bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultrawide thermal free-carrier tuning of dielectric antennas coupled to epsilon-near-zero substrates
Authors: Iyer Prasad P. , Pendharkar Mihir , Palmstrøm Chris J. , Schuller Jon A. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe principal challenge for achieving reconfigurable optical antennas and metasurfaces is the need to generate continuous and large tunability of subwavelength, low-Q resonators. We demonstrate continuous and steady-state refractive index tuning at mid-infrared wavelengths using temperature-dependent control over the low-loss plasma frequency in III–V semiconductors. In doped InSb we demonstrate nearly two-fold increase in the electron effective mass leading to a positive refractive index shift (Δn > 1.5) that is an order of magnitude greater than conventional thermo-optic effects. In undoped films we demonstrate more than 10-fold change in the thermal free-carrier concentration producing a near-unity negative refractive index shift. Exploiting both effects within a single resonator system—intrinsic InSb wires on a heavily doped (epsilon-near-zero) InSb substrate—we demonstrate dynamically steady-state tunable Mie resonances. The observed line-width resonance shifts (Δλ > 1.7 μm) suggest new avenues for highly tunable and steady-state mid-infrared semiconductor antennas.
Tau exacerbates excitotoxic brain damage in an animal model of stroke
Authors: Bi Mian , Gladbach Amadeus , van Eersel Janet , Ittner Arne , Przybyla Magdalena , van Hummel Annika , Chua Sook Wern , van der Hoven Julia , Lee Wei S. , Müller Julius , Parmar Jasneet , Jonquieres Georg von , Stefen Holly , Guccione Ernesto , Fath Thomas , Housley Gary D. , Klugmann Matthias , Ke Yazi D. , Ittner Lars M. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractNeuronal excitotoxicity induced by aberrant excitation of glutamatergic receptors contributes to brain damage in stroke. Here we show that tau-deficient (tau−/−) mice are profoundly protected from excitotoxic brain damage and neurological deficits following experimental stroke, using a middle cerebral artery occlusion with reperfusion model. Mechanistically, we show that this protection is due to site-specific inhibition of glutamate-induced and Ras/ERK-mediated toxicity by accumulation of Ras-inhibiting SynGAP1, which resides in a post-synaptic complex with tau. Accordingly, reducing SynGAP1 levels in tau−/− mice abolished the protection from pharmacologically induced excitotoxicity and middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced brain damage. Conversely, over-expression of SynGAP1 prevented excitotoxic ERK activation in wild-type neurons. Our findings suggest that tau mediates excitotoxic Ras/ERK signaling by controlling post-synaptic compartmentalization of SynGAP1.
The Ca2+ influx through the mammalian skeletal muscle dihydropyridine receptor is irrelevant for muscle performance
Authors: Dayal Anamika , Schrötter Kai , Pan Yuan , Föhr Karl , Melzer Werner , Grabner Manfred 
Published: September 2017

AbstractSkeletal muscle excitation–contraction (EC) coupling is initiated by sarcolemmal depolarization, which is translated into a conformational change of the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR), which in turn activates sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release to trigger muscle contraction. During EC coupling, the mammalian DHPR embraces functional duality, as voltage sensor and l-type Ca2+ channel. Although its unique role as voltage sensor for conformational EC coupling is firmly established, the conventional function as Ca2+ channel is still enigmatic. Here we show that Ca2+ influx via DHPR is not necessary for muscle performance by generating a knock-in mouse where DHPR-mediated Ca2+ influx is eliminated. Homozygous knock-in mice display SR Ca2+ release, locomotor activity, motor coordination, muscle strength and susceptibility to fatigue comparable to wild-type controls, without any compensatory regulation of multiple key proteins of the EC coupling machinery and Ca2+ homeostasis. These findings support the hypothesis that the DHPR-mediated Ca2+ influx in mammalian skeletal muscle is an evolutionary remnant.
Efficient post-acceleration of protons in helical coil targets driven by sub-ps laser pulses
Authors: Ahmed H. , Kar S. , Cantono G. , Hadjisolomou P. , Poye A. , Gwynne D. , Lewis C. L. S. , Macchi A. , Naughton K. , Nersisyan G. , Tikhonchuk V. , Willi O. , Borghesi M. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe characteristics of laser driven proton beams can be efficiently controlled and optimised by employing a recently developed helical coil technique, which exploits the transient self-charging of solid targets irradiated by intense laser pulses. Here we demonstrate a well collimated (<1° divergence) and narrow bandwidth (~10% energy spread) proton beamlet of ~107 particles at 10 ± 0.5 MeV obtained by irradiating helical coil targets with a few joules, sub-ps laser pulses at an intensity of ~2 × 1019 W cm−2. The experimental data are in good agreement with particle tracing simulations suggesting post-acceleration of protons inside the coil at a rate ~0.7 MeV/mm, which is comparable to the results obtained from a similar coil target irradiated by a fs class laser at an order of magnitude higher intensity, as reported in S. Kar et al., Nat. Commun, 7, 10792 (2016). The dynamics of hot electron escape from the laser irradiated target was studied numerically for these two irradiation regimes, which shows that the target self-charging can be optimised at a pulse duration of few hundreds of fs. This information is highly beneficial for maximising the post-acceleration gradient in future experiments.
Comparison of APACHE IV with APACHE II, SAPS 3, MELD, MELD-Na, and CTP scores in predicting mortality after liver transplantation
Authors: Lee Hannah , Yoon Susie , Oh Seung-Young , Shin Jungho , Kim Jeongsoo , Jung Chul-Woo , Ryu Ho Geol 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV score and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) 3 include liver transplantation as a diagnostic category. The performance of APACHE IV-liver transplantation (LT) specific predicted mortality, SAPS 3, APACHE II, Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD)-Na, MELD, and CTP scores in predicting in-hospital and 1 year mortality in liver transplant patients was compared using 590 liver transplantations in a single university hospital. In-hospital mortality and 1 year mortality were 2.9% and 4.2%, respectively. The APACHE IV-LT specific predicted mortality showed better performance in predicting in-hospital mortality (AUC 0.91, 95% CI [0.86–0.96]) compared to SAPS 3 (AUC 0.78, 95% CI [0.66–0.90], p = 0.01), MELD-Na (AUC 0.74, 95% CI [0.57–0.86], p = 0.01), and CTP (AUC 0.68, 95% CI [0.54–0.81], p = 0.01). The APACHE IV-LT specific predicted mortality showed better performance in predicting 1 year mortality (AUC 0.83, 95% CI [0.76–0.9]) compared to MELD-Na (AUC 0.67, 95% CI [0.55–0.79], p = 0.04) and CTP (AUC 0.64, 95% CI [0.53–0.75], p = 0.03), and also in all MELD groups and in both living and deceased donor transplantation. The APACHE IV-LT specific predicted mortality showed better performance in predicting in-hospital and 1 year mortality after liver transplantation.
Loss of brain inter-frequency hubs in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Guillon J. , Attal Y. , Colliot O. , La Corte V. , Dubois B. , Schwartz D. , Chavez M. , De Vico Fallani F. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) causes alterations of brain network structure and function. The latter consists of connectivity changes between oscillatory processes at different frequency channels. We proposed a multi-layer network approach to analyze multiple-frequency brain networks inferred from magnetoencephalographic recordings during resting-states in AD subjects and age-matched controls. Main results showed that brain networks tend to facilitate information propagation across different frequencies, as measured by the multi-participation coefficient (MPC). However, regional connectivity in AD subjects was abnormally distributed across frequency bands as compared to controls, causing significant decreases of MPC. This effect was mainly localized in association areas and in the cingulate cortex, which acted, in the healthy group, as a true inter-frequency hub. MPC values significantly correlated with memory impairment of AD subjects, as measured by the total recall score. Most predictive regions belonged to components of the default-mode network that are typically affected by atrophy, metabolism disruption and amyloid-β deposition. We evaluated the diagnostic power of the MPC and we showed that it led to increased classification accuracy (78.39%) and sensitivity (91.11%). These findings shed new light on the brain functional alterations underlying AD and provide analytical tools for identifying multi-frequency neural mechanisms of brain diseases.
Plasma exosomal miR-223 expression regulates inflammatory responses during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Poon Kin-Shing , Palanisamy Kalaiselvi , Chang Shih-Sheng , Sun Kuo-Ting , Chen Kuen-Bao , Li Ping-Chun , Lin Tso-Chou , Li Chi-Yuan 
Published: September 2017

AbstractCardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces inflammatory responses, and effective endogenous homeostasis is important for preventing systemic inflammation. We assessed whether plasma exosomal microRNAs in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB are involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses. Plasma samples were isolated from CPB patients (n = 21) at 5 specified time points: pre-surgery, pre-CPB and 2 hours (h), 4 h and 24 h after CPB began. Plasma TNF-α expression was increased after CPB began compared to that in the pre-surgery samples. Plasma IL-8 and IL-6 expression peaked at 4 h after CPB began but was downregulated at 24 h. The number of plasma exosomes collected at 2 h (55.1 ± 8.3%), 4 h (63.8 ± 10.1%) and 24 h (83.5 ± 3.72%) after CPB began was significantly increased compared to that in the pre-CPB samples (42.8 ± 0.11%). These exosomes had a predominantly parental cellular origin from RBCs and platelets. Additionally, the plasma exosomal miR-223 levels were significantly increased after CPB began compared to those in the pre-CPB samples. Further, exosomal miR-223 from plasma collected after CPB began downregulated IL-6 and NLRP3 expression in the monocytes. Here, we present the novel findings that increased plasma exosomal miR-223 expression during cardiac surgery with CPB might play homeostatic roles in downregulating inflammatory responses through intercellular communication.
Combining Biomarkers with EMR Data to Identify Patients in Different Phases of Sepsis
Authors: Taneja Ishan , Reddy Bobby , Damhorst Gregory , Dave Zhao Sihai , Hassan Umer , Price Zachary , Jensen Tor , Ghonge Tanmay , Patel Manish , Wachspress Samuel , Winter Jackson , Rappleye Michael , Smith Gillian , Healey Ryan , Ajmal Muhammad , Khan Muhammad , Patel Jay , Rawal Harsh , Sarwar Raiya , Soni Sumeet , Anwaruddin Syed , Davis Benjamin , Kumar James , White Karen , Bashir Rashid , Zhu Ruoqing 
Published: September 2017

AbstractSepsis is a leading cause of death and is the most expensive condition to treat in U.S. hospitals. Despite targeted efforts to automate earlier detection of sepsis, current techniques rely exclusively on using either standard clinical data or novel biomarker measurements. In this study, we apply machine learning techniques to assess the predictive power of combining multiple biomarker measurements from a single blood sample with electronic medical record data (EMR) for the identification of patients in the early to peak phase of sepsis in a large community hospital setting. Combining biomarkers and EMR data achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.81, while EMR data alone achieved an AUC of 0.75. Furthermore, a single measurement of six biomarkers (IL-6, nCD64, IL-1ra, PCT, MCP1, and G-CSF) yielded the same predictive power as collecting an additional 16 hours of EMR data(AUC of 0.80), suggesting that the biomarkers may be useful for identifying these patients earlier. Ultimately, supervised learning using a subset of biomarker and EMR data as features may be capable of identifying patients in the early to peak phase of sepsis in a diverse population and may provide a tool for more timely identification and intervention.
New Late Permian tectonic model for South Africa’s Karoo Basin: foreland tectonics and climate change before the end-Permian crisis
Authors: Viglietti Pia A. , Rubidge Bruce S. , Smith Roger M. H. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractLate Permian Karoo Basin tectonics in South Africa are reflected as two fining-upward megacycles in the Balfour and upper Teekloof formations. Foreland tectonics are used to explain the cyclic nature and distribution of sedimentation, caused by phases of loading and unloading in the southern source areas adjacent to the basin. New data supports this model, and identifies potential climatic effects on the tectonic regime. Diachronous second-order subaerial unconformities (SU) are identified at the base and top of the Balfour Formation. One third-order SU identified coincides ﻿with﻿ a faunal turnover which could be related to the Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME). The SU are traced, for the first time, to the western portion of the basin (upper Teekloof Formation). Their age determinations support the foreland basin model as they coincide with dated paroxysms. A condensed distal (northern) stratigraphic record is additional support for this tectonic regime because orogenic loading and unloading throughout the basin was not equally distributed, nor was it in-phase. This resulted in more frequent non-deposition with increased distance from the tectonically active source. Refining basin dynamics allows us to distinguish between tectonic and climatic effects and how they have influenced ancient ecosystems and sedimentation through time.
Mechanism and DNA-based detection of field-evolved resistance to transgenic Bt corn in fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)
Authors: Banerjee Rahul , Hasler James , Meagher Robert , Nagoshi Rodney , Hietala Lucas , Huang Fangneng , Narva Kenneth , Jurat-Fuentes Juan Luis 
Published: September 2017

AbstractEvolution of resistance threatens sustainability of transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a devastating pest of corn in the Western Hemisphere initially controlled by transgenic Bt corn producing the Cry1Fa insecticidal protein (event TC1507). However field-evolved resistance to TC1507 was observed in Puerto Rico in 2007 and has subsequently been reported in a number of locations in North and South America. Early studies on Puerto Rico fall armyworm populations found that the resistance phenotype was associated with reduced expression of alkaline phosphatase. However, in this work we show that field-evolved resistance to Cry1Fa Bt corn in Puerto Rico is closely linked to a mutation in an ATP Binding Cassette subfamily C2 (ABCC2) gene that functions as a Cry1Fa receptor in susceptible insects. Furthermore, we report a DNA-based genotyping test used to demonstrate the presence of the resistant (SfABCC2mut) allele in Puerto Rico populations in 2007, coincident with the first reports of damage to TC1507 corn. These DNA-based field screening data provide strong evidence that resistance to TC1507 in fall armyworm maps to the SfABCC2 gene and provides a useful molecular marker for detecting the SfABCC2mut allele in resistant fall armyworm.
Disseminated tuberculosis among hospitalised HIV patients in South Africa: a common condition that can be rapidly diagnosed using urine-based assays
Authors: Kerkhoff Andrew D. , Barr David A. , Schutz Charlotte , Burton Rosie , Nicol Mark P. , Lawn Stephen D. , Meintjes Graeme 
Published: September 2017

AbstractHIV-associated disseminated TB (tuberculosis) has been under-recognised and poorly characterised. Blood culture is the gold-standard diagnostic test, but is expensive, slow, and may under-diagnose TB dissemination. In a cohort of hospitalised HIV patients, we aimed to report the prevalence of TB-blood-culture positivity, performance of rapid diagnostics as diagnostic surrogates, and better characterise the clinical phenotype of disseminated TB. HIV-inpatients were systematically investigated using sputum, urine and blood testing. Overall, 132/410 (32.2%) patients had confirmed TB; 41/132 (31.1%) had a positive TB blood culture, of these 9/41 (22.0%) died within 90-days. In contrast to sputum diagnostics, urine Xpert and urine-lipoarabinomannan (LAM) combined identified 88% of TB blood-culture-positive patients, including 9/9 who died within 90-days. For confirmed-TB patients, half the variation in major clinical variables was captured on two principle components (PCs). Urine Xpert, urine LAM and TB-blood-culture positive patients clustered similarly on these axes, distinctly from patients with localised disease. Total number of positive tests from urine Xpert, urine LAM and MTB-blood-culture correlated with PCs (p < 0.001 for both). PC1&PC2 independently predicted 90-day mortality (ORs 2.6, 95%CI = 1.3–6.4; and 2.4, 95%CI = 1.3–4.5, respectively). Rather than being a non-specific diagnosis, disseminated TB is a distinct, life-threatening condition, which can be diagnosed using rapid urine-based tests, and warrants specific interventional trials.
Stacking-fault strengthening of biomedical Co–Cr–Mo alloy via multipass thermomechanical processing
Authors: Yamanaka Kenta , Mori Manami , Sato Shigeo , Chiba Akihiko 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe strengthening of metallic biomaterials, such as Co–Cr–Mo and titanium alloys, is of crucial importance to the improvement of the durability of orthopedic implants. In the present study, we successfully developed a face-centered cubic (fcc) Co–Cr–Mo alloy with an extremely high yield strength (1400 MPa) and good ductility (12%) by multipass hot-rolling, which is suitable for industrial production, and examined the relevant strengthening mechanisms. Using an X-ray diffraction line-profile analysis, we revealed that a substantial increase in the number of stacking faults (SFs) in the fcc γ-matrix occurred at a greater height reduction (r), while physical modeling demonstrated that the contribution of the accumulated SFs (i.e., the reduction in SF spacing) with an increase inrsuccessfully explains the entire strengthening behavior of the hot-rolled alloy. The present study sheds light on the importance of the SF strengthening mechanism, and will help to guide the design and manufacturing strategy for the high-strength Co–Cr–Mo alloys used in highly durable medical devices.
Antibiotic treatment for Tuberculosis induces a profound dysbiosis of the microbiome that persists long after therapy is completed
Authors: Wipperman Matthew F. , Fitzgerald Daniel W. , Juste Marc Antoine Jean , Taur Ying , Namasivayam Sivaranjani , Sher Alan , Bean James M. , Bucci Vanni , Glickman Michael S. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of Tuberculosis (TB), infects one third of the world’s population and causes substantial mortality worldwide. In its shortest format, treatment of TB requires six months of multidrug therapy with a mixture of broad spectrum and mycobacterial specific antibiotics, and treatment of multidrug resistant TB is longer. The widespread use of this regimen makes this one of the largest exposures of humans to antimicrobials, yet the effects of TB treatment on intestinal microbiome composition and long-term stability are unknown. We compared the microbiome composition, assessed by both 16S rDNA and metagenomic DNA sequencing, of TB cases during antimycobacterial treatment and following cure by 6 months of antibiotics. TB treatment does not perturb overall diversity, but nonetheless dramatically depletes multiple immunologically significant commensal bacteria. The microbiomic perturbation of TB therapy can persist for at least 1.2 years, indicating that the effects of TB treatment are long lasting. These results demonstrate that TB treatment has dramatic effects on the intestinal microbiome and highlight unexpected durable consequences of treatment for the world’s most common infection on human ecology.
In search of a small molecule agonist of the relaxin receptor RXFP1 for the treatment of liver fibrosis
Authors: McBride Andrew , Hoy Anna M. , Bamford Mark J. , Mossakowska Danuta E. , Ruediger Martin P. , Griggs Jeremy , Desai Sapna , Simpson Kate , Caballero-Hernandez Ivan , Iredale John P. , Pell Theresa , Aucott Rebecca L. , Holmes Duncan S. , Webster Scott P. , Fallowfield Jonathan A. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe peptide hormone human relaxin-2 (H2-RLX) has emerged as a potential therapy for cardiovascular and fibrotic diseases, but its short in vivo half-life is an obstacle to long-term administration. The discovery of ML290 demonstrated that it is possible to identify small molecule agonists of the cognate G-protein coupled receptor for H2-RLX (relaxin family peptide receptor-1 (RXFP1)). In our efforts to generate a new medicine for liver fibrosis, we sought to identify improved small molecule functional mimetics of H2-RLX with selective, full agonist or positive allosteric modulator activity against RXFP1. First, we confirmed expression of RXFP1 in human diseased liver. We developed a robust cellular cAMP reporter assay of RXFP1 signaling in HEK293 cells transiently expressing RXFP1. A high-throughput screen did not identify further specific agonists or positive allosteric modulators of RXFP1, affirming the low druggability of this receptor. As an alternative approach, we generated novel ML290 analogues and tested their activity in the HEK293-RXFP1 cAMP assay and the human hepatic cell line LX-2. Differences in activity of compounds on cAMP activation compared with changes in expression of fibrotic markers indicate the need to better understand cell- and tissue-specific signaling mechanisms and their disease-relevant phenotypes in order to enable drug discovery.
Plant litter dynamics in the forest-stream interface: precipitation is a major control across tropical biomes
Authors: Tonin Alan M. , Gonçalves José F. , Bambi Paulino , Couceiro Sheyla R. M. , Feitoza Lorrane A. M. , Fontana Lucas E. , Hamada Neusa , Hepp Luiz U. , Lezan-Kowalczuk Vânia G. , Leite Gustavo F. M. , Lemes-Silva Aurea L. , Lisboa Leonardo K. , Loureiro Rafael C. , Martins Renato T. , Medeiros Adriana O. , Morais Paula B. , Moretto Yara , Oliveria Patrícia C. A. , Pereira Evelyn B. , Ferreira Lidiane P. , Pérez Javier , Petrucio Mauricio M. , Reis Deusiano F. , S. Rezende Renan , Roque Nadia , Santos Luiz E. P. , Siegloch Ana E. , Tonello Gabriela , Boyero Luz 
Published: September 2017

AbstractRiparian plant litter is a major energy source for forested streams across the world and its decomposition has repercussions on nutrient cycling, food webs and ecosystem functioning. However, we know little about plant litter dynamics in tropical streams, even though the tropics occupy 40% of the Earth’s land surface. Here we investigated spatial and temporal (along a year cycle) patterns of litter inputs and storage in multiple streams of three tropical biomes in Brazil (Atlantic forest, Amazon forest and Cerrado savanna), predicting major differences among biomes in relation to temperature and precipitation regimes. Precipitation explained most of litter inputs and storage, which were generally higher in more humid biomes (litterfall: 384, 422 and 308 g m−2 y−1, storage: 55, 113 and 38 g m−2, on average in Atlantic forest, Amazon and Cerrado, respectively). Temporal dynamics varied across biomes in relation to precipitation and temperature, with uniform litter inputs but seasonal storage in Atlantic forest streams, seasonal inputs in Amazon and Cerrado streams, and aseasonal storage in Amazon streams. Our findings suggest that litter dynamics vary greatly within the tropics, but point to the major role of precipitation, which contrasts with the main influence of temperature in temperate areas.