bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preemptive Isolation Precautions of Patients at High Risk for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Combination With Ultrarapid Polymerase Chain Reaction Screening as an Effective Tool for Infection Control
Authors: Hallak Ghias , Neuner Bruno , Schefold Joerg C. , Gorzelniak Kerstin , Rapsch Brigitte , Pfüller Roland , Stengel Dirk , Wellmann Jürgen , Ekkernkamp Axel , Walter Michael 
Published: September 2016

This sequential nonrandomized intervention study investigated the role of preemptive isolation precautions plus ultrarapid polymerase chain reaction screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Compared with no prophylactic isolation plus conventional microbiology MRSA screening, nosocomial MRSA colonization and total MRSA incidence per 10,000 patient days significantly decreased.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1489–1491
Fragmentation of acoustically levitating droplets by laser-induced cavitation bubbles
Authors: Gonzalez Avila Silvestre Roberto , Ohl Claus-Dieter 
Published: September 2016

We report on an experimental study on the dynamics and fragmentation of water droplets levitated in a sound field exposed to a single laser-induced cavitation bubble. The nucleation of the cavitation bubble leads to a shock wave travelling inside the droplet and reflected from pressure release surfaces. Experiments and simulations study the location of the high negative pressures inside the droplet which result into secondary cavitation. Later, three distinct fragmentation scenarios are observed: rapid atomization, sheet formation and coarse fragmentation. Rapid atomization occurs when the expanding bubble, still at high pressure, ruptures the liquid film separating the bubble from the surrounding air and a shock wave is launched into the surrounding air. Sheet formation occurs due to the momentum transfer of the expanding bubble; for sufficiently small bubbles, the sheet retracts because of surface tension, while larger bubbles may cause the fragmentation of the sheet. Coarse fragmentation is observed after the first collapse of the bubble, where high-speed jets emanate from the surface of the droplet. They are the result of surface instability of the droplet combined with the impulsive pressure generated during collapse. A parameter plot for droplets in the size range between 0.17 and 1.5 mm and laser energies between 0.2 and 4.0 mJ allows the separation of these three regimes.
On the spreading of impacting drops
Authors: Wildeman Sander , Visser Claas Willem , Sun Chao , Lohse Detlef 
Published: September 2016

The energy budget and dissipation mechanisms during droplet impact on solid surfaces are studied numerically and theoretically. We find that for high impact velocities and negligible surface friction at the solid surface (i.e. free slip), approximately one-half of the initial kinetic energy is transformed into surface energy, independent of the impact parameters and the detailed energy loss mechanism(s). We argue that this seemingly universal rule is related to the deformation mode of the droplet and is reminiscent of pipe flow undergoing a sudden expansion, for which the head loss can be calculated by multiplying the kinetic energy of the incoming flow by a geometrical factor. For impacts on a no-slip surface also dissipation in the shear boundary layer at the solid surface is important. In this case the geometric head loss acts as a lower bound on the total dissipation (i.e. the spreading on a no-slip surface approaches that on a free-slip surface when the droplet viscosity is sent to zero). This new view on the impact problem allows for simple analytical estimates of the maximum spreading diameter of impacting drops as a function of the impact parameters and the properties of the solid surface. It bridges the gap between previous momentum balance approaches and energy balance approaches, which hitherto did not give consistent predictions in the low viscosity limit. Good agreement is found between our models and experiments, both for impacts on ‘slippery’ or lubricated surfaces (e.g. Leidenfrost droplet impacts and head-on droplet–droplet collisions) and for impacts on no-slip surfaces.
Hollow quasi-Fatou components of quasiregular maps
Authors: NICKS DANIEL A. , SIXSMITH DAVID J. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractWe define a quasi-Fatou component of a quasiregular map as a connected component of the complement of the Julia set. A domain in ℝdis calledhollowif it has a bounded complementary component. We show that for eachd⩾ 2 there exists a quasiregular map of transcendental typef: ℝd→ ℝdwith a quasi-Fatou component which is hollow.Suppose thatUis a hollow quasi-Fatou component of a quasiregular map of transcendental type. We show that ifUis bounded, thenUhas many properties in common with a multiply connected Fatou component of a transcendental entire function. On the other hand, we show that ifUis not bounded, then it is completely invariant and has no unbounded boundary components. We show that this situation occurs ifJ(f) has an isolated point, or ifJ(f) is not equal to the boundary of the fast escaping set. Finally, we deduce that ifJ(f) has a bounded component, then all components ofJ(f) are bounded.
Blinatumomab vs historical standard therapy of adult relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Gökbuget N , Kelsh M , Chia V , Advani A , Bassan R , Dombret H , Doubek M , Fielding A K , Giebel S , Haddad V , Hoelzer D , Holland C , Ifrah N , Katz A , Maniar T , Martinelli G , Morgades M , O'Brien S , Ribera J-M , Rowe J M , Stein A , Topp M , Wadleigh M , Kantarjian H 
Published: September 2016

AbstractWe compared outcomes from a single-arm study of blinatumomab in adult patients with B-precursor Ph-negative relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R ALL) with a historical data set from Europe and the United States. Estimates of complete remission (CR) and overall survival (OS) were weighted by the frequency distribution of prognostic factors in the blinatumomab trial. Outcomes were also compared between the trial and historical data using propensity score methods. The historical cohort included 694 patients with CR data and 1112 patients with OS data compared with 189 patients with CR and survival data in the blinatumomab trial. The weighted analysis revealed a CR rate of 24% (95% CI: 20–27%) and a median OS of 3.3 months (95% CI: 2.8–3.6) in the historical cohort compared with a CR/CRh rate of 43% (95% CI: 36–50%) and a median OS of 6.1 months (95% CI: 4.2–7.5) in the blinatumomab trial. Propensity score analysis estimated increased odds of CR/CRh (OR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.67–4.31) and improved OS (HR=0.536, 95% CI: 0.394–0.730) with blinatumomab. The analysis demonstrates the application of different study designs and statistical methods to compare novel therapies for R/R ALL with historical data.
New insights into the Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome-related haematological disorder: hyper-activation of mTOR and STAT3 in leukocytes
Authors: Bezzerri Valentino , Vella Antonio , Calcaterra Elisa , Finotti Alessia , Gasparello Jessica , Gambari Roberto , Assael Baroukh Maurice , Cipolli Marco , Sorio Claudio 
Published: September 2016

AbstractShwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is an inherited disease caused by mutations of a gene encoding for SBDS protein. So far little is known about SBDS exact function. SDS patients present several hematological disorders, including neutropenia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), with increased risk of leukemic evolution. So far, the molecular mechanisms that underlie neutropenia, MDS and AML in SDS patients have been poorly investigated. STAT3 is a key regulator of several cellular processes including survival, differentiation and malignant transformation. Moreover, STAT3 has been reported to regulate neutrophil granulogenesis and to induce several kinds of leukemia and lymphoma. STAT3 activation is known to be regulated by mTOR, which in turn plays an important role in cellular growth and tumorigenesis. Here we show for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that both EBV-immortalized B cells and primary leukocytes obtained from SDS patients present a constitutive hyper-activation of mTOR and STAT3 pathways. Interestingly, loss of SBDS expression is associated with this process. Importantly, rapamycin, a well-known mTOR inhibitor, is able to reduce STAT3 phosphorylation to basal levels in our experimental model. A novel therapeutic hypothesis targeting mTOR/STAT3 should represent a significant step forward into the SDS clinical practice.
In-silico insights on the prognostic potential of immune cell infiltration patterns in the breast lobular epithelium
Authors: Alfonso J. C. L. , Schaadt N. S. , Schönmeyer R. , Brieu N. , Forestier G. , Wemmert C. , Feuerhake F. , Hatzikirou H. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractScattered inflammatory cells are commonly observed in mammary gland tissue, most likely in response to normal cell turnover by proliferation and apoptosis, or as part of immunosurveillance. In contrast, lymphocytic lobulitis (LLO) is a recurrent inflammation pattern, characterized by lymphoid cells infiltrating lobular structures, that has been associated with increased familial breast cancer risk and immune responses to clinically manifest cancer. The mechanisms and pathogenic implications related to the inflammatory microenvironment in breast tissue are still poorly understood. Currently, the definition of inflammation is mainly descriptive, not allowing a clear distinction of LLO from physiological immunological responses and its role in oncogenesis remains unclear. To gain insights into the prognostic potential of inflammation, we developed an agent-based model of immune and epithelial cell interactions in breast lobular epithelium. Physiological parameters were calibrated from breast tissue samples of women who underwent reduction mammoplasty due to orthopedic or cosmetic reasons. The model allowed to investigate the impact of menstrual cycle length and hormone status on inflammatory responses to cell turnover in the breast tissue. Our findings suggested that the immunological context, defined by the immune cell density, functional orientation and spatial distribution, contains prognostic information previously not captured by conventional diagnostic approaches.
A quantum approach to homomorphic encryption
Authors: Tan Si-Hui , Kettlewell Joshua A. , Ouyang Yingkai , Chen Lin , Fitzsimons Joseph F. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractEncryption schemes often derive their power from the properties of the underlying algebra on the symbols used. Inspired by group theoretic tools, we use the centralizer of a subgroup of operations to present a private-key quantum homomorphic encryption scheme that enables a broad class of quantum computation on encrypted data. The quantum data is encoded on bosons of distinct species in distinct spatial modes, and the quantum computations are manipulations of these bosons in a manner independent of their species. A particular instance of our encoding hides up to a constant fraction of the information encrypted. This fraction can be made arbitrarily close to unity with overhead scaling only polynomially in the message length. This highlights the potential of our protocol to hide a non-trivial amount of information, and is suggestive of a large class of encodings that might yield better security.
Impact of a high Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score on obstetric and perinatal outcomes
Authors: Navaratne Pathmila , Foo Xin Y , Kumar Sailesh 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThe aim of this retrospective study was to characterise intrapartum and neonatal outcomes in women with an antenatally recorded Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score (EPDS) ≤ 9 compared with women with a score of ≥12 at a major Australian tertiary maternity hospital. Women with scores ≥12 are at particularly high risk of major depressive symptomatology. There were 20512 (78.6%) women with a score ≤ 9 and 2708 (10.4%) had a score ≥ 12. Category 1 caesarean sections where there was immediate threat to life (maternal or fetal) were more common in women with EPDS scores ≥12 (5.2% vs. 4.3%, OR 1.24 95% CI 1.03–1.49, p = 0.024). Pre-term birth (<37 weeks) was also more common (11.7% vs. 8.6%, OR 1.38 95% CI 1.21–1.57, p < 0.001). Women with high scores had higher rates of babies with birth weights <5th centile (6.2% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001). Apgar score < 7 at 5 minutes were more frequent in the high EPDS group (3.1% vs. 2%, OR 1.52 95% CI 1.18–1.93, p < 0.001). Resuscitation at birth (34.4% vs. 30.6%, p < 0.001) and neonatal death (0.48% vs. 0.13%, OR 2.52 95% CI 1.2–5.0, p < 0.001) were higher in babies of these women. These results suggest poorer intrapartum and neonatal outcomes for women with high EPDS scores.
Toll-Like Receptor 9 Activation Rescues Impaired Antibody Response in Needle-free Intradermal DNA Vaccination
Authors: Arunachalam Prabhu S. , Mishra Ria , Badarinath Krithika , Selvam Deepak , Payeli Sravan K. , Stout Richard R. , Ranga Udaykumar 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThe delivery of plasmid DNA to the skin can target distinct subsets of dermal dendritic cells to confer a superior immune response. The needle-free immunization technology offers a reliable, safe and efficient means to administer intradermal (ID) injections. We report here that the ID injection of DNA vectors using an NF device (NF-ID) elicits a superior cell-mediated immune response, at much lesser DNA dosage, comparable in magnitude to the traditional intramuscular immunization. However, the humoral response is significantly impaired, possibly at the stage of B cell isotype switching. We found that the NF-ID administration deposits the DNA primarily on the epidermis resulting in a rapid loss of the DNA as well as the synthesized antigen due to the faster regeneration rate of the skin layers. Therefore, despite the immune-rich nature of the skin, the NF-ID immunization of DNA vectors may be limited by the impaired humoral response. Additional booster injections are required to augment the antibody response. As an alternative and a viable solution, we rescued the IgG response by coadministration of a Toll-like receptor 9 agonist, among other adjuvants examined. Our work has important implication for the optimization of the emerging needle-free technology for ID immunization.
Schizophyllum commune has an extensive and functional alternative splicing repertoire
Authors: Gehrmann Thies , Pelkmans Jordi F. , Lugones Luis G. , Wösten Han A. B. , Abeel Thomas , Reinders Marcel J. T. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractRecent genome-wide studies have demonstrated that fungi possess the machinery to alternatively splice pre-mRNA. However, there has not been a systematic categorization of the functional impact of alternative splicing in a fungus. We investigate alternative splicing and its functional consequences in the model mushroom forming fungus Schizophyllum commune. Alternative splicing was demonstrated for 2,285 out of 12,988 expressed genes, resulting in 20% additional transcripts. Intron retentions were the most common alternative splicing events, accounting for 33% of all splicing events, and 43% of the events in coding regions. On the other hand, exon skipping events were rare in coding regions (1%) but enriched in UTRs where they accounted for 57% of the events. Specific functional groups, including transcription factors, contained alternatively spliced genes. Alternatively spliced transcripts were regulated differently throughout development in 19% of the 2,285 alternatively spliced genes. Notably, 69% of alternatively spliced genes have predicted alternative functionality by loss or gain of functional domains, or by acquiring alternative subcellular locations. S. commune exhibits more alternative splicing than any other studied fungus. Taken together, alternative splicing increases the complexity of the S. commune proteome considerably and provides it with a rich repertoire of alternative functionality that is exploited dynamically.
Transmission of survival signals through Delta-like 1 on activated CD4+ T cells
Authors: Furukawa Takahiro , Ishifune Chieko , Tsukumo Shin-ichi , Hozumi Katsuto , Maekawa Yoichi , Matsui Naoko , Kaji Ryuji , Yasutomo Koji 
Published: September 2016

AbstractNotch expressed on CD4+ T cells transduces signals that mediate their effector functions and survival. Although Notch signaling is known to be cis-inhibited by Notch ligands expressed on the same cells, the role of Notch ligands on T cells remains unclear. In this report we demonstrate that the CD4+ T cell Notch ligand Dll1 transduces signals required for their survival. Co-transfer of CD4+ T cells from Dll1−/− and control mice into recipient mice followed by immunization revealed a rapid decline of CD4+ T cells from Dll1−/− mice compared with control cells. Dll1−/− mice exhibited lower clinical scores of experimental autoimmune encephalitis than control mice. The expression of Notch target genes in CD4+ T cells from Dll1−/− mice was not affected, suggesting that Dll1 deficiency in T cells does not affect cis Notch signaling. Overexpression of the intracellular domain of Dll1 in Dll1-deficient CD4+ T cells partially rescued impaired survival. Our data demonstrate that Dll1 is an independent regulator of Notch-signaling important for the survival of activated CD4+ T cells and provide new insight into the physiological roles of Notch ligands as well as a regulatory mechanism important for maintaining adaptive immune responses.
Entanglement and nonclassicality in four-mode Gaussian states generated via parametric down-conversion and frequency up-conversion
Authors: Arkhipov Ievgen I. , Peřina Jan , Haderka Ondřej , Allevi Alessia , Bondani Maria 
Published: September 2016

AbstractMultipartite entanglement and nonclassicality of four-mode Gaussian states generated in two simultaneous nonlinear processes involving parametric down-conversion and frequency up-conversion are analyzed assuming the vacuum as the initial state. Suitable conditions for the generation of highly entangled states are found. Transfer of the entanglement from the down-converted modes into the up-converted ones is also suggested. The analysis of the whole set of states reveals that sub-shot-noise intensity correlations between the equally-populated down-converted modes, as well as the equally-populated up-converted modes, uniquely identify entangled states. They represent a powerful entanglement identifier also in other cases with arbitrarily populated modes.
Behavioural and neural modulation of win-stay but not lose-shift strategies as a function of outcome value in Rock, Paper, Scissors
Authors: Forder Lewis , Dyson Benjamin James 
Published: September 2016

AbstractCompetitive environments in which individuals compete for mutually-exclusive outcomes require rational decision making in order to maximize gains but often result in poor quality heuristics. Reasons for the greater reliance on lose-shift relative to win-stay behaviour shown in previous studies were explored using the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors and by manipulating the value of winning and losing. Decision-making following a loss was characterized as relatively fast and relatively inflexible both in terms of the failure to modulate the magnitude of lose-shift strategy and the lack of significant neural modulation. In contrast, decision-making following a win was characterized as relatively slow and relatively flexible both in terms of a behavioural increase in the magnitude of win-stay strategy and a neural modulation of feedback-related negativity (FRN) and stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) following outcome value modulation. The win-stay/lose-shift heuristic appears not to be a unified mechanism, with the former relying on System 2 processes and the latter relying on System 1 processes. Our ability to play rationally appears more likely when the outcome is positive and when the value of wins are low, highlighting how vulnerable we can be when trying to succeed during competition.
Identification of a novel human deoxynivalenol metabolite enhancing proliferation of intestinal and urinary bladder cells
Authors: Warth Benedikt , Del Favero Giorgia , Wiesenberger Gerlinde , Puntscher Hannes , Woelflingseder Lydia , Fruhmann Philipp , Sarkanj Bojan , Krska Rudolf , Schuhmacher Rainer , Adam Gerhard , Marko Doris 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThe mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is an abundant contaminant of cereal based food and a severe issue for global food safety. We report the discovery of DON-3-sulfate as a novel human metabolite and potential new biomarker of DON exposure. The conjugate was detectable in 70% of urine samples obtained from pregnant women in Croatia. For the measurement of urinary metabolites, a highly sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated. The method was also used to investigate samples from a duplicate diet survey for studying the toxicokinetics of DON-3-sulfate. To get a preliminary insight into the biological relevance of the newly discovered DON-sulfates, in vitroexperiments were performed. In contrast to DON, sulfate conjugates lacked potency to suppress protein translation. However, surprisingly we found that DON-sulfates enhanced proliferation of human HT-29 colon carcinoma cells, primary human colon epithelial cells (HCEC-1CT) and, to some extent, also T24 bladder cancer cells. A proliferative stimulus, especially in tumorigenic cells raises concern on the potential impact of DON-sulfates on consumer health. Thus, a further characterization of their toxicological relevance should be of high priority.
Antibacterial activity of a modified unfilled resin containing a novel polymerizable quaternary ammonium salt MAE-HB
Authors: Huang Li , Yu Fan , Sun Xiang , Dong Yan , Lin Ping-ting , Yu Hao-han , Xiao Yu-hong , Chai Zhi-guo , Xing Xiao-dong , Chen Ji-hua 
Published: September 2016

AbstractResins with strong and long-lasting antibacterial properties are critical for the prevention of secondary dental caries. In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial effect and the underlying mechanism of action of an unfilled resin incorporating 2-methacryloxylethyl hexadecyl methyl ammonium bromide (MAE-HB) against Streptococcus mutans UA159 (S. mutans UA159). MAE-HB was added into unfilled resin at 10 mass%, and unfilled resin without MAE-HB served as the control. Bacterial growth was inhibited on 10%-MAE-HB unfilled resin compared with the control at 1 d, 7 d, 30 d, or 180 d (P < 0.05). The growth inhibitory effect was independent of the incubation time (P > 0.05). No significant differences in the antibacterial activities of eluents from control versus 10%-MAE-HB unfilled resins were observed at any time point (P > 0.05). The number of bacteria attached to 10%-MAE-HB unfilled resin was considerably lower than that to control. Fe-SEM and CLSM showed that 10%-MAE-HB unfilled resin disturbed the integrity of bacterial cells. Expression of the bacterial glucosyltransferases, gtfB and gtfC, was lower on 10%-MAE-HB unfilled resin compared to that on control (P < 0.05). These data indicate that incorporation of MAE-HB confers unfilled resin with strong and long-lasting antibacterial effects against S. mutans.