bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Choline supported poly(ionic liquid) graft copolymers as novel delivery systems of anionic pharmaceuticals for anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant therapy
Authors: Bielas Rafał , Mielańczyk Anna , Skonieczna Magdalena , Mielańczyk Łukasz , Neugebauer Dorota 
Published: October 2019

AbstractNew type of carriers based on grafted poly(ionic liquid)s was designed for delivery of ionically attached salicylates (Sal). Choline derived ionic liquid monomeric units were successfully introduced with various content in the side chains by the controlled radical polymerization. Properly high amounts of ionic pharmaceutics in the polymer systems were achieved by the well-fitted length and grafting degree of the side chains. In aqueous solution the graft copolymers were self-assembled into the spherical superstructures with sizes up to 73 nm. Delivery studies showed “burst” release within 4 h, after that it was slower yielding ~70% of released drug within 80 h. Proposed nanocarriers supported low toxicity against human cells (NHDF and BEAS-2B), anti-inflammation activity evaluated with the use of pro-inflammatory interleukins (IL-6 and IL-8) and antibacterial activities towards E. coli. Adjustment of ionic drug content by structural parameters of graft copolymers, including grafting degree and graft length, are advantageous to tailor nanocarriers with self-assembly properties in aqueous media. Effective release process by ionic exchange and biological activity with low toxicity are promising for further development of this type of drug delivery (DDS).
Volcanic glass properties from 1459 C.E. volcanic event in South Pole ice core dismiss Kuwae caldera as a potential source
Authors: Hartman Laura H. , Kurbatov Andrei V. , Winski Dominic A. , Cruz-Uribe Alicia M. , Davies Siwan M. , Dunbar Nelia W. , Iverson Nels A. , Aydin Murat , Fegyveresi John M. , Ferris David G. , Fudge T. J. , Osterberg Erich C. , Hargreaves Geoffrey M. , Yates Martin G. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractA large volcanic sulfate increase observed in ice core records around 1450 C.E. has been attributed in previous studies to a volcanic eruption from the submarine Kuwae caldera in Vanuatu. Both EPMA–WDS (electron microprobe analysis using a wavelength dispersive spectrometer) and SEM–EDS (scanning electron microscopy analysis using an energy dispersive spectrometer) analyses of five microscopic volcanic ash (cryptotephra) particles extracted from the ice interval associated with a rise in sulfate ca. 1458 C.E. in the South Pole ice core (SPICEcore) indicate that the tephra deposits are chemically distinct from those erupted from the Kuwae caldera. Recognizing that the sulfate peak is not associated with the Kuwae volcano, and likely not a large stratospheric tropical eruption, requires revision of the stratospheric sulfate injection mass that is used for parameterization of paleoclimate models. Future work is needed to confirm that a volcanic eruption from Mt. Reclus is one of the possible sources of the 1458 C.E. sulfate anomaly in Antarctic ice cores.
Arsenite exposure suppresses adipogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis via autophagy inhibition in brown adipose tissue
Authors: Bae Jiyoung , Jang Yura , Kim Heejeong , Mahato Kalika , Schaecher Cameron , Kim Isaac M. , Kim Eunju , Ro Seung-Hyun 
Published: October 2019

AbstractArsenite, a trivalent form of arsenic, is an element that occurs naturally in the environment. Humans are exposed to high dose of arsenite through consuming arsenite-contaminated drinking water and food, and the arsenite can accumulate in the human tissues. Arsenite induces oxidative stress, which is linked to metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Brown adipocytes dissipating energy as heat have emerging roles for obesity treatment and prevention. Therefore, understanding the pathophysiological role of brown adipocytes can provide effective strategies delineating the link between arsenite exposure and metabolic disorders. Our study revealed that arsenite significantly reduced differentiation of murine brown adipocytes and mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration, leading to attenuated thermogenesis via decreasing UCP1 expression. Oral administration of arsenite in mice resulted in heavy accumulation in brown adipose tissue and suppression of lipogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis. Mechanistically, arsenite exposure significantly inhibited autophagy necessary for homeostasis of brown adipose tissue through suppression of Sestrin2 and ULK1. These results clearly confirm the emerging mechanisms underlying the implications of arsenite exposure in metabolic disorders.
Replicating Arabidopsis Model Leaf Surfaces for Phyllosphere Microbiology
Authors: Soffe Rebecca , Bernach Michal , Remus-Emsermann Mitja N. P. , Nock Volker 
Published: October 2019

AbstractArtificial surfaces are commonly used in place of leaves in phyllosphere microbiology to study microbial behaviour on plant leaf surfaces. These surfaces enable a reductionist approach to be undertaken, to enable individual environmental factors influencing microorganisms to be studied. Commonly used artificial surfaces include nutrient agar, isolated leaf cuticles, and reconstituted leaf waxes. Recently, replica surfaces mimicking the complex topography of leaf surfaces for phyllosphere microbiology studies are appearing in literature. Replica leaf surfaces have been produced in agar, epoxy, polystyrene, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). However, none of these protocols are suitable for replicating fragile leaves such as of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This is of importance, as A. thaliana is a model system for molecular plant genetics, molecular plant biology, and microbial ecology. To overcome this limitation, we introduce a versatile replication protocol for replicating fragile leaf surfaces into PDMS. Here we demonstrate the capacity of our replication process using optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements to compare living and PDMS replica A. thaliana leaf surfaces. To highlight the use of our replica leaf surfaces for phyllosphere microbiology, we visualise bacteria on the replica leaf surfaces in comparison to living leaf surfaces.
Altered levels of circulating nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Perdas Ewelina , Stawski Robert , Kaczka Krzysztof , Nowak Dariusz , Zubrzycka Maria 
Published: October 2019

AbstractPapillary thyroid cancer is the most common thyroid cancer type. However, diagnostics based on fine needle biopsy cannot make a definitive diagnosis in 25% of thyroid nodules. Additionally, approximately 70% to 80% of thyroid lobectomies performed just for diagnostic purposes are benign. Despite this, biopsy still remains the main method of evaluation of thyroid nodules. Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) measurement could give a new diagnostic opportunities which may reduce the number of unnecessary thyroid procedures. In this study, using a qPCR, we have examined the nuclear cf-DNA and mitochondrial cf-DNA in the plasma of 32 patients. We have found that the level of nuclear cf-DNA is almost 2-fold increased (median 3 089 vs. 1 872, p = 0.022), whereas mitochondrial cf-DNA content was significantly decreased in respect to healthy controls (median 44 992 vs. 92 220, p = 0.010). The ROC curve analysis showed high specificity for nuclear cf-DNA and mitochondrial cf-DNA, which may serve as a useful tool to decrease the number of unneeded surgeries. Our study reports the first epidemiological evidence for lower mitochondrial cf-DNA content in the patient group, what suggests that apart from nuclear cf-DNA also mitochondrial cf-DNA is affected by disease development.
Global gene expression analysis of Escherichia coli K-12 DH5α after exposure to 2.4 GHz wireless fidelity radiation
Authors: Said-Salman Ilham H. , Jebaii Fatima A. , Yusef Hoda H. , Moustafa Mohamed E. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis study investigated the non-thermal effects of Wi-Fi radiofrequency radiation of 2.4 GHz on global gene expression in Escherichia coli K-12 DH5α. High-throughput RNA-sequencing of 2.4 GHz exposed and non-exposed bacteria revealed that 101 genes were differentially expressed (DEGs) at P ≤ 0.05. The up-regulated genes were 52 while the down-regulated ones were 49. QRT-PCR analysis of pgaD, fliC, cheY, malP, malZ, motB, alsC, alsK, appB and appX confirmed the RNA-seq results. About 7% of DEGs are involved in cellular component organization, 6% in response to stress stimulus, 6% in biological regulation, 6% in localization, 5% in locomotion and 3% in cell adhesion. Database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery (DAVID) functional clustering revealed that DEGs with high enrichment score included genes for localization of cell, locomotion, chemotaxis, response to external stimulus and cell adhesion. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis showed that the pathways for flagellar assembly, chemotaxis and two-component system were affected. Go enrichment analysis indicated that the up-regulated DEGs are involved in metabolic pathways, transposition, response to stimuli, motility, chemotaxis and cell adhesion. The down-regulated DEGs are associated with metabolic pathways and localization of ions and organic molecules. Therefore, the exposure of E. coli DH5α to Wi-Fi radiofrequency radiation for 5 hours influenced several bacterial cellular and metabolic processes.
The Role of a Crystallographically Unresolved Cytoplasmic Loop in Stabilizing the Bacterial Membrane Insertase YidC2
Authors: Harkey Thomas , Govind Kumar Vivek , Hettige Jeevapani , Tabari Seyed Hamid , Immadisetty Kalyan , Moradi Mahmoud 
Published: October 2019

AbstractYidC, a bacterial member of the YidC/Alb3/Oxa1 insertase family, mediates membrane protein assembly and insertion. Cytoplasmic loops are known to have functional significance in membrane proteins such as YidC. Employing microsecond-level molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that the crystallographically unresolved C2 loop plays a crucial role in the structural dynamics of Bacillus halodurans YidC2. We have modeled the C2 loop and used all- atom MD simulations to investigate the structural dynamics of YidC2 in its apo form, both with and without the C2 loop. The C2 loop was found to stabilize the entire protein and particularly the C1 region. C2 was also found to stabilize the alpha-helical character of the C-terminal region. Interestingly, the highly polar or charged lipid head groups of the simulated membranes were found to interact with and stabilize the C2 loop. These findings demonstrate that the crystallographically unresolved loops of membrane proteins could be important for the stabilization of the protein despite the apparent lack of structure, which could be due to the absence of the relevant lipids to stabilize them in crystallographic conditions.
A Deep Learning Approach to Denoise Optical Coherence Tomography Images of the Optic Nerve Head
Authors: Devalla Sripad Krishna , Subramanian Giridhar , Pham Tan Hung , Wang Xiaofei , Perera Shamira , Tun Tin A. , Aung Tin , Schmetterer Leopold , Thiéry Alexandre H. , Girard Michaël J. A. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractOptical coherence tomography (OCT) has become an established clinical routine for the in vivo imaging of the optic nerve head (ONH) tissues, that is crucial in the diagnosis and management of various ocular and neuro-ocular pathologies. However, the presence of speckle noise affects the quality of OCT images and its interpretation. Although recent frame-averaging techniques have shown to enhance OCT image quality, they require longer scanning durations, resulting in patient discomfort. Using a custom deep learning network trained with 2,328 ‘clean B-scans’ (multi-frame B-scans; signal averaged), and their corresponding ‘noisy B-scans’ (clean B-scans + Gaussian noise), we were able to successfully denoise 1,552 unseen single-frame (without signal averaging) B-scans. The denoised B-scans were qualitatively similar to their corresponding multi-frame B-scans, with enhanced visibility of the ONH tissues. The mean signal to noise ratio (SNR) increased from 4.02 ± 0.68 dB (single-frame) to 8.14 ± 1.03 dB (denoised). For all the ONH tissues, the mean contrast to noise ratio (CNR) increased from 3.50 ± 0.56 (single-frame) to 7.63 ± 1.81 (denoised). The mean structural similarity index (MSSIM) increased from 0.13 ± 0.02 (single frame) to 0.65 ± 0.03 (denoised) when compared with the corresponding multi-frame B-scans. Our deep learning algorithm can denoise a single-frame OCT B-scan of the ONH in under 20 ms, thus offering a framework to obtain superior quality OCT B-scans with reduced scanning times and minimal patient discomfort.
A New Coracoclavicular Guider for Minimally Invasive Anatomic Coracoclavicular Reconstruction with Two TightRope Systems in Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation
Authors: Zhao Yi , Tan Lei , Tang Wan , Yu Tiecheng 
Published: October 2019

AbstractHigh-grade injuries of complete acromioclavicular (AC) joint disruption (types IV - VI) are typically treated surgically. Since the coracoclavicular (CC) ligament is most often used for stabilizing the AC joint, most reconstruction techniques to treat dislocation of this joint rely upon CC interval fixation. A TightRope system is usually used to augment the CC ligament to treat acute AC dislocations with arthroscopic assistance. The conventional arthroscopic technique employing one TightRope system is associated with some complications, including anterior subluxation of the clavicle and clavicular bony avulsion as a consequence of rotational movements. As an alternative, two TightRope systems can be used to anatomically reconstruct the CC ligament to avoid these complications. We present a new CC guider with which the surgeon can replicate the native CC ligament complex orientation using two TightRope systems via two minimally invasive incisions without arthroscopic assistance. This procedure relies upon the accommodation and stable placement of the clavicle and coracoid bone tunnels for the two TightRope systems in place of the trapezoid and conoid of the CC ligament. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes for 16 patients with acute dislocation of the AC joint that had been treated by a single surgeon using a double-button fixation system. An independent reviewer conducted functional testing of these patients, including the use of Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Constant and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Standard radiographs were used for assessing the CC distance for the impacted shoulder relative to that of the unaffected contralateral shoulderThe new CC guider leads to an excellent cosmetic result. Our clinical results show that this technique can be easily performed and is similarly invasive to other current arthroscopic techniques.
Analysis of cascaded silicon carbide MOSFETs using a single gate driver for medium voltage applications
Authors: Jørgensen Asger Bjørn , Sønderskov Simon Heindorf , Beczkowski Szymon , Bidoggia Benoît , Munk‐Nielsen Stig 
Published: October 2019

Medium voltage power supplies for applications such as electrostatic precipitators are used in industrial plants to remove particles from fumes. Current solutions based on silicon devices rely on high‐voltage transformers to reach the required output voltage levels. New wide band gap materials such as silicon carbide have higher electric breakdown voltage, and thus fewer devices are required in series to withstand the output voltage. Owing to the faster switching speed of silicon carbide devices further demands are put on the serialisation method. In this study, a cascaded series‐connection method using only a single external gate signal is analysed in detail, guidelines to size the resistor–capacitor–diode‐snubber are proposed and its applicability is experimentally demonstrated. The circuit is tested with four series‐connected devices in a double pulse test at 2400 V and current levels of 250–800 mA to show the load dependence. The serialisation technique is tested in a boost converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode but is limited to 1200 V due to an oscillating state occurring after zero current crossing. Finally, the technique is tested at 2400 V and 10 kHz in a synchronous boost converter, which demonstrates the proposed design guidelines.
Inductance inrush current time–frequency analysis
Authors: Benšić Tin , Vulin Dragan , Stojkov Marinko , Biondić Ivan 
Published: October 2019

This study presents an application of the reassigned Gabor time–frequency transform to the inductance inrush current transient analysis. Measurement setup is constructed and the measurement methodology is presented to obtain fully controlled transformer inrush current measurements. The measured data is analysed by the reassigned Gabor time–frequency transform. The resulting time–frequency distribution of the measured signal shows how inrush DC component and harmonics change with time for different initial conditions. By extracting the stationary points from the reassigned Gabor transform, an algorithm for computing the time duration of the inrush is presented and applied to 88 measured transients.
Understanding the dielectric and mechanical properties of self‐passivated Al–epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Chillu Naresh , Jayaganthan Rengaswamy , Danikas Michael G. , Tanaka Toshikatsu , Sarathi Ramanujam 
Published: October 2019

Epoxy nano passivated aluminium composites with optimised size and filler contents were fabricated. Variation in contact angle and surface roughness is insignificant with increasing filler into nanocomposites but it showed a drastic reduction on corona ageing. Water droplet initiated corona inception voltage (CIV) is high under the negative DC voltage followed with positive DC and AC voltages. The bandwidth of ultra‐high frequency signal generated due to water droplet initiated corona discharge lies in the range of 0.5–1.2 GHz. Surface potential measurements have shown that the decay in the potential was fast initially, and it became slower and sluggish subsequently. The trap energy density versus trap depth plot exhibits shallow traps and deep traps at around 0.8 and 0.87 eV, respectively. Permittivity, conductivity and loss factor have increased with an increase in the filler content in nanocomposites. The bulk resistance and capacitance of samples were determined for obtaining the equivalent parallel RC circuit model. Incorporation of nanofillers increases the glass transition temperature and reduces the tan δ with increasing frequencies as evident from dynamic mechanical analysis studies. A direct correlation is observed between the plasma temperature measured through laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra and hardness of the material.
Ground‐based deformation measurement radar configured with multiple‐input multiple‐output antennas
Authors: Wang Haofei , Li Jiandong , Mao Erke , Yang Jian 
Published: October 2019

The application of ground‐based radar to monitor the terrain displacement has attracted more and more attentions recently. Most of the existing ground‐based radars utilise a linear horizontal rail where the antennas move to generate the image of the test site. Here, the authors present a topology of antenna array with which the digital elevation model of the observed scene can also be generated besides the 2‐D image. Several field experiments have been carried out to evaluate the performance of authors’ developed ground‐based differential interferometry radar (GB‐DInR) configured with this multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna array. The results demonstrate that authors’ developed MIMO GB‐DInR is able to achieve a sub‐millimetre precision of displacement measurement and derive the elevation information of target with an error of <0.1 m at a distance of around 100 m.
Fast and accurate RCS evaluation via high‐performance parallel FDTD simulation
Authors: Zhou Xiao Long , Wang Xin Yu , Zhang Jian Feng , You Jian Wei 
Published: October 2019

In this study, a fast and accurate method to predict the radar cross‐section (RCS) of large‐scale and complicated shape targets is proposed based on a high‐performance parallel finite difference time‐domain (FDTD) numerical method. To this end, several most popular parallel computation methods [including OpenMP, graphics processing unit (GPU), and message‐passing interface (MPI)] are discussed first. Based on this discussion, a novel MPI–OpenMP–GPU hybrid parallel computation scheme for FDTD is developed. Moreover, the corresponding load‐balance parallel configuration is discussed as well. Since this hybrid parallel scheme combines the merits of existing parallel technologies, the computation performance is remarkably improved. The results show that the computation time of the RCS simulation of a large‐scale target can be reduced from 3 days to 0.8 h, that is, ∼98.9% time saving.
Development of method to forecast soybean leaf damage by common cutworm using entomological radar and searchlight trap
Authors: Otuka Akira , Matsumura Masaya , Tokuda Makoto 
Published: October 2019

To develop a method to forecast soybean leaf damage caused by larvae of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), insect dispersion was monitored with an x‐band entomological radar and a searchlight trap during the summer soybean season in 2016 and 2017 in western Japan. The insect catch number in the searchlight trap and number of newly damaged leaves in a soybean field were compared to see how much soybean damage the insect's arrival caused. The 2016 results indicated that catch number peaks appeared 3–5 days before the peaks in the number of newly damaged leaves. The time lag corresponded to the egg period. Similar data were found in 2017. However, both the catch number and the number of newly damaged leaves were smaller that year, due to the lower occurrence of the insect. The radar observation showed dispersion at altitudes over the monitoring site when the peaks in insect catch number occurred. The insects often arrived under a northerly wind condition, from the mountainous area to the north. This study suggested that short‐term forecasting of soybean leaf damage by radar and searchlight trap may be possible.
Update Riesenzellarteriitis
Authors: Dechant Claudia , Schulze-Koops Hendrik 
Published: October 2019

Was ist neu?
EULAR-Empfehlungen zur Anwendung von Bildgebung Sofern mit hoher Expertise und rasch verfügbar, wird in erster Linie eine frühzeitige Bildgebung zur Ergänzung der klinischen Kriterien für die Diagnose der RZA empfohlen.
Aktualisierte EULAR-Empfehlungen zum Management Für Patienten mit RZA-Verdacht wird eine Überweisung an ein spezialisiertes Team/Zentrum empfohlen; die RZA-Verdachtsdiagnose sollte dann weiter mittels Bildgebung oder Temporalarterienbiopsie bestätigt werden. Glukokortikoide (GC) sind weiterhin Medikamente der ersten Wahl. Für ausgewählte Patienten wird eine additive Therapie mit Tocilizumab empfohlen; alternativ zu Tocilizumab kann Methotrexat eingesetzt werden. Zum routinemäßigen Einsatz von Thrombozytenaggregationshemmern oder Antikoagulanzien wird nicht mehr geraten.
Update Tocilizumab bei Riesenzellarteriitis Der Interleukin-6-Rezeptor-Antagonist kann in initialer Kombination mit GC effektiv eine anhaltende Remission bei der RZA induzieren. Bei Absetzen einer Tocilizumab-Therapie nach einem Behandlungszeitraum von 1 Jahr besteht bei ca. der Hälfte der Patienten die Remission fort.