bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel gene delivery composite system based on biodegradable folate-poly (ester amine) polymer and thermosensitive hydrogel for sustained gene release
Authors: Yang Yi , Zhao Hang , Jia YanPeng , Guo QingFa , Qu Ying , Su Jing , Lu XiaoLing , Zhao YongXiang , Qian ZhiYong
Published: February 2016

Local anti-oncogene delivery providing high local concentration of gene, increasing antitumor effect and decreasing systemic side effects is currently attracting interest in cancer therapy. In this paper, a novel local sustained anti-oncogene delivery system, PECE thermoresponsive hydrogel containing folate-poly (ester amine) (FA-PEA) polymer/DNA (tumor suppressor) complexes, is demonstrated. First, a tumor-targeted biodegradable folate-poly (ester amine) (FA-PEA) polymer based on low-molecular-weight polyethyleneimine (PEI) was synthesized and characterized, and the application for targeted gene delivery was investigated. The polymer had slight cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency in vitro compared with PEI 25k, which indicated that FA-PEA was a potential vector for targeted gene delivery. Meanwhile, we successfully prepared a thermoresponsive PECE hydrogel composite containing FA-PEA/DNA complexes which could contain the genes and slowly release the genes into cells. We concluded the folate-poly (ester amine) (FA-PEA) polymer would be useful for targeted gene delivery, and the novel gene delivery composite based on biodegradable folate-poly (ester amine) polymer and thermosensitive PECE hydrogel showed potential for sustained gene release.
Tracking the immunopathological response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa during respiratory infections
Authors: Cigana Cristina , Lorè Nicola Ivan , Riva Camilla , De Fino Ida , Spagnuolo Lorenza , Sipione Barbara , Rossi Giacomo , Nonis Alessandro , Cabrini Giulio , Bragonzi Alessandra
Published: February 2016

Repeated cycles of infections, caused mainly by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, combined with a robust host immune response and tissue injury, determine the course and outcome of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. As the disease progresses, P. aeruginosa adapts to the host modifying dramatically its phenotype; however, it remains unclear whether and how bacterial adaptive variants and their persistence influence the pathogenesis and disease development. Using in vitro and murine models of infection, we showed that P. aeruginosa CF-adaptive variants shaped the innate immune response favoring their persistence. Next, we refined a murine model of chronic pneumonia extending P. aeruginosa infection up to three months. In this model, including CFTR-deficient mice, we unveil that the P. aeruginosa persistence lead to CF hallmarks of airway remodelling and fibrosis, including epithelial hyperplasia and structure degeneration, goblet cell metaplasia, collagen deposition, elastin degradation and several additional markers of tissue damage. This murine model of P. aeruginosa chronic infection, reproducing CF lung pathology, will be instrumental to identify novel molecular targets and test newly tailored molecules inhibiting chronic inflammation and tissue damage processes in pre-clinical studies.
An in-situ synthesis of Ag/AgCl/TiO2/hierarchical porous magnesian material and its photocatalytic performance
Authors: Yang Lu , Wang Fazhou , Shu Chang , Liu Peng , Zhang Wenqin , Hu Shuguang
Published: February 2016

The absorption ability and photocatalytic activity of photocatalytic materials play important roles in improving the pollutants removal effects. Herein, we reported a new kind of photocatalytic material, which was synthesized by simultaneously designing hierarchical porous magnesian (PM) substrate and TiO2 catalyst modification. Particularly, PM substrate could be facilely prepared by controlling its crystal phase (Phase 5, Mg3Cl(OH)5·4H2O), while Ag/AgCl particles modification of TiO2 could be achieved by in situ ion exchange between Ag+ and above crystal Phase. Physiochemical analysis shows that Ag/AgCl/TiO2/PM material has higher visible and ultraviolet light absorption response and excellent gas absorption performance compared to other controls. These suggested that Ag/AgCl/TiO2/PM material could produce more efficient photocatalytic effects. Its photocatalytic reaction rate was 5.21 and 30.57 times higher than that of TiO2/PM and TiO2/imporous magnesian substrate, respectively. Thus, this material and its intergration synthesis method could provide a novel strategy for high-efficiency application and modification of TiO2 photocatalyst in engineering filed.
Inefficient DMN Suppression in Schizophrenia Patients with Impaired Cognitive Function but not Patients with Preserved Cognitive Function
Authors: Zhou Li , Pu Weidan , Wang Jingjuan , Liu Haihong , Wu Guowei , Liu Chang , Mwansisya Tumbwene E. , Tao Haojuan , Chen Xudong , Huang Xiaojun , Lv Dongsheng , Xue Zhimin , Shan Baoci , Liu Zhening
Published: February 2016

Previous studies have observed reduced suppression of the default mode network (DMN) during cognitive tasks in schizophrenia, suggesting inefficient DMN suppression is critical for the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Cognitive function in schizophrenia patients, however, varies from relatively intact to severely impaired. This study, which compared the DMN suppression patterns between first-episode schizophrenia patients with (SZ-Imp) and without (SZ-Pre) impaired cognitive function, may provide further insight into the role of DMN dysfunction in cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to resting-state fMRI data to identify the DMN in each subject, and then general linear modeling based on the task-fMRI data was used to examine the different DMN activation patterns between groups. We observed that the SZ-Imp group, but not the SZ-Pre group, showed reduced suppression in the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulated cortex when compared to the healthy controls (HC) group. Moreover, less DMN suppression was associated with poorer task performance in both HC and patient groups. Our findings provide the first direct evidence that disrupted DMN activity only exists in schizophrenia patients with impaired cognitive function, supporting the specific neuro-pathological role of inefficient DMN suppression in cognitive deficits of first-episode schizophrenia.
Efficiency enhancement of cubic perovskite BaSnO3 nanostructures based dye sensitized solar cells
Authors: Rajamanickam N. , Soundarrajan P. , Vendra Venkat K. , Jasinski Jacek B. , Sunkara Mahendra K. , Ramachandran K.
Published: February 2016

Cubic perovskite BaSnO3 (BSO) is an important photoelectron transporting material due to its electronic structure that competes with TiO2 in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs).
Macroscopic electric field inside water-filled biological nanopores
Authors: Gutiérrez Silvia Acosta , Bodrenko Igor , Scorciapino Mariano Andrea , Ceccarelli Matteo
Published: February 2016

We used water as a natural probe to evaluate the macroscopic electric field inside nanometric water-filled channels.
Genetically designed biomolecular capping system for mesoporous silica nanoparticles enables receptor-mediated cell uptake and controlled drug release
Authors: Datz Stefan , Argyo Christian , Gattner Michael , Weiss Veronika , Brunner Korbinian , Bretzler Johanna , von Schirnding Constantin , Torrano Adriano A. , Spada Fabio , Vrabel Milan , Engelke Hanna , Bräuchle Christoph , Carell Thomas , Bein Thomas
Published: February 2016

We describe a novel enzyme-based cap system for mesoporous silica nanoparticles combined with bio-orthogonal click chemistry.
Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4@TSC nanocomposite: highly efficient removal of toxic metal ions from aqueous medium
Authors: Alqadami Ayoub Abdullah , Naushad Mu , Abdalla Mohammad Abulhassan , Ahamad Tansir , Abdullah Alothman Zeid , Alshehri Saad M.
Published: February 2016

A new magnetic adsorbent Fe3O4@TSC was used for the removal of Cr3+ and Co2+ metal ions from aqueous media.
Activated macrophage-targeted dextran–methotrexate/folate conjugate prevents deterioration of collagen-induced arthritis in mice
Authors: Yang Modi , Ding Jianxun , Zhang Ying , Chang Fei , Wang Jincheng , Gao Zhongli , Zhuang Xiuli , Chen Xuesi
Published: February 2016

A folate-decorated dextran–methotrexate prodrug is applied for targeted therapy of collagen-induced arthritis in mice.
Investigation of synergistic effects of inductive and conductive factors in gelatin-based cryogels for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Liao Han-Tsung , Shalumon K. T. , Chang Kun-Hung , Sheu Chialin , Chen Jyh-Ping
Published: February 2016

Gelatin cryogels modified with nHAP and BMP-2 could provide cues to promote the osteogenesis of ADSCs in vitro and in vivo.
Epitope imprinting enhanced IMAC (EI-IMAC) for highly selective purification of His-tagged protein
Authors: Li Senwu , Yang Kaiguang , Zhao Baofeng , Li Xiao , Liu Lukuan , Chen Yuanbo , Zhang Lihua , Zhang Yukui
Published: February 2016

Selectivity of epitope imprinted sites is introduced on the IMAC surface through epitope surface imprinting. The obtained epitope imprinting enhanced IMAC (EI-IMAC) could purify His-tagged proteins with high selectivity without any major interference from the host proteins.
Functional hydroxyapatite bioceramics with excellent osteoconductivity and stern-interface induced antibacterial ability
Authors: Shi Chao , Gao Jianyong , Wang Ming , Shao Yiran , Wang Liping , Wang Dalin , Zhu Yingchun
Published: February 2016

Osteogenic Ag/HAp bioceramics possess significant bacteria-killing abilities under ultra-low Ag+concentrations and the stern-interface induced antibacterial mechanism was explicitly proposed.
Layered MoS2 nanoflowers for microwave thermal therapy
Authors: Wang Shengping , Tan Longfei , Liang Ping , Liu Tianlong , Wang Jingzhuo , Fu Changhui , Yu Jie , Dou Jianping , Li Hong , Meng Xianwei
Published: February 2016

Layered BSA-MoS2 nanoflowers are designed and synthesized as excellent microwave (MW) hyperthermia susceptive agents for in vivo cancer therapy via MW irradiation at 1.8 W, 450 MHz, which shows great potential for green tumor thermotherapy.
Cooperative communications for sleep monitoring in wireless body area networks
Authors: Shimly S.M. , Movassaghi S. , Smith D.B.
Published: February 2016

The performance of cooperative receive diversity is investigated, for the wireless body area network (WBAN) radio channel, compliant with the IEEE 802.15.6 Standard, in the case of monitoring a sleeping person. Extensive WBAN measurements near the 2.4 GHz ISM band were used. Up to 7 dB and 20% improvement for two‐hop communications with the use of relays are empirically demonstrated with respect to outage probability and outage duration, with the 3‐branch cooperative selection combining and the 3‐branch cooperative switch‐and‐examine combining.
Wideband balun‐LNA exploiting noise cancellation and compensation technique
Authors: Liu Lanqi , Lu Zhaojing , Zhang Kefeng , Ren Zhixiong , Hu Ang , Zou Xuecheng
Published: February 2016

A wideband single‐ended input, differential output balun‐LNA is proposed for multi‐standard wireless applications between 10 MHz and 3 GHz. The common‐gate (CG) input stage in combination with a noise cancellation topology is adopted for wideband input matching and low‐noise figure. An output stage with gm″ compensation technique is utilised to promote the limited gain of the CG input stage, and obtain an optimised linearity performance. Realised in TSMC 180 nm RF CMOS process, the LNA provides a gain of 19.7 dB, a maximum input third‐order interception point of 1.13 dBm, and a minimum NF AQ1 of 1.93 dB over a 3 dB bandwidth from 10 MHz to 1.7 GHz. Meanwhile, the proposed LNA shows good measured performance over the frequency band of 1.7–3 GHz.
Small‐sized metallic and transparent film resonators for MR‐WPT system
Authors: Lee H. , Kang S. , Kim Y. , Jung C.
Published: February 2016

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems have been studied with various system configurations; among them, four‐coil WPT is the conventional form in indirect‐fed magnetic resonance WPT (MR‐WPT). Small coil and transparent electrode coil made of multilayered IZTO/Ag/IZTO is designed. The planar loops and spiral coils were placed on the top and bottom of an acrylic substrate. The electrode was deposed indium–zinc–tin oxide‐silver‐indium–zinc–tin oxide (IZTO/Ag/IZTO) as a multilayer film structure. Loops were fabricated and optimised using capacitors. The coil was fabricated using a copper sheet and transparent electrode. The efficiency according to the transfer distance from 1 to 5 cm is measured. The optimised efficiency of the MR‐WPT with capacitance was 81% using a copper coil and 57% using a transparent coil (IZTO/Ag/IZTO) at a transfer distance of 1 cm.
Improved nearest level modulation for cascaded H‐bridge converter
Authors: Xiong Cheng‐Lin , Wu Xia‐Jie , Diao Fei , Feng Xiao‐Yun
Published: February 2016

Characteristics of equivalent area method of the nearest level modulation (NLM) is analysed in detail and an improved NLM for ten or so cells of cascaded H‐bridge (CHB) converter with a high modulation precision is proposed. The proposed algorithm can make the output voltage of the CHB converter better track the voltage modulation. Simulation results are presented to verify the validity of the proposed algorithm.
Cross‐polarisation modulation‐based ultrahigh contrast operation of a Fabry–Pérot all‐optical AND gate
Authors: Graiti S.A. Al , Maywar D.N.
Published: February 2016

A 31.2 dB‐contrast optical AND gate based on a Fabry–Pérot semiconductor optical amplifier is experimentally demonstrated, exceeding previously demonstrated data for such a device by over 24 dB. Whereas cross‐phase modulation shifts the Fabry–Pérot resonance to trigger the AND‐gate functionality, cross‐polarisation modulation enables ultrahigh contrast by producing a state of polarisation (SOP) for the high output‐power state that is different than that of the low output‐power state; a linear polariser is then used to block the low‐power SOP. This technique is applicable to other resonator geometries, Kerr‐nonlinear media, and to other all‐optical combinational‐logic gates.
Throughput optimisation for energy harvesting transmitter with partial instantaneous channel state information and finite‐alphabet inputs
Authors: Zhu Xiaodong , Zeng Weiliang , Xiao Chengshan
Published: February 2016

Wireless communication systems with energy harvester are attracting much attention due to their ability to improve the system operation time. Extensive research has been carried out on how to maximise the sum of mutual information over multiple time slots (i.e. the throughput). However, most research focuses on the energy harvesting transmitter with Gaussian inputs and single antenna. This study considers the throughput maximisation problem for an energy harvesting transmitter with causal energy constraint over multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) channels. Different from existing works, the authors consider the MIMO system with finite‐alphabet inputs and partial instantaneous channel state information (CSI). Specifically, the transmitter knows the statistical CSI of the entire channel frame as well as the instantaneous CSI of current time slot. The precoder design in this scenario is an intractable optimisation problem with respect to multiple precoding matrices. The authors’ analysis shows that this difficult precoding problem can be equivalently transformed into a set of scalar optimisation subproblems with respect to the transmit power. To solve these subproblems, an efficient algorithm based on the dynamic programming is proposed. The authors analyse the performance of the proposed algorithm, and simulation results validate its effectiveness.
Performance analysis of combining scheduling and space–time block coding under channel estimation error
Authors: Lee Donghun , Noh YoungTae
Published: February 2016

This study analyses performance‐based implications of combining user scheduling and space–time block coding (STBC) (i.e. joint diversity) under channel estimation error. The exact closed‐form expression of joint diversity for the achievable rate is derived. Moreover, the approximate closed‐form expression of joint diversity for the outage achievable rate is derived through Gaussian approximation. The exact closed‐form expression of joint diversity for the outage probability is finally derived, including the quantification of the order of diversity and the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) gain. Using analytical results, it is demonstrated that both the achievable rate and the outage achievable rate of joint diversity improves as the number of user terminals increases through multiuser diversity. The approximate results of the analysis and simulation of the outage achievable rate for joint diversity are well matched as the number of users increases. The outage probability enhances with the number of user terminals through diversity order improvement, whereas the SNR gain is identical to that in conventional non‐scheduling STBC.
Data‐driven optimal tracking control for a class of affine non‐linear continuous‐time systems with completely unknown dynamics
Authors: Xiao Geyang , Zhang Huaguang , Luo Yanhong , Jiang He
Published: February 2016

In this study, the optimal tracking control problem (OTCP) for affine non‐linear continuous‐time systems with completely unknown dynamics is addressed based on data by introducing the reinforcement learning (RL) technique. Unlike existing methods to the OTCP, the proposed data‐driven policy iteration (PI) method does not need to have or identify any knowledge of the system dynamics, including both drift dynamics and input dynamics. To carry out the proposed method, the original OTCP is pre‐processed to construct an augmented system composed of the error system dynamics and the desired trajectory dynamics. Then, based on the augmented system, a data‐driven PI, which introduces discount factor to solve the OTCP, is implemented on an actor–critic neural network (NN) structure by only using system data rather than the exact knowledge of system dynamics. Two NNs are used in the structure to generate the optimal cost and optimal control policy, respectively, and the weights are updated by a least‐square approach which minimises the residual errors. The proposed method is an off‐policy RL method, where the data can be arbitrarily sampled on the state and input domain. Finally, simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Traveling‐wave‐based protection of parallel transmission lines using Teager energy operator and fuzzy systems
Authors: Hasheminejad Saeid , Seifossadat Seyed Ghodratollah , Razaz Morteza , Joorabian Mahmood
Published: February 2016

This study proposes an intelligent traveling‐wave (TW)‐based protection algorithm for parallel transmission lines. In the proposed algorithm, Karenbauer's phase to modal transform is applied on three phase current signals. Teager energy operator is then applied on the modal components to extract TWs. First extracted TW of each modal component along with well‐designed fuzzy systems are used for internal fault identification and fault type classification. In order to find the fault location, the time difference between the first and the second TWs and the TW propagation speed are utilised. Test signals are generated in PSCAD/EMTDC software and the algorithm is implemented in MATLAB. Results show that the proposed algorithm is an ultra‐high‐speed algorithm for the reliable protection of parallel transmission lines.
Non‐local feature back‐projection for image super‐resolution
Authors: Zhang Xin , Liu Qian , Li Xuemei , Zhou Yuanfeng , Zhang Caiming
Published: February 2016

Image super‐resolution (SR) for a single low‐resolution image is an important and challenging task in image processing. In this study, the authors propose a novel non‐local feature back‐projection method for image SR, which can effectively reduce jaggy and ringing artefacts common, in general, iterative back‐projection (IBP) method. In their method, the objective high‐resolution (HR) image is obtained by projecting reconstructed errors back to HR image iteratively. To optimise the initial HR image and constrain anisotropic errors propagation during IBP process, an efficient non‐local feature interpolation algorithm is designed. Specially, edge information is used as constraints to make the interpolation surface preserve better shape. Furthermore, as post‐processing, non‐local similarities are utilised to remove noise and irregularities induced by errors propagation. Experimental results show that their method achieves better performance than state‐of‐the‐art methods in terms of both quantitative metrics and visual qualities.
Multiband‐dielectric resonator antenna for LTE application
Authors: Khan Rizwan , Jamaluddin Mohd H. , Kazim Jalil Ur Rehman , Nasir Jamal , Owais Owais
Published: February 2016

This study presents work carried out on a multiband‐dielectric resonator antenna (M‐DRA) for long‐term evolution (LTE) application. A new stack M‐DRA is introduced by using two dielectric resonators of different permittivities, stacked on top of each other. The M‐DRA is excited using a coaxial probe. The introduction of a finite planar conducting wall reduces the overall size of the proposed M‐DRA. It operates at LTE band‐VI (828–880 MHz), GSM 1800/1900 and UMTS 2100 for S11<−10 dB. The measurements performed with a fabricated antenna showed good agreement with the simulated results.
Approach to axial ratio improvement for circularly polarised microstrip patch antennas excited via two inputs
Authors: Ogurtsov Stanislav , Koziel Slawomir
Published: February 2016

A novel approach to enhance a quality of circular polarisation of microstrip patch antennas is presented. It is applicable to microstrip antennas with square as well as circular patches which are excited through two inputs with a 90° phase shift. In this approach, an analytical model based on a superposition of the antenna far fields is used. This model leads to the closed‐form formulas for correcting the axial ratio at the operating frequency by a proper amplitude and phase excitation of the patch antenna. The formulas use the simulated far fields of the patch antenna with only one input being active while the other one connected to the absorbing load. It is shown by numerical examples that this approach is particularly suitable for microstrip patch antennas excited with the through‐substrate probes of coaxial connectors. Furthermore, it is illustrated by numerical examples that the excitation with a proper amplitude and 90° phase shift may be sufficient – from practical point of view – to ensure a high‐quality circular polarisation. The proposed correction procedure enhances both the right‐ and the left‐hand polarisations of the microstrip patch antenna of interest.
Resonant control system for low‐voltage ride‐through in wind energy conversion systems
Authors: Cárdenas Roberto , Díaz Matías , Rojas Félix , Clare Jon , Wheeler Pat
Published: February 2016

Owing to the high penetration of electrical energy from wind energy conversion systems (WECSs), some countries are enforcing stringent grid codes to regulate low‐voltage‐ride‐through (LVRT) operation of WECSs. This study presents a self‐tuning resonant control (RC) system which can be used for LVRT control of the grid interface in the presence of symmetrical or asymmetrical faults. Only two RCs are required to fully control the four degrees of freedom of the converter output current. Sequence component separation is achieved using a new fast‐convergence delayed signal cancellation method which is also discussed in this work. The mathematical analysis and design procedure of the control system are presented. Simulation and experimental results obtained from a 3 kW prototype are discussed in this study.
Towards realisation of wireless sensor network‐based water pipeline monitoring systems: a comprehensive review of techniques and platforms
Authors: Obeid Abdulfattah M. , Karray Fatma , Jmal Mohamed Wassim , Abid Mohamed , Manzoor Qasim Syed , BenSaleh Mohammed S.
Published: February 2016

Huge quantities of water are wasted on a daily basis worldwide because of leakages in water‐transporting infrastructures causing water shortage, injuries, and so on. This problem is typically worsened by the lack of advanced monitoring systems. In this respect, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have revolutionised water‐monitoring systems providing reliable inspection, feasible communication and performing applications. This study presents a comprehensive survey on software and hardware solutions proposed in the literature for water pipeline infrastructure monitoring. In fact, several leak detection and localisation techniques like acoustic, ultrasound or pressure ones are studied and evaluated. Several research works tried to implement these techniques using different types of WSN platforms including microcontroller, digital signal processor, application‐specific integrated circuit and field programmable gate array. These platforms are reviewed and discussed while highlighting their advantages and drawbacks. Finally, an integrated energy‐aware system‐on‐chip solution using high‐performance hardware is proposed to achieve optimal and reliable results.
Temperature dependence of carrier transport and electrical characteristics of Schottky‐barrier carbon nanotube field effect transistors
Authors: Ossaimee Mahmoud , El Sabbagh Mona , Gamal Salah
Published: February 2016

Temperature dependence of the characteristics of a Schottky‐barrier carbon nanotube field effect transistor has been investigated in detail. This study was performed using two‐dimensional quantum simulator based on self‐consistent solution of non‐equilibrium Green's function formalism with Poisson's equation. From discrepancy in performance of ON and OFF states with temperature, it was concluded that the main dominant component of the conduction mechanism in the OFF state is the thermionic emission while in the ON‐state is the tunnelling mechanism. Also, the temperature dependence of the frequency response was studied. They found that the temperature enhances the cutoff frequency. Compact models for OFF current and subthreshold swing with temperature are also proposed and compared with the numerical results.
Carrier-envelope phase dependence of the directional fragmentation and hydrogen migration in toluene in few-cycle laser fields
Authors: Li Hui , Kling Nora G. , Förg Benjamin , Stierle Johannes , Kessel Alexander , Trushin Sergei A. , Kling Matthias F. , Kaziannis Spyros
Published: February 2016

The dissociative ionization of toluene initiated by a few-cycle laser pulse as a function of the carrier envelope phase (CEP) is investigated using single-shot velocity map imaging. Several ionic fragments, CH3+, H2+, and H3+, originating from multiply charged toluene ions present a CEP-dependent directional emission. The formation of H2+ and H3+ involves breaking C-H bonds and forming new bonds between the hydrogen atoms within the transient structure of the multiply charged precursor. We observe appreciable intensity-dependent CEP-offsets. The experimental data are interpreted with a mechanism that involves laser-induced coupling of vibrational states, which has been found to play a role in the CEP-control of molecular processes in hydrocarbon molecules, and appears to be of general importance for such complex molecules.
Thermodynamic similarity of physical systems
Authors: Ciccariello Salvino
Published: February 2016

Two different physical systems A and B are said to be thermodynamically similar if one of the thermodynamic potentials of system A is proportional to the corresponding potential of B after expressing the state variables of system A in terms of those of B by a transformation reversible throughout the state variables’ domain. The thermodynamic similarity has a transitive nature so that physical systems divide into classes of thermodynamically similar systems that have similar phase diagrams. Considering the simplest physical systems, one finds that a class of thermodynamically similar systems is formed by the ideal classical gas, the Fermi and the Bose ideal quantum gases, whatever the dimensions of the confining spaces, and the one dimensional hard rod gas. Another class is formed by the physical systems characterized by interactions that coincide by a scaling of the distance and the coupling constant.
Origin of enhanced anomalous Hall effect in ultrathin Pt/permalloy bilayers
Authors: Zhang Y. Q. , Sun N. Y. , Che W. R. , Shan R. , Zhu Z. G.
Published: February 2016

There are two mechanisms which could enhance spin-dependent scattering in a low dimensional Pt/Ferromagnetic metal structure. One is magnetic proximity effect. The other is spin orbit coupling proximity effect which was suggested recently. This work demonstrates that, through a series of experiments on anomalous Hall effect, the spin orbit coupling proximity effect dominates the enhancement in very thin Pt/Permalloy bilayers. It may help to find a way to optimize magnetic transport property of spintronics devices in which the spin orbit coupling is deeply involved.
Effects of chitosan on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and milk yield and composition of dairy cows
Authors: Gomes de Paiva Pablo , Ferreira de Jesus Elmeson , Del Valle Tiago Antonio , Ferreira de Almeida Gustavo , Costa Artur Gabriel Brao Vilas Boas , Consentini Carlos Eduardo Cardoso , Zanferari Filipe , Takiya Caio Seiti , Bueno Ives Cláudio da Silva , Rennó Francisco Palma
Published: February 2016

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of providing increasing levels of chitosan on nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, blood parameters, nitrogen utilisation, microbial protein synthesis, and milk yield and composition of lactating dairy cows. Eight rumen-fistulated Holstein cows [average days in lactation = 215 ± 60.9; and average bodyweight (BW) = 641 ± 41.1 kg] were assigned into a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design, with 21-day evaluation periods. Cows were assigned to be provided with four levels of chitosan, placed into the rumen through the fistula, as follows: (1) Control: with no provision of chitosan; (2) 75 mg/kg BW; (3) 150 mg/kg BW; and (4) 225 mg/kg BW. Chitosan had no effect on dry matter intake (P > 0.73); however, chitosan increased (P = 0.05) crude protein digestibility. Propionate concentration was increased (P = 0.02), and butyrate, isobutyrate, isovalerate and acetate : propionate ratio were decreased (P ≤ 0.04) by chitosan. Chitosan had no effect (P > 0.25) on acetate, pH and NH3 ruminal concentration. Glucose, urea, and hepatic enzyme concentrations in the blood were similar (P > 0.30) among treatments. Nitrogen balance was not affected, but chitosan increased milk nitrogen (P = 0.02). Microbial protein synthesis was not affected by chitosan (P > 0.44). Chitosan increased (P = 0.02) milk yield, fat-corrected milk, protein and lactose production. Chitosan changes ruminal fermentation and improves milk yield of lactating dairy cows; therefore, we conclude that chitosan can be used as a rumen modulator instead of ionophores in diets for dairy cows.
What would be missed if we didn’t screen men who have sex with men for oral chlamydia trachomatis? A cross-sectional study
Authors: Loomba Priya , Knight Vickie , McNulty Anna
Published: February 2016

Background This study aimed to describe oropharyngeal chlamydia (OCT) in gay and bisexually active men (GBM) attending a large urban sexual health clinic in Sydney and determine what proportion of cases would be missed if screening was not routine. Methods: Retrospective data were extracted for all GBM with a positive OCT result between 1 October 2012 and 31 April 2014. The control group consisted of patients who had a negative OCT result on their first visit during the study period, and each patient was only counted once. Results: A total of 74 of 2920 GBM (0.03, 95% CI: 0.02–0.03) were diagnosed with OCT. The 2920 GBM had a total of 11 226 OCT tests performed, demonstrating OCT test positivity of 0.006 (95% CI: 0.005–0.008). A total of 62 sexually transmissible infections (STIs) were diagnosed at other sites: 34 rectal chlamydia (CT), 12 throat gonorrohea (GC), 7 urine CT, 7 rectal GC, 1 infectious syphilis and 1 non-gonoccal urethritis (NGU) case. Of the 74 OCT cases, 56 (0.76, 95% CI: 0.64–0.85) were treated with Azithromycin; 51 (69%) as part of standard treatment for their STI co-infection (34 rectal CT, 12 throat GC, 7 urine CT, 7 rectal GC, 1 NGU case) and a further five (7%) were treated as contacts. The remaining 18 people (0.24, 95% CI: 0.15–0.36) would not have been treated unless they were tested specifically for OCT. Conclusion: Overall, two-thirds of the OCT cases received appropriate treatment and only a small number of cases would have been missed had routine screening not been performed. With an extremely low overall test positivity of 0.6%, screening for OCT at our service adds little to population level health control.
The effect of rights-based fisheries management on risk taking and fishing safety
Authors: Pfeiffer Lisa , Gratz Trevor
Published: February 2016

Significance

Commercial fishing is a dangerous occupation despite decades of regulatory initiatives aimed at making it safer. We posit that the individual allocation of fishing quota can improve safety by solving many of the problems associated with the competitive race to fish, which manifest themselves in risky behavior such as fishing in poor weather. We present a previously unidentified approach to evaluation: estimating the change in the propensity to start a fishing trip in poor weather conditions as a result of the management change. We chronicle a revolution in risk-taking behavior by fishermen (a 79% decrease in the annual average rate of fishing on high wind days) that is due to the change in economic incentives provided by rights-based management.
Atoms of recognition in human and computer vision
Authors: Ullman Shimon , Assif Liav , Fetaya Ethan , Harari Daniel
Published: February 2016

Significance

Discovering the visual features and representations used by the brain to recognize objects is a central problem in the study of vision. Recent successes in computational models of visual recognition naturally raise the question: Do computer systems and the human brain use similar or different computations? We show by combining a novel method (minimal images) and simulations that the human recognition system uses features and learning processes, which are critical for recognition, but are not used by current models. The study uses a “phase transition” phenomenon in minimal images, in which minor changes to the image have a drastic effect on its recognition. The results show fundamental limitations of current approaches and suggest directions to produce more realistic and better-performing models.
CnaA domains in bacterial pili are efficient dissipaters of large mechanical shocks
Authors: Echelman Daniel J. , Alegre-Cebollada Jorge , Badilla Carmen L. , Chang Chungyu , Ton-That Hung , Fernández Julio M.
Published: February 2016

Significance

Bacteria colonizing the oropharynx must adhere despite mechanical challenges from coughing, sneezing, and chewing; however, little is known about how Gram-positive organisms achieve this feat. We studied the pilus adhesive proteins from two Gram-positive organisms and report a conserved mechanism for dissipating the energy of a mechanical perturbation. The two proteins are stable up to forces of 525 pN and 690 pN, respectively, making these proteins the most mechanically stable proteins known. After a perturbation, the proteins refold rapidly at low force, resulting in a large hysteresis with most of the unfolding energy lost as heat. The work presents an initial model whereby transient unfolding at forces of 500–700 pN dissipates mechanical energy and protects covalent bonds from cleavage.
The Hidden Cost of Personal Quantification
Authors: Etkin Jordan
Published: February 2016

From sleep and energy use to exercise and health, consumers have access to more information about their behavior than ever before. The appeal of personal quantification seems clear. By better understanding our behavior, we can make the necessary changes to live happier, healthier lives. But might the new tools people are using—quantifying life— rob them of some of the benefits of engaging in those activities? Six experiments demonstrate that while measurement increases how much of an activity people do (e.g., walk or read more), it can simultaneously reduce how much people enjoy those activities. This occurs because measurement can undermine intrinsic motivation. By drawing attention to output, measurement can make enjoyable activities feel more like work, which reduces their enjoyment. As a result, measurement can decrease continued engagement in the activity and subjective well-being. Even in the absence of explicit external incentives, measurement itself can thus have similar effects. The findings have implications for measurement’s use, as well as for the psychology of external incentives and intrinsic motivation.
First Report of Meloidogyne haplanaria Infecting Mi-Resistant Tomato Plants in Florida and Its Molecular Diagnosis Based on Mitochondrial Haplotype
Authors: Joseph Soumi , Mekete Tesfamariam , Danquah Wiseborn B. , Noling Joseph
Published: February 2016

Meloidogyne haplanaria is a species originally found infesting peanut in Texas and, more recently, in Arkansas. In this study, we confirmed the presence of M. haplanaria in Florida based on morphological and molecular characterization. This species was identified from a sample submitted for diagnosis collected from Mi-resistant tomato rootstock grown in Naples, FL. The major diagnostic criteria to distinguish M. haplanaria from other closely related root-knot nematode (RKN) species are based on morphological differences and host range tests, which are time consuming and labor intensive and require living or well-preserved specimens. In our study, we provide an easy diagnostic strategy to distinguish M. haplanaria from other RKN species based on amplification of two mitochondrial DNA regions. These regions span the intergenic spacer and part of the adjacent large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (lrDNA) and sequence polymorphisms in lrDNA revealed by the restriction pattern following digestion with the restriction enzymes HinfI and MnlI. A unique haplotype pattern, which has not been observed in any of the RKN species described thus far, was observed in M. haplanaria. The outcome of molecular analysis of M. haplanaria aligned with morphological measurement and characteristics as well as perineal pattern originally described for M. haplanaria.
Taking Risk: Early Results From Teaching Hospitals’ Participation in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative
Authors: Kivlahan Coleen , Orlowski Janis M. , Pearce Jonathan , Walradt Jessica , Baker Matthew , Kirch Darrell G.
Published: February 2016

The authors describe observations from the 27 teaching hospitals constituting the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) cohort in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative. CMMI introduced BPCI in August 2011 and selected the first set of participants in January 2013. BPCI participants enter into Medicare payment arrangements for episodes of care for which they take financial risk. The first round of participants entered risk agreements on October 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014. In April 2014, CMMI selected additional participants who started taking financial risk in 2015. Selected episodes include congestive heart failure (CHF), major joint replacement (MJR), and cardiac valve surgery. The AAMC cohort of participating hospitals selected clinical conditions on the basis of patient volume, opportunity to impact savings and quality, organizational and clinical team readiness, and prior process improvement experience. Early financial results suggest that focused attention to postacute care utilization and outcomes, rapid changes in care processes, program pricing rules, and team composition drove savings and losses. The first cohort of participants generated savings in MJR, CHF, and cardiac valve episodes; losses were experienced in stroke, percutaneous coronary intervention, and spine surgery. Although about one-quarter of U.S. teaching hospitals are participating in BPCI, the proliferation of existing and new payment models, as well as the 2015 announcement to increasingly pay providers according to value, mandates close scrutiny of program outcomes. The authors conclude by proposing additional opportunities for research related to alternative payment models.
A Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Radiation Therapy and Survival for Surgically Resected Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Qu Xuanlu , Lubitz Carrie C. , Rickard Jennifer , Bergeron Stephane G. , Wasif Nabil
Published: February 2016

Objectives:

Radiotherapy for soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) has been shown to reduce local recurrence, but without clear improvement in survival. We conducted a meta-analysis to study the association between radiotherapy and survival in patients undergoing surgery for STS.

Methods:

A systematic review was conducted from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. Our population of interest consisted of adults with primary extremity, chest wall, trunk, or back STS. Our metameters were either an odds or hazard ratio for mortality. A bias score was generated for each study based on margin status and grade.

Results:

Of 1044 studies, 30 met inclusion criteria for final analysis. The pooled odds ratio in patients receiving radiation was 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-1.14). The pooled estimate of the hazards ratio in patients receiving radiation was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.73-1.03) overall and 0.65 (95% CI, 0.52-0.82) for studies judged to be at low risk of bias. Significant publication bias was not seen.

Conclusions:

High-quality studies reporting adjusted hazard ratios are associated with improved survival in patients receiving radiotherapy for STS. Studies in which odds ratios are calculated from event data and those that do not report adjusted outcomes do not show the same association, likely due to confounding by indication.
Cold-Associated Perniosis of the Thighs (“Equestrian-Type” Chilblain): A Reappraisal Based on a Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study of 6 Cases
Authors: Ferrara Gerardo , Cerroni Lorenzo
Published: February 2016

Cold-associated perniosis of the thighs (“equestrian cold panniculitis”) is an unusual and still enigmatic entity. The authors retrieved 6 cases for a re-evaluation of their clinicopathologic features and for an immunohistochemical assessment with antibodies anti-CD3, anti-CD20, and anti-CD123. All patients were women, aged 17–45 years. One of them had elevated antinuclear antibody titers. Available anamnestic data confirmed the triggering role of prolonged/intermittent exposure to cold (not necessarily for equestrian activities). The lesions affected the thighs, with a preferential, although not exclusive involvement of the upper lateral surface. The histopathological pattern was perivascular, superficial, and deep, extending toward the superficial fat lobules, with lymphocytic vasculitis and mucin deposition; clumps of CD123+ cells were found in 4 of 6 cases. Cold-associated perniosis of the thighs cannot be considered as a panniculitis. The histopathological features considerably overlap with perniosis at other sites of the body and with chilblain lupus erythematosus.
Blunt Blade Subcision: An Evolution in the Treatment of Atrophic Acne Scars
Authors: Barikbin Behrooz , Akbari Zahra , Yousefi Maryam , Dowlati Yahya
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

Subcision is the mainstay of atrophic acne scar treatment but the efficacy and safety of the procedure is controversial.

OBJECTIVE

To improve the efficacy of the subcision procedure, a blunt subcision blade was designed and evaluated.

METHODS

Eighteen patients with bilateral atrophic acne scars considered eligible for subcision were enrolled. Before subcision, a tumescent solution was injected subdermally to anesthetize the treatment area and aid the dissection of the dermal-subcutaneous tissue. Patients underwent treatment using the blunt subcision blade, a long metal blade with gradually narrowing edges, and a rounded blunt tip. Early postoperative complications, overall aesthetic improvement and persistent discoloration, or lumpiness were assessed 7 days after subcision and at a 6-month follow-up visit.

RESULTS

Moderate to marked improvement of atrophic scars was observed in 15 cases (83.3%). Mild to moderate tenderness, periorbital ecchymoses, and swelling were reported by some patients, but resolved completely within 1 week after the procedure. No cases of persistent discoloration or lumpiness were observed at the final visit.

CONCLUSION

The blunt blade subcision procedure is suggested as an effective method for the treatment of atrophic acne scars.
Left Ventricular Dysfunction After Treatment With Ipilimumab for Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Roth Mary E. , Muluneh Benyam , Jensen Brian C. , Madamanchi Chaitanya , Lee Carrie B.
Published: February 2016

Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) that is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Ipilimumab is known to cause immune-mediated adverse reactions because of the resultant increase in T-cell activity. To date, there are no published reports of ipilimumab-related heart failure, although a recently published report describes a case of transient cardiomyopathy associated with its use. We report the case of a 60-year-old man who developed left ventricular dysfunction with an asymptomatic reduction in ejection fraction from 55%–60% at baseline to 40%–45% 4 months after completing a second course of treatment with ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma. Ipilimumab was not restarted, and the patient was initiated on lisinopril and carvedilol. Repeat echocardiograms 3 and 5 months later revealed ejection fractions of 40%–45% and 55%–60%, respectively.
Local Free-Style Perforator Flaps in Head and Neck Reconstruction: An Update and a Useful Classification
Authors: Kokkoli Effrosyni , Shih Hsiang-Shun , Spyropoulou Georgia-Alexandra , Jeng Seng-Feng
Published: February 2016

Background:

Any standard skin flap of the body including a detectable or identified perforator at its axis can be safely designed and harvested in a free-style fashion.

Methods:

Fifty-six local free-style perforator flaps in the head and neck region, 33 primary and 23 recycle flaps, were performed in 53 patients. The authors introduced the term “recycle” to describe a perforator flap harvested within the borders of a previously transferred flap. A Doppler device was routinely used preoperatively for locating perforators in the area adjacent to a given defect. The final flap design and degree of mobilization were decided intraoperatively, depending on the location of the most suitable perforator and the ability to achieve primary closure of the donor site. Based on clinical experience, the authors suggest a useful classification of local free-style perforator flaps.

Results:

All primary and 20 of 23 recycle free-style perforator flaps survived completely, providing tension-free coverage and a pleasing final contour for patients. In the remaining three recycle cases, the skeletonization of the pedicle resulted in pedicle damage, because of surrounding postradiotherapy scarring and flap failure. All donor sites except one were closed primarily, and all of them healed without any complications.

Conclusions:

The free-style concept has significantly increased the potential and versatility of the standard local and recycled head and neck flap alternatives for moderate to large defects, providing a more robust, custom-made, tissue-sparing, and cosmetically superior outcome in a one-stage procedure, with minimal donor-site morbidity.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, V.