bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fast fringe-field switching of a liquid crystal cell by two-dimensional confinement with virtual walls
Authors: Choi Tae-Hoon , Oh Seung-Won , Park Young-Jin , Choi Yeongyu , Yoon Tae-Hoon 
Published: June 2016

AbstractWe report a simple method for reducing the response time of a fringe-field switching liquid crystal cell by using two-dimensional confinement of the liquid crystals. Through both numerical calculations and experiments, we show that the switching speed can be increased by several fold in a fringe-field switching cell by simply using a rubbing angle of zero, which causes virtual walls to be built when an electric field is applied between the interdigitated electrodes and the common electrode, without requiring additional fabrication steps or complicated drive schemes. Furthermore, the devices fabricated with this method exhibit a reduced color shift and excellent dynamic stability, even with a high applied voltage and under external pressure.
Dimethylmercury Formation Mediated by Inorganic and Organic Reduced Sulfur Surfaces
Authors: Jonsson Sofi , Mazrui Nashaat M. , Mason Robert P. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractUnderlying formation pathways of dimethylmercury ((CH3)2Hg) in the ocean are unknown. Early work proposed reactions of inorganic Hg (HgII) with methyl cobalamin or of dissolved monomethylmercury (CH3Hg) with hydrogen sulfide as possible bacterial mediated or abiotic pathways. A significant fraction (up to 90%) of CH3Hg in natural waters is however adsorbed to reduced sulfur groups on mineral or organic surfaces. We show that binding of CH3Hg to such reactive sites facilitates the formation of (CH3)2Hg by degradation of the adsorbed CH3Hg. We demonstrate that the reaction can be mediated by different sulfide minerals, as well as by dithiols suggesting that e.g. reduced sulfur groups on mineral particles or on protein surfaces could mediate the reaction. The observed fraction of CH3Hg methylated on sulfide mineral surfaces exceeded previously observed methylation rates of CH3Hg to (CH3)2Hg in seawaters and we suggest the pathway demonstrated here could account for much of the (CH3)2Hg found in the ocean.
Ultra-sensitive in-situ detection of near-infrared persistent luminescent tracer nanoagents in crude oil-water mixtures
Authors: Chuang Yen-Jun , Liu Feng , Wang Wei , Kanj Mazen Y. , Poitzsch Martin E. , Pan Zhengwei 
Published: June 2016

AbstractCurrent fluorescent nanoparticles-based tracer sensing techniques for oilfield applications suffer from insufficient sensitivity, with the tracer detection limit typically at the several hundred ppm level in untreated oil/water mixtures, which is mainly caused by the interference of the background fluorescence from the organic residues in crude oil under constant external excitation. Here we report the use of a persistent luminescence phenomenon, which enables an external excitation-free and thus background fluorescence-free measurement condition, for ultrahigh-sensitivity crude oil sensing. By using LiGa5O8:Cr3+ near-infrared persistent luminescent nanoparticles as a tracer nanoagent, we achieved a tracer detection limit at the single-digit ppb level (down to 1 ppb concentration of nanoparticles) in high oil fraction (up to 65 wt.%) oil/water mixtures via a convenient, CCD camera-based imaging technique without any pretreatment or phase separation of the fluid samples. This detection limit is about four to five orders of magnitude lower than that obtained using conventional spectral methods. This study introduces a new type of tracer nanoagents and a new detection method for water tracer sensing in oil reservoir characterization and management.
Exploring host-pathogen interactions through genome wide protein microarray analysis
Authors: Scietti Luigi , Sampieri Katia , Pinzuti Irene , Bartolini Erika , Benucci Barbara , Liguori Alessia , Haag Andreas F. , Lo Surdo Paola , Pansegrau Werner , Nardi-Dei Vincenzo , Santini Laura , Arora Seguinde , Leber Xavier , Rindi Simonetta , Savino Silvana , Costantino Paolo , Maione Domenico , Merola Marcello , Speziale Pietro , Bottomley Matthew J. , Bagnoli Fabio , Masignani Vega , Pizza Mariagrazia , Scharenberg Meike , Schlaeppi Jean-Marc , Nissum Mikkel , Liberatori Sabrina 
Published: June 2016

AbstractDuring bacterial pathogenesis extensive contacts between the human and the bacterial extracellular proteomes take place. The identification of novel host-pathogen interactions by standard methods using a case-by-case approach is laborious and time consuming. To overcome this limitation, we took advantage of large libraries of human and bacterial recombinant proteins. We applied a large-scale protein microarray-based screening on two important human pathogens using two different approaches: (I) 75 human extracellular proteins were tested on 159 spotted Staphylococcus aureus recombinant proteins and (II) Neisseria meningitidis adhesin (NadA), an important vaccine component against serogroup B meningococcus, was screened against ≈2300 spotted human recombinant proteins. The approach presented here allowed the identification of the interaction between the S. aureus immune evasion protein FLIPr (formyl-peptide receptor like-1 inhibitory protein) and the human complement component C1q, key players of the offense-defense fighting; and of the interaction between meningococcal NadA and human LOX-1 (low-density oxidized lipoprotein receptor), an endothelial receptor. The novel interactions between bacterial and human extracellular proteins here presented might provide a better understanding of the molecular events underlying S. aureus and N. meningitidis pathogenesis.
Transformation of Breast Reconstruction via Additive Biomanufacturing
Authors: Chhaya Mohit P. , Balmayor Elizabeth R. , Hutmacher Dietmar W. , Schantz Jan-Thorsten 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAdipose tissue engineering offers a promising alternative to current breast reconstruction options. However, the conventional approach of using a scaffold in combination with adipose-derived precursor cells poses several problems in terms of scalability and hence clinical feasibility. Following the body-as-a-bioreactor approach, this study proposes a unique concept of delayed fat injection into an additive biomanufactured and custom-made scaffold. Three study groups were evaluated: Empty scaffold, Scaffold containing 4 cm3 lipoaspirate and Empty scaffold +2-week prevascularisation period. In group 3, of prevascularisation, 4 cm3 of lipoaspirate was injected into scaffolds after 2 weeks. Using a well-characterised additive biomanufacturing technology platform, patient-specific scaffolds made of medical-grade-polycaprolactone were designed and fabricated. Scaffolds were implanted in subglandular pockets in immunocompetent minipigs (n = 4) for 24-weeks. Angiogenesis and adipose tissue regeneration were observed in all constructs. Histological evaluation showed that the prevascularisation + lipoaspirate group had the highest relative area of adipose tissue (47.32% ± 4.12) which was significantly higher than both lipoaspirate-only (39.67% ± 2.04) and empty control group (8.31% ± 8.94) and similar to native breast tissue (44.97% ± 14.12). This large preclinical animal study provides proof-of-principle that the clinically applicable prevascularisation and delayed fat-injection techniques can be used for regeneration of large volumes of adipose tissue.
Self-templated synthesis of novel carbon nanoarchitectures for efficient electrocatalysis
Authors: Wu Xi-Lin , Wen Tao , Guo Hong-Li , Liu Shoujie , Wang Xiangke , Xu An-Wu , Mezger Markus 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe cost-efficient large-scale production of novel carbon nanostructure with high performance is still a challenge, restricting their applications in catalysis. Herein, we present a low-cost one-pot and one-step approach for the synthesis of both N-doped graphene (NG) and N-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) from self-templated organic nanoplates. By varying the FeCl3 concentration in the precursor, we can control the formation of graphene or CNTs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example for the controllable synthesis of graphene or CNTs by varying the precursors’ compositions. This provides a simple and cost-effective route for the large-scale production of both NG and NCNTs for applications in catalysis. By example, we show how these unique structured nanocarbons can be applied in electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The obtained NG and NCNTs show excellent ORR activities with long-term stability under alkaline conditions. The unique porous nanostructure, abundant defects, homogeneous N-doping and high N-content in the NG and NCNTs can provide abundant active sites, leading to the excellent ORR performance. This research not only displayed a simple and cost-effective approach for the large-scale production of novel carbon nanoarchitectures, but also revealed the exceptional application potential of these nanocarbons for electrocatalysis.
A proposed integrated approach for the preclinical evaluation of phage therapy in Pseudomonas infections
Authors: Danis-Wlodarczyk Katarzyna , Vandenheuvel Dieter , Jang Ho Bin , Briers Yves , Olszak Tomasz , Arabski Michal , Wasik Slawomir , Drabik Marcin , Higgins Gerard , Tyrrell Jean , Harvey Brian J. , Noben Jean-Paul , Lavigne Rob , Drulis-Kawa Zuzanna 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBacteriophage therapy is currently resurging as a potential complement/alternative to antibiotic treatment. However, preclinical evaluation lacks streamlined approaches. We here focus on preclinical approaches which have been implemented to assess bacteriophage efficacy against Pseudomonas biofilms and infections. Laser interferometry and profilometry were applied to measure biofilm matrix permeability and surface geometry changes, respectively. These biophysical approaches were combined with an advanced Airway Surface Liquid infection model, which mimics in vitro the normal and CF lung environments and an in vivo Galleria larvae model. These assays have been implemented to analyze KTN4 (279,593 bp dsDNA genome), a type-IV pili dependent, giant phage resembling phiKZ. Upon contact, KTN4 immediately disrupts the P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm and reduces pyocyanin and siderophore production. The gentamicin exclusion assay on NuLi-1 and CuFi-1 cell lines revealed the decrease of extracellular bacterial load between 4 and 7 logs and successfully prevents wild-type Pseudomonas internalization into CF epithelial cells. These properties and the significant rescue of Galleria larvae indicate that giant KTN4 phage is a suitable candidate for in vivo phage therapy evaluation for lung infection applications.
Optoacoustic effect is responsible for laser-induced cochlear responses
Authors: Kallweit N. , Baumhoff P. , Krueger A. , Tinne N. , Kral A. , Ripken T. , Maier H. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractOptical stimulation of the cochlea with laser light has been suggested as an alternative to conventional treatment of sensorineural hearing loss with cochlear implants. The underlying mechanisms are controversially discussed: The stimulation can either be based on a direct excitation of neurons, or it is a result of an optoacoustic pressure wave acting on the basilar membrane. Animal studies comparing the intra-cochlear optical stimulation of hearing and deafened guinea pigs have indicated that the stimulation requires intact hair cells. Therefore, optoacoustic stimulation seems to be the underlying mechanism. The present study investigates optoacoustic characteristics using pulsed laser stimulation for in vivo experiments on hearing guinea pigs and pressure measurements in water. As a result, in vivo as well as pressure measurements showed corresponding signal shapes. The amplitude of the signal for both measurements depended on the absorption coefficient and on the maximum of the first time-derivative of laser pulse power (velocity of heat deposition). In conclusion, the pressure measurements directly demonstrated that laser light generates acoustic waves, with amplitudes suitable for stimulating the (partially) intact cochlea. These findings corroborate optoacoustic as the basic mechanism of optical intra-cochlear stimulation.
Autophagy induction targeting mTORC1 enhances Mycobacterium tuberculosis replication in HIV co-infected human macrophages
Authors: Andersson Anna-Maria , Andersson Blanka , Lorell Christoffer , Raffetseder Johanna , Larsson Marie , Blomgran Robert 
Published: June 2016

AbstractTo survive and replicate in macrophages Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has developed strategies to subvert host defence mechanisms, including autophagy. Autophagy induction has the potential to clear Mtb, but little is known about its effect during controlled tuberculosis and HIV co-infection. Mammalian target of rapamycin complex1 (mTORC1) inhibitors were used to induce autophagy in human macrophages pre-infected with HIV-1BaL and infected with a low dose of Mtb (co-infected), or single Mtb infected (single infected). The controlled Mtb infection was disrupted upon mTOR inhibition resulting in increased Mtb replication in a dose-dependent manner which was more pronounced during co-infection. The increased Mtb replication could be explained by the marked reduction in phagosome acidification upon mTOR inhibition. Autophagy stimulation targeting mTORC1 clearly induced a basal autophagy with flux that was unlinked to the subcellular environment of the Mtb vacuoles, which showed a concurrent suppression in acidification and maturation/flux. Overall our findings indicate that mTOR inhibition during Mtb or HIV/Mtb co-infection interferes with phagosomal maturation, thereby supporting mycobacterial growth during low-dose and controlled infection. Therefore pharmacological induction of autophagy through targeting of the canonical mTORC1-pathway should be handled with caution during controlled tuberculosis, since this could have serious consequences for patients with HIV/Mtb co-infection.
Gradient shadow pattern reveals refractive index of liquid
Authors: Kim Wonkyoung , Kim Dong Sung 
Published: June 2016

AbstractWe propose a simple method that uses a gradient shadow pattern (GSP) to measure the refractive index nL of liquids. A light source generates a “dark-bright-dark” GSP when it is projected through through the back of a transparent, rectangular block with a cylindrical chamber that is filled with a liquid sample. We found that there is a linear relationship between nL and the proportion of the bright region in a GSP, which provides the basic principle of the proposed method. A wide range 1.33 ≤ nL ≤ 1.46 of liquids was measured in the single measurement setup with error <0.01. The proposed method is simple but robust to illuminating conditions, and does not require for any expensive or precise optical components, so we expect that it will be useful in many portable measurement systems that use nL to estimate attributes of liquid samples.
Why do Varroa mites prefer nurse bees?
Authors: Xie Xianbing , Huang Zachary Y. , Zeng Zhijiang 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe Varroa mite, Varroa destructor, is an acarine ecto-parasite on Apis mellifera. It is the worst pest of Apis mellifera, yet its reproductive biology on the host is not well understood. In particular, the significance of the phoretic stage, when mites feed on adult bees for a few days, is not clear. In addition, it is not clear whether the preference of mites for nurses observed in the laboratory also happens inside real colonies. We show that Varroa mites prefer nurses over both newly emerged bees and forgers in a colony setting. We then determined the mechanism behind this preference. We show that this preference maximizes Varroa fitness, although due to the fact that each mite must find a second host (a pupa) to reproduce, the fitness benefit to the mites is not immediate but delayed. Our results suggest that the Varroa mite is a highly adapted parasite for honey bees.
Remotely-sensed detection of effects of extreme droughts on gross primary production
Authors: Vicca Sara , Balzarolo Manuela , Filella Iolanda , Granier André , Herbst Mathias , Knohl Alexander , Longdoz Bernard , Mund Martina , Nagy Zoltan , Pintér Krisztina , Rambal Serge , Verbesselt Jan , Verger Aleixandre , Zeileis Achim , Zhang Chao , Peñuelas Josep 
Published: June 2016

AbstractSevere droughts strongly impact photosynthesis (GPP), and satellite imagery has yet to demonstrate its ability to detect drought effects. Especially changes in vegetation functioning when vegetation state remains unaltered (no browning or defoliation) pose a challenge to satellite-derived indicators. We evaluated the performance of different satellite indicators to detect strong drought effects on GPP in a beech forest in France (Hesse), where vegetation state remained largely unaffected while GPP decreased substantially. We compared the results with three additional sites: a Mediterranean holm oak forest (Puéchabon), a temperate beech forest (Hainich), and a semi-arid grassland (Bugacpuszta). In Hesse, a three-year reduction in GPP following drought was detected only by the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) also detected this drought effect, but only after normalization for absorbed light. In Puéchabon normalized PRI outperformed the other indicators, while the short-term drought effect in Hainich was not detected by any tested indicator. In contrast, most indicators, but not PRI, captured the drought effects in Bugacpuszta. Hence, PRI improved detection of drought effects on GPP in forests and we propose that PRI normalized for absorbed light is considered in future algorithms to estimate GPP from space.
Proteomic and functional analysis of proline dehydrogenase 1 link proline catabolism to mitochondrial electron transport in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Cabassa-Hourton Cécile , Schertl Peter , Bordenave-Jacquemin Marianne , Saadallah Kaouthar , Guivarc'h Anne , Lebreton Sandrine , Planchais Séverine , Klodmann Jennifer , Eubel Holger , Crilat Emilie , Lefebvre-De Vos Delphine , Ghelis Thanos , Richard Luc , Abdelly Chedly , Carol Pierre , Braun Hans-Peter , Savouré Arnould 
Published: June 2016

Proline accumulates in many plant species in response to environmental stresses. Upon relief from stress, proline is rapidly oxidized in mitochondria by proline dehydrogenase (ProDH) and then by pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDH). Two ProDH genes have been identified in the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To gain a better understanding of ProDH1 functions in mitochondria, proteomic analysis was performed. ProDH1 polypeptides were identified in Arabidopsis mitochondria by immunoblotting gels after 2D blue native (BN)-SDS/PAGE, probing them with an anti-ProDH antibody and analysing protein spots by MS. The 2D gels showed that ProDH1 forms part of a low-molecular-mass (70–140 kDa) complex in the mitochondrial membrane. To evaluate the contribution of each isoform to proline oxidation, mitochondria were isolated from wild-type (WT) and prodh1, prodh2, prodh1prodh2 and p5cdh mutants. ProDH activity was high for genotypes in which ProDH, most likely ProDH1, was strongly induced by proline. Respiratory measurements indicate that ProDH1 has a role in oxidizing excess proline and transferring electrons to the respiratory chain.
Measuring Speech Comprehensibility in Students with Down Syndrome
Authors: Yoder Paul J. , Woynaroski Tiffany , Camarata Stephen 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
There is an ongoing need to develop assessments of spontaneous speech that focus on whether the child's utterances are comprehensible to listeners. This study sought to identify the attributes of a stable ratings-based measure of speech comprehensibility, which enabled examining the criterion-related validity of an orthography-based measure of the comprehensibility of conversational speech in students with Down syndrome.

Method

Participants were 10 elementary school students with Down syndrome and 4 unfamiliar adult raters. Averaged across-observer Likert ratings of speech comprehensibility were called a
ratings-based
measure of speech comprehensibility. The proportion of utterance attempts fully glossed constituted an
orthography-based
measure of speech comprehensibility.

Results

Averaging across 4 raters on four 5-min segments produced a reliable (G = .83) ratings-based measure of speech comprehensibility. The ratings-based measure was strongly (
r
> .80) correlated with the orthography-based measure for both the same and different conversational samples.

Conclusion
Reliable and valid measures of speech comprehensibility are achievable with the resources available to many researchers and some clinicians.
Versatile CCD‐based spectrometer with field programmable gate array controller core
Authors: Ocaya R.O. 
Published: June 2016

The design and implementation of a novel room temperature charge‐coupled device (CCD) spectrometer is presented. The timing generator and data acquisition circuits driving a 16,020 photodiode linear tricolour CCD detector capable of 24 dots per millimetre are described. Linear detection of ultraviolet, infrared and visible wavelengths over total wavelength range of 300 to 1000 nm of total wavelength range is possible by using three‐colour array multiplexing. The field programmable gate array logic processing realises a low‐cost, high‐speed digital spectrometer with USB interface. A finite state automaton is used to generate low‐skew, high‐speed complex clocks to drive the system. The output of the instrument is 8 bit array intensity versus wavelength array acquired using semi‐flash, 20 Mb/s analogue‐to‐digital converter, realising a 1.23 Gb/s per colour readout rate on the CCD. The resulting spectrometer is capable of USB 2.0 communication with high‐level processing programmes.
Second Trimester Screening of Preeclampsia Using Maternal Characteristics and Uterine and Ophthalmic Artery Doppler
Authors: Praciano de Souza Paulo , Gurgel Alves Júlio , Bezerra Maia e Holanda Moura Sammya , Araujo Júnior Edward , Martins Wellington , Da Silva Costa Fabricio 
Published: June 2016

Abstract
Purpose To establish the performance of a multi-parametric test including maternal risk factors and maternal uterine and ophthalmic artery Doppler in the second trimester of pregnancy for the prediction of preeclampsia (PE).
Materials and Methods We performed a prospective observational cohort study with pregnant women who underwent a second trimester morphology scan. Maternal uterine and ophthalmic artery Doppler examinations were performed in 415 singleton pregnancies between 18 and 23 weeks of gestation. Additional history was obtained through participant questionnaires, and follow-up occurred to the time of discharge post-delivery. The control and PE groups were compared to continuous variables using the Kruskal-Wallis test and to categorical variables using the Chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the best model for the prediction of PE.
Results 40 (9.6 %) pregnant women developed PE. We observed significant differences in the body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001), parity (p < 0.001), mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p < 0.001), and pulsatility index (PI) of uterine artery Doppler (p < 0.001) between PE and control groups. The best model for the prediction of PE included maternal characteristics, MAP, maternal uterine and ophthalmic artery Doppler with area under receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve of 0.710 (95 % confidence interval, 613 – 0.807) with a sensitivity of 45 % to a false-positive rate of 10 % and 35 % to a false-positive rate of 5 %.
Conclusion Maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler did not promote a significant increase in the PE detection rate during the second trimester scan.