bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Irregular Neuronal Firing by Autaptic Transmission
Authors: Guo Daqing , Wu Shengdun , Chen Mingming , Perc Matjaž , Zhang Yangsong , Ma Jingling , Cui Yan , Xu Peng , Xia Yang , Yao Dezhong 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe importance of self-feedback autaptic transmission in modulating spike-time irregularity is still poorly understood. By using a biophysical model that incorporates autaptic coupling, we here show that self-innervation of neurons participates in the modulation of irregular neuronal firing, primarily by regulating the occurrence frequency of burst firing. In particular, we find that both excitatory and electrical autapses increase the occurrence of burst firing, thus reducing neuronal firing regularity. In contrast, inhibitory autapses suppress burst firing and therefore tend to improve the regularity of neuronal firing. Importantly, we show that these findings are independent of the firing properties of individual neurons and as such can be observed for neurons operating in different modes. Our results provide an insightful mechanistic understanding of how different types of autapses shape irregular firing at the single-neuron level and they highlight the functional importance of autaptic self-innervation in taming and modulating neurodynamics.
High-performance flexible energy storage and harvesting system for wearable electronics
Authors: Ostfeld Aminy E. , Gaikwad Abhinav M. , Khan Yasser , Arias Ana C. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThis paper reports on the design and operation of a flexible power source integrating a lithium ion battery and amorphous silicon solar module, optimized to supply power to a wearable health monitoring device. The battery consists of printed anode and cathode layers based on graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, respectively, on thin flexible current collectors. It displays energy density of 6.98 mWh/cm2 and demonstrates capacity retention of 90% at 3C discharge rate and ~99% under 100 charge/discharge cycles and 600 cycles of mechanical flexing. A solar module with appropriate voltage and dimensions is used to charge the battery under both full sun and indoor illumination conditions and the addition of the solar module is shown to extend the battery lifetime between charging cycles while powering a load. Furthermore, we show that by selecting the appropriate load duty cycle, the average load current can be matched to the solar module current and the battery can be maintained at a constant state of charge. Finally, the battery is used to power a pulse oximeter, demonstrating its effectiveness as a power source for wearable medical devices.
Brain Tumor Genetic Modification Yields Increased Resistance to Paclitaxel in Physical Confinement
Authors: Bui Loan , Hendricks Alissa , Wright Jamie , Chuong Cheng-Jen , Davé Digant , Bachoo Robert , Kim Young-tae 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBrain tumor cells remain highly resistant to radiation and chemotherapy, particularly malignant and secondary cancers. In this study, we utilized microchannel devices to examine the effect of a confined environment on the viability and drug resistance of the following brain cancer cell lines: primary cancers (glioblastoma multiforme and neuroblastoma), human brain cancer cell lines (D54 and D54-EGFRvIII) and genetically modified mouse astrocytes (wild type, p53−/−, p53−/− PTEN−/−, p53−/− Braf and p53−/− PTEN−/− Braf). We found that loss of PTEN combined with Braf activation resulted in higher viability in narrow microchannels. In addition, Braf conferred increased resistance to the microtubule-stabilizing drug Taxol in narrow confinement. Similarly, survival of D54-EGFRvIII cells was unaffected following treatment with Taxol, whereas the viability of D54 cells was reduced by 75% under these conditions. Taken together, our data suggests key targets for anticancer drugs based on cellular genotypes and their specific survival phenotypes during confined migration.
One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of Nitrogen-doped graphene as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Xing Zheng , Ju Zhicheng , Zhao Yulong , Wan Jialu , Zhu Yabo , Qiang Yinghuai , Qian Yitai 
Published: May 2016

AbstractNitrogen-doped (N-doped) graphene has been prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal approach using hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) as single carbon and nitrogen source. In this hydrothermal process, HMTA pyrolyzes at high temperature and the N-doped graphene subsequently self-assembles on the surface of MgO particles (formed by the Mg powder reacting with H2O) during which graphene synthesis and nitrogen doping are simultaneously achieved. The as-synthesized graphene with incorporation of nitrogen groups possesses unique structure including thin layer thickness, high surface area, mesopores and vacancies. These structural features and their synergistic effects could not only improve ions and electrons transportation with nanometer-scale diffusion distances but also promote the penetration of electrolyte. The N-doped graphene exhibits high reversible capacity, superior rate capability as well as long-term cycling stability, which demonstrate that the N-doped graphene with great potential to be an efficient electrode material. The experimental results provide a new hydrothermal route to synthesize N-doped graphene with potential application for advanced energy storage, as well as useful information to design new graphene materials.
Defective excitation-contraction coupling is partially responsible for impaired contractility in hindlimb muscles of Stac3 knockout mice
Authors: Cong Xiaofei , Doering Jonathan , Grange Robert W. , Jiang Honglin 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe Stac3 gene is exclusively expressed in skeletal muscle, and Stac3 knockout is perinatal lethal in mice. Previous data from Stac3-deleted diaphragms indicated that Stac3-deleted skeletal muscle could not contract because of defective excitation-contraction (EC) coupling. In this study, we determined the contractility of Stac3-deleted hindlimb muscle. In response to frequent electrostimulation, Stac3-deleted hindlimb muscle contracted but the maximal tension generated was only 20% of that in control (wild type or heterozygous) muscle (P < 0.05). In response to high [K+], caffeine, and 4-chloro-m-cresol (4-CMC), the maximal tensions generated in Stac3-deleted muscle were 29% (P < 0.05), 58% (P = 0.08), and 55% (P < 0.05) of those in control muscle, respectively. In response to 4-CMC or caffeine, over 90% of myotubes formed from control myoblasts contracted, but only 60% of myotubes formed from Stac3-deleted myoblasts contracted (P = 0.05). However, in response to 4-CMC or caffeine, similar increases in intracellular calcium concentration were observed in Stac3-deleted and control myotubes. Gene expression and histological analyses revealed that Stac3-deleted hindlimb muscle contained more slow type-like fibers than control muscle. These data together confirm a critical role of STAC3 in EC coupling but also suggest that STAC3 may have additional functions in skeletal muscle, at least in the hindlimb muscle.
Gaseous NH3 Confers Porous Pt Nanodendrites Assisted by Halides
Authors: Lu Shuanglong , Eid Kamel , Li Weifeng , Cao Xueqin , Pan Yue , Guo Jun , Wang Liang , Wang Hongjing , Gu Hongwei 
Published: May 2016

AbstractTailoring the morphology of Pt nanocrystals (NCs) is of great concern for their enhancement in catalytic activity and durability. In this article, a novel synthetic strategy is developed to selectively prepare porous dendritic Pt NCs with different structures for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) assisted by NH3 gas and halides (F−, Cl−, Br−). The NH3 gas plays critical roles on tuning the morphology. Previously, H2 and CO gas are reported to assist the shape control of metallic nanocrystals. This is the first demonstration that NH3 gas assists the Pt anisotropic growth. The halides also play important role in the synthetic strategy to regulate the formation of Pt NCs. As-made porous dendritic Pt NCs, especially when NH4F is used as a regulating reagent, show superior catalytic activity for ORR compared with commercial Pt/C catalyst and other previously reported Pt-based NCs.
Surface-modified Ba(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 nanofibers by polyvinylpyrrolidone filler for poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites with enhanced dielectric constant and energy storage density
Authors: Liu Shaohui , Xue Shuangxi , Xiu Shaomei , Shen Bo , Zhai Jiwei 
Published: May 2016

AbstractFerroelectric-relaxor behavior of Ba(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 nanofibers (BZT NF) with a large aspect ratio were prepared via electrospinning and surface modified by PVP as dielectric fillers. The nanocomposite flexible films based on surface modified BZT NF and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were fabricated via a solution casting. The results show that the surface-modified BZT NF fillers are highly dispersed and well integrated in the PVDF nanocomposites. The nanocomposites exhibit enhanced dielectric constant and reduced loss tangents at a low volume fraction of surface-modified BZT NF. The polymer nanocomposites maintain a relatively high breakdown strength, which is favorable for enhancing energy storage density in the nanocomposites. The nanocomposite containing of 2.5 vol. % of PVP modified BZT NF exhibits energy density as high as 6.3 J/cm3 at 3800 kV/cm, which is more than doubled that of the pure PVDF of 2.8 J/cm3 at 4000 kV/cm. Such significant enhancement could be attributed to the combined effects of the surface modification and large aspect ratio of the BZT NF. This work may provide a route for using the surface modified ferroelectric-relaxor behavior of ceramic nanofibers to enhance the dielectric energy density in ceramic-polymer nanocomposites.
Exciton Recombination, Energy-, and Charge Transfer in Single- and Multilayer Quantum-Dot Films on Silver Plasmonic Resonators
Authors: Shin Taeho , Cho Kyung-Sang , Yun Dong-Jin , Kim Jinwoo , Li Xiang-Shu , Moon Eui-Seong , Baik Chan-Wook , Il Kim Sun , Kim Miyoung , Choi Jun Hee , Park Gyeong-Su , Shin Jai-Kwang , Hwang Sungwoo , Jung Tae-Sung 
Published: May 2016

AbstractWe examine exciton recombination, energy-, and charge transfer in multilayer CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on silver plasmonic resonators using photoluminescence (PL) and excitation spectroscopy along with kinetic modeling and simulations. The exciton dynamics including all the processes are strongly affected by the separation distance between QDs and silver resonators, excitation wavelength, and QD film thickness. For a direct contact or very small distance, interfacial charge transfer and tunneling dominate over intrinsic radiative recombination and exciton energy transfer to surface plasmons (SPs), resulting in PL suppression. With increasing distance, however, tunneling diminishes dramatically, while long-range exciton-SP coupling takes place much faster (>6.5 ns) than intrinsic recombination (~200 ns) causing considerable PL enhancement. The exciton-SP coupling strength shows a strong dependence on excitation wavelengths, suggesting the state-specific dynamics of excitons and the down-conversion of surface plasmons involved. The overlayers as well as the bottom monolayer of QD multilayers exhibit significant PL enhancement mainly through long-range exciton-SP coupling. The overall emission behaviors from single- and multilayer QD films on silver resonators are described quantitatively by a photophysical kinetic model and simulations. The present experimental and simulation results provide important and useful design rules for QD-based light harvesting applications using the exciton-surface plasmon coupling.
In vivo organ specific drug delivery with implantable peristaltic pumps
Authors: Speed Joshua S. , Hyndman Kelly A. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractClassic methods for delivery of agents to specific organs are technically challenging and causes superfluous stress. The current study describes a method using programmable, implantable peristaltic pumps to chronically deliver drugs in vivo, while allowing animals to remain undisturbed for accurate physiological measurements. In this study, two protocols were used to demonstrate accurate drug delivery to the renal medulla. First, the vasopressin receptor-2 agonist, dDAVP, was delivered to the renal medulla resulting in a significant increase in water retention, urine osmolality and aquaporin-2 expression and phosphorylation. Second, in a separate group of rats, the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, MS275, was delivered to the renal medulla. HDAC inhibition resulted in a significant increase in histone H3-acetylation, the hallmark for histone deacetylase inhibition. However, this was confined to the medulla, as the histone H3-acetylation was similar in the cortex of vehicle and MS275 infused rats, suggesting targeted drug delivery without systemic spillover. Thus, implantable, peristaltic pumps provide a number of benefits compared to externalized chronic catheters and confer specific delivery to target organs.
Effects of applied potential and the initial gap between electrodes on localized electrochemical deposition of micrometer copper columns
Authors: Wang Fuliang , Xiao Hongbin , He Hu 
Published: May 2016

AbstractMicrometer copper columns were fabricated via a technology named localized electrochemical deposition (LECD). This paper studies the effects of applied potential and the initial gap between electrodes on the LECD process. The surface and cross sectional morphologies, as well as the average deposition rate were investigated to evaluate the quality of the deposited copper columns. Results demonstrated that the copper columns tended to be cylinder-shape with few voids inside at lower potential (<2.4 V). Whereas,the copper columns tended to be dendriform-shape with lots of voids inside at larger potential (>2.8 V). The average deposition rate increased with the raise of potential. In addition, the copper columns tended to be cylinder-shape with the initial gap between electrodes to be 10 μm or below. However, the copper columns tended to be cone-shape when the initial gap between electrodes became larger (35 μm or above). The number of voids inside the copper column and the average deposition rate both decreased with the increase of the initial gap. Moreover, the process of LECD under varied electric field has also been simulated using COMSOL software and the formation of cylindrical and conical copper columns was further explained based on the electric field distribution at the cathode.
Cognitive and oculomotor performance in subjects with low and high schizotypy: implications for translational drug development studies
Authors: Koychev I , Joyce D , Barkus E , Ettinger U , Schmechtig A , Dourish C T , Dawson G R , Craig K J , Deakin J F W 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe development of drugs to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia is a major unmet clinical need. A number of promising compounds failed in recent clinical trials, a pattern linked to poor translation between preclinical and clinical stages of drug development. Seeking proof of efficacy in early Phase 1 studies in surrogate patient populations (for example, high schizotypy individuals where subtle cognitive impairment is present) has been suggested as a strategy to reduce attrition in the later stages of drug development. However, there is little agreement regarding the pattern of distribution of schizotypal features in the general population, creating uncertainty regarding the optimal control group that should be included in prospective trials. We aimed to address this question by comparing the performance of groups derived from the general population with low, average and high schizotypy scores over a range of cognitive and oculomotor tasks. We found that tasks dependent on frontal inhibitory mechanisms (N-Back working memory and anti-saccade oculomotor tasks), as well as a smooth-pursuit oculomotor task were sensitive to differences in the schizotypy phenotype. In these tasks the cognitive performance of ‘low schizotypes’ was significantly different from ‘high schizotypes’ with ‘average schizotypes’ having an intermediate performance. These results indicate that for evaluating putative cognition enhancers for treating schizophrenia in early-drug development studies the maximum schizotypy effect would be achieved using a design that compares low and high schizotypes.
Endocrine Considerations of the Pediatric Organ Donor
Authors: Gupta Ronish , Dhanani Sonny 
Published: May 2016

AbstractPatients determined to be neurologically deceased exhibit potentially harmful changes in various endocrine pathways due to disruptions of the body's neurohormonal control mechanisms. These deviations from endocrine homeostasis lead to hemodynamic, metabolic, and immunologic aberrations that are associated with reduced graft procurement and function for the purposes of organ donation. Existing literature has attempted to describe the pathophysiology that associates disruptions in endocrine pathways with organ dysfunction, both to increase understanding and to identify strategies to support the donor. For example, diabetes insipidus due to arginine vasopressin deficiency is commonly encountered, and should be anticipated. The significance of abnormalities in other pathways such as those involving cortisol and thyroid hormone is less established; however, there is increasing support for treating potential organ donors with combined hormonal therapies. While there are published documents aimed at guiding management of organ donors in general, many controversies exist and pediatric-specific literature is scarce. This article aims to review several of the important endocrine-specific aspects of managing the neurologically deceased organ donor, with an emphasis on pediatrics where information is available.
Kapillarmikroskopie
Authors: Sander O. , Dechant C. , Sunderkötter C. , Klein-Weigel P. 
Published: May 2016

ZusammenfassungDie Kapillarmikroskopie spielt als bildgebendes Verfahren eine große Bedeutung in der Differenzialdiagnose mikrovaskulärer Pathologien der Haut. Bei Systemerkrankungen, insbesondere Kollagenosen werden hier spezifische Veränderungen gesehen. Zur Differenzierung eines Raynaud Syndroms ist sie unerlässlich. Diese interdisziplinär erstellte Arbeit bietet dem Leser eine aktuelle Übersicht der wichtigsten Anwendungsgebiete der Methode, Möglichkeiten, Grenzen der Kapillarmikroskopie und wagt einen Ausblick auf die zukünftige Entwicklung.
Quantifying the economic impact of changes in energy demand for space heating and cooling systems under varying climatic scenarios
Authors: Hasegawa Tomoko , Park Chan , Fujimori Shinichiro , Takahashi Kiyoshi , Hijioka Yasuaki , Masui Toshihiko 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe building sector is highly sensitive to climate change, where energy is used for numerous purposes such as heating, cooling, cooking and lighting. Space heating and cooling account for a large proportion of overall energy use, and the associated energy demand is also affected by climate change. Here, we project the economic impact of changes in energy demand for space heating and cooling under multiple climatic conditions. We use an economic model coupled with an end-use technology model to explicitly represent the investment costs for air-conditioning technologies, which influence the macroeconomy. We conclude that the negative effects on the economy from increases in the use of space cooling are sufficiently large to neutralize the positive impacts from reductions in space heating usage under climate change, which results in significant economic loss. The economic loss under the highest emissions scenario (RCP8.5) would correspond to a −0.34% (−0.39% to −0.18%) change in global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2100 compared with GDP without any climate change, while the impact under the lowest emissions scenario (RCP2.6) would result in a −0.03% (−0.07% to −0.01%) change in global GDP in 2100. The economic losses are mainly generated by incremental technological costs and not by changes in energy demand itself. The amount of economic loss can vary substantially based on assumptions of technological costs, population and income. To reduce the negative impacts of climate change measures for reducing the costs of air conditioning will be an important consideration for the building sector in the future.
On the unsupervised analysis of domain-specific Chinese texts
Authors: Deng Ke , Bol Peter K. , Li Kate J. , Liu Jun S. 
Published: May 2016

SignificanceWe propose top-down word discovery and segmentation (TopWORDS), an unsupervised tool for Chinese word (and phrase) discovery, word ranking, and text segmentation. We show that pipelines formed by combining TopWORDS with context analysis tools can help researchers quickly gain insights into new types of texts without training and recover almost all interesting features of the text that a well-trained supervised method can find.
Pravastatin ameliorates placental vascular defects, fetal growth, and cardiac function in a model of glucocorticoid excess
Authors: Wyrwoll Caitlin S. , Noble June , Thomson Adrian , Tesic Dijana , Miller Mark R. , Rog-Zielinska Eva A. , Moran Carmel M. , Seckl Jonathan R. , Chapman Karen E. , Holmes Megan C. 
Published: May 2016

SignificanceEnvironmental challenges in utero perturb fetal growth and alter subsequent adult health outcomes. The role of the placenta is uncertain. We use a genetically modified mouse model of fetoplacental glucocorticoid excess, which exhibits decreased placental vascularity and fetal growth restriction. We show that this model associates with retarded fetal heart development. Strikingly, treatment with pravastatin restores placental vascularity and reverses retarded fetal growth and cardiovascular development. These results highlight the potential of statins to remedy placental vascular insufficiency and enhance fetal outcomes in compromised pregnancy.
Tissue-specific dynamin-1 deletion at the calyx of Held decreases short-term depression through a mechanism distinct from vesicle resupply
Authors: Mahapatra Satyajit , Fan Fan , Lou Xuelin 
Published: May 2016

Significance
Endocytosis is crucial for sustained synaptic transmission. During high-frequency neurotransmission, endocytosis recycles vesicular components rapidly and may promote the clearance of used SNAREs and other membrane proteins from release sites. We report that tissue-specific dynamin-1 deletion significantly reduces synaptic depression during bursts of the high-frequency stimulation at the mature calyx of Held in mice. This effect is contrary to the expected consequence of reduced recycling and cannot be explained by the commonly known mechanisms underlying short-term depression. Rather, the data imply that endocytosis may have a rapid, retrograde effect on transmitter release (e.g., through alterations of release site clearance) during high rates of synaptic vesicle fusion. Our finding indicates a role of dynamin-1 in high-frequency synaptic transmission and short-term plasticity.
A binding site outside the canonical PDZ domain determines the specific interaction between Shank and SAPAP and their function
Authors: Zeng Menglong , Shang Yuan , Guo Tingfeng , He Qinghai , Yung Wing-Ho , Liu Kai , Zhang Mingjie 
Published: May 2016

Significance
Synaptic scaffold proteins, such as Shank and SAPAP, play critical roles in organizing protein complexes essential for neuronal development and signaling. Approximately 50% of protein concentration changes resulting from genetic mutations can cause various forms of psychiatric disorders; however, the molecular mechanism underlying such dosage-sensitive functional changes for the two scaffold proteins are not clear. Here we discover that a previously unrecognized PDZ domain-mediated binding mode renders an exquisitely specific interaction between Shank and SAPAP. Mutations of either of these proteins lead to quantitative reductions of the Shank/SAPAP complex in synapses. We also demonstrate that a Shank/SAPAP complex inhibitory peptide can modulate excitatory synaptic activities, providing a proof of concept of modulating synaptic activities by targeting the Shank PDZ domain.