bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emergency presentations of head and neck cancer: a modern perspective
Authors: Bannister M , Vallamkondu V , Ah-See K W 
Published: April 2016

AbstractBackground:Head and neck cancer emergency presentations are uncommon but persistent. However, there is little published literature on this aspect of cancer and patient demographics. This study aimed to assess the incidence, patient profile, tumour site and stage of emergency cancer presentations in our region.Method:Retrospective review of regional cancer database over a five-year period.Results:Emergency presentations accounted for 7 per cent of all cases. There was no difference in patient age and risk factors between the emergency and non-emergency presentations. The emergency presentation group showed a greater proportion of female patients compared to the non-emergency presentation group (30 vs 15 per cent). In all emergency presentations, the cancer was at advanced stages. Oropharyngeal cancer was the commonest emergency presentation of cancer, but the third commonest in the non-emergency group.Conclusion:Emergency presentations are increasing annually. Female patients and oropharyngeal cancer showed greater representation compared to male patients and laryngeal cancer.
Hypertension-associated C825T polymorphism impairs the function of Gβ3 to target GRK2 ubiquitination
Authors: Zha Zhengyu , Han Xiao-Ran , Smith Matthew D , Lei Qun-Ying , Guan Kun-Liang , Xiong Yue 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPopulation-based and case–control studies in different ethnicities have linked a polymorphism, C825T, in exon 10 of GNB3 gene to hypertension and several additional diseases. The 825T allele is associated with alternative splicing and results in a shortened Gβ3 protein, referred to as Gβ3s, which loses 41 amino acids encompassing one WD40 repeat domain. The mechanism of how Gβ3 C825T polymorphism is associated with hypertension has remained unclear, but an impairment of its canonical function in G-protein-coupled receptor signaling has been ruled out. Here, we report that Gβ3, like other Gβ proteins, binds to DDB1 and assembles a DDB1-CUL4A-ROC1 E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4AGβ3) to target GRK2 ubiquitination. The loss of the 41 amino-acid residues disrupts the Gβ3-DDB1 binding and impairs the function of Gβ3s to ubiquitinate GRK2. GRK2 ubiquitination levels were decreased and protein levels were accumulated in the blood samples of Gβ3 825T allele carriers. Deletion of Cul4a in mice resulted in systolic pressure increased and weakened heart function in male mice that can be partially rescued by the deletion of one Grk2 allele. These results reveal a mechanism explaining the link between Gβ3 C825T polymorphism and hypertension.
An inhibitor of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan synthesis promotes central nervous system remyelination
Authors: Keough Michael B. , Rogers James A. , Zhang Ping , Jensen Samuel K. , Stephenson Erin L. , Chen Tieyu , Hurlbert Mitchel G. , Lau Lorraine W. , Rawji Khalil S. , Plemel Jason R. , Koch Marcus , Ling Chang-Chun , Yong V. Wee 
Published: April 2016

AbstractRemyelination is the generation of new myelin sheaths after injury facilitated by processes of differentiating oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Although this repair phenomenon occurs in lesions of multiple sclerosis patients, many lesions fail to completely remyelinate. A number of factors have been identified that contribute to remyelination failure, including the upregulated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) that comprise part of the astrogliotic scar. We show that in vitro, OPCs have dramatically reduced process outgrowth in the presence of CSPGs, and a medication library that includes a number of recently reported OPC differentiation drugs failed to rescue this inhibitory phenotype on CSPGs. We introduce a novel CSPG synthesis inhibitor to reduce CSPG content and find rescued process outgrowth from OPCs in vitro and accelerated remyelination following focal demyelination in mice. Preventing CSPG deposition into the lesion microenvironment may be a useful strategy to promote repair in multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.
Neural substrates of cognitive biases during probabilistic inference
Authors: Soltani Alireza , Khorsand Peyman , Guo Clara , Farashahi Shiva , Liu Janet 
Published: April 2016

AbstractDecision making often requires simultaneously learning about and combining evidence from various sources of information. However, when making inferences from these sources, humans show systematic biases that are often attributed to heuristics or limitations in cognitive processes. Here we use a combination of experimental and modelling approaches to reveal neural substrates of probabilistic inference and corresponding biases. We find systematic deviations from normative accounts of inference when alternative options are not equally rewarding; subjects’ choice behaviour is biased towards the more rewarding option, whereas their inferences about individual cues show the opposite bias. Moreover, inference bias about combinations of cues depends on the number of cues. Using a biophysically plausible model, we link these biases to synaptic plasticity mechanisms modulated by reward expectation and attention. We demonstrate that inference relies on direct estimation of posteriors, not on combination of likelihoods and prior. Our work reveals novel mechanisms underlying cognitive biases and contributions of interactions between reward-dependent learning, decision making and attention to high-level reasoning.
All-optical design for inherently energy-conserving reversible gates and circuits
Authors: Cohen Eyal , Dolev Shlomi , Rosenblit Michael 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAs energy efficiency becomes a paramount issue in this day and age, reversible computing may serve as a critical step towards energy conservation in information technology. The inputs of reversible computing elements define the outputs and vice versa. Some reversible gates such as the Fredkin gate are also universal; that is, they may be used to produce any logic operation. It is possible to find physical representations for the information, so that when processed with reversible logic, the energy of the output is equal to the energy of the input. It is suggested that there may be devices that will do that without applying any additional power. Here, we present a formalism that may be used to produce any reversible logic gate. We implement this method over an optical design of the Fredkin gate, which utilizes only optical elements that inherently conserve energy.
Divergent bufavirus harboured in megabats represents a new lineage of parvoviruses
Authors: Sasaki Michihito , Gonzalez Gabriel , Wada Yuji , Setiyono Agus , Handharyani Ekowati , Rahmadani Ibenu , Taha Siswatiana , Adiani Sri , Latief Munira , Kholilullah Zainal Abidin , Subangkit Mawar , Kobayashi Shintaro , Nakamura Ichiro , Kimura Takashi , Orba Yasuko , Ito Kimihito , Sawa Hirofumi 
Published: April 2016

AbstractBufavirus is a recently recognized member of the genus Protoparvovirus in the subfamily Parvovirinae. It has been reported that human bufavirus was detected predominantly in patients with diarrhoea in several countries. However, little is known about bufavirus or its close relatives in nonhuman mammals. In this study, we performed nested-PCR screening and identified bufavirus from 12 megabats of Pteropus spp. in Indonesia. Furthermore, we determined nearly the full genome sequence of a novel megabat-borne bufavirus, tentatively named megabat bufavirus 1. Phylogenetic analyses showed that megabat bufavirus 1 clustered with known protoparvoviruses, including human bufavirus but represented a distinct lineage of bufavirus. Our analyses also inferred phylogenetic relationships among animal-borne bufaviruses recently reported by other studies. Recombination analyses suggested that the most common recent ancestor of megabat bufavirus 1 might have arisen from multiple genetic recombination events. These results characterized megabat bufavirus 1 as the first protoparvovirus discovered from megabats and indicates the high genetic divergence of bufavirus.
Exon-skipping and mRNA decay in human liver tissue: molecular consequences of pathogenic bile salt export pump mutations
Authors: Dröge Carola , Schaal Heiner , Engelmann Guido , Wenning Daniel , Häussinger Dieter , Kubitz Ralf 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe bile salt export pump BSEP mediates bile formation. Over 150 BSEP mutations are associated with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2 (PFIC-2), with few characterised specifically. We examined liver tissues from two PFIC-2 patients compound heterozygous for the splice-site mutation c.150 + 3A > C and either c.2783_2787dup5 resulting in a frameshift with a premature termination codon (child 1) or p.R832C (child 2). Splicing was analysed with a minigene system and mRNA sequencing from patients’ livers. Protein expression was shown by immunofluorescence. Using the minigene, c.150 + 3A > C causes complete skipping of exon 3. In liver tissue of child 1, c.2783_2787dup5 was found on DNA but not on mRNA level, implying nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) when c.2783_2787dup5 is present. Still, BSEP protein as well as mRNA with and without exon 3 were detectable and can be assigned to the c.150 + 3A > C allele. Correctly spliced transcripts despite c.150 + 3A > C were also confirmed in liver of child 2. In conclusion, we provide evidence (1) for effective NMD due to a BSEP frameshift mutation and (2) partial exon-skipping due to c.150 + 3A > C. The results illustrate that the extent of exon-skipping depends on the genomic and cellular context and that regulation of splicing may have therapeutic potential.
The role of fluid pressure in induced vs. triggered seismicity: insights from rock deformation experiments on carbonates
Authors: Scuderi Marco M. , Collettini Cristiano 
Published: April 2016

AbstractFluid overpressure is one of the primary mechanisms for tectonic fault slip, because fluids lubricate the fault and fluid pressure reduces the effective normal stress that holds the fault in place. However, current models of earthquake nucleation, based on rate- and state- friction laws, imply that stable sliding is favoured by the increase of pore fluid pressure. Despite this controversy, currently, there are only a few studies on the role of fluid pressure under controlled, laboratory conditions. Here, we use laboratory experiments, to show that the rate- and state- friction parameters do change with increasing fluid pressure. We tested carbonate gouges from sub hydrostatic to near lithostatic fluid pressure conditions and show that the friction rate parameter (a − b) evolves from velocity strengthening to velocity neutral behaviour. Furthermore, the critical slip distance, Dc, decreases from about 90 to 10 μm. Our data suggest that fluid overpressure plays an important role in controlling the mode of fault slip. Since fault rheology and fault stability parameters change with fluid pressure, we suggest that a comprehensive characterization of these parameters is fundamental for better assessing the role of fluid pressure in natural and human induced earthquakes.
Vascularised endosteal bone tissue in armoured sauropod dinosaurs
Authors: Chinsamy Anusuya , Cerda Ignacio , Powell Jaime 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe presence of well-vascularised, endosteal bone in the medullary region of long bones of nonavian dinosaurs has been invoked as being homologous to medullary bone, a specialised bone tissue formed during ovulation in birds. However, similar bone tissues can result as a pathological response in modern birds and in nonavian dinosaurs and has also been reported in an immature nonavian dinosaur. Here we report on the occurrence of well-vascularised endosteally formed bone tissue in three skeletal elements of armoured titanosaur sauropods from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina: i) within the medullary cavity of a metatarsal, ii) inside a pneumatic cavity of a posterior caudal vertebra, iii) in intra-trabecular spaces in an osteoderm. We show that considering the criteria of location, origin (or development) and histology, these endosteally derived tissues in the saltasaurine titanosaurs could be described as either medullary bone or pathological bone. Furthermore, we show that similar endosteally formed well-vascularised bone tissue is fairly widely distributed among nondinosaurian Archosauriformes and are not restricted to long bones, but can occur in the axial and dermal skeleton. We propose that independent evidence is required to verify whether vascularised endosteal bone tissues in extinct archosaurs are pathological or reproductive in nature.
Optimisation of GaN LEDs and the reduction of efficiency droop using active machine learning
Authors: Rouet-Leduc Bertrand , Barros Kipton , Lookman Turab , Humphreys Colin J. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractA fundamental challenge in the design of LEDs is to maximise electro-luminescence efficiency at high current densities. We simulate GaN-based LED structures that delay the onset of efficiency droop by spreading carrier concentrations evenly across the active region. Statistical analysis and machine learning effectively guide the selection of the next LED structure to be examined based upon its expected efficiency as well as model uncertainty. This active learning strategy rapidly constructs a model that predicts Poisson-Schrödinger simulations of devices and that simultaneously produces structures with higher simulated efficiencies.
Target delivery of small interfering RNAs with vitamin E-coupled nanoparticles for treating hepatitis C
Authors: Duan Liang , Yan Yan , Liu Jingyi , Wang Bo , Li Pu , Hu Qin , Chen Weixian 
Published: April 2016

AbstractRNA interference (RNAi) represents a promising strategy for the treatment of HCV infection. However, the development of an effective system for in vivo delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to target organ remains a formidable challenge. Here, we develop a unique nanoparticle platform (VE-DC) composed of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and cholesterol-based cationic liposomes (DOTAP-Chol) for systemic delivery of siRNAs to the liver. A HCV-replicable cell line, Huh7.5.1-HCV and a transient HCV core expressing cell line, Huh7.5.1-Core, were constructed and used to assess the in vitro anti-HCV activity of VE-DC/siRNAs. A transient in vivo HCV model was also constructed by hydrodynamic injection of pCDNA3.1(+)-3FLAG-Core (pCore-3FLAG) plasmid expressing core protein or pGL3-5′UTR-luciferase (pGL3-5′UTR-luc) plasmid expressing luciferase driven by HCV 5′UTR. Nanoscale VE-DC/siRNA was intravenously injected to assess the liver-targeting property as well as antiviral activity. The nanoscale VE-DC effectively exerted an anti-HCV activity in the in vitro cell models. Post-administration of VE-DC/siRNAs also effectively delivered siRNAs to the liver, suppressing core protein production and firefly luciferase activity, without inducing an innate immunity response or off-target and toxicity effects. The VE-DC platform has high potential as a vehicle for delivery of siRNAs to the liver for gene therapy for targeting hepatitis C.
Size-tunable copper nanocluster aggregates and their application in hydrogen sulfide sensing on paper-based devices
Authors: Chen Po-Cheng , Li Yu-Chi , Ma Jia-Yin , Huang Jia-Yu , Chen Chien-Fu , Chang Huan-Tsung 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPolystyrene sulfonate (PSS), a strong polyelectrolyte, was used to prepare red photoluminescent PSS-penicillamine (PA) copper (Cu) nanoclusters (NC) aggregates, which displayed high selectivity and sensitivity to the detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The size of the PSS-PA-Cu NC aggregates could be readily controlled from 5.5 μm to 173 nm using different concentrations of PSS, which enabled better dispersity and higher sensitivity towards H2S. PSS-PA-Cu NC aggregates provided rapid H2S detection by using the strong Cu-S interaction to quench NC photoluminescence as a sensing mechanism. As a result, a detection limit of 650 nM, which is lower than the maximum level permitted in drinking water by the World Health Organization, was achieved for the analysis of H2S in spring-water samples. Moreover, highly dispersed PSS-PA-Cu NC aggregates could be incorporated into a plate-format paper-based analytical device which enables ultra-low sample volumes (5 μL) and feature shorter analysis times (30 min) compared to conventional solution-based methods. The advantages of low reagent consumption, rapid result readout, limited equipment and long-term storage make this platform sensitive and simple enough to use without specialized training in resource constrained settings.
Strong Surface Orientation Dependent Thermal Transport in Si Nanowires
Authors: Zhou Yanguang , Chen Yuli , Hu Ming 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThermoelectrics, which convert waste heat to electricity, offer an attractive pathway for addressing an important niche in the globally growing landscape of energy demand. Research to date has focused on reducing the thermal conductivity relative to the bulk. Si nanowires (NWs) have received exceptional attention due to their low-dimensionality, abundance of availability and high carrier mobility. From thermal transport point of view, the thermal conductivity of Si NWs strongly depends on the detailed surface structure, such as roughness and surface orientation. Here, direct molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical models are used to investigate the thermal transport in Si NWs with diverse surface orientations. Our results show that the thermal conductivity of Si NWs with different surface orientation can differ by as large as 2.7~4.2 times, which suggests a new route to boost the thermoelectric performance. Using the full spectrum theory, we find that the surface orientation, which alters the distribution of atoms on the surface and determines the degree of phonon coupling between the core and the surface, is the dominant mechanism. Furthermore, using spectral thermal conductivity, the remarkable difference in the thermal conductivity for different surface orientation is found to only stem from the phonons in the medium frequency range, with minor contribution from low and high frequency phonons.
A Chelation Strategy for In-situ Constructing Surface Oxygen Vacancy on {001} Facets Exposed BiOBr Nanosheets
Authors: Wang Xiao-jing , Zhao Ying , Li Fa-tang , Dou Li-jun , Li Yu-pei , Zhao Jun , Hao Ying-juan 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSurface defect of nanomaterials is an important physical parameter which significantly influences their physical and chemical performances. In this work, high concentration of surface oxygen vancancies (SOVs) are successfully introduced on {001} facets exposed BiOBr nanosheets via a simple surface modification using polybasic carboxylic acids. The chelation interaction between carboxylic acid anions and Bi3+ results in the weakness of Bi-O bond of BiOBr. Afterwards, under visible-light irradiation, the oxygen atoms would absorb the photo-energy and then be released from the surface of BiOBr, leaving SOVs. The electron spin resonance (ESR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) measurements confirm the existence of SOVs. The SOVs can enhance the absorption in visible light region and improve the separation efficiency of photo-generated charges. Hence, the transformation rate of adsorbed O2 on the as-prepared BiOBr with SOVs to superoxide anion radicals (•O2−) and the photocatalytic activity are greatly enhanced. Based on the modification by several carboxylic acids and the photocatalytic results, we propose that carboxylic acids with natural bond orbital (NBO) electrostatic charges absolute values greater than 0.830 are effective in modifying BiOBr.
Inhabitancy of active Nitrosopumilus-like ammonia-oxidizing archaea and Nitrospira nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in the sponge Theonella swinhoei
Authors: Feng Guofang , Sun Wei , Zhang Fengli , Karthik Loganathan , Li Zhiyong 
Published: April 2016

AbstractNitrification directly contributes to the ammonia removal in sponges and it plays an indispensable role in sponge-mediated nitrogen cycle. Previous studies have demonstrated genomic evidences of nitrifying lineages in the sponge Theonella swinhoei. However, little is known about the transcriptional activity of nitrifying community in this sponge. In this study, combined DNA- and transcript-based analyses were performed to reveal the composition and transcriptional activity of the nitrifiers in T. swinhoei from the South China Sea. Transcriptional activity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in this sponge were confirmed by targeting their nitrifying genes,16S rRNA genes and their transcripts. Phylogenetic analysis coupled with RDP rRNA classification indicated that archaeal 16S rRNA genes, amoA (the subunit of ammonia monooxygenase) genes and their transcripts were closely related to Nitrosopumilus-like AOA; whereas nitrifying bacterial 16S rRNA genes, nxrB (the subunit of nitrite oxidoreductase) genes and their transcripts were closely related to Nitrospira NOB. Quantitative assessment demonstrated relative higher abundances of nitrifying genes and transcripts of Nitrosopumilus-like AOA than those of Nitrospira NOB in this sponge. This study illustrated the transcriptional potentials of Nitrosopumilus-like archaea and Nitrospira bacteria that would predominantly contribute to the nitrification functionality in the South China Sea T. swinhoei.
Efficiently-cooled plasmonic amorphous silicon solar cells integrated with a nano-coated heat-pipe plate
Authors: Zhang Yinan , Du Yanping , Shum Clifford , Cai Boyuan , Le Nam Cao Hoai , Chen Xi , Duck Benjamin , Fell Christopher , Zhu Yonggang , Gu Min 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSolar photovoltaics (PV) are emerging as a major alternative energy source. The cost of PV electricity depends on the efficiency of conversion of light to electricity. Despite of steady growth in the efficiency for several decades, little has been achieved to reduce the impact of real-world operating temperatures on this efficiency. Here we demonstrate a highly efficient cooling solution to the recently emerging high performance plasmonic solar cell technology by integrating an advanced nano-coated heat-pipe plate. This thermal cooling technology, efficient for both summer and winter time, demonstrates the heat transportation capability up to ten times higher than those of the metal plate and the conventional wickless heat-pipe plates. The reduction in temperature rise of the plasmonic solar cells operating under one sun condition can be as high as 46%, leading to an approximate 56% recovery in efficiency, which dramatically increases the energy yield of the plasmonic solar cells. This newly-developed, thermally-managed plasmonic solar cell device significantly extends the application scope of PV for highly efficient solar energy conversion.