bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enriched retinal ganglion cells derived from human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Gill Katherine P. , Hung Sandy S. C. , Sharov Alexei , Lo Camden Y. , Needham Karina , Lidgerwood Grace E. , Jackson Stacey , Crombie Duncan E. , Nayagam Bryony A. , Cook Anthony L. , Hewitt Alex W. , Pébay Alice , Wong Raymond C. B.
Published: August 2016

Optic neuropathies are characterised by a loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that lead to vision impairment. Development of cell therapy requires a better understanding of the signals that direct stem cells into RGCs. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) represent an unlimited cellular source for generation of human RGCs in vitro. In this study, we present a 45-day protocol that utilises magnetic activated cell sorting to generate enriched population of RGCs via stepwise retinal differentiation using hESCs. We performed an extensive characterization of these stem cell-derived RGCs by examining the gene and protein expressions of a panel of neural/RGC markers. Furthermore, whole transcriptome analysis demonstrated similarity of the hESC-derived RGCs to human adult RGCs. The enriched hESC-RGCs possess long axons, functional electrophysiological profiles and axonal transport of mitochondria, suggestive of maturity. In summary, this RGC differentiation protocol can generate an enriched population of functional RGCs from hESCs, allowing future studies on disease modeling of optic neuropathies and development of cell therapies.
Entanglement revive and information flow within the decoherent environment
Authors: Shi Jia-dong , Wang Dong , Ye Liu
Published: August 2016

In this paper, the dynamics of entanglement is investigated in the presence of a noisy environment. We reveal its revival behavior and probe the mechanisms of this behavior via an information-theoretic approach. By analyzing the correlation distribution and the information flow within the composite system including the qubit subsystem and a noisy environment, it has been found that the subsystem-environment coupling can induce the quasi-periodic entanglement revival. Furthermore, the dynamical relationship among tripartite correlations, bipartite entanglement and local state information is explored, which provides a new insight into the non-Markovian mechanisms during the evolution.
Microfabric Vessels for Embryoid Body Formation and Rapid Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Sato Hiroki , Idiris Alimjan , Miwa Tatsuaki , Kumagai Hiromichi
Published: August 2016

Various scalable three-dimensional culture systems for regenerative medicine using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been developed to date. However, stable production of hiPSCs with homogeneous qualities still remains a challenge. Here, we describe a novel and simple embryoid body (EB) formation system using unique microfabricated culture vessels. Furthermore, this culture system is useful for high throughput EB formation and rapid generation of differentiated cells such as neural stem cells (NSCs) from hiPSCs. The period of NSC differentiation was significantly shortened under high EB density culture conditions. Simultaneous mass production of a pure population of NSCs was possible within 4 days. These results indicate that the novel culture system might not only become a unique tool to obtain new insights into developmental biology based on human stem cells, but also provide an important tractable platform for efficient and stable production of NSCs for clinical applications.
Carbon nanorings with inserted acenes: breaking symmetry in excited state dynamics
Authors: Franklin-Mergarejo R. , Alvarez D. Ondarse , Tretiak S. , Fernandez-Alberti S.
Published: August 2016

Conjugated cycloparaphenylene rings have unique electronic properties being the smallest segments of carbon nanotubes. Their conjugated backbones support delocalized electronic excitations, which dynamics is strongly influenced by cyclic geometry. Here we present a comparative theoretical study of the electronic and vibrational energy relaxation and redistribution in photoexcited cycloparaphenylene carbon nanorings with inserted naphthalene, anthracene, and tetracene units using non-adiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics simulations. Calculated excited state structures reflect modifications of optical selection rules and appearance of low-energy electronic states localized on the acenes due to gradual departure from a perfect circular symmetry. After photoexcitation, an ultrafast electronic energy relaxation to the lowest excited state is observed on the time scale of hundreds of femtoseconds in all molecules studied. Concomitantly, the efficiency of the exciton trapping in the acene raises when moving from naphthalene to anthracene and to tetracene, being negligible in naphthalene, and ~60% and 70% in anthracene and tetracene within the first 500 fs after photoexcitation. Observed photoinduced dynamics is further analyzed in details using induced molecular distortions, delocatization properties of participating electronic states and non-adiabatic coupling strengths. Our results provide a number of insights into design of cyclic molecular systems for electronic and light-harvesting applications.
Voltage controlled core reversal of fixed magnetic skyrmions without a magnetic field
Authors: Bhattacharya Dhritiman , Al-Rashid Md Mamun , Atulasimha Jayasimha
Published: August 2016

Using micromagnetic simulations we demonstrate core reversal of a fixed magnetic skyrmion by modulating the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of a nanomagnet with an electric field. We can switch reversibly between two skyrmion states and two ferromagnetic states, i.e. skyrmion states with the magnetization of the core pointing down/up and periphery pointing up/down and ferromagnetic states with magnetization pointing up/down, by sequential increase and decrease of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The switching between these states is explained by the fact that the spin texture corresponding to each of these stable states minimizes the sum of the magnetic anisotropy, demagnetization, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and exchange energies. This could lead to the possibility of energy efficient nanomagnetic memory and logic devices implemented with fixed skyrmions without using a magnetic field and without moving skyrmions with a current.
Birthweight percentiles for twin birth neonates by gestational age in China
Authors: Zhang Bin , Cao Zhongqiang , Zhang Yiming , Yao Cong , Xiong Chao , Zhang Yaqi , Wang Youjie , Zhou Aifen
Published: August 2016

Localized birthweight references for gestational ages serve as an essential tool in accurate evaluation of atypical birth outcomes. Such references for twin births are currently not available in China. The aim of this study was to construct up-to-data sex specific birth weight references by gestational ages for twin births in China. We conducted a population-based analysis on the data of 22,507 eligible living twin infants with births dated between 8/01/2006 and 8/31/2015 from all 95 hospitals within the Wuhan area. Gestational ages in complete weeks were determined using a combination of last-menstrual-period based (LMP) estimation and ultrasound examination. Smoothed percentile curves were created by the Lambda Mu Sigma (LMS) method. Reference of the 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th percentiles birth weight by sex and gestational age were made using 11,861 male and 10,646 female twin newborns with gestational age 26–42 weeks. Separate birthweight percentiles curves for male and female twins were constructed. In summary, our study firstly presents percentile curves of birthweight by gestational age for Chinese twin neonates. Further research is required for the validation and implementation of twin birthweight curves into clinical practice.
Nitrogen can improve the rapid response of photosynthesis to changing irradiance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants
Authors: Sun Jiali , Ye Miao , Peng Shaobing , Li Yong
Published: August 2016

To identify the effect of nitrogen (N) nutrition on the dynamic photosynthesis of rice plants, a pot experiment was conducted under two N conditions. The leaf N and chlorophyll levels, as well as steady–state photosynthesis, were significantly increased under high N. After the transition from saturating to low light levels, decreases in the induction state (IS%) of leaf photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) were more severe under low than under high N supply. After the transition from low to flecked irradiance, the times to 90% of maximumA(T90%A) were significantly longer under low than under high N supply. Under flecked irradiance, the maximumAunder saturating light (Amax–fleck) and the steady–stateAunder low light (Amin–fleck) were both lower than those under uniform irradiance (AsatandAinitial). Under high N supply,Amax–fleckwas 14.12% lower thanAsat, while it was 22.80% lower under low N supply. The higherIS%, shorter T90%A, and the lower depression ofAmax–fleckfromAsatunder high N supply led to a less carbon loss compared with under a low N supply. Therefore, we concluded that N can improve the rapid response of photosynthesis to changing irradiance.
Controlled creation and displacement of charged domain walls in ferroelectric thin films
Authors: Feigl L. , Sluka T. , McGilly L. J. , Crassous A. , Sandu C. S. , Setter N.
Published: August 2016

Charged domain walls in ferroelectric materials are of high interest due to their potential use in nanoelectronic devices. While previous approaches have utilized complex scanning probe techniques or frustrative poling here we show the creation of charged domain walls in ferroelectric thin films during simple polarization switching using either a conductive probe tip or patterned top electrodes. We demonstrate that ferroelectric switching is accompanied - without exception - by the appearance of charged domain walls and that these walls can be displaced and erased reliably. We ascertain from a combination of scanning probe microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and phase field simulations that creation of charged domain walls is a by-product of and as such is always coupled to, ferroelectric switching. This is due to the (110) orientation of the tetragonal (Pb,Sr)TiO3 thin films and the crucial role played by the limited conduction of the LSMO bottom electrode layer used in this study. This work highlights that charged domain walls, far from being exotic, unstable structures, as might have been assumed previously, can be robust, stable easily-controlled features in ferroelectric thin films.
Scalable hybrid chemical manufacture to photothermal therapy: PEG-capped phototransducers
Authors: Byeon Jeong Hoon
Published: August 2016

Ag-TiO2@polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanoparticles were continuously obtained in a single-pass configuration by appropriately reacting freshly flame-synthesized TiO2 with Ag formed in an ultrasonic aqueous medium containing PEG. When the proposed synthesis was kept constant, the production rate for Ag-TiO2@PEG nanoparticles reached approximately 3 g/h while only using a combination of a lab-scale inverse-diffusion flame (16 mm head diameter) and an ultrasonic Ag(I) cell (50 mL). The synthesized nanoparticles were employed as inducers for in vitro photoinduced therapy to kill cancer cells at different light wavelengths. Measurements of the nanoparticle cytotoxicity revealed that PEG incorporation with the Ag-TiO2 particles significantly decreased the cytotoxicity (cell viability of more than ~91% at 200 μg mL−1 particle concentration) of Ag, and this was comparable with that of TiO2 particles (cell viability of more than ~90%). When 632 nm and 808 nm light was applied to the nanoparticles in the HeLa cells, the viability of the cells was significantly affected [decreased to ~4% (632 nm) and ~26% (808 nm) at 200 μg mL−1, 5 min irradiation time] by surface plasmon resonance heating and photothermal therapy.
Size dependence of structural parameters in fcc and hcp Ru nanoparticles, revealed by Rietveld refinement analysis of high-energy X-ray diffraction data
Authors: Song Chulho , Sakata Osami , Kumara Loku Singgappulige Rosantha , Kohara Shinji , Yang Anli , Kusada Kohei , Kobayashi Hirokazu , Kitagawa Hiroshi
Published: August 2016

To reveal the origin of the CO oxidation activity of Ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru NPs), we structurally characterized Ru NPs through Rietveld refinement analysis of high-energy X-ray diffraction data. For hexagonal close-packed (hcp) Ru NPs, the CO oxidation activity decreased with decreasing domain surface area. However, for face-centered cubic (fcc) Ru NPs, the CO oxidation activity became stronger with decreasing domain surface area. In comparing fcc Ru NPs with hcp Ru NPs, we found that the hcp Ru NPs of approximately 2 nm, which had a smaller domain surface area and smaller atomic displacement, showed a higher catalytic activity than that of fcc Ru NPs of the same size. In contrast, fcc Ru NPs larger than 3.5 nm, which had a larger domain surface area, lattice distortion and larger atomic displacement, exhibited higher catalytic activity than that of hcp Ru NPs of the same size. In addition, the fcc Ru NPs had larger atomic displacements than hcp Ru NPs for diameters ranging from 2.2 to 5.4 nm. Enhancement of the CO oxidation activity in fcc Ru NPs may be caused by an increase in imperfections due to lattice distortions of close-packed planes and static atomic displacements.
Contribution of prostanoid signaling to the evolution of spreading depolarization and the associated cerebral blood flow response
Authors: Varga Dániel Péter , Puskás Tamás , Menyhárt Ákos , Hertelendy Péter , Zölei-Szénási Dániel , Tóth Réka , Ivánkovits-Kiss Orsolya , Bari Ferenc , Farkas Eszter
Published: August 2016

The significance of prostanoid signaling in neurovascular coupling during somatosensory stimulation is increasingly more appreciated, yet its involvement in mediating the cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to spreading depolarization (SD) has remained inconclusive. Selective cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme inhibitors (NS-398, SC-560) or an antagonist (L161,982) of the EP4 type prostaglandin E2 receptor were applied topically to a cranial window over the parietal cortex of isoflurane-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 60). Global forebrain ischemia was induced by occlusion of both common carotid arteries in half of the animals. SDs were triggered by the topical application of 1M KCl. SD occurrence was confirmed by the acquisition of DC potential and CBF variations were recorded by laser-Doppler flowmetry. EP4 receptor antagonism significantly decreased peak hyperemia and augmented post-SD oligemia in the intact but not in the ischemic cortex. COX-1 inhibition and EP4 receptor blockade markedly delayed repolarization after SD in the ischemic but not in the intact brain. COX-2 inhibition achieved no significant effect on any of the end points taken. The data suggest, that activation of EP4 receptors initiates vasodilation in response to SD in the intact brain and – together with COX-1 derived prostanoids – shortens SD duration in the acute phase of ischemia.
Self-templating synthesis of a fluorescent porphyrin doped poly(methyl methacrylate) nano-array and its HCl gas sensing properties
Authors: Kang Wei-min , Ma Xiao-min , Hu Min , Jia Zhi-xia , Liu Hao , Cheng Bo-wen
Published: August 2016

A highly ordered 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin doped poly(methyl methacrylate) nano-array was developed via a facile self-templating synthesis method, which improves the sensitivity of the HCl gas sensor to the ppm-level.
A fluorogenic and chromogenic dual sensor for the detection of cyanide and copper(ii) in water samples and living cells
Authors: Ebaston T. M. , Balamurugan G. , Velmathi S.
Published: August 2016

Here we describe a simple fluorescent sensor based on intra molecular charge transfer to detect cyanide in aqueous media selectively with a very good detection limit and cascade recognition of aq. copper(ii) ions.
LC-MS/MS quantification of dimethyl fumarate and methyl hydrogen fumarate in rat blood using tiopronin as trapping reagent
Authors: Junnotula Venkatraman , Licea-Perez Hermes
Published: August 2016

Trapping approach is utilized to overcome analytical challenges associated with the quantification of dimethyl fumarate in the biological matrices.
Encapsulated feeder cells within alginate beads for ex vivo expansion of cord blood-derived CD34+cells
Authors: Pan Xiuwei , Sun Qiong , Cai Haibo , Gao Yun , Tan Wensong , Zhang Weian
Published: August 2016

A co-culture system based on encapsulated feeder cells within alginate beads was developed through optimizing the detailed aspects of the cell culture system to expand CD34-positive (CD34+) cellsex vivo.
Synthesis, characterization and in vitro biocompatibility assessment of a novel tripeptide hydrogelator, as a promising scaffold for tissue engineering applications
Authors: Pospišil Tihomir , Ferhatović Hamzić Lejla , Brkić Ahmed Lada , Lovrić Marija , Gajović Srećko , Frkanec Leo
Published: August 2016

The supramolecular self-assembles of a simple tripeptide Ac-l-Phe-l-Phe-l-Ala-NH2form a hydrogel matrix which may serve as the cell growth medium.
Towards flexible binderless anodes: silicon/carbon fabrics via double-nozzle electrospinning
Authors: Li Changling , Liu Chueh , Wang Wei , Bell Jeffrey , Mutlu Zafer , Ahmed Kazi , Ye Rachel , Ozkan Mihrimah , Ozkan Cengiz S.
Published: August 2016

Flexible electrodes (C–Si/C) composed of Si/C fibers trapped in carbon fiber frames via double-nozzle electrospinning improve the cycling stability and rate capability of Si/C fabrics.
On the cobalt and cobalt oxide electrodeposition from a glyceline deep eutectic solvent
Authors: Sakita Alan M. P. , Della Noce Rodrigo , Fugivara Cecílio S. , Benedetti Assis V.
Published: August 2016

The electrodeposition of cobalt and cobalt oxides from a glyceline deep eutectic solvent is reported.
Lipid bilayer permeation of aliphatic amine and carboxylic acid drugs: rates of insertion, translocation and dissociation from MD simulations
Authors: Oruç Tuğçe , Küçük Sami Emre , Sezer Deniz
Published: August 2016

The overabundance of drugs containing aliphatic amine and carboxylic acid groups is rationalized in terms of their membrane permeability.
Decatungstate acid improves the photo-induced electron lifetime and retards the recombination in dye sensitized solar cells
Authors: Li Liang , Yang Yulin , Fan Ruiqing , Liu Jian , Jiang Yanxia , Yang Bin , Cao Wenwu
Published: August 2016

Decatungstate acid (DA) was utilized to modify TiO2 in the photoanode of dye sensitized solar cells.
Concluding Remarks: Anisotropy: the good, the “bad” and …
Authors: Xia Younan
Published: August 2016

The 191st Faraday Discussion meeting on “Nanoparticles with Morphological and Functional Anisotropy” offers a broad range of new insights into an interdisciplinary research field converged at the forefronts of chemistry, colloid science, and materials science. It was held on the campus of University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Across the street of the meeting place, one could see a large portrait of Thomas Graham, the father of physical chemistry who coined the term of “colloid” in the 19th century, painted on the outside wall of a tall building. Without any doubt, he would also have enjoyed listening to the fascinating progress in a research field pioneered by him. The discussion was organized into four sessions, with each session covering a specific theme: (i) Janus and patchy nanoparticles; (ii) anisotropic nanoparticles; (iii) particles at interfaces; and (iv) applications. The meeting was further enriched by the presentation of 79 posters. Instead of giving a summary of what was presented at the meeting, I would like to take this opportunity to provide some personal perspectives, in conjunction with the insights offered by various authors.
Design, synthesis and biological profiling of aryl piperazine based scaffolds for the management of androgen sensitive prostatic disorders
Authors: Gupta Sonal , Pandey Deepti , Mandalapu Dhanaraju , Bala Veenu , Sharma Vikas , Shukla Mahendra , Yadav Santosh K. , Singh Nidhi , Jaiswal Swati , Maikhuri Jagdamba P. , Lal Jawahar , Siddiqi Mohammad I. , Gupta Gopal , Sharma Vishnu L.
Published: August 2016

Twenty-six piperazine derivatives were synthesized and findings revealed that compound9ais promising candidate for management of prostatic disorders.
A coarse-grained thermodynamic model for the predictive engineering of valence-selective membranes
Authors: Rathee Vikramjit Singh , Qu Siyi , Phillip William A. , Whitmer Jonathan K.
Published: August 2016

We propose a minimal coarse-grained model capable of capturing the performance and guiding the design of copolymer membranes tailored for ion-separations.
Aggregation-induced emission enhancement in halochalcones
Authors: Vaz Patricia A. A. M. , Rocha João , Silva Artur M. S. , Guieu Samuel
Published: August 2016

Decorating the periphery of chalcones with halogen atoms increased their aggregation-induced emission enhancement properties, even if their optoelectronic properties are dominated by the other substituents.
Exploring the solvent mediated assembly and redox activity of a POM–organic hybrid [Na(SO3)2(PhPO3)4MoV4MoVI14O49]5−
Authors: Fujibayashi Masaru , Song Yu-Fei , Cronin Leroy , Tsunashima Ryo
Published: August 2016

We report the electrochemical activity and the mechanism of formation of a mixed valence POM-based organic hybrid cluster with the formula [Na(SO3)2(PhPO3)4MoV4MoVI14O49]5−.
Bright and biocompatible AIE polymeric nanoparticles prepared from miniemulsion for fluorescence cell imaging
Authors: Cao Zhihai , Liang Xiaoqin , Chen Hangnan , Gao Meng , Zhao Zujin , Chen Xiaolong , Xu Chang , Qu Gan , Qi Dongming , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: August 2016

AIE polymeric nanoparticles with bright fluorescence, high quantum yield, low cytotoxicity, and efficient cellular uptake were prepared by miniemulsion polymerization.
Induced application of biological waste Escherichia coli functionalized with an amine-based polymer for CO2capture
Authors: Hiremath Vishwanath , Kwon Soonchul , Hwang Soonha , Cho Min , Seo Jeong Gil
Published: August 2016

Amine-based polymer (polyethylenimine) functionalized biological waste (Escherichia coli) could open up its new application as a reusable waste source for CO2capture.
Recovery of cobalt from spent lithium ion batteries using sulphuric acid leaching followed by solid–liquid separation and solvent extraction
Authors: Wang Feng , Sun Rong , Xu Jun , Chen Zheng , Kang Ming
Published: August 2016

Herein, the method of hydrometallurgy is adopted to recycle the precious metal cobalt in spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs).
Genetically encoded FRET sensors using a fluorescent unnatural amino acid as a FRET donor
Authors: Ko Wooseok , Kim Sanggil , Lee Seonghyun , Jo Kyubong , Lee Hyun Soo
Published: August 2016

FRET sensors based on fluorescent proteins have been powerful tools for probing protein–protein interactions and structural changes within proteins.
SPECT imaging of cytochrome c in pressure overload mice hearts
Authors: Wang Cong , Li Xiao , Shen Cheng , Ma Leilei , Dong Zhen , Zhu Hong , Wang Peng , Ge Junbo , Sun Aijun
Published: August 2016

Clinically, pressure overload (PO) occurs in many clinical settings such as hypertension and valvular stenosis especially in the current aging society.
Wettability and permeation of ethanol/water mixture on porous mesh surface
Authors: Heng Liping , Liu Jie , Hu Ruixiang , Han Ke-Yu , Guo Lian-Lian , Liu Ye , Li Meng-Ying , Nie Qiao
Published: August 2016

A serial of copper meshes with different chemical composition and roughness was prepared by modifying different mixed thiols, which showed different wetting behavior and permeation behavior for different ethanol/water mixed solution.
Correction: Dipole-induced asymmetric conduction in tunneling junctions comprising self-assembled monolayers
Authors: Kovalchuk Andrii , Egger David A. , Abu-Husein Tarek , Zojer Egbert , Terfort Andreas , Chiechi Ryan C.
Published: August 2016

Correction for ‘Dipole-induced asymmetric conduction in tunneling junctions comprising self-assembled monolayers’ by Andrii Kovalchuk et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 69479–69483.
Selective detection of N6-methyladenine in DNA via metal ion-mediated replication and rolling circle amplification
Authors: Hong Tingting , Yuan Yushu , Wang Tianlu , Ma Jingwei , Yao Qian , Hua Xiaoluan , Xia Yu , Zhou Xiang
Published: August 2016

6mA can be discriminated from A in DNA due to the remarkable difference in stability between A–Ag+–C and 6mA–Ag+–C.
An effective way to reduce energy loss and enhance open-circuit voltage in polymer solar cells based on a diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer containing three regular alternating units
Authors: Liu Yahui , Li Guangwu , Zhang Zhe , Wu Liangliang , Chen Jianya , Xu Xinjun , Chen Xuebo , Ma Wei , Bo Zhishan
Published: August 2016

A planar DPP-based polymer containing three regular alternating units exhibits a good photovoltaic performance with a high PCE of 9.02% and a large Voc of 0.86 V.
Hierarchically nanostructured MoS2 with rich in-plane edges as a high-performance electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Huang Haoliang , Chen Liqin , Liu Chuanhe , Liu Xinshun , Fang Senxuan , Liu Weipeng , Liu Yingju
Published: August 2016

Hierarchical MoS2 with a rich in-plane edge nanostructure is synthesized and exhibits surging HER activity with a low onset potential and Tafel slope.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Preoperative Antisepsis with Combination Chlorhexidine and Povidone-Iodine
Authors: Davies Benjamin , Patel Hiren
Published: August 2016

Importance Effective preoperative antisepsis is recognized to prevent surgical site infection (SSI), although the definitive method is unclear. Many have compared chlorhexidine (CHG) with povidone-iodine (PVI), but there is emerging evidence for combination usage.

Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate if combination skin preparation (1) reduces colonization at the operative site and (2) prevents SSI compared with single-agent use.

Data Sources A literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Database of Clinical Trials was performed.

Study Selection Comparative, human trials considering the combination use of CHG and PVI, as preoperative antisepsis, to single-agent CHG or PVI use were included. Studies were excluded from meta-analysis if the use or absence of alcohol was inconsistent between study arms.

Data Extraction and Synthesis The study was performed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.

Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome for meta-analysis was surgical site infection. The secondary outcome was colonization at the operative site.

Results Eighteen publications with a combination of CHG and PVI use were identified. Of these, 12/14 inferred promise for combination usage, including four trials eligible for meta-analysis. Only one trial reported SSI as its outcome. The remaining three considered bacterial colonization. Combination preparation had a pooled odds ratio for complete decolonization of 5.62 (95% confidence interval 3.2 to 9.7, p < 0.00001). There was no evidence of heterogeneity (Cochran's Q 2.1, 2 df, p = 0.35).

Conclusions and Relevance There is emerging, albeit low-quality, evidence in favor of combination CHG and PVI preoperative antisepsis. Further rigorous investigation is indicated.
Functional Reconstruction of Temporomandibular Joint after Resection of Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis with Extension to Infratemporal Fossa and Skull Base: A Case Report
Authors: Vellutini Eduardo , Alonso Nivaldo , Arap Sérgio , Godoy Luís , Souza e Souza Ricardo , Mattedi Rômulo , de Oliveira Matheus
Published: August 2016

Introduction Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a benign but aggressive lesion arising from sinovia. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is hardly ever involved.

Methods We describe a case of PVNS arising in the left TMJ involving infratemporal fossa soft tissue and the skull base; we also present the reconstruction.

Results A 37-year-old woman had progressive mandibular swelling for 6 months. Computed tomography of the skull revealed an osteolytic lesion in the left TMJ, involving the upper mandible, condyle, and glenoid fossa and extending to the infratemporal fossa and fossa media through a defect in temporal bone. Surgical management included a left pterional craniotomy to reach the temporal skull base and resect the intracranial tumor and a facial approach with partial left mandibulectomy and resection of left condyle, glenoid fossa, and tumor removal in infratemporal fossa. Mandible function was restored with prosthetic reconstruction of the condyle. She progressively started to eat solid foods after 3 months, becoming increasingly functional and asymptomatic. At 30 months' follow-up, she had no sign of tumoral recurrence and showed asymptomatic and normal TMJ function.

Conclusion PVNS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of bone neoplasms affecting young patients. In such cases, radical excision is mandatory and TMJ prosthesis for local reconstruction may be used to preserve functionality.
A promising limited angular computed tomography reconstruction via segmentation based regional enhancement and total variation minimization
Authors: Zhang Wenkun , Zhang Hanming , Li Lei , Wang Linyuan , Cai Ailong , Li Zhongguo , Yan Bin
Published: August 2016

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a powerful and common inspection technique used for the industrial non-destructive testing. However, large-sized and heavily absorbing objects cause the formation of artifacts because of either the lack of specimen penetration in specific directions or the acquisition of data from only a limited angular range of views. Although the sparse optimization-based methods, such as the total variation (TV) minimization method, can suppress artifacts to some extent, reconstructing the images such that they converge to accurate values remains difficult because of the deficiency in continuous angular data and inconsistency in the projections. To address this problem, we use the idea of regional enhancement of the true values and suppression of the illusory artifacts outside the region to develop an efficient iterative algorithm. This algorithm is based on the combination of regional enhancement of the true values and TV minimization for the limited angular reconstruction. In this algorithm, the segmentation approach is introduced to distinguish the regions of different image knowledge and generate the support mask of the image. A new regularization term, which contains the support knowledge to enhance the true values of the image, is incorporated into the objective function. Then, the proposed optimization model is solved by variable splitting and the alternating direction method efficiently. A compensation approach is also designed to extract useful information from the initial projections and thus reduce false segmentation result and correct the segmentation support and the segmented image. The results obtained from comparing both simulation studies and real CT data set reconstructions indicate that the proposed algorithm generates a more accurate image than do the other reconstruction methods. The experimental results show that this algorithm can produce high-quality reconstructed images for the limited angular reconstruction and suppress the illusory artifacts caused by the deficiency in valid data.
Accurate non-adiabatic quantum dynamics from pseudospectral sampling of time-dependent Gaussian basis sets
Authors: Heaps Charles W. , Mazziotti David A.
Published: August 2016

Quantum molecular dynamics requires an accurate representation of the molecular potential energy surface from a minimal number of electronic structure calculations, particularly for nonadiabatic dynamics where excited states are required. In this paper, we employ pseudospectral sampling of time-dependent Gaussian basis functions for the simulation of non-adiabatic dynamics. Unlike other methods, the pseudospectral Gaussian molecular dynamics tests the Schrödinger equation with N Dirac delta functions located at the centers of the Gaussian functions reducing the scaling of potential energy evaluations from O(N2) to O(N). By projecting the Gaussian basis onto discrete points in space, the method is capable of efficiently and quantitatively describing the nonadiabatic population transfer and intra-surface quantum coherence. We investigate three model systems: the photodissociation of three coupled Morse oscillators, the bound state dynamics of two coupled Morse oscillators, and a two-dimensional model for collinear triatomic vibrational dynamics. In all cases, the pseudospectral Gaussian method is in quantitative agreement with numerically exact calculations. The results are promising for nonadiabatic molecular dynamics in molecular systems where strongly correlated ground or excited states require expensive electronic structure calculations.
A path integral molecular dynamics study of the hyperfine coupling constants of the muoniated and hydrogenated acetone radicals
Authors: Oba Yuki , Kawatsu Tsutomu , Tachikawa Masanori
Published: August 2016

The on-the-fly ab initio density functional path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations, which can account for both the nuclear quantum effect and thermal effect, were carried out to evaluate the structures and “reduced” isotropic hyperfine coupling constants (HFCCs) for muoniated and hydrogenated acetone radicals (2-muoxy-2-propyl and 2-hydoxy-2-propyl) in vacuo. The reduced HFCC value from a simple geometry optimization calculation without both the nuclear quantum effect and thermal effect is −8.18 MHz, and that by standard ab initio molecular dynamics simulation with only the thermal effect and without the nuclear quantum effect is 0.33 MHz at 300 K, where these two methods cannot distinguish the difference between muoniated and hydrogenated acetone radicals. In contrast, the reduced HFCC value of the muoniated acetone radical by our PIMD simulation is 32.1 MHz, which is about 8 times larger than that for the hydrogenated radical of 3.97 MHz with the same level of calculation. We have found that the HFCC values are highly correlated with the local molecular structures; especially, the Mu—O bond length in the muoniated acetone radical is elongated due to the large nuclear quantum effect of the muon, which makes the expectation value of the HFCC larger. Although our PIMD result calculated in vacuo is about 4 times larger than the measured experimental value in aqueous solvent, the ratio of these HFCC values between muoniated and hydrogenated acetone radicals in vacuo is in reasonable agreement with the ratio of the experimental values in aqueous solvent (8.56 MHz and 0.9 MHz); the explicit presence of solvent molecules has a major effect on decreasing the reduced muon HFCC of in vacuo calculations for the quantitative reproduction.
A micro-scale plasma spectrometer for space and plasma edge applications (invited)
Authors: Scime E. E. , Keesee A. M. , Dugas M. , Ellison S. , Tersteeg J. , Wagner G. , Barrie A. , Rager A. , Elliott D.
Published: August 2016

A plasma spectrometer design based on advances in lithography and microchip stacking technologies is described. A series of curved plate energy analyzers, with an integrated collimator, is etched into a silicon wafer. Tests of spectrometer elements, the energy analyzer and collimator, were performed with a 5 keV electron beam. The measured collimator transmission and energy selectivity were in good agreement with design targets. A single wafer element could be used as a plasma processing or fusion first wall diagnostic.
Ultrabroadband two-quantum two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy
Authors: Gellen Tobias A. , Bizimana Laurie A. , Carbery William P. , Breen Ilana , Turner Daniel B.
Published: August 2016

A recent theoretical study proposed that two-quantum (2Q) two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectroscopy should be a background-free probe of post-Hartree–Fock electronic correlations. Testing this theoretical prediction requires an instrument capable of not only detecting multiple transitions among molecular excited states but also distinguishing molecular 2Q signals from nonresonant response. Herein we describe a 2Q 2D spectrometer with a spectral range of 300 nm that is passively phase stable and uses only beamsplitters and mirrors. We developed and implemented a dual-chopping balanced-detection method to resolve the weak molecular 2Q signals. Experiments performed on cresyl violet perchlorate and rhodamine 6G revealed distinct 2Q signals convolved with nonresonant response. Density functional theory computations helped reveal the molecular origin of these signals. The experimental and computational results demonstrate that 2Q electronic spectra can provide a singular probe of highly excited electronic states.
Design and analysis of a novel virtual gyroscope with multi-gyroscope and accelerometer array
Authors: Luo Zhang , Liu Chaojun , Yu Shuai , Zhang Shengzhi , Liu Sheng
Published: August 2016

A new virtual gyroscope with multi-gyroscope and accelerometer array (MGAA) is proposed in this article for improving the performance of angular rate measurement. Outputs of the virtual gyroscope are obtained by merging the signals from gyroscopes and accelerometers through a novel Kalman filter, which intentionally takes the consideration of the MEMS gyroscope error model and kinematics theory of rigid body. A typical configuration of the virtual gyroscope, consisting of four accelerometers and three gyroscopes mounted on designated positions, is initiated to verify the feasibility of the virtual gyroscope with MGAA. Static test and dynamic test are performed subsequently to evaluate its performance. The angular random walk (ARW) and bias instability, two static performance parameters of gyroscope, are reduced from 0.019°/√s and 14.4°/h to 0.0074°/√s and 8.7°/h, respectively. The average root mean square error (RMSE) is reduced from 0.274°/s to 0.133°/s under dynamic test. Compared with the published multi-gyroscope array method, the virtual gyroscope proposed here has a better performance both in static and dynamic tests, with improvement factors of ARW and RMSE about 44.1% and 44.5% higher, respectively.
On the van der Pauw’s method applied to the measurement of low thermal conductivity materials
Authors: Morales C. , Flores E. , Bodega J. , Leardini F. , Ferrer I. J. , Ares J. R. , Sánchez C.
Published: August 2016

The electrical van der Pauw’s method has recently been extended to measure the thermal conductivity of different elements and compounds. This technique provides an easy way to determine the sample in-plane thermal conductivity by avoiding the influence of the thermal contact resistances. However, the reported calculated error values appear to be underestimated when dealing with the materials with low thermal conductivity (<5 W/Km) at room temperature. The causes of this underestimation are investigated in this communication and it has been found that they are due to the drastic influence of conduction heat losses through the thermo-resistance wires as well as the resulting modification of the sample temperature map. Both phenomena lead to experimental values of the sample thermal conductivity, which are systematically higher than the tabulated ones. The magnitude of this systematic error is ∼100% dealing with the samples of macroscopic dimensions, and low thermal conductivity indicated that the obtained accurate measurements can be quite challenging.
Scanning thermal probe microscope method for the determination of thermal diffusivity of nanocomposite thin films
Authors: Varandani Deepak , Agarwal Khushboo , Brugger Juergen , Mehta Bodh Raj
Published: August 2016

A commercial scanning thermal microscope has been upgraded to facilitate its use in estimating the radial thermal diffusivity of thin films close to room temperature. The modified setup includes a microcontroller driven microhotplate coupled with a Bluetooth module for wireless control. The microcontroller board (Arduino Leonardo) is used to generate a bias of suitable voltage amplitude and pulse duration which is applied across the microhotplate contact pads. A corresponding heat pulse from the Pt heating element (1 mm2) embedded within the microhotplate is delivered to the lower surface of the thin film (25 mm2) deposited over it. The large difference in the dimensions of the heating source and the thin film surface causes heat to flow radially outwards on the top surface of the latter. The decay of this radial heat wave as it flows outwards is recorded by the scanning thermal microscope in terms of temperature-time (T-t) profiles at varying positions around the central heating zone. A fitting procedure is suggested to extract the thermal diffusivity value from the array of T-t profiles. The efficacy of the above setup has been established by evaluating the thermal diffusivities of Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te3:Si thin film samples. Further, with only minor alterations in design the capabilities of the above setup can be extended to estimate the axial thermal diffusivity and specific heat of thin films, as a function of temperature.
Fluids with competing interactions. I. Decoding the structure factor to detect and characterize self-limited clustering
Authors: Bollinger Jonathan A. , Truskett Thomas M.
Published: August 2016

We use liquid state theory and computer simulations to gain insights into the shape of the structure factor for fluids of particles interacting via a combination of short-range attractions and long-range repulsions. Such systems can reversibly morph between homogeneous phases and states comprising compact self-limiting clusters. We first highlight trends with respect to the presence and location of the intermediate-range order (IRO) pre-peak in the structure factor, which is commonly associated with clustering, for wide ranges of the tunable parameters that control interparticle interactions (e.g., Debye screening length). Next, for approximately 100 different cluster phases at various conditions (where aggregates range in size from six to sixty monomers), we quantitatively relate the shape of the structure factor to physical characteristics including intercluster distance and cluster size. We also test two previously postulated criteria for identifying the emergence of clustered phases that are based on IRO peak-height and -width, respectively. We find that the criterion based on peak-width, which encodes the IRO thermal correlation length, is more robust across a wide range of conditions and interaction strengths but nonetheless approximate. Ultimately, we recommend a hybrid heuristic drawing on both pre-peak height and width for positively identifying the emergence of clustered states.
Fluids with competing interactions. II. Validating a free energy model for equilibrium cluster size
Authors: Bollinger Jonathan A. , Truskett Thomas M.
Published: August 2016

Using computer simulations, we validate a simple free energy model that can be analytically solved to predict the equilibrium size of self-limiting clusters of particles in the fluid state governed by a combination of short-range attractive and long-range repulsive pair potentials. The model is a semi-empirical adaptation and extension of the canonical free energy-based result due to Groenewold and Kegel [J. Phys. Chem. B 105, 11702–11709 (2001)], where we use new computer simulation data to systematically improve the cluster-size scalings with respect to the strengths of the competing interactions driving aggregation. We find that one can adapt a classical nucleation like theory for small energetically frustrated aggregates provided one appropriately accounts for a size-dependent, microscopic energy penalty of interface formation, which requires new scaling arguments. This framework is verified in part by considering the extensive scaling of intracluster bonding, where we uncover a superlinear scaling regime distinct from (and located between) the known regimes for small and large aggregates. We validate our model based on comparisons against approximately 100 different simulated systems comprising compact spherical aggregates with characteristic (terminal) sizes between six and sixty monomers, which correspond to wide ranges in experimentally controllable parameters.
Tailored probes for atomic force microscopy fabricated by two-photon polymerization
Authors: Göring Gerald , Dietrich Philipp-Immanuel , Blaicher Matthias , Sharma Swati , Korvink Jan G. , Schimmel Thomas , Koos Christian , Hölscher Hendrik
Published: August 2016

3D direct laser writing based on two-photon polymerization is considered as a tool to fabricate tailored probes for atomic force microscopy. Tips with radii of 25 nm and arbitrary shape are attached to conventionally shaped micro-machined cantilevers. Long-term scanning measurements reveal low wear rates and demonstrate the reliability of such tips. Furthermore, we show that the resonance spectrum of the probe can be tuned for multi-frequency applications by adding rebar structures to the cantilever.
Influence of tungsten fiber’s slow drift on the measurement of G with angular acceleration method
Authors: Luo Jie , Wu Wei-Huang , Xue Chao , Shao Cheng-Gang , Zhan Wen-Ze , Wu Jun-Fei , Milyukov Vadim
Published: August 2016

In the measurement of the gravitational constant G with angular acceleration method, the equilibrium position of torsion pendulum with tungsten fiber undergoes a linear slow drift, which results in a quadratic slow drift on the angular velocity of the torsion balance turntable under feedback control unit. The accurate amplitude determination of the useful angular acceleration signal with known frequency is biased by the linear slow drift and the coupling effect of the drifting equilibrium position and the room fixed gravitational background signal. We calculate the influences of the linear slow drift and the complex coupling effect on the value of G, respectively. The result shows that the bias of the linear slow drift on G is 7 ppm, and the influence of the coupling effect is less than 1 ppm.
Diamagnetic measurements based on the compensation of TF current diffusion in J-TEXT
Authors: Zhu L. Z. , Chen Z. P. , Li F. M. , Liu H. , Chen Z. Y. , Zhuang G.
Published: August 2016

Due to the existence both of toroidal ripples and toroidal field (TF) current diffusion, the toroidal flux changes with time when the TF current is at the flat-top. A diamagnetic measurement based on the compensation of TF current diffusion has been built in J-TEXT to solve this problem. The measurement system includes a double-loop installed in the vacuum vessel and an array of small printed circuit board (PCB) magnetic probes placed on the mid-plane of one TF coil. A model was proposed to analyze and compensate the effect of TF current diffusion. Experiment results show that the residual flux is about 1 × 10−4 Wb after the compensation and it can meet the need of diamagnetic measurement in J-TEXT.
X-ray transport and radiation response assessment (XTRRA) experiments at the National Ignition Facility
Authors: Fournier K. B. , Brown C. G. , Yeoman M. F. , Fisher J. H. , Seiler S. W. , Hinshelwood D. , Compton S. , Holdener F. R. , Kemp G. E. , Newlander C. D. , Gilliam R. P. , Froula N. , Lilly M. , Davis J. F. , Lerch MAJ. A. , Blue B. E.
Published: August 2016

Our team has developed an experimental platform to evaluate the x-ray-generated stress and impulse in materials. Experimental activities include x-ray source development, design of the sample mounting hardware and sensors interfaced to the National Ignition Facility’s diagnostics insertion system, and system integration into the facility. This paper focuses on the X-ray Transport and Radiation Response Assessment (XTRRA) test cassettes built for these experiments. The test cassette is designed to position six samples at three predetermined distances from the source, each known to within ±1% accuracy. Built-in calorimeters give in situ measurements of the x-ray environment along the sample lines of sight. The measured accuracy of sample responses as well as planned modifications to the XTRRA cassette is discussed.