bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Textile Organic Electrochemical Transistors as a Platform for Wearable Biosensors
Authors: Gualandi I. , Marzocchi M. , Achilli A. , Cavedale D. , Bonfiglio A. , Fraboni B.
Published: September 2016

The development of wearable chemical sensors is receiving a great deal of attention in view of non-invasive and continuous monitoring of physiological parameters in healthcare applications. This paper describes the development of a fully textile, wearable chemical sensor based on an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) entirely made of conductive polymer (PEDOT:PSS). The active polymer patterns are deposited into the fabric by screen printing processes, thus allowing the device to actually “disappear” into it. We demonstrate the reliability of the proposed textile OECTs as a platform for developing chemical sensors capable to detect in real-time various redox active molecules (adrenaline, dopamine and ascorbic acid), by assessing their performance in two different experimental contexts: i) ideal operation conditions (i.e. totally dipped in an electrolyte solution); ii) real-life operation conditions (i.e. by sequentially adding few drops of electrolyte solution onto only one side of the textile sensor). The OECTs response has also been measured in artificial sweat, assessing how these sensors can be reliably used for the detection of biomarkers in body fluids. Finally, the very low operating potentials (<1 V) and absorbed power (~10−4W) make the here described textile OECTs very appealing for portable and wearable applications.
Whole exome sequencing identified novel CRB1 mutations in Chinese and Indian populations with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa
Authors: Yang Yin , Yang Yeming , Huang Lulin , Zhai Yaru , Li Jie , Jiang Zhilin , Gong Bo , Fang Hao , Kim Ramasamy , Yang Zhenglin , Sundaresan Periasamy , Zhu Xianjun , Zhou Yu
Published: September 2016

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a leading cause of inherited blindness characterized by progressive degeneration of the retinal photoreceptor cells. This study aims to identify genetic mutations in a Chinese family RP-2236, an Indian family RP-IC-90 and 100 sporadic Indian individuals with autosomal recessive RP (arRP). Whole exome sequencing was performed on the index patients of RP-2236, RP-IC-90 and all of the 100 sporadic Indian patients. Direct Sanger sequencing was used to validate the mutations identified. Four novel mutations and one reported mutation in the crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1) gene, which has been known to cause severe retinal dystrophies, were identified. A novel homozygous splicing mutation c.2129-1G>C was found in the three patients In family RP-2236. A homozygous point mutation p.R664C was found in RP-IC-90. A novel homozygous mutation p.G1310C was identified in patient I-44, while novel compound heterozygous mutations p.N629D and p.A593T were found in patient I-7. All mutations described above were not present in the 1000 normal controls. In conclusion, we identified four novel mutations in CRB1 in a cohort of RP patients from the Chinese and Indian populations. Our data enlarges the CRB1 mutation spectrums and may provide new target loci for RP diagnose and treatment.
Trackways Produced by Lungfish During Terrestrial Locomotion
Authors: Falkingham Peter L. , Horner Angela M.
Published: September 2016

Some primarily aquatic vertebrates make brief forays onto land, creating traces as they do. A lack of studies on aquatic trackmakers raises the possibility that such traces may be ignored or misidentified in the fossil record. Several terrestrial Actinopterygian and Sarcopterygian species have previously been proposed as possible models for ancestral tetrapod locomotion, despite extant fishes being quite distinct from Devonian fishes, both morphologically and phylogenetically. Although locomotion has been well-studied in some of these taxa, trackway production has not. We recorded terrestrial locomotion of a 35 cm African lungfish (Protopterus annectens; Dipnoi: Sarcopterygii) on compliant sediment. Terrestrial movement in the lungfish is accomplished by planting the head and then pivoting the trunk. Impressions are formed where the head impacts the substrate, while the body and fins produce few traces. The head leaves a series of alternating left-right impressions, where each impact can appear as two separate semi-circular impressions created by the upper and lower jaws, bearing some similarity to fossil traces interpreted as footprints. Further studies of trackways of extant terrestrial fishes are necessary to understand the behavioural repertoire that may be represented in the fossil track record.
Gastrectomy is Associated with an Increased Risk of Pyogenic Liver Abscess: A 13-Year Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Tsai Ming-Shian , Lin Cheng-Li , Jeng Long-Bin
Published: September 2016

Whether patients who have undergone gastrectomy are at a high risk of developing pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) remains debatable. From the inpatient claims records of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 33 834 patients with a history of 2000–2010 and135 336 controls without a history of gastrectomy. The 2cohorts were matched by age, sex, and admission year and followed-up until the end of 2011 for estimating the risk of PLA. Overall, the incidence of PLA was 3.5-fold higher in the gastrectomy cohort than in the control cohort (21.6 vs 5.76 per 10 000 person-y). The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for the gastrectomy cohort obtained using the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was 3.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.60–3.64). An elevated post gastrectomy PLA risk was observed in both men and women. Age-specific data revealed that the aHR for the gastrectomy cohort, compared with the control cohort, was the highest in patients younger than 50 years (aHR = 5.16, 95% CI = 2.96–9.01). An addition analysis showed that the gastrectomy cohort exhibited an elevated PLA risk regardless of whether the patients underwent total or partial gastrectomy. Patients with a history of gastrectomy exhibit a high risk of PLA.
Immune Repertoire Diversity Correlated with Mortality in Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Infected Patients
Authors: Hou Dongni , Ying Tianlei , Wang Lili , Chen Cuicui , Lu Shuihua , Wang Qin , Seeley Eric , Xu Jianqing , Xi Xiuhong , Li Tao , Liu Jie , Tang Xinjun , Zhang Zhiyong , Zhou Jian , Bai Chunxue , Wang Chunlin , Byrne-Steele Miranda , Qu Jieming , Han Jian , Song Yuanlin
Published: September 2016

Specific changes in immune repertoires at genetic level responding to the lethal H7N9 virus are still poorly understood. We performed deep sequencing on the T and B cells from patients recently infected with H7N9 to explore the correlation between clinical outcomes and immune repertoire alterations. T and B cell repertoires display highly dynamic yet distinct clonotype alterations. During infection, T cell beta chain repertoire continues to contract while the diversity of immunoglobulin heavy chain repertoire recovers. Patient recovery is correlated to the diversity of T cell and B cell repertoires in different ways – higher B cell diversity and lower T cell diversity are found in survivors. The sequences clonally related to known antibodies with binding affinity to H7 hemagglutinin could be identified from survivors. These findings suggest that utilizing deep sequencing may improve prognostication during influenza infection and could help in development of antibody discovery methodologies for the treatment of virus infection.
Gene expression profiling reveals aryl hydrocarbon receptor as a possible target for photobiomodulation when using blue light
Authors: Becker Anja , Klapczynski Anna , Kuch Natalia , Arpino Fabiola , Simon-Keller Katja , De La Torre Carolina , Sticht Carsten , van Abeelen Frank A. , Oversluizen Gerrit , Gretz Norbert
Published: September 2016

Photobiomodulation (PBM) with blue light induces a biphasic dose response curve in proliferation of immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT), with a maximum anti-proliferative effect reached with 30min (41.4 J/cm2). The aim of this study was to test the photobiomodulatory effect of 41.4 J/cm2 blue light irradiation on ROS production, apoptosis and gene expression at different time points after irradiation of HaCaT cells in vitro and assess its safety. ROS concentration was increased 30 min after irradiation. However, already 1 h after irradiation, cells were able to reduce ROS and balance the concentration to a normal level. The sudden increase in ROS did not damage the cells, which was demonstrated with FACS analysis where HaCaT cells did not show any sign of apoptosis after blue light irradiation. Furthermore, a time course could be seen in gene expression analysis after blue light, with an early response of stimulated genes already 1 h after blue light irradiation, leading to the discovery of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor as possible target for blue light irradiation.
Berry phase and band structure analysis of the Weyl semimetal NbP
Authors: Sergelius Philip , Gooth Johannes , Bäßler Svenja , Zierold Robert , Wiegand Christoph , Niemann Anna , Reith Heiko , Shekhar Chandra , Felser Claudia , Yan Binghai , Nielsch Kornelius
Published: September 2016

Weyl semimetals are often considered the 3D-analogon of graphene or topological insulators. The evaluation of quantum oscillations in these systems remains challenging because there are often multiple conduction bands. We observe de Haas-van Alphen oscillations with several frequencies in a single crystal of the Weyl semimetal niobium phosphide. For each fundamental crystal axis, we can fit the raw data to a superposition of sinusoidal functions, which enables us to calculate the characteristic parameters of all individual bulk conduction bands using Fourier transform with an analysis of the temperature and magnetic field-dependent oscillation amplitude decay. Our experimental results indicate that the band structure consists of Dirac bands with low cyclotron mass, a non-trivial Berry phase and parabolic bands with a higher effective mass and trivial Berry phase.
Using rare earth elements to constrain particulate organic carbon flux in the East China Sea
Authors: Hung Chin-Chang , Chen Ya-Feng , Hsu Shih-Chieh , Wang Kui , Chen Jianfang , Burdige David J.
Published: September 2016

Fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the East China Sea (ECS) have been reported to decrease from the inner continental shelf towards the outer continental shelf. Recent research has shown that POC fluxes in the ECS may be overestimated due to active sediment resuspension. To better characterize the effect of sediment resuspension on particle fluxes in the ECS, rare earth elements (REEs) and organic carbon (OC) were used in separate two-member mixing models to evaluate trap-collected POC fluxes. The ratio of resuspended particles from sediments to total trap-collected particles in the ECS ranged from 82–94% using the OC mixing model, and 30–80% using the REEs mixing model, respectively. These results suggest that REEs may be better proxies for sediment resuspension than OC in high turbidity marginal seas because REEs do not appear to undergo degradation during particle sinking as compared to organic carbon. Our results suggest that REEs can be used as tracers to provide quantitative estimates of POC fluxes in marginal seas.
An Automated Microwell Platform for Large-Scale Single Cell RNA-Seq
Authors: Yuan Jinzhou , Sims Peter A.
Published: September 2016

Recent developments have enabled rapid, inexpensive RNA sequencing of thousands of individual cells from a single specimen, raising the possibility of unbiased and comprehensive expression profiling from complex tissues. Microwell arrays are a particularly attractive microfluidic platform for single cell analysis due to their scalability, cell capture efficiency and compatibility with imaging. We report an automated microwell array platform for single cell RNA-Seq with significantly improved performance over previous implementations. We demonstrate cell capture efficiencies of >50%, compatibility with commercially available barcoded mRNA capture beads and parallel expression profiling from thousands of individual cells. We evaluate the level of cross-contamination in our platform by both tracking fluorescent cell lysate in sealed microwells and with a human-mouse mixed species RNA-Seq experiment. Finally, we apply our system to comprehensively assess heterogeneity in gene expression of patient-derived glioma neurospheres and uncover subpopulations similar to those observed in human glioma tissue.
Co-stimulation of HaCaT keratinization with mechanical stress and air-exposure using a novel 3D culture device
Authors: Jung Moon Hee , Jung Sang-Myung , Shin Hwa Sung
Published: September 2016

Artificial skin or skin equivalents have been used for clinical purpose to skin graft and as substitutes for animal experiments. The culture of cell lines such as HaCaT has the potential to produce large amounts of artificial skin at a low cost. However, there is a limit to keratinization due to the restriction of differentiation in HaCaT. In this study, a culture device that mimics the in vivo keratinization mechanism, co-stimulated by air-exposure and mechanical stimulation, was developed to construct skin equivalents. The device can reconstruct the epidermal morphology, including the cornified layer, similar to its formation in vivo. Under the condition, epidermis was differentiated in the spinous and granular layers. Formation of the stratum corneum is consistent with the mRNA and protein expressions of differentiation markers. The device is the first of its kind to combine air-exposure with mechanical stress to co-stimulate keratinization, which can facilitate the economically viable production of HaCaT-based artificial skin substitutes.
Identifying and removing the cell-cycle effect from single-cell RNA-Sequencing data
Authors: Barron Martin , Li Jun
Published: September 2016

Single-cell RNA-Sequencing (scRNA-Seq) is a revolutionary technique for discovering and describing cell types in heterogeneous tissues, yet its measurement of expression often suffers from large systematic bias. A major source of this bias is the cell cycle, which introduces large within-cell-type heterogeneity that can obscure the differences in expression between cell types. The current method for removing the cell-cycle effect is unable to effectively identify this effect and has a high risk of removing other biological components of interest, compromising downstream analysis. We present ccRemover, a new method that reliably identifies the cell-cycle effect and removes it. ccRemover preserves other biological signals of interest in the data and thus can serve as an important pre-processing step for many scRNA-Seq data analyses. The effectiveness of ccRemover is demonstrated using simulation data and three real scRNA-Seq datasets, where it boosts the performance of existing clustering algorithms in distinguishing between cell types.
Measuring Method for Lightning Channel Temperature
Authors: Li X. , Zhang J. , Chen L. , Xue Q. , Zhu R.
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we demonstrate the temperature of lightning channel utilizing the theory of lightning spectra and the model of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The impulse current generator platform (ICGS) was used to simulate the lightning discharge channel, and the spectral energy of infrared spectroscopy (930 nm) and the visible spectroscopy (648.2 nm) of the simulated lightning has been calculated. Results indicate that the peaks of luminous intensity of both infrared and visible spectra increase with the lightning current intensity in range of 5–50 kA. Based on the results, the temperature of the lightning channel is derived to be 6140.8–10424 K. Moreover, the temperature of the channel is approximately exponential to the lightning current intensity, which shows good agreement with that of the natural lightning cases.
HB-GAM (pleiotrophin) reverses inhibition of neural regeneration by the CNS extracellular matrix
Authors: Paveliev Mikhail , Fenrich Keith K. , Kislin Mikhail , Kuja-Panula Juha , Kulesskiy Evgeny , Varjosalo Markku , Kajander Tommi , Mugantseva Ekaterina , Ahonen-Bishopp Anni , Khiroug Leonard , Kulesskaya Natalia , Rougon Geneviève , Rauvala Heikki
Published: September 2016

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) glycosaminoglycans inhibit regeneration in the adult central nervous system (CNS). We report here that HB-GAM (heparin-binding growth-associated molecule; also known as pleiotrophin), a CS-binding protein expressed at high levels in the developing CNS, reverses the role of the CS chains in neurite growth of CNS neurons in vitro from inhibition to activation. The CS-bound HB-GAM promotes neurite growth through binding to the cell surface proteoglycan glypican-2; furthermore, HB-GAM abrogates the CS ligand binding to the inhibitory receptor PTPσ (protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma). Our in vivo studies using two-photon imaging of CNS injuries support the in vitro studies and show that HB-GAM increases dendrite regeneration in the adult cerebral cortex and axonal regeneration in the adult spinal cord. Our findings may enable the development of novel therapies for CNS injuries.
Biocompatibility and biodistribution of functionalized carbon nano-onions (f-CNOs) in a vertebrate model
Authors: d’ Amora Marta , Rodio Marina , Bartelmess Juergen , Sancataldo Giuseppe , Brescia Rosaria , Cella Zanacchi Francesca , Diaspro Alberto , Giordani Silvia
Published: September 2016

Functionalized carbon nano-onions (f-CNOs) are of great interest as platforms for imaging, diagnostic and therapeutic applications due to their high cellular uptake and low cytotoxicity. To date, the toxicological effects of f-CNOs on vertebrates have not been reported. In this study, the possible biological impact of f-CNOs on zebrafish during development is investigated, evaluating different toxicity end-points such as the survival rate, hatching rate, and heart beat rate. Furthermore, a bio-distribution study of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) functionalized CNOs in zebrafish larvae is performed by utilizing inverted selective plane illumination microscopy (iSPIM), due to its intrinsic capability of allowing for fast 3D imaging. Our in vivo findings indicate that f-CNOs exhibit no toxicity, good biocompatibility (in the concentration range of 5–100 μg mL−1) and a homogenous biodistribution in zebrafish larvae.
Experimental factors affecting the robustness of DNA methylation analysis
Authors: Pharo Heidi D. , Honne Hilde , Vedeld Hege M. , Dahl Christina , Andresen Kim , Liestøl Knut , Jeanmougin Marine , Guldberg Per , Lind Guro E.
Published: September 2016

Diverging methylation frequencies are often reported for the same locus in the same disease, underscoring the need for limiting technical variability in DNA methylation analyses. We have investigated seven likely sources of variability at different steps of bisulfite PCR-based DNA methylation analyses using a fully automated quantitative methylation-specific PCR setup of six gene promoters across 20 colon cancer cell lines. Based on >15,000 individual PCRs, all tested parameters affected the normalized percent of methylated reference (PMR) differences, with a fourfold varying magnitude. Additionally, large variations were observed across the six genes analyzed. The highest variation was seen using single-copy genes as reference for normalization, followed by different amounts of template in the PCR, different amounts of DNA in the bisulfite reaction and storage of bisulfite converted samples. Finally, when a highly standardized pipeline was repeated, the difference in PMR value for the same assay in the same cell line was on average limited to five (on a 0–100 scale). In conclusion, a standardized pipeline is essential for consistent methylation results, where parameters are kept constant for all samples. Nevertheless, a certain level of variation in methylation values must be expected, underscoring the need for careful interpretation of data.
High Resolution non-Markovianity in NMR
Authors: Bernardes Nadja K. , Peterson John P. S. , Sarthour Roberto S. , Souza Alexandre M. , Monken C. H. , Roditi Itzhak , Oliveira Ivan S. , Santos Marcelo F.
Published: September 2016

Memoryless time evolutions are ubiquitous in nature but often correspond to a resolution-induced approximation, i.e. there are correlations in time whose effects are undetectable. Recent advances in the dynamical control of small quantum systems provide the ideal scenario to probe some of these effects. Here we experimentally demonstrate the precise induction of memory effects on the evolution of a quantum coin (qubit) by correlations engineered in its environment. In particular, we design a collisional model in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and precisely control the strength of the effects by changing the degree of correlation in the environment and its time of interaction with the qubit. We also show how these effects can be hidden by the limited resolution of the measurements performed on the qubit. The experiment reinforces NMR as a test bed for the study of open quantum systems and the simulation of their classical counterparts.
Increased levels of 3-hydroxykynurenine parallel disease severity in human acute pancreatitis
Authors: Skouras Christos , Zheng Xiaozhong , Binnie Margaret , Homer Natalie Z. M. , Murray Toby B. J. , Robertson Darren , Briody Lesley , Paterson Finny , Spence Heather , Derr Lisa , Hayes Alastair J. , Tsoumanis Andreas , Lyster Dawn , Parks Rowan W. , Garden O. James , Iredale John P. , Uings Iain J. , Liddle John , Wright Wayne L. , Dukes George , Webster Scott P. , Mole Damian J.
Published: September 2016

Inhibition of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) protects against multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) in experimental acute pancreatitis (AP). We aimed to precisely define the kynurenine pathway activation in relation to AP and AP-MODS in humans, by carrying out a prospective observational study of all persons presenting with a potential diagnosis of AP for 90 days. We sampled peripheral venous blood at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours post-recruitment. We measured tryptophan metabolite concentrations and analysed these in the context of clinical data and disease severity indices, cytokine profiles and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. 79 individuals were recruited (median age: 59.6 years; 47 males, 59.5%). 57 met the revised Atlanta definition of AP: 25 had mild, 23 moderate, and 9 severe AP. Plasma 3-hydroxykynurenine concentrations correlated with contemporaneous APACHE II scores (R2 = 0.273; Spearman rho = 0.581; P < 0.001) and CRP (R2 = 0.132; Spearman rho = 0.455, P < 0.001). Temporal profiling showed early tryptophan depletion and contemporaneous 3-hydroxykynurenine elevation. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of 3-hydroxykynurenine paralleled systemic inflammation and AP severity. These findings support the rationale for investigating early intervention with a KMO inhibitor, with the aim of reducing the incidence and severity of AP-associated organ dysfunction.
Solving Set Cover with Pairs Problem using Quantum Annealing
Authors: Cao Yudong , Jiang Shuxian , Perouli Debbie , Kais Sabre
Published: September 2016

Here we consider using quantum annealing to solve Set Cover with Pairs (SCP), an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem that plays an important role in networking, computational biology and biochemistry. We show an explicit construction of Ising Hamiltonians whose ground states encode the solution of SCP instances. We numerically simulate the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in order to test the performance of quantum annealing for random instances and compare with that of simulated annealing. We also discuss explicit embedding strategies for realizing our Hamiltonian construction on the D-wave type restricted Ising Hamiltonian based on Chimera graphs. Our embedding on the Chimera graph preserves the structure of the original SCP instance and in particular, the embedding for general complete bipartite graphs and logical disjunctions may be of broader use than that the specific problem we deal with.
Controllably releasing long-lived quantum memory for photonic polarization qubit into multiple spatially-separate photonic channels
Authors: Chen Lirong , Xu Zhongxiao , Zeng Weiqing , Wen Yafei , Li Shujing , Wang Hai
Published: September 2016

We report an experiment in which long-lived quantum memories for photonic polarization qubits (PPQs) are controllably released into any one of multiple spatially-separate channels. The PPQs are implemented with an arbitrarily-polarized coherent signal light pulses at the single-photon level and are stored in cold atoms by means of electromagnetic-induced-transparency scheme. Reading laser pulses propagating along the direction at a small angle relative to quantum axis are applied to release the stored PPQs into an output channel. By changing the propagating directions of the read laser beam, we controllably release the retrieved PPQs into 7 different photonic output channels, respectively. At a storage time of δt = 5 μs, the least quantum-process fidelity in 7 different output channels is ~89%. At one of the output channels, the measured maximum quantum-process fidelity for the PPQs is 94.2% at storage time of δt = 0.85 ms. At storage time of 6 ms, the quantum-process fidelity is still beyond the bound of 78% to violate the Bell’s inequality. The demonstrated controllable release of the stored PPQs may extend the capabilities of the quantum information storage technique.
Desmoteplase for Acute Ischemic Stroke within 3 to 9 Hours after Symptom Onset: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Shi Ligen , Liang Feng , Li Yunping , Shao Anwen , Zhou Keren , Yu Jun , Zhang Jianmin
Published: September 2016

Recent studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the value of desmoteplase for treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) when administered within an extended time window. We performed a meta-analysis to explore the value of desmoteplase in AIS treatment. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that had evaluated desmoteplase versus placebo for AIS. The primary outcomes were intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) within 72 hours and favorable outcome at Day 90. We pooled 819 patients from 5 RCTs. Desmoteplase treatment showed a neutral effect on favorable outcome (P = 0.42) but a favorable safety profile in terms of ICH (P = 0.64) compared with the placebo group. In the subgroup analysis, 90 μg/kg desmoteplase, a late time to treatment (6–9 hours), and serious stroke symptoms at baseline (NIHSS > 12) subgroups showed high risks of ICH (P ≤ 0.02). A high dose of desmoteplase (125 μg/kg) showed a tendency to improve recanalization (P = 0.05), but was also associated with an increased risk of death (P = 0.04). In conclusion, desmoteplase administered over an extended time window had no significant effect on functional recovery but exhibited a favorable safety profile in patients with AIS.
Reduced graphene oxide enwrapped phosphors for long-term thermally stable phosphor converted white light emitting diodes
Authors: Anoop Gopinathan , Rani Janardhanan R. , Lim Juhwan , Jang Myoung Soo , Suh Dong Wook , Kang Shinill , Jun Seong Chan , Yoo Jae Soo
Published: September 2016

The long-term instability of the presently available best commercial phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pcLEDs) is the most serious obstacle for the realization of low-cost and energy-saving lighting applications. Emission from pcLEDs starts to degrade after approximately 200 h of operation because of thermal degradation of the phosphors. We propose a new strategy to overcome this thermal degradation problem of phosphors by wrapping the phosphor particles with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Through the rGO wrapping, we have succeeded in controlling the thermal degradation of phosphors and improving the stability of fabricated pcLEDs. We have fabricated pcLEDs with long-term stability that maintain nearly 98% of their initial luminescence emission intensity even after 800 h of continuous operation at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity. The pcLEDs fabricated using SrBaSi2O2N2:Eu2+ phosphor particles wrapped with reduced graphene oxide are thermally stable because of enhanced heat dissipation that prevents the ionization of Eu2+ to Eu3+. We believe that this technique can be applied to other rare-earth doped phosphors for the realization of highly efficient and stable white LEDs.
In-vivo, non-invasive detection of hyperglycemic states in animal models using mm-wave spectroscopy
Authors: Martín-Mateos Pedro , Dornuf Fabian , Duarte Blanca , Hils Bernhard , Moreno-Oyervides Aldo , Bonilla-Manrique Oscar Elias , Larcher Fernando , Krozer Viktor , Acedo Pablo
Published: September 2016

Chronic or sustained hyperglycemia associated to diabetes mellitus leads to many medical complications, thus, it is necessary to track the evolution of patients for providing the adequate management of the disease that is required for the restoration of the carbohydrate metabolism to a normal state. In this paper, a novel monitoring approach based on mm-wave spectroscopy is comprehensively described and experimentally validated using living animal models as target. The measurement method has proved the possibility of non-invasive, in-vivo, detection of hyperglycemia-associated conditions in different mouse models, making possible to clearly differentiate between several hyperglycemic states.
Flow-induced HDAC1 phosphorylation and nuclear export in angiogenic sprouting
Authors: Bazou Despina , Ng Mei Rosa , Song Jonathan W. , Chin Shan Min , Maimon Nir , Munn Lance L.
Published: September 2016

Angiogenesis requires the coordinated growth and migration of endothelial cells (ECs), with each EC residing in the vessel wall integrating local signals to determine whether to remain quiescent or undergo morphogenesis. These signals include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and flow-induced mechanical stimuli such as interstitial flow, which are both elevated in the tumor microenvironment. However, it is not clear how VEGF signaling and mechanobiological activation due to interstitial flow cooperate during angiogenesis. Here, we show that endothelial morphogenesis is histone deacetylase-1- (HDAC1) dependent and that interstitial flow increases the phosphorylation of HDAC1, its activity and its export from the nucleus. Furthermore, we show that HDAC1 inhibition decreases endothelial morphogenesis and matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP14) expression. Our results suggest that HDAC1 modulates angiogenesis in response to flow, providing a new target for modulating vascularization in the clinic.
Displacement correlations between a single mesenchymal-like cell and its nucleus effectively link subcellular activities and motility in cell migration analysis
Authors: Lan Tian , Cheng Kai , Ren Tina , Arce Stephen Hugo , Tseng Yiider
Published: September 2016

Cell migration is an essential process in organism development and physiological maintenance. Although current methods permit accurate comparisons of the effects of molecular manipulations and drug applications on cell motility, effects of alterations in subcellular activities on motility cannot be fully elucidated from those methods. Here, we develop a strategy termed cell-nuclear (CN) correlation to parameterize represented dynamic subcellular activities and to quantify their contributions in mesenchymal-like migration. Based on the biophysical meaning of the CN correlation, we propose a cell migration potential index (CMPI) to measure cell motility. When the effectiveness of CMPI was evaluated with respect to one of the most popular cell migration analysis methods, Persistent Random Walk, we found that the cell motility estimates among six cell lines used in this study were highly consistent between these two approaches. Further evaluations indicated that CMPI can be determined using a shorter time period and smaller cell sample size, and it possesses excellent reliability and applicability, even in the presence of a wide range of noise, as might be generated from individual imaging acquisition systems. The novel approach outlined here introduces a robust strategy through an analysis of subcellular locomotion activities for single cell migration assessment.
A roller-like bird (Coracii) from the Early Eocene of Denmark
Authors: Bourdon Estelle , Kristoffersen Anette V. , Bonde Niels
Published: September 2016

The fossil record of crown group birds (Neornithes) prior to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary is scarce and fragmentary. Early Cenozoic bird fossils are more abundant, but are typically disarticulated and/or flattened. Here we report the oldest roller (Coracii),Septencoracias morsensisgen. et sp. nov. (Primobucconidae), based on a new specimen from the Early Eocene (about 54 million years ago) Fur Formation of Denmark. The new fossil is a nearly complete, three-dimensionally preserved and articulated skeleton. It lies at the lower end of the size range for extant rollers. Salient diagnostic features ofSeptencoraciasrelative to other Coracii include the proportionally larger skull and the small, ovoid and dorsally positioned narial openings. Our discovery adds to the evidence that the Coracii had a widespread northern hemisphere distribution in the Eocene.Septencoraciasis the oldest substantial record of the Picocoraciae and provides a reliable calibration point for molecular phylogenetic studies.
Topographic contrast of ultrathin cryo-sections for correlative super-resolution light and electron microscopy
Authors: Mateos José María , Guhl Bruno , Doehner Jana , Barmettler Gery , Kaech Andres , Ziegler Urs
Published: September 2016

Fluorescence microscopy reveals molecular expression at nanometer resolution but lacks ultrastructural context information. This deficit often hinders a clear interpretation of results. Electron microscopy provides this contextual subcellular detail, but protein identification can often be problematic. Correlative light and electron microscopy produces complimentary information that expands our knowledge of protein expression in cells and tissue. Inherent methodological difficulties are however encountered when combining these two very different microscopy technologies. We present a quick, simple and reproducible method for protein localization by conventional and super-resolution light microscopy combined with platinum shadowing and scanning electron microscopy to obtain topographic contrast from the surface of ultrathin cryo-sections. We demonstrate protein distribution at nuclear pores and at mitochondrial and plasma membranes in the extended topographical landscape of tissue.
Rapid Motion Adaptation Reveals the Temporal Dynamics of Spatiotemporal Correlation between ON and OFF Pathways
Authors: Oluk Can , Pavan Andrea , Kafaligonul Hulusi
Published: September 2016

At the early stages of visual processing, information is processed by two major thalamic pathways encoding brightness increments (ON) and decrements (OFF). Accumulating evidence suggests that these pathways interact and merge as early as in primary visual cortex. Using regular and reverse-phi motion in a rapid adaptation paradigm, we investigated the temporal dynamics of within and across pathway mechanisms for motion processing. When the adaptation duration was short (188 ms), reverse-phi and regular motion led to similar adaptation effects, suggesting that the information from the two pathways are combined efficiently at early-stages of motion processing. However, as the adaption duration was increased to 752 ms, reverse-phi and regular motion showed distinct adaptation effects depending on the test pattern used, either engaging spatiotemporal correlation between the same or opposite contrast polarities. Overall, these findings indicate that spatiotemporal correlation within and across ON-OFF pathways for motion processing can be selectively adapted and support those models that integrate within and across pathway mechanisms for motion processing.
UGT2B28 genomic variation is associated with hepatitis B e-antigen seroconversion in response to antiviral therapy
Authors: Liang Kung-Hao , Lin Chih-Lang , Hsu Chao-Wei , Lai Ming-Wei , Chien Rong-Nan , Yeh Chau-Ting
Published: September 2016

Seroconversion of hepatitis B virus (HBV) e-antigen (HBeAg) is a critical but often-missed therapeutic goal in standard antiviral treatments. An extreme-phenotype genome-wide association study was performed, comparing untreated spontaneous recoverers (with seroconversion of HBV surface antigen) versus entecavir-treated patients failing to achieve HBeAg seroconversion. A single-nucleotide-polymorphism rs2132039 on the UGT2B28 gene, alongside an adjacent copy number polymorphism (CNP605), manifested the strongest clinical associations (P = 3.4 × 10−8 and 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that rs2132039-TT genotypes, but not CNP605 copy numbers, remained associated to spontaneous recoverers (P = 0.009). The clinical association of rs2132039 was validated successfully in an independent cohort (n = 302; P = 0.002). Longitudinal case-only analyses revealed that the rs2132039-TT genotype predicted shorter time-to-HBeAg-seroconversion in all antiviral-treated patients (n = 380, P = 0.012), as well as the peginterferon-treated subgroup (n = 123; P = 0.024, Hazard ratio [HR] = 2.104, Confidence interval [CI] = 1.105–4.007). In the entecavir-treated subgroup, the predictive effect was restricted by pretreatment alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, with effective prediction observed in patients with ALT < 200 IU/ml and ALT/AST ratio <2 (n = 132; P = 0.013, HR = 10.538, CI = 1.420–78.196).
Evaluating digestion efficiency in full-scale anaerobic digesters by identifying active microbial populations through the lens of microbial activity
Authors: Mei Ran , Narihiro Takashi , Nobu Masaru K. , Kuroda Kyohei , Liu Wen-Tso
Published: September 2016

Anaerobic digestion is a common technology to biologically stabilize wasted solids produced in municipal wastewater treatment. Its efficiency is usually evaluated by calculating the reduction in volatile solids, which assumes no biomass growth associated with digestion. To determine whether this assumption is valid and further evaluate digestion efficiency, this study sampled 35 digester sludge from different reactors at multiple time points together with the feed biomass in a full-scale water reclamation plant at Chicago, Illinois. The microbial communities were characterized using Illumina sequencing technology based on 16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene (rDNA). 74 core microbial populations were identified and represented 58.7% of the entire digester community. Among them, active populations were first identified using the ratio of 16S rRNA and 16S rDNA (rRNA/rDNA) for individual populations, but this approach failed to generate consistent results. Subsequently, a recently proposed mass balance model was applied to calculate the specific growth rate (μ) and this approach successfully identified active microbial populations in digester (positive μ) that could play important roles than those with negative μ. It was further estimated that 82% of microbial populations in the feed sludge were digested in comparison with less than 50% calculated using current equations.
Myeloid Cell-Specific Lipin-1 Deficiency Stimulates Endocrine Adiponectin-FGF15 Axis and Ameliorates Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Wang Jiayou , Kim Chunki , Jogasuria Alvin , Han Yoonhee , Hu Xudong , Wu Jiashin , Shen Hong , Chrast Roman , Finck Brian N. , You Min
Published: September 2016

Lipin-1 is a phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAP) required for the generation of diacylglycerol during glycerolipid synthesis, and exhibits dual functions in the regulation of lipid metabolism. Lipin-1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). In the present study, we assessed lipin-1 function in myeloid cells in ALD using a myeloid cell-specific lipin-1 knockout (mLipin-1KO) mouse model. Utilizing the Gao-binge ethanol feeding protocol, matched mLipin-1KO mice and littermate loxP control (WT) mice were pair-fed with either an ethanol-containing diet or an ethanol-free diet (control). Surprisingly, deletion of lipin-1 in myeloid cells dramatically attenuated liver inflammatory responses and ameliorated liver injury that would normally occur following the ethanol feeding protocol, but slightly exacerbated the ethanol-induced steatosis in mice. Mechanistically, myeloid cell-specific lipin-1 deficiency concomitantly increased the fat-derived adiponectin and ileum-derived fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 15. In concordance with concerted elevation of circulating adiponectin and FGF15, myeloid cell-specific lipin-1 deficiency diminished hepatic nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity, limited liver inflammatory responses, normalized serum levels of bile acids, and protected mice from liver damage after ethanol challenge. Our novel data demonstrate that myeloid cell-specific deletion of lipin-1 ameliorated inflammation and alcoholic hepatitis in mice via activation of endocrine adiponectin-FGF15 signaling.
Role of phosphatase of regenerating liver 1 (PRL1) in spermatogenesis
Authors: Bai Yunpeng , Zhou Hong-Ming , Zhang Lujuan , Dong Yuanshu , Zeng Qi , Shou Weinian , Zhang Zhong-Yin
Published: September 2016

The PRL phosphatases are oncogenic when overexpressed but their in vivo biological function is less well understood. Previous gene deletion study revealed a role for PRL2 in spermatogenesis. We report here the first knockout mice lacking PRL1, the most related homolog of PRL2. We found that loss of PRL1 does not affect spermatogenesis and reproductive ability of male mice, likely due to functional compensation by the relatively higher expression of PRL2 in the testes. However, PRL1−/−/PRL2+/− male mice show testicular atrophy phenotype similar to PRL2−/− mice. More strikingly, deletion of one PRL1 allele in PRL2−/− male mice causes complete infertility. Mechanistically, the total level of PRL1 and PRL2 is negatively correlated with the PTEN protein level in the testis and PRL1+/−/PRL2−/− mice have the highest level of PTEN, leading to attenuated Akt activation and increased germ cell apoptosis, effectively halting spermatozoa production. These results provide the first evidence that in addition to PRL2, PRL1 is also required for spermatogenesis by downregulating PTEN and promoting Akt signaling. The ability of the PRLs to suppress PTEN expression underscores the biochemical basis for their oncogenic potential.
High aspect ratio micro-explosions in the bulk of sapphire generated by femtosecond Bessel beams
Authors: Rapp L. , Meyer R. , Giust R. , Furfaro L. , Jacquot M. , Lacourt P. A. , Dudley J. M. , Courvoisier F.
Published: September 2016

Femtosecond pulses provide an extreme degree of confinement of light matter-interactions in high-bandgap materials because of the nonlinear nature of ionization. It was recognized very early on that a highly focused single pulse of only nanojoule energy could generate spherical voids in fused silica and sapphire crystal as the nanometric scale plasma generated has energy sufficient to compress the material around it and to generate new material phases. But the volumes of the nanometric void and of the compressed material are extremely small. Here we use single femtosecond pulses shaped into high-angle Bessel beams at microjoule energy, allowing for the creation of very high 100:1 aspect ratio voids in sapphire crystal, which is one of the hardest materials, twice as dense as glass. The void volume is 2 orders of magnitude higher than those created with Gaussian beams. Femtosecond and picosecond illumination regimes yield qualitatively different damage morphologies. These results open novel perspectives for laser processing and new materials synthesis by laser-induced compression.
Identification and molecular characterization of bacteriophage phiAxp-2 of Achromobacter xylosoxidans
Authors: Li Erna , Yin Zhe , Ma Yanyan , Li Huan , Lin Weishi , Wei Xiao , Zhao Ruixiang , Jiang Aimin , Yuan Jing , Zhao Xiangna
Published: September 2016

A novel Achromobacter xylosoxidans bacteriophage, phiAxp-2, was isolated from hospital sewage in China. The phage was morphologically and microbiologically characterized and its one-step growth curve, host range, genomic sequence and receptor were determined. Its morphology showed that phiAxp-2 belongs to the family Siphoviridae. Microbiological characterization demonstrated that pH 7 is most suitable for phage phiAxp-2; its titer decreased when the temperature exceeded 50 °C; phiAxp-2 is sensitive to ethanol and isopropanol; and the presence of calcium and magnesium ions is necessary to accelerate cell lysis and improve the formation of phiAxp-2 plaques. Genomic sequencing and a bioinformatic analysis showed that phage phiAxp-2 is a novel bacteriophage, consisting of a circular, double-stranded 62,220-bp DNA molecule with a GC content of 60.11% that encodes 86 putative open reading frames (ORFs). The lipopolysaccharide of A. xylosoxidans is involved in the adsorption of phiAxp-2.
Interferon alpha inhibits spinal cord synaptic and nociceptive transmission via neuronal-glial interactions
Authors: Liu Chien-Cheng , Gao Yong-Jing , Luo Hao , Berta Temugin , Xu Zhen-Zhong , Ji Ru-Rong , Tan Ping-Heng
Published: September 2016

It is well known that interferons (IFNs), such as type-I IFN (IFN-α) and type-II IFN (IFN-γ) are produced by immune cells to elicit antiviral effects. IFNs are also produced by glial cells in the CNS to regulate brain functions. As a proinflammatory cytokine, IFN-γ drives neuropathic pain by inducing microglial activation in the spinal cord. However, little is known about the role of IFN-α in regulating pain sensitivity and synaptic transmission. Strikingly, we found that IFN-α/β receptor (type-I IFN receptor) was expressed by primary afferent terminals in the superficial dorsal horn that co-expressed the neuropeptide CGRP. In the spinal cord IFN-α was primarily expressed by astrocytes. Perfusion of spinal cord slices with IFN-α suppressed excitatory synaptic transmission by reducing the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSCs). IFN-α also inhibited nociceptive transmission by reducing capsaicin-induced internalization of NK-1 and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in superficial dorsal horn neurons. Finally, spinal (intrathecal) administration of IFN-α reduced inflammatory pain and increased pain threshold in naïve rats, whereas removal of endogenous IFN-α by a neutralizing antibody induced hyperalgesia. Our findings suggest a new form of neuronal-glial interaction by which IFN-α, produced by astrocytes, inhibits nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord.