bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of cell mechanics using single-beam acoustic tweezers as a versatile tool for the diagnosis and treatment of highly invasive breast cancer cell lines: an in vitro study
Authors: Lim Hae Gyun , Liu Hsiao-Chuan , Yoon Chi Woo , Jung Hayong , Kim Min Gon , Yoon Changhan , Kim Hyung Ham , Shung K. Kirk
Published: June 2020

Advancements in diagnostic systems for metastatic cancer over the last few decades have played a significant role in providing patients with effective treatment by evaluating the characteristics of cancer cells. Despite the progress made in cancer prognosis, we still rely on the visual analysis of tissues or cells from histopathologists, where the subjectivity of traditional manual interpretation persists. This paper presents the development of a dual diagnosis and treatment tool using an in vitro acoustic tweezers platform with a 50 MHz ultrasonic transducer for label-free trapping and bursting of human breast cancer cells. For cancer cell detection and classification, the mechanical properties of a single cancer cell were quantified by single-beam acoustic tweezers (SBAT), a noncontact assessment tool using a focused acoustic beam. Cell-mimicking phantoms and agarose hydrogel spheres (AHSs) served to standardize the biomechanical characteristics of the cells. Based on the analytical comparison of deformability levels between the cells and the AHSs, the mechanical properties of the cells could be indirectly measured by interpolating the Young’s moduli of the AHSs. As a result, the calculated Young’s moduli, i.e., 1.527 kPa for MDA-MB-231 (highly invasive breast cancer cells), 2.650 kPa for MCF-7 (weakly invasive breast cancer cells), and 2.772 kPa for SKBR-3 (weakly invasive breast cancer cells), indicate that highly invasive cancer cells exhibited a lower Young’s moduli than weakly invasive cells, which indicates a higher deformability of highly invasive cancer cells, leading to a higher metastasis rate. Single-cell treatment may also be carried out by bursting a highly invasive cell with high-intensity, focused ultrasound.
Infrared neural stimulation and inhibition using an implantable silicon photonic microdevice
Authors: Horváth Ágoston Csaba , Borbély Sándor , Boros Örs Csanád , Komáromi Lili , Koppa Pál , Barthó Péter , Fekete Zoltán
Published: June 2020

Brain is one of the most temperature sensitive organs. Besides the fundamental role of temperature in cellular metabolism, thermal response of neuronal populations is also significant during the evolution of various neurodegenerative diseases. For such critical environmental factor, thorough mapping of cellular response to variations in temperature is desired in the living brain. So far, limited efforts have been made to create complex devices that are able to modulate temperature, and concurrently record multiple features of the stimulated region. In our work, the in vivo application of a multimodal photonic neural probe is demonstrated. Optical, thermal, and electrophysiological functions are monolithically integrated in a single device. The system facilitates spatial and temporal control of temperature distribution at high precision in the deep brain tissue through an embedded infrared waveguide, while it provides recording of the artefact-free electrical response of individual cells at multiple locations along the probe shaft. Spatial distribution of the optically induced temperature changes is evaluated through in vitro measurements and a validated multi-physical model. The operation of the multimodal microdevice is demonstrated in the rat neocortex and in the hippocampus to increase or suppress firing rate of stimulated neurons in a reversible manner using continuous wave infrared light (λ = 1550 nm). Our approach is envisioned to be a promising candidate as an advanced experimental toolset to reveal thermally evoked responses in the deep neural tissue.
Autophagosome biogenesis and human health
Authors: Kawabata Tsuyoshi , Yoshimori Tamotsu
Published: June 2020

Autophagy degrades the cytoplasmic contents engulfed by autophagosomes. Besides providing energy and building blocks during starvation via random degradation, autophagy selectively targets cytotoxic components to prevent a wide range of diseases. This preventive activity of autophagy is supported by many studies using animal models and reports identifying several mutations in autophagy-related genes that are associated with human genetic disorders, which have been published in the past decade. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of autophagosome biogenesis involving the proteins responsible for these genetic disorders, demonstrating a role for autophagy in human health. These findings will help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of autophagy-related diseases and develop future medications.
De novo 2q36.3q37.1 deletion encompassing TRIP12 and NPPC yields distinct phenotypes
Authors: Kondo Yuto , Aoyama Kohei , Suzuki Hisato , Hattori Ayako , Hori Ikumi , Ito Koichi , Yoshida Aya , Koroki Mari , Ueda Kentaro , Kosaki Kenjiro , Saitoh Shinji
Published: June 2020

We report a patient with developmental delay, extremely short stature, small hands, dysmorphic facial features, hearing loss, and epilepsy carrying a de novo 2.76-Mb deletion of 2q36.3q37.1, including TRIP12 and NPPC. TRIP12 haploinsufficiency causes developmental delay with isolated dysmorphic facial features, whereas NPPC haploinsufficiency causes short stature and small hands. This is the first report of a unique phenotype, which is secondary to a microdeletion encompassing TRIP12 and NPPC.
Implication of JAK1/STAT3/SOCS3 Pathway in Aging of Cerebellum of Male Rat: Histological and Molecular study
Authors: Mohamed Enas Ahmed , Sayed Walaa Mohamed
Published: June 2020

Aging causes morphological and functional changes in the cerebellum. This work aimed to demonstrate the implication of JAK1/STAT3/SOCS3 on aging–induced changes of rat cerebellum. Thirty male rats were divided into: adult (12 months), early senile (24 months) and late senile (32 months) groups. Immunohistochemical reaction of the cerebellum to GFAP and caspase-3 was assessed and the expression of JAK1, STAT3, SOCS3 proteins was also evaluated. TNFα as well as the activities of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in cerebellar tissue were also measured. The cerebellum of late senile rats revealed more degenerative changes than early senile rats in the form of increase in GFAP and caspase-3 immunoreaction. Additionally, there was decrease in JAK1and STAT3 expression in early and late senile rats and increase in SOCS3 when compare early and late senile groups with adult one. Enhancement of TNFα was noticed with aging as well as significant decrease in GSH and increase in MDA in early senile group. Moreover, late senile group revealed significant decrease in GSH and increase in MDA. It could be concluded that aging resulting in variable changes of the cerebellum as detected by morphological changes, immunohistochemical reactions of caspase-3 and GFAP and expression of JAK1/STAT3/SOCS3 proteins. Additionally, inflammatory marker TNFα and the activity of oxidative/antioxidative stress markers; malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were also affected with aging.
Measuring Cancer Hallmark Mediation of the TET1 Glioma Survival Effect with Linked Neural-Network Based Mediation Experiments
Authors: Luechtefeld Thomas , Lin Nole , Paller Channing , Kuhns Katherine , Laterra John J. , Bressler Joseph P.
Published: June 2020

This paper examines the effect of TET1 expression on survival in glioma patients using open-access data from the Genomic Data Commons. A neural network-based survival model was built on expression data from a selection of genes most affected by TET1 knockdown with a median cross-validated survival concordance of 82.5%. A synthetic experiment was then conducted that linked two separately trained neural networks: a multitask model estimating cancer hallmark gene expression from TET1 expression, and a survival neural network. This experiment quantified the mediation of the TET1 survival effect through eight cancer hallmarks: apoptosis, cell cycle, cell death, cell motility, DNA repair, immune response, two phosphorylation pathways, and a randomized gene sets. Immune response, DNA repair, and apoptosis displayed greater mediation than the randomized gene set. Cell motility was inversely associated with only 12.5% mediated concordance. We propose the neural network linkage mediation experiment as an approach to collecting evidence of hazard mediation relationships with prognostic capacity useful for designing interventions.
Quantitative analysis of metal artifact reduction using the auto-edge counting method in cone-beam computed tomography
Authors: Kim Young Hyun , Lee Chena , Han Sang-Sun , Jeon Kug Jin , Choi Yoon Joo , Lee Ari
Published: June 2020

The metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm is used in most CBCT unit to reduce artifact from various dental materials. The performance of MAR program of a CBCT unit according to the dental material type under different imaging mode was evaluated as introducing automatic quantification of the amount of artifact reduced. Four customized phantoms with different dental prostheses (amalgam, gold, porcelain-fused-metal, zirconia) underwent CBCT scanning with and without the MAR option. The imaging was performed under varied scanning conditions; 0.2 and 0.3 mm3 voxel sizes; 70 and 100 kVp. The amount of artifacts reduced by each prosthesis and scanning mode automatically counted using canny edge detection in MATLAB, and statistical analysis was performed. The overall artifact reduction ratio was ranged from 17.3% to 55.4%. The artifact caused by the gold crown was most effectively reduced compared to the other prostheses (p < 0.05, Welch’s ANOVA analysis). MAR showed higher performance in smaller voxel size mode for all prostheses (p < 0.05, independent t-test). Automatic quantification efficiently evaluated MAR performance in CBCT image. The impact of MAR was different according to the prostheses type and imaging mode, suggesting that thoughtful consideration is required when selecting the imaging mode of CBCT.
The Southern Ocean with the largest uptake of anthropogenic nitrogen into the ocean interior
Authors: Pan Xianliang L. , Li Bofeng F. , Watanabe Yutaka W.
Published: June 2020

The oceanic external nitrogen (Nex) deposition to the global ocean is expected to rise significantly owing to human activities. The Southern Ocean (SO) is an important pathway, which brings external influences into the ocean interior. It touches the borders of several developing countries that emit a large amount of anthropogenic nitrogen. To comprehend the dynamics of Nexin the SO, we developed a new method to assess the change in the oceanic uptake of Nex(ΔNex) in the entire SO. We obtained the spatiotemporal distribution of ΔNexin the SO by applying this method to a high-resolution grid data constructed using ship-based observations. During the 1990s to the 2010s, Nexincreased significantly by 67 ± 1 Tg-N year−1in the SO. By comparing this value with the rate of Nexdeposition to the ocean, the SO has received ~70% of Nexdeposition to the global ocean, indicating that it is the largest uptake region of anthropogenic nitrogen into the ocean interior.
Antibiotic stewardship in the PICU: Impact of ward rounds led by paediatric infectious diseases specialists on antibiotic consumption
Authors: Renk Hanna , Sarmisak Eva , Spott Corinna , Kumpf Matthias , Hofbeck Michael , Hölzl Florian
Published: June 2020

Antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASP) are aimed at optimising antimicrobial utilization. However, only few studies have focused on paediatric intensive care units (PICU), where inappropriate antibiotic use occurs frequently. We assessed the effect and safety of a once weekly paediatric infectious disease (PID) ward round with prospective audit and feedback on antibiotic consumption in a multidisciplinary PICU. This study was conducted within 6-months periods before and after the implementation of a weekly PID-ward round. Antimicrobial management and two main recommendations per patient were discussed and documented. The primary outcome was antimicrobial utilization, measured by days of therapy (DoT) and length of therapy (LoT) per 1000 patient days (PD) for all PICU stays. Secondary outcomes included PICU mean length of stay, total mortality, infection-related mortality and cost of therapy. 1964 PD were analyzed during the pre- and 1866 PD during the post-implementation phase. Adherence to the recommendations was 79%. An 18% reduction of DoT/1000 PD was observed in the post-implementation period (p = 0.005). LoT/1000 PD decreased by 11% (p = 0.09). Meropenem and vancomycin usage were reduced by 49% (p = 0.07) and 56% (p = 0.03), respectively. We conclude, that a once weekly PID-ward round with prospective audit and feedback is safe and effective and reduces antibiotic consumption in PICUs.
Identification and tissue-specific expression of rutin biosynthetic pathway genes in Capparis spinosa elicited with salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate
Authors: Kianersi Farzad , Abdollahi Mohammad Reza , Mirzaie-asl Asghar , Dastan Dara , Rasheed Faiza
Published: June 2020

Capparis spinosa is an edible medicinal plant which is considered as an excellent source of rutin. Rutin is a glycoside of the flavonoid quercetin that has been reported to have a beneficial role in controlling various diseases such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity. In this study, the partial cDNA of four genes involved in the rutin biosynthetic pathway including 4-coumaroyl CoA ligase (4CL), flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H), flavonol synthase (FLS) and flavonol-3-O-glucoside L-rhamnosyltransferase (RT) were identified in C.spinosa plants for the first time. The protein sequences of these genes shared high similarity with the same proteins in other plant species. Subsequently, the expression patterns of these genes as well as rutin accumulation in C.spinosa leaves treated with different concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and also in different tissues of Caper plants treated with 100 mgL−1 SA and 150 μM MeJA were evaluated. The expression of all four genes was clearly up-regulated and rutin contents increased in response to MeJA and SA treatments after 24 h. The highest rutin contents (5.30 mgg−1 DW and 13.27 mgg−1 DW), as well as the highest expression levels of all four genes, were obtained using 100 mgL−1 SA and 150 μM MeJA, respectively. Among the different tissues, the highest rutin content was observed in young leaves treated with 150 μM MeJA, which corresponded to the expression of related genes, especially RT, as a key gene in the rutin biosynthetic pathway. These results suggest that rutin content in various tissues of C. spinosa can be enhanced to a significant extent by MeJA and SA treatments and the gene expression patterns of rutin-biosynthesis-related genes are regulated by these elicitors.
Partial proteolysis improves the identification of the extracellular segments of transmembrane proteins by surface biotinylation
Authors: Langó Tamás , Pataki Zoltán Gergő , Turiák Lilla , Ács András , Varga Julia Kornélia , Várady György , Kucsma Nóra , Drahos László , Tusnády Gábor E.
Published: June 2020

Transmembrane proteins (TMP) play a crucial role in several physiological processes. Despite their importance and diversity, only a few TMP structures have been determined by high-resolution protein structure characterization methods so far. Due to the low number of determined TMP structures, the parallel development of various bioinformatics and experimental methods was necessary for their topological characterization. The combination of these methods is a powerful approach in the determination of TMP topology as in the Constrained Consensus TOPology prediction. To support the prediction, we previously developed a high-throughput topology characterization method based on primary amino group-labelling that is still limited in identifying all TMPs and their extracellular segments on the surface of a particular cell type. In order to generate more topology information, a new step, a partial proteolysis of the cell surface has been introduced to our method. This step results in new primary amino groups in the proteins that can be biotinylated with a membrane-impermeable agent while the cells still remain intact. Pre-digestion also promotes the emergence of modified peptides that are more suitable for MS/MS analysis. The modified sites can be utilized as extracellular constraints in topology predictions and may contribute to the refined topology of these proteins.
MBR-UV/Cl2 system in treating polluted surface water with typical PPCP contamination
Authors: Liu Dan , Song Kang , Xie Guojun , Li Lu
Published: June 2020

This study proposed the membrane bioreactor–ultraviolet/chlorine (MBR-UV/Cl2) process for treating polluted surface water with pharmaceutical personal care product (PPCP) contamination. Results showed that MBR-UV/Cl2 effectively removed the organic matters and ammonia at approximately 80% and 95%. MBR-UV/Cl2 was used in the removal of sulfadiazine(SDZ), sulfamethoxazole(SMZ), tetracycline(TC), oxytetracycline(OTC), ciprofloxacin(CIP), ofloxacin(OFX), erythromycin(ERY), roxithromycin(ROX), ibuprofen(IBU) and, naproxen(NAX) at 12.18%, 95.61%, 50.50%, 52.97%, 33.56%, 47.71%, 87.57%, 93.38%, 93.80%, and 71.46% in which their UV/Cl2 contribution was 12.18%, 95.61%, 29.04%, 38.14%, 25.94%, 7.20%, 80.28%, 33.79%, 73.08%, and 23.05%, respectively. The removal of 10 typical PPCPs using UV/Cl2 obtained higher contributions than those of the MBR process, except OTC, ROX, and IBU. The UV/Cl2 process with 3-min hydraulic retention time and chlorine concentration at 3 mg/L effectively removed the trace of PPCPs. MBR-UV/Cl2 has the potential to be developed as an effective technology in treating polluted surface water with PPCP contamination.
Mitochondrial genetic variation reveals phylogeographic structure and cryptic diversity in Trioza erytreae
Authors: Ajene Inusa , Khamis Fathiya M. , Pietersen Gerhard , van Asch Barbara
Published: June 2020

Trioza erytreaeis the main vector for ‘Candidatus Liberibacter africanus’, the causative agent of African Citrus Greening disease. The insect is widespread in Africa, and has recently disseminated to Southwestern Europe. This study aimed at generating reference mitogenome sequences forT. erytreae, as a background for future genetic diversity surveys. Complete mitochondrial sequences of three specimens collected in Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa were recovered using Ion Torrent technology. The mitogenomes ofT. erytreaefrom Uganda and Ethiopia were highly similar, and distinct from that found in South Africa. The phylogeographic structure ofT. erytreaewas assessed using genetic clustering and pairwise distances, based on a dataset of publicCOIsequences recorded asT. erytreae. The dataset revealed ten haplotypes with strong phylogeographic structure in Africa and Europe. Three haplotypes found in Kenya onClausena anisatabelonged to pairs separated by distances as high as 11.2%, and were basal to all other sequences. These results indicate that not all sequences identified asT. erytreaebelong to the same species, and that some degree of specificity with different plant hosts is likely to exist. This study provides new baseline information on the diversity ofT. erytreae, with potential implications for the epidemiology of African Citrus Greening disease.
Seed ejection mechanism in an Oxalis species
Authors: Li Shanpeng , Zhang Yun , Liu Jianlin
Published: June 2020

With millions of years’ evolution, plants and fungi have developed a variety of ballistic dispersal structures for seeds or spores. One typical example is the catapult of an Oxalis sp., which can realize a consecutive seed ejection by triggering only one seed. If the protrusion on an aril, a specialized outgrowth covering a seed, is disturbed, cracks would occur and cause the opening of the aril. Subsequently, the whole aril snaps and transforms its stored strain energy to eject the inside seed with an optimal launching angle. Once the first seed is triggered, its curly aril will contact the next seed’s protrusion and induce its firing. This chain effect will further trigger the remaining seeds in turns, within 0.1 s. Inspired by this phenomenon, we invented a bionic ejection device to launch projectiles with high efficiency. This exploration is promising for a number of applications, such as drug delivery and oil displacement.
QSAR modeling for reaction rate constants of eaq− with diverse organic compounds in water
Authors: Zheng Shanshan , Li Chao , Wei Gaoliang
Published: June 2020

Two quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models to predict keaq− of diverse organic compounds were developed and the impact of molecular structural features on eaq− reactivity was investigated.
Relative cooling power modeling of lanthanum manganites using Gaussian process regression
Authors: Zhang Yun , Xu Xiaojie
Published: June 2020

Experimental vs. predicted relative cooling power of lanthanum manganites.
Nanocurcumin: preparation, characterization and cytotoxic effects towards human laryngeal cancer cells
Authors: Hanna Demiana H. , Saad Gamal R.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to prepare curcumin nanoparticles using a sol–oil method to improve curcumin absorption and bioavailability, and to investigate the therapeutic effect of the prepared nanoparticles on the inhibition mechanisms toward human Hep-2 cancer cells.
von Willebrand Factor and Factor VIII Clearance in Perioperative Hemophilia A Patients
Authors: van Moort Iris , Bukkems Laura H. , Heijdra Jessica M. , Schutgens Roger E. G. , Laros-van Gorkom Britta A. P. , Nieuwenhuizen Laurens , van der Meer Felix J. M. , Fijnvandraat Karin , Ypma Paula , de Maat Moniek P. M. , Leebeek Frank W. G. , Meijer Karina , Eikenboom Jeroen , Mathôt Ron A. A. , Cnossen Marjon H. ,   for the OPTI-CLOT Study Group
Published: June 2020

Background von Willebrand factor (VWF) is crucial for optimal dosing of factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate in hemophilia A patients as it protects FVIII from premature clearance. To date, it is unknown how VWF behaves and what its impact is on FVIII clearance in the perioperative setting.

Aim To investigate VWF kinetics (VWF antigen [VWF:Ag]), VWF glycoprotein Ib binding (VWF:GPIbM), and VWF propeptide (VWFpp) in severe and moderate perioperative hemophilia A patients included in the randomized controlled perioperative OPTI-CLOT trial.

Methods Linear mixed effects modeling was applied to analyze VWF kinetics. One-way and two-way analyses of variance were used to investigate perioperative VWFpp/VWF:Ag ratios and associations with surgical bleeding.

Results Fifty-nine patients with median age of 48.8 years (interquartile range: 34.8–60.0) were included. VWF:Ag and VWF:GPIbM increased significantly postoperatively. Blood type non-O or medium risk surgery were associated with higher VWF:Ag and VWF:GPIbM levels compared with blood type O and low risk surgery. VWFpp/VWF:Ag was significantly higher immediately after surgery than 32 to 57 hours after surgery (p < 0.001). Lowest VWF:Ag quartile (0.43–0.92 IU/mL) was associated with an increase of FVIII concentrate clearance of 26 mL/h (95% confidence interval: 2–50 mL/h) compared with highest VWF antigen quartile (1.70–3.84 IU/mL). VWF levels were not associated with perioperative bleeding F(4,227) = 0.54, p = 0.710.

Conclusion VWF:Ag and VWF:GPIbM levels increase postoperatively, most significantly in patients with blood type non-O or medium risk surgery. Lower VWF antigen levels did not lead to clinically relevant higher FVIII clearance. VWF:Ag or VWF:GPIbM levels were not associated with perioperative hemorrhage.
Corona Lockdown to Locked in Syndrome: A Neurosurgeon’s Perspective
Authors: Kalra Samir K. , Kalra Vandana , Kumar Raj
Published: June 2020

We are spending our days today in a nationwide lockdown. The government should be lauded for taking a firm stand and announcing this lockdown well in time. Perhaps the benefits of social distancing cannot be more emphasized to prevent the spread of the dreaded coronavirus as witnessed by some of the developed nations who missed out by announcing it very late. In this lockdown period when we are primarily confined to our home, people face this dilemma of what to do and what lies ahead. Suddenly people find themselves in a situation where they are forced to stay at home and there is fear and turmoil all around. The mindset in this situation quickly becomes negative and as is well known “empty mind is devil’s workshop.” The need of the hour is to get constructively active and keep the positive vibes going.
Volumetric Capnography Monitoring and Effects of Epinephrine on Volume of Carbon Dioxide Elimination during Resuscitation after Cardiac Arrest in a Swine Pediatric Ventricular Fibrillatory Arrest
Authors: Al-Subu Awni M. , Hacker Timothy A. , Eickhoff Jens C. , Ofori-Amanfo George , Eldridge Marlowe W.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to examine the use of volumetric capnography monitoring to assess cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) effectiveness by correlating it with cardiac output (CO), and to evaluate the effect of epinephrine boluses on both end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) and the volume of CO2 elimination (VCO2) in a swine ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest model. Planned secondary analysis of data collected to investigate the use of noninvasive monitors in a pediatric swine ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest model was performed. Twenty-eight ventricular fibrillatory arrests with open cardiac massage were conducted. During CPR, EtCO2 and VCO2 had strong correlation with CO, measured as a percentage of baseline pulmonary blood flow, with correlation coefficients of 0.83 (p < 0.001) and 0.53 (p = 0.018), respectively. However, both EtCO2 and VCO2 had weak and nonsignificant correlation with diastolic blood pressure during CPR 0.30 (p = 0.484) (95% confidence interval [CI], –0.51–0.83) and 0.25 (p = 0.566) (95% CI, –0.55–0.81), respectively. EtCO2 and VCO2 increased significantly after the first epinephrine bolus without significant change in CO. The correlations between EtCO2 and VCO2 and CO were weak 0.20 (p = 0.646) (95% CI, −0.59–0.79), and 0.27 (p = 0.543) (95% CI, −0.54–0.82) following epinephrine boluses. Continuous EtCO2 and VCO2 monitoring are potentially useful metrics to ensure effective CPR. However, transient epinephrine administration by boluses might confound the use of EtCO2 and VCO2 to guide chest compression.
Role of Ultrafast MR Imaging in Stroke Patients
Authors: Sindhura Manne , Rangasami Rajeswaran , Chandrasekharan Anupama
Published: June 2020

Objectives The aim of the study is to assess the role of ultrafast (UF) magnetic resonance (MR) sequences in stroke imaging.

Material and Methods We prospectively studied 85 patients having clinical suspicion of stroke referred for MR imaging (MRI) during August 2016 to July 2018. These patients were subjected to both conventional and UF MRI sequences. The patients were divided into six categories based on the pathologies encountered. Further subclassification was done based on the size of the lesions as ≤10 mm and >10 mm as seen separately in both UF and conventional MR sequences. The number and visibility of these lesions on conventional and UF MRI were compared. The image quality of all the subjects was also compared based on a scale categorized into excellent, satisfactory, and poor. The findings on conventional and UF imaging sequences were correlated with the final clinical diagnosis arrived at the time of discharge.

Results In our study comprising 85 patients, 57 showed pathologies. The patients showing pathologies were assigned into the six categories as acute infarct (34 cases), acute hemorrhagic infarct (six cases), chronic infarct (17 cases), chronic hemorrhagic infarct (four cases), subacute infarct (three cases), and chronic hemorrhage (one case). The number of lesions seen on conventional and UF sequences were the same although there was a slight decrease in the size of the lesions on UF sequences as compared with conventional counterparts. The image quality using UF sequences was better in motion prone patients while conventional imaging showed better image quality in cooperative patients.

Conclusion In motion prone patients, UF sequences are a suitable alternative for conventional sequences as they help in arriving at the diagnosis in lesser time, with reasonably good image quality, and without motion artifacts. In cooperative stroke patients, it is better to use conventional MR sequences as the image quality is better.
Association between Foramen Size and Febrile Seizure Status in the Pediatric Population: A Two-Center Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Presto Peyton , D’Souza Preston , Kopacz Avery , Hanson Keith A. , Nagy Laszlo
Published: June 2020

Objective Febrile seizures have been shown to occur in 2 to 5% of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, making them the most common seizures of childhood. Multiple risk factors for febrile seizures have been identified; however, no investigation has been conducted to explore foramen size and associated venous drainage as a potential risk factor for experiencing febrile seizures. Of particular interest are the parietal foramen and the condylar canal, which conduct the parietal emissary vein and the occipital emissary vein, respectively. Emissary veins lack valves, allowing them to play a crucial role in selective brain cooling via a bidirectional flow of blood from the head’s evaporating surface. Narrowed cranial apertures conducting these veins may lead to reduced cerebral venous outflow and delayed brain cooling, creating favorable conditions for a febrile event. This study seeks to explore the association between cranial aperture area and febrile seizure status.

Methods A retrospective cross-sectional medical record review study from January 2011 to December 2017 was conducted at a 500-bed academic hospital and a 977-bed private hospital in Lubbock, Texas, United States. A total of 101 complex febrile seizure patients were compared with a similarly aged group of 75 trauma patients representing the normal population. Parietal foramen area and condylar canal area were electronically measured and defined as having “normal” or “below normal” area.

Statistical Analysis Independent t-tests were used to compare foramen and canal areas by febrile seizure status. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association of small cranial aperture area with febrile seizure status.

Results Below normal parietal foramen area had a strong association with febrile seizures in our patient population. Male sex, white race, and complete vaccination status were also found to have significant associations with febrile seizure status.

Conclusion Our findings indicated that narrowed parietal foramen may be considered as a risk factor for febrile seizure development.
Perioperative Coagulopathy in Patients with Normal Preoperative Coagulation Screen: A Couple of Coagulopathic Clinical Case Conundrums
Authors: Monteiro Joseph N. , Goraksha Shwetal , Dhokte Ninad S. , Padate Balkrishna
Published: June 2020

Perioperative coagulopathy impacts patient outcome by influencing intraoperative hemodynamics and blood loss. We present two cases which despite having normal preoperative coagulation profiles and normotension during the surgery had intraoperative coagulopathy and unusual bleeding. These cases required a multidisciplinary approach to manage them successfully. A thorough knowledge of the coagulation cascade along with a high-degree of suspicion and early recognition of coagulation is required. Abnormalities are critical for a timely intervention. Point-of-care tests like thromboelastography (TEG) as well as platelet function studies helped us arrive at an early diagnosis and initiate prompt treatment.
Using Policy Labs as a process to bring evidence closer to public policymaking: a guide to one approach
Authors: Hinrichs-Krapels Saba , Bailey Jocelyn , Boulding Harriet , Duffy Bobby , Hesketh Rachel , Kinloch Emma , Pollitt Alexandra , Rawlings Sarah , van Rij Armida , Wilkinson Benedict , Pow Ross , Grant Jonathan
Published: June 2020

While robust evidence is one ingredient in the policymaking process, it is by no means the only one. Engaging with policymakers and the policymaking process requires collaborative working models, navigating through the experiences, values and perspectives of policymakers and other stakeholders, as well as communicating evidence in an accessible manner. As a response to these requirements, over recent years there has been proliferation of activities that engage producers of evidence (specifically, academics), policymakers, practitioners, and the public in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. In this article, we describe one engagement approach for facilitating research evidence uptake into policy and practice—an activity called a ‘Policy Lab’—as conducted by the team at The Policy Institute at King’s College London on numerous policy challenges over the past four years. Drawing on our experience in running 15 Policy Labs between January 2015 and September 2019, we (a) provide a guide to how we have run Policy Labs, while sharing our learning on what has worked best in conducting them and (b) demonstrate how these labs can contribute to bringing evidence closer to policymaking, by comparing their characteristics to enablers for doing so identified in the literature. While this approach to Policy Labs is not the only one of its kind, we suggest that these types of Labs manifest characteristics identified in previous studies for influencing the policymaking process; namely: providing a forum for open, honest conversations around a policy topic; creating new networks, collaborations and partnerships between academics and policymakers; synthesising available evidence on a policy topic in a robust and accessible format; and providing timely access to evidence relevant to a policy issue. We recognise the limitations of measuring and evaluating how these Labs change policy in the long-term and recommend viewing the Policy Lab as part of a process for engaging evidence and policymaking and not an isolated activity. This process serves to build a coalition through participation of diverse communities (thereby establishing ‘trust’), work on the language and presentation of evidence (thereby enabling effective ‘translation’ of evidence) and engage policymakers early to respond when policy windows emerge (thereby taking into account ‘timing’ for creating policy action).
Influence of post-deposition annealing on the photoelectrochemical performance of CuBi2O4 thin films
Authors: Lamers Marlene , Sahre Michael , Müller Matthias J. , Abou-Ras Daniel , van de Krol Roel , Abdi Fatwa F.
Published: June 2020

Complex metal oxide semiconductors are promising candidates to be used as photoelectrodes in solar water splitting devices. One particular example is copper bismuth oxide (CuBi2O4), which is a p-type semiconductor with an ideal bandgap of 1.6–1.8 eV and suitable band positions. However, the performance has been reported to be limited by photocorrosion and the mismatch between its optical absorption and charge carrier transport properties. It has been shown that the former can be overcome by the deposition of protection layers, while the latter can be addressed by the modification of the bulk properties of the material. Here, we deposited thin films of CuBi2O4 using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This results in high quality films, as evident from the internal quantum efficiency, which is comparable to the best-performing CuBi2O4 photoelectrodes. We investigate the bulk modification of the films by exploring post-deposition annealing treatment at various temperatures and oxygen partial pressures. These post-deposition annealing parameters influence the morphology of the films through the formation of aggregated particles/islands with higher crystallinity. The anneal treatment reduces bulk recombination in the film and increases the AM1.5 photocurrent by a factor of more than three. The influence of the high temperature post-deposition annealing treatment on other properties of CuBi2O4 (absorption, formation, and suppression of defects) is also discussed. This study underlines the importance of high temperature post-deposition annealing treatment in optimizing the performance of complex metal oxide photoelectrodes.
Simultaneous direct measurements of conventional and inverse magnetocaloric effects in Ni–Mn-based Heusler alloys using lock-in thermography technique
Authors: Modak Rajkumar , Iguchi Ryo , Sepehri-Amin Hossein , Miura Asuka , Uchida Ken-ichi
Published: June 2020

The second-order conventional and first-order inverse magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) in Ni–Mn-based quaternary Heusler alloys have been systematically investigated by means of the lock-in thermography technique, which enables the direct measurement of the MCE-induced temperature change in a periodic magnetic field. Through systematic measurements of the temperature dependence of the MCE signals, the tuning of the conventional and inverse MCEs with temperature for the same Heusler alloys has been demonstrated, where the phase transitions responsible for the MCEs are clearly distinguished. The lock-in thermography measurements show that some Ni–Mn-based Heusler alloys exhibit much smaller temperature changes due to the inverse MCEs in the periodic field as compared to the conventional MCEs, even though they exhibit a larger magnetic entropy change across the first-order transition responsible for the inverse MCEs. We discuss the origin of this behavior in terms of the field-induced entropy change and thermal hysteresis of the alloys. These findings will be useful not only in accelerating the optimization of inverse MCE materials but also in understanding the mechanism of the MCEs.
Effect of sintering treatment on the microstructure of NiFe2O4 synthesized by the sonochemical method and the conventional method
Authors: Liba S. I. , Tariq Mehrin , Das H. N. , Nahar A. , Hoque S. Manjura
Published: June 2020

Nickel ferrite ultrafine nanoparticles were synthesized by the sonochemical method. The sample was sintered at temperatures ranging from 1273 K to 1673 K for 3 h. XRD peaks of as-synthesized NiFe2O4, their Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM, and selective area (electron) diffraction pattern demonstrate that the particles are in the completely crystalline state. The initial particle size of as-synthesized NiFe2O4 was found to be approximately <5 nm. Besides, NiFe2O4 samples were also synthesized by a conventional double sintering technique. The purpose was to compare the effect of sintering treatment on the microstructure quality of the NiFe2O4 prepared by these two techniques. Homogeneous coaxial grains did not form until 1573 K for conventionally prepared samples, while for the sonochemical method, homogeneous grains started to form even as low as 1373 K. Furthermore, other measurements were done only for the sintered samples prepared by the sonochemical method to evaluate the magnetic properties. An abrupt change in B–H loops was found with Ts for a maximum applied field of 1500 A/m. M–H loops with the maximum applied field of 1.6 × 103 KA/m and Mössbauer spectroscopy demonstrate that the samples are all at the ferrimagnetic stage. Curie temperatures Tc, determined from the temperature dependence of the initial permeability μ′, for the same samples almost remained unchanged, which confirms that the cation distribution is almost unchanged with the variation of Ts. A slight variation of cation distribution manifested in the variation of Tc with Ts conforms with the site occupancy of Fe3+ analyzed by Mössbauer spectroscopy.
Designer proteins act as logic gates
Authors: Hill Heather M.
Published: June 2020

Controllable protein–protein interactions modify the behavior of a yeast cell and a human T cell.
Viscous electron fluids
Authors: Polini Marco , Geim Andre K.
Published: June 2020

Advances in materials science have made it possible for electrons in metals to exhibit exotic hydrodynamic effects.
Effect of high-intensity rotational grazing on the growth of cattle grazing buffel pasture in the Northern Territory and on soil carbon sequestration
Authors: Schatz T. , Ffoulkes D. , Shotton P. , Hearnden M.
Published: June 2020

Context
Scientific and anecdotal reports conflict on the effects of intensive rotational grazing (IRG) on cattle growth, and very limited objective data are available from cattle grazing in northern Australia that producers can use to decide whether to adopt IRG.

Aims
This study aimed to compare liveweight gain and sequestration of soil organic carbon when cattle grazed buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) under either continuous grazing (CG) or IRG.

Methods
In each year of this 9-year study, a cohort of Brahman and Brahman-cross weaners was randomly allocated to IRG and CG treatments. They grazed predominantly buffel pasture at Douglas Daly Research Farm from shortly after weaning for about a year, at which time they were replaced by the next year’s group, and the average liveweight gains of the treatments over the post-weaning year were compared each year for 9 years. Soil organic carbon was measured in the topsoil (0–30 cm) twice each year for 5 years (2009–14) and changes in carbon stocks over time were compared between treatments.

Key results
In each year of this study, the growth of cattle grazing buffel pasture was lower under IRG than CG. In each year, liveweight gain was lower (P < 0.05) per head and per hectare under IRG. Topsoil soil organic carbon stocks did not increase in the IRG treatment over the 5 years of this study.

Conclusions
This study found that cattle growth, both per head and per hectare, was lower under IRG than CG, and that IRG did not result in any increase in soil organic carbon over time.

Implications
The lower per head and per area production from the IRG system, combined with the extra infrastructure and operating costs for IRG systems, make it unlikely that adoption of IRG would improve the profitability of cattle-grazing operations on similar pasture systems in northern Australia. However, the findings of this study may not apply to other pasture systems and environments.
Biochemical and molecular approach of oxidative damage triggered by water stress and rewatering in sunflower seedlings of two inbred lines with different ability to tolerate water stress
Authors: Ramírez Federico , Escalante Maximiliano , Vigliocco Ana , Pérez-Chaca M. Verónica , Reginato Mariana , Molina Alicia , Di Rienzo Julio A. , Andrade Andrea , Alemano Sergio
Published: June 2020

Water stress accelerates the generation of reactive oxygen species, which trigger a cascade of antioxidative defence mechanisms comprising enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. The aim of this study was to investigate the oxidative damage and the antioxidative defence systems in seedlings of the water stress-tolerant (B71) and the sensitive (B59) inbred lines of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in response to water stress and rewatering. In addition, we characterised the transcriptomic profile associated with enzymatic antioxidative defence. An elevated electrolyte leakage in B59 indicated increased plasmatic membrane permeability, which correlated with greater sensitivity to water stress. In response to water stress, both lines showed an increase in malondialdehyde and H2O2 content but these increases were more noticeable in the sensitive line. In both lines, an increase in enzymatic activity (e.g. peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase) was not sufficient to overcome the H2O2 accumulation triggered by water stress. Upon water stress, the overall expression level of genes associated with the enzymatic antioxidant system increased in B71 and decreased in B59, which showed downregulated levels of most genes in the shoots. The general profile of phenolic compounds was clearly different between organs and between inbred lines. The B59 line activated nonenzymatic antioxidant responses to counteract the oxidative stress caused by water stress. The tolerance of B71 to water stress could be associated with compensatory antioxidant mechanisms based on the expression of genes encoding enzyme components of the ascorbate–glutathione and redoxin cycles, which contributed to explaining, at least partly, the response of this line.
Identities and beliefs across time and space
Authors: Sung Chit Cheung Matthew
Published: June 2020

This paper presents a case study of a Hong Kong university student’s experiences of learning English as a second
language (L2) over a four-year period, with particular attention to the changes in her identities and beliefs across time and
space. Drawing on a narrative inquiry approach, the study revealed that the student’s L2 identities appeared to be shaped by
specific contextual conditions and agentic choices made by the student in response to different contexts, including consultation
sessions with native English-speaking tutors, study abroad in the U.S., interactions with non-native English-speaking peers, and
classroom interactions. It was also found that her L2 identities and beliefs not only varied over time in a complex and dynamic
manner, but also appeared to be closely interconnected and interacted with each other in a reciprocal and bi-directional manner.
The case study points to the need to pay more attention to the complex and dynamic interrelationship between identity and belief
in L2 learning trajectories.
Geographic variation of voseo on Spanish Twitter
Authors: Bland Justin , Morgan Terrell A.
Published: June 2020

This study uses the social media platform Twitter to analyze geographic variation in the use of voseo throughout the Spanish-speaking world. It forms part of the first-ever voseo census (Morgan et al., 2017a, 2017b), which triangulates multiple sources to calculate the number of voseantes worldwide and to document their morphological and attitudinal preferences. We compiled a corpus of 32 million geocoded tweets, searched within it for ten linguistic variables – the pronoun vos and associated verbal morphology – and estimated usage rates by country. We found widespread voseo in the River Plate basin and Central America, but with important differences in rates of indicative, subjunctive, and imperative forms. We also address methodological questions in the use of big data for dialectological research.
The effect of grammatical person on subject pronoun expression in the oral narratives of Spanish second language learners
Authors: de Prada Pérez Ana , Feroce Nick
Published: June 2020

In this paper we offer a variationist analysis of Spanish L2 subject pronoun expression (SPE) in sociolinguistic interviews, comparing first (1sg) and third person singular (3sg) subjects. Variationist analyses of Spanish L2 SPE are rather scant, with important differences in the analyses of monolingual and bilingual Spanish. In this paper, we compare SPE in the speech of 15 L2ers and 5 native speakers (NSs), using a comparative variationist methodology. Our results indicate that the acquisition of overt subject rates is easier in 1sg than in 3sg while the acquisition of the variables that regulate the distribution is easier in 3sg than in 1sg. We explain these results based on the notion of markedness.
Public signage in a multilingual Caribbean enclave
Authors: Restrepo-Ramos Falcon D.
Published: June 2020

This study examines the linguistic landscape of the islands of Old Providence and Santa Catalina, Colombia, a language contact scenario. Over 700 pictures were geotagged in order to analyze the use and location of Spanish, Islander Creole, and English in public signage and to examine the factors that contribute to the distribution of these languages. The linguistic landscape analysis shows Islander Creole and English clustered into specific locations in these islands, where the community has made attempts to preserve their ancestral languages. Conversely, results show Spanish highly associated with businesses and local government in areas of financial and commercial importance. This study offers a description of the implicit language policies and the de facto language practices in islands where Spanish coexists with Creole languages.