bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultra-high open-circuit voltage of perovskite solar cells induced by nucleation thermodynamics on rough substrates
Authors: Li Yan , Ding Bin , Chu Qian-Qian , Yang Guan-Jun , Wang Mingkui , Li Chang-Xin , Li Chang-Jiu 
Published: April 2017

AbstractTo obtain high performance CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells, it is highly important to realise a high open-circuit voltage. Calculation results based on a modified diode model have indicated that a low bare ratio ϕ of the perovskite film is the most important factor determining the open-circuit voltage, where ϕ is defined as the ratio of the projection of the uncovered area of the perovskite film to the apparent area of the total substrate surface. To realise a low ϕ, we investigate the nucleation behaviour of crystals on rough substrates. The analysis results predict that, when CH3NH3PbI3 is deposited on conventional transparent conductive oxide substrates such as fluorine-doped tin oxide, preferential heterogeneous nucleation will occur on the concave regions of the substrate; then, depending on the subsequent growth step, full coverage of the perovskite film at both the macroscopic and microscopic scales is realised. As a result, an ultra-high open-circuit voltage, i.e., 1.20 V, can be achieved in devices using the full coverage CH3NH3PbI3 film. The thermodynamics theory of precipitation nucleation should shed light on solution engineering of thin films.
Bacteriophages from ExPEC Reservoirs Kill Pandemic Multidrug-Resistant Strains of Clonal Group ST131 in Animal Models of Bacteremia
Authors: Green Sabrina I. , Kaelber Jason T. , Ma Li , Trautner Barbara W. , Ramig Robert F. , Maresso Anthony W. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractMulti-drug resistant (MDR) enteric bacteria are of increasing global concern. A clonal group,Escherichia colisequence type (ST) 131, harbors both MDR and a deadly complement of virulence factors. Patients with an immunocompromised system are at high risk of infections with theseE. coliand there is strong epidemiologic evidence that the human intestinal tract, as well as household pets, may be a reservoir. Here, we examine if phages are an effective treatment strategy against this clonal group in murine models of bacteremia that recapitulate clinical infections. Bacteriophages isolated from knownE. colireservoirs lyse a diverse array of MDR ST131 clinical isolates. Phage HP3 reducedE. colilevels and improved health scores for mice infected with two distinct ST131 strains. Efficacy was correlated toin vitrolysis ability by the infecting phage and the level of virulence of theE. colistrain. Importantly, it is also demonstrated thatE. colibacteremia initiated from translocation across the intestinal tract in an immunocompromised host is substantially reduced after phage treatment. This study demonstrates that phage, isolated from the environment and with little experimental manipulation, can be effective in combating even the most serious of infections byE. coli“superbugs”.
An Intrathermocline Eddy and a tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Gordon Arnold L. , Shroyer Emily , Murty V. S. N. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe Bay of Bengal, subjected to monsoonal forcing and tropical cyclones, displays a complex field of ocean eddies. On 5 December 2013 a sub-surface vortex or Intrathermocline Eddy (ITE) composed of water characteristic of the Andaman Sea was observed within the thermocline of the western Bay of Bengal. We propose that the ITE was the product of Tropical Cyclone Lehar interaction on 27 November 2013 with a westward propagating surface eddy from the eastern Bay of Bengal. While Lehar’s interaction with the ocean initially removes heat from the upper layers of the eddy, air-sea flux is limited as the deeper portions of the eddy was subducted into the stratified thermocline, inhibiting further interaction with the atmosphere. The ITE core from 30 to 150 m is thus isolated from local air-sea fluxes by strong stratification at the mixed layer base, and its periphery is stable to shear instability, suggestive of longevity and the ability to carry water far distances with minimal modification.
Feasibility of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a tool for studying pregnancy-related disorders
Authors: Fuchi Naoki , Miura Kiyonori , Doi Hanako , Li Tao-Sheng , Masuzaki Hideaki 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for pregnancy-related disorders remain unclear. We investigated the feasibility of using placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a tool to study such pregnancy-related disorders. We isolated and expanded adequate numbers of cells with characteristic features of MSCs from the chorionic plate (CP-MSCs), chorionic villi (CV-MSCs), and decidua basalis (DB-MSCs) of human term placental tissues. All placenta-derived MSCs expressed pregnancy-associated C14MC microRNA (miRNA) (miR-323-3p). Interestingly, the placenta-specific C19MC miRNAs (miR-518b and miR517a) were clearly expressed in CP-MSCs and CV-MSCs of foetal origin, but were barely expressed in DB-MSCs of maternal origin. Furthermore, expression levels of placenta-specific C19MC miRNAs in CV-MSCs remained stable during theex vivoexpansion process and across different pregnancy phases (first trimesterversusthird trimester). High-efficiency siRNA transfection was confirmed in twice-passaged CV-MSCs with little toxicity, and microarray analysis was used to screen for miR-518b target genes. Placenta-derived MSCs, especially CV-MSCs, are a potential tool for investigating the role of placental miRNAs in pregnancy-related disorders.
apterous Brain Neurons Control Receptivity to Male Courtship in Drosophila Melanogaster Females
Authors: Aranha Márcia M. , Herrmann Dennis , Cachitas Hugo , Neto-Silva Ricardo M. , Dias Sophie , Vasconcelos Maria Luísa 
Published: April 2017

AbstractCourtship behaviours allow animals to interact and display their qualities before committing to reproduction. In fly courtship, the female decides whether or not to mate and is thought to display receptivity by slowing down to accept the male. Very little is known on the neuronal brain circuitry controlling female receptivity. Here we use genetic manipulation and behavioural studies to identify a novel set of neurons in the brain that controls sexual receptivity in the female without triggering the postmating response. We show that these neurons, defined by the expression of the transcription factor apterous, affect the modulation of female walking speed during courtship. Interestingly, we found that the apterous neurons required for female receptivity are neither doublesex nor fruitless positive suggesting that apterous neurons are not specified by the sex-determination cascade. Overall, these findings identify a neuronal substrate underlying female response to courtship and highlight the central role of walking speed in the receptivity behaviour.
Signal coverage approach to the detection probability of hypothetical extraterrestrial emitters in the Milky Way
Authors: Grimaldi Claudio 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe lack of evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, even the simplest forms of animal life, makes it is difficult to decide whether the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is more a high-risk, high-payoff endeavor than a futile attempt. Here we insist that even if extraterrestrial civilizations do exist and communicate, the likelihood of detecting their signals crucially depends on whether the Earth lies within a region of the galaxy covered by such signals. By considering possible populations of independent emitters in the galaxy, we build a statistical model of the domain covered by hypothetical extraterrestrial signals to derive the detection probability that the Earth is within such a domain. We show that for general distributions of the signal longevity and directionality, the mean number of detectable emitters is less than one even for detection probabilities as large as 50%, regardless of the number of emitters in the galaxy.
Lock-picks: fungal infection facilitates the intrusion of strangers into ant colonies
Authors: Csata Enikő , Timuş Natalia , Witek Magdalena , Casacci Luca Pietro , Lucas Christophe , Bagnères Anne-Geneviève , Sztencel-Jabłonka Anna , Barbero Francesca , Bonelli Simona , Rákosy László , Markó Bálint 
Published: April 2017

AbstractStudies investigating host-parasite systems rarely deal with multispecies interactions, and mostly explore impacts on hosts as individuals. Much less is known about the effects at colony level, when parasitism involves host organisms that form societies. We surveyed the effect of an ectoparasitic fungus, Rickia wasmannii, on kin-discrimination abilities of its host ant, Myrmica scabrinodis, identifying potential consequences at social level and subsequent changes in colony infiltration success of other organisms. Analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), known to be involved in insects’ discrimination processes, revealed variations in chemical profiles correlated with the infection status of the ants, that could not be explained by genetic variation tested by microsatellites. In behavioural assays, fungus-infected workers were less aggressive towards both non-nestmates and unrelated queens, enhancing the probability of polygyny. Likewise, parasitic larvae of Maculinea butterflies had a higher chance of adoption by infected colonies. Our study indicates that pathogens can modify host recognition abilities, making the society more prone to accept both conspecific and allospecific organisms.
Simultaneous and quantitative monitoring of co-cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus with antibiotics on a diffusometric platform
Authors: Chung Chih-Yao , Wang Jhih-Cheng , Chuang Han-Sheng 
Published: April 2017

AbstractSuccessful treatments against bacterial infections depend on antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). However, conventional AST requires more than 24 h to obtain an outcome, thereby contributing to high patient mortality. An antibiotic therapy based on experiences is therefore necessary for saving lives and escalating the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Accordingly, a fast and effective drug screen is necessary for the appropriate administration of antibiotics. The mixed pathogenic nature of infectious diseases emphasizes the need to develop an assay system for polymicrobial infections. On this basis, we present a novel technique for simultaneous and quantitative monitoring of co-cultured microorganisms by coupling optical diffusometry with bead-based immunoassays. This simple integration simultaneously achieves a rapid AST analysis for two pathogens. Triple color particles were simultaneously recorded and subsequently analyzed by functionalizing different fluorescent color particles with dissimilar pathogen-specific antibodies. Results suggested that the effect of the antibiotic, gentamicin, on co-cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was effectively distinguished by the proposed technique. This study revealed a multiplexed and time-saving (within 2 h) platform with a small sample volume (~0.5 μL) and a low initial bacterial count (50 CFU per droplet, ~105 CFU/mL) for continuously monitoring the growth of co-cultured microorganisms. This technique provides insights into timely therapies against polymicrobial diseases in the near future.
MAOA-a novel decision maker of apoptosis and autophagy in hormone refractory neuroendocrine prostate cancer cells
Authors: Lin Yi-Cheng , Chang Yi-Ting , Campbell Mel , Lin Tzu-Ping , Pan Chin-Chen , Lee Hsin-Chen , Shih Jean C. , Chang Pei-Ching 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAutophagy and apoptosis are two well-controlled mechanisms regulating cell fate. An understanding of decision-making between these two pathways is in its infancy. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is a mitochondrial enzyme that is well-known in psychiatric research. Emerging reports showed that overexpression MAOA is associated with prostate cancer (PCa). Here, we show that MAOA is involved in mediating neuroendocrine differentiation of PCa cells, a feature associated with hormone-refractory PCa (HRPC), a lethal type of disease. Following recent reports showing that NED of PCa requires down-regulation of repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) and activation of autophagy; we observe that MAOA is a novel direct target gene of REST. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by overexpressed MAOA plays an essential role in inhibiting apoptosis and activating autophagy in NED PCa cells. MAOA inhibitors significantly reduced NED and autophagy activation of PCa cells. Our results here show MAOA as a new decision-maker for activating autophagy and MAOA inhibitors may be useful as a potential therapy for neuroendocrine tumors.
No evidence for loss of short-wavelength sensitive cone photoreceptors in normal ageing of the primate retina
Authors: Weinrich Tobias W. , Powner Michael B. , Lynch Aisling , Jonnal Ravi S. , Werner John S. , Jeffery Glen 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn old world primates including humans, cone photoreceptors are classified according to their maximal sensitivity at either short (S, blue), middle (M, green) or long (L, red) wavelengths. Colour discrimination studies show that the S-cone pathway is selectively affected by age and disease, and psychophysical models implicate their loss. Photoreceptors have high metabolic demand and are susceptible to age or disease-related losses in oxygen and nutrient supply. Hence 30% of rods are lost over life. While comparable losses are not seen in cones, S-cones comprise less than 10% of the cone population, so significant loss would be undetected in total counts. Here we examine young and aged primate retinae stained to distinguish S from M/L-cones. We show there is no age-related cone loss in either cone type and that S-cones are as regularly distributed in old as young primates. We propose that S-cone metabolism is less flexible than in their M/L counterparts, making them more susceptible to deficits in normal cellular function. Hypoxia is a feature of the ageing retina as extracellular debris accumulates between photoreceptors and their blood supply which likely impacts S-cone function. However, that these cells remain in the ageing retina suggests the potential for functional restoration.
Deep Learning for Flow Sculpting: Insights into Efficient Learning using Scientific Simulation Data
Authors: Stoecklein Daniel , Lore Kin Gwn , Davies Michael , Sarkar Soumik , Ganapathysubramanian Baskar 
Published: April 2017

AbstractA new technique for shaping microfluid flow, known as flow sculpting, offers an unprecedented level of passive fluid flow control, with potential breakthrough applications in advancing manufacturing, biology, and chemistry research at the microscale. However, efficiently solving the inverse problem of designing a flow sculpting device for a desired fluid flow shape remains a challenge. Current approaches struggle with the many-to-one design space, requiring substantial user interaction and the necessity of building intuition, all of which are time and resource intensive. Deep learning has emerged as an efficient function approximation technique for high-dimensional spaces, and presents a fast solution to the inverse problem, yet the science of its implementation in similarly defined problems remains largely unexplored. We propose that deep learning methods can completely outpace current approaches for scientific inverse problems while delivering comparable designs. To this end, we show how intelligent sampling of the design space inputs can make deep learning methods more competitive in accuracy, while illustrating their generalization capability to out-of-sample predictions.
Increasing large scale windstorm damage in Western, Central and Northern European forests, 1951–2010
Authors: Gregow H. , Laaksonen A. , Alper M. E. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractUsing reports of forest losses caused directly by large scale windstorms (or primary damage, PD) from the European forest institute database (comprising 276 PD reports from 1951–2010), total growing stock (TGS) statistics of European forests and the daily North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, we identify a statistically significant change in storm intensity in Western, Central and Northern Europe (17 countries). Using the validated set of storms, we found that the year 1990 represents a change-point at which the average intensity of the most destructive storms indicated by PD/TGS > 0.08% increased by more than a factor of three. A likelihood ratio test provides strong evidence that the change-point represents a real shift in the statistical behaviour of the time series. All but one of the seven catastrophic storms (PD/TGS > 0.2%) occurred since 1990. Additionally, we detected a related decrease in September–November PD/TGS and an increase in December–February PD/TGS. Our analyses point to the possibility that the impact of climate change on the North Atlantic storms hitting Europe has started during the last two and half decades.
Cooperative roles of the suprachiasmatic nucleus central clock and the adrenal clock in controlling circadian glucocorticoid rhythm
Authors: Chung Sooyoung , Lee Eun Jeong , Cha Hyo Kyeong , Kim Jeongah , Kim Doyeon , Son Gi Hoon , Kim Kyungjin 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe mammalian circadian timing system consists of the central clock in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and subsidiary peripheral clocks in other tissues. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are adrenal steroid hormones with widespread physiological effects that undergo daily oscillations. We previously demonstrated that the adrenal peripheral clock plays a pivotal role in circadian GC rhythm by driving cyclic GC biosynthesis. Here, we show that the daily rhythm in circulating GC levels is controlled by bimodal actions of central and adrenal clockwork. When mice were subjected to daytime restricted feeding to uncouple central and peripheral rhythms, adrenal GC contents and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression peaked around zeitgeber time 00 (ZT00), consistent with shifted adrenal clock gene expression. However, restricted feeding produced two distinct peaks in plasma GC levels: one related to adrenal GC content and the other around ZT12, which required an intact SCN. Light pulse-evoked activation of the SCN increased circulating GC levels in both wild-type and adrenal clock-disrupted mutant mice without marked induction of GC biosynthesis. In conclusion, we demonstrate that adrenal clock-dependent steroidogenesis and a SCN-driven central mechanism regulating GC release cooperate to produce daily circulatory GC rhythm.
Early neurovascular dysfunction in a transgenic rat model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Joo Illsung L. , Lai Aaron Y. , Bazzigaluppi Paolo , Koletar Margaret M. , Dorr Adrienne , Brown Mary E. , Thomason Lynsie A. M. , Sled John G. , McLaurin JoAnne , Stefanovic Bojana 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD), pathologically characterized by amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) accumulation, neurofibrillary tangle formation, and neurodegeneration, is thought to involve early-onset neurovascular abnormalities. Hitherto studies on AD-associated neurovascular injury have used animal models that exhibit only a subset of AD-like pathologies and demonstrated some Aβ-dependent vascular dysfunction and destabilization of neuronal network. The present work focuses on the early stage of disease progression and uses TgF344-AD rats that recapitulate a broader repertoire of AD-like pathologies to investigate the cerebrovascular and neuronal network functioning usingin situtwo-photon fluorescence microscopy and laminar array recordings of local field potentials, followed by pathological analyses of vascular wall morphology, tau hyperphosphorylation, and amyloid plaques. Concomitant to widespread amyloid deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation, cerebrovascular reactivity was strongly attenuated in cortical penetrating arterioles and venules of TgF344-AD rats in comparison to those in non-transgenic littermates. Blood flow elevation to hypercapnia was abolished in TgF344-AD rats. Concomitantly, the phase-amplitude coupling of the neuronal network was impaired, evidenced by decreased modulation of theta band phase on gamma band amplitude. These results demonstrate significant neurovascular network dysfunction at an early stage of AD-like pathology. Our study identifies early markers of pathology progression and call for development of combinatorial treatment plans.
Influence of parental care on offspring hippocampal volume in young adults varies as a function of overprotection
Authors: Wang Yinan , Song Yiying , Li Xueting , Zhang Lin , Liu Jia 
Published: April 2017

AbstractParental care results in increased hippocampal volumes through adaptive stress responses in developing animals. However, human studies have not yet provided consistent findings analogous to the animal literature, possibly because parental care in humans is likely intermingled with parental overprotection, as suggested by the optimal parenting theory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the effect of parental care on offspring hippocampal volume varies as a function of parental overprotection with a large cohort of young adult participants (N = 257). Consistent with some previous human studies, we found that parental care in childhood alone had little association with the hippocampal volume in adulthood. However, when parental overprotection was low, parental care was positively correlated with offspring hippocampal volume, whereas there was no association between parental care and offspring hippocampal volume when parental overprotection was high. Thus, an interaction exists between parental care and overprotection in human’s hippocampal development, which contributes to the elucidation of the complex relationship between brain structure and environmental factors.
The effect of L-PRF membranes on bone healing in rabbit tibiae bone defects: micro-CT and biomarker results
Authors: Faot Fernanda , Deprez Sanne , Vandamme Katleen , Camargos Germana V. , Pinto Nelson , Wouters Jasper , van den Oord Joost , Quirynen Marc , Duyck Joke 
Published: April 2017

AbstractMore insight into the biological fundamentals of leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) guided healing is necessary to recommend its application, in particular in deficient bone sites that need to support implants. This study investigated the short-term bone healing effect of L-PRF treatment in cylindrical non-critical sized bone defects with 3 mm diameter and 6 mm depth in tibiae of 18 adult male New Zealand White rabbits. After a randomization process, 96 bone defects were prepared and half of them were filled with a L-PRF membrane, while untreated defects in the opposite tibia served as control group. The rabbits were euthanized after 7, 14 or 28 days of healing. The bone healing of the cortical and medullary areas was investigated by micro-CT, while the expression of molecular markers (RUNX2, VEGFA, COL1A2 and BMP2) was assessed by qRT-PCR. Treatment with L-PRF did not affect the micro-structural bone characteristics of the repaired bone tissue, except for a decrease in the trabecular connectivity at the cortical level after 14 days of healing. At this time, RUNX2 and VEGFA mRNA levels were significantly lower in the treated defects. L-PRF membranes thus had a temporary negative influence on the bone microarchitecture (Tb.Pf) and on the RUNX2 and VEGFA expression during early bone healing. Overall, L-PRF treatment did not enhance bone regeneration in these non-critical size defects after 28 days.