexes: living ROMP synthesis and selective reversible oxidation
Authors: Gu Haibin , Ciganda Roberto , Hernández Ricardo , Castel Patricia , Vax Amélie , Zhao Pengxiang , Ruiz Jaime , Astruc Didier
Published: February 2016

New diblock copolymers containing two iron-sandwich complexes in the side chain have been synthesized and oxidized to obtain mixed-valent FeII–FeIIIcopolymers.
Bioengineering three-dimensional culture model of human lung cancer cells: an improved tool for screening EGFR targeted inhibitors
Authors: Wang Dan-Dan , Liu Wei , Chang Jing-Jie , Cheng Xu , Zhang Xiu-Zhen , Xu Hong , Feng Di , Yu Li-Jun , Wang Xiu-Li
Published: February 2016

Bioengineering a three-dimensional culture model of human lung cancer cells for screening EGFR targeted inhibitors.
Pickering emulsions stabilized by shape-controlled silica microrods
Authors: Lou Fangli , Ye Lishaya , Kong Miqiu , Yang Qi , Li Guangxian , Huang Yajiang
Published: February 2016

Silica microrods with varying aspect ratios but similar surface characteristics are synthesized and their potential in preparing stable oil-in-water Pickering emulsions are explored.