bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of patient‐controlled respiratory gating system based on visual guidance for magnetic‐resonance image‐guided radiation therapy
Authors: Kim Jung‐in , Lee Hanyoung , Wu Hong‐Gyun , Chie Eui Kyu , Kang Hyun‐Cheol , Park Jong Min
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The aim of this study is to develop a visual guidance patient‐controlled (VG‐PC) respiratory gating system for respiratory‐gated magnetic‐resonance image‐guided radiation therapy (MR‐IGRT) and to evaluate the performance of the developed system.

Methods

The near‐real‐time cine planar MR image of a patient acquired during treatment was transmitted to a beam projector in the treatment room through an optical fiber cable. The beam projector projected the cine MR images inside the bore of the ViewRay system in order to be visible to a patient during treatment. With this visual information, patients voluntarily controlled their respiration to put the target volume into the gating boundary (gating window). The effect of the presence of the beam projector in the treatment room on the image quality of the MRI was investigated by evaluating the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), uniformity, low‐contrast detectability, high‐contrast spatial resolution, and spatial integrity with the VG‐PC gating system. To evaluate the performance of the developed system, we applied the VG‐PC gating system to a total of seven patients; six patients received stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and one patient received conventional fractionated radiation therapy.

Results

The projected cine MR images were visible even when the room light was on. No image data loss or additional time delay during delivery of image data were observed. Every indicator representing MRI quality, including SNR, uniformity, low‐contrast detectability, high‐contrast spatial resolution, and spatial integrity exhibited values higher than the tolerance levels of the manufacturer with the VG‐PC gating system; therefore, the presence of the VG‐PC gating system in the treatment room did not degrade the MR image quality. The average beam‐off times due to respiratory gating with and without the VG‐PC gating system were 830.3 ± 278.2 s and 1264.2 ± 302.1 s respectively (P = 0.005). Consequently, the total treatment times excluding the time for patient setup with and without the VG‐PC gating system were 1453.3 ± 297.3 s and 1887.2 ± 469.6 s, respectively, on average (P = 0.005). The average number of beam‐off events during whole treatment session was reduced from 457 ± 154 times to 195 ± 90 times by using the VG‐PC gating system (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The developed system could improve treatment efficiency when performing respiratory‐gated MR‐IGRT. The VG‐PC gating system could be applied to any kind of bore‐type radiotherapy machine.
Intracellular water preexchange lifetime in neurons and astrocytes
Authors: Yang Donghan M. , Huettner James E. , Bretthorst G. Larry , Neil Jeffrey J. , Garbow Joel R. , Ackerman Joseph J.H.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

To determine the intracellular water preexchange lifetime, τi, the “average residence time” of water, in the intracellular milieu of neurons and astrocytes. The preexchange lifetime is important for modeling a variety of MR data sets, including relaxation, diffusion‐sensitive, and dynamic contrast–enhanced data sets.

Methods

Herein, τi in neurons and astrocytes is determined in a microbead‐adherent, cultured cell system. In concert with thin‐slice selection, rapid flow of extracellular media suppresses extracellular signal, allowing determination of the transcytolemmal‐exchange‐dominated, intracellular T1. With this knowledge, and that of the intracellular T1 in the absence of exchange, τi can be derived.

Results

Under normal culture conditions, τi for neurons is 0.75 ± 0.05 s versus 0.57 ± 0.03 s for astrocytes. Both neuronal and astrocytic τis decrease within 30 min after the onset of oxygen‐glucose deprivation, with the astrocytic τi showing a substantially greater decrease than the neuronal τi.

Conclusions

Given an approximate intra‐ to extracellular volume ratio of 4:1 in the brain, these data imply that, under normal physiological conditions, an MR experimental characteristic time of less than 0.012 s is required for a nonexchanging, two‐compartment (intra‐ and extracellular) model to be valid for MR studies. This characteristic time shortens significantly (i.e., 0.004 s) under injury conditions. Magn Reson Med 79:1616–1627, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
The mechanism of the reaction between an aziridine and carbon dioxide with no added catalyst
Authors: Phung Chau , Tantillo Dean J. , Hein Jason E. , Pinhas Allan R.
Published: July 2017

The mechanism of the reaction at room temperature between an unactivated 2‐alkyl aziridine and carbon dioxide to generate the corresponding oxazolidinone in glass has been studied. Theoretical calculations suggest that this reaction should not proceed at room temperature in the absence of a catalyst. In cases where a reaction was observed, kinetic studies show that the reaction displays a zero‐order dependence with respect to aziridine, indicating that free aziridine is not involved in the rate‐determining step. An ammonium salt generated in situ acts as a catalyst. The amount of this catalyst is diminutive, which prevented spectroscopic identification, and it is not readily removed from the starting material using chromatography.
Associated inter‐ and intrachain conformational transitions in polystyrene solutions
Authors: Chen Jiao , Sha Ye , Gao Siyang , Teng Chao , Wang Xiaoliang , Zhou Dongshan , Li Linling , Chen Wei , Xue Gi
Published: July 2017

Understanding the conformational changes of polymeric chains in solutions is an essential and integral part of polymer physics. By increasing the concentration of polymer solutions from dilute to semidilute regime, the critical chain overlapping has been reported at the concentration termed asC*. In this study, the associated inter‐ and intrachain conformational transitions in polystyrene (PS) solutions are reported. By comparing the spectroscopic intensity ratio versus concentration for an intrachain PS system, a break point was observed in good solvent which coincided with the theoretically predictedC*. Moreover, the intrachain conformation showed no obvious change belowC*, while significant collapse started to occur aboveC*. This result reveals a new insight in polymer physics, since traditionally the size of polymer chains is considered to decrease weakly regarding the concentration change in the semidilute regime. It is important to find such an abrupt intrachain conformational transition between the dilute and semidilute solutions and provide the first experimental observation that inter‐ and intrachain conformational transitions are correlated to one the other. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2017,55, 1373–1379
Fifty years of herbicide research: comparing the discovery of trifluralin and halauxifen‐methyl
Authors: Epp Jeffrey B , Schmitzer Paul R , Crouse Gary D
Published: July 2017

Fifty years separate the commercialization of the herbicides trifluralin and halauxifen‐methyl. Despite the vast degree of technological change that occurred over that time frame, some aspects of their discovery stories are remarkably similar. For example, both herbicides were prepared very early in the iterative discovery process and both were developed from known lead compound structures by hypothesis‐driven research efforts without the use of in vitro assays or computer‐aided molecular design. However, there are aspects of the halauxifen‐methyl and trifluralin discovery stories that are substantially different. For example, the chemical technology required for the cost‐effective production of halauxifen‐methyl simply did not exist just two decades prior to its commercial launch. By contrast, the chemical technology required for the cost‐effective production of trifluralin was reported in the chemical literature more than two decades prior to its commercial launch. In addition, changes in regulatory environment since the early 1960s ensured that their respective discovery to commercial launch stories would also differ in substantial ways. Ultimately, the time and cost required to develop and register halauxifen‐methyl demanded a global initial business case while the lower registration hurdles that trifluralin cleared enabled a narrow initial business case mainly focused on the USA. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
How to control for unmeasured confounding in an observational time‐to‐event study with exposure incidence information: the treatment choice Cox model
Authors: Troendle James , Leifer Eric , Zhang Zhiwei , Yang Song , Tewes Heather
Published: July 2017

In an observational study of the effect of a treatment on a time‐to‐event outcome, a major problem is accounting for confounding because of unknown or unmeasured factors. We propose including covariates in a Cox model that can partially account for an unknown time‐independent frailty that is related to starting or stopping treatment as well as the outcome of interest. These covariates capture the times at which treatment is started or stopped and so are called treatment choice (TC) covariates. Three such models are developed: first, an interval TC model that assumes a very general form for the respective hazard functions of starting treatment, stopping treatment, and the outcome of interest and second, a parametric TC model that assumes that the log hazard functions for starting treatment, stopping treatment, and the outcome event include frailty as an additive term. Finally, a hybrid TC model that combines attributes from the parametric and interval TC models. As compared with an ordinary Cox model, the TC models are shown to substantially reduce the bias of the estimated hazard ratio for treatment when data are simulated from a realistic Cox model with residual confounding due to the unobserved frailty. The simulations also indicate that the bias decreases or levels off as the sample size increases. A TC model is illustrated by analyzing the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study of hormone replacement for post‐menopausal women. Published 2017. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Composite and multicomponent end points in clinical trials
Authors: Sankoh Abdul J. , Li Haihong , D'Agostino Ralph B.
Published: July 2017

In January 2017, the FDA released the draft guidance to industry on multiple end points in clinical trials. A class of multiplicity problems arise from the testing of individual or subset of components of a composite or multicomponent end point. This commentary attempts to further clarify these problems. Discussions include general consideration on the use of the composite and multicomponent end points, situations when multiplicity adjustments are needed, and the relevant multiple testing methods. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investor Reaction to Covert Corporate Political Activity
Authors: Werner Timothy
Published: July 2017

Research summary: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and subsequent developments created a covert channel for firms to allocate resources from corporate treasuries to political activity. Through the use of a financial market event study of an accidental disclosure of firms' contributions to a Republican nonprofit organization, I examine investors' reactions to covert investment in independent political expenditures. I find that, on average, contributing firms experienced positive abnormal returns around the disclosure event and that these abnormal returns were more positive for firms in heavily regulated industries as well as those previously making campaign contributions to candidates. However, firms that recently faced a shareholder resolution on political spending disclosure experienced negative abnormal returns, suggesting that the controversial nature of covert activity moderated investors' reactions.

Managerial summary: The purpose of this study is to examine how investors reacted to an accidental disclosure of firms' investments in “dark money,” a new form of corporate political activity allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court in its Citizens United decision. I find that, on average, investors reacted positively toward firms identified as making these new political investments, especially if the firms previously engaged in electoral politics or operate in heavily regulated industries. However, this reaction turned negative if the firm recently faced a shareholder resolution asking that it voluntarily disclose all of its political investments. An implication for managers is that they should consider their firms' legal and information environments as fully as possible before committing resources to new and potentially controversial political tactics. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Instandsetzung und Verstärkung von Stahlbrücken mit Kategorie‐1‐Schäden
Authors: Stranghöner Natalie , Lorenz Christoph , Friedrich Heinz
Published: July 2017

Durch die in den letzten Jahren enorm gestiegenen Verkehrsbelastungen und damit einhergehenden gestiegenen lokalen Beanspruchungen im Deckblech kommt es bei bestehenden Stahlbrücken mit orthotropen Fahrbahnplatten vermehrt zu Ermüdungsschäden im Bereich der geschweißten Anschlüsse der Längsrippen an das Deckblech (Kategorie‐1‐Schäden). Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen Überklick über existierende Verstärkungsmaßnahmen, die bereits in Pilotprojekten erprobt wurden sowie aktuelle Forschungsarbeiten zur Verstärkung von orthotropen Fahrbahnplatten mit Kategorie‐1‐Schäden.
Polymer Nanoassembly as Delivery Systems and Anti‐Bacterial Toolbox: From PGMAs to MSN@PGMAs
Authors: Wu Ming‐Xue , Wang Xin , Yang Ying‐Wei
Published: July 2017

Researches on cargo delivery systems have received burgeoning attention and advanced rapidly. For synthetic nanodevices, polymer nanoassemblies and their inorganic‐organic hybrid materials, especially smart mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)‐polymer hybrids (e. g., MSN@PGMAs), have attracted increasing attention in recent years. Their superior characteristics and unique features such as dynamic transition of morphology endow them the ability to efficiently entrap cargo molecules and undergo smart cargo delivery and release in response to various external stimuli. In this Personal Account, we present our recent research progress in the construction of cargo delivery systems based on polymers, poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) and its derivatives in particular, ranging from polymer nanoparticles, reverse micelles, to vesicles and reverse vesicles, and their performance in the delivery and controlled release of model molecules and therapeutic agents. Significantly, MSN‐PGMA hybrid nanoassemblies (MSN@PGMAs), constructed with the aid of atom transfer radical polymerization, host‐guest interactions, or layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly techniques, and their potential bio‐related applications and anti‐bacterial applications as new nanocarriers are reviewed. Finally, the prospects and challenges of such nanoplatforms are also discussed.
Optogenetik als mögliche Therapie bei degenerativen Netzhauterkrankungen
Authors: Mutter Marion , Benkner Boris , Münch Thomas A.
Published: July 2017

Bei neurodegenerativen Erkrankungen der Netzhaut sind die lichtempfindlichen Zellen, die Photorezeptoren, oft als Erstes betroffen. Die Optogenetik ist ein vielversprechender Ansatz, die Netzhaut wieder lichtempfindlich zu machen und dadurch das Sehvermögen wiederherzustellen. Bei der Optogenetik werden lichtempfindliche Proteine über gentechnische Methoden in die Netzhaut eingebracht; die Aktivität der Zielzellen wird durch diese Behandlung durch Licht beeinflussbar. Dieser Einfluss kann die direkte lichtinduzierte Änderung des Membranpotenzials sein (sowohl hemmend als auch erregend) oder die lichtinduzierte Aktivierung intrazellulärer Signalkaskaden. Dies hat zur Folge, dass das Zielgewebe, die Netzhaut, wieder auf Licht reagiert. Diese Übersicht beschreibt die Prinzipien der Optogenetik und den gegenwärtigen Stand im Hinblick auf ihre Anwendung zur Behandlung von Blindheit.
The relationship between work and home characteristics and work engagement in medical residents
Authors: Verweij Hanne , Van Hooff Madelon L. M. , Van der Heijden Frank M. M. A. , Prins Jelle T. , Lagro-Janssen Antoine L. M. , Van Ravesteijn Hiske , Speckens Anne E. M.
Published: July 2017

Introduction Work engagement is important for medical residents and the healthcare organizations they work for. However, relatively little is known about the specific predictors of work engagement in medical residents. Therefore, we examined the associations of work and home characteristics, and work-home interference with work engagement in male and female residents.

Methods This study was conducted on a nationwide sample of medical residents. In 2005, all Dutch medical residents (n = 5245) received a self-report questionnaire. Path analysis was used to examine the associations between the potential predictors and work engagement.

Results In total, 2115 (41.1%) residents completed the questionnaire. Job characteristics, home characteristics and work-home interference were associated with work engagement. Important positive contributing factors of work engagement were opportunities for job development, mental demands at work, positive work-home interference and positive home-work interference. Important negative contributing factors were emotional demands at work and negative home-work interference. The influence of these factors on work engagement was similar in male and female residents.

Discussion Opportunities for job development and having challenging work are of high relevance in enhancing work engagement. Furthermore, interventions that teach how to deal skilfully with emotional demands at work and home-work interference are expected to be the most effective interventions to enhance work engagement in medical residents.
Fatima Jinnah
Authors: Pirbhai M. Reza
Published: July 2017

Although fifty years have passed since the death of Fatima Jinnah - author, activist and stateswoman known in Pakistan as the 'mother of the nation' - this is the first scholarly biography to tackle her life in full. Her background and contribution to Muslim nationalism under the British Raj, as well as her various efforts to consolidate the state, including a run for president in 1964, are told through previously untapped archival sources. Examining her life in the context of scholarship on South Asia and on women in Islam, Pirbhai assesses Fatima Jinnah's role through the theoretical lens of the colonial 'new woman'. This is essential reading for all those interested in modern South Asian and Islamic history, particularly the themes of gender and colonialism, the roots of Muslim nationalism and the early challenges facing the Pakistani state, as shown through the extraordinary lived experience of its most influential female activist.
Shakespeare in the Marketplace of Words
Authors: Lamb Jonathan P.
Published: July 2017

Making innovative use of digital and library archives, this book explores how Shakespeare used language to interact with the verbal marketplace of early modern England. By also combining word history with book history, Jonathan P. Lamb demonstrates Shakespeare's response to the world of words around him, in and through the formal features of his works. In chapters that focus on particular rhetorical features in Richard II, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Hamlet, and Troilus and Cressida, Lamb argues that we can best understand Shakespeare's writing practice by scrutinizing how the formal features of his works circulated in an economy of imaginative writing. Shakespeare's interactions with this verbal market preceded and made possible his reputation as a playwright and dramatist. He was, in his time, a great buyer and seller of words.
Writing in Real Time
Authors: Jaussen Paul
Published: July 2017

From Walt Whitman to the contemporary period, the long poem has been one of the more dynamic, intricate, and yet challenging literary practices of modernity. Addressing those challenges, Writing in Real Time combines systems theory, literary history, and recent debates in poetics to interpret a broad range of American long poems as emergent systems, capable of adaptation and transformation in response to environmental change. Due to these emergent properties, the long poem performs essential cultural work, offering a unique experience of history that remains valuable for our rapidly transforming digital age. Moving across a broad range of literary and theoretical texts, Writing in Real Time demonstrates that the study of emergence can enhance literary scholarship, just as literature provides unique insights into emergent properties, making this book a key resource for scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate students alike.
Knowledge as Acceptable Testimony
Authors: Reynolds Steven L.
Published: July 2017

Standard philosophical explanations of the concept of knowledge invoke a personal goal of having true beliefs, and explain the other requirements for knowledge as indicating the best way to achieve that goal. In this highly original book, Steven L. Reynolds argues instead that the concept of knowledge functions to express a naturally developing kind of social control, a complex social norm, and that the main purpose of our practice of saying and thinking that people 'know' is to improve our system for exchanging information, which is testimony. He makes illuminating comparisons of the knowledge norm of testimony with other complex social norms - such as those requiring proper clothing, respectful conversation, and the complementary virtues of tact and frankness - and shows how this account fits with our concept of knowledge as studied in recent analytic epistemology. His book will interest a range of readers in epistemology, psychology, and sociology.
What's mine is yours: Stable variation and language change in Ancient Egyptian possessive constructions
Authors: Gardiner Shayna
Published: July 2017

Variation is described as two or more variants competing for finite resources. In this model, two outcomes are possible: language change or specialization. Specialization can be broken down further: specialization for different functions, and partial specialization – stable variation. In this paper, I analyze the differences between stable variation and language change using the two variables present in Ancient Egyptian possessive constructions. Observing four Egyptian possessive variants, split into two groups with two variants each – clitic possessor variants and full nominal possessor variants – for a total of 2251 tokens, I compare factors affecting variant choice in each possessive group. Results of distributional and multivariate analyses indicate that a) change over time occurs in clitic possession, while stable variation occurs with noun variants; and b) different kinds of factors govern the two sets: the continuous variable phrase complexity affects variant choice in nominal possession, but does not affect the clitic variants.
Significance of lung anomalies in fetuses affected by tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve syndrome
Authors: Tenisch Estelle , Raboisson Marie-Josée , Rypens Françoise , Déry Julie , Grignon Andrée , Lapierre Chantale
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve syndrome is a rare form of tetralogy of Fallot with dilatation of large pulmonary arteries. Prognosis is related to the severity of the cardiac malformation and to bronchial tree compression by dilated pulmonary arteries. This study analyses the prenatal echographic lung appearance in fetuses with tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve and discusses its significance.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective review of fetal and postnatal files of nine fetuses diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve syndrome in our institution. Correlations of prenatal ultrasound and cardiac imaging findings were obtained with outcome.

Results

Abnormal heterogeneous fetal lung echogenicity was detected in eight cases out of nine, always associated with significant lobar arterial dilatation. This aspect was well correlated with postnatal imaging and outcome in the four neonatal cases. The only fetus with normal lung echogenicity also had lower degree of pulmonary artery dilatation in the series.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that a heterogeneous ultrasound appearance of the fetal lungs can be detected in utero in the most severe cases. This aspect suggests an already significant compression of the fetal bronchial tree by the dilated arteries that may have prognostic implications.
CASP solutions for planning in hybrid domains
Authors: BALDUCCINI MARCELLO , MAGAZZENI DANIELE , MARATEA MARCO , LEBLANC EMILY C.
Published: July 2017

Constraint answer set programming (CASP) is an extension of answer set programming that allows for numerical constraints to be added in the rules. PDDL+ is an extension of the PDDL standard language of automated planning for modeling mixed discrete-continuous dynamics. In this paper, we present CASP solutions for dealing with PDDL+ problems, i.e., encoding from PDDL+ to CASP, and extensions to the algorithm of theezcspCASP solver in order to solve CASP programs arising from PDDL+ domains. An experimental analysis, performed on well-known linear and non-linear variants of PDDL+ domains, involving various configurations of theezcspsolver, other CASP solvers, and PDDL+ planners, shows the viability of our solution.
THE SHAPE OF A CAREER: AN INTRODUCTION
Authors: BEHRENT MICHAEL C.
Published: July 2017

What does it mean to live a modern life? Countless books have explored the nature of modern society, culture, thought, and politics; the “philosophical discourse of modernity” and the “postmodern condition” have, in recent decades, been the focus of intense theoretical debates. Yet the implications of these concerns for the question of how, under modern conditions, human lives are actually lived—the material circumstances that make them possible, the relationships people enter into, the purposes they choose to pursue, and the significance with which they endow their efforts—is one from which contemporary scholarship has tended to shy away, as if such matters were best left in the hands of artists and novelists.
A tricyclic antidepressant, amoxapine, reduces amyloid-β generation through multiple serotonin receptor 6-mediated targets
Authors: Li Xiaohang , Wang Qinying , Hu Tingting , Wang Ying , Zhao Jian , Lu Jing , Pei Gang
Published: July 2017

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major and devastating neurodegenerative disease, and the amyloid-β (Aβ) hypothesis is still the central theory for AD pathogenesis. Meanwhile, another major mental illness, depression, is one of the risk factors for AD. From a high-throughput screening (HTS), amoxapine, a typical secondary amine tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), was identified to reduce Aβ production. A follow-up investigation on antidepressants showed that most of the TCAs harbour similar activity. Previous studies have indicated that TCAs improve cognitive function in AD mouse models as well as in preliminary clinical data; however, the underlying mechanism is controversial, and the effect on Aβ is elusive. Thus, we developed a secondary screening to determine the molecular target of amoxapine, and serotonin receptor 6 (HTR6) was identified. Knockdown of HTR6 reduced the amoxapine’s effect, while the HTR6 antagonist SB258585 mimicked the activity of amoxapine. Further mechanistic study showed that amoxapine and SB258585 reduced Aβ generation through multiple HTR6-mediated targets, including β-arrestin2 and CDK5. Taken together, our study suggests that amoxapine, though no longer a first-line drug for the treatment of depression, may be beneficial for AD and further structural modification of TCAs may lead to desirable therapeutic agents to treat both AD and depression.
Non-invasive imaging of engineered human tumors in the living chicken embryo
Authors: Jefferies Benedict , Lenze Florian , Sathe Anuja , Truong Nguyen , Anton Martina , von Eisenhart-Rothe Rüdiger , Nawroth Roman , Mayer-Kuckuk Philipp
Published: July 2017

The growing interest in engineered tumor models prompted us to devise a method for the non-invasive assessment of such models. Here, we report on bioluminescence imaging (BLI) for the assessment of engineered tumor models in the fertilized chicken egg, i.e, chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. One prostate cancer (PC-3) and two osteosarcoma (MG63 and HOS) cell lines were modified with luciferase reporter genes. To create engineered tumors, these cell lines were seeded either onto basement membrane extract (BME) or gelfoam scaffolds, and subsequently grafted in vivo onto the CAM. BLI enabled non-invasive, specific detection of the engineered tumors on the CAM in the living chicken embryo. Further, BLI permitted daily, quantitative monitoring of the engineered tumors over the course of up to 7 days. Data showed that an extracellular matrix (ECM) composed of BME supported growth of reporter gene marked PC-3 tumors but did not support MG63 or HOS tumor growth. However, MG63 tumors engineered on the collagen-based gelfoam ECM showed a temporal proliferation burst in MG63 tumors. Together, the data demonstrated imaging of engineered human cancer models in living chicken embryos. The combination of CAM assay and BLI holds significant potential for the examination of a broad range of engineered tumor models.
Phylogenomic analysis of MKKs and MAPKs from 16 legumes and detection of interacting pairs in chickpea divulge MAPK signalling modules
Authors: Purayannur Savithri , Kumar Kamal , Kaladhar Vemula Chandra , Verma Praveen Kumar
Published: July 2017

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated phosphorylation cascade is a vital component of plant cellular signalling. Despite this, MAPK signalling cascade is less characterized in crop legumes. To fill this void, we present here a comprehensive phylogeny of MAPK kinases (MKKs) and MAPKs identified from 16 legume species belonging to genistoid (Lupinus angustifolius), dalbergioid (Arachis spp.), phaseoloid (Glycine max, Cajanus cajan, Phaseolus vulgaris, and Vigna spp.), and galegoid (Cicer arietinum, Lotus japonicus, Medicago truncatula, Pisum sativum, Trifolium spp., and Vicia faba) clades. Using the genes of the diploid crop chickpea (C. arietinum), an exhaustive interaction analysis was performed between MKKs and MAPKs by split-ubiquitin based yeast two-hybrid (Y2H). Twenty seven interactions of varying strengths were identified between chickpea MKKs and MAPKs. These interactions were verified in planta by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). As a first report in plants, four intra-molecular interactions of weak strength were identified within chickpea MKKs. Additionally; two TEOSINTE-BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) transcription factors of class I were identified as novel down-stream interacting partners of seven MAPKs. We propose that this highly reliable MAPK interaction network, presented here for chickpea, can be utilized as a reference for legumes and thus will help in deciphering their role in legume-specific events.
Physical Binding of Endothelial MCAM and Neural Transmembrane Protease Matriptase—Novel Cell Adhesion in Neural Stem cell Vascular Niche
Authors: Tung Hsiu-Hui , Lee Sheau-Ling
Published: July 2017

Brain neural stem cells and transit amplifying cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles are in direct contact with the microvascular endothelium. The mechanisms/molecules of direct cell contact in the SVZ neurovascular niche are not fully understood. We previously showed that neural stem/progenitor (NS/P) cells induce brain endothelial signaling in direct cell contact through matriptase (MTP) on NS/P cell surface. In the present study, using pull-down and LC-MS/MS, we identified melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) the brain endothelial molecule that interacts with MTP. MCAM physically binds to the CUB domains of MTP and induces a chain of brain endothelial signaling including p38MAPK activation, GSK3β inactivation and subsequently β-catenin activation; none of these signaling events occurred when either MTP or MCAM is deleted. MTP-MCAM binding and induction of endothelial signaling were all sensitive to cholera toxin. Together, we identified key molecules that may represent a mechanism in neural stem cell vascular niche regulation.
Future changes in the climatology of the Great Plains low-level jet derived from fine resolution multi-model simulations
Authors: Tang Ying , Winkler Julie , Zhong Shiyuan , Bian Xindi , Doubler Dana , Yu Lejiang , Walters Claudia
Published: July 2017

The southerly Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) is one of the most significant circulation features of the central U.S. linking large-scale atmospheric circulation with the regional climate. GPLLJs transport heat and moisture, contribute to thunderstorm and severe weather formation, provide a corridor for the springtime migration of birds and insects, enhance wind energy availability, and disperse air pollution. We assess future changes in GPLLJ frequency using an eight member ensemble of dynamically-downscaled climate simulations for the mid-21st century. Nocturnal GPLLJ frequency is projected to increase in the southern plains in spring and in the central plains in summer, whereas current climatological patterns persist into the future for daytime and cool season GPLLJs. The relationship between future GPLLJ frequency and the extent and strength of anticyclonic airflow over eastern North America varies with season. Most simulations project a westward shift of anticyclonic airflow in summer, but uncertainty is larger for spring with only half of the simulations suggesting a westward expansion. The choice of regional climate model and the driving lateral boundary conditions have a large influence on the projected future changes in GPLLJ frequency and highlight the importance of multi-model ensembles to estimate the uncertainty surrounding the future GPLLJ climatology.
Temperature effects on an InGaP (GaInP) 55Fe X-ray photovoltaic cell
Authors: Butera S. , Whitaker M. D. C. , Krysa A. B. , Barnett A. M.
Published: July 2017

This paper investigates the effects of temperature on an InGaP (GaInP) 55Fe X-ray photovoltaic cell prototype for a radioisotope microbattery (also called a nuclear microbattery). An In0.5Ga0.5P p-i-n (5 μm i-layer) mesa photodiode was illuminated by a standard 206 MBq 55Fe radioisotope X-ray source and characterised over the temperature range −20 °C to 100 °C. The electrical power output of the device reached its maximum value of 1.5 pW at a temperature of −20 °C. An open circuit voltage and a short circuit current of 0.82 V and 2.5 pA, respectively, were obtained at −20 °C. While the electrical power output and the open circuit voltage decreased with increasing temperature, an almost flat trend was found for the short circuit current. The cell conversion efficiency decreased from 2.1% at −20 °C to 0.7% at 100 °C.
Modelling West Nile virus transmission risk in Europe: effect of temperature and mosquito biotypes on the basic reproduction number
Authors: Vogels Chantal B. F. , Hartemink Nienke , Koenraadt Constantianus J. M.
Published: July 2017

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus which has caused repeated outbreaks in humans in southern and central Europe, but thus far not in northern Europe. The main mosquito vector for WNV, Culex pipiens, consists of two behaviourally distinct biotypes, pipiens and molestus, which can form hybrids. Differences between biotypes, such as vector competence and host preference, could be important in determining the risk of WNV outbreaks. Risks for WNV establishment can be modelled with basic reproduction number (R0) models. However, existing R0 models have not differentiated between biotypes. The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore the role of temperature-dependent and biotype-specific effects on the risk of WNV establishment in Europe. We developed an R0 model with temperature-dependent and biotype-specific parameters, and calculated R0 values using the next-generation matrix for several scenarios relevant for Europe. In addition, elasticity analysis was done to investigate the contribution of each biotype to R0. Global warming and increased mosquito-to-host ratios can possibly result in more intense WNV circulation in birds and spill-over to humans in northern Europe. Different contributions of the Cx. pipiens biotypes to R0 shows the importance of including biotype-specific parameters in models for reliable WNV risk assessments.
CD44v8-10 as a potential theranostic biomarker for targeting disseminated cancer cells in advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Choi Eun-Seok , Kim Hyunjin , Kim Hyung-Pyo , Choi Yongdoo , Goh Sung-Ho
Published: July 2017

Gastric cancer is the third most common cause of cancer mortality, and the survival rate of stage IV advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients with distant metastasis is very low. Thus, the detection and eradication of disseminated cancer cells by targeting cell surface molecules in AGC would improve patient survival. The hyaluronic acid receptor, CD44, has various isoforms generated by alternative splicing, and some isoforms are known to be correlated to gastric cancer. In this study, to find out the most appropriate CD44v for targeting AGC, we analysed the expression differences of CD44 isoforms at the mRNA level in stomach cancer cell lines as well as in 74 patients with AGC by using exon-specific qRT-PCR. Among the CD44v isoforms, CD44v8-10 was determined as the most promising biomarker for the development of theranostic agents of gastric cancer. Next, we synthesised the conjugate of anti-CD44v9 antibody with near-infrared fluorophore or photosensitiser, and then demonstrated its feasibility for target cell-specific imaging and photoimmunotherapy in gastric cancer. As a result, these conjugates have clearly demarcated the surface of CD44v8-10 expressing cancer cells and showed efficient phototoxic effects. Therefore, this study revealed that CD44v8-10 is the efficient theranostic biomarker to target disseminated cancer cells in AGC.
Retinal Blood Flow Velocity Change in Parafoveal Capillary after Topical Tafluprost Treatment in Eyes with Primary Open-angle Glaucoma
Authors: Iida Yuto , Akagi Tadamichi , Nakanishi Hideo , Ohashi Ikeda Hanako , Morooka Satoshi , Suda Kenji , Hasegawa Tomoko , Yokota Satoshi , Yoshikawa Munemitsu , Uji Akihito , Yoshimura Nagahisa
Published: July 2017

Although ocular circulation at the retina and optic disc is known to be associated with the pathology of glaucoma, direct measurement of blood flow velocity has been difficult to obtain. This prospective observational study enrolled 11 consecutive patients with treatment-naïve primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 11 healthy subjects, and the effects of topical tafluprost treatment on ocular circulation were examined at baseline and at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after initiating treatment with topical tafluprost on POAG patients using multiple modalities, which include adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). Baseline mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was significantly higher and mean parafoveal blood flow velocity (pBFV) was significantly lower in POAG eyes than in healthy eyes. Mean IOP was significantly decreased (1 week, −19.1%; 4 weeks, −17.7%; and 12 weeks, −23.5%; all P < 0.001) and mean pBFV was significantly increased from the baseline at all follow-up periods after initiating treatment (1 week, 14.9%, P = 0.007; 4 weeks, 21.3%, P < 0.001; and 12 weeks, 14.3%, P = 0.002). These results reveal that tafluprost may not only lower IOP but may also improve retinal circulation in POAG eyes and AOSLO may be useful to evaluate retinal circulatory change after treatment.
Characterisation of preproendothelin-1 derived peptides identifies Endothelin-Like Domain Peptide as a modulator of Endothelin-1
Authors: Yuzugulen Jale , Douthwaite Julie A. , Wood Elizabeth G. , Villar Inmaculada C. , Patel Nimesh S. A. , Jegard James , Gaertner Hubert , Rossitto-Borlat Irène , Rose Keith , Hartley Oliver , Cutillas Pedro R. , Ahluwalia Amrita , Corder Roger
Published: July 2017

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac and renal diseases, and in the progression of tumour growth in cancer, but current diagnosis and treatment remain inadequate. Peptides derived from the 212 amino acid precursor preproendothelin-1 (ppET-1) may have utility as biomarkers, or cause biological effects that are unaffected by endothelin receptor antagonists. Here, we used specific immunoassays and LC-MS/MS to identify NT-proET-1 (ppET-1[18–50]), Endothelin-Like Domain Peptide (ELDP, ppET-1[93–166]) and CT-proET-1 (ppET-1[169–212]) in conditioned media from cultured endothelial cells. Synthesis of these peptides correlated with ET-1, and plasma ELDP and CT-proET-1 were elevated in patients with chronic heart failure. Clearance rates of NT-proET-1, ELDP and CT-proET-1 were determined afteri.v. injection in anaesthetised rats. CT-proET-1 had the slowest systemic clearance, hence providing a biological basis for it being a better biomarker of ET-1 synthesis. ELDP contains the evolutionary conserved endothelin-like domain sequence, which potentially confers biological activity. On isolated arteries ELDP lacked direct vasoconstrictor effects. However, it enhanced ET-1 vasoconstriction and prolonged the increase in blood pressure in anaesthetised rats. ELDP may therefore contribute to disease pathogenesis by augmenting ET-1 responses.
Ultraviolet GaN Light-Emitting Diodes with Porous-AlGaN Reflectors
Authors: Fan Feng-Hsu , Syu Zun-Yao , Wu Chia-Jung , Yang Zhong-Jie , Huang Bo-Song , Wang Guan-Jhong , Lin Yung-Sen , Chen Hsiang , Hauer Kao Chyuan , Lin Chia-Feng
Published: July 2017

A GaN/AlGaN ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) structure with a porous AlGaN reflector structure has been demonstrated. Inside the UV-LED, the n+-AlGaN/undoped-AlGaN stack structure was transformed into a porous-AlGaN/undoped-AlGaN stack structure through a doping-selective electrochemical etching process. The reflectivity of the porous AlGaN reflector was 93% at 374 nm with a stop-bandwidth of 35 nm. In an angle-dependent reflectance measurement, the central wavelength of the porous AlGaN reflector had blueshift phenomenon by increasing light-incident angle from 10° to 50°. A cut-off wavelength was observed at 349 nm due to the material absorption of the porous-AlGaN/u-AlGaN stack structure. In the treated UV-LED structure, the photoluminescence emission wavelength was measured at 362 nm with a 106° divergent angle covered by the porous-AlGaN reflector. The light output power of the treated UV-LED structure was higher than that of the non-treated UV-LED structure due to the high light reflectance on the embedded porous AlGaN reflector.
An in situ and ex situ TEM study into the oxidation of titanium (IV) sulphide
Authors: Long Edmund , O’Brien Sean , Lewis Edward A. , Prestat Eric , Downing Clive , Cucinotta Clotilde S. , Sanvito Stefano , Haigh Sarah J. , Nicolosi Valeria
Published: July 2017

Titanium (IV) sulphide (TiS2) is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide, which we exfoliate using liquid phase exfoliation. TiS2 is a candidate for being part of a range of future technologies. These applications are varied, and include supercapacitor and battery energy storage devices, catalytic substrates and the splitting of water. The driving force behind our interest was as a material for energy storage devices. Here we investigate a potential failure mechanism for such devices, namely oxidation and subsequent loss of sulphur. This degradation is important to understand, since these applications are highly property-dependent, and changes to the chemistry will result in changes in desired properties. Two approaches to study oxidisation were taken: ex situ oxidation by water and oxygen at room temperature and in situ oxidation by a 5% O2/Ar gas at elevated temperatures. Both sources of oxygen resulted in oxidation of the starting TiS2 flakes, with differing morphologies. Water produced amorphous oxide slowly growing in from the edge of the flakes. Oxygen gas at ≥375 °C produced crystalline oxide, with a range of structures due to oxidation initiating from various regions of the observed flakes.
An ab initio electronic transport database for inorganic materials
Authors: Ricci Francesco , Chen Wei , Aydemir Umut , Snyder G. Jeffrey , Rignanese Gian-Marco , Jain Anubhav , Hautier Geoffroy
Published: July 2017

Electronic transport in materials is governed by a series of tensorial properties such as conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and effective mass. These quantities are paramount to the understanding of materials in many fields from thermoelectrics to electronics and photovoltaics. Transport properties can be calculated from a material’s band structure using the Boltzmann transport theory framework. We present here the largest computational database of electronic transport properties based on a large set of 48,000 materials originating from the Materials Project database. Our results were obtained through the interpolation approach developed in the BoltzTraP software, assuming a constant relaxation time. We present the workflow to generate the data, the data validation procedure, and the database structure. Our aim is to target the large community of scientists developing materials selection strategies and performing studies involving transport properties.
Molecular origin of urea driven hydrophobic polymer collapse and unfolding depending on side chain chemistry
Authors: Nayar Divya , Folberth Angelina , van der Vegt Nico F. A.
Published: July 2017

Urea ambivalence: molecular simulations show that collapse and unfolding of aqueous polymers occur in response to urea screening of nonpolar molecular surfaces.
Thermodynamic and structural properties of binary calcium silicate glasses: insights from molecular dynamics
Authors: Jabraoui H. , Malki M. , Hasnaoui A. , Badawi M. , Ouaskit S. , Lebègue S. , Vaills Y.
Published: July 2017

The thermodynamic and structural properties of calcium-modified binary silicate glasses have been computed using molecular dynamics simulations.
DNA melting in the presence of molecular crowders
Authors: Singh Amar , Singh Navin
Published: July 2017

We study the opening of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the presence of molecular crowders using the Peyrard–Bishop–Dauxois (PBD) model.
2,2,5,5-Tetramethyltetrahydrofuran (TMTHF): a non-polar, non-peroxide forming ether replacement for hazardous hydrocarbon solvents
Authors: Byrne Fergal , Forier Bart , Bossaert Greet , Hoebers Charly , Farmer Thomas J. , Clark James H. , Hunt Andrew J.
Published: July 2017

An inherently non-peroxide forming ether solvent, 2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran (2,2,5,5-tetramethyloxolane), has been synthesized from readily available and potentially renewable feedstocks, and its solvation properties have been tested.
Modeling electrical double-layer effects for microfluidic impedance spectroscopy from 100 kHz to 110 GHz
Authors: Little Charles A. E. , Orloff Nathan D. , Hanemann Isaac E. , Long Christian J. , Bright Victor M. , Booth James C.
Published: July 2017

On-chip microwave calibrations are used to characterize the electrical-double layer response for saline solutions in microfluidic channels over an extremely broad frequency range.
Activation of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway attenuates lanthanum chloride induced injuries in primary rat astrocytes
Authors: Zhang Lijin , Yang Jinghua , Wu Shengwen , Jin Cuihong , Lu Xiaobo , Hu Xiaoyu , Sun Yaling , Gao Xiang , Cai Yuan
Published: July 2017

Lanthanum (La) exposure can lead to learning and memory disorder in animals; however, the underlying mechanism of La induced neurotoxicity is still unknown.
Interfacial pH and polarity detection of amphiphilic self-assemblies using a single Schiff-base molecule
Authors: Majumder Rini , Sarkar Yeasmin , Das Sanju , Ray Ambarish , Parui Partha Pratim
Published: July 2017

The interfacial pH and polarity for different amphiphilic self-assemblies are estimated at a similar interfacial depth utilizing a unique Schiff-base molecule containing two identical phenol-conjugated-imine moieties.