bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biophysical Insights on the Enrichment of Cancer Cells from Whole Blood by (Affinity) Filtration
Authors: Zinggeler Marc , Brandstetter Thomas , Rühe Jürgen 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) play a key role during the metastatic process of human cancers and their reliable detection and characterization could enable new and effective ways of cancer diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. However, due to their ultralow concentration in patient blood, the CTCs must first be enriched before such analysis can be performed. Classical microfiltration is an important and widely used method for the mechanical enrichment of CTCs. This method exploits that CTCs are generally larger than the accompanying blood cells, however, does not differentiate the cells in other ways. In an affinity filtration, selectivity is added by functionalizing the membrane with specific antibodies against a CTC-characteristic surface protein such as the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). A common shortcoming of both filtration approaches is that there is still a poor understanding of the enrichment process and the systems developed so far are frequently operated under non-optimized conditions. To address this, systematic filtration experiments are performed in this work using the EpCAM+ cell line MCF-7 as CTC-model and standard track-etched membranes modified with or without antibodies against EpCAM. The influences of the key filtration parameters time and applied pressure are studied and it is found that in all cases the extent of cell recovery is limited by a lysis process which occurs on the membrane surface. Counterintuitively, it is found that filtration at rather high pressures is advantageous to ensure high recovery rates. To describe the pressure-induced lysis process a biophysical model is developed. This model allows the determination of optimum filtration conditions to achieve both high cancer cell recovery and large blood sample throughput. It is demonstrated that this way practically 100% of spiked cancer cells can be recovered from milliliters of undiluted whole blood within seconds.
Sandwich-structured nanoparticles-grafted functionalized graphene based 3D nanocomposites for high-performance biosensors to detect ascorbic acid biomolecule
Authors: Salahandish Razieh , Ghaffarinejad Ali , Naghib Seyed Morteza , Niyazi Asghar , Majidzadeh-A Keivan , Janmaleki Mohsen , Sanati-Nezhad Amir 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe present a highly sensitive and selective nano-biosensor for rapid, stable and highly reproducible detection of ascorbic acid (AA) in the presence of dopamine, uric acid and other interferences by a three-layer sandwich arrangement of nitrogen-doped functionalized graphene (NFG), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite. The enhanced AA electrochemical properties of the NFG/AgNPs/PANI electrode is attributed to the superior conductivity of the NFG-PANI and the excellent catalytic activity of AgNPs. The critical modification of the AgNPs-grafted NFG-PANI coated on very low-cost fluorine doped tin oxide electrode (FTOE) increased the charge transfer conductivity of the electrode (the resistance drops down from 11,000 Ω to 6 Ω). The nano-biosensor was used to accurately detect AA in vitamin C tablets with the recovery of 98%. The sensor demonstrated a low detection limit of 8 µM (S/N = 3) with a very wide linear detection range of 10–11,460 µM, good reproducibility and excellent selectivity performance for AA detection. The results demonstrate that this nanocomposite is a promising candidate for rapid and selective detection of AA in practical clinical samples.
The Effect of Body-Related Stimuli on Mental Rotation in Children, Young and Elderly Adults
Authors: Iachini Tina , Ruggiero Gennaro , Bartolo Angela , Rapuano Mariachiara , Ruotolo Francesco 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to explore the development of mental rotation ability throughout life by comparing different kinds of stimuli. Thirty-six children (6–9 years-old), 30 young (20–28 years-old) and 30 elderly people (60–82 years-old) performed mental rotation tasks with abstract (i.e. two-dimensional lines) and concrete stimuli (i.e. hands, human/animal faces). The results showed that overall young people outperformed children and elderly people, while children were less accurate than the elderly. However, the effect of age was shaped by the kinds of stimuli: (a) young people were more accurate than children and elderly people particularly with abstract stimuli; (b) elderly people improved their performance with images depicting faces; (c) children performed better with body-related stimuli than animal faces. Finally, performance was more difficult when stimuli were rotated by 180°, especially for younger and older females. We may conclude that the effects of age are modulated by the characteristics of the stimuli with a specific difficulty for abstract stimuli and a facilitation for concrete stimuli. As an innovative aspect, during childhood there appeared a specific facilitation for body-related stimuli, not just for concrete ones. These findings are interpreted according to embodied models of cognitive development and the effects of ageing on the brain.
Supplementation with rumen-protected proteins induces resistance to Haemonchus contortus in goats
Authors: Cériac S. , Archimède H. , Feuillet D. , Félicité Y. , Giorgi M. , Bambou J.-C. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractResistance to gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) in small ruminant is expected to arise from protein-rich rather than from energy-rich feeds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the quality of the dietary proteins on the response of Creole goats to Haemonchus contortus. Three diets were compared: no supplementation (Hay: hay ad libitum), Control supplement (CS: hay ad libitum +2% BW of CS at 70 g of by-pass proteins/kg) and supplement enriched in rumen-protected proteins (RPP: hay ad libitum +2% BW of RPP at 139 g of by-pass proteins/kg). The FEC (faecal eggs counts) and the TFEC (total faecal eggs excreted/day) were significantly lower in the RPP. No difference was found between the supplemented diets for the total number of nematodes, but the RPP reduced the parasite prolificacy. The highest IgA responses were observed in animals with the highest nematode burden (Hay compared with CS diets). However, while the FEC and the TFEC were lower in animals feed with the RPP the IgA response were similar to those of the Hay. The IgA response that control GIN egg production in sheep could be one mediator of the resistance to H. contortus induced with by-pass proteins in goats.
The Korea Biobank Array: Design and Identification of Coding Variants Associated with Blood Biochemical Traits
Authors: Moon Sanghoon , Kim Young Jin , Han Sohee , Hwang Mi Yeong , Shin Dong Mun , Park Min Young , Lu Yontao , Yoon Kyungheon , Jang Hye-Mi , Kim Yun Kyoung , Park Tae-Joon , Song Dae Sub , Park Jae Kyung , Lee Jong-Eun , Kim Bong-Jo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe introduce the design and implementation of a new array, the Korea Biobank Array (referred to as KoreanChip), optimized for the Korean population and demonstrate findings from GWAS of blood biochemical traits. KoreanChip comprised >833,000 markers including >247,000 rare-frequency or functional variants estimated from >2,500 sequencing data in Koreans. Of the 833 K markers, 208 K functional markers were directly genotyped. Particularly, >89 K markers were presented in East Asians. KoreanChip achieved higher imputation performance owing to the excellent genomic coverage of 95.38% for common and 73.65% for low-frequency variants. From GWAS (Genome-wide association study) using 6,949 individuals, 28 associations were successfully recapitulated. Moreover, 9 missense variants were newly identified, of which we identified new associations between a common population-specific missense variant, rs671 (p.Glu457Lys) of ALDH2, and two traits including aspartate aminotransferase (P = 5.20 × 10−13) and alanine aminotransferase (P = 4.98 × 10−8). Furthermore, two novel missense variants of GPT with rare frequency in East Asians but extreme rarity in other populations were associated with alanine aminotransferase (rs200088103; p.Arg133Trp, P = 2.02 × 10−9 and rs748547625; p.Arg143Cys, P = 1.41 × 10−6). These variants were successfully replicated in 6,000 individuals (P = 5.30 × 10−8 and P = 1.24 × 10−6). GWAS results suggest the promising utility of KoreanChip with a substantial number of damaging variants to identify new population-specific disease-associated rare/functional variants.
Evolution and functional divergence of MADS-box genes in Pyrus
Authors: Meng Dandan , Cao Yunpeng , Chen Tianzhe , Abdullah Muhammad , Jin Qing , Fan Honghong , Lin Yi , Cai Yongping 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMADS-box transcription factors widely regulate all aspects of plant growth including development and reproduction. Although the MADS-box gene family genes have been extensively characterized in many plants, they have not been studied in closely related species. In this study, 73 and 74 MADS-box genes were identified in European pear (Pyrus communis) and Chinese pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), respectively. Based on the phylogenetic relationship, these genes could be clustered into five groups (Mα, Mβ, Mr, MIKCC, MIKC*) and the MIKCC group was further categorized into 10 subfamilies. The distribution of MADS-box genes on each chromosome was significantly nonrandom. Thirty-seven orthologs, twenty-five PcpMADS (P. communis MADS-box) paralogs and nineteen PbrMADS (P. bretschneideri MADS-box) paralogs were predicted. Among these paralogous genes, two pairs arose from tandem duplications (TD), nineteen from segmental duplication (SD) events and twenty-three from whole genome duplication (WGD) events, indicating SD/WGD events led to the expansion of MADS-box gene family. The MADS-box genes expression profiles in pear fruits indicated functional divergence and neo-functionalization or sub-functionalization of some orthologous genes originated from a common ancestor. This study provided a useful reference for further analysis the mechanisms of species differentiation and biodiversity formation among closely related species.
Equilibrium crystal shape of GaAs and InAs considering surface vibration and new (111)B reconstruction: ab-initio thermodynamics
Authors: Yeu In Won , Han Gyuseung , Park Jaehong , Hwang Cheol Seong , Choi Jung-Hae 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis work reports on the theoretical equilibrium crystal shapes of GaAs and InAs as a function of temperature and pressure, taking into account the contribution of the surface vibration, using ab-initio thermodynamic calculations. For this purpose, new (111)B reconstructions, which are energetically stable at a high temperature, are suggested. It was found that there was a feasible correspondence between the calculated equilibrium shapes and the experimental shapes, which implied that the previous experimental growth was performed under conditions that were close to equilibrium. In this study, GaAs and InAs were selected as prototype compound semiconductors, but the developed calculation methodology can also be applied to other III–V compound semiconductor materials.
A new long-spined dinosaur from Patagonia sheds light on sauropod defense system
Authors: Gallina Pablo A. , Apesteguía Sebastián , Canale Juan I. , Haluza Alejandro 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDicraeosaurids are a group of sauropod dinosaurs characterized by a distinctive vertebral column with paired, long, neural spines, present in an extreme fashion in the South American form Amargasaurus cazaui. This distinctive morphology has been interpreted as a support structure for a thermoregulatory sail, a padded crest for display, a dorsal hump acting as fat reservoir, and even as inner cores for dorsal horns. Other inferred functions (if any) of this structure were related to sexual display and/or defense strategies. Here we describe a new dicraeosaurid sauropod, Bajadasaurus pronuspinax gen. et sp. nov., from Patagonia which preserves the most complete skull of the group and has extremely elongate bifid cervical neural spines that point permanently forward, irrespective of the neck position. Although much shorter versions of this neural spine configuration were already recorded for other dicraeosaurid taxa, the long, anteriorly bent spines of this new dinosaur support the hypothesis that these elongate spines of dicraeosaurid sauropods served as passive defense structures.
Enhancing Morphology and Separation Performance of Polyamide 6,6 Membranes By Minimal Incorporation of Silver Decorated Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Mahmoudi Ebrahim , Ng Law Yong , Ang Wei Lun , Chung Ying Tao , Rohani Rosiah , Mohammad Abdul Wahab 
Published: February 2019

AbstractNanomaterials can be incorporated in the synthesis of membrane to obtain mixed-matrix membrane with marked improvement in properties and performance. However, stability and dispersion of the nanomaterials in the membrane matrix, as well as the need to use high ratio of nanomaterials for obvious improvement of membrane properties, remain a major hurdle for commercialization. Hence, this study aims to investigate the improvement of polyamide 6,6 membrane properties with the incorporation of silver nanoparticles decorated on graphene oxide (Ag-GO) nanoplates and at the same time focus is given to the issues above. Graphene oxide nanoplates were synthesized using the modified Hummers’ method and decorated with silver before embedded into the polyamide 6,6 matrix. Physicochemical characterizations were conducted on both nanoplates and the mixed-matrix Ag-GO polyamide 6,6 membrane. The issues of Ag agglomeration and leaching were not observed, which could be attributed to the decoration of Ag on GO that helped to disperse the nanomaterials and provided a better anchor point for the attachment of Ag nanoparticles. The synthesized membrane showed marked improvement regarding flux (135% increment) and antifouling (40% lower irreversible fouling), which could be ascribed to the more negative charge of membrane surface (−14 ± 6 to −31 ± 3.8 mV) and hydrophilicity (46% enhancement) of the membranes. With minimal embedment of Ag nanoparticles, the membrane showed superior antibacterial property where the E. coli bacteria could not form a single colony on the membrane surface. Overall, the decoration of Ag on GO nanoplates could be a promising approach to resolve the agglomeration and leaching issues as well as reduce the amount of precious Ag in the synthesis of Ag-GO polyamide 6,6 membrane.
Generation and Stability of Size-Adjustable Bulk Nanobubbles Based on Periodic Pressure Change
Authors: Wang Qiaozhi , Zhao Hui , Qi Na , Qin Yan , Zhang Xuejie , Li Ying 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRecently, bulk nanobubbles have attracted intensive attention due to the unique physicochemical properties and important potential applications in various fields. In this study, periodic pressure change was introduced to generate bulk nanobubbles. N2 nanobubbles with bimodal distribution and excellent stabilization were fabricated in nitrogen-saturated water solution. O2 and CO2 nanobubbles have also been created using this method and both have good stability. The influence of the action time of periodic pressure change on the generated N2 nanobubbles size was studied. It was interestingly found that, the size of the formed nanobubbles decreases with the increase of action time under constant frequency, which could be explained by the difference in the shrinkage and growth rate under different pressure conditions, thereby size-adjustable nanobubbles can be formed by regulating operating time. This study might provide valuable methodology for further investigations about properties and performances of bulk nanobubbles.
Increased Axin expression enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis and exerts an antidepressant effect
Authors: Chen Wei-Wei , Fu Wing-Yu , Su Yi-Ting , Fang Wei-Qun , Fu Amy K. Y. , Ip Nancy Y. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMajor depressive disorders are emerging health problems that affect millions of people worldwide. However, treatment options and targets for drug development are limited. Impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis is emerging as a key contributor to the pathology of major depressive disorders. We previously demonstrated that increasing the expression of the multifunctional scaffold protein Axis inhibition protein (Axin) by administration of the small molecule XAV939 enhances embryonic neurogenesis and affects social interaction behaviors. This prompted us to examine whether increasing Axin protein level can enhance adult hippocampal neurogenesis and thus contribute to mood regulation. Here, we report that stabilizing Axin increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis and exerts an antidepressant effect. Specifically, treating adult mice with XAV939 increased the amplification of adult neural progenitor cells and neuron production in the hippocampus under both normal and chronic stress conditions. Furthermore, XAV939 injection in mice ameliorated depression-like behaviors induced by chronic restraint stress. Thus, our study demonstrates that Axin/XAV939 plays an important role in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and provides a potential therapeutic approach for mood-related disorders.
A strategy for qualitative and quantitative profiling of glycyrrhiza extract and discovery of potential markers by fingerprint-activity relationship modeling
Authors: Zhang Yujing , Wang Chao , Yang Fangliang , Sun Guoxiang 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study was to evaluate the quality consistency of glycyrrhiza extract and to explore the possible anti-oxidant components in combination with chromatographic fingerprint and bioactivity evaluation. Characteristic fingerprints of glycyrrhiza extract samples from different sources were generated by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and evaluated using hierarchical clustering and similarity analysis. Compared with the conventional qualitative similarity evaluation method, the averagely linear quantified fingerprint method had an important quantitative similarity parameter supported by quantitative analysis, which was recommended in the fingerprint evaluation. Antioxidant activities of the glycyrrhiza extract samples were determined by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryldrazyl) radical scavenging assays. In addition, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship was investigated by the chemical fingerprints and the anti-oxidant activities utilizing partial least squares model, which was capable of exploring and discovering the bioactive components of glycyrrhiza extracts. Therefore, the present study provided a powerful strategy to evaluate the holistic quality consistency of medicinal plant.
Supporting Children With Traumatic Brain Injury in the Schools
Authors: D'Angelo Elisabeth 
Published: February 2019

PurposeThe purpose of this article was to present an overview of pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), the school system process and how TBI can be approached within the system, and the ways that the school-based speech-language pathologist can support the child with TBI as part of a collaborative team.RecommendationsIdentification processes, assessment, intervention, and overall support of children with TBI in the schools were presented. Examples of criteria for qualification in special education, tests that can be utilized, and specific intervention goals and techniques were discussed. Focus on the factors that differentiate this population and make them difficult to identify was reviewed.
Exploring the Value of Service Learning Study Away to Interprofessional Education and Cultural Competence
Authors: Chakraborty Sapna , Proctor Lisa A. 
Published: February 2019

Purpose
This study investigated student learning about interprofessional practices during an international service learning experience.

Method
The participants were selected speech-language pathology students who participated in a study away program to Nicaragua that included faculty from multiple disciplines. Following the trip, a focus group was used to gather information about the students' learning experiences relative to interprofessional education, with an emphasis on speech-language pathology and occupational therapy collaborations.

Results and Conclusion
Analysis of the focus group transcripts generated the following themes: different perspectives, understanding the roles and responsibilities of other professions, multiple learning strategies, and working with interpreters. The study provides insights into how international service learning can support interprofessional education and help students develop cultural competence.
Demonstration of fully‐vertical GaN‐on‐Si power MOSFETs using regrowth technique
Authors: Biswas D. , Torii N. , Yamamoto K. , Egawa T. 
Published: February 2019

The authors are reporting for the first time the fabrication of GaN‐based fully‐vertical high‐power metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field effect transistors on Si. The electrical measurements of the fabricated device exhibited both vertical and lateral modes of operation. The transfer characteristics of the device in vertical mode showed a peak trans‐conductance () of 23.6 mS/mm with a threshold voltage () of V. The maximum current drain density () of 249.3 mA/mm was observed with ON‐resistance () of 44.2 ‐mm. The electrical results obtained in the vertical mode were also compared with the laterally oriented devices. The comparison of the electrical results indicates a relatively higher ON‐resistance of the device in the vertical configuration, due to the contribution of the series resistance of the buffer layers in the epi‐structure.
Revealing the dust grain size in the inner envelope of the Class I protostar Per-emb-50
Authors: Agurto-Gangas C. , Pineda J. E. , Szűcs L. , Testi L. , Tazzari M. , Miotello A. , Caselli P. , Dunham M. , Stephens I. W. , Bourke T. L. 
Published: February 2019

Context. A good constraint of when the growth of dust grains from sub-micrometer to millimeter sizes occurs, is crucial for planet formation models. This provides the first step towards the production of pebbles and planetesimals in protoplanetary disks. Currently, it is well established that Class II objects have large dust grains. However, it is not clear when in the star formation process this grain growth occurs.
Aims. We use multi-wavelength millimeter observations of a Class I protostar to obtain the spectral index of the observed flux densities αmm of the unresolved disk and the surrounding envelope. Our goal is to compare our observational results with visibility modeling at both, 1.3 and 2.7 mm simultaneously.
Methods. We present data from NOEMA at 2.7 mm and SMA at 1.3 mm of the Class I protostar, Per-emb-50. We model the dust emission with a variety of parametric and radiative-transfer models to deduce the grain size from the observed emission spectral index.
Results. We find a spectral index in the envelope of Per-emb-50 of αenv = 3.3 ± 0.3, similar to the typical ISM values. The radiative-transfer modeling of the source confirms this value of αenv with the presence of dust with a amax ≤ 100 μm. Additionally, we explore the backwarming effect, where we find that the envelope structure affects the millimeter emission of the disk.
Conclusions. Our results reveal grains with a maximum size no larger than 100 μm in the inner envelope of the Class I protostar Per-emb-50, providing an interesting case to test the universality of millimeter grain growth expected in these sources.