bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Control of a bouncing magnitude on a heated substrate via ellipsoidal drop shape
Authors: Yun Sungchan , Lim Geunbae
Published: December 2014

Non-axisymmetric drops impacting on a solid surface can alter impact dynamics significantly, thereby resulting in rebound suppression. Here, we present a method to control the bounce height of drops impacting on heated surfaces with ellipsoidal shaping. Experimental and numerical studies are used to investigate the effects of the geometrical aspect ratio (AR) of the drop on bouncing dynamics, which shows that maximum bounce heights of ellipsoidal drops can be reduced below spherical cases to nearly 40%. Control of bounce height can be explained in terms of a non-axial kinetic energy distribution during retraction. Interestingly, the non-axisymmetric hydrodynamics allows us to reduce contact time below this theoretical limit, which is explored both experimentally and numerically as a function of AR. This work may provide an understanding of bouncing dynamics on non-wetting surfaces for applications in surface cooling and cleaning.
Cavity-photon-switched coherent transient transport in a double quantum waveguide
Authors: Abdullah Nzar Rauf , Tang Chi-Shung , Manolescu Andrei , Gudmundsson Vidar
Published: December 2014

We study a cavity-photon-switched coherent electron transport in a symmetric double quantum waveguide. The waveguide system is weakly connected to two electron reservoirs, but strongly coupled to a single quantized photon cavity mode. A coupling window is placed between the waveguides to allow electron interference or inter-waveguide transport. The transient electron transport in the system is investigated using a quantum master equation. We present a cavity-photon tunable semiconductor quantum waveguide implementation of an inverter quantum gate, in which the output of the waveguide system may be selected via the selection of an appropriate photon number or “photon frequency” of the cavity. In addition, the importance of the photon polarization in the cavity, that is, either parallel or perpendicular to the direction of electron propagation in the waveguide system is demonstrated.
Lateral protonic/electronic hybrid oxide thin-film transistor gated by SiO2 nanogranular films
Authors: Zhu Li Qiang , Chao Jin Yu , Xiao Hui
Published: December 2014

Ionic/electronic interaction offers an additional dimension in the recent advancements of condensed materials. Here, lateral gate control of conductivities of indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) films is reported. An electric-double-layer (EDL) transistor configuration was utilized with a phosphorous-doped SiO2 nanogranular film to provide a strong lateral electric field. Due to the strong lateral protonic/electronic interfacial coupling effect, the IZO EDL transistor could operate at a low-voltage of 1 V. A resistor-loaded inverter is built, showing a high voltage gain of ∼8 at a low supply voltage of 1 V. The lateral ionic/electronic coupling effects are interesting for bioelectronics and portable electronics.
Effects of different dietary concentrate to forage ratio and thiamine supplementation on the rumen fermentation and ruminal bacterial community in dairy cows
Authors: Wang Hongrong , Pan Xiaohua , Wang Chao , Wang Mengzhi , Yu Lihuai
Published: December 2014

A subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) model was induced gradually by increasing the proportion of dietary concentrate to evaluate the effect of thiamine supplementation on the structure of bacterial community in dairy cows. Three Holstein dairy cows with rumen cannula were randomly assigned to a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design trial and received three diets during three successive 21-day periods in each square. The three dietary treatments were as follows: a low-concentrate diet (control), a high-concentrate SARA-induced diet (SARA) and a high-concentrate SARA-induced diet with 180 mg thiamine/kg DM (SARA+thiamine). Real-time–polymerase chain reaction assay was used to quantify the population variation of SARA-related ruminal bacteria in these cows. The results showed that SARA was induced gradually when cows were fed with the high-concentrate diets. The mean ruminal pH value was higher in the control cows than in those of SARA and SARA+thiamine groups, the mean was decreased in cows fed on SARA diet, and the depression was alleviated by supplemented thiamine and the difference was significant (P < 0.05) especially at 9-h and 12-h sample times (or 1 h and 4 h after the second feeding). The populations of Streptococcus bovis and genus Lactobacillus in cows from the SARA group were increased in log copies/µL by 3.62% and 4.65%, respectively, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In contrast, in log copies/µL, populations of Butyrivibrio fibrisovens and Megasphaera elsdenii were decreased by 1.14% and 4.90%, respectively (P < 0.05). Thiamine supplementation led to an obvious reduction of Strepococcus bovis and Lactobacillus (P < 0.05), whereas the number of log copies/µL of Megasphaera elsdenii was dramatically increased (P < 0.05). There was no significant effect of thiamine supplementation on the number of log copies/µL of Butyrivibrio fibrisovens and Selenomonas ruminantium (P > 0.05). It was concluded that thiamine supplementation to high-concentrate diets at concentrations of 180 mg/kg DM could help alleviate SARA by increasing rumen pH and balancing the population of lactic acid-producing and -consuming bacteria.
RETRACTED: Synthetic lethality of combined glutaminase and Hsp90 inhibition in mTORC1-driven tumor cells
Authors: Li Jing , Csibi Alfredo , Yang Sun , Hoffman Gregory R. , Li Chenggang , Zhang Erik , Yu Jane J. , Blenis John
Published: December 2014

The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) integrates multiple signals from growth factors, nutrients, and cellular energy status to control a wide range of metabolic processes, including mRNA biogenesis; protein, nucleotide, and lipid synthesis; and autophagy. Deregulation of the mTORC1 pathway is found in cancer as well as genetic disorders such as tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Recent studies have shown that the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin and its analogs generally suppress proliferation rather than induce apoptosis. Therefore, it is critical to use alternative strategies to induce death of cells with activated mTORC1. In this study, a small-molecule screen has revealed that the combination of glutaminase (GLS) and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors selectively triggers death of
TSC2
-deficient cells. At a mechanistic level, high mTORC1-driven translation rates in
TSC1/2
-deficient cells, unlike wild-type cells, sensitizes these cells to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Thus, Hsp90 inhibition drives accumulation of unfolded protein and ER stress. When combining proteotoxic stress with oxidative stress by depletion of the intracellular antioxidant glutathione by GLS inhibition, acute cell death is observed in cells with activated mTORC1 signaling. This study suggests that this combination strategy may have the potential to be developed into a therapeutic use for the treatment of mTORC1-driven tumors.
Human 3D vascularized organotypic microfluidic assays to study breast cancer cell extravasation
Authors: Jeon Jessie S. , Bersini Simone , Gilardi Mara , Dubini Gabriele , Charest Joseph L. , Moretti Matteo , Kamm Roger D.
Published: December 2014

Significance

The cancer biology seed-and-soil paradigm recognizes the existence of organ-specific patterns of metastasization that drive the spread of selected primary tumors toward specific secondary loci. However, despite efforts to model the organotypic microenvironment, the organ specificity of cancer metastases needs to be elucidated. The relevance of this study lies in the generation of a human vascularized organ-specific microenvironment, which can be used to investigate and tune the extravasation process of metastatic tumor cells. Furthermore, beyond mimicking the pro- or antimetastatic signatures of different microenvironments, our microfluidic model provides insights into different properties of organ-specific endothelia. This study paves the way toward advanced in vitro models to screen for highly tailored organ-specific therapeutics and investigate key molecular pathways involved in organ-specific metastases.
Evolution et conservatisme phonétiques dans le domaine arabe
Authors: Embarki Mohamed
Published: December 2014

The present study aims to investigate the opposing tendencies of innovation and conservatism in the phonetic and phonological domains in Arabic. It draws a parallel between sound changes that occurred in the standard variety and the retention of specific phonetic and phonological aspects in the dialectal varieties. Recent works have highlighted three bases of sound change: phonetic, structural and social causes. The phonetic basis of sound change has been challenged from an articulatory, acoustic, aerodynamic and perceptual point of view, but also from a coarticulatory one as is illustrated here by the evolution of the phonetic properties of classical Arabic’s four consonants (〈sīn〉 (س) /s/, 〈šīn〉 (ش) /ʃ/, 〈ḍād〉 (ض) /dʕ/ and 〈ğīm〉 (ج) /ʒ/). Other coarticulatory bases are proposed to explain the retention of some old phonetic and phonological traits in modern Arabic dialects, such as the preservation of the long mid vowels ē /eː/ and ō /oː/, the evolution of the interdental fricative consonants 〈z̩ā’〉 /ðʕ/, 〈thā’〉 /θ/ and 〈dhal〉 /ð/ and the uvular stop 〈qāf〉 /q/ and the tendency to depharyngealise the consonants 〈ṭā’〉 (ط) /tʕ/, 〈ḍād〉 (ض) /dʕ/, 〈s̩ād〉 (ص) /sʕ/ and 〈z̩ā’〉 (ظ) /ðʕ/.
Identification of the region of rice 13 kDa prolamin essential for the formation of ER-derived protein bodies using a heterologous expression system
Authors: Masumura Takehiro , Shigemitsu Takanari , Morita Shigeto , Satoh Shigeru
Published: December 2014

Cereal prolamins, which are alcohol-soluble seed storage proteins, can induce ER-derived protein bodies (PBs) in heterologous tissue. Like maize and wheat prolamins, rice prolamins can form ER-derived PBs, but the region of mature polypeptides that is essential for PB formation has not been identified. In this study, we examined the formation mechanisms of ER-derived PB-like structures by expressing rice 13 kDa prolamin-deletion mutants fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) in heterologous tissues such as yeast. The 13 kDa prolamin–GFP fusion protein was stably accumulated in transgenic yeast and formed an ER-derived PB-like structure. In contrast, rice α-globulin–GFP fusion protein was transported to vacuoles. In addition, the middle and COOH-terminal regions of 13 kDa prolamin formed ER-derived PB-like structures, whereas the NH2-terminal region of 13 kDa prolamin did not form such structures. These results suggest that the middle and COOH-terminal regions of 13 kDa prolamin can be retained and thus can induce ER-derived PB in yeast.
Distribution and Habitat Associations of Juvenile Common Snook in the Lower Rio Grande, Texas
Authors: Huber Caleb G. , Grabowski Timothy B. , Patiño Reynaldo , Pope Kevin L.
Published: December 2014

Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis were once abundant off the Texas coast, but these populations are now characterized by low abundance and erratic recruitment. Most research concerning Common Snook in North America has been conducted in Florida and very little is known about the specific biology and habitat needs of Common Snook in Texas. The primary objective of this study was to describe the habitat use patterns of juvenile Common Snook and their role in the fish assemblage in the lower portion of the Rio Grande, Texas. Secondarily, we documented the relationship between age and juvenile reproductive development. Fish were collected during January–March 2006 from the lower 51.5 km of the Rio Grande using a bottom trawl and boat mounted electrofisher. Measurements of water quality and other habitat traits were recorded at each sampling site. We captured 225 Common Snook exclusively in freshwater habitats above river kilometer 12.9. The distribution of juvenile Common Snook was not random, but influenced primarily by turbidity and dissolved oxygen. Sex differentiation and gonadal development based on histological examination of gonads established that age 1 and age 2 Common Snook were juvenile, prepubertal males. There was no difference between the age groups in their overall distribution in the river. However, age 2 Common Snook were associated with deeper areas with faster currents, higher conductivity, and steeper banks. Overall, Common Snook in the lower Rio Grande show substantial differences in habitat use than their counterparts in other parts of the range of the species, but it is unclear whether this is due to differences in habitat availability, behavioral plasticity, or some combination thereof.

Received December 6, 2013; accepted April 7, 2014
The Influence of Bait and Stereo Video on the Performance of a Video Lander as a Survey Tool for Marine Demersal Reef Fishes in Oregon Waters
Authors: Hannah Robert W. , Blume Matthew T. O.
Published: December 2014

We evaluated how the use of bait as a fish attractant influenced the species and size composition of demersal fishes viewed with a stereo video lander at 160 sampling sites at Stonewall Bank, a deepwater rocky reef complex off the Oregon coast. We also studied the effectiveness of stereo video for generating estimates of fish length and distance from the cameras. Bait altered the species composition of fish encountered, increasing the mean counts of demersal fishes by 47%, with increases of 135–250% for Rosethorn Rockfish Sebastes helvomaculatus, Northern Ronquil Ronquilis jordani, and Spotted Ratfish Hydrolagus colliei. Increases in the mean counts of 35–150% for unidentified sculpins (Cottidae), Yelloweye Rockfish S. ruberrimus, and Quillback Rockfish S. maliger were nonsignificant. The calibrated stereo video lander provided acceptably precise estimates of fish length and camera to fish distance (range of three replicate measurements less than 3 cm for length and 20 cm for distance) for 34.3% of the demersal fishes that were counted. The precision of length and distance estimates declined with increased distance; acceptable estimates of distance were typical when fish were within 200 cm and were infrequent when fish were beyond 500 cm. Bait reduced the mean distance at which acceptable estimates of length and distance were obtained from 264 cm to 200 cm, but had no effect on mean fish length for the three most frequently encountered demersal species. The combined effect of bait on demersal fish counts and mean distance more than doubled the efficiency of the stereo video lander for generating fish length and fish–camera distance estimates.

Received January 22, 2014; accepted April 9, 2014
Twisted Poincaré duality for Poisson homology and cohomology of affine Poisson algebras
Authors: Zhu Can
Published: December 2014

This paper investigates the Poisson (co)homology of affine Poisson algebras. It is shown that there is a twisted Poincaré duality between their Poisson homology and cohomology. The relation between the Poisson (co)homology of an affine Poisson algebra and the Hochschild (co)homology of its deformation quantization is also discussed, which is similar to Kassel’s result (1988) for homology and is a special case of Kontsevich’s theorem (2003) for cohomology.
DG categories and exceptional collections
Authors: Bodzenta Agnieszka
Published: December 2014

A description of how to assign to a full exceptional collection on a variety

X
X

a DG category

C

\mathcal {C}

such that the bounded derived category of coherent sheaves on

X
X

is equivalent to the bounded derived category of

C

\mathcal {C}

is given in a 1990 work by Bondal and Kapranov, Framed triangulated categories. In this paper we show that the category

C

\mathcal {C}

can be chosen to have finite-dimensional spaces of morphisms. We describe how it behaves under mutations and present an algorithm allowing us to calculate it for full exceptional collections with vanishing Ext

k

^k

groups for

k
>
1

k>1

.
Singular Schrödinger operators as self-adjoint extensions of 𝑁-entire operators
Authors: Silva Luis , Teschl Gerald , Toloza Julio
Published: December 2014

We investigate the connections between Weyl–Titchmarsh– Kodaira theory for one-dimensional Schrödinger operators and the theory of

n
n

-entire operators. As our main result we find a necessary and sufficient condition for a one-dimensional Schrödinger operator to be

n
n

-entire in terms of square integrability of derivatives (w.r.t. the spectral parameter) of the Weyl solution. We also show that this is equivalent to the Weyl function being in a generalized Herglotz–Nevanlinna class. As an application we show that perturbed Bessel operators are

n
n

-entire, improving the previously known conditions on the perturbation.
Some remarks on resonances in even-dimensional Euclidean scattering
Authors: Christiansen T. , Hislop P.
Published: December 2014

Black box quantum mechanical scattering on

R

d

\mathbb {R}^d

in even dimensions

d
≥
2

d \geq 2

has many characteristics distinct from the odd-dimensional situation. In this article, we study the scattering matrix in even dimensions and prove several identities which hold for its meromorphic continuation onto

Λ
\Lambda

, the Riemann surface of the logarithm function. We prove a theorem relating the multiplicities of the poles of the continued scattering matrix to the multiplicities of the poles of the continued resolvent. Moreover, we show that the poles of the scattering matrix on the

m
m

th sheet of

Λ
\Lambda

are determined by the zeros of a scalar function defined on the physical sheet. Although analogs of these results are well known in odd dimension

d
d

, we are unaware of a reference for all of

Λ
\Lambda

for the even-dimensional case. Our analysis also yields some surprising results about “pure imaginary” resonances. As an example, in contrast with the odd-dimensional case, we show that in even dimensions there are no “pure imaginary” resonances on any sheet of

Λ
\Lambda

for Schrödinger operators with potentials

0
≤
V
∈

L
0
∞

(

R

d

)

0 \leq V \in L_0^\infty (\mathbb {R}^d)

.
Association Between Arterial Stiffness and Skin Microvascular Function: The SUVIMAX2 Study and The Maastricht Study
Authors: van Sloten Thomas T. , Czernichow Sébastien , Houben Alfons J. , Protogerou Athanase D. , Henry Ronald M. , Muris Dennis M. , Schram Miranda T. , Sep Simone J. , Dagnelie Pieter C. , van der Kallen Carla J. , Schaper Nicolaas C. , Blacher Jacques , Hercberg Serge , Levy Bernard I. , Stehouwer Coen D.
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND

It has been hypothesized that arterial stiffness leads to generalized microvascular dysfunction and that individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are particularly prone to the detrimental effects of arterial stiffness. However, evidence for an association between stiffness and markers of generalized microvascular dysfunction is lacking. We therefore investigated the association between arterial stiffness and skin microvascular function in individuals without and with T2DM.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were used of The Supplementation en Vitamines et Mineraux Antioxydants 2 (SUVIMAX2) Study (n = 284/62.2 years/48.6% women/0% T2DM (by design)) and The Maastricht Study (n = 737/59.7 years/45.2% women/28.8% T2DM (by design)). Arterial stiffness was determined by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Skin capillaroscopy was used to determine capillary density at baseline, and during reactive hyperemia and venous congestion. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to assess acetylcholine- and local heating-induced vasoreactivity, and skin flowmotion.

RESULTS

In The SUVIMAX2 Study, cfPWV (per +1 SD) was not associated with baseline capillary density (regression coefficient: −0.48 (95% confidence interval: 2.37; 1.41)) or capillary recruitment during venous congestion (0.54% (−0.74; 1.81%)). In addition, cfPWV was not associated with acetylcholine (−0.02% (−0.14; 0.10%)) or local heating-induced vasoreactivity (0.03% (−0.07; 0.12%)). In The Maastricht Study, in individuals without T2DM, cfPWV was not associated with baseline capillary density (−1.20 (−3.17; 0.77)), and capillary recruitment during reactive hyperemia (1.22% (−0.41; 2.84%)) or venous congestion (1.50% (−0.25; 3.25%)). In addition, cfPWV was not associated with flowmotion (−0.01 (−0.07; 0.06)). Results were adjusted for age and sex. Additional adjustments for confounders did not materially change these results. Results were qualitatively similar in individuals with T2DM.

CONCLUSIONS

Arterial stiffness is not associated with skin microvascular function, irrespective of the presence of T2DM.
Association between oral fluoroquinolone use and the development of retinal detachment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Chui Celine S. L. , Wong Ian C. K. , Wong Lisa Y. L. , Chan Esther W.
Published: December 2014

Objectives

Several observational studies have been published investigating the association between oral fluoroquinolone use and the development of retinal detachment; however, the findings are not concordant. This study is a meta-analysis of the existing literature and estimates the overall absolute risk of such an event.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched for observational studies on the association between oral fluoroquinolone and retinal detachment up to August 2014. Studies that did not meet the criteria for meta-analysis were narratively reviewed. Cases of retinal detachment during current fluoroquinolone use were also extracted for absolute risk calculation.

Results

Seven observational studies were included. Three (case–control and self-controlled case series studies) were eligible for meta-analysis and four (cohort studies) were narratively reviewed. The rate ratio of the case–control studies was 1.82 (95% CI 0.67–4.93), I2 = 96% and the incidence rate ratio of the self-controlled case series was 1.03 (95% CI 0.84–1.27), I2 = 36%. Three of the four cohort studies found no significant association between oral fluoroquinolone use and the development of retinal detachment. The pooled absolute risk of retinal detachment whilst on current oral fluoroquinolone treatment is estimated to be 4.85 per 1 000 000 prescriptions (95% CI 0.78–8.91).

Conclusions

The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis do not support an association between oral fluoroquinolone use and the development of retinal detachment. Given the low absolute risk, such an event would be rare if there were an association. The current prescribing practice for fluoroquinolones should not be altered because of a previously suggested potential risk of retinal detachment.
Chemistry-specific surface adsorption of the barnacle settlement-inducing protein complex
Authors: Petrone Luigi , Aldred Nick , Emami Kaveh , Enander Karin , Ederth Thomas , Clare Anthony S.
Published: December 2014

Gregarious settlement in barnacle larvae (cyprids) is induced by a contact pheromone, the settlement-inducing protein complex (SIPC). The SIPC has been identified both in the cuticle of adult barnacles and in the temporary adhesive secretion (footprint) of cyprids. Besides acting as a settlement inducer, the presence of the SIPC in footprints points to its additional involvement in the adhesion process. SIPC adsorption behaviour was therefore investigated on a series of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by surface plasmon resonance at the pH of seawater (8.3). Fibrinogen and α
2
-macroglobulin (A2M) (blood complement protease inhibitors with which the SIPC shares 29% sequence homology) were used in the adsorption experiments as positive and negative standards, respectively. The mass uptake of the SIPC was comparable to that of fibrinogen, with adsorption observed even on the protein-resistant oligo(ethylene glycol) surface. Notably, on the positively charged SAM the SIPC showed a kinetic overshoot, indicating a metastable configuration causing the amount of adsorbed protein to temporarily exceed its equilibrium value. A2M adsorption was low or negligible on all SAMs tested, except for the positively charged surface, indicating that A2M adsorption is mainly driven by electrostatics. Evaluation of SIPC non-specific adsorption kinetics revealed that it adsorbed irreversibly and non-cooperatively on all surfaces tested.
A universal glue: underwater adhesion of the secretion of the carnivorous flypaper plantRoridula gorgonias
Authors: Voigt Dagmar , Konrad Wilfried , Gorb Stanislav
Published: December 2014

Glandular trichomes of the carnivorous plantRoridula gorgoniasrelease a viscous resinous secretion. Its adhesion to hydrophilic and hydrophobic glass surfaces was measured in air and underwater. The underwater adhesion reached up to 91% (on hydrophilic glass) and 28% (on hydrophobic glass) of that measured in the air. After being submersed for 24 h in water, trichomes did not lose their ability to adhere to both types of glass surfaces underwater. We assume that acylglycerides and triterpenoids, which have been demonstrated previously to be main compounds of the secretion, cause the predominantly non-polar character and the insolubility in water. The robustness of the secretion to a wet environment presumably enables the plant to maintain its trapping function also under humid conditions and during rainy weather.
Experimental and computational analysis of a novel flow channel to assess the adhesion strength of sessile marine organisms
Authors: Dimartino Simone , Mather Anton V. , Alestra Tommaso , Nawada Suhas , Haber Meir
Published: December 2014

Bioadhesives produced by marine macroalgae represent a potential source of inspiration for the development of water-resistant adhesives. Assessing their adhesion strength, however, remains difficult owing to low volumes of adhesive material produced, low solubility and rapid curing time. These difficulties can be circumvented by testing the adhesion strength of macroalgae propagules attached to a substrate. In this paper, we present a simple, novel flow channel used to test the adhesion strength of the germlings of the fucalean alga
Hormosira banksii
to four substrates of biomedical relevance (PMMA, agar, gelatin and gelatin + lipid). The adhesion strength of
H. banksii
germlings was found to increase in a time-dependent manner, with minimal adhesion success after a settlement period of 6 h and maximum adhesion strength achieved 24 h after initial settlement. Adhesion success increased most dramatically between 6 and 12 h settlement time, while no additional increase in adhesion strength was recorded for settlement times over 24 h. No significant difference in adhesion strength to the various substrates was observed. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to estimate the influence of fluid velocity and germling density on drag force acting on the settled organisms. CFD modelling showed that, on average, the drag force decreased with increasing germling number, suggesting that germlings would benefit from gregarious settlement behaviour. Collectively, our results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms allowing benthic marine organisms to thrive in hydrodynamically stressful environments and provide useful insights for further investigations.
Bioadhesion in ascidians: a developmental and functional genomics perspective
Authors: Pennati Roberta , Rothbächer Ute
Published: December 2014

The development of bioadhesives inspired from marine animals is a promising approach to generate new tissue-compatible medical components. A number of marine species, through their adhesive properties, also represent significant foulers that become increasingly problematic to aquaculture, shipping or local biodiversity. In order to develop more sophisticated man-made glues and/or efficient fouling resistant surfaces, it is important to understand the mechanical, structural and molecular properties of adhesive organs in selected species. Ascidians are marine invertebrates with larvae that opportunistically attach to almost any type of submerged surface to undergo metamorphosis into permanently sessile adults. Not only do they represent a globally important fouling organism, but they are becoming increasingly popular as model organisms for developmental biology. The latter is due to their phylogenetic position as the sister group to the vertebrates and their cellular and molecular accessibility for experimentation. In this paper, we review the mechanisms of larval adhesion in ascidians and draw conclusions from comparative analyses of selected species. We further discuss how knowledge from a developmental and functional genomics point of view can advance our understanding of cellular and molecular signatures and their hierarchical usage in animal adhesive organs.
Spatial model of the gecko foot hair: functional significance of highly specialized non-uniform geometry
Authors: Filippov Alexander E. , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: December 2014

One of the important problems appearing in experimental realizations of artificial adhesives inspired by gecko foot hair is so-called clusterization. If an artificially produced structure is flexible enough to allow efficient contact with natural rough surfaces, after a few attachment–detachment cycles, the fibres of the structure tend to adhere one to another and form clusters. Normally, such clusters are much larger than original fibres and, because they are less flexible, form much worse adhesive contacts especially with the rough surfaces. Main problem here is that the forces responsible for the clusterization are the same intermolecular forces which attract fibres to fractal surface of the substrate. However, arrays of real gecko setae are much less susceptible to this problem. One of the possible reasons for this is that ends of the seta have more sophisticated non-uniformly distributed three-dimensional structure than that of existing artificial systems. In this paper, we simulated three-dimensional spatial geometry of non-uniformly distributed branches of nanofibres of the setal tip numerically, studied its attachment–detachment dynamics and discussed its advantages versus uniformly distributed geometry.
Crystal structure of lead(II) tartrate: a redetermination
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: December 2014

Single crystals of poly[μ4-tartrato-κ6O1,O3:O1′:O2,O4:O4′-lead], [Pb(C4H4O6)]n, were grown in a gel medium. In comparison with the previous structure determination of this compound from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data [De Ridderet al.(2002).Acta Cryst.C58, m596–m598], the redetermination on the basis of single-crystal data reveals the absolute structure, all atoms with anisotropic displacement parameters and a much higher accuracy in terms of bond lengths and angles. It could be shown that a different space group or incorporation of water as reported for similarly gel-grown lead tartrate crystals is incorrect. In the structure, each Pb2+cation is bonded to eight O atoms of five tartrate anions, while each tartrate anion links four Pb2+cations. The resulting three-dimensional framework is stabilized by O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the OH groups of one tartrate anion and the carboxylate O atoms of adjacent anions.
Isolation of B subunit‐specific monoclonal antibody clones that strongly neutralize the toxicity of Shiga toxin 2
Authors: Arimitsu Hideyuki , Sasaki Keiko , Iba Yoshitaka , Kurosawa Yoshikazu , Shimizu Toshiyasu , Tsuji Takao
Published: December 2014

Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2)‐specific mAb‐producing hybridoma clones were generated from mice. Because mice tend to produce small amounts of B subunit (Stx2B)‐specific antibodies at the polyclonal antibody level after immunization via the parenteral route, mice were immunized intranasally with Stx2 toxoids with a mutant heat‐labile enterotoxin as a mucosal adjuvant; 11 different hybridoma clones were obtained in two trials. Six of them were A subunit (Stx2A)‐specific whereas five were Stx2B‐specific antibody‐producing clones. The in vitro neutralization activity of Stx2B‐specific mAbs against Stx2 was greater than that of Stx2A‐specific mAbs on HeLa229 cells. Furthermore, even at low concentrations two of the Stx2B‐specific mAbs (45 and 75D9) completely inhibited receptor binding and showed in vivo neutralization activity against a fivefold median lethal dose of Stx2 in mice. In western blot analysis, these Stx2B‐specific neutralization antibodies did not react to three different mutant forms of Stx2, each amino acid residue of which was associated with receptor binding. Additionally, the nucleotide sequences of the VH and VL regions of clones 45 and 75D9 were determined. Our Stx2B‐specific mAbs may be new candidates for the development of mouse‐human chimeric Stx2‐neutralizing antibodies which have fewer adverse effects than animal antibodies for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection.
In situ DNA‐hybridization chain reaction (HCR): a facilitated in situ HCR system for the detection of environmental microorganisms
Authors: Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi , Kawakami Shuji , Hatamoto Masashi , Imachi Hiroyuki , Takahashi Masanobu , Araki Nobuo , Yamaguchi Takashi , Kubota Kengo
Published: December 2014

In situ detection of microorganisms by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful tool for environmental microbiology, but analyses can be hampered by low rRNA content in target organisms, especially in oligotrophic environments. Here, we present a non‐enzymatic, hybridization chain reaction (HCR)‐based signal amplified in situ whole‐cell detection technique (in situ DNA‐HCR). The components of the amplification buffer were optimized to polymerize DNA amplifier probes for in situ DNA‐HCR. In situ hybridization of initiator probes followed by signal amplification via HCR produced bright signals with high specificity and probe permeation into cells. The detection rates for Bacteria in a seawater sample and Archaea in anaerobic sludge samples were comparable with or greater than those obtained by catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD)‐FISH or standard FISH. Detection of multiple organisms (Bacteria, Archaea and Methanosaetaceae) in an anaerobic sludge sample was achieved by simultaneous in situ DNA‐HCR. In summary, in situ DNA‐HCR is a simple and easy technique for detecting single microbial cells and enhancing understanding of the ecology and behaviour of environmental microorganisms in situ.
Inside ‘bed management’: ethnographic insights from the vantage point of UK hospital nurses
Authors: Allen Davina
Published: December 2014

In the face of unprecedented financial and demographic challenges, optimising acute bed utilisation by the proactive management of patient flows is a pressing policy concern in high‐income countries. Despite the growing literature on this topic, bed management has received scant sociological attention. Drawing on practice‐based approaches, this article deploys ethnographic data to examine bed management from the perspective of UK hospital nurses. While the nursing contribution to bed management is recognised formally in their widespread employment in patient access and discharge liaison roles, nurses at all levels in the study site were enrolled in this organisational priority. Rather than the rational, centrally controlled processes promulgated by policymakers, bed management emerges as a predominantly distributed activity, described here as match‐making. An example of micro‐level rationing, for the most part, match‐making was not informed by explicit criteria nor did it hinge on clearly identifiable decisions to grant or deny access. Rather it was embedded in the everyday practices and situated rationalities through which nurses accomplished the accommodations necessary to balance demand with resources.
Volatile compounds in pressed ewes' milk cheese with saffron spice (Crocus sativus L.)
Authors: Licón Carmen C. , Carmona Manuel , Berruga María Isabel
Published: December 2014

Saffron spice has been successfully used as an ingredient in dairy products as a means of diversification. The objective of this work was to determine the influence of saffron on the volatiles' profile of a pressed ewes' milk cheese. This was performed by means of a modern extraction technique based on headspace sorptive extraction. Results showed that safranal was the only volatile that could be identified and quantified from saffron spice. Most volatile compounds were present in all cheeses but at different concentrations. Differences between control and saffron cheeses were observed, but as ripening time increased, these differences were less evident.
One species in eight: DNA barcodes from type specimens resolve a taxonomic quagmire
Authors: Mutanen Marko , Kekkonen Mari , Prosser Sean W. J. , Hebert Paul D. N. , Kaila Lauri
Published: December 2014

Each holotype specimen provides the only objective link to a particular Linnean binomen. Sequence information from them is increasingly valuable due to the growing usage of DNA barcodes in taxonomy. As type specimens are often old, it may only be possible to recover fragmentary sequence information from them. We tested the efficacy of short sequences from type specimens in the resolution of a challenging taxonomic puzzle: the Elachista dispunctella complex which includes 64 described species with minuscule morphological differences. We applied a multistep procedure to resolve the taxonomy of this species complex. First, we sequenced a large number of newly collected specimens and as many holotypes as possible. Second, we used all >400 bp examine species boundaries. We employed three unsupervised methods (BIN, ABGD, GMYC) with specified criteria on how to handle discordant results and examined diagnostic bases from each delineated putative species (operational taxonomic units, OTUs). Third, we evaluated the morphological characters of each OTU. Finally, we associated short barcodes from types with the delineated OTUs. In this step, we employed various supervised methods, including distance‐based, tree‐based and character‐based. We recovered 658 bp barcode sequences from 194 of 215 fresh specimens and recovered an average of 141 bp from 33 of 42 holotypes. We observed strong congruence among all methods and good correspondence with morphology. We demonstrate potential pitfalls with tree‐, distance‐ and character‐based approaches when associating sequences of varied length. Our results suggest that sequences as short as 56 bp can often provide valuable taxonomic information. The results support significant taxonomic oversplitting of species in the Elachista dispunctella complex.
Epistasis and the sensitivity of phenotypic screens for beta thalassaemia
Authors: Penman Bridget S. , Gupta Sunetra , Weatherall David J.
Published: December 2014

Genetic disorders of haemoglobin, particularly the sickle cell diseases and the alpha and beta thalassaemias, are the commonest inherited disorders worldwide. The majority of affected births occur in low‐income and lower‐middle income countries. Screening programmes are a vital tool to counter these haemoglobinopathies by: (i) identifying individual carriers and allowing them to make informed reproductive choices, and (ii) generating population level gene‐frequency estimates, to help ensure the optimal allocation of public health resources. For both of these functions it is vital that the screen performed is suitably sensitive. One popular first‐stage screening option to detect carriers of beta thalassaemia in low‐income countries is the One Tube Osmotic Fragility Test (OTOFT). Here we introduce a population genetic framework within which to quantify the likely sensitivity and specificity of the OTOFT in different epidemiological contexts. We demonstrate that interactions between the carrier states for beta thalassaemia and alpha thalassaemia, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and Southeast Asian Ovalocytosis have the potential to reduce the sensitivity of OTOFTs for beta thalassaemia heterozygosity to below 70%. Our results therefore caution against the widespread application of OTOFTs in regions where these erythrocyte variants co‐occur.
Superficial vein thrombosis: a current approach to management
Authors: Scott Gemma , Mahdi Ali Jassem , Alikhan Raza
Published: December 2014

Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) was considered to be a benign and self‐limiting condition. However, it is now appreciated that a significant proportion of those presenting with SVT will have concomitant deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, or are at significant risk of developing deep venous thromboembolism. Potential therapeutic options include topical preparations, compression therapy (stockings, bandages), medication such as non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or anticoagulants (therapeutic or prophylactic doses) and surgery, ligation or stripping, of superficial veins. The treatment of choice is therapeutic/intermediate dose low molecular weight heparin or prophylactic dose fondaparinux administered for 4–6 weeks. The cost‐effectiveness of treatment is a concern and more targeted therapy is required.
Combined cord blood and bone marrow transplantation from the same human leucocyte antigen‐identical sibling donor for children with malignant and non‐malignant diseases
Authors: Tucunduva Luciana , Volt Fernanda , Cunha Renato , Locatelli Franco , Zecca Marco , Yesilipek Akif , Caniglia Maurizio , Güngör Tayfun , Aksoylar Serap , Fagioli Franca , Bertrand Yves , Addari Maria Carmen , de la Fuente Josu , Winiarski Jacek , Biondi Andrea , Sengeloev Henrik , Badell Isabel , Mellgren Karin , de Heredia Cristina Díaz , Sedlacek Petr , Vora Ajay , Rocha Vanderson , Ruggeri Annalisa , Gluckman Eliane ,   Eurocord and the EBMT Paediatric working party
Published: December 2014

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) from an human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐identical sibling can be used for transplantation of patients with malignant and non‐malignant diseases. However, the low cellular content of mostUCBunits represents a limitation to this approach. An option to increase cell dose is to harvest bone marrow (BM) cells from the same donor and infuse them along with theUCB. We studied 156 children who received such a combined graft between 1992 and 2011. Median age was 7 years and 78% of patients (n = 122) were transplanted for non‐malignant diseases, mainly haemoglobinopathies. Acute leukaemia (n = 26) was the most frequent malignant diagnosis. Most patients (91%) received myeloablative conditioning. Median donor age was 1·7 years, median infused nucleated cell dose was 24·4 × 107/kg and median follow‐up was 41 months. Sixty‐days neutrophil recovery occurred in 96% of patients at a median of 17 d. The probabilities of grade‐II‐IVacute and chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) were 19% and 10%, respectively. Four‐year overall survival was 90% (68% malignant; 97% non‐malignant diseases) with 3% probability of death. In conclusion, combinedUCBandBMtransplantation from anHLA‐identical sibling donor is an effective treatment for children with malignant and non‐malignant disorders with high overall survival and low incidence ofGVHD.
Lack of bone lesions at diagnosis is associated with inferior outcome in multisystem langerhans cell histiocytosis of childhood
Authors: Aricò Maurizio , Astigarraga Itziar , Braier Jorge , Donadieu Jean , Gadner Helmut , Glogova Evgenia , Grois Nicole , Henter Jan‐Inge , Janka Gritta , McClain Kenneth L. , Ladisch Stephan , Pötschger Ulrike , Rosso Diego , Thiem Elfriede , Weitzman Sheila , Windebank Kevin , Minkov Milen ,   the Histiocyte Society
Published: December 2014

Skeletal involvement is generally, but not universally, characteristic of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). We investigated whether the presence of bone lesions at diagnosis is a prognostic factor for survival inLCH. Nine hundred and thirty‐eight children with multisystem (MS)LCH, both high (386RO+) and low (RO−) risk, were evaluated for bone lesions at diagnosis. Risk organ (RO+) involvement was defined as: haematopoietic system (haemoglobin <100 g/l, and/or white blood cell count <4·0 × 109/l and/or platelet count <100 × 109/l), spleen (>2 cm below the costal margin), liver (>3 cm and/or hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, and/or increased aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase). Given the general view that prognosis inLCHworsens with increasing extent of disease, the surprising finding was that inMS+RO+LCHthe probability of survival with bone involvement 74 ± 3% (n = 230, 56 events) was reduced to 62 ± 4% (n = 156, 55 events) if this was absent (P = 0·007). An even greater difference was seen in the subgroup of patients with both liver and either haematopoiesis or spleen involvement: 61 ± 5% survival (n = 105; 52 events) if patients had bony lesions,versus47 ± 5% (n = 111; 39 events) if they did not (P = 0·014). This difference was retained in multivariate analysis (P = 0·048). Although as yet unexplained, we conclude that bone involvement at diagnosis is a previously unrecognized favourable prognostic factor inMS+RO+LCH.
Selective activation of angiotensin AT2 receptors attenuates progression of pulmonary hypertension and inhibits cardiopulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Bruce E , Shenoy V , Rathinasabapathy A , Espejo A , Horowitz A , Oswalt A , Francis J , Nair A , Unger T , Raizada M K , Steckelings U M , Sumners C , Katovich M J
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a devastating disease characterized by increased pulmonary arterial pressure, which progressively leads to right‐heart failure and death. A dys‐regulated renin angiotensin system (RAS) has been implicated in the development and progression of PH. However, the role of the angiotensin AT2 receptor in PH has not been fully elucidated. We have taken advantage of a recently identified non‐peptide AT2 receptor agonist, Compound 21 (C21), to investigate its effects on the well‐established monocrotaline (MCT) rat model of PH.

Experimental Approach

A single s.c. injection of MCT (50 mg·kg−1) was used to induce PH in 8‐week‐old male Sprague Dawley rats. After 2 weeks of MCT administration, a subset of animals began receiving either 0.03 mg·kg−1 C21, 3 mg·kg−1 PD‐123319 or 0.5 mg·kg−1 A779 for an additional 2 weeks, after which right ventricular haemodynamic parameters were measured and tissues were collected for gene expression and histological analyses.

Key Results

Initiation of C21 treatment significantly attenuated much of the pathophysiology associated with MCT‐induced PH. Most notably, C21 reversed pulmonary fibrosis and prevented right ventricular fibrosis. These beneficial effects were associated with improvement in right heart function, decreased pulmonary vessel wall thickness, reduced pro‐inflammatory cytokines and favourable modulation of the lung RAS. Conversely, co‐administration of the AT2 receptor antagonist, PD‐123319, or the Mas antagonist, A779, abolished the protective actions of C21.

Conclusions and Implications

Taken together, our results suggest that the AT2 receptor agonist, C21, may hold promise for patients with PH.