bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ERCP in Patients With Cirrhosis: “Risky Business” Or “Just Do it”?
Authors: Shah Tilak , Tapper Elliot B. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract:
Acute-on-chronic-liver-failure (ACLF) describes acute deterioration of liver function in patients with decompensated cirrhosis resulting in organ failure, and can occur as a procedural complication. In the current issue, Leal et al found that, compared to in-patients with cirrhosis who did not undergo interventions, ACLF was significantly more common among undergoing ERCP, but not more so than other non-ERCP interventions. ACLF risk increased significantly, however, if an ERCP-related AE occurred. ACLF can be a consequence of both the indication for and a complication of ERCP. When the indication is strong, the benefit of ERCP still outweighs risk among patients with cirrhosis.
To Scope or Not to Scope? The Safety of Upper Endoscopy in the Setting of Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Cohen-Mekelburg Shirley , Rosenblatt Russell , Mathews Steven , Namn Yunseok , Tafesh Zaid , Wan David , Crawford Carl 
Published: October 2018

OBJECTIVES:
We aimed to describe the frequency of upper endoscopy and associated outcomes in subjects hospitalized with upper GI bleeding (UGIB) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

METHODS:
We performed a cross-sectional study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2007 to 2014. The association between upper endoscopy and in-hospital mortality was evaluated using propensity score matching.

RESULTS:
A total of 44,412 subjects had a coexistent PE and UGIB. 63.5% had an inpatient upper endoscopy with a lower likelihood of in-hospital death and a shorter length of stay.

CONCLUSIONS:
A substantial proportion of inpatients with PE and UGIB undergo endoscopy with a relatively lowmortality rate.
Space-time-coding digital metasurfaces
Authors: Zhang Lei , Chen Xiao Qing , Liu Shuo , Zhang Qian , Zhao Jie , Dai Jun Yan , Bai Guo Dong , Wan Xiang , Cheng Qiang , Castaldi Giuseppe , Galdi Vincenzo , Cui Tie Jun 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe recently proposed digital coding metasurfaces make it possible to control electromagnetic (EM) waves in real time, and allow the implementation of many different functionalities in a programmable way. However, current configurations are only space-encoded, and do not exploit the temporal dimension. Here, we propose a general theory of space-time modulated digital coding metasurfaces to obtain simultaneous manipulations of EM waves in both space and frequency domains, i.e., to control the propagation direction and harmonic power distribution simultaneously. As proof-of-principle application examples, we consider harmonic beam steering, beam shaping, and scattering-signature control. For validation, we realize a prototype controlled by a field-programmable gate array, which implements the harmonic beam steering via an optimized space-time coding sequence. Numerical and experimental results, in good agreement, demonstrate good performance of the proposed approach, with potential applications to diverse fields such as wireless communications, cognitive radars, adaptive beamforming, holographic imaging.
Lewis basicity generated by localised charge imbalance in noble metal nanoparticle-embedded defective metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Tan Ying Chuan , Zeng Hua Chun 
Published: October 2018

AbstractInteractions between metal nanoparticles (NPs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in their composite forms have proven to exhibit beneficial properties, such as enhanced catalytic performance through synergistic effects. Herein, we show that Lewis basic sites can be created within an anionic defective MOF by engineering the electronic state of the pendant carboxylate groups situated at the defect sites. This is achieved from the concerted interactions between the pendant carboxylate groups, embedded Pd NPs and charge-balancing cations (Mn+ = Ce3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Li+, Na+ or K+). This work is the first example of generating a new collective property, i.e. Lewis basicity, in metal-carboxylate MOFs. Importantly, the choice of Mn+, used during cation exchange, acts as a convenient parameter to tune the Lewis basicity of the MOF-based nanocomposites. It also provides a facile way to incorporate active metal sites and basic sites within carboxylate-based MOFs to engineer multifunctional nanocatalysts.
Design of 2D massless Dirac fermion systems and quantum spin Hall insulators based on sp–sp2 carbon sheets
Authors: Park Minwoo , Kim Youngkuk , Lee Hoonkyung 
Published: October 2018

AbstractGrapheneis a massless Dirac fermion system, featuring Dirac points in momentum space. It was also first identified as a quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator when considering spin–orbit coupling (SOC), which opens a band gap at the Dirac points. This discovery has initiated new research efforts to study the QSH effect, towards its application for quantum computing and spintronics. Although the QSH effect has been observed in HgTe quantum wells, the SOC strength of graphene is too small (~1 µeV) to induce the topological insulator phase in an experimentally achievable temperature regime. Here, we perform a systematic atomistic simulation to design two-dimensional sp–sp2 hybrid carbon sheets to discover new Dirac systems, hosting the QSH phase. 21 out of 31 newly discovered carbon sheets are identified as Dirac fermion systems without SOC, distinct from graphene in the number, shape, and position of the Dirac cones occurring in the Brillouin zone. Moreover, we find 19 out of the 21 new Dirac fermion systems become QSH insulators with a sizable SOC gap enhanced up to an order of meV, thus allowing for the QSH effect at experimentally accessible temperatures. In addition, based on the 26 Dirac fermion systems, we make a connection between the number of Dirac points without SOC and the resultant QSH phase in the presence of SOC. Our findings present new prospects for the design of topological materials with desired properties.
Gal epitope expression and immunological properties in iGb3S deficient mice
Authors: Shao Anliang , Xu Liming , Wu Xi , Liu Susu , Lu Yan , Fan Changfa 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe Gal antigen is synthesized by glycoprotein galactosyltransferase alpha 1, 3 (GGTA1) or (and) isoglobotrihexosylceramide 3 synthase (iGb3S). However, whetheriGb3Sdeletion changes Gal epitope expression and immunological properties in animals is still not clear. The objective of this study was to developiGb3Sdeficient mice, and characterize their Gal epitope expression and Gal epitope-related immunological properties.iGb3Sgene knockout mice were generated on the C57BL/6 background using the bacterial artificial chromosome homology region recombination technique. Gal epitope expression in theiGb3Sdeficient mice was determined by using a monoclonal anti-Gal antibody. Immunological properties were analyzed by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay. It was found that Gal epitope expression was decreased from 5.19% to 21.74% in the main organs ofiGb3Sdeficient mice, compared with that of C57BL/6 wild type mice, suggesting that theiGb3Sgene participated to Gal epitope expression. However,iGb3Sdeletion alone did not cause significant changes in the immunological properties ofiGb3Sdeficient mice with or without exogenous Gal antigen (Rabbit Red Blood Cell) stimulation. The data from this study suggest that theiGb3Sgene likely contributes to Gal epitope expression, but may have a very weak effect on immunological properties of theiGb3Sdeficient mice.
A novel diagnostic algorithm to predict significant liver inflammation in chronic hepatitis B virus infection patients with detectable HBV DNA and persistently normal alanine transaminase
Authors: Li Qiang , Zhou Yu , Huang Chenlu , Li Weixia , Chen Liang 
Published: October 2018

AbstractSignificant liver inflammation might be found in 20–34% of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection patients with detectable HBV DNA and persistently normal alanine transaminase (ALT) (PNALT). We aimed to develop a diagnostic algorithm to predict significant liver inflammation in these specific patients. Using liver biopsy as the gold standard, we developed a novel, simple diagnostic algorithm to predict significant liver inflammation in a training set of 365 chronic HBV infection patients with detectable HBV DNA and PNALT, and validated the diagnostic accuracy in a validation set of 164 similar patients. The novel algorithm (AAGP) attributed to age, ALT, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and platelet count was developed. In the training set, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of AAGP was higher than that of ALT and aspartate transaminase (AST), to diagnose significant liver inflammation (0.77, 0.67, and 0.59, respectively, p < 0.001). In the validation set, the AUROC of AAGP was also higher than ALT and AST (0.75, 0.61, and 0.54, respectively, p < 0.001). Using AAGP ≥2, the sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) was 91% and 93%, respectively, to diagnose significant liver inflammation. Using AAGP ≥8, the specificity and NPV was 91% and 86%, respectively, for significant liver inflammation. In conclusion, the AAGP algorithm is a novel, simple, user-friendly algorithm for the diagnosis of significant liver inflammation in chronic HBV infection patients with detectable HBV DNA and PNALT.
Persistent mRNA and miRNA expression changes in irradiated baboons
Authors: Port Matthias , Hérodin Francis , Valente Marco , Drouet Michel , Ostheim Patrick , Majewski Matthäus , Abend Michael 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWe examined the transcriptome/post-transcriptome for persistent gene expression changes after radiation exposure in a baboon model. Eighteen baboons were irradiated with a whole body equivalent dose of 2.5 or 5 Gy. Blood samples were taken before, 7, 28 and 75–106 days after radiation exposure. Stage I was a whole genome screening for mRNA combined with a qRT-PCR platform for detection of 667 miRNAs. Candidate mRNAs and miRNAs differentially up- or down-regulated in stage I were chosen for validation in stage II using the remaining samples. Only 12 of 32 candidate genes provided analyzable results with two mRNAs showing significant 3–5-fold differences in gene expression over the reference (p < 0.0001). From 667 candidate miRNAs, 290 miRNA were eligible for analysis with 21 miRNAs independently validated using qRT-PCR. These miRNAs showed persistent expression changes on each day and over days 7–106 days after exposure (n = 7). In particular miR-212 involved in radiosensitivity and immune modulation appeared persistently and 48–77-fold up-regulated over the entire time period. We are finally trying to put our results into a context of clinical implications and provide possible hints on underlying molecular mechanisms to be examined in future studies.
Mitochondrial chaotic dynamics: Redox-energetic behavior at the edge of stability
Authors: Kembro Jackelyn M. , Cortassa Sonia , Lloyd David , Sollott Steven J. , Aon Miguel A. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractMitochondria serve multiple key cellular functions, including energy generation, redox balance, and regulation of apoptotic cell death, thus making a major impact on healthy and diseased states. Increasingly recognized is that biological network stability/instability can play critical roles in determining health and disease. We report for the first-time mitochondrial chaotic dynamics, characterizing the conditions leading from stability to chaos in this organelle. Using an experimentally validated computational model of mitochondrial function, we show that complex oscillatory dynamics in key metabolic variables, arising at the “edge” between fully functional and pathological behavior, sets the stage for chaos. Under these conditions, a mild, regular sinusoidal redox forcing perturbation triggers chaotic dynamics with main signature traits such as sensitivity to initial conditions, positive Lyapunov exponents, and strange attractors. At the “edge” mitochondrial chaos is exquisitely sensitive to the antioxidant capacity of matrix Mn superoxide dismutase as well as to the amplitude and frequency of the redox perturbation. These results have potential implications both for mitochondrial signaling determining health maintenance, and pathological transformation, including abnormal cardiac rhythms.
Genomics of experimental adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a natural combination of insect antimicrobial peptides
Authors: Makarova Olga , Johnston Paul , Rodriguez-Rojas Alexandro , El Shazely Baydaa , Morales Javier Moreno , Rolff Jens 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAntimicrobial peptides (AMP) are highly conserved immune effectors across the tree of life and are employed as combinations. In the beetle Tenebrio molitor, a defensin and a coleoptericin are highly expressed in vivo after inoculation with S. aureus. The defensin displays strong in vitro activity but no survival benefit in vivo. The coleoptericin provides a survival benefit in vivo, but no activity in vitro. This suggests a potentiating effect in vivo, and here we wanted to investigate the effects of this combination on resistance evolution using a bottom-approach in vitro starting with a combination of two abundant AMPs only. We experimentally evolved S. aureus in the presence of the defensin and a combination of the defensin and coleoptericin. Genome re-sequencing showed that resistance was associated with mutations in either the pmt or nsa operons. Strains with these mutations show longer lag phases, slower Vmax, and nsa mutants reach lower final population sizes. Mutations in the rpo operon showed a further increase in the lag phase in nsa mutants but not in pmt mutants. In contrast, final MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) do not differ according to mutation. All resistant lines display AMP but not antibiotic cross-resistance. Costly resistance against AMPs readily evolves for an individual AMP as well as a naturally occurring combination in vitro and provides broad protection against AMPs. Such non-specific resistance could result in strong selection on host immune systems that rely on cocktails of AMPs.
Impulsive UV-pump/X-ray probe study of vibrational dynamics in glycine
Authors: Mincigrucci Riccardo , Kowalewski Markus , Rouxel Jérémy R. , Bencivenga Filippo , Mukamel Shaul , Masciovecchio Claudio 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWe report an ab-initio study of a pump-probe experiment on the amino-acid glycine. We consider an UV pump followed by an X-ray probe tuned to carbon K-edge and study the vibronic structure of the core transition. The simulated experiment is feasible using existing free electron laser or high harmonic generation sources and thanks to the localization of the core orbitals posseses chemical selectivity. The present theory applies to other experimental schemes, including the use of a THz probe, available with present soft X-ray free electron lasers and/or high harmonic generation sources.
Common Functional Brain States Encode both Perceived Emotion and the Psychophysiological Response to Affective Stimuli
Authors: Bush Keith A. , Privratsky Anthony , Gardner Jonathan , Zielinski Melissa J. , Kilts Clinton D. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractMultivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data has critically advanced the neuroanatomical understanding of affect processing in the human brain. Central to these advancements is the brain state, a temporally-succinct fMRI-derived pattern of neural activation, which serves as a processing unit. Establishing the brain state’s central role in affect processing, however, requires that it predicts multiple independent measures of affect. We employed MVPA-based regression to predict the valence and arousal properties of visual stimuli sampled from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) along with the corollary skin conductance response (SCR) for demographically diverse healthy human participants (n = 19). We found that brain states significantly predicted the normative valence and arousal scores of the stimuli as well as the attendant individual SCRs. In contrast, SCRs significantly predicted arousal only. The prediction effect size of the brain state was more than three times greater than that of SCR. Moreover, neuroanatomical analysis of the regression parameters found remarkable agreement with regions long-established by fMRI univariate analyses in the emotion processing literature. Finally, geometric analysis of these parameters also found that the neuroanatomical encodings of valence and arousal are orthogonal as originally posited by the circumplex model of dimensional emotion.
Effect of superamphiphobic macrotextures on dynamics of viscous liquid droplets
Authors: Raiyan Asif , Mclaughlin Tabor Scott , Annavarapu Rama Kishore , Sojoudi Hossein 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe ability of hydrophobic surfaces to repel impinging liquid droplets is important in applications ranging from self-cleaning of solar panels to avoiding ice formation in freezing rain environments. In quest of maximizing water repellency, modification of droplet dynamics and subsequent reduction of contact time have been achieved by incorporating macrotexture on the superhydrophobic surfaces. However, the dynamics of low temperature water, and other viscous liquid droplets impacting anti-wetting surfaces with macrotextures is not well explored. Here, we investigate the effect of viscosity on the bouncing dynamics of liquid droplets impacting macrotextured superamphiphobic surfaces using various glycerol-water mixtures as model liquids at different impacting conditions. We demonstrate that the changes of reduction in contact times by macrotextures due to the increasing viscosity are in opposite trends at low and at high impact velocities. Since macrotexture executes substantial contact time reduction for the droplets which exhibit splitting after the impact, a preliminary model for predicting the minimum impact velocity to observe droplet splitting by macrotexture is proposed considering the important parameters of an impinging droplet along with the surface characteristics and the macrotexture size. This work aims to provide an insight on several possible outcomes of viscous droplets impacting on the macrotextured surfaces and a model that will help to design the desired superamphiphobic surfaces capable of exhibiting reduced contact time and enhanced repellency of low-temperature water droplets (such as freezing rain) and other viscous liquids (such as oils) under different impacting conditions.
A comprehensive portrait of Y-STR diversity of Indian populations and comparison with 129 worldwide populations
Authors: Singh Mugdha , Sarkar Anujit , Nandineni Madhusudan R. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractIndia, known for its rich cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity, has attracted the attention of population geneticists to understand its genetic diversity employing autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA markers. Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are useful in understanding population substructures and reveal the patrilineal affinities among populations. Previous studies on Indian populations based on Y-STR markers were either limited to restricted number of markers or focused on few selected populations. In this study we genotyped 407 unrelated male individuals from 12 states in India employing the suite of Y-STRs present in PowerPlex Y23 (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). These populations clustered genetically close to each other irrespective of their geographic co-ordinates and were characterized primarily by R1a, H and L haplogroups. Interestingly, comparison with 129 worldwide populations showed genetic affinity of the Indian populations with few populations from Europe and Levantine. This study presents the first pan-Indian landscape of 23 Y-STRs and serves as a useful resource for construction of an Indian Y-STR database.
A Genome-wide View of Transcriptome Dynamics During Early Spike Development in Bread Wheat
Authors: Li Yongpeng , Fu Xing , Zhao Meicheng , Zhang Wei , Li Bo , An Diaoguo , Li Junming , Zhang Aimin , Liu Renyi , Liu Xigang 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWheat spike development is a coordinated process of cell proliferation and differentiation with distinctive phases and architecture changes. However, the dynamic alteration of gene expression in this process remains enigmatic. Here, we characterized and dissected bread wheat spike into six developmental stages, and used genome-wide gene expression profiling, to investigate the underlying regulatory mechanisms. High gene expression correlations between any two given stages indicated that wheat early spike development is controlled by a small subset of genes. Throughout, auxin signaling increased, while cytokinin signaling decreased. Besides, many genes associated with stress responses highly expressed during the double ridge stage. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), were identified 375 transcription factor (TF) genes, of which some homologs in rice or Arabidopsis are proposed to function in meristem maintenance, flowering time, meristem initiation or transition, floral organ development or response to stress. Gene expression profiling demonstrated that these genes had either similar or distinct expression pattern in wheat. Several genes regulating spike development were expressed in the early spike, of which Earliness per se 3 (Eps-3) was found might function in the initiation of spikelet meristem. Our study helps uncover important genes associated with apical meristem morphology and development in wheat.
Crystallographic snapshots of ligand binding to hexameric purine nucleoside phosphorylase and kinetic studies give insight into the mechanism of catalysis
Authors: Štefanić Zoran , Narczyk Marta , Mikleušević Goran , Kazazić Saša , Bzowska Agnieszka , Luić Marija 
Published: October 2018

AbstractPurine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) catalyses the cleavage of the glycosidic bond of purine nucleosides using phosphate instead of water as a second substrate. PNP from Escherichia coli is a homohexamer, build as a trimer of dimers, and each subunit can be in two conformations, open or closed. This conformational change is induced by the presence of phosphate substrate, and very likely a required step for the catalysis. Closing one active site strongly affects the others, by a yet unclear mechanism and order of events. Kinetic and ligand binding studies show strong negative cooperativity between subunits. Here, for the first time, we managed to monitor the sequence of nucleoside binding to individual subunits in the crystal structures of the wild-type enzyme, showing that first the closed sites, not the open ones, are occupied by the nucleoside. However, two mutations within the active site, Asp204Ala/Arg217Ala, are enough not only to significantly reduce the effectiveness of the enzyme, but also reverse the sequence of the nucleoside binding. In the mutant the open sites, neighbours in a dimer of those in the closed conformation, are occupied as first. This demonstrates how important for the effective catalysis of Escherichia coli PNP is proper subunit cooperation.