bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Candida albicans morphogenesis by chitinase from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
Authors: Allonsius Camille Nina , Vandenheuvel Dieter , Oerlemans Eline F. M. , Petrova Mariya I. , Donders Gilbert G. G. , Cos Paul , Delputte Peter , Lebeer Sarah
Published: February 2019

Lactobacilli have been evaluated as probiotics against Candida infections in several clinical trials, but with variable results. Predicting and understanding the clinical efficacy of Lactobacillus strains is hampered by an overall lack of insights into their modes of action. In this study, we aimed to unravel molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of lactobacilli on hyphal morphogenesis, which is a crucial step in C. albicans virulence. Based on a screening of different Lactobacillus strains, we found that the closely related taxa L. rhamnosus, L. casei and L. paracasei showed stronger activity against Candida hyphae formation compared to other Lactobacillus species tested. By exploring the activity of purified compounds and mutants of the model strain L. rhamnosus GG, the major peptidoglycan hydrolase Msp1, conserved in the three closely related taxa, was identified as a key effector molecule. We could show that this activity of Msp1 was due to its ability to break down chitin, the main polymer in the hyphal cell wall of C. albicans. This identification of a Lactobacillus-specific protein with chitinase activity having anti-hyphal activity will assist in better strain selection and improved application in future clinical trials for Lactobacillus-based Candida-management strategies.
Evolutionary Insight into the Clock-Associated PRR5 Transcriptional Network of Flowering Plants
Authors: Toda Yosuke , Kudo Toru , Kinoshita Toshinori , Nakamichi Norihito
Published: February 2019

Circadian clocks regulate the daily timing of metabolic, physiological, and behavioral activities to adapt organisms to day-night cycles. In the model plantArabidopsis thaliana, transcript-translational feedback loops (TTFL) constitute the circadian clock, which is conserved among flowering plants. Arabidopsis TTFL directly regulates key genes in the clock-output pathways, whereas the pathways for clock-output control in other plants is largely unknown. Here, we propose that the transcriptional networks of clock-associated pseudo-response regulators (PRRs) are conserved among flowering plants. Most PRR genes from Arabidopsis, poplar, and rice encode potential transcriptional repressors. The PRR5-target-like gene group includes genes that encode key transcription factors for flowering time regulation, cell elongation, and chloroplast gene expression. The 5′-upstream regions of PRR5-target-like genes from poplar and rice tend to contain G-box-like elements that are potentially recognized by PRRsin vivoas has been shown in Arabidopsis. Expression of PRR5-target-like genes from poplar and rice tends to decrease whenPRRs are expressed, possibly suggesting that the transcriptional network of PRRs is evolutionarily conserved in these plants.
Neutrophil Dysfunction in the Airways of Children with Acute Respiratory Failure Due to Lower Respiratory Tract Viral and Bacterial Coinfections
Authors: Grunwell Jocelyn R. , Giacalone Vincent D. , Stephenson Susan , Margaroli Camilla , Dobosh Brian S. , Brown Milton R. , Fitzpatrick Anne M. , Tirouvanziam Rabindra
Published: February 2019

Neutrophils are recruited to the airways of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) where they acquire an activated pro-survival phenotype with an enhanced respiratory burst thought to contribute to ARDS pathophysiology. Our in vitro model enables blood neutrophil transepithelial migration into cell-free tracheal aspirate fluid from patients to recapitulate the primary airway neutrophil phenotype observed in vivo. Neutrophils transmigrated through our model toward airway fluid from children with lower respiratory viral infections coinfected with bacteria had elevated levels of neutrophil activation markers but paradoxically exhibited an inability to kill bacteria and a defective respiratory burst compared with children without bacterial coinfection. The airway fluid from children with bacterial coinfections had higher levels of neutrophil elastase activity, as well as myeloperoxidase levels compared to children without bacterial coinfection. Neutrophils transmigrated into the aspirate fluid from children with bacterial coinfection showed decreased respiratory burst and killing activity against H. influenzae and S. aureus compared to those transmigrated into the aspirate fluid from children without bacterial coinfection. Use of a novel transmigration model recapitulates this pathological phenotype in vitro that would otherwise be impossible in a patient, opening avenues for future mechanistic and therapeutic research.
ZeBRα a universal, multi-fragment DNA-assembly-system with minimal hands-on time requirement
Authors: Richter David , Bayer Katharina , Toesko Thomas , Schuster Stefan
Published: February 2019

The recently evolved field of synthetic biology has revolutionized the way we think of biology as an “engineerable” discipline. The newly sprouted branch is constantly in need of simple, cost-effective and automatable DNA-assembly methods. We have developed a reliable DNA-assembly system, ZeBRα (Zero-Background Redα), for cloning multiple DNA-fragments seamlessly with very high efficiency. The hallmarks of ZeBRα are the greatly reduced hands-on time and costs and yet excellent efficiency and flexibility. ZeBRα combines a “zero-background vector” with a highly efficient in vitro recombination method. The suicide-gene in the vector acts as placeholder, and is replaced by the fragments-of-interest, ensuring the exclusive survival of the successful recombinants. Thereby the background from uncut or re-ligated vector is absent and screening for recombinant colonies is unnecessary. Multiple fragments-of-interest can be assembled into the empty vector by a recombinogenic E. coli-lysate (SLiCE) with a total time requirement of less than 48 h. We have significantly simplified the preparation of the high recombination-competent E. coli-lysate compared to the original protocol. ZeBRα is the least labor intensive among comparable state-of-the-art assembly/cloning methods without a trade-off in efficiency.
Antennal grooming facilitates courtship performance in a group-living insect, the German cockroach Blattella germanica
Authors: Wada-Katsumata Ayako , Schal Coby
Published: February 2019

The antennae of adult male German cockroaches detect a contact sex pheromone embedded in the female’s cuticular lipids. The female pheromone stimulates courtship behavior in males, notably a wing-raising (WR) display. Within aggregations, however, cuticular lipids are disseminated by contact among group members, including nymphs and adults of both sexes, and “contamination” of cockroaches with the cuticular lipids of another stage or sex may interfere with sex discrimination and disrupt courtship. We used behavioral observations, bioassays and chemical analysis to determine how males maintain their sensitivity to sex pheromone in aggregations. Males contaminated with female pheromone displayed lower courtship, because residual female pheromone on their antennae adapted their peripheral sensilla and habituated the central nervous system. Female pheromone that contaminated the male’s antennae also elicited courtship from other non-contaminated males, disrupting their sex discrimination in the group. However, antennal grooming effectively removed female pheromone from males’ antennae and maintained their chemosensory acuity and sexual discrimination among group members. Thus, grooming of the antennae and other sensory appendages is an important strategy to enhance sensory acuity, especially in group-living insects like the German cockroach.
Corneal lymphangiogenesis ameliorates corneal inflammation and edema in late stage of bacterial keratitis
Authors: Narimatsu Akitomo , Hattori Takaaki , Koike Naohito , Tajima Kazuki , Nakagawa Hayate , Yamakawa Naoyuki , Usui Yoshihiko , Kumakura Shigeto , Matsumoto Tetsuya , Goto Hiroshi
Published: February 2019

Lymphatic vessels play a crucial role in systemic immune response and regulation of tissue fluid homeostasis. Corneal lymphangiogenesis in bacterial keratitis has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the mechanism and the role of corneal lymphangiogenesis in a murine bacterial keratitis model using Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We first demonstrated that corneal lymphangiogenesis was enhanced mainly in the late stage of bacterial keratitis, contrary to corneal angiogenesis that started earlier. Corresponding to the delayed lymphangiogenesis, expression of the pro-lymphangiogenic factors VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 increased in the late stage of bacterial keratitis. We further found that F4/80 and CD11b positive macrophages played an essential role in corneal lymphangiogenesis. Notably, macrophages were specifically involved in corneal lymphangiogenesis in the late stage of bacterial keratitis. Finally, we demonstrated the beneficial role of corneal lymphangiogenesis in ameliorating the clinical course of bacterial keratitis. Our study showed that bacterial activity was not directly involved in the late stage of keratitis, while corneal lymphangiogenesis reduced corneal edema and clinical manifestation in the late stage of bacterial keratitis. These findings suggest that the process of lymphangiogenesis in bacterial keratitis ameliorates corneal inflammation and edema in the late stage of bacterial keratitis.
Understanding carbon utilization routes between high and low starch-producing cultivars of cassava through Flux Balance Analysis
Authors: Chiewchankaset Porntip , Siriwat Wanatsanan , Suksangpanomrung Malinee , Boonseng Opas , Meechai Asawin , Tanticharoen Morakot , Kalapanulak Saowalak , Saithong Treenut
Published: February 2019

Analysis of metabolic flux was used for system level assessment of carbon partitioning in Kasetsart 50 (KU50) and Hanatee (HN) cassava cultivars to understand the metabolic routes for their distinct phenotypes. First, the constraint-based metabolic model of cassava storage roots, rMeCBM, was developed based on the carbon assimilation pathway of cassava. Following the subcellular compartmentalization and curation to ensure full network connectivity and reflect the complexity of eukaryotic cells, cultivar specific data on sucrose uptake and biomass synthesis were input, and rMeCBM model was used to simulate storage root growth in KU50 and HN. Results showed that rMeCBM-KU50 and rMeCBM-HN models well imitated the storage root growth. The flux-sum analysis revealed that both cultivars utilized different metabolic precursors to produce energy in plastid. More carbon flux was invested in the syntheses of carbohydrates and amino acids in KU50 than in HN. Also, KU50 utilized less flux for respiration and less energy to synthesize one gram of dry storage root. These results may disclose metabolic potential of KU50 underlying its higher storage root and starch yield over HN. Moreover, sensitivity analysis indicated the robustness of rMeCBM model. The knowledge gained might be useful for identifying engineering targets for cassava yield improvement.
A comparative analysis of response times shows that multisensory benefits and interactions are not equivalent
Authors: Innes Bobby R. , Otto Thomas U.
Published: February 2019

Multisensory signals allow faster responses than the unisensory components. While this redundant signals effect (RSE) has been studied widely with diverse signals, no modelling approach explored the RSE systematically across studies. For a comparative analysis, here, we propose three steps: The first quantifies the RSE compared to a simple, parameter-free race model. The second quantifies processing interactions beyond the race mechanism: history effects and so-called violations of Miller’s bound. The third models the RSE on the level of response time distributions using a context-variant race model with two free parameters that account for the interactions. Mimicking the diversity of studies, we tested different audio-visual signals that target the interactions using a 2 × 2 design. We show that the simple race model provides overall a strong prediction of the RSE. Regarding interactions, we found that history effects do not depend on low-level feature repetition. Furthermore, violations of Miller’s bound seem linked to transient signal onsets. Critically, the latter dissociates from the RSE, demonstrating that multisensory interactions and multisensory benefits are not equivalent. Overall, we argue that our approach, as a blueprint, provides both a general framework and the precision needed to understand the RSE when studied across diverse signals and participant groups.
Bifunctional magnetopolymersomes of iron oxide nanoparticles and carboxymethylcellulose conjugated with doxorubicin for hyperthermo-chemotherapy of brain cancer cells
Authors: Carvalho Sandhra M. , Leonel Alice G. , Mansur Alexandra A. P. , Carvalho Isadora C. , Krambrock Klaus , Mansur Herman S.
Published: February 2019

Magnetopolymersomes for potential multimodal brain cancer therapy – “nanoheaters meet drug nanocarriers”.
Synthesis, characterisation and redox properties of anti-bimetallic permethylpentalene complexes
Authors: Binding Samantha C. , Green Jennifer C. , Turner Zoë R. , Buffet Jean-Charles , O'Hare Dermot
Published: February 2019

Anti-bimetallic transition metal complexes based on the permethylpentanyl ligand:anti-(MCpR5)2Pn* (M = Fe, Co and Ni) have been synthesised and fully characterised.
Application of radially grown ZnO nanowires on poly-l-lactide microfibers complexed with a tumor antigen for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Sharma Prashant , Shin Ji Beom , Park Bum Chul , Lee Jae-Won , Byun Sang Won , Jang Na-Yoon , Kim Yu Jin , Kim Yuri , Kim Young Keun , Cho Nam-Hyuk
Published: February 2019

ZnO nanowire–PLLA microfiber hybrid nanocomposites induce anti-tumor immunityviaintracellular delivery of associated tumor antigen and stimulation of innate immunity.
Metal-mediated synthesis of pyrrolines
Authors: Medran Noelia S. , La-Venia Agustina , Testero Sebastian A.
Published: February 2019

The five-membered, nitrogen-containing pyrroline ring is a privileged structure. Pyrrolines—the dihydro derivatives of pyrroles—have three structural isomer classes: 1-, 2- and 3-pyrrolines. A review on metal-mediated synthesis of the three classes of pyrrolines is given.
Light triggers molecular shuttling in rotaxanes: control over proximity and charge recombination
Authors: Wolf Maximilian , Ogawa Ayumu , Bechtold Mareike , Vonesch Maxime , Wytko Jennifer A. , Oohora Koji , Campidelli Stéphane , Hayashi Takashi , Guldi Dirk M. , Weiss Jean
Published: February 2019

The lifetime of a charge separated state is enhanced by the effects of solvent polarity and the coordination controlled shuttling of a dumbbell in a porphyrin/fullerene rotaxane.
Capillary bridge technique to study superhydrophobic surfaces
Authors: Cohen Céline , Bouret Yann , Izmaylov Yaroslava , Sauder Grégory , Forestier Emilie , Noblin Xavier
Published: February 2019

We present here the use of the capillary bridge technique to study the wetting properties (advancing and receding contact angles) of transparent, textured and superhydrophobic surfaces over large wetted area.
Thermally reconfigurable Janus droplets with nematic liquid crystalline and isotropic perfluorocarbon oil compartments
Authors: Wang Xin , Zhou Ye , Kim Young-Ki , Tsuei Michael , Yang Yu , de Pablo Juan J. , Abbott Nicholas L.
Published: February 2019

We report formation of Janus droplets with coexisting liquid crystalline and isotropic compartments, stable spherical shapes, and widely tunable internal morphologies.
Construction of an NAND logic gate based on molecularly imprinted dual-emission quantum dot composites for the detection of antibiotics
Authors: Ma Yimei , Jin Xiaoyong , Xing Yonglei , Ni Gang , Peng Juan
Published: February 2019

Molecularly imprinted dual-emission quantum dot composites (DEQDs@MIPs) were prepared and used to construct NAND molecular logic gates for the simultaneous detection of SS and KS.
LDI and MALDI-FT-ICR imaging MS inCannabisleaves: optimization and study of spatial distribution of cannabinoids
Authors: dos Santos Nayara A. , de Souza Lindamara M. , Pinto Fernanda E. , de J. Macrino Clebson , de Almeida Camila M. , Merlo Bianca B. , Filgueiras Paulo R. , Ortiz Rafael S. , Mohana-Borges Ronaldo , Romão Wanderson
Published: February 2019

Chemical imaging in fresh and agedCannabisleaves, with three matrices in different concentrations by LDI and MALDI(−) MS and IMS.
On the activation of hypercoordinate iodine(iii) compounds for reactions of current interest
Authors: Sreenithya A. , Sunoj Raghavan B.
Published: February 2019

Mechanistic insights into different modes of activation of hypercoordinate iodine(iii) compounds.
Control of the metal/WS2 contact properties using 2-dimensional buffer layers
Authors: Nowakowski Krystian , van Bremen Rik , Zandvliet Harold J. W. , Bampoulis Pantelis
Published: February 2019

In order to precisely control current flow through electrical contacts to WS2, MoSe2 and graphene were used as thin interfacial buffer layers. As shown by spatially-resolved conductive-AFM data, the barrier heights are tunable with MoSe2 buffer layer thickness, while graphene enhances transport by depinning the Fermi level.
Microwave absorption properties of steelmaking dusts: effects of temperature on the dielectric constant (ε′) and loss factor (ε′′) at 1064 MHz and 2423 MHz
Authors: Omran Mamdouh , Fabritius Timo , Chen Guo , He Aoxi
Published: February 2019

The effect of temperature on the dielectric properties was found to be minor at temperatures below 600 °C. Above this temperature, sharp rises in the values of both the dielectric constant and the loss factor were observed.
Understanding the electrochemical potential and diffusivity of MnO/C nanocomposites at various charge/discharge states
Authors: Liu Chaofeng , Fu Haoyu , Pei Yanyan , Wu Jiandong , Pisharodi Vivek , Hu Yang , Gao Guohua , Yang Robert J. , Yang Jihui , Cao Guozhong
Published: February 2019

Electrochemical potential and lithiation kinetics of MnO/C nanocomposites were investigated by crystal field analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Five-ring-fused asymmetric thienoacenes for high mobility organic thin-film transistors: the influence of the position of the S atom in the terminal thiophene ring
Authors: He Keqiang , Zhou Shujun , Li Weili , Tian Hongkun , Tang Qingxin , Zhang Jidong , Yan Donghang , Geng Yanhou , Wang Fosong
Published: February 2019

Two isomeric asymmetric thienoacenes are designed and synthesized; the syn-isomer demonstrates both μsat and μlin above 10 cm2 V−1 s−1.
The roles of ANRIL polymorphisms in coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis
Authors: Hu Lina , Su Guoyi , Wang Xia
Published: February 2019

Background: The relationship between antisense non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) polymorphisms and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains inconclusive. Thus, we conducted this meta-analysis to better evaluate the roles of ANRIL polymorphisms in CAD. Methods: Systematic literature search of PubMed, Medline, and Embase was performed to identify potential relevant articles. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of association. Results: Fifteen studies were finally enrolled for analyses. Overall analyses suggested that rs1333040 (dominant model: P<0.0001; recessive model: P<0.0001; allele model: P<0.0001), rs1333049 (dominant model: P=0.02; allele model: P=0.02) and rs2383207 (additive model: P=0.004) polymorphisms were significantly associated with the risk of CAD. Further subgroup analyses showed that rs1333040, rs1333049, and rs2383207 polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the risk of CAD in East Asians, rs2383206 and rs10757274 polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the risk of CAD in West Asians, while rs2383206, rs10757274, and rs10757278 polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the risk of CAD in Caucasians. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that rs1333040, rs1333049, rs2383206, rs2383207, rs10757274, and rs10757278 polymorphisms might serve as genetic biomarkers of CAD in certain ethnicities.
One Tool in the Toolkit Is Not Enough: Making the Case for Using Multisensory Approaches in Aural Habilitation of Children With Reduced Hearing
Authors: Gibbons Susan Mumby , Szarkowski Amy
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This article proposes modifications to current rehabilitation methods for infants and children who are deaf or have reduced hearing. The widespread implementation of newborn hearing screening has resulted in numerous benefits to infants with reduced hearing and their families. Collectively, despite the enormous audiologic benefit that many children receive from both hearing assistive technologies and the provision of direct services aimed to support their development, numerous children with reduced hearing continue to perform below the levels of their counterparts with typical hearing in their ability to demonstrate age-appropriate functional use of language skills.

Conclusions

Studies suggest that the brains of all infants and children (including those who are deaf, who have reduced hearing, and/or who utilize hearing assistance technology) benefit from the input of multiple senses. Cognitive neuroscience and hearing science suggest a significant benefit to engaging multiple modalities for communication and increasing the amount of information that is accessible to infants and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

By using brain science to inform the rehabilitation of children with reduced hearing, this article concludes that therapy should be multimodal while minimizing use of discrete skills, thinking of language and communication opportunities as a continuum. Further recommendations for rehabilitation are provided.
Open ICT‐PaaS platform enabling 5G network slicing
Authors: Qiang Wu , Chun‐Ming Wu , Lin Chen
Published: February 2019

With a traditional static model of telecommunications service, it is difficult to deal with the uncertain factors and differentiation of massive mobile Internet services. Cloud computing, software‐defined networking (SDN), and network function virtualisation (NFV) drive telecom networks to a new round of network reconstruction. The IaaS platform can partially solve the ‘production tool’ problem of operators; however, the ‘production relationship’ problem persists. After infrastructure reconstruction is completed, due to the 5G service vision of networks on demand and sliced networks, a PaaS environment is introduced to implement a new‐generation of virtual network functions (VNFs). Based on the analysis of the necessity and feasibility of an Information and Communications Technology PaaS (ICT‐PaaS) Platform, following the technical trend of 5G, the ICT‐PaaS platform is proposed to construct a future network featuring elasticity, automation, flexibility, and openness. The adoption of lightweight VNF design ideas based on componentisation, containerisation, and microservice can better satisfy the requirements of flexible ‘network slicing’ than the traditional heavy monolith VNF‐based on VMs. The measured results show that the optimisation implementations can significantly improve network forwarding performance. From the evaluation result of the cost benefits of it is possible to highlight potentials of the platform introduction.
Low‐cost SRM drive system with reduced current sensors and position sensors
Authors: Han Guoqiang , Chen Hao , Guan Guorui
Published: February 2019

This study presents a low‐cost switched reluctance machine (SRM) drive system with reduced current sensors and position sensors. The reduction of current sensors is achieved by rearranging the location of adopted sensors, and each phase current is calculated by decomposing the current from two special positions. The reduction of position sensors is realised by optimising conventional slotted disc. Being different from the conventional three‐phase 12/8 SRM drive system, the developed low‐cost system only requires two current sensors and one position sensor. First, the proposed phase current detection method is illustrated in details. Second, the measures to solve the three key problems in rotor position sensing strategy are represented considering the forward and reverse direction of SRM. Third, the reliability function and the mean time to failure indicators are compared between the conventional and proposed methods. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is experimentally validated on a three‐phase 12/8 SRM drive. The proposed low‐cost system is easily extended to the widely used four‐phase 8/6 SRM system. Moreover, the proposed strategies for the low‐cost SRM drive system are not relying on the analytical motor model and easy for online implementation without additional hardware.
Drive circuit‐based torque‐ripple suppression method for single‐phase BLDC fan motors to reduce acoustic noise
Authors: Hu Hong‐Jin , Cao Guang‐Zhong , Huang Su‐Dan , Wu Chao , Peng Ye‐Ping
Published: February 2019

This paper proposes a drive circuit for single‐phase brushless direct current (BLDC) fan motors to reduce their acoustic noise. First, the torque ripple of a single‐phase BLDC motor is analysed theoretically. Then, a drive circuit that is capable of regulating the DC‐link voltage during commutation to weaken the negative effect of current lag is proposed to reduce the acoustic noise of single‐phase BLDC fan motors. Furthermore, the characteristics of the proposed drive circuit are discussed theoretically using a deduced analytical model of the proposed drive circuit. Additionally, simulations based on the finite element method and experiments are performed. The torque ripple and acoustic noise generated by the conventional and proposed drive circuits are compared. The simulation results show that the torque ripple is reduced by 16.1% when the proposed drive circuit is used, and the experimental results illustrate that the acoustic noise generated by the second harmonic of the torque ripple is reduced by 7.3%. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the proposed drive circuit is verified.
Scheduling of grid‐tied battery energy storage system participating in frequency response services and energy arbitrage
Authors: Mantar Gundogdu Burcu , Gladwin Dan T. , Nejad Shahab , Stone David Andrew
Published: February 2019

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are widely used to smooth power fluctuations and maintain the voltage and frequency of the power feeder at a desired level. The National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), the primary electricity transmission network operator in the UK, has introduced various frequency response services that are designed to provide a real‐time response to deviations in the grid frequency. In this study, a control algorithm is developed which generates a charge/discharge power output with respect to deviations in the grid frequency and the requisite service specifications. Using historical UK electricity prices, a new balancing service scheduling approach has also been developed to maximise energy arbitrage revenue by layering different types of balancing services throughout the day. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm delivers both dynamic and non‐dynamic firm frequency response and also an enhanced frequency response to NGET specifications while generating arbitrage revenue as well as service availability payments in the balancing market. A comparative study is also presented to compare the yearly arbitrage revenue obtained from the work presented in this study and a previous reference study. Finally,, experimental results of a grid‐tied 2 MW/1 MWh BESS have been used for verification purposes.
Reversibility‐oriented secret image sharing mechanism with steganography and authentication based on code division multiplexing
Authors: Xie Xiao‐Zhu , Chang Chin‐Chen , Lin Chia‐Chen
Published: February 2019

In this study, the authors propose a secret image sharing scheme based on code division multiplexing. The secret data are decoded into n host images to generate n meaningful shares using n encoding codes. Any two of encoding codes are orthogonal to each other. If and only if with n shares together, the secret data can be retrieved successfully, and the host images can be recovered completely. The merits of the proposed scheme are summarised as follows: (i) the meaningful shares generated by the proposed scheme can successfully avoid suspicions by malicious attackers during transmission; (ii) the secret data can be losslessly retrieved and the host images can be recovered completely; (iii) the generated shares can be verified so that the forged shares can be detected; (iv) an arbitrary number of shares can be generated to meet the requirement of practical applications; and (v) moreover, n host images can be either identical or different. The experimental results and analyses show that the proposed scheme can provide high security and outperform state‐of‐the‐art secret sharing schemes.
High‐quality X‐ray computed tomography reconstruction using projected and interpolated images
Authors: Bappy D.M. , Jeon Insu
Published: February 2019

Recent advances in computation power have allowed computed tomography (CT) to utilise iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms. The IR technique can handle noisy data and reconstructs optimal CT images from limited projected images. As of cyclic image processing, IR improves the quality of CT images. This approach requires a minimum number of projections to reconstruct an image; however, decreasing the number of projections to 90 can create artefacts and degrade reconstruction quality. To overcome this limitation, the optical flow technique can compute flow vectors between two consecutive projections to generate projected images between frames. Here, optical flow‐based frame interpolation combined with the ordered subset‐modified iterative technique is proposed to reduce computation time, lower the number of projections, and increase reconstruction quality of CT images. The proposed technique can be used to reconstruct a CT image from 90 projections at 4 degree intervals between projection sequences. This approach produces a much better quality reconstruction compared to that produced by an analytical algorithm, which uses 360 projections. The inclusion of an ordered subset reconstructs CT images quickly by accelerating streaming architecture.
Multi‐scale Cross‐path Concatenation Residual Network for Poisson denoising
Authors: Su Yueming , Lian Qiusheng , Zhang Xiaohua , Shi Baoshun , Fan Xiaoyu
Published: February 2019

The signal degradation due to the Poisson noise is a common problem in the low‐light imaging field. Recently, deep learning employing the convolution neural network for image denoising has drawn considerable attention owing to its favourable denoising performance. On the basis of the fact that the reconstruction of corrupted pixels can be facilitated by the context information in image denoising, the authors propose a deep multi‐scale cross‐path concatenation residual network (MC2RNet) which incorporates cross‐path concatenation modules for Poisson denoising. Multiple paths are achieved by the cross‐path concatenation operation and the skip connection. As a consequence, multi‐scale context representations of images under different receptive fields can be learnt by MC2RNet. With the residual learning strategy, MC2RNet learns the residual between the noisy image and the latent clean image rather than the direct mapping to facilitate model training. Specially, unlike existing discriminative Poisson denoising algorithms that train a model only for the specific noise level, they aim to train a single model for handling Poisson noise with different levels, i.e. blind Poisson denoising. Quantitative experiments demonstrate that the proposed model is superior over the state‐of‐the‐art Poisson denoising approaches in terms of peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and visual effect.
The blue straggler population of the old open cluster Berkeley 17
Authors: Bhattacharya Souradeep , Vaidya Kaushar , Chen W. P. , Beccari Giacomo
Published: February 2019

Context. Blue straggler stars (BSSs) are observed in Galactic globular clusters and old open clusters. The radial distribution of BSSs has been used to diagnose the dynamical evolution of globular clusters. For the first time, with a reliable sample of BSSs identified with Gaia DR2, we conduct such an analysis for an open cluster.

Aims. We aim to identify members, including BSSs, of the oldest known Galactic open cluster Berkeley 17 with the Gaia DR2 proper motions and parallaxes. We study the radial distribution of the BSS population to understand the dynamical evolution of the cluster.

Methods. We selected cluster members to populate the colour magnitude diagram in the Gaia filters. Cluster parameters are derived using the brightest members. The BSSs and giant branch stars are identified, and their radial distributions are compared. The segregation of BSSs is also evaluated with respect to the giant branch stars using the minimum spanning tree (MST) analysis.

Results. We determine Berkeley 17 to be at 3138.6−352.9+285.5 pc. We find 23 BSS cluster members, only two of which were previously identified. We find a bimodal radial distribution of BSSs supported by findings from the MST method.

Conclusions. The bimodal radial distribution of BSSs in Berkeley 17 indicates that they have just started to sink towards the cluster centre, placing Berkeley 17 with globular clusters of intermediate dynamical age. This is the first such determination for an open cluster.
Detectability of atmospheric features of Earth-like planets in the habitable zone around M dwarfs
Authors: Wunderlich Fabian , Godolt Mareike , Grenfell John Lee , Städt Steffen , Smith Alexis M. S. , Gebauer Stefanie , Schreier Franz , Hedelt Pascal , Rauer Heike
Published: February 2019

Context.The characterisation of the atmosphere of exoplanets is one of the main goals of exoplanet science in the coming decades.

Aims.We investigate the detectability of atmospheric spectral features of Earth-like planets in the habitable zone (HZ) around M dwarfs with the futureJames WebbSpace Telescope (JWST).

Methods.We used a coupled 1D climate-chemistry-model to simulate the influence of a range of observed and modelled M-dwarf spectra on Earth-like planets. The simulated atmospheres served as input for the calculation of the transmission spectra of the hypothetical planets, using a line-by-line spectral radiative transfer model. To investigate the spectroscopic detectability of absorption bands with JWST we further developed a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) model and applied it to our transmission spectra.

Results.High abundances of methane (CH4) and water (H2O) in the atmosphere of Earth-like planets around mid to late M dwarfs increase the detectability of the corresponding spectral features compared to early M-dwarf planets. Increased temperatures in the middle atmosphere of mid- to late-type M-dwarf planets expand the atmosphere and further increase the detectability of absorption bands. To detect CH4, H2O, and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet around a mid to late M dwarf observing only one transit with JWST could be enough up to a distance of 4 pc and less than ten transits up to a distance of 10 pc. As a consequence of saturation limits of JWST and less pronounced absorption bands, the detection of spectral features of hypothetical Earth-like planets around most early M dwarfs would require more than ten transits. We identify 276 existing M dwarfs (including GJ 1132, TRAPPIST-1, GJ 1214, and LHS 1140) around which atmospheric absorption features of hypothetical Earth-like planets could be detected by co-adding just a few transits.

Conclusions.The TESS satellite will likely find new transiting terrestrial planets within 15 pc from the Earth. We show that using transmission spectroscopy, JWST could provide enough precision to be able to partly characterise the atmosphere of TESS findings with an Earth-like composition around mid to late M dwarfs.
Sind Frauen noch immer schlechter dran?
Authors: Buck Günther
Published: February 2019

Im 20. Jahrhundert durchgeführte Studien zur Herzinsuffizienz (HF) zeigten viele Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen auf. Ein wichtiges Ergebnis war die Feststellung, dass Frauen im Vergleich zu Männern eine weniger intensive Therapie erhielten. Die Erkenntnisse der letzten 20 Jahre haben zu einer anderen Einschätzung und Vorgehensweise geführt. Diese Veränderungen können auch Frauen mit Herzinsuffizienz und reduzierter Auswurfleistung (HFrEF) neue Perspektiven eröffnen.
„GRÜNAU BEWEGT sich”
Authors: Igel U. , Gausche R. , Lück M. , Garz M. , Lipek T. , Kiess W. , Grande G.
Published: February 2019

Auf Grundlage der Erkenntnis, dass die Prävention von Adipositas im Kindesalter komplexe Interventionen unter Berücksichtigung individueller und umweltbezogener Faktoren benötigt, werden im Projekt „GRÜNAU BEWEGT sich” über einen par-tizipativen, gemeinwesenorientierten Ansatz gesundheitsförderliche Verhältnisse geschaffen, die die Entstehung von Adipositas bei Kindern verhindern sollen. Mittels der Planungsmodelle PRECEDE-PROCEED und dem Intervention Mapping Ansatz (IMA) werden systematisch und theoriegeleitet Interventionen in den Bereichen Ernährung, Bewegung und Kapazitätsentwicklung entwickelt. Sie berücksichtigen lokale Gegebenheiten und setzen auf verschiedenen Ebenen (Kind, Familie, Institution, Quartier) an. Die Umsetzung der entwickelten Interventionen erfolgt seit 2016. Die Maßnahmen adressieren pädagogische Fachkräfte aus Kitas und Schulen, Kinder und Eltern und beziehen verschiedene Akteure (Verwaltung, Vereine, Krankenkassen, Handel) ein. Im Spannungsfeld von medizinischem und sozialem Problemverständnis werden auch die begrenzte Handlungsfähigkeit und Wirksamkeit von Interventionen auf gesellschaftlich bedingte Problemlagen sichtbar.
Train-the-Trainer: Professionalisierung der Lehre im klinischen Alltag – Selbsteinschätzung Lehrender zur didaktischen Kompetenz und den Rahmenbedingungen des Unterrichts
Authors: König Sarah , Stieger Philipp , Sippel Sonia , Kadmon Martina , Werwick Katrin , Sterz Jasmina , Hoefer Sebastian H. , Rüsseler Miriam , Walcher Felix , Adili Farzin
Published: February 2019

Hintergrund Didaktiktrainings tragen zur Verbesserung der Qualität der medizinischen Lehre bei. In einem Kurs des Train-the-Trainer-Konzepts (TTT-Konzepts) der Chirurgischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft Lehre (CAL) wurden dabei Lehrende (TN) verschiedener Professionen und Karrierestufen gemeinsam unterrichtet.

Ziel der Arbeit Einschätzungen zur eigenen Lehrtätigkeit im klinischen Alltag durch verschiedene Gruppen, wie assistenzärztliches (AÄ), oberärztliches Personal (OÄ) und Pflegende (KP), deren Wahrnehmung von Erschwernissen und Artikulation von Wünschen zur Lehrverbesserung.

Material und Methoden Vor Kursbeginn wurden biografische Daten, didaktische Vorerfahrungen, Lehrhindernisse sowie Wünsche zur Lehrverbesserung erfragt. Nach Abschluss wurden die TN gebeten, den Kurs zu bewerten. Die Antworten zu den geschlossenen und offenen Fragen wurden quantitativ und qualitativ ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse Von 2014 bis 2017 wurden 6 Basiskurse (TTT-A) an 3 Standorten durchgeführt. 97 TN nahmen an den Befragungen teil (AÄ n = 44, OÄ n = 19, KP n = 17). Mehr als ⅔ verfügten bereits über didaktische Vorkenntnisse. Zwischen ärztlichen und pflegerischen Berufsgruppen fanden sich hierbei keine signifikanten Unterschiede. Während AÄ und KP primär am Krankenbett unterrichteten, lehrten OÄ überwiegend im Rahmen von Vorlesungen, Wahlfächern und Seminaren. Für die Lehre im klinischen Alltag fühlte sich nur ein geringer Anteil aus allen Berufsgruppen gut vorbereitet. Als Haupterschwernisse wurden Zeit- und Personalmangel, eine zu hohe Anzahl von Studierenden und zu geringe eigene didaktische Vorkenntnisse angegeben. Fast ⅔ der AÄ empfanden die studentische Lehre als starke oder moderate Belastung, gegenüber ca. 50% der OÄ und 60% KP. Als Wünsche zur Lehrverbesserung wurden differenziertere Vorgaben zu Inhalt und Aufbau der Lehrveranstaltungen, eine höhere Wertschätzung der Lehre insgesamt sowie die regelmäßige didaktische Qualifizierung der Lehrenden genannt.

Diskussion Berufsgruppenbedingte Unterschiede im klinischen Alltag und individueller Karrierefortschritt üben einen Einfluss auf Art, Umsetzung und Wahrnehmung der Lehrtätigkeit aus. Durch Fokussierung auf Lernziele und wesentliche für den Unterricht am Krankenbett relevante Lehr- und Prüfungsformate können Dozententrainingsprogramme berufsgruppenübergreifend zum Wissens- und Kompetenzzuwachs beitragen. Hinweise auf einen nachhaltigen Effekt ermutigen zur Fortsetzung und Weiterentwicklung des TTT-Konzepts.
Increased Defect Size is Associated with Increased Complication Rate after Free Tissue Transfer for Midanterior Skull-Base Reconstruction
Authors: Nakamura Ryota , Takanari Keisuke , Nakamura Yutaka , Kambe Miki , Hishida Masashi , Ebisawa Katsumi , Fujimoto Yasushi , Fujii Masazumi , Kamei Yuzuru
Published: February 2019

Objective Complications after skull-base reconstruction are often problematic. We consider that local factors, for example, localization of defect areas are possible risk factors. This study aimed to investigate our case series of skull-base reconstructions in our institution and to identify local risk factors that predispose to wound complications.

Design This study is presented as a retrospective study.

Setting Research work was took place at Nagoya University Hospital.

Participants Forty-eight patients who had undergone reconstruction after midanterior skull-base resection between January 2004 and December 2015 were included in this study. Defects apart from the skull-base were categorized into nasal and paranasal cavity (N), orbit (O), palate (P), and facial skin (S). Postoperative local complications including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, local infection, wound dehiscence (fistula in face or palate), and flap necrosis (partial or total) were investigated.

Main Outcome Measures Main outcome measures were postoperative complications in patients with each defect.

Results Apart from the skull-base, defects included 28 ONP (58.3%), 10 ONPS (20.8%), 3 ON (6.3%), 3 ONS (6.3%), 1 NP (2.1%), and 1 OS (2.1%). Comparison based on numbers of resected regions revealed that a significantly higher complication rate was seen in patients with four resected regions than in those with three regions (90.0% vs. 45.2%, p < 0.05).

Conclusion There was a trend suggesting that more resected regions corresponded to a greater risk of complications in midanterior skull-base reconstruction. Reconstructive surgeons need to carefully consider the reconstruction of such complicated defects.
Carotid Aneurysm Review
Authors: Kraemer Cody Jo , Zhou Wei
Published: February 2019

Aneurysms of the carotid artery are rare with multiple underlying etiologies. Treatment is largely open surgery but medical and endovascular therapies have been used based on presentation, anatomy, and etiology. There is a moderate amount of retrospective case series data on surgical results but no prospective data or data comparing open versus endovascular therapy exists. Much research is still needed but difficult to obtain in this rare disease process.
Association between Industry Payments and Scholarly Impact among Academic Ophthalmologists
Authors: Solotke Michael , Forster Susan , Chow Jessica , Duran Jenesis , Karim Hasna , Marks Victoria , Roy Shireen , Torres Ashlynn , Adelman Ron
Published: February 2019

Purpose The aim of this article is to examine the association between industry payments to ophthalmologists and scholarly impact.

Design Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Methods All ophthalmology faculty at United States accredited ophthalmology residency programs were included in this study. The main exposure was industry payments to ophthalmologists in 2016, as reported in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database. The primary outcome was Hirsch index (H-index), a measure of scholarly impact.

Results Among 1,653 academic ophthalmologists in our study, 1,225 (74%) received industry payments in 2016. We did not observe a difference between the mean H-index of ophthalmologists receiving any industry payments versus those not receiving any payments (p = 0.68). In analysis including only ophthalmologists who received industry payments, H-index differed significantly by payment amount: 12.6 for ophthalmologists receiving less than $100, 12.2 for those receiving $100 to 1,000, 18.8 for those receiving $1,000 to 10,000, 21.3 for those receiving $10,000 to 100,000, and 29.4 for those receiving greater than $100,000 (p < 0.001). Within each academic rank and gender, industry payments greater than $1,000 were associated with a higher H-index (p < 0.05).

Conclusions Although our analysis cannot prove causality, we observed a significant association between industry payments and scholarly impact among academic ophthalmologists, even after adjusting for gender, academic rank, and subspecialty. Prospective studies should further evaluate this relationship.
Long-Term Management of Venous Thromboembolism: Lessons from EINSTEIN CHOICE and Other Extension Trials
Authors: Weitz Jeffrey , Chan Noel
Published: February 2019

Many patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) are at risk of recurrence if anticoagulant therapy is stopped. Whereas 3 months of anticoagulation treatment is sufficient for patients with VTE provoked by major surgery or trauma, in many cases a longer course is needed. Extended therapy with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) requires frequent coagulation monitoring and dose adjustments to ensure that the international normalized ratio (INR) remains within the therapeutic range; furthermore, there is a risk of major bleeding even if a therapeutic INR is maintained. Therefore, more convenient and safer anticoagulants are needed.

The non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs)—apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban—simplify extended therapy because they can be given in fixed doses without routine coagulation monitoring. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of NOACs for extended VTE treatment, but bleeding remains a concern. Patients and physicians may, therefore, be reluctant to continue anticoagulation beyond 3 to 6 months except in patients at high risk of recurrence. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is often prescribed instead of an anticoagulant because of its perceived lower risk of bleeding; however, the recent EINSTEIN CHOICE trial demonstrated that once-daily rivaroxaban at a dose of either 20 or 10 mg reduced the risk of recurrent VTE by 70% compared with ASA without significantly increasing the risk of bleeding. In this review, we discuss the EINSTEIN CHOICE trial in the context of previous trials for extended VTE treatment and examine some of the lessons that can be applied to clinical practice.