bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time course and factors predicting arterial stiffness reversal in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma after adrenalectomy: prospective study of 102 patients
Authors: Liao Che-Wei , Lin Lian-Yu , Hung Chi-Sheng , Lin Yen-Tin , Chang Yi-Yao , Wang Shuo-Meng , Wu Vin-Cent , Wu Kwan-Dun , Ho Yi-Lwun , Satoh Fumitoshi , Lin Yen-Hung
Published: February 2016

Primary aldosteronism not only results in hypertension but also stiffer arteries. The time course and factors predicting the reversal of arterial stiffness after treatment are unclear. We prospectively enrolled 102 patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) from March 2006 to January 2012. We measured the pulse wave velocity (PWV) between brachial-ankle (baPWV) and heart-ankle (haPWV) before, 6 and 12 months after their adrenalectomy. After treatment, the PWV decreased significantly during the first 6 months (both p < 0.001), but no further reduction in the following 6 months. The determinant factors for baseline baPWV were age, duration of hypertension, and baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) in multivariate linear regression analysis, similar with baseline haPWV (determinants: age, duration of hypertension, baseline SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)). In multivariate linear regression analysis, the decrease in DBP at 6 months (ΔDBP0-6mo) and baseline baPWV were significantly associated with the decrease in baPWV at 6 months (ΔbaPWV0-6mo). The associated factors of the change in haPWV at 6 months (ΔhaPWV0-6mo) were baseline haPWV, ΔDBP0-6mo and change in log-transformed plasma renin activity. Our result suggested that reversal of arterial stiffness in APA patients occurred early after adrenalectomy and determined by baseline vascular condition, hemodynamic factors, and humoral factors.
Distribution of soil selenium in China is potentially controlled by deposition and volatilization?
Authors: Sun Guo-Xin , Meharg Andrew A. , Li Gang , Chen Zheng , Yang Lei , Chen Song-Can , Zhu Yong-Guan
Published: February 2016

Elucidating the environmental drivers of selenium (Se) spatial distribution in soils at a continental scale is essential to better understand it’s biogeochemical cycling to improve Se transfer into diets. Through modelling Se biogeochemistry in China we found that deposition and volatilization are key factors controlling distribution in surface soil, rather than bedrock-derived Se (<0.1 mg/kg). Wet deposition associated with the East Asian summer monsoon, and dry deposition associated with the East Asian winter monsoon, are responsible for dominant Se inputs into northwest and southeast China, respectively. In Central China the rate of soil Se volatilization is similar to that of Se deposition, suggesting that Se volatilization offsets it’s deposition, resulting in negligible net Se input in soil. Selenium in surface soil at Central China is roughly equal to low petrogenic Se, which is the main reason for the presence of the Se poor belt. We suggest that both deposition and volatilization of Se could play a key role in Se balance in other terrestrial environments worldwide.
Involvement of hormones in olfactory imprinting and homing in chum salmon
Authors: Ueda Hiroshi , Nakamura Shingo , Nakamura Taro , Inada Kaoru , Okubo Takashi , Furukawa Naohiro , Murakami Reiichi , Tsuchida Shigeo , Zohar Yonathan , Konno Kotaro , Watanabe Masahiko
Published: February 2016

The olfactory hypothesis for salmon imprinting and homing to their natal stream is well known, but the endocrine hormonal control mechanisms of olfactory memory formation in juveniles and retrieval in adults remain unclear. In brains of hatchery-reared underyearling juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression increased immediately after release from a hatchery into the natal stream, and the expression of the essential NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor increased during downstream migration. Gene expression of salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone (sGnRH) and NR1 increased in the adult chum salmon brain during homing from the Bering Sea to the natal hatchery. Thyroid hormone treatment in juveniles enhanced NR1 gene activation, and GnRHa treatment in adults improved stream odour discrimination. Olfactory memory formation during juvenile downstream migration and retrieval during adult homing migration of chum salmon might be controlled by endocrine hormones and could be clarified using NR1 as a molecular marker.
ARTD1 regulates osteoclastogenesis and bone homeostasis by dampening NF-κB-dependent transcription of IL-1β
Authors: Robaszkiewicz Agnieszka , Qu Chao , Wisnik Ewelina , Ploszaj Tomasz , Mirsaidi Ali , Kunze Friedrich A. , Richards Peter J. , Cinelli Paolo , Mbalaviele Gabriel , Hottiger Michael O.
Published: February 2016

While ADP-ribosyltransferase diphtheria toxin-like 1 (ARTD1, formerly PARP1) and its enzymatic activity have been shown to be important for reprogramming and differentiation of cells, such as during adipogenesis, their role and mechanism in regulating osteoclastogenesis and bone homeostasis are largely unknown. Here, in cell culture-based RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis models, we show that silencing of ARTD1 or inhibition of its enzymatic activity enhances osteoclast differentiation and function. As a consequence of ARTD1 silencing or inhibition, the recruitment of p65/RelA to the IL-1β promoter, which is associated with transcriptionally active histone marks, IL-1β expression and inflammasome-dependent secretion of IL-1β are enhanced. This subsequently promotes sustained induction of the transcription factor Nfatc1/A and osteoclastogenesis in an autocrine manner via the IL-1 receptor. In vivo, Artd1-deficient mice display significantly decreased bone mass as a consequence of increased osteoclast differentiation. Accordingly, the expression of osteoclast markers is enhanced in mutant compared to wild-type mice. Together, these results indicate that ARTD1 controls osteoclast development and bone remodelling via its enzymatic activity by modulating the epigenetic marks surrounding the IL-1β promoter and expression of IL-1β and subsequently also Nfatc1/A.
An ERp57-mediated disulphide exchange promotes the interaction between Burkholderia cenocepacia and epithelial respiratory cells
Authors: Pacello Francesca , D’Orazio Melania , Battistoni Andrea
Published: February 2016

Previous studies have demonstrated that extracellular glutathione reduces the ability of the Cystic Fibrosis pathogenBurkholderia cenocepaciato infect primary or immortalized epithelial respiratory cells. We report here that the adhesion and invasion ability ofB. cenocepaciais limited also by thiol-oxidizing and disulphide-reducing agents and by protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) inhibitors. PDI inhibitors also reduce the proinflammatory response elicited by cells in response toBurkholderia. These findings indicate that a membrane-associated PDI catalyzes thiol/disulphide exchange reactions which favor bacterial infection. The combined use of selective PDI inhibitors, RNA silencing and specific antibodies identified ERp57 as a major PDI involved in the interaction betweenB. cenocepaciaand epithelial cells. This study contributes to the elucidation of theBurkholderiapathogenic mechanisms by showing that this microorganism exploits a membrane-associated host protein to infect epithelial cells and identifies ERp57 as a putative pharmacological target for the treatment ofBurkholderialung infections.
Post mTBI fatigue is associated with abnormal brain functional connectivity
Authors: Nordin Love Engström , Möller Marika Christina , Julin Per , Bartfai Aniko , Hashim Farouk , Li Tie-Qiang
Published: February 2016

This study set out to investigate the behavioral correlates of changes in resting-state functional connectivity before and after performing a 20 minute continuous psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) for patients with chronic post-concussion syndrome. Ten patients in chronic phase after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with persisting symptoms of fatigue and ten matched healthy controls participated in the study. We assessed the participants’ fatigue levels and conducted resting-state fMRI before and after a sustained PVT. We evaluated the changes in brain functional connectivity indices in relation to the subject’s fatigue behavior using a quantitative data-driven analysis approach. We found that the PVT invoked significant mental fatigue and specific functional connectivity changes in mTBI patients. Furthermore, we found a significant linear correlation between self-reported fatigue and functional connectivity in the thalamus and middle frontal cortex. Our findings indicate that resting-state fMRI measurements may be a useful indicator of performance potential and a marker of fatigue level in the neural attentional system.
Laser-initiated primary and secondary nuclear reactions in Boron-Nitride
Authors: Labaune C. , Baccou C. , Yahia V. , Neuville C. , Rafelski J.
Published: February 2016

Nuclear reactions initiated by laser-accelerated particle beams are a promising new approach to many applications, from medical radioisotopes to aneutronic energy production. We present results demonstrating the occurrence of secondary nuclear reactions, initiated by the primary nuclear reaction products, using multicomponent targets composed of either natural boron (B) or natural boron nitride (BN). The primary proton-boron reaction (p + 11B → 3 α + 8.7 MeV), is one of the most attractive aneutronic fusion reaction. We report radioactive decay signatures in targets irradiated at the Elfie laser facility by laser-accelerated particle beams which we interpret as due to secondary reactions induced by alpha (α) particles produced in the primary reactions. Use of a second nanosecond laser beam, adequately synchronized with the short laser pulse to produce a plasma target, further enhanced the reaction rates. High rates and chains of reactions are essential for most applications.
Ultra-fast photo-carrier relaxation in Mott insulators with short-range spin correlations
Authors: Eckstein Martin , Werner Philipp
Published: February 2016

Ultra-fast spectroscopy can reveal the interplay of charges with low energy degrees of freedom, which underlies the rich physics of correlated materials. As a potential glue for superconductivity, spin fluctuations in Mott insulators are of particular interest. A theoretical description of the coupled spin and charge degrees of freedom is challenging, because magnetic order is often only short-lived and short-ranged. In this work we theoretically investigate how the spin-charge interactions influence the relaxation of a two-dimensional Mott-Hubbard insulator after photo-excitation. We use a nonequilibrium variant of the dynamical cluster approximation, which, in contrast to single-site dynamical mean-field theory, captures the effect of short-range correlations. The relaxation time is found to scale with the strength of the nearest-neighbor spin correlations and can be 10–20 fs in the cuprates. Increasing the temperature or excitation density decreases the spin correlations and thus implies longer relaxation times. This may help to distinguish the effect of spin-fluctuations on the charge relaxation from the influence of other bosonic modes in the solid.
Hyporesponsiveness to the anti-inflammatory action of interleukin-10 in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Barry Julianne C. , Shakibakho Soroush , Durrer Cody , Simtchouk Svetlana , Jawanda Kamaldeep K. , Cheung Sylvia T. , Mui Alice L. , Little Jonathan P.
Published: February 2016

Chronic low-grade inflammation contributes to the pathology and complications of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Interleukin-10 (IL10), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is suggested to play a protective role in T2D. However, the impact of T2D on IL10 function has not been previously assessed. We examined the ability of IL10 to inhibit inflammation in human T2D immune cells and explored underlying mechanisms using macrophage models. IL10 was less effective at inhibiting tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α secretion in T2D whole blood cultures, which was not explained by altered IL10 receptor surface expression. These findings were observed in macrophages exposed to high glucose, which demonstrated similar IL10 resistance or hyporesponsiveness. These findings were also not explained by changes in IL10 receptor protein or other downstream signaling proteins. High glucose was also shown to impair the ability of IL10 to activate STAT3, a downstream signaling protein of IL10. Treatment with the SHIP1 agonist, AQX-MN100, reversed IL10 hyporesponsiveness in macrophages cultured in high glucose and showed equal effectiveness at different glucose conditions. This data supports the idea that IL10 hyporesponsiveness may contribute to chronic inflammation in T2D. These novel findings suggest that strategies aimed to overcome IL10 hyporesponsiveness may hold therapeutic potential for reducing inflammation in T2D.
Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with a synthetic storage or reference layer: A new route towards Pt- and Pd-free junctions
Authors: Cuchet Léa , Rodmacq Bernard , Auffret Stéphane , Sousa Ricardo C. , Prejbeanu Ioan L. , Dieny Bernard
Published: February 2016

We report here the development of Pt and Pd-free perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJ) for STT-MRAM applications. We start by studying a p-MTJ consisting of a bottom synthetic Co/Pt reference layer and a synthetic FeCoB/Ru/FeCoB storage layer covered with an MgO layer. We first investigate the evolution of RKKY coupling with Ru spacer thickness in such a storage layer. The coupling becomes antiferromagnetic above 0.5 nm and its strength decreases monotonously with increasing Ru thickness. This contrasts with the behavior of Co-based systems for which a maximum in interlayer coupling is generally observed around 0.8 nm. A thin Ta insertion below the Ru spacer considerably decreases the coupling energy, without basically changing its variation with Ru thickness. After optimization of the non-magnetic and magnetic layer thicknesses, it appears that such a FeCoB/Ru/FeCoB synthetic storage layer sandwiched between MgO barriers can be made stable enough to actually be used as hard reference layer in single or double magnetic tunnel junctions, the storage layer being now a single soft FeCoB layer. Finally, we realize Pt- or Pd-free robust perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions, still keeping the advantage of a synthetic reference layer in terms of reduction of stray fields at small pillar sizes.
Serum Metabolic Profiling Reveals Altered Metabolic Pathways in Patients with Post-traumatic Cognitive Impairments
Authors: Yi Lunzhao , Shi Shuting , Wang Yang , Huang Wei , Xia Zi-an , Xing Zhihua , Peng Weijun , Wang Zhe
Published: February 2016

Cognitive impairment, the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related disability, adversely affects the quality of life of TBI patients, and exacts a personal and economic cost that is difficult to quantify. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism is currently unknown, and an effective treatment of the disease has not yet been identified. This study aimed to advance our understanding of the mechanism of disease pathogenesis; thus, metabolomics based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS), coupled with multivariate and univariate statistical methods were used to identify potential biomarkers and the associated metabolic pathways of post-TBI cognitive impairment. A biomarker panel consisting of nine serum metabolites (serine, pyroglutamic acid, phenylalanine, galactose, palmitic acid, arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, citric acid, and 2,3,4-trihydroxybutyrate) was identified to be able to discriminate between TBI patients with cognitive impairment, TBI patients without cognitive impairment and healthy controls. Furthermore, associations between these metabolite markers and the metabolism of amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates were identified. In conclusion, our study is the first to identify several serum metabolite markers and investigate the altered metabolic pathway that is associated with post-TBI cognitive impairment. These markers appear to be suitable for further investigation of the disease mechanisms of post-TBI cognitive impairment.
Impact of Mean Platelet Volume on Long-Term Mortality in Chinese Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Sun Xi-peng , Li Bo-yu , Li Jing , Zhu Wei-wei , Hua Qi
Published: February 2016

We investigated the association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and risk of all-cause mortality in Chinese patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). We enrolled 1836 patients with STEMI in Xuanwu Hospital from January 2008 to December 2013. Based on MPV, patients were categorized into the following groups: <9.5 fL (n = 85), 9.5–11.0 fL (n = 776), 11.1–12.5 fL (n = 811) and >12.5 fL (n = 164), respectively. Mean duration of follow-up was 56.9 months, and 197 patients (10.7%) died during follow-up. All-cause mortality rates were compared between groups. The lowest mortality occurred in patients with MPV between 9.5–11.0 fL, with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.15(95%CI 0.62–1.50), 1.38(95%CI 1.20–1.68), and 1.72(95%CI 1.41–1.96) in patients with MPV of <.5, 11.1–12.5 and >12.5 fL, respectively. Therefore, increased MPV was associated with all-cause mortality in Chinese patients with STEMI. MPV might be useful as a marker for risk stratification in Chinese patients with STEMI.
Dispensing of high concentration Ag nano-particles ink for ultra-low resistivity paper-based writing electronics
Authors: Wang Fuliang , Mao Peng , He Hu
Published: February 2016

Paper-based writing electronics has received a lot of interest recently due to its potential applications in flexible electronics. To obtain ultra-low resistivity paper-based writing electronics, we developed a kind of ink with high concentration of Ag Nano-particles (up to 80 wt%), as well as a related dispensing writing system consisting an air compressor machine and a dispenser. Additionally, we also demonstrated the writability and practical application of our proposed ink and writing system. Based on the study on the effect of sintering time and pressure, we found the optimal sintering time and pressure to obtain high quality Ag NPs wires. The electrical conductivity of nano-silver paper-based electronics has been tested using the calculated resistivity. After hot-pressure sintering at 120 °C, 25 MPa pressure for 20 minutes, the resistivity of silver NPs conductive tracks was 3.92 × 10−8 (Ωm), only 2.45 times of bulk silver. The mechanical flexibility of nano-silver paper-based electronics also has been tested. After 1000 bending cycles, the resistivity slightly increased from the initial 4.01 × 10−8 to 5.08 × 10−8 (Ωm). With this proposed ink preparation and writing system, a kind of paper-based writing electronics with ultra-low resistivity and good mechanical flexibility was achieved.
Rolling stones and turbulent eddies: why the bigger live longer and travel farther
Authors: Bejan Adrian
Published: February 2016

Here we report the discovery that even the simplest, oldest and most prevalent forms of evolutionary movement—rolling bodies and whirls of turbulence—exhibit the same body-size effect on life time and life travel as the evolutionary movement united by the body-size effect so far: animals, rivers, vehicles, jets and plumes. In short, the bigger should last longer and travel farther. For rolling bodies, the life span (t) and the life travel (L) should increase with the body mass (M) raised to the powers 1/6 and 1/3, respectively. The number of rolls during this movement is constant, independent of body size. For an eddy of turbulence, t should increase with the eddy mass (M) raised to the power 2/3, while L should increase with M2/3 times the bulk speed of the turbulent stream that carries the eddy. The number of rolls during the eddy life span is a constant independent of eddy size.
Dose- and time-dependent effects of actomyosin inhibition on live mouse outflow resistance and aqueous drainage tissues
Authors: Ko MinHee K. , Kim Eun Kyoung , Gonzalez Jose M. , Tan James C.
Published: February 2016

Actomyosin contractility modulates outflow resistance of the aqueous drainage tissues and intraocular pressure, a key pathogenic factor of glaucoma. We established methodology to reliably analyze the effect of latrunculin-B (Lat-B)-induced actin depolymerization on outflow physiology in live mice. A voltage-controlled microperfusion system for delivering drugs and simultaneously analyzing outflow resistance was tested in live C57BL/6 mice. Flow rate and perfusion pressure were reproducible within a coefficient of variation of 2%. Outflow facility for phosphate-buffered saline (0.0027 ± 0.00036 μL/min/mmHg; mean ± SD) and 0.02% ethanol perfusions (Lat-B vehicle; 0.0023 ± 0.0005 μL/min/mmHg) were similar and stable over 2 hours (p > 0.1 for change), indicating absence of a ‘washout’ artifact seen in larger mammals. Outflow resistance changed in graded fashion, decreasing dose- and time-dependently over 2 hours for Lat-B doses of 2.5 μM (p = 0.29), 5 μM (p = 0.039) and 10 μM (p = 0.001). Resulting outflow resistance was about 10 times lower with 10 μM Lat-B than vehicle control. The filamentous actin network was decreased and structurally altered in the ciliary muscle (46 ± 5.6%) and trabecular meshwork (37 ± 8.3%) of treated eyes relative to vehicle controls (p < 0.005; 5 μM Lat-B). Mouse actomyosin contractile mechanisms are important to modulating aqueous outflow resistance, mirroring mechanisms in primates. We describe approaches to reliably probe these mechanisms in vivo.
Modulation of oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation by combined biochemical and mechanical cues
Authors: Lourenço Tânia , Paes de Faria Joana , Bippes Christian A. , Maia João , Lopes-da-Silva José A. , Relvas João B. , Grãos Mário
Published: February 2016

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins play a key role during oligodendrogenesis. While fibronectin (FN) is involved in the maintenance and proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), merosin (MN) promotes differentiation into oligodendrocytes (OLs). Mechanical properties of the ECM also seem to affect OL differentiation, hence this study aimed to clarify the impact of combined biophysical and biochemical elements during oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation using synthetic elastic polymeric ECM-like substrates. CG-4 cells presented OPC- or OL-like morphology in response to brain-compliant substrates functionalised with FN or MN, respectively. The expression of the differentiation and maturation markers myelin basic protein — MBP — and proteolipid protein — PLP — (respectively) by primary rat oligodendrocytes was enhanced in presence of MN, but only on brain-compliant conditions, considering the distribution (MBP) or amount (PLP) of the protein. It was also observed that maturation of OLs was attained earlier (by assessing PLP expression) by cells differentiated on MN-functionalised brain-compliant substrates than on standard culture conditions. Moreover, the combination of MN and substrate compliance enhanced the maturation and morphological complexity of OLs. Considering the distinct degrees of stiffness tested ranging within those of the central nervous system, our results indicate that 6.5 kPa is the most suitable rigidity for oligodendrocyte differentiation.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2/angiotensin-(1–7)/Mas axis activates Akt signaling to ameliorate hepatic steatosis
Authors: Cao Xi , Yang Fangyuan , Shi Tingting , Yuan Mingxia , Xin Zhong , Xie Rongrong , Li Sen , Li Hongbing , Yang Jin-Kui
Published: February 2016

The classical axis of renin-angiotensin system (RAS), angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme (ACE)/Ang II/AT1, contributes to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the role of bypass axis of RAS (Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/Ang-(1–7)/Mas) in hepatic steatosis is still unclear. Here we showed that deletion of ACE2 aggravates liver steatosis, which is correlated with the increased expression of hepatic lipogenic genes and the decreased expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes in the liver of ACE2 knockout (ACE2−/y) mice. Meanwhile, oxidative stress and inflammation were also aggravated in ACE2−/y mice. On the contrary, overexpression of ACE2 improved fatty liver in db/db mice and the mRNA levels of fatty acid oxidation-related genes were up-regulated. In vitro, Ang-(1–7)/ACE2 ameliorated hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress and inflammation in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced HepG2 cells and what’s more, Akt inhibitors reduced ACE2-mediated lipid metabolism. Furthermore, ACE2-mediated Akt activation could be attenuated by blockade of ATP/P2 receptor/Calmodulin (CaM) pathway. These results indicated that Ang-(1–7)/ACE2/Mas axis may reduce liver lipid accumulation partly by regulating lipid-metabolizing genes through ATP/P2 receptor/CaM signaling pathway. Our findings support the potential role of ACE2/Ang-(1–7)/Mas axis in prevention and treatment of hepatic lipid metabolism.
Age, Dehydration, Respiratory Failure, Orientation Disturbance and Blood Pressure Score Predicts In-hospital Mortality in HIV-negative Non-multidrug-resistant Smear-positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Japan
Authors: Nagai Kenjiro , Horita Nobuyuki , Sato Takashi , Yamamoto Masaki , Nagakura Hideyuki , Kaneko Takeshi
Published: February 2016

The A-DROP scoring system was originally designed to assess clinical severity of community acquired pneumonia using the following parameters: advanced Age, Dehydration, Respiratory failure, Orientation disturbance (confusion); and, low blood Pressure. Total A-DROP score ranges zero to five assigning one point for each component, wherein five indicates the poorest prognosis. The purpose of this single-center retrospective study was to determine whether A-DROP could predict the risk for death in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. We reviewed consecutive HIV-negative, non-multidrug-resistant smear-positive adult pulmonary tuberculosis patients. The cohort consisted of 134 men (38.8%), 211 women (61.2%), 272 who discharged alive (28.8%) and 73 who died in-hospital (21.2%) with a median age of 72 (IQR: 54–82) years. A one-point increase in the A-DROP score was associated with a higher risk for in-hospital mortality with odds ratio of 3.8 (95% confidence interval 2.8–5.2, P < 0.001). The area under receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.86. The total score cutoff of 1.5 provided the best Youden Index of 0.61. Using this criteria, total score >1.5, sensitivity was 85% and specificity was 76%. Kaplan-Meier curve clearly indicated that in-hospital mortality increased with higher A-DROP scores (Log-rank test <0.001). In conclusion, A-DROP score clearly indicate pulmonary tuberculosis in-hospital mortality.
Pitfalls of haplotype phasing from amplicon-based long-read sequencing
Authors: Laver Thomas W. , Caswell Richard C. , Moore Karen A. , Poschmann Jeremie , Johnson Matthew B. , Owens Martina M. , Ellard Sian , Paszkiewicz Konrad H. , Weedon Michael N.
Published: February 2016

The long-read sequencers from Pacific Bioscience (PacBio) and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) offer the opportunity to phase mutations multiple kilobases apart directly from sequencing reads. In this study, we used long-range PCR with ONT and PacBio sequencing to phase two variants 9 kb apart in the RET gene. We also re-analysed data from a recent paper which had apparently successfully used ONT to phase clinically important haplotypes at the CYP2D6 and HLA loci. From these analyses, we demonstrate PCR-chimera formation during PCR amplification and reference alignment bias are pitfalls that need to be considered when attempting to phase variants using amplicon-based long-read sequencing technologies. These methodological pitfalls need to be avoided if the opportunities provided by long-read sequencers are to be fully exploited.
A new ether-based electrolyte for dendrite-free lithium-metal based rechargeable batteries
Authors: Miao Rongrong , Yang Jun , Xu Zhixin , Wang Jiulin , Nuli Yanna , Sun Limin
Published: February 2016

A new ether-based electrolyte to match lithium metal electrode is prepared by introducing 1, 4-dioxane as co-solvent into lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide/1,2-dimethoxyethane solution. Under the synergetic effect of solvents and salt, this simple liquid electrolyte presents stable Li cycling with dendrite-free Li deposition even at relatively high current rate, high coulombic efficiency of ca. 98%, and good anodic stability up to ~4.87 V vs Li RE. Its excellent performance will open up a new possibility for high energy-density rechargeable Li metal battery system.
A novel colorimetric/fluorescence dual-channel sensor based on NBD for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of cysteine and homocysteine in living cells
Authors: Shen Youming , Zhang Xiangyang , Zhang Youyu , Zhang Chunxiang , Jin Junling , Li Haitao , Yao Shouzhuo
Published: February 2016

A novel and simple turn-on fluorescent probe bearing NBD and benzaldehyde fragments for the rapid optical sensing of biothiols has been designed and synthesized.
Aryl-triazole foldamers incorporating a pyridinium motif for halide anion binding in aqueous media
Authors: Shang Jie , Zhao Wei , Li Xichen , Wang Ying , Jiang Hua
Published: February 2016

Aryl-triazole foldamers incorporating a pyridinium motif are shown to be strongly halide anion binding in aqueous solvent mixtures.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation from benzyl radicals: a reaction kinetics study
Authors: Sinha Sourab , Raj Abhijeet
Published: February 2016

The role of resonantly stabilized benzyl radicals in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene and anthracene) in high-temperature flame environments has been explored.
Zr-based metal–organic frameworks: design, synthesis, structure, and applications
Authors: Bai Yan , Dou Yibo , Xie Lin-Hua , Rutledge William , Li Jian-Rong , Zhou Hong-Cai
Published: February 2016

This review summarizes the advances in the study of Zr-based metal–organic frameworks in terms of their design, synthesis, structure, and potential applications.
ChemCam activities and discoveries during the nominal mission of the Mars Science Laboratory in Gale crater, Mars
Authors: Maurice S. , Clegg S. M. , Wiens R. C. , Gasnault O. , Rapin W. , Forni O. , Cousin A. , Sautter V. , Mangold N. , Le Deit L. , Nachon M. , Anderson R. B. , Lanza N. L. , Fabre C. , Payré V. , Lasue J. , Meslin P.-Y. , Léveillé R. J. , Barraclough B. L. , Beck P. , Bender S. C. , Berger G. , Bridges J. C. , Bridges N. T. , Dromart G. , Dyar M. D. , Francis R. , Frydenvang J. , Gondet B. , Ehlmann B. L. , Herkenhoff K. E. , Johnson J. R. , Langevin Y. , Madsen M. B. , Melikechi N. , Lacour J.-L. , Le Mouélic S. , Lewin E. , Newsom H. E. , Ollila A. M. , Pinet P. , Schröder S. , Sirven J.-B. , Tokar R. L. , Toplis M. J. , d'Uston C. , Vaniman D. T. , Vasavada A. R.
Published: February 2016

At Gale crater, Mars, ChemCam acquired its first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) target on Sol 13 of the landed portion of the mission (a Sol is a Mars day).
Polymer based sorbent materials for thermal ionization mass spectrometric determination of uranium(vi) and plutonium(iv) ions
Authors: Paul Sumana , Pandey Ashok K. , Shah Raju V. , Bhushan K. Sasi , Aggarwal Suresh K.
Published: February 2016

Polymeric material based sorbents have been developed for the single step matrix elimination and source preparation for TIMS analyses of U(vi) and Pu(iv) ions, preconcentrated from a variety of environmental and nuclear fuel reprocessing samples.
Synthesis, spectroscopy, structures and antimicrobial activity of mixed-ligand zinc(ii) complexes of 5-nitro-salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazones
Authors: Indoria Shikha , Lobana Tarlok S. , Sood Henna , Arora Daljit S. , Hundal Geeta , Jasinski Jerry P.
Published: February 2016

Zinc(ii)-thiosemicarbazone complexes have high antimicrobial activity against MRSA,S. aureus,K. pneumoniae,Sh. flexneri,S. typhimuriumandC. albicans.
Natural products-prompted chemical biology: phenotypic screening and a new platform for target identification
Authors: Kakeya Hideaki
Published: February 2016

This highlight focuses on our recent discoveries and chemical genetics approaches for bioactive microbial metabolites that target cancer cells, the cancer microenvironment, and cell membrane signalling. In addition, the development of two new platforms to identify the cellular targets of these molecules is also discussed.
Investigation on the structural, dielectric and impedance analysis of manganese substituted cobalt ferrite i.e., Co1−xMnxFe2O4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4)
Authors: Atif M. , Idrees M. , Nadeem M. , Siddique M. , Ashraf M. W.
Published: February 2016

The microstructure and cation distribution of Co1−xMnxFe2O4 were investigated and correlated with their electrical properties. Here, Mn substitution enhances the resistive properties which make them favorable for high-frequency applications.
Cytochrome c assembly on fullerene nanohybrid metal oxide ultrathin films
Authors: Yang Do-Hyeon , Shin Min Jae , Choi Sung Mook , Lee Chang-Soo , Shin Jae Sup
Published: February 2016

The immobilization of Cyt. c (cytochrome c) on C60 (fullerene) nanohybrid TiO2 (titanium dioxide) gel films assembled with C60, Ti(O–nBu)4 and Cyt. c was realized by a surface sol–gel process.
Multi-purpose overcoating layers based on PVA/silane hybrid composites for highly transparent, flexible, and durable AgNW/PEDOT:PSS films
Authors: Kim Seyul , Cho Ahra , Kim Soyeon , Cho Wonseok , Chung Moon Hyun , Kim Felix Sunjoo , Kim Jung Hyun
Published: February 2016

The highly flexible, transparent, and durable hybrid overcoating layer based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), that can be used as a multi-purpose protective coating for conducting films.
Simultaneous removal of dye and heavy metals in a single step reaction using PVA/MWCNT composites
Authors: Jagadish K. , Chandrashekar B. N. , Byrappa K. , Rangappa K. S. , Srikantaswamy S.
Published: February 2016

PVA/MWCNT composites are prepared by a simple ultrasonication method and used for the removal of methyl red dye and heavy metals. The methyl red dye formed hydrogen bonds with PVA polymers; simultaneously, the heavy metals are removed. The composites were found to be effective materials to remove the dye and heavy metals.
Correction: Water on Au sputtered films
Authors: Canning J. , Tzioumis N. , Beattie J. K. , Gibson B. C. , Ilagan E.
Published: February 2016

Correction for ‘Water on Au sputtered films’ by J. Canning et al., Chem. Commun., 2014, 50, 9172–9175.
Rapid intersystem crossings in anti bimanes
Authors: Chwee T. S. , Lim G. S. , Wong Z. C. , Sullivan M. B. , Fan W. Y.
Published: February 2016

First principles electronic structure calculations show that T2 in anti bimanes are effective conduits for very fast intersystem crossings from S1 into the triplet manifold.
Correction: Photon upconversion: from two-photon absorption (TPA) to triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA)
Authors: Ye Changqing , Zhou Liwei , Wang Xiaomei , Liang Zuoqin
Published: February 2016

Correction for ‘Photon upconversion: from two-photon absorption (TPA) to triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA)’ by Changqing Ye et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c5cp07296d.
Ionic self-assembly affords mesoporous ionic networks by crosslinking linear polyviologens with polyoxometalate clusters
Authors: Chen Guojian , Hou Wei , Li Jing , Wang Xiaochen , Zhou Yu , Wang Jun
Published: February 2016

Polyoxometalate-crosslinked mesoporous ionic networks were constructed by ionic self-assembly of linear cationic polyviologens with PMoV clusters, acting as highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts for the conversion of HMF to DFF with ambient O2.
Syntheses, structures, physical and electronic properties of quaternary semiconductors: Cs[RE9Cd4Se18] (RE = Tb–Tm)
Authors: Lin Hua , Chen Hong , Liu Peng-Fei , Yu Ju-Song , Zheng Yu-Jun , Ali Khan Muhammad , Chen Ling , Wu Li-Ming
Published: February 2016

Five new quaternary rare-earth selenides, Cs[RE9Cd4Se18] (RE = Tb–Tm) with closed cavities are reported.
Development and application of ligand-based NMR screening assays for γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase
Authors: Khan A. , Leśniak R. K. , Brem J. , Rydzik A. M. , Choi H. , Leung I. K. H. , McDonough M. A. , Schofield C. J. , Claridge T. D. W.
Published: February 2016

A 1H NMR based dual-reporter binding assay for γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBOX) reveals unexpected structure–activity relationships for isoquinoline-derived inhibitors.
Enhanced luminescence efficiency of aqueous dispersible NaYF4:Yb/Er nanoparticles and the effect of surface coating
Authors: Ansari Anees A. , Yadav Ranvijay , Rai S. B.
Published: February 2016

In a general approach, we designed and synthesized monodisperse, well-defined, highly emissive and aqueous dispersible NaYF4:Yb/Er upconversion nanoparticles, and thereafter their surfaces were coated with inert NaYF4 and silica layers.
Designing durable and flexible superhydrophobic coatings and its application in oil purification
Authors: Wang Nan , Lu Yao , Xiong Dangsheng , Carmalt Claire J. , Parkin Ivan P.
Published: February 2016

UHMWPE based superhydrophobic coating shows superior mechanical durability and flexibility.
Fast fuzzy anti‐collision protocol for the RFID standard EPC Gen‐2
Authors: Arjona L. , Landaluce H. , Perallos A. , Onieva E.
Published: February 2016

A new methodology which integrates fuzzy logic with RFID anti‐collision protocols is proposed. The resulting FuzzyQ protocol significantly decreases the identification time by updating the transmission frame size in a dynamic and adaptive way. Simulation results show the performance of FuzzyQ compared with earlier protocols based on the standard EPC Gen‐2.
Bias‐compensated affine‐projection‐like algorithms with noisy input
Authors: Zhao Haiquan , Zheng Zongsheng
Published: February 2016

A new class of bias‐compensated affine‐projection‐like (APL) algorithms is proposed, in which a bias‐compensation vector is derived to eliminate the bias caused by the noisy input. In addition, a new estimation method for the input noise variance is proposed which does not require the input–output noise variance ratio in advance. Simulations in a system identification context show that the proposed algorithms achieve significant improvements in steady‐state misalignment as compared with the conventional APL algorithms.
Efficient, 50 mV startup, with transient settling time <5 ms, energy harvesting system for thermoelectric generator
Authors: Sinha A.K. , Schneider M.C.
Published: February 2016

A prototype chip fabricated in 130 nm CMOS technology, designed to extract maximum power from a thermoelectric generator (TEG) is presented. In the measurements, the TEG is modelled by a voltage source (VTEG) with a series resistance of 5 Ω. The prototype is fully electric, starts from VTEG = 50 mV and it can extract 60% (at 50 mV) to 65% (at 200 mV) of the available power. Also by using present circuit schematic, an improved transient response of 3 ms (at 50 mV) and startup voltage of 50 mV is achieved.
Dual‐wideband microstrip antenna for LTE indoor base stations
Authors: Zhao Y.
Published: February 2016

In this Letter, a dual‐wideband microstrip antenna for long‐term evolution (LTE) applications is proposed. The antenna is fed by a single port, and designed to operate at 800–960 MHz and 1700–2700 MHz simultaneously. The antenna has a return loss of less than −14 dB for both frequency bands, and gain of 3–4 dBi at the lower band and 6–8 dBi at the higher band. The proposed antenna may find its applications in second generation (2G), 3G, 4G LTE and WiFi systems.
Prediction of common‐mode radiation from cables attached to PCB using imbalance difference and asymmetrical dipole antenna models
Authors: Sayegh A.M. , Jenu M.Z.M.
Published: February 2016

Cables attached to a PCB can produce a significant amount of unintentional common‐mode (CM) radiated emissions (REs). Therefore, it is important to predict these emissions at the design stage before the first prototype is fabricated to ensure time and cost savings. In this Letter, a novel method was proposed to estimate the CM RE from two cables attached to a PCB using the imbalance difference model and asymmetrical dipole antenna model. The proposed method consists of two steps: first, the induced CM voltages on the junctions between the cables and PCB are computed using the imbalance difference model; secondly, the CM REs are then estimated separately for each cable related to half of the ground plane using the asymmetrical dipole antenna model. The overall REs are then computed by the superposition of the RE from the two asymmetrical dipoles. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified by comparing the predicted results to both 3D high‐frequency structure simulator simulation results and measurement results taken in a semi‐anechoic chamber. A good agreement with the accuracy of more than 95% is observed for the upper bounds of the measured REs.
Electrically small 64th‐mode substrate‐integrated waveguide monopole antenna
Authors: Choudhury S. , Mohan A.
Published: February 2016

An electrically small substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna is investigated. The electrical size of the circular cavity SIW is reduced by repetitive segregation along the quasi‐magnetic wall to form 64th‐mode SIW antenna while maintaining comparable performance to the full‐mode SIW. The ground plane behind the antenna is removed to obtain quasi‐omnidirectional radiation pattern. The proposed antenna operates from 3.3 to 3.72 GHz making it suitable for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX‐IEEE 802.16) applications. S‐parameters and radiation patterns have been investigated by electromagnetic simulations and measurements. A realised peak gain of 4.1 dBi is obtained at the operating frequency of the antenna.
Cooperative jamming polar codes for multiple‐access wiretap channels
Authors: Hajimomeni Mona , Aghaeinia Hassan , Kim Il‐Min , Kim Kwihoon
Published: February 2016

The authors study cooperative security in the physical layer of wireless systems based on the recently developed polar codes for multiple access channel (MAC). Specifically, the authors first consider the case of a m‐user MAC with external eavesdropper. Using polar alignment, the authors formulate a discrete optimisation problem where security and reliability criteria can be handled separately over the bases of a set of deterministic binary matrices. A discrete algorithm with incrementally polynomial complexity is used to maximise the uniform sum secrecy rate of users. Moreover, the proposed coding scheme is shown to achieve strong security for any subset of users. The authors next examine the case of minimum number of cooperative helpers to fulfil a feasible secrecy rate requirement at the legitimate user. Here, a low‐complexity suboptimal algorithm is presented with at most one helper more than the optimal solution. Using Tal–Sharov–Vardy implementation of MAC polar codes, secure polar coding is implemented for a 2‐user Gaussian wiretap MAC channel. The upper and lower bound of block error probability are compared, respectively, at the legitimate receiver and the eavesdropper. The results demonstrate clearly that with sufficiently long block length, strong secrecy with respect to the eavesdropper is achieved, while block error probability approaches 0.5.
Convergence performance oriented data‐driven tuning method for parameterised controller design with cases investigation
Authors: Zhu Yu , Jiang Yi , Yang Kaiming , Hu Chuxiong , Mu Haihua
Published: February 2016

This study develops a data‐driven controller tuning scheme to iteratively achieve the desired objective criterion with significant improvement of the convergence performance. Differing from model‐based approaches, the controller is in a linear parameterisation form and the controller parameters are tuned by fully using available collection data to address the practical difficulty in obtaining accurate dynamic model. Specifically, the internal iterative behaviour between the current parameter and the optimal parameter is firstly analysed with mathematic expression. Moreover, a novel iterative law based on the behaviour is proposed, which has the ability to directly seek the global optimal parameter that minimises the objective criterion. Furthermore, an unbiased gradient approximation based on the Toeplitz matrix is developed to simplify the practical implementation. Case studies are conducted by both simulation and experiment, and the results consistently indicate that the proposed tuning scheme not only guarantees the parameter converging to global minimum, but also possesses an excellent convergence rate. The proposed strategy essentially provides a novel data‐driven controller tuning method and could be applied to practical applications.
Parsing fashion image into mid‐level semantic parts based on chain‐conditional random fields
Authors: Fan Wang , Qiyang Zhao , Baolin Yin , Tao Xu
Published: February 2016

In this study, the authors address the problem of parsing fashion images into mid‐level semantic parts including upper‐clothing, lower‐clothing, skin, hair and background. These mid‐level parts provide the regional information of fashion items and have potential value in high‐level parsing process. The key idea of the method is to parse the mid‐level parts by region expanding. Owing to the co‐occurrence of pose skeleton and the proposed parts, the region expanding process starts from the super‐pixels crossed by specific segments of pose skeleton. The super‐pixels are then merged with their neighbours by conditional inference based on their position and perceptual similarity. To avoid the difficulties of training on arbitrary graph structures, conditional random fields (CRFs) are constructed on super‐pixel chains, which are extracted from the generated expanding trees. This is followed by a voting stage to mix up the probabilities estimated by the chain‐CRFs to obtain the final result. Experiments on two datasets show that the new method outperforms related approaches in regional accuracy and has good generalisation capability. Furthermore, the method can be easily employed to improve the performance of high‐level parsing. Its effectiveness has been verified by another group of experiments on two state‐of‐the‐art high‐level parsing approaches.
The phase transition in VO2 probed using x-ray, visible and infrared radiations
Authors: Kumar Suhas , Strachan John Paul , Kilcoyne A. L. David , Tyliszczak Tolek , Pickett Matthew D. , Santori Charles , Gibson Gary , Williams R. Stanley
Published: February 2016

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a model system that has been used to understand closely occurring multiband electronic (Mott) and structural (Peierls) transitions for over half a century due to continued scientific and technological interests. Among the many techniques used to study VO2, the most frequently used involve electromagnetic radiation as a probe. Understanding of the distinct physical information provided by different probing radiations is incomplete, mostly owing to the complicated nature of the phase transitions. Here, we use transmission of spatially averaged infrared (λ = 1.5 μm) and visible (λ = 500 nm) radiations followed by spectroscopy and nanoscale imaging using x-rays (λ = 2.25–2.38 nm) to probe the same VO2 sample while controlling the ambient temperature across its hysteretic phase transitions and monitoring its electrical resistance. We directly observed nanoscale puddles of distinct electronic and structural compositions during the transition. The two main results are that, during both heating and cooling, the transition of infrared and visible transmission occurs at significantly lower temperatures than the Mott transition, and the electronic (Mott) transition occurs before the structural (Peierls) transition in temperature. We use our data to provide insights into possible microphysical origins of the different transition characteristics. We highlight that it is important to understand these effects because small changes in the nature of the probe can yield quantitatively, and even qualitatively, different results when applied to a non-trivial multiband phase transition. Our results guide more judicious use of probe type and interpretation of the resulting data.