bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Jak/STAT signaling reduces the activation of pancreatic stellate cells in vitro and limits caerulein-induced chronic pancreatitis in vivo
Authors: Komar Hannah M. , Serpa Gregory , Kerscher Claire , Schwoegl Erin , Mace Thomas A. , Jin Ming , Yang Ming-Chen , Chen Ching-Shih , Bloomston Mark , Ostrowski Michael C. , Hart Phil A. , Conwell Darwin L. , Lesinski Gregory B.
Published: May 2017

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a fibro-inflammatory disease leading to pain, maldigestion, and pancreatic insufficiency. No therapeutic options exist due to a limited understanding of the biology of CP pathology. Recent findings implicate pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) as prominent mediators of inflammatory and fibrotic processes during CP. Here, we utilized primary and immortalized PSC obtained from mice and patients with CP or pancreatic cancer to examine the effect of Jak/STAT and MAPK pathway inhibitionin vitro. The well-characterized caerulein model of CP was used to assess the therapeutic efficacy of Jak1/2 inhibitionin vivo. Treatment of cultured PSC with the Jak1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib reduced STAT3 phosphorylation, cell proliferation, and expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker of PSC activation. Treatment with the MAPK inhibitor, MEK162, had less consistent effects on PSC proliferation and no impact on activation. In the caerulein-induced murine model of CP, administration of ruxolitinib for one week significantly reduced biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis. These data suggest that the Jak/STAT pathway plays a prominent role in PSC proliferation and activation.In vivotreatment with the Jak1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib reduced the severity of experimental CP, suggesting that targeting Jak/STAT signaling may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for CP.
Breed, sex, and litter effects in 2-month old puppies’ behaviour in a standardised open-field test
Authors: Barnard Shanis , Marshall-Pescini Sarah , Pelosi Annalisa , Passalacqua Chiara , Prato-Previde Emanuela , Valsecchi Paola
Published: May 2017

A considerable number of studies have reported differences among dog breeds with respect to their genetic profile, cognitive abilities or personality traits. Each dog breed is normally treated as a homogeneous group, however, researchers have recently questioned whether the behavioural profile of modern breeds still reflects their historical function or if the intense divergent selective pressures and geographical barriers have created a more fragmented picture. The majority of studies attempting to assess and compare modern breeds’ personality focused on the evaluation of adult dogs where the potential effects of environmental/human factors on the dogs’ behaviour are hard to discern from their genetic heritage. In the following study, we aimed at investigating between- and within-breed differences in the personality of two-months-old puppies by direct behavioural observation of 377 puppies from 12 breeds. Results showed that there was no effect of sex, however both breed and litter, significantly affected all personality traits. Breed on average explained 10% of the variance, whereas the effect of litter was noticeably higher, explaining on average 23% of the variance. Taken together, our results suggest that breed does have some influence on personality traits, but they also highlight the importance of taking litter effects into account.
Operational lifetimes of organic light-emitting diodes dominated by Förster resonance energy transfer
Authors: Fukagawa Hirohiko , Shimizu Takahisa , Iwasaki Yukiko , Yamamoto Toshihiro
Published: May 2017

Organic light-emitting diodes are a key technology for next-generation information displays because of their low power consumption and potentially long operational lifetimes. Although devices with internal quantum efficiencies of approximately 100% have been achieved using phosphorescent or thermally activated delayed fluorescent emitters, a systematic understanding of materials suitable for operationally stable devices is lacking. Here we demonstrate that the operational stability of phosphorescent devices is nearly proportional to the Förster resonance energy transfer rate from the host to the emitter when thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules are used as the hosts. We find that a small molecular size is a requirement for thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules employed as phosphorescent hosts; in contrast, an extremely small energy gap between the singlet and triplet excited states, which is essential for an efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescent emitter, is unnecessary in the phosphorescent host.
Doped δ-bismuth oxides to investigate oxygen ion transport as a metric for condensed phase thermite ignition
Authors: Wang Xizheng , Zhou Wenbo , DeLisio Jeffery B. , Egan Garth C. , Zachariah Michael R.
Published: May 2017

Nanothermites offer high energy density and high burn rates, but are mechanistically only now being understood.
Ring-opened aminothienopyridazines as novel tau aggregation inhibitors
Authors: Moir M. , Chua S. W. , Reekie T. , Martin A. D. , Ittner A. , Ittner L. M. , Kassiou M.
Published: May 2017

Simplified aminothienopyridazine analogues were synthesised and their inhibition of tau protein aggregation assessed.
A PLA–TiO2 particle brush as a novel support for CuNPs: a catalyst for the fast sequential reduction and N-arylation of nitroarenes
Authors: Barot Nirav , Shaikh Tauhid , Kaur Harjinder
Published: May 2017

One pot synthesis of diarylamines from nitro arenes by sequential reduction and N-arylation.
Investigation of the corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in hydrochloric acid solution by using ginger roots extract
Authors: Gadow H. S. , Motawea M. M.
Published: May 2017

The inhibitive effect and adsorption behavior of ginger roots extract (GRE) on the corrosion of carbon steel in 1.0 M HCl solution at different temperatures were investigated.
Pyroglutamate-modified Aβ(3-42) affects aggregation kinetics of Aβ(1-42) by accelerating primary and secondary pathways
Authors: Dammers C. , Schwarten M. , Buell A. K. , Willbold D.
Published: May 2017

Fibrillary and monomeric pyroglutamate-modified amyloid-β(3-42) accelerates all individual reaction steps of full-length amyloid-β(1-42) and act as a subsequent seeding species.
Effects of the capping ligands, linkers and oxide surface on the electron injection mechanism of copper sulfide quantum dot-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Suárez Javier Amaya , Plata Jose J. , Márquez Antonio M. , Sanz Javier Fdez.
Published: May 2017

QDSCs are an effective alternative to fossil fuels. However, it is difficult to differentiate the effect of each component in optimization. DFT calculations are combined with a bottom-up approach to differentiate the effect of each component on the electronic structure and absorption spectra.
Towards a formal definition of static and dynamic electronic correlations
Authors: Benavides-Riveros Carlos L. , Lathiotakis Nektarios N. , Marques Miguel A. L.
Published: May 2017

Some of the most spectacular failures of density-functional and Hartree–Fock theories are related to an incorrect description of the so-called static electron correlation. Motivated by recent progress in the N-representability problem of the one-body density matrix for pure states, we propose a way to quantify the static contribution to the electronic correlation.
Growth of BiFeO3thin films by chemical solution deposition: the role of electrodes
Authors: Tomczyk Monika , Stroppa Daniel G. , Reaney Ian M. , Vilarinho Paula M.
Published: May 2017

BiFeO3(BFO) thin films were grown by chemical solution deposition on a range of electrodes to determine their role in controlling the phase formation and microstructure of the films.
Ni(ii)–N′NN′ pincer complexes catalyzed dehydrogenation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids and H2accompanied by alcohol etherification
Authors: Dai Zengjin , Luo Qin , Jiang Huan , Luo Qi , Li Hua , Zhang Jing , Peng Tianyou
Published: May 2017

Ni(L)catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohol/alkoxide to carboxylate with H2liberation.
Sensing of fluoride ions in aqueous media using a luminescent coordination polymer and liposome composite
Authors: Honjo Masayuki , Koshiyama Tomomi , Fukunaga Yumi , Tsuji Yasuhiro , Tanaka Motoki , Ohba Masaaki
Published: May 2017

Luminescent CPs and liposome composites exhibited a higher fluoride sensitivity associated with fluorescence quenching in a low fluoride concentration region, compared to that of bulk CPs.
Baseline toxicity and ion-trapping models to describe the pH-dependence of bacterial toxicity of pharmaceuticals
Authors: Baumer Andreas , Bittermann Kai , Klüver Nils , Escher Beate I.
Published: May 2017

The pH-dependence of cytotoxicity of diverse acidic, basic and multiprotic pharmaceuticals could be explained by baseline toxicity after invoking mixture effects of all species and delayed uptake of charged species.
Grinding-induced functionalization of carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles
Authors: Kasprzak Artur , Bystrzejewski Michał , Koszytkowska-Stawinska Mariola , Poplawska Magdalena
Published: May 2017

Carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles have been functionalized with various types of organic moieties using an eco-friendly and grinding-induced cycloaddition reaction.
A PEGylated deep eutectic solvent for controllable solvothermal synthesis of porous NiCo2S4 for efficient oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Jiang Jingyun , Yan Chuanyu , Zhao Xinhui , Luo Hongxia , Xue Zhimin , Mu Tiancheng
Published: May 2017

A PEGylated deep eutectic solvent was developed and used for one step solvothermal synthesis of NiCo2S4 for efficient oxygen evolution reaction.
Palladium(0)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] cyclization of 1,6-enynes with vinyl bromides: a highly diastereoselective synthesis of tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]furans bearing two quaternary carbon centers
Authors: Diao Yunxia , Zuo Zhijun , Wang Hui , Liu Jingjing , Luan Xinjun
Published: May 2017

A highly efficient method for the diastereoselective synthesis of cyclopenta[c]furans was developed by Pd(0)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] cyclization of 1,6-enynes with vinyl bromides.
Thermoelectric properties of β-As, Sb and Bi monolayers
Authors: Zhang Dong-Chen , Zhang Ai-Xia , Guo San-Dong , Duan Yi-feng
Published: May 2017

We systematically investigate the thermoelectric properties of β-As, Sb and Bi monolayers by combining first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory.
Quantum chemical calculation of electron ionization mass spectra for general organic and inorganic molecules
Authors: Ásgeirsson Vilhjálmur , Bauer Christoph A. , Grimme Stefan
Published: May 2017

The implementation of a novel tight-binding Hamiltonian within the QCEIMS program allows the first-principles based computation of EI mass spectra within a few hours for systems containing elements up to Z = 86.
Three-dimensional hierarchical metal oxide–carbon electrode materials for highly efficient microbial electrosynthesis
Authors: Cui M. , Nie H. , Zhang T. , Lovley D. , Russell T. P.
Published: May 2017

The production of hierarchical hybrid conductive materials that are mesoporous, with pores spanning from sub-microns to microns in size, is important for large-area electrode applications.
3D Au-decorated BiMoO6 nanosheet/TiO2 nanotube array heterostructure with enhanced UV and visible-light photocatalytic activity
Authors: Cai Jingsheng , Huang Jianying , Lai Yuekun
Published: May 2017

To develop an efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst electrode for environmental remediation, a novel ternary nanocomposite of an Au-decorated Bi2MoO6 nanosheet/TiO2 nanotube array (NTA) heterojunction was successfully fabricated for the first time via a facile solvothermal method combined with mussel-inspired functional modification of electrochemical polymerization of dopamine.
Y-Doped Na3V2(PO4)2F3 compounds for sodium ion battery cathodes: electrochemical performance and analysis of kinetic properties
Authors: Liu Wanqiu , Yi Hongming , Zheng Qiong , Li Xianfeng , Zhang Huamin
Published: May 2017

Y(yttrium) atoms are introduced into Na3V2(PO4)2F3 as a partial substitute for V(vanadium) to improve its intrinsic characteristics.
Advancements in infrared imaging platforms: complementary imaging systems and contrast agents
Authors: Zhao Xinyu , He Shuqing , Tan Mei Chee
Published: May 2017

Recent advancements in the design of complementary infrared (IR) fluorescence imaging systems and IR-emitting contrast agents are highlighted. The ability to maximize the full performance of any IR imaging platform relies on the thorough understanding of the requirements of the imaging system and physical characteristics of the complementary contrast agents.
Oral Language and Listening Comprehension: Same or Different Constructs?
Authors: Language and Reading Research Conso
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to add to our understanding of the dimensionality of oral language in children and to determine whether oral language and listening comprehension are separate constructs in children enrolled in preschool (PK) through 3rd grade.

Method

In the spring of the school year, children from 4 states (
N
= 1,869) completed multiple measures of oral language (i.e., expressive and receptive vocabulary and grammar) and listening comprehension as part of a larger study of the language bases of reading comprehension.

Results

Initial confirmatory factor analysis found evidence that measures of oral language and listening comprehension loaded on two separate factors in PK through 3rd grade; however, these factors were highly correlated at all grades.

Conclusions

These results suggest that oral language and listening comprehension are best characterized as a single oral language construct in PK through 3rd grade. The implications for early identification and intervention are discussed.
Rising influence of synthetic biology in regenerative medicine
Authors: Evans Angharad , Ratcliffe Elizabeth
Published: May 2017

Synthetic biology is an emerging area of research that combines the investigative nature of biology with the constructive nature of engineering. Despite the field being in its infancy, it has already aided the development of a myriad of industrially and pharmaceutically useful compounds, devices and therapies and is now being applied within the field of regenerative medicine. By combining synthetic biology with regenerative medicine, the engineering of cells and organisms offers potential avenues for applications in tissue engineering, bioprocessing, biomaterial and scaffold development, stem cell therapies and even gene therapies. This review aims to discuss how synthetic biology has been applied within these distinct areas of regenerative medicine, the challenges it faces and any future possibilities this exciting new field may hold.
Output integral sliding mode fault tolerant control scheme for LPV plants by incorporating control allocation
Authors: Hamayun Mirza T. , Ijaz Salman , Bajodah Abdulrahman H.
Published: May 2017

An integrated integral sliding mode fault tolerant control scheme is proposed for the linear parameter varying (LPV) plants in the output feedback framework. To estimate the unavailable plant states, an unknown input LPV observer is employed. The feedback and observer gains are designed using linear matrix inequalities approach to ensure closed‐loop stability nominally and in the situation of actuator faults/failures. An integral sliding modes approach in the LPV framework together with control allocation maintains the nominal performance in the presence of permissible set of actuator faults/failures. A rigorous closed‐loop stability analysis is carried out and to show the feasibility of the proposed approach it is tested in simulations on the non‐linear plant of a passenger aircraft.
Time‐varying control for exponential stabilisation of the Brockett integrator
Authors: Yih Chih‐Chen
Published: May 2017

This study investigates the time‐varying control for globally exponential stabilization of the Brockett integrator. Using the desired trajectory as a virtual control, the authors first illustrate the concept behind the control design and then propose an initial‐value‐dependent time‐varying control. While this time‐varying control offers a simple and analytic solution to the problem of exponential stabilisation for the Brockett integrator, it may fail if one of the initial states is zero. To resolve this initial‐value‐dependent issue, they develop a new time‐varying control to globally and exponentially stabilise the Brockett integrator to the origin without using any state or input transformation. They present the stability analysis and numerical results to verify the effectiveness of the proposed time‐varying stabilisation control.
Survey on semi‐tensor product method with its applications in logical networks and other finite‐valued systems
Authors: Lu Jianquan , Li Haitao , Liu Yang , Li Fangfei
Published: May 2017

This study presents a detailed survey on recent development of logical networks and its applications, including the background of logical networks, the theory of a new matrix product called semi‐tensor product (STP) of matrices, some fundamental works on logical networks, and some current research works. Particularly, some fundamental works on logical networks are presented for the past years, including controllability, stability and stabilisation, synchronisation, disturbance decoupling and so on. Due to the great potential of STP in dealing with logical networks, a surge of attraction from overseas is paid on the study of STP and its applications. Currently, some new research areas are widely studied including pinning control, function perturbations, system decomposition, trajectory control, output tracking issues, symbolic dynamics and so on. The main concern of this study is to present a comprehensive introduction to logical networks and some other applications under the framework of STP of matrices.
Analytical solutions to the matrix inequalities in the robust control scheme based on implicit Lyapunov function for spacecraft rendezvous on elliptical orbit
Authors: Tian Xiwen , Jia Yingmin
Published: May 2017

In this study, the problem of robust control for spacecraft rendezvous on elliptical orbit, which contains parameter uncertainties and external disturbances, is investigated based on the implicit Lyapunov function method. A state‐feedback controller is first designed, and its existence conditions are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) which should be solved in real time. An analytical solution to these LMIs is provided to greatly reduce the computational burden. On the basis of the state‐feedback analysis, an observer‐based output‐feedback controller is proposed, and it is proved finite‐time stable by constructing an analytical solution to the parameterised nonlinear matrix inequalities (NLMIs). The advantage brought by the proposed analytical solution is that whether these NLMIs hold only need to be checked at two points, while in previous researches they were supposed to be checked at infinite points. The effectiveness of the theoretical results is illustrated by simulation examples.
Sample reconstruction with deep autoencoder for one sample per person face recognition
Authors: Zhang Yan , Peng Hua
Published: May 2017

One sample per person (OSPP) face recognition is a challenging problem in face recognition community. Lack of samples is the main reason for the failure of most algorithms in OSPP. In this study, the authors propose a new algorithm to generalise intra‐class variations of multi‐sample subjects to single‐sample subjects by deep autoencoder and reconstruct new samples. In the proposed algorithm, a generalised deep autoencoder is first trained with all images in the gallery, then a class‐specific deep autoencoder (CDA) is fine‐tuned for each single‐sample subject with its single sample. Samples of the multi‐sample subject, which is most like the single‐sample subject, are input to the corresponding CDA to reconstruct new samples. For classification, minimum L2 distance, principle component analysis, sparse represented‐based classifier and softmax regression are used. Experiments on the Extended Yale Face Database B, AR database and CMU PIE database are provided to show the validity of the proposed algorithm.
Search for rings and satellites around the exoplanet CoRoT-9b using Spitzer photometry
Authors: Lecavelier des Etangs A. , Hébrard G. , Blandin S. , Cassier J. , Deeg H. J. , Bonomo A. S. , Bouchy F. , Désert J.-M. , Ehrenreich D. , Deleuil M. , Díaz R. F. , Moutou C. , Vidal-Madjar A.
Published: May 2017

Using Spitzer photometry at 4.5 microns, we search for rings and satellites around the long period transiting planet CoRoT-9b. We observed two transits in 2010 and 2011. From their non-detection, we derive upper limits on the plausible physical characteristics of these objects in the planet environment. We show that a satellite larger than about 2.5 Earth radii is excluded at 3σ for a wide range of elongations at the two epochs of observations. Combining the two observations, we conclude that rings are excluded for a wide variety of sizes and inclination. We find that for a ring extending up to the Roche limit, its inclination angle from the edge-on configuration as seen from the Earth must be lower than 13° in the case of silicate composition and lower than 3° in the case of material with water ice density.
Bile cast syndrome: Diagnosis and management, a case series
Authors: Mir Fahad , Jonnalagadda Sreenivasa
Published: May 2017

Background and study aims Bile cast syndrome (BCS) is a complication of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). It occurs in 4 % to 18 % of OLT recipients and can present as cholangitis and graft damage or loss. Twenty-two percent of patients with BCS require repeat OLT. The diagnosis and management of BCS can be challenging. Our aim is to share our experience with BCS and to briefly review the diagnosis and management of the condition.
Continuous use of low-dose warfarin for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection: a prospective study
Authors: Harada Hideaki , Suehiro Satoshi , Murakami Daisuke , Shimizu Takanori , Nakahara Ryotaro , Katsuyama Yasushi , Miyama Yasunaga , Tounou Shigetaka , Hayasaka Kenji
Published: May 2017

Background and study aims Patients who receive warfarin usually require heparin bridge therapy (HBT) to prevent thromboembolic events during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD); however, clinical evidence demonstrating the safety and efficacy of HBT during gastric ESD is limited. Conversely, warfarin can be continuously used as a substitute for HBT to endoscopic procedures which have a low risk of bleeding. This study aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of continuous low-dose warfarin (LDW) for gastric ESD.

Patients and methods This was a prospective observational study at a single institution. A total of 22 patients who received warfarin between December 2014 and January 2016 were enrolled. The patients were treated with gastric ESD with a low dose of warfarin ( ≤ 4 mg) at approximately 1.6 – 2.6 of the international normalized ratio (INR) levels. Furthermore, we analyzed a total of 23 patients with HBT who underwent gastric ESD between January 2011 and November 2014.

Results The average of warfarin dose and the INR level on the day of gastric ESD in the continuous LDW group were 2.3 mg/day (range 0.5 – 4.0) and 1.87 (range 1.41 – 2.75), respectively. Two of the 22 patients (9.1 %) in the continuous LDW group and 5 of the 23 patients (21.7 %) in the HBT group had postoperative bleeding after gastric ESD. Although the postoperative bleeding rate in the continuous LDW group was lower than that in the HBT group, no significant difference was observed between the 2 groups (P = 0.414).

Conclusions Gastric ESD with continuous LDW as a substitute for HBT was feasible and may be acceptable.
A trough for improved SFG spectroscopy of lipid monolayers
Authors: Franz Johannes , van Zadel Marc-Jan , Weidner Tobias
Published: May 2017

Lipid monolayers are indispensable model systems for biological membranes. The main advantage over bilayer model systems is that the surface pressure within the layer can be directly and reliably controlled. The sensitive interplay between surface pressure and temperature determines the molecular order within a model membrane and consequently determines the membrane phase behavior. The lipid phase is of crucial importance for a range of membrane functions such as protein interactions and membrane permeability. A very reliable method to probe the structure of lipid monolayers is sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Not only is SFG extremely surface sensitive but it can also directly access critical parameters such as lipid order and orientation, and it can provide valuable information about protein interactions along with interfacial hydration. However, recent studies have shown that temperature gradients caused by high power laser beams perturb the lipid layers and potentially obscure the spectroscopic results. Here we demonstrate how the local heating problem can be effectively reduced by spatially distributing the laser pulses on the sample surface using a translating Langmuir trough for SFG experiments at lipid monolayers. The efficiency of the trough is illustrated by the detection of enhanced molecular order due to reduced heat load.
Phase space distribution of Riemann zeros
Authors: Dutta Parikshit , Dutta Suvankar
Published: May 2017

We present the partition function of a most generic U(N) single plaquette model in terms of representations of a unitary group. Extremising the partition function in a large N limit, we obtain a relation between eigenvalues of unitary matrices and the number of boxes in the most dominant Young tableaux distribution. Since the eigenvalues of unitary matrices behave like coordinates of free fermions, whereas the number of boxes in a row is like conjugate momenta of the same, a relation between them allows us to provide a phase space distribution for different phases of the unitary model under consideration. This proves a universal feature that all the phases of a generic unitary matrix model can be described in terms of topology of free fermi phase space distribution. Finally, using this result and analytic properties of resolvent that satisfy the Dyson-Schwinger equation, we present a phase space distribution of unfolded zeros of the Riemann zeta function.
Design and analysis of an MR rotary brake for self-regulating braking torques
Authors: Yun Dongwon , Koo Jeong-Hoi
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a novel Magneto-rheological (MR) brake system that can self-regulate the output braking torques. The proposed MR brake can generate a braking torque at a critical rotation speed without an external power source, sensors, or controllers, making it a simple and cost-effective device. The brake system consists of a rotary disk, permanent magnets, springs, and MR fluid. The permanent magnets are attached to the rotary disk via the springs, and they move outward through grooves with two different gap distances along the radial direction of the stator due to the centrifugal force. Thus, the position of the magnets is dependent on the spin speed, and it can determine the magnetic fields applied to MR fluids. Proper design of the stator geometry gives the system unique torque characteristics. To show the performance of an MR brake system, the electromagnetic characteristics of the system are analyzed, and the torques generated by the brake are calculated using the result of the electromagnetic analysis. Using a baseline model, a parametric study is conducted to investigate how the design parameters (geometric shapes and material selection) affect the performance of the brake system. After the simulation study, a prototype brake system is constructed and its performance is experimentally evaluated. The experimental results show that the prototype produced the maximum torque of 1.2 N m at the rotational speed of 100 rpm. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed MR brake as a speed regulator in rotating systems.
Optical distortion correction of a liquid-gas interface and contact angle in cylindrical tubes
Authors: Darzi Milad , Park Chanwoo
Published: May 2017

Objects inside cylindrical tubes appear distorted as seen outside the tube due to the refraction of the light passing through different media. Such an optical distortion may cause significant errors in geometrical measurements using optical observations of objects (e.g., liquid-gas interfaces, solid particles, gas bubbles) inside the tubes. In this study, an analytical method using a point-by-point correction of the optical distortion was developed. For an experimental validation, the method was used to correct the apparent profiles of the water-air interfaces (menisci) in cylindrical glass tubes with different tube diameters and wall thicknesses. Then, the corrected meniscus profiles were used to calculate the corrected static contact angles. The corrected contact angle shows an excellent agreement with the reference contact angles as compared to the conventional contact angle measurement using apparent meniscus profiles.
Finite amplitude effects on drop levitation for material properties measurement
Authors: Ansari Hosseinzadeh Vahideh , Holt R. Glynn
Published: May 2017

The method of exciting shape oscillation of drops to extract material properties has a long history, which is most often coupled with the technique of acoustic levitation to achieve non-contact manipulation of the drop sample. We revisit this method with application to the inference of bulk shear viscosity and surface tension. The literature is replete with references to a “10% oscillation amplitude” as a sufficient condition for the application of Lamb's analytical expressions for the shape oscillations of viscous liquids. Our results show that even a 10% oscillation amplitude leads to dynamic effects which render Lamb's results inapplicable. By comparison with samples of known viscosity and surface tension, we illustrate the complicating finite-amplitude effects (mode-splitting and excess dissipation associated with vorticity) that can occur and then show that sufficiently small oscillations allow us to recover the correct material properties using Lamb's formula.
Investigation of machining mechanism of monocrystalline silicon in nanometric grinding
Authors: He Liping , Zhu Fulong , Liu Yuhong , Liu Sheng
Published: May 2017

Monocrystalline silicon is the foundation of the computer industry, so it has a great significance to study the ultra-high precision machining of silicon. Molecular dynamics has been proved as a very effective method for the study of ultra-precision machining in nanoscale. During the grinding of brittle materials in nano-level, there are some unique phenomena such as brittle-ductile transition. To study the machining mechanism in nanometric grinding of monocrystalline silicon, the subsurface damage of < 0 0 1 > oriented Monocrystalline silicon under different grinding speeds were investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The interactions between different atoms are described by the Morse and Tersoff potential. Based on analyzing the mechanism of diamond tool extrusion induced silicon lattice slip and distortion, the grinding process is explained. The movement of atoms and phase transformation are studied. The results show that there is not enough time for atoms beneath the tool to rearrange when increasing grinding speed at a low speed, which leads to the subsurface damage thickness decreases. When the diamond tool radius is small enough but still bigger than the undeformed chip thickness, the brittle-ductile transition can be achieved in the grinding region. And during the grinding process, the normal force is smaller than the tangential force. However, when the radius of the diamond tool increases to a certain value, the normal force could be larger than the tangential force.
Implantation of cobalt in SnO2 thin films studied by TDPAC
Authors: Schell Juliana , Lupascu Doru C. , Carbonari Artur Wilson , Mansano Ronaldo Domingues , Dang Thien Thanh , Vianden Reiner
Published: May 2017

Here we report time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) results of Co-doped SnO2 thin films. Making use of stable Co and radioactive 111In implanted at the Bonn Radioisotope Separator with energies of 80 keV and 160 keV, respectively, it was possible to study the dopant incorporation and its lattice location during annealing. The hyperfine parameters have been probed as a function of temperature in vacuum. Two quadrupole interactions were observed. At high temperatures the dominant fraction for the probe nuclei can be assigned to the Cd-incorporation at the cation substitutional site in a highly disordered structure, obtained after implantation, to high crystallinity for the measurements at 873 K and 923 K. The similarity in TDPAC spectra obtained in undoped SnO gives indirect evidence that In and Co diffuse to different depths during the annealing process. Other interpretations will be discussed.
Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for quality-graded Australian sheep meat
Authors: Tighe Kara , Cacho Oscar , Mounter Stuart , Villano Renato , Ball Alex , Pethick David , Fleming Euan
Published: May 2017

The present study investigated the influence of a quality-grading system, demographic information and consumption preferences on consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for sheep meat. Eating quality was defined by four grades developed by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) sheep meat-grading scheme. These grades were based on consumer palatability scores for cooked sheep-meat samples and described as 2-star (‘unsatisfactory’ quality), 3-star (‘good every day’ quality), 4-star (‘better than every day’ quality) and 5-star (‘premium’ quality). Currently, sheep-meat available in Australian retail outlets that meets MSA quality specifications is trademarked as ‘MSA graded’ and consists of lamb that falls into at least the 3-star quality band. There is no distinction made between 3-, 4- and 5-star-graded product. A challenge for marketers would be pricing the product by these three grades should finer-quality differentiation be adopted. The present study evaluated consumer WTP for the MSA quality grades and interactions with consumer demographic factors and consumption preferences. Results clearly showed that consumers were willing to pay less for the 2-star grade and more for 4- and 5-star grades, than for 3-star grade. Robust results for the impact of demographic and consumption preferences on WTP were limited to consumer age, occupation, income level and the interaction between MSA grade and consumer age.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Photoluminescent Properties of a Series of LnIII–CuI Heterometallic Coordination Polymers Based on Cu4I3 Clusters and Ln–ina Rod Units
Authors: Xia Chengcai , Xiong Gang , You Lixin , Ren Baoyi , Wang Shuju , Sun Yaguang
Published: May 2017

A novel series of LnIII–CuI heterometallic coordination polymers (HCPs) {[Ln2Cu4I3(ina)7(DMA)2]n·nDMA, Ln = La (1), Ce (2), Pr (3) Nd (4), Sm (5), Eu (6), Gd (7), Tb (8), Dy (9) Ho (10), Er (11), Yb (12), Hina = isonicotinic acid, DMA = N,N-dimethylacetamide} were synthesised by a solvothermal reaction. The structures of compounds 1–12 were characterised by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that 1–12 are isomorphous and are 3D heterometallic coordination polymers based on inorganic Cu4I3 clusters and Ln2(ina)7(DMA) rod units. In addition, the luminescent properties of compounds 5–9 have been investigated in detail. All of them exhibited green light emission due to the synergistic effects of characteristic emissions of lanthanide ions and iodide-to-copper charge transfer.
Aggregation of thrombin-derived C-terminal fragments as a previously undisclosed host defense mechanism
Authors: Petrlova Jitka , Hansen Finja C. , van der Plas Mariena J. A. , Huber Roland G. , Mörgelin Matthias , Malmsten Martin , Bond Peter J. , Schmidtchen Artur
Published: May 2017

Significance

The work summarized in this paper is based on the simple but unexpected observation that addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or bacteria to human wound fluids leads to precipitation of protein aggregates, a phenomenon not observed in plasma. Using a broad mix of technologies ranging from biophysical, biochemical, and microbiological methods to fluorescence and electron microscopy, and from in silico modeling to studies on wound materials, we demonstrate here a previously undisclosed role of C-terminal thrombin fragments of about 11 kDa, involving LPS- and bacteria-induced aggregation and scavenging, facilitating clearance and microbial killing. Our findings provide a link between the major coagulation factor thrombin, innate immunity, and amyloid formation.
Asp30 of Aspergillus oryzae cutinase CutL1 is involved in the ionic interaction with fungal hydrophobin RolA
Authors: Terauchi Yuki , Kim Yoon-Kyung , Tanaka Takumi , Nanatani Kei , Takahashi Toru , Abe Keietsu
Published: May 2017

Aspergillus oryzae hydrophobin RolA adheres to the biodegradable polyester polybutylene succinate-co-adipate (PBSA) and promotes PBSA degradation by interacting with A. oryzae polyesterase CutL1 and recruiting it to the PBSA surface. In our previous studies, we found that positively charged amino acid residues (H32, K34) of RolA and negatively charged residues (E31, D142, D171) of CutL1 are important for the cooperative ionic interaction between RolA and CutL1, but some other charged residues in the triple mutant CutL1-E31S/D142S/D171S are also involved. In the present study, on the basis of the 3D-structure of CutL1, we hypothesized that D30 is also involved in the CutL1–RolA interaction. We substituted D30 with serine and performed kinetic analysis of the interaction between wild-type RolA and the single mutant CutL1-D30S or quadruple mutant CutL1-D30S/E31S/D142S/D171S by using quartz crystal microbalance. Our results indicate that D30 is a novel residue involved in the ionic interaction between RolA and CutL1.
Regression of apoptosis-resistant colorectal tumors by induction of necroptosis in mice
Authors: He Gui-Wei , Günther Claudia , Thonn Veronika , Yu Yu-Qiang , Martini Eva , Buchen Barbara , Neurath Markus F. , Stürzl Michael , Becker Christoph
Published: May 2017

Cancer cells often acquire capabilities to evade cell death induced by current chemotherapeutic treatment approaches. Caspase-8, a central initiator of death receptor–mediated apoptosis, for example, is frequently inactivated in human cancers via multiple mechanisms such as mutation. Here, we show an approach to overcome cell death resistance in caspase-8–deficient colorectal cancer (CRC) by induction of necroptosis. In both a hereditary and a xenograft mouse model of caspase-8–deficient CRC, second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC) mimetic treatment induced massive cell death and led to regression of tumors. We further demonstrate that receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3), which is highly expressed in mouse models of CRC and in a subset of human CRC cell lines, is the deciding factor of cancer cell susceptibility to SMAC mimetic–induced necroptosis. Thus, our data implicate that it may be worthwhile to selectively evaluate the efficacy of SMAC mimetic treatment in CRC patients with caspase-8 deficiency in clinical trials for the development of more effective personalized therapy.
RankProd 2.0: a refactored bioconductor package for detecting differentially expressed features in molecular profiling datasets
Authors: Del Carratore Francesco , Jankevics Andris , Eisinga Rob , Heskes Tom , Hong Fangxin , Breitling Rainer
Published: May 2017

Motivation

The Rank Product (RP) is a statistical technique widely used to detect differentially expressed features in molecular profiling experiments such as transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics studies. An implementation of the RP and the closely related Rank Sum (RS) statistics has been available in the RankProd Bioconductor package for several years. However, several recent advances in the understanding of the statistical foundations of the method have made a complete refactoring of the existing package desirable.

Results

We implemented a completely refactored version of the RankProd package, which provides a more principled implementation of the statistics for unpaired datasets. Moreover, the permutation-based P-value estimation methods have been replaced by exact methods, providing faster and more accurate results.

Availability and implementation

RankProd 2.0 is available at Bioconductor (https://www.bioconductor.org/packages/devel/bioc/html/RankProd.html) and as part of the mzMatch pipeline (http://www.mzmatch.sourceforge.net).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Further Description of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Male Genitalia and New Genetic Evidence of Synonymy With Respect to the Anomalous Form, “Heliothis stombleri”
Authors: Balbi Emilia I. , Flores Fernando M. , Tosto Daniela S. , Arneodo Joel D.
Published: May 2017

The Helicoverpa/Heliothis complex can cause serious damage to agricultural crops. Phenotypic similarity makes it difficult to discriminate between closely related Helicoverpa species. Currently, morphology of the male genitalia complemented with molecular techniques constitutes the best approach for species identification. In this work, a broad microscopic examination of adult Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) males (n = 200) captured in central Argentina was carried out in order to provide a detailed description of the valvae and the phallus. A considerable degree of variability was recorded. Both rounded and sharp valve apices were observed and valvae were not always parallel-sided. Most evident differences were detected concerning the number of cornuti on the phallus. A range of 15–21 cornuti per phallus was recorded, the mode being 18. A significant minority of the samples (3.5%) displayed an abnormal genital condition showing a constricted phallus lacking cornuti, and pointed valvae. This form was initially attributed to a distinct species, Heliothis stombleri, and later proposed as a synonym of H. zea based on additional morphological observations and molecular studies. Here, a phylogenetic analysis combining mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) and nuclear (elongation factor –1 alpha) genes was performed on these and other Helicoverpa specimens collected in the same geographical region, in order to further verify the taxonomic status of H. stombleri. The tree topology clearly grouped H. stombleri with H. zea, supporting the assumption that the former represents, in fact, an anomalous form of the latter. Further experiments are needed to clarify the etiology of this anomaly and its persistence over time.
Epidural Neostigmine versus Fentanyl to Decrease Bupivacaine Use in Patient-controlled Epidural Analgesia during Labor
Authors: Booth Jessica L. , Ross Vernon H. , Nelson Kenneth E. , Harris Lynnette , Eisenach James C. , Pan Peter H.
Published: May 2017

Background

The addition of opioids to epidural local anesthetic reduces local anesthetic consumption by 20% but at the expense of side effects and time spent for regulatory compliance paperwork. Epidural neostigmine also reduces local anesthetic use. The authors hypothesized that epidural bupivacaine with neostigmine would decrease total hourly bupivacaine use compared with epidural bupivacaine with fentanyl for patient-controlled epidural analgesia.

Methods

A total of 215 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status II, laboring parturients requesting labor epidural analgesia consented to the study and were randomized to receive 0.125% bupivacaine with the addition of either fentanyl (2 μg/ml) or neostigmine (2, 4, or 8 μg/ml). The primary outcome was total hourly local anesthetic consumption, defined as total patient-controlled epidural analgesia use and top-ups (expressed as milliliters of 0.125% bupivacaine) divided by the infusion duration. A priori analysis determined a group size of 35 was needed to have 80% power at α = 0.05 to detect a 20% difference in the primary outcome.

Results

Of 215 subjects consented, 151 patients were evaluable. Demographics, maternal and fetal outcomes, and labor characteristics were similar among groups. Total hourly local anesthetic consumption did not differ among groups (P = 0.55). The total median hourly bupivacaine consumption in the fentanyl group was 16.0 ml/h compared with 15.3, 14.6, and 16.2 ml/h in the 2, 4, and 8 μg/ml neostigmine groups, respectively (P = 0.55).

Conclusions

The data do not support any difference in bupivacaine requirements for labor patient-controlled epidural analgesia whether patients receive epidural bupivacaine with 2 to 8 μg/ml neostigmine or epidural bupivacaine with 2 μg/ml fentanyl.
Nodular Sclerodermatous Chronic Cutaneous Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GvHD): A New Clinicopathological Variant of Cutaneous Sclerodermatous GvHD Resembling Nodular/Keloidal Scleroderma
Authors: Prieto-Torres Lucía , Boggio Francesca , Gruber-Wackernagel Alexandra , Cerroni Lorenzo
Published: May 2017

Cutaneous chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) has a broad spectrum of clinicopathological presentations, the most common ones being poikiloderma, lichen planus–like eruptions, lichen sclerosus–like lesions, morphea-like plaques, and deep sclerosis. New forms of chronic cutaneous GvHD with different clinicopathological characteristics have been described, most of them mimicking cutaneous manifestations of autoimmune diseases. We report the case of a 35-year-old man who underwent allogenic stem cell transplantation for a therapy-associated acute myeloid leukemia and developed an acute GvHD with involvement of skin and gastrointestinal tract. He subsequently presented with chronic sclerodermatous cutaneous GvHD, followed by the appearance of indurated erythematous papules and plaques located on his back, resembling the nodular/keloidal form of cutaneous scleroderma on both clinical and histopathological grounds. This peculiar clinicopathologic presentation of chronic cutaneous GvHD was never described previously.
Annular Lichenoid Dermatitis (of Youth): Report of a Case With Lichen Planus-Like Features
Authors: Cesinaro Anna M.
Published: May 2017

Annular lichenoid dermatitis of youth (ALDY), a dermatosis with peculiar clinical and pathological features, represents still a debated entity, given its similarity, among others, with mycosis fungoides. A case of ALDY in a 50-year-old male patient is reported. Clinically, the patient presented an oval scleroderma-like plaque on the right flank. Histology and immunohistochemistry showed the classic appearance described in ALDY. T-cell receptor rearrangement was absent. Interestingly, a focus consistent with lichen planus was observed. The lesion resolved with topical steroids and at a follow-up of 24 months no recurrence has been registered. The case described herein supports the hypothesis that ALDY is a reactive lichenoid dermatosis, closely related to lichen planus.