bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Double-walled iron oxide nanotubes via selective chemical etching and Kirkendall process
Authors: Azevedo João , Fernández-García M. P. , Magén César , Mendes Adélio , Araújo João P. , Sousa Célia T. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractDouble-walled oxide nanotube structures are interesting for a wide range of applications, from photocatalysis to drug delivery. In this work, a progressive oxidation method to fabricate double-walled nanotube structures is reported in detail. The approach is based on the electrodeposition of metallic iron nanowires, in porous alumina templates, followed by a selective chemical etching, nanoscale Kirkendall effect, a fast oxidation and out-diffusion of the metallic core structure during thermal annealing. To validate the formation mechanism of such core-shell structure, chemical composition and atomic structure were assessed. The resulting hematite nanotubes have a high degree of uniformity, along several microns, and a nanoscopic double-walled structure.
Analysis of head and neck carcinoma progression reveals novel and relevant stage-specific changes associated with immortalisation and malignancy
Authors: Veeramachaneni Ratna , Walker Thomas , Revil Timothée , Weck Antoine De , Badescu Dunarel , O’Sullivan James , Higgins Catherine , Elliott Louise , Liloglou Triantafillos , Risk Janet M. , Shaw Richard , Hampson Lynne , Hampson Ian , Dearden Simon , Woodwards Robert , Prime Stephen , Hunter Keith , Parkinson Eric Kenneth , Ragoussis Jiannis , Thakker Nalin 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWe report changes in the genomic landscape in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas HNSCC from potentially premalignant lesions (PPOLS) to malignancy and lymph node metastases. Likely pathological mutations predominantly involved a relatively small set of genes reported previously (TP53, KMT2D, CDKN2A, PIK3CA, NOTCH1 and FAT1) but also other predicted cancer drivers (MGA, PABPC3, NR4A2, NCOR1 and MACF1). Notably, all these mutations arise early and are present in PPOLs. The most frequent genetic changes, which follow acquisition of immortality and loss of senescence, are of consistent somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) involving chromosomal regions enriched for genes in known and previously unreported cancer-related pathways. We mapped the evolution of SCNAs in HNSCC progression. One of the earliest SCNAs involved deletions of CSMD1 (8p23.2). CSMD1 deletions or promoter hypermethylation were present in all of the immortal PPOLs and occurred at high frequency in the immortal HNSCC cell lines. Modulation of CSMD1 in cell lines revealed significant suppression of proliferation and invasion by forced expression, and significant stimulation of invasion by knockdown of expression. Known cancer drivers NOTCH1, PPP6C, RAC1, EIF4G1, PIK3CA showed significant increase in frequency of SCNA in transition from PPOLs to HNSCC that correlated with their expression. In the later stages of progression, HNSCC with and without nodal metastases showed some clear differences including high copy number gains of CCND1, hsa-miR-548k and TP63 in the metastases group.
Ternary Organic Solar Cells Based on a Wide-Bandgap Polymer with Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiencies
Authors: Hwang Hyeongjin , Sin Dong Hun , Park Chaneui , Cho Kilwon 
Published: August 2019

AbstractA low-bandgap acceptor (ITIC) was added to a binary system composed of a wide-bandgap polymer (PBT-OTT) and an acceptor (PC71BM) to increase the light harvesting efficiency of the associated organic solar cells (OSCs). A ternary blend OSC with an acceptor ratio of PC71BM:ITIC = 8:2 was found to exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 8.18%, which is 18% higher than that of the binary OSC without ITIC. This improvement is mainly due to the enhanced light absorption and optimized film morphology that result from ITIC addition. Furthermore, an energy level cascade forms in the blend that ensures efficient charge transfer, and bimolecular and trap-assisted recombination is suppressed. Thus the use of ternary blend systems provides an effective strategy for the development of efficient single-junction OSCs.
Sleep problems and depression among 237 023 community-dwelling adults in 46 low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Stickley Andrew , Leinsalu Mall , DeVylder Jordan E. , Inoue Yosuke , Koyanagi Ai 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSleep problems are considered a core symptom of depression. However, there is little information about the comorbidity of sleep problems and depression in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and whether sleep problems with depression confer additional risk for decrements in health compared to sleep problems alone. This study thus examined the association between sleep problems and depression and whether sleep problems with depression are associated with an increased risk for poorer health in 46 LMICs. Cross-sectional, community-based data from 237 023 adults aged ≥18 years from the World Health Survey (WHS) 2002–2004 were analyzed. Information on sleep problems (severe/extreme) and International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision depression/depression subtypes was collected. Multivariable logistic (binary and multinomial) and linear regression analyses were performed. Sleep problems were associated with subsyndromal depression (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.84–2.70), brief depressive episode (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = 2.09–2.95) and depressive episode (OR = 3.61, 95% CI = 3.24–4.03). Sleep problems with depression (vs. sleep problems alone) conferred additional risk for anxiety, perceived stress and decrements in health in the domains of mobility, self-care, pain, cognition, and interpersonal activities. Clinicians should be aware that the co-occurrence of sleep problems and depression is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes in LMICs. Detecting this co-occurrence may be important for treatment planning.
Arachidonic acid-derived hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids are positively associated with colon polyps in adult males: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Austin Pickens C. , Yin Zhe , Sordillo Lorraine M. , Fenton Jenifer I. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractOxylipids are potent lipid mediators associated with inflammation-induced colon carcinomas and colon tumor survival. Therefore, oxylipid profiles may be useful as novel biomarkers of colon polyp presence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma non-esterified oxylipids and the presence of colon polyps. A total of 123 Caucasian men, ages 48 to 65, were categorized into three groups: those with no polyps, those with one or more hyperplastic polyps, and those with one or more adenomas. Plasma non-esterified oxylipids were analyzed using solid phase extraction and quantified using a targeted HPLC tandem mass spectrometric analysis. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA with Dunn’s test for multiple comparison and generalized linear models to adjust for confounding factors such as age, anthropometrics, and smoking status. In general, monohydroxy omega-6-derived oxylipids were significantly increased in those with polyps. Concentrations of 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) and 11-HETE were significantly higher in those with hyperplastic polyps and adenomas compared to those with no polyps. Arachidonic acid-derived HETEs were significantly associated with colon polyp types, even after adjusting for age, smoking, and body mass index or waist circumference in regression models. Since many of these oxylipids are formed through oxygenation by lipoxygenases (i.e., 5-, 12-, and 15-HETE, and 15- hydroxyeicosatrienoic acid [HETrE]) or auto-oxidative reactions (i.e., 11-HETE), this may indicate that lipoxygenase activity and lipid peroxidation are increased in those with colon polyps. In addition, since oxylipids such as 5-, 12-, and 15-HETE are signaling molecules involved in inflammation regulation, these oxylipids may have important functions in inflammation-associated polyp presence. Future studies should be performed in a larger cohorts to investigate if these oxylipids are useful as potential biomarkers of colon polyps.
Optimal timing of initiating continuous renal replacement therapy in septic shock patients with acute kidney injury
Authors: Yoon Bo Ra , Leem Ah Young , Park Moo Suk , Kim Young Sam , Chung Kyung Soo 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAcute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with septic shock is associated with high mortality, but the appropriate timing for initiating continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is controversial. We retrospectively enrolled 158 septic shock patients with AKI in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) from July 2016 to April 2018. The time from AKI onset to CRRT initiation was compared according to ICU mortality using Cox proportional hazard, receiver operating characteristic, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. At the time of ICU discharge, the mortality rate was 50.6% (n = 80). It took longer to initiate CRRT in non-survivors than in survivors (hazard ratio 1.009; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.003–1.014; P = 0.002). The cut-off time from AKI onset to CRRT initiation for ICU mortality was 16.5 hours (area under the curve 0.786; 95% CI 0.716–0.856; P < 0.001). The cumulative mortality rate was significantly higher in patients in whom CRRT was initiated beyond 16.5 hours after AKI onset than in those in whom CCRT was initiated within 16.5 hours (log-rank test, P < 0.001). Several clinical situations must be considered to determine the optimal timing of CRRT initiation in these patients. Close observation and CRRT initiation within 16.5 hours after AKI onset may help improve survival.
Evaluating different extraction solvents for GC-MS based metabolomic analysis of the fecal metabolome of adult and baby giant pandas
Authors: Yang Yang , Yin Yanqiang , Chen Xuyang , Chen Chang , Xia Yinyin , Qi Hongbo , Baker Philip N. , Zhang Hua , Han Ting-Li 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe gut microbiome plays a fundamental role in host health and the fecal metabolome can be analysed to assess microbial activity and can be used as an intermediate phenotype monitoring the host-microbiome relationship. However, there is no established extraction protocol to study the fecal metabolome of giant pandas. The aim of this research is to optimize extraction of the fecal metabolome from adult and baby pandas for high throughput metabolomics analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fecal samples were collected from eight adult pandas and a pair of twin baby pandas. Six different extraction solvents were investigated and evaluated for their reproducibility, metabolite coverage, and extraction efficiency, particularly in relation to the biochemical compound classes such as amino acids, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, fatty acids, secondary metabolites, and vitamin and cofactors. Our GC-MS results demonstrated that the extraction solvents with isopropanol: acetonitrile: water (3:2:2 ratio) and 80% methanol were the most appropriate for studying the fecal metabolome of adult and baby giant pandas respectively. These extraction solvents can be used in future study protocols for the analysis of the fecal metabolome in giant pandas.
A normalized template matching method for improving spike detection in extracellular voltage recordings
Authors: Laboy-Juárez Keven J. , Ahn Seoiyoung , Feldman Daniel E. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSpike sorting is the process of detecting and clustering action potential waveforms of putative single neurons from extracellular voltage recordings. Typically, spike detection uses a fixed voltage threshold and shadow period, but this approach often misses spikes during high firing rate epochs or noisy conditions. We developed a simple, data-driven spike detection method using a scaled form of template matching, based on the sliding cosine similarity between the extracellular voltage signal and mean spike waveforms of candidate single units. Performance was tested in whisker somatosensory cortex (S1) of anesthetized mice in vivo. The method consistently detected whisker-evoked spikes that were missed by the standard fixed threshold. Detection was improved most for spikes evoked by strong stimuli (40–70% increase), improved less for weaker stimuli, and unchanged for spontaneous spiking. This represents improved detection during spatiotemporally dense spiking, and yielded sharper sensory tuning estimates. We also benchmarked performance using computationally generated voltage data. Template matching detected ~85–90% of spikes compared to ~70% for the standard fixed threshold method, and was more tolerant to high firing rates and simulated recording noise. Thus, a simple template matching approach substantially improves detection of single-unit spiking for cortical physiology.
Joint and separate exposure to alcohol and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol produced distinct effects on glucose and insulin homeostasis in male rats
Authors: Nelson Nnamdi G. , Weingarten Michael J. , Law Wen Xuan , Sangiamo Daniel T. , Liang Nu-Chu 
Published: August 2019

AbstractCannabis and alcohol co-use is common, and the trend may increase further given the current popularity of cannabis legalization. However, the metabolic consequences of such co-use are unclear. Here, we investigated how co-administration of alcohol and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, affects body weight and visceral adiposity, and glucose and insulin homeostasis in rats. For 16 consecutive days during adolescence, male rats drank saccharin or alcohol after receiving subcutaneous oil or THC injections in Experiment 1 and voluntarily consumed alcohol, THC edible, or both drugs in Experiment 2. Experiment 1 showed that following abstinence, drug co-exposure reduced visceral fat and the amount of insulin required to clear glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). In Experiment 2, rats received a high-fat diet (HFD) after 3-week abstinence. Although adolescent drug use did not interact with the HFD to worsen hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia during an OGTT, HFD-fed rats that co-used alcohol and THC had the lowest insulin levels 75 min after an insulin injection, suggesting an altered rate of insulin secretion and degradation. These results suggest that THC and alcohol co-exposure can distinctly alter the physiology of glucose and insulin homeostasis in a rodent model.
A facile route to synthesize CdSe/ZnS thick-shell quantum dots with precisely controlled green emission properties: towards QDs based LED applications
Authors: Hao Junjie , Liu Haochen , Miao Jun , Lu Rui , Zhou Ziming , Zhao Bingxin , Xie Bin , Cheng Jiaji , Wang Kai , Delville Marie-Helene 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn recent, the quantum yield (QY) and stability of green quantum dots (QDs) have been significantly improved. However, most of the progresses were achieved by using alloyed QDs, and the control of green emission QDs still remains challenging. Herein, we report a novel method for synthesizing thick-shell structure quantum dots (TSQDs) with saturated green-emitting where tri-n-octylphosphine (TOP) was used as both ligand and solvent to extract the redundant ions from the QDs surface and remove the lattice imperfections before any surface inorganic layer-by-layer coating. The as-prepared TSQDs demonstrate enhanced luminescent properties including high QY reaching up to 75%, full width at half maximum (FWHM) remaining close to 26 nm and tunable precise emission properties (532 nm), which can be utilized to perform 91% of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Recommendation BT. 2020 (Rec. 2020) for high definition and color gamut displays.
Contactin 1 modulates pegylated arginase resistance in small cell lung cancer through induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: Xu Shi , Lam Sze-Kwan , Cheng Paul Ning-Man , Ho James Chung-Man 
Published: August 2019

AbstractDrug resistance is a major hurdle in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Previously we demonstrated the potential anticancer effect of pegylated arginase BCT-100 in SCLC cell lines and xenograft models. To facilitate future clinical application of BCT-100 in SCLC treatment, we elucidated the potential mechanisms that underlie acquired drug resistance to BCT-100. H446 and H526 SCLC cells were serially cultured in stepwise increasing concentrations of BCT-100 until stable BCT-100-resistant cell lines emerged (H446-BR and H526-BR). Compared with parent cells, H446-BR and H526-BR displayed stronger migration ability, anoikis resistance and EMT progression. Gene chip assay was employed to select three potential targets (CDH17, CNTN-1 and IGF2BP1). Silencing CNTN-1 rather than CDH17 or IGF2BP1 in H446-BR and H526-BR cells re-sensitized resistant cells to BCT-100 treatment and attenuated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. The AKT signaling pathway was activated in H446-BR and H526-BR cells accompanied by EMT progression, and AKT inhibitor LY294002 reversed the EMT progression in resistant cells.
Graphene perfect absorber of ultra-wide bandwidth based on wavelength-insensitive phase matching in prism coupling
Authors: Lee Sangjun , Heo Hyungjun , Kim Sangin 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWe proposed perfect absorbers of ultra-wide bandwidths based on prism coupling with wavelength-insensitive phase matching, which consists of three dielectric layers (Prism-Cavity-Air) with monolayer graphene embedded in the cavity layer. Due to inherent material dispersion of the dielectric layers, with the proper choice of the incidence angle and the cavity thickness, the proposed perfect absorbers can satisfy the phase matching condition over a wide wavelength range, inducing enormous enhancement of the absorption bandwidth. The requirement on the material dispersions of the prism and the cavity layer for the wavelength-insensitive phase matching over a wavelength range of the interest has been derived, and it has been demonstrated that the various kinds of materials can meet the requirement. Our theoretical investigation with the transfer matrix method (TMM) has revealed that a 99% absorption bandwidth of ~300 nm with perfect absorption at λ  = 1.51 μm can be achieved when BK7 and PDMS are used as the prism and the cavity layer, respectively, which is ~7 times wider than the conceptual design based on the non-dispersive materials. The full width at half maximum of our designed perfect absorber is larger than 1.5 μm.
A systematic review of studies utilizing hair glucocorticoids as a measure of stress suggests the marker is more appropriate for quantifying short-term stressors
Authors: Kalliokoski Otto , Jellestad Finn K. , Murison Robert 
Published: August 2019

AbstractQuantitating glucocorticoids (GCs) in hairs is a popular method for assessing chronic stress in studies of humans and animals alike. The cause-and-effect relationship between stress and elevated GC levels in hairs, sampled weeks later, is however hard to prove. This systematic review evaluated the evidence supporting hair glucocorticoids (hGCs) as a biomarker of stress. Only a relatively small number of controlled studies employing hGC analyses have been published, and the quality of the evidence is compromised by unchecked sources of bias. Subjects exposed to stress mostly demonstrate elevated levels of hGCs, and these concentrations correlate significantly with GC concentrations in serum, saliva and feces. This supports hGCs as a biomarker of stress, but the dataset provided no evidence that hGCs are a marker of stress outside of the immediate past. Only in cases where the stressor persisted at the time of hair sampling could a clear link between stress and hGCs be established.
Bacillus megaterium SF185 spores exert protective effects against oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Mazzoli Arianna , Donadio Giuliana , Lanzilli Mariamichela , Saggese Anella , Guarino Andrea Maria , Rivetti Miriam , Crescenzo Raffaella , Ricca Ezio , Ferrandino Ida , Iossa Susanna , Pollice Alessandra , Isticato Rachele 
Published: August 2019

AbstractEndogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of the aerobic metabolism of cells and have an important signalling role as secondary messengers in various physiological processes, including cell growth and development. However, the excessive production of ROS, as well as the exposure to exogenous ROS, can cause protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and DNA damages leading to cell injuries. ROS accumulation has been associated to the development of health disorders such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. We report that spores of strain SF185, a human isolate of Bacillus megaterium, have antioxidant activity on Caco-2 cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide and on a murine model of dextran sodium sulfate-induced oxidative stress. In both model systems spores exert a protective state due to their scavenging action: on cells, spores reduce the amount of intracellular ROS, while in vivo the pre-treatment with spores protects mice from the chemically-induced damages. Overall, our results suggest that treatment with SF185 spores prevents or reduces the damages caused by oxidative stress. The human origin of SF185, its strong antioxidant activity, and its protective effects led to propose the spore of this strain as a new probiotic for gut health.
Lateral hypothalamic fast-spiking parvalbumin neurons modulate nociception through connections in the periaqueductal gray area
Authors: Siemian Justin N. , Borja Cara B. , Sarsfield Sarah , Kisner Alexandre , Aponte Yeka 
Published: August 2019

AbstractA pivotal role of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) in regulating appetitive and reward-related behaviors has been evident for decades. However, the contributions of LH circuits to other survival behaviors have been less explored. Here we examine how lateral hypothalamic neurons that express the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PVALB; LHPV neurons), a small cluster of neurons within the LH glutamatergic circuitry, modulate nociception in mice. We find that photostimulation of LHPV neurons suppresses nociception to an acute, noxious thermal stimulus, whereas photoinhibition potentiates thermal nociception. Moreover, we demonstrate that LHPV axons form functional excitatory synapses on neurons in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG), and photostimulation of these axons mediates antinociception to both thermal and chemical visceral noxious stimuli. Interestingly, this antinociceptive effect appears to occur independently of opioidergic mechanisms, as antagonism of μ-opioid receptors with systemically-administered naltrexone does not abolish the antinociception evoked by activation of this LHPV→vlPAG pathway. This study directly implicates LHPV neurons in modulating nociception, thus expanding the repertoire of survival behaviors regulated by LH circuits.