bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Growth mode of nitride semiconductors on nano‐patterned sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Song Bowen , Sun Haiding , Kao Chen‐Kai , Moustakas Theodore D. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn this paper we report on the growth mode by plasmaassisted MBE of nitride films on nano‐patterned sapphire substrates. Such substrates were fabricated using nano‐sphere and nano‐imprint lithographies, which led to cone‐and cylinder‐shaped patterns respectively. The data indicate that the pillars of the patterned substrate act a seeds for the subsequent growth and that the growth proceeds through the formation of a fully faceted pyramidal top surface. As the growth proceeds to more than 3 µm, the growth is dominated by the lateral growth of the top (0001) facets since the fluxes of the precursors on the inclined facets are lower. Eventually, these hexagonal (0001) facets coalesce leading to a continuous film with a smooth surface morphology.This multifaceted growth mode at the initial stages has the potential of lateral expulsion of threading dislocation by the inclined facets leading to nitride pillars with minimum number of threading dislocations. Cathodoluminescence measurements indicate significant increase in the emission intensity from the films grown on the nanopatterned sapphire substrates, compared to the emission from the films grown on the un‐patterned sapphire substrates. This increase is partly due to improvements in light extraction and partly to the improved crystalline quality of the films. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Photoluminescence of high‐resistivity ZnTe crystals doped with gallium and indium
Authors: Seto Satoru , Suzuki Kazuhiko 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWe have measured photoluminescence spectra of high‐resistivity ZnTe crystals doped with gallium and indium in the wide energy range from near‐band‐edge energy to deep energy region up to 0.78 eV. In the near‐band‐edge energy, we detected a characteristic excitonic peak at 2.363 eV in both gallium and indium doped high resistivity ZnTe. By comparison with a similar PL peak observed in high resistivity CdTe, we identified the characteristic peak at 2.363 eV as emission from excitons bound to defects complex arising from a Zn vacancy and gallium or indium atoms (VZn‐2D). In lower energy range, a newly strong deep emission band near 1.0 eV has been observed for the first time in high‐resistivity ZnTe crystals. The intensity of the deep emission is two order magnitude stronger than that in undoped one. Furthermore, the intensity and peak position of the deep emission band are almost unchanged by Zn‐saturated anneal at 600‐680 °C. We specualte that this deep emission band is responsible for the high resistivity of ZnTe and prevent conversion of n‐type low resistivity. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Crystallographic and optical characterizations of Ag(Ga,Al)Te2 layers grown on c ‐plane sapphire substrates by closed space sublimation
Authors: Uruno Aya , Takeda Yuji , Inoue Tomohiro , Kobayashi Masakazu 
Published: February 2016

AbstractAg(Ga,Al)Te2 layers were grown by the closed space sublimation method on c ‐plane sapphire substrates. The source used was AgAlTe2/AgGaTe2 mixture or AgAlTe2/Ga2Te3 mixture. The crystallographic property of Ag(Ga,Al)Te2 layers was analyzed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD). XRD spectra of layers exhibited very strong 112 diffraction peaks regardless of the variation of the source material mixture. In addition to crystallographic characterizations, optical properties of the Ag(Ga,Al)Te2 layer were evaluated through transmittance measurements. The bandgap energy was decreased when the source mole ratio of Al to Ga was decreased. It was revealed that control regulation of x composition of Ag(Ga1‐x,Alx)Te2 was feasible by varying the source mole ratio Al/(Ga+Al). (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Quantum confined Stark effect of polar and non‐polar ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells grown by MBE
Authors: Abe Tomoki , Motoyama Tatsuya , Yamamoto Masaya , Yamamoto Atsushi , Iwagashita Shohei , Kasada Hirofumi , Ando Koshi , Ichino Kunio 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWe have investigated quantum confined Stark effects of polar (O‐polar) and non‐polar ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells (QWs) by electroabsorption (EA) spectroscopy. The ZnO/ZnMgO QWs were grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA‐MBE). The ZnO/ZnMgO QWs were grown on c‐plane sapphire for polar ZnO QWs, and on r‐plane sapphire for non‐polar ZnO QWs, respectively. The polar ZnO/ZnMgO QWs exhibited a blue‐shift of 20 meV in excitonic transition energy by applying external bias at room temperature. This blue‐shift is due to reverse quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE) in a piezo electric‐field induced QW structures of wurtzite ZnO/ZnMgO QWs with c‐axis orientation. We confirmed a large red‐shift of 29 meV for non‐polar ZnO/ZnMgO QWs. This energy shift is originated from normal QCSE in the flat potential QWs without built‐in piezo electric‐field. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Spin properties of localized hole and resident electron in ZnO epilayers
Authors: Kim Jungtaek , Puls J. , Sadofev S. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe spin dynamic of the hole localized inside the donor bound exciton (D0X) and donor electrons is studied in ZnO epilayer by time‐resolved optical orientation of the D0X photoluminescence and the absorption bleaching of the spin‐sensitive D0X transition, respectively. A D0X life time of 140 ps and hole spin relaxation time of 80 ps are extracted. The comparable times allows us for an effective pumping of the donor electron spin via circularly polarized excitation.Long electron spin relaxation times in the 1 μs range are uncovered if the hyperfine interaction is suppressed by a proper longitudinal magnetic field B‖. A field strength of ≈2 mT is large enough to achieve that proving the extremely small Overhauser field BN acting on localized electrons. This is a direct result of the small abundance of magnetic nuclei interacting inside the small donor volume both specific for ZnO. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Atomic force microscopy study of ionomycin‐induced degranulation in RBL‐2H3 cells
Authors: Pi Jiang , Huang Lufen , Yang Fen , Jiang Jinhuan , Jin Hua , Liu Jianxin , Su Xiaohui , Wu Anguo , Cai Huaihong , Yang Peihui , Cai Jiye 
Published: February 2016

SummaryMast cell degranulation is the typical anaphylaxis process of mast cells associated with the release of cytokines, eicosanoids and their secretory granules, which play very important roles in the allergic inflammatory response of the human body upon anaphylactogen stimulation. The calcium ionophore ionomycin is widely used as a degranulation induction agent for mast cell degranulation studies. In the present work, ionomycin‐induced degranulation of RBL‐2H3 basophilic leukemia cell line cells was investigated in vitro by high resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM). Ionomycin, which could increase the intracellular free Ca2+ level and β‐Hexosaminidase release, was found to induce the formation of a kind of peculiar vesicles in the cytoplasm area of RBL‐2H3 cells. Those vesicles induced by ionomycin would desintegrate to release a larger amount of granules surrounding RBL‐2H3 cells by the controlling of F‐actin. These results provide the precise morphological information of ionomycin‐induced mast cell degranulation at nanoscale, which could benefit our understanding of ionomycin‐induced mast cell anaphylaxis model and also validate the applicability of AFM for the detection of allergic inflammatory response in mast cells. SCANNING 38:525–534, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How Students View the Boundaries Between Their Science and Religious Education Concerning the Origins of Life and the Universe
Authors: BILLINGSLEY BERRY , BROCK RICHARD , TABER KEITH S. , RIGA FRAN 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTInternationally in secondary schools, lessons are typically taught by subject specialists, raising the question of how to accommodate teaching which bridges the sciences and humanities. This is the first study to look at how students make sense of the teaching they receive in two subjects (science and religious education [RE]) when one subject's curriculum explicitly refers to cross‐disciplinary study and the other does not. Interviews with 61 students in seven schools in England suggested that students perceive a permeable boundary between science and their learning in science lessons and also a permeable boundary between religion and their learning in RE lessons, yet perceive a firm boundary between science lessons and RE lessons. We concluded that it is unreasonable to expect students to transfer instruction about cross‐disciplinary perspectives across such impermeable subject boundaries. Finally, we consider the implications of these findings for the successful management of cross‐disciplinary education.
Pitch‐based steganography for Speex voice codec
Authors: Janicki Artur 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis paper presents an improved version of a steganographic algorithm for IP telephony called HideF0. It is based on approximating the F0 parameter, which is responsible for conveying information about the pitch of the speech signal. The bits saved due to simplification of the pitch contour are used for the hidden transmission. In our experiments, the proposed method was applied to the narrowband Speex codec working in five different modes, with bitrates between 5,950 bps and 24,600 bps. We showed that HideF0 was able to create hidden channels with steganographic bandwidths of around 200 bps at the expense of a steganographic cost of between 0.5 and 0.7 MOS, depending on the Speex mode. Because of placing the approximation flag in the voice packet header, the improved version of the proposed algorithm yielded a significantly lower decrease in speech quality, when compared with the original version of HideF0. In addition, for low bitrates of the hidden channel (i.e., below ca. 50 bps) it was able to operate without introducing any steganographic cost. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concise Review: When Colonies Are Not Clones: Evidence and Implications of Intracolony Heterogeneity in Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Rennerfeldt Deena A. , Van Vliet Krystyn J. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The emergence of heterogeneity in putative mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) populations during in vitro expansion is not appreciated fully by the various communities who study, engineer, and use such stem cells. However, this functional diversity holds direct implications for basic research and therapeutic applications of MSCs that require predictable phenotypic function and efficacy. Despite numerous clinical trials pursuing MSC therapies, the in vitro expansion of homogeneous populations to therapeutically relevant quantities remains an elusive goal. Variation in MSC cultures has been noted not only among donors and within populations expanded from the same donor, but also debatably within single-cell-derived colonies. The potential for even intracolony heterogeneity suggests that any purified subpopulation will inevitably become heterogeneous upon further expansion under current culture conditions. Here, we review the noted or retrospective evidence of intracolony MSC heterogeneity, to facilitate discussion of its possible causes and potential solutions to its mitigation. This analysis suggests that functional diversity within an MSC colony must be considered in design of experiments and trials for even nonclonal stem cell populations, and can be mitigated or even exploited when the mechanisms of onset are better understood.
Differentiation of Vascular Stem Cells Contributes to Ectopic Calcification of Atherosclerotic Plaque
Authors: Leszczynska Aleksandra , O'Doherty Aideen , Farrell Eric , Pindjakova Jana , O'Brien Fergal J. , O'Brien Timothy , Barry Frank , Murphy Mary 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The cellular and molecular basis of vascular calcification (VC) in atherosclerosis is not fully understood. Here, we investigate role of resident/circulating progenitor cells in VC and contribution of inflammatory plaque environment to this process. Vessel-derived stem/progenitor cells (VSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from atherosclerotic ApoE−/− mice showed significantly more in vitro osteogenesis and chondrogenesis than cells generated from control C57BL/6 mice. To assess their ability to form bone in vivo, cells were primed chondrogenically or cultured in control medium on collagen glycosaminoglycan scaffolds in vitro prior to subcutaneous implantation in ApoE−/− and C57BL/6 mice using a crossover study design. Atherosclerotic ApoE−/− MSCs and VSCs formed bone when implanted in C57BL/6 mice. In ApoE−/− mice, these cells generated more mature bone than C57BL/6 cells. The atherosclerotic in vivo environment alone promoted bone formation by implanted C57BL/6 cells. Un-primed C57BL/6 VSCs were unable to form bone in either mouse strain. Treatment of ApoE−/− VSC chondrogenic cultures with interleukin (IL)-6 resulted in significantly increased glycosaminoglycan deposition and expression of characteristic chondrogenic genes at 21 days. In conclusion, resident vascular cells from atherosclerotic environment respond to the inflammatory milieu and undergo calcification. IL-6 may have a role in aberrant differentiation of VSCs contributing to vascular calcification in atherosclerosis.
Human Stem Cells Overexpressing miR-21 Promote Angiogenesis in Critical Limb Ischemia by Targeting CHIP to Enhance HIF-1α Activity
Authors: Zhou Yong , Zhu Youming , Zhang Li , Wu Tao , Wu Tingting , Zhang Wenjie , Decker Ann Marie , He Jiacai , Liu Jie , Wu Yiqun , Jiang Xinqun , Zhang Zhiyuan , Liang Chaozhao , Zou Duohong 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a severe blockage in the arteries of the lower extremities. However, the effective and optimal treatment for CLI remains to be elucidated. Previous therapeutic research is mainly focused on proangiogenic growth factors administrations. Recently, miR-21 has been revealed to play a crucial role in angiogenesis. Thus, we hypothesize that miR-21 over-expression in human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs) can effectively treat CLI. Herein, UCBMSCs were transduced with lentivirus-miR-21-Luciferase (Lenti-miR-21) or lentivirus- LacZ-Luciferase (Lenti-LacZ). The results indicated that miR-21 induced UCBMSCs proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in vitro. Subsequently, general observation and laser Doppler perfusion imaging were introduced to detect perfusion in muscles of CLI-nude mice on 1, 4, 7, 14, and 28 day postoperation. There was a significant improvement in blood vessels of the ischemic limb in Lenti-miR-21 group at 7 day compared with the saline or Lenti-LacZ groups. At 28 day, histological analysis confirmed that UCBMSCs over-expressing miR-21 increased neovascularization in CLI. Furthermore, carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) was found to be the target gene for miR-21-mediated activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in UCBMSCs. In summary, our study demonstrated that over-expressing miR-21 in UCBMSCs could improve neovascularization in CLI through enhancing HIF-1α activity by targeting CHIP, which may hold great therapeutic promise in treating CLI.
siRNA and RNAi optimization
Authors: Alagia Adele , Eritja Ramon 
Published: February 2016

The discovery and examination of the posttranscriptional gene regulatory mechanism known as RNA interference (RNAi) contributed to the identification of small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the comprehension of its enormous potential for clinical purposes. Theoretically, the ability of specific target gene downregulation makes the RNAi pathway an appealing solution for several diseases. Despite numerous hurdles resulting from the inherent properties of siRNA molecule and proper delivery to the target tissue, more than 50 RNA‐based drugs are currently under clinical testing. In this work, we analyze the recent literature in the optimization of siRNA molecules. In detail, we focused on describing the most recent advances of siRNA field aimed at optimize siRNA pharmacokinetic properties. Special attention has been given in describing the impact of RNA modifications in the potential off‐target effects (OTEs) such as saturation of the RNAi machinery, passenger strand‐mediated silencing, immunostimulation, and miRNA‐like OTEs as well as to recent developments on the delivery issue. The novel delivery systems and modified siRNA provide significant steps toward the development of reliable siRNA molecules for therapeutic use. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:316–329. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1337This article is categorized under:

RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry
Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > RNAi: Mechanisms of Action
RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Laparoscopic Versus Open Distal Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Stauffer John A. , Coppola Alessandro , Mody Kabir , Asbun Horacio J. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractBackgroundLaparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) has been shown to have short‐term benefits over open distal pancreatectomy (ODP). Its application for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial.MethodsFrom 1995 to 2014, 72 patients underwent distal pancreatectomy for PDAC at a single institution and were included in the study. Postoperative and long‐term outcomes of patients undergoing LDP (n = 44) or ODP (n = 28) were compared.ResultsLDP was associated with less blood loss (332 vs. 874 mL, p = 0.0012) and lower transfusion rates than ODP (18.2 vs. 50 %, p = 0.0495). Operative time was similar (254 vs. 266 min) for LDP and ODP; five patients (11.4 %) required conversion to ODP. Pancreatic fistulas (13.6 vs. 7.1 %) and major complications (13.6 vs. 25 %), were similar between LDP and ODP, respectively. Length of hospital stay (5.1 vs. 9.4 days, p = 0.0001) and time to initiate adjuvant therapy (69.4 vs. 95.6 days, p = 0.0441) was shorter for LDP than ODP. Tumor characteristics were similar but LDP was associated with more resected lymph nodes than ODP (25.9 vs. 12.7, p = 0.0001). One‐, three‐, and five‐year survival rates were similar between LDP (69, 41, and 41 %, respectively) and ODP (78, 44, and 32 %, respectively).ConclusionLDP is associated with less blood loss and need for blood transfusion, shorter hospital stay, and faster time to initiate adjuvant therapy than ODP for patients with PDAC. Postoperative outcomes and long‐term survival are similar between the two groups. LDP appears to be safe in the treatment of patients with PDAC.
Perioperative Care of the Transgender Patient
Authors: Smith Francis Duval 
Published: February 2016

AbstractTransgender patients are individuals whose gender identity is not related to their biological sex. Assuming a new gender identity that does not conform to societal norms often results in discrimination and barriers to health care. The exact number of transgender patients is unknown; however, these patients are increasingly seen in health care. Transgender individuals may experience provider‐generated discrimination in health care facilities, including refusal of service, disrespect, and abuse, which contribute to depression and low self‐esteem. Transgender therapies include mental health counseling for depression and low self‐esteem, hormone therapy, and sex reassignment surgery. Health care professionals require cultural competence, an understanding of the different forms of patient identification, and adaptive approaches to care for transgender patients. VA (Veterans Affairs) hospitals provide a model for the care for transgender patients and staff.
The effect of prenatal and intrapartum care on the stillbirth rate among women in rural Ethiopia
Authors: Ballard Karen , Belete Zelalem , Kinfu Hirut , Tadesse Mebkyou , Amin Mohammed , Atnafu Habtamu 
Published: February 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo determine whether community‐based prenatal and intrapartum care in Ethiopia results in a lower stillbirth rate.MethodsBetween May and December 2014, a randomly selected sample of women in northern and eastern Ethiopia who had delivered a neonate in the preceding 12 months completed a face‐to‐face survey about their experiences of maternal services and the fetal outcome for each delivery. The stillbirth rates among women delivering at home and at health facilities were compared.ResultsOverall, 4442 women completed surveys. Stillbirth was reported by 42 (1.7%) of the 2437 women who had received prenatal care and 53 (2.8%) of the 1921 women who did not receive prenatal care (P = 0.01). The stillbirth rate was similar among women who delivered in a health center (27/1417 [1.9%]), in a hospital (6/126 [4.8%]), and at home (62/2725 [2.3%]; P = 0.13). However, women experiencing an intrapartum emergency were twice as likely to deliver in a health facility (odds ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval 2.2–3.0). Satisfaction with health‐center care was moderately good (median score 77.5/100).ConclusionThe stillbirth rate was reduced among women receiving prenatal care, although delivering in a health facility did not reduce the risk of stillbirth. Improving the quality of health‐center care could lead to their planned use for childbirth, which might reduce stillbirth rates.
Assessment of complications due to intratympanic injections
Authors: Liu Yu‐Chuan , Chi Fan‐Hsiang , Yang Ting‐Hua , Liu Tien‐Chen 
Published: February 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of the study is to report and to analyze the complications following intratympanic injections (ITI) of steroids. The occurrence rate of complications at different ITI sites, four quadrants of eardrum, was also compared.MethodsA retrospective clinical review in a medical center. Each patient received ITI twice in a week for 2–3 consecutive weeks as a salvage therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Post‐injection complications, especially transient dizziness and vertigo, were recorded. Patients with acute or chronic vertigo episodes in 1 month were excluded.ResultsA total of 59 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and a total of 278 times of ITI were performed in 1 year. The post‐injection complications included pain, tongue numbness, transient dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, and a small persistent perforation. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of these complications between the injections sites on the 4 quadrants of the tympanic membrane. However, there was statistical significance in the post‐injection vertiginous episode after IT injections to posterior‐inferior quadrant (Q3) and posterior‐superior quadrant (Q4) compared to anterior‐superior quadrant (Q1) and anterior‐inferior quadrant (Q2) (P = 0.0113).ConclusionIT injection is recommended to be applied to the Q2 since the Q1 and Q4 injections are more likely to induce the adverse effect of tongue numbness, while the Q3 and Q4 areas are more likely to induce post‐injection vertigo.