bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thick Film Ni0.5Mn0.5−xSnx Heusler Alloys by Multi-layer Electrochemical Deposition
Authors: Zhang Yijia , Shamberger Patrick J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe design of multifunctional alloys with multiple chemical components requires controllable synthesis approaches. Physical vapor deposition techniques, which result in thin films (<1 μm), have previously been demonstrated for micromechanical devices and metallic combinatorial libraries. However, this approach deviates from bulk-like properties due to the residual stress derived in thin films and is limited by total film thickness. Here, we report a route to obtain ternary Ni-Mn-Sn alloy thick films with controllable compositions and thicknesses by annealing electrochemically deposited multi-layer monatomic (Ni, Mn, Sn) films, deposited sequentially from separate aqueous deposition baths. We demonstrate (1) controllable compositions, with high degree of uniformity, (2) smooth films, and (3) high reproducibility between film transformation behavior. Our results demonstrate a positive correlation between alloy film thicknesses and grain sizes, as well as consistent bulk-like transformation behavior.
Fenbendazole acts as a moderate microtubule destabilizing agent and causes cancer cell death by modulating multiple cellular pathways
Authors: Dogra Nilambra , Kumar Ashok , Mukhopadhyay Tapas 
Published: August 2018

AbstractDrugs that are already clinically approved or experimentally tested for conditions other than cancer, but are found to possess previously unrecognized cytotoxicity towards malignant cells, may serve as fitting anti-cancer candidates. Methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate [Fenbendazole, FZ], a benzimidazole compound, is a safe and inexpensive anthelmintic drug possessing an efficient anti-proliferative activity. In our earlier work, we reported a potent growth-inhibitory activity of FZ caused partially by impairment of proteasomal function. Here, we show that FZ demonstrates moderate affinity for mammalian tubulin and exerts cytotoxicity to human cancer cells at micromolar concentrations. Simultaneously, it caused mitochondrial translocation of p53 and effectively inhibited glucose uptake, expression of GLUT transporters as well as hexokinase (HK II) - a key glycolytic enzyme that most cancer cells thrive on. It blocked the growth of human xenografts in nu/nu mice model when mice were fed with the drug orally. The results, in conjunction with our earlier data, suggest that FZ is a new microtubule interfering agent that displays anti-neoplastic activity and may be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent because of its effect on multiple cellular pathways leading to effective elimination of cancer cells.
Bifidobacterium adolescentis is intrinsically resistant to antitubercular drugs
Authors: Lokesh Dhanashree , Parkesh Raman , kammara Rajagopal 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMultiple mutations in the β subunit of the RNA polymerase (rpoβ) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are the primary cause of resistance to rifamycin (RIF). In the present study, bifidobacterial rpoβ sequences were analyzed to characterize the mutations that contribute to the development of intrinsic resistance to RIF, isoniazid, streptomycin and pyrazinamide. Sequence variations, which mapped to cassettes 1 and 2 of the rpoβ pocket, are also found in multidrug-resistant Mtb (MDR Mtb). Growth curves in the presence of osmolytes and different concentrations of RIF showed that the bacteria adapted rapidly by shortening the growth curve lag time. Insight into the adapted rpoβ DNA sequences revealed that B. adolescentis harbored mutations both in the RIF pocket and in regions outside the pocket. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and mutant prevention concentrations (MPCs) indicated that B. longum, B. adolescentis and B. animalis are resistant to antitubercular drugs. 3D-homology modeling and binding interaction studies using computational docking suggested that mutants had reduced binding affinity towards RIF. RIF-exposed/resistant bacteria exhibited variant protein profiles along with morphological differences, such as elongated and branched cells, surface conversion from rough to smooth, and formation of a concentrating ring.
Mechanisms of wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain storage proteins in response to nitrogen application and its impacts on processing quality
Authors: Zheng Ting , Qi Peng-Fei , Cao Yong-Li , Han Ya-Nan , Ma Hong-Liang , Guo Zhen-Ru , Wang Yan , Qiao Yuan-Yuan , Hua Shi-Yu , Yu Hai-Yue , Wang Jiang-Ping , Zhu Jing , Zhou Cai-Yi , Zhang Ya-Zhou , Chen Qing , Kong Li , Wang Ji-Rui , Jiang Qian-Tao , Yan Ze-Hong , Lan Xiu-Jin , Fan Gao-Qiong , Wei Yu-Ming , Zheng You-Liang 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBasis for the effects of nitrogen (N) on wheat grain storage proteins (GSPs) and on the establishment of processing quality are far from clear. The response of GSPs and processing quality parameters to four N levels of four common wheat cultivars were investigated at two sites over two growing seasons. Except gluten index (GI), processing quality parameters as well as GSPs quantities were remarkably improved by increasing N level. N level explained 4.2~59.2% and 10.4~80.0% variability in GSPs fractions and processing quality parameters, respectively. The amount of N remobilized from vegetative organs except spike was significantly increased when enhancing N application. GSPs fractions and processing quality parameters except GI were only highly and positively correlated with the amount of N remobilized from stem with sheath. N reassimilation in grain was remarkably strengthened by the elevated activity and expression level of glutamine synthetase. Transcriptome analysis showed the molecular mechanism of seeds in response to N levels during 10~35 days post anthesis. Collectively, we provided comprehensive understanding of N-responding mechanisms with respect to wheat processing quality from N source to GSPs biosynthesis at the agronomic, physiological and molecular levels, and screened candidate genes for quality breeding.
Bundles of Brain Microtubules Generate Electrical Oscillations
Authors: Cantero María del Rocío , Villa Etchegoyen Cecilia , Perez Paula L. , Scarinci Noelia , Cantiello Horacio F. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMicrotubules (MTs) are long cylindrical structures of the cytoskeleton that control cell division, intracellular transport, and the shape of cells. MTs also form bundles, which are particularly prominent in neurons, where they help define axons and dendrites. MTs are bio-electrochemical transistors that form nonlinear electrical transmission lines. However, the electrical properties of most MT structures remain largely unknown. Here we show that bundles of brain MTs spontaneously generate electrical oscillations and bursts of electrical activity similar to action potentials. Under intracellular-like conditions, voltage-clamped MT bundles displayed electrical oscillations with a prominent fundamental frequency at 39 Hz that progressed through various periodic regimes. The electrical oscillations represented, in average, a 258% change in the ionic conductance of the MT structures. Interestingly, voltage-clamped membrane-permeabilized neurites of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons were also capable of both, generating electrical oscillations, and conducting the electrical signals along the length of the structure. Our findings indicate that electrical oscillations are an intrinsic property of brain MT bundles, which may have important implications in the control of various neuronal functions, including the gating and regulation of cytoskeleton-regulated excitable ion channels and electrical activity that may aid and extend to higher brain functions such as memory and consciousness.
Effects of Submental Surface Electrical Stimulation on Swallowing Kinematics in Healthy Adults: An Error-Based Learning Paradigm
Authors: Serel Arslan Selen , Azola Alba , Sunday Kirstyn , Vose Alicia , Plowman Emily , Tabor Lauren , Singer Michele , Robison Raele , Humbert Ianessa A. 
Published: August 2018

Purpose
Hyoid bone and laryngeal approximation aid airway protection (laryngeal vestibule closure) while moving toward their peak superior and anterior positions during swallowing. Submental surface electrical stimulation (SES) is a therapeutic technique that targets the muscles that move the hyoid bone during swallowing. It is unknown whether submental SES only increases peak hyoid bone swallowing positions but not peak laryngeal swallowing positions, which could require faster or greater laryngeal movement to achieve adequate laryngeal vestibule closure.

Method
We examined the effects of submental SES on hyo-laryngeal kinematics in 30 healthy adults who swallowed 50 times using an error-based learning paradigm.

Results

Submental SES did not alter any hyo-laryngeal swallowing kinematic. However, submental SES significantly changed the starting position of the hyoid bone just prior to the swallow onset (more anterior;
p
= .003). On average, submental SES immediately prior to swallow onset can position the hyoid approximately 20% closer to its peak swallowing point.

Conclusions
These findings indicate that electrical stimulation of the agonists for hyoid movement might not alter swallowing outcomes tested in this study. However, submental SES could have clinical utility by minimizing swallowing impairments related to reduced hyoid swallowing range of motion in individuals with dysphagia.
Using the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) System to Investigate Cultural Differences in Conversational Turn Count
Authors: Ganek Hillary , Smyth Ron , Nixon Stephanie , Eriks-Brophy Alice 
Published: August 2018

PurposeThis study investigates how the variables of culture and hearing status might influence the amount of parent–child talk families engage in throughout an average day.MethodSeventeen Vietnamese and 8 Canadian families of children with hearing loss and 17 Vietnamese and 13 Canadian families with typically hearing children between the ages of 18 and 48 months old participated in this cross-comparison design study. Each child wore a Language ENvironment Analysis system digital language processor for 3 days. An automated vocal analysis then calculated an average conversational turn count (CTC) for each participant as the variable of investigation. The CTCs for the 4 groups were compared using a Kruskal–Wallis test and a set of planned pairwise comparisons.ResultsThe Canadian families participated in significantly more conversational turns than the Vietnamese families. No significant difference was found between the Vietnamese or the Canadian cohorts as a function of hearing status.ConclusionsCulture, but not hearing status, influences CTCs as derived by the Language ENvironment Analysis system. Clinicians should consider how cultural communication practices might influence their suggestions for language stimulation.
Endoscopic closure of an anastomo-cutaneous fistula: Filling and shielding using polyglycolic acid sheets and fibrin glue with easily deliverable technique
Authors: Kawabata Hideaki , Okazaki Yuji , Inoue Naonori , Kawakatsu Yukino , Hitomi Misuzu , Miyata Masatoshi , Motoi Shigehiro 
Published: August 2018

Abstract
Background and study aims Recently, endoscopic closure of gastrointestinal fistulas using polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets with fibrin glue (FG) has been attempted. A 70-year-old woman who had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer suffered from a refractory anastomo-cutaneous fistula at the site of gastro-jejunostomy. We attempted endoscopic closure with filling and shielding using PGA sheets and FG. After introducing a guidewire into the fistula, a small piece of PGA sheet was skewered onto the guidewire and then pushed using a tapered catheter over the guidewire and delivered into the fistula. A total of 10 sheets were delivered via the same procedure. Next, the mucosa around the fistula was ablated, and the orifice of the fistula along with the surrounding mucosa was shielded with a piece of PGA sheet fixed with hemoclips and FG. After this procedure, the leakage disappeared and the fistula was undetectable on contrast radiograms. Endoscopic closure of anastomo-cutaneous fistula with filling and shielding using PGA sheets and FG is an effective, safe, low-invasive treatment, and the filling technique using a guidewire ensures a safe, smooth procedure.
Leitlinienorientierte Diagnostik autonomer Störungen – vom Symptom zur Therapie
Authors: Lührs Anke , Haensch Carl-Albrecht 
Published: August 2018

ZusammenfassungAutonome Störungen sind insbesondere bei neurologischen, internistischen, urologischen und pädiatrischen Patienten häufig. Erkrankungen des autonomen Nervensystems können im peripheren oder zentralen Nervensystem primär (z. B. Primär autonomes Versagen) oder sekundär im Rahmen einer systemischen Erkrankung (z. B. Diabetes mellitus, Morbus Parkinson) entstehen. Die häufigsten autonomen Störungen sind Kreislaufregulationsstörungen und stehen oft im Mittelpunkt der Diagnostik. Diese betreffen primär oder in ihren Auswirkungen fast alle medizinischen Disziplinen. Im neurologischen Krankheitsspektrum stehen insbesondere die Parkinsonsyndrome, die Multisystematrophie und die Small fibre Neuropathien im Focus der Aufmerksamkeit hinsichtlich der Veränderungen der Kreislaufregulation mit orthostatischer Hypotonie oder dem zusätzlichen Vorkommen einer Liegendhypertonie. Sorgfältige Anamnese und apparative Diagnostik sind neben der klinischen Untersuchung unabdingbar. Die weiterführende Diagnostik umfasst neben bedside tests wie den Schellong-Test verschiedene standardisierte Untersuchungsmethoden im autonomen Funktionslabor wie die Kipptischuntersuchung oder die Analyse der Herzfrequenzvariabilität. Die hohe Variabilität des autonomen Nervensystems aber auch der angewandten diagnostischen Methoden und Messplätze macht eine Standardisierung dieser Techniken notwendig. Hierfür stellen Leitlinien, Konsensusempfehlungen, SOPs usw. eine besondere Hilfe dar. In der Therapie werden bei hypotonen Kreislaufregulationsstörungen neben physikalischen Maßnahmen verschiedene Pharmaka erfolgreich eingesetzt, die jedoch nur unzureichend erstattungsfähig sind.
Serum Myostatin is Upregulated in Obesity and Correlates with Insulin Resistance in Humans
Authors: Amor Melina , Itariu Bianca K. , Moreno-Viedma Veronica , Keindl Magdalena , Jürets Alexander , Prager Gerhard , Langer Felix , Grablowitz Viktor , Zeyda Maximilian , Stulnig Thomas M. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractObesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus have reached an epidemic level, thus novel treatment concepts need to be identified. Myostatin, a myokine known for restraining skeletal muscle growth, has been associated with the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Yet, little is known about the regulation of myostatin in human obesity and insulin resistance. We aimed to investigate the regulation of myostatin in obesity and uncover potential associations between myostatin, metabolic markers and insulin resistance/sensitivity indices. Circulating active myostatin concentration was measured in the serum of twenty-eight severely obese non-diabetic patients compared to a sex and age matched lean and overweight control group (n=22). Insulin resistance/sensitivity was assessed in the obese group. Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue specimens from the obese group were collected during elective bariatric surgery. Adipose tissue samples from lean and overweight subjects were collected during elective abdominal surgery. Myostatin concentration was increased in obese compared to lean individuals, while myostatin adipose tissue expression did not differ. Muscle myostatin gene expression strongly correlated with expression of metabolic genes such as IRS1, PGC1α, SREBF1. Circulating myostatin concentration correlated positively with insulin resistance indices and negatively with insulin sensitivity indices. The best correlation was obtained for the oral glucose insulin sensitivity index. Our results point to an interesting correlation between myostatin and insulin resistance/sensitivity in humans, and emphasize its need for further evaluation as a pharmacological target in the prevention and treatment of obesity-associated metabolic complications.
Computational analysis and prediction of lysine malonylation sites by exploiting informative features in an integrative machine-learning framework
Authors: Zhang Yanju , Xie Ruopeng , Wang Jiawei , Leier André , Marquez-Lago Tatiana T , Akutsu Tatsuya , Webb Geoffrey I , Chou Kuo-Chen , Song Jiangning 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAs a newly discovered post-translational modification (PTM), lysine malonylation (Kmal) regulates a myriad of cellular processes from prokaryotes to eukaryotes and has important implications in human diseases. Despite its functional significance, computational methods to accurately identify malonylation sites are still lacking and urgently needed. In particular, there is currently no comprehensive analysis and assessment of different features and machine learning (ML) methods that are required for constructing the necessary prediction models. Here, we review, analyze and compare 11 different feature encoding methods, with the goal of extracting key patterns and characteristics from residue sequences of Kmal sites. We identify optimized feature sets, with which four commonly used ML methods (random forest, support vector machines, K-nearest neighbor and logistic regression) and one recently proposed [Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM)] are trained on data from three species, namely, Escherichia coli, Mus musculus and Homo sapiens, and compared using randomized 10-fold cross-validation tests. We show that integration of the single method-based models through ensemble learning further improves the prediction performance and model robustness on the independent test. When compared to the existing state-of-the-art predictor, MaloPred, the optimal ensemble models were more accurate for all three species (AUC: 0.930, 0.923 and 0.944 for E. coli, M. musculus and H. sapiens, respectively). Using the ensemble models, we developed an accessible online predictor, kmal-sp, available at http://kmalsp.erc.monash.edu/. We hope that this comprehensive survey and the proposed strategy for building more accurate models can serve as a useful guide for inspiring future developments of computational methods for PTM site prediction, expedite the discovery of new malonylation and other PTM types and facilitate hypothesis-driven experimental validation of novel malonylated substrates and malonylation sites.
Maturation of the Human Cerebral Cortex During Adolescence: Myelin or Dendritic Arbor?
Authors: Patel Y , Shin J , Gowland P A , Pausova Z , Paus T ,   IMAGEN consortium
Published: August 2018

AbstractPrevious in vivo studies revealed robust age-related variations in structural properties of the human cerebral cortex during adolescence. Neurobiology underlying these maturational phenomena is largely unknown. Here we employ a virtual-histology approach to gain insights into processes associated with inter-regional variations in cortical microstructure and its maturation, as indexed by magnetization transfer ratio (MTR). Inter-regional variations in MTR correlate with inter-regional variations in expression of genes specific to pyramidal cells (CA1) and ependymal cells; enrichment analyses indicate involvement of these genes in dendritic growth. On the other hand, inter-regional variations in the change of MTR during adolescence correlate with inter-regional profiles of oligodendrocyte-specific gene expression. Complemented by a quantitative hypothetical model of the contribution of surfaces associated with dendritic arbor (1631 m2) and myelin (48 m2), these findings suggest that MTR signals are driven mainly by macromolecules associated with dendritic arbor while maturational changes in the MTR signal are associated with myelination.
Energy Bound for Kapustin–Witten Solutions on S3 × ℝ+
Authors: Leung Naichung Conan , Takahashi Ryosuke 
Published: August 2018

AbstractWe show that for solutions of Kapustin–Witten equation with Nahm pole boundary condition on $S^{3}\times \mathbb{R}^{+}$, there exists a universal constant bound on its Yang–Mills energy $\|F_{A}\|_{L^{2}}$.
Differences in healthcare outcomes between teaching and non teaching hospitals for patients with delirium: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kotwal Susrutha , Abougergi Marwan S , Wright Scott 
Published: August 2018

Abstract

Background
The physician workforce at teaching hospitals differs compared to non-teaching hospitals, and data suggest that patient outcomes may also be dissimilar. Delirium is a common, costly disorder among hospitalized patients and approaches to care are not standardized.

Objective
This study set out to explore differences in healthcare outcomes between teaching and non-teaching hospitals for patients admitted with delirium.

Design
Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting and participants
We used the 2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. Adult patients (≥18 years of age) hospitalized in acute-care hospitals in the USA with delirium (defined with ICD-9 code) were studied.

Main outcome measures
The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were discharge status and several measures of healthcare resource utilization: length of stay, total hospitalization costs and multiple procedures performed.

Results
In 2014, out of 57 460 adult patients admitted to hospitals with delirium, 58.4% were hospitalized at teaching hospitals and the remainder 41.6% at non-teaching hospitals. The in-hospital mortality of delirium patients in teaching hospitals was 1.33% (95% CI 1.08%–1.63%), and 1.26% (95% CI 0.97%–1.63%) in non-teaching hospitals. The mean total hospital costs were $7642 (95% CI 7384–7900) in teaching hospitals, and $6650 (95% CI 6460–6840) in non-teaching hospitals. After adjustment for confounders, total hospitalization costs were statistically significantly different between the hospitals types—with non-teaching providing less expensive care.

Conclusions
Patients with delirium admitted to non-teaching hospitals had comparable clinical and process outcomes achieved at lower costs. Further research can be conducted to explore the contextual issues and reasons for these differences in healthcare costs.
Lowered obesity indicator cutoff points more effectively predict 5-year incidence of hypertension in premenopausal women
Authors: Chu Fu-Ling , Jeng Chii 
Published: August 2018

Abstract

Objective
To compare proposed new cutoff points for four obesity indicators—waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI)—with their current cutoff points to determine which are better standards predicting 5-year incidence of hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus (DM) among premenopausal women.

Design
Data were obtained from the 2002 and 2007 Survey on the Prevalence of HT, Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in Taiwan conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan. Premenopausal women were grouped based on the proposed cutoff points versus reference cutoff points for obesity indicators.

Participant
A total of 1466 premenopausal women aged between 20 and 57 years old were recruited.

Main outcome measure
Five-year incidence of HT and DM.

Results
Our new obesity indicator cutoff points—WHtR 0.49, WC 74.7 cm, WHR 0.79 and BMI 22.3 kg/m2—were better predictors for 5-year HT incidence in premenopausal women compared with those of current standards, but were not significantly different for DM. Among the four obesity indicators, WHtR and WC were optimal for their 5-year predictive ability for HT and DM in premenopausal women.

Conclusions
To avoid too many cutoff points for practitioners to adopt and memorize, the proposed new cutoff points were recommended preferentially to prevent the incidence of HT and DM in premenopausal women.