bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seamlessly fused digital-analogue reconfigurable computing using memristors
Authors: Serb Alexantrou , Khiat Ali , Prodromakis Themistoklis 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAs the world enters the age of ubiquitous computing, the need for reconfigurable hardware operating close to the fundamental limits of energy consumption becomes increasingly pressing. Simultaneously, scaling-driven performance improvements within the framework of traditional analogue and digital design become progressively more restricted by fundamental physical constraints. Emerging nanoelectronics technologies bring forth new prospects yet a significant rethink of electronics design is required for realising their full potential. Here we lay the foundations of a design approach that fuses analogue and digital thinking by combining digital electronics with analogue memristive devices for achieving charge-based computation; information processing where every dissipated charge counts. This is realised by introducing memristive devices into standard logic gates, thus rendering them reconfigurable and capable of performing analogue computation at a power cost close to digital. The versatility and benefits of our approach are experimentally showcased through a hardware data clusterer and an analogue NAND gate.
Observation of a topological insulator Dirac cone reshaped by non-magnetic impurity resonance
Authors: Miao Lin , Xu Yishuai , Zhang Wenhan , Older Daniel , Breitweiser S. Alexander , Kotta Erica , He Haowei , Suzuki Takehito , Denlinger Jonathan D. , Biswas Rudro R. , Checkelsky Joseph G. , Wu Weida , Wray L. Andrew 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe massless Dirac electrons found at topological insulator surfaces are thought to be influenced very little by weak, non-magnetic disorder. However, a resonance effect of strongly perturbing non-magnetic impurities has been theoretically predicted to change the dispersion and physical nature of low-energy quasiparticles, resulting in unique particle-like states that lack microscopic translational symmetry. Here we report the direct observation of impurities reshaping the surface Dirac cone of the model three-dimensional topological insulator bismuth selenide. A pronounced kink-like dispersion feature is observed in disorder-enriched samples, and found to be closely associated with the anomaly caused by impurity resonance in the surface state density of states, as observed by dichroic angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental observation of these features, which closely resemble theoretical predictions, has significant implications for the properties of topological Dirac cones in applied scenarios that commonly feature point-defect disorder at surfaces or interfaces.
Guided genetic screen to identify genes essential in the regeneration of hair cells and other tissues
Authors: Pei Wuhong , Xu Lisha , Huang Sunny C. , Pettie Kade , Idol Jennifer , Rissone Alberto , Jimenez Erin , Sinclair Jason W. , Slevin Claire , Varshney Gaurav K. , Jones MaryPat , Carrington Blake , Bishop Kevin , Huang Haigen , Sood Raman , Lin Shuo , Burgess Shawn M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRegenerative medicine holds great promise for both degenerative diseases and traumatic tissue injury which represent significant challenges to the health care system. Hearing loss, which affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, is caused primarily by a permanent loss of the mechanosensory receptors of the inner ear known as hair cells. This failure to regenerate hair cells after loss is limited to mammals, while all other non-mammalian vertebrates tested were able to completely regenerate these mechanosensory receptors after injury. To understand the mechanism of hair cell regeneration and its association with regeneration of other tissues, we performed a guided mutagenesis screen using zebrafish lateral line hair cells as a screening platform to identify genes that are essential for hair cell regeneration, and further investigated how genes essential for hair cell regeneration were involved in the regeneration of other tissues. We created genetic mutations either by retroviral insertion or CRISPR/Cas9 approaches, and developed a high-throughput screening pipeline for analyzing hair cell development and regeneration. We screened 254 gene mutations and identified 7 genes specifically affecting hair cell regeneration. These hair cell regeneration genes fell into distinct and somewhat surprising functional categories. By examining the regeneration of caudal fin and liver, we found these hair cell regeneration genes often also affected other types of tissue regeneration. Therefore, our results demonstrate guided screening is an effective approach to discover regeneration candidates, and hair cell regeneration is associated with other tissue regeneration.
Long-term reduction in hyperglycemia in advanced type 1 diabetes: the value of induced aerobic glycolysis with BCG vaccinations
Authors: Kühtreiber Willem M. , Tran Lisa , Kim Taesoo , Dybala Michael , Nguyen Brian , Plager Sara , Huang Daniel , Janes Sophie , Defusco Audrey , Baum Danielle , Zheng Hui , Faustman Denise L. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractMycobacterium are among the oldest co-evolutionary partners of humans. The attenuated Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) strain has been administered globally for 100 years as a vaccine against tuberculosis. BCG also shows promise as treatment for numerous inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Here, we report on a randomized 8-year long prospective examination of type 1 diabetic subjects with long-term disease who received two doses of the BCG vaccine. After year 3, BCG lowered hemoglobin A1c to near normal levels for the next 5 years. The BCG impact on blood sugars appeared to be driven by a novel systemic and blood sugar lowering mechanism in diabetes. We observe a systemic shift in glucose metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, a state of high glucose utilization. Confirmation is gained by metabolomics, mRNAseq, and functional assays of cellular glucose uptake after BCG vaccinations. To prove BCG could induce a systemic change to promote accelerated glucose utilization and impact blood sugars, murine data demonstrated reduced blood sugars and aerobic induction in non-autoimmune mice made chemically diabetic. BCG via epigenetics also resets six central T-regulatory genes for genetic re-programming of tolerance. These findings set the stage for further testing of a known safe vaccine therapy for improved blood sugar control through changes in metabolism and durability with epigenetic changes even in advanced Type 1 diabetes.
Review of nanomaterials-assisted ion exchange membranes for electromembrane desalination
Authors: Alabi Adetunji , AlHajaj Ahmed , Cseri Levente , Szekely Gyorgy , Budd Peter , Zou Linda 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn order to address the increasing demand for fresh water due to accelerated social and economic growth in the world, water treatment technologies, such as desalination, have been rapidly developed in attempts to safeguard water security. Electromembrane desalination processes, such as electrodialysis and membrane capacitive deionization, belong to a category of desalination technologies, which involve the removal of ions from ionic solutions with the use of electrically charged membranes termed ion exchange membranes. The challenges associated with ion exchange membranes have drawn the attention of many researchers, who have investigated various approaches to enhance their properties. The incorporation of nanomaterials is one of the popular approaches employed. Much research on nanomaterials incorporated ion exchange membranes was conducted for the purpose of fuel cell applications rather than electromembrane desalination. This review reports on the advances in nanomaterials incorporated ion exchange membranes applicable to desalination. The nanomaterials employed in ion exchange membranes fabrication include carbon nanotubes, graphene-based nanomaterials, silica, titanium (IV) oxide, aluminum oxide, zeolite, iron (II, III) oxide, zinc oxide, and silver. The aims of this article are to provide a snap shot of the current status of nanomaterials incorporation in ion exchange membranes, to assess the status of nanomaterials-facilitated ion exchange membranes research for electromembrane desalination, and to stimulate progress in this area.
Chick chorioallantoic membrane assay as an in vivo model to study the effect of nanoparticle-based anticancer drugs in ovarian cancer
Authors: Vu Binh Thanh , Shahin Sophia Allaf , Croissant Jonas , Fatieiev Yevhen , Matsumoto Kotaro , Le-Hoang Doan Tan , Yik Tammy , Simargi Shirleen , Conteras Altagracia , Ratliff Laura , Jimenez Chiara Mauriello , Raehm Laurence , Khashab Niveen , Durand Jean-Olivier , Glackin Carlotta , Tamanoi Fuyuhiko 
Published: May 2018

AbstractNew therapy development is critically needed for ovarian cancer. We used the chicken egg CAM assay to evaluate efficacy of anticancer drug delivery using recently developed biodegradable PMO (periodic mesoporous organosilica) nanoparticles. Human ovarian cancer cells were transplanted onto the CAM membrane of fertilized eggs, resulting in rapid tumor formation. The tumor closely resembles cancer patient tumor and contains extracellular matrix as well as stromal cells and extensive vasculature. PMO nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin were injected intravenously into the chicken egg resulting in elimination of the tumor. No significant damage to various organs in the chicken embryo occurred. In contrast, injection of free doxorubicin caused widespread organ damage, even when less amount was administered. The lack of toxic effect of nanoparticle loaded doxorubicin was associated with specific delivery of doxorubicin to the tumor. Furthermore, we observed excellent tumor accumulation of the nanoparticles. Lastly, a tumor could be established in the egg using tumor samples from ovarian cancer patients and that our nanoparticles were effective in eliminating the tumor. These results point to the remarkable efficacy of our nanoparticle based drug delivery system and suggests the value of the chicken egg tumor model for testing novel therapies for ovarian cancer.
New universal ITS2 primers for high-resolution herbivory analyses using DNA metabarcoding in both tropical and temperate zones
Authors: Moorhouse-Gann Rosemary J. , Dunn Jenny C. , de Vere Natasha , Goder Martine , Cole Nik , Hipperson Helen , Symondson William O. C. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractDNA metabarcoding is a rapidly growing technique for obtaining detailed dietary information. Current metabarcoding methods for herbivory, using a single locus, can lack taxonomic resolution for some applications. We present novel primers for the second internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS2) designed for dietary studies in Mauritius and the UK, which have the potential to give unrivalled taxonomic coverage and resolution from a short-amplicon barcode.In silicotesting used three databases of plant ITS2 sequences from UK and Mauritian floras (native and introduced) totalling 6561 sequences from 1790 species across 174 families. Our primers were well-matchedin silicoto 88% of species, providing taxonomic resolution of 86.1%, 99.4% and 99.9% at the species, genus and family levels, respectively.In vitro, the primers amplified 99% of Mauritian (n = 169) and 100% of UK (n = 33) species, and co-amplified multiple plant species from degraded faecal DNA from reptiles and birds in two case studies. For the ITS2 region, we advocate taxonomic assignment based on best sequence match instead of a clustering approach. With short amplicons of 187–387 bp, these primers are suitable for metabarcoding plant DNA from faecal samples, across a broad geographic range, whilst delivering unparalleled taxonomic resolution.
Ion Sputter Induced Interfacial Reaction in Prototypical Metal-GaN System
Authors: Huang Rong , Li Fangsen , Liu Tong , Zhao Yanfei , Zhu Yafeng , Shen Yang , Lu Xiaoming , Huang Zengli , Liu Jianping , Zhang Liqun , Zhang Shuming , Li Zhanping , Dingsun An , Yang Hui 
Published: May 2018

AbstractContact property is now becoming to be a key factor for achieving high performance and high reliability in GaN-based III-V semiconductor devices. Energetic ion sputter, as an effective interface probe, is widely used to profile the metal/GaN contacts for interfacial analysis and process optimization. However, the details of ion-induced interfacial reaction, as well as the formation of sputter by-products at the interfaces are still unclear. Here by combining state-of-the-art Ar+ ion sputter with in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ex-situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), we have observed clearly not only the ion-induced chemical state changes at interface, but also the by-products at the prototypical Ti/GaN system. For the first time, we identified the formation of a metallic Ga layer at the GaOx/GaN interface. At the Ti/GaOx interface, TiCx components were also detected due to the reaction between metal Ti and surface-adsorbed C species. Our study reveals that the corresponding core level binding energy and peak intensity obtained from ion sputter depth profile should be treated with much caution, since they will be changed due to ion-induced interface reactions and formation of by-products during ion bombardment.
Proteo-metabolomics reveals compensation between ischemic and non-injured contralateral kidneys after reperfusion
Authors: Huang Honglei , van Dullemen Leon F. A. , Akhtar Mohammed Z. , Faro Maria-Letizia Lo , Yu Zhanru , Valli Alessandro , Dona Anthony , Thézénas Marie-Laëtitia , Charles Philip D. , Fischer Roman , Kaisar Maria , Leuvenink Henri G. D. , Ploeg Rutger J. , Kessler Benedikt M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIschaemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) is the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), which contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates in a wide range of injuries as well as the development of chronic kidney disease. The cellular and molecular responses of the kidney to IRI are complex and not fully understood. Here, we used an integrated proteomic and metabolomic approach to investigate the effects of IRI on protein abundance and metabolite levels. Rat kidneys were subjected to 45 min of warm ischaemia followed by 4 h and 24 h reperfusion, with contralateral and separate healthy kidneys serving as controls. Kidney tissue proteomics after IRI revealed elevated proteins belonging to the acute phase response, coagulation and complement pathways, and fatty acid (FA) signalling. Metabolic changes were already evident after 4 h reperfusion and showed increased level of glycolysis, lipids and FAs, whilst mitochondrial function and ATP production was impaired after 24 h. This deficit was partially compensated for by the contralateral kidney. Such a metabolic balance counteracts for the developing energy deficit due to reduced mitochondrial function in the injured kidney.
Mapping the Transport Kinetics of Molecules and Particles in Idealized Intracranial Side Aneurysms
Authors: Epshtein Mark , Korin Netanel 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIntracranial side aneurysms (IA) are pathological blood-filled bulges in cerebral blood vessels. Unlike healthy blood vessels where mass transport is dominated by convection, both diffusion and convection can play an active role in aneurysm sites. Here, we study via dye washout experiments and numerical simulations, the transport characteristics of particles (1 micron) and small molecules (300 Da) into simplified side aneurysms models following bolus injection. Time-lapse fluorescent microscopy imaging performed in our idealized aneurysm models showed that the parent artery geometry (located on the inner vs. outer curvature) as well as the aneurysm aspect ratio (AR) affect the washout kinetics while the pulsatile nature of the flow, maintained within the physiological range, carries only a minor effect. Importantly, in the absence of effective diffusion, particles that are located on slow streamlines linger within the aneurysm cavity, a phenomenon that could be of importance in deposition of cells and nano/micro-particles within aneurysms. Altogether, mass transport studies may provide valuable insights for better understanding of aneurysm pathophysiology as well as for the design of new diagnostic and theranostic nano-medicines.
Substantial modification of the gene expression profile following exposure of macrophages to welding-related nanoparticles
Authors: Audureau Étienne , Simon-Deckers Angélique , Franco-Montoya Marie-Laure , Annangi Balasubramanyam , Kermanizadeh Ali , Boczkowski Jorge , Lanone Sophie 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAnthropic nanoparticles (NP) are increasingly produced and emitted, with accompanying concerns for human health. Currently there is no global understanding as to the exact mechanistics of NP toxicity, as the traditional nanotoxicological approaches only provide a restricted overview. To address this issue, we performed an in-depth transcriptomic analysis of human macrophages exposed to a panel of welding-related metal oxide NP that we previously identified in welders lungs (Fe2O3, Fe3O4, MnFe2O4 and CrOOH NP). Utilizing the specified analysis criteria (|fold change| ≥1.5, p ≤ 0.001), a total of 2164 genes were identified to be differentially expressed after THP-1 macrophage exposure to the different NP. Performing Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, for cellular content, biological processes and Swiss-Prot/Protein Information Resource keywords the data show for the first time a profound modification of gene differential expression in response to the different NP, among which MnFe2O4 NP were the most potent to induce THP-1 macrophage activation. The transcriptomic analysis utilized in the study, provides novel insights into mechanisms that could contribute to NP-induced adverse effects and support the need for widened approaches to supplement existing knowledge of the processes underlying NP toxicity which would have not been possible using traditional nanotoxicological studies.
Quantile regression analysis of modifiable and non-modifiable drivers’ of blood pressure among urban and rural women in Ghana
Authors: Amugsi Dickson A. , Dimbuene Zacharie T. , Asiki Gershim , Kyobutungi Catherine 
Published: May 2018

AbstractHigh blood pressure is an increasingly problematic public health concern in many developing countries due to the associated cardiovascular and renal complications. This study set out to investigate the drivers of blood pressure among urban and rural women using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were the outcomes of interest. Our findings showed that body mass index (BMI) had a significant positive effect on DBP and SBP in both urban and rural settings, with the largest effect occurring among women in the 75th quantile. Arm circumference also had a positive effect on DBP and SBP across all quantiles in both settings. Age had an increasing positive effect along the entire conditional DBP and SBP distribution in both settings. Women who were pregnant had lower DBP and SBP relative to those who were not pregnant in both settings. These results highlight the important drivers of DBP and SBP, and the differential effects of these drivers on blood pressure (BP) among women in urban and rural settings. To increase their effectiveness, interventions to address high BP should take into account these differential effects.
Loss of periostin ameliorates adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis in vivo
Authors: Nakazeki Fumiko , Nishiga Masataka , Horie Takahiro , Nishi Hitoo , Nakashima Yasuhiro , Baba Osamu , Kuwabara Yasuhide , Nishino Tomohiro , Nakao Tetsushi , Ide Yuya , Koyama Satoshi , Kimura Masahiro , Tsuji Shuhei , Sowa Naoya , Yoshida Shigeo , Conway Simon J. , Yanagita Motoko , Kimura Takeshi , Ono Koh 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRecent evidence suggests that the accumulation of macrophages as a result of obesity-induced adipose tissue hypoxia is crucial for the regulation of tissue fibrosis, but the molecular mechanisms underlying adipose tissue fibrosis are still unknown. In this study, we revealed that periostin (Postn) is produced at extraordinary levels by adipose tissue after feeding with a high-fat diet (HFD). Postn was secreted at least from macrophages in visceral adipose tissue during the development of obesity, possibly due to hypoxia. Postn−/− mice had lower levels of crown-like structure formation and fibrosis in adipose tissue and were protected from liver steatosis. These mice also showed amelioration in systemic insulin resistance compared with HFD-fed WT littermates. Mice deficient in Postn in their hematopoietic compartment also had lower levels of inflammation in adipose tissue, in parallel with a reduction in ectopic lipid accumulation compared with the controls. Our data indicated that the regulation of Postn in visceral fat could be beneficial for the maintenance of healthy adipose tissue in obesity.
The effectiveness of public health advertisements to promote health: a randomized-controlled trial on 794,000 participants
Authors: Yom-Tov Elad , Shembekar Jinia , Barclay Sarah , Muennig Peter 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAs public health advertisements move online, it becomes possible to run inexpensive randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) thereof. Here we report the results of an online RCT to improve food choices and integrate exercise into daily activities of internet users. People searching for pre-specified terms were randomized to receive one of several professionally developed campaign advertisements or the “status quo” (ads that would otherwise have been served). For 1-month pre-intervention and post-intervention, their searches for health-promoting goods or services were recorded. Our results show that 48% of people who were exposed to the ads made future searches for weight loss information, compared with 32% of those in the control group—a 50% increase. The advertisements varied in efficacy. However, the effectiveness of the advertisements may be greatly improved by targeting individuals based on their lifestyle preferences and/or sociodemographic characteristics, which together explain 49% of the variation in response to the ads. These results demonstrate that online advertisements hold promise as a mechanism for changing population health behaviors. They also provide researchers powerful ways to measure and improve the effectiveness of online public health interventions. Finally, we show that corporations that use these sophisticated tools to promote unhealthy products can potentially be outbid and outmaneuvered.
3D scans, angles of repose and bulk densities of 108 bulk material heaps
Authors: Rackl Michael , Grötsch Florian E. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThis paper presents a dataset of spatial data, angles of repose and bulk densities collected from 108 bulk material heaps. The investigated materials were lignite, wood chips, limestone, blast furnace coke, fresh and dried corn grains, milk powder as well as bituminous coal. Sample sizes range from 16 liters to approximately 220 liters, and each measurement was repeated four times to allow for variance assessment. This dataset is particularly useful for researchers and engineers, who want to investigate the shape of bulk solid heaps, or who want to test or benchmark measurement methods concerning heaps of granular matter, such as the angle of repose.