bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Single-crystalline aluminum film for ultraviolet plasmonic nanolasers
Authors: Chou Bo-Tsun , Chou Yu-Hsun , Wu Yen-Mo , Chung Yi-Cheng , Hsueh Wei-Jen , Lin Shih-Wei , Lu Tien-Chang , Lin Tzy-Rong , Lin Sheng-Di 
Published: January 2016

AbstractSignificant advances have been made in the development of plasmonic devices in the past decade. Plasmonic nanolasers, which display interesting properties, have come to play an important role in biomedicine, chemical sensors, information technology and optical integrated circuits. However, nanoscale plasmonic devices, particularly those operating in the ultraviolet regime, are extremely sensitive to the metal and interface quality. Thus, these factors have a significant bearing on the development of ultraviolet plasmonic devices. Here, by addressing these material-related issues, we demonstrate a low-threshold, high-characteristic-temperature metal-oxide-semiconductor ZnO nanolaser that operates at room temperature. The template for the ZnO nanowires consists of a flat single-crystalline Al film grown by molecular beam epitaxy and an ultrasmooth Al2O3 spacer layer synthesized by atomic layer deposition. By effectively reducing the surface plasmon scattering and metal intrinsic absorption losses, the high-quality metal film and the sharp interfaces formed between the layers boost the device performance. This work should pave the way for the use of ultraviolet plasmonic nanolasers and related devices in a wider range of applications.
Surface hydrophobicity of slippery zones in the pitchers of two Nepenthes species and a hybrid
Authors: Wang Lixin , Zhou Qiang 
Published: January 2016

AbstractTo investigate the hydrophobicity of slippery zones, static contact angle measurement and microstructure observation of slippery surfaces from two Nepenthes species and a hybrid were conducted. Marginally different static contact angles were observed, as the smallest (133.83°) and greatest (143.63°) values were recorded for the N. alata and N. miranda respectively and the median value (140.40°) was presented for the N. khasiana. The slippery zones under investigation exhibited rather similar surface morphologies, but different structural dimensions. These findings probably suggest that the geometrical dimensions of surface architecture exert primary effects on differences in the hydrophobicity of the slippery zone. Based on the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter equations, models were proposed to analyze the manner in which geometrical dimensions affect the hydrophobicity of the slippery surfaces. The results of our analysis demonstrated that the different structural dimensions of lunate cells and wax platelets make the slippery zones present different real area of the rough surface and thereby generate somewhat distinguishable hydrophobicity. The results support a supplementary interpretation of surface hydrophobicity in plant leaves and provide a theoretical foundation for developing bioinspired materials with hydrophobic properties and self-cleaning abilities.
NF-κB promotes leaky expression of adenovirus genes in a replication-incompetent adenovirus vector
Authors: Machitani M. , Sakurai F. , Wakabayashi K. , Nakatani K. , Shimizu K. , Tachibana M. , Mizuguchi H. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe replication-incompetent adenovirus (Ad) vector is one of the most promising vectors for gene therapy; however, systemic administration of Ad vectors results in severe hepatotoxicities, partly due to the leaky expression of Ad genes in the liver. Here we show that nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) mediates the leaky expression of Ad genes from the Ad vector genome and that the inhibition of NF-κB leads to the suppression of Ad gene expression and hepatotoxicities following transduction with Ad vectors. Activation of NF-κB by recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α significantly enhanced the leaky expression of Ad genes. More than 50% suppression of the Ad gene expression was found by inhibitors of NF-κB signaling and siRNA-mediated knockdown of NF-κB. Similar results were found when cells were infected with wild-type Ad. Compared with a conventional Ad vector, an Ad vector expressing a dominant-negative IκBα (Adv-CADNIκBα), which is a negative regulator of NF-κB, mediated approximately 70% suppression of the leaky expression of Ad genes in the liver. Adv-CADNIκBα did not induce apparent hepatotoxicities. These results indicate that inhibition of NF-κB leads to suppression of Ad vector-mediated tissue damages via not only suppression of inflammatory responses but also reduction in the leaky expression of Ad genes.
Wood reinforcement of poplar by rice NAC transcription factor
Authors: Sakamoto Shingo , Takata Naoki , Oshima Yoshimi , Yoshida Kouki , Taniguchi Toru , Mitsuda Nobutaka 
Published: January 2016

AbstractLignocellulose, composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, in the secondary cell wall constitutes wood and is the most abundant form of biomass on Earth. Enhancement of wood accumulation may be an effective strategy to increase biomass as well as wood strength, but currently only limited research has been undertaken. Here, we demonstrated that OsSWN1, the orthologue of the rice NAC Secondary-wall Thickening factor (NST) transcription factor, effectively enhanced secondary cell wall formation in the Arabidopsis inflorescence stem and poplar (Populus tremula×Populus tremuloides) stem when expressed by the Arabidopsis NST3 promoter. Interestingly, in transgenic Arabidopsis and poplar, ectopic secondary cell wall deposition in the pith area was observed in addition to densification of the secondary cell wall in fiber cells. The cell wall content or density of the stem increased on average by up to 38% and 39% in Arabidopsis and poplar, respectively, without causing growth inhibition. As a result, physical strength of the stem increased by up to 57% in poplar. Collectively, these data suggest that the reinforcement of wood by NST3pro:OsSWN1 is a promising strategy to enhance wood-biomass production in dicotyledonous plant species.
Microcantilever Actuation by Laser Induced Photoacoustic Waves
Authors: Gao Naikun , Zhao Dongfang , Jia Ran , Liu Duo 
Published: January 2016

AbstractWe present here a combined theoretical and experimental investigation on effective excitation of microcantilever by using photoacoustic waves. The photoacoustic waves arose from a vibrating Al foil induced by an intensity-modulated laser. We demonstrate that, superior to photothermal excitation, this new configuration avoids direct heating of the microcantilever, thus minimizing undesired thermal effects on the vibration of microcantilever, while still keeps the advantage of being a remote, non-contact excitation method. We also measured the vibration amplitude of the microcantilever as a function of distance between the microcantilever and the Al foil and found that the amplitudes decay gradually according to the inverse distance law. This method is universal and can be adopted in bio-microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMs) for the detection of small signals where detrimental thermal effects must be avoided.
Fitness costs of increased cataract frequency and cumulative radiation dose in natural mammalian populations from Chernobyl
Authors: Lehmann Philipp , Boratyński Zbyszek , Mappes Tapio , Mousseau Timothy A. , Møller Anders P. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractA cataract is a clouding of the lens that reduces light transmission to the retina and it decreases the visual acuity of the bearer. The prevalence of cataracts in natural populations of mammals and their potential ecological significance, is poorly known. Cataracts have been reported to arise from high levels of oxidative stress and a major cause of oxidative stress is ionizing radiation. We investigated whether elevated frequencies of cataracts are found in eyes of bank voles Myodes glareolus collected from natural populations in areas with varying levels of background radiation in Chernobyl. We found high frequencies of cataracts in voles collected from different areas in Chernobyl. The frequency of cataracts was positively correlated with age and in females also with the accumulated radiation dose. Furthermore, the number of offspring in female voles was negatively correlated with cataract severity. The results suggest that cataracts primarily develop as a function of ionizing background radiation, most likely as a plastic response to high levels of oxidative stress. It is therefore possible that the elevated levels of background radiation in Chernobyl affect the ecology and fitness of local mammals both directly through, for instance, reduced fertility and indirectly, through increased cataractogenesis.
Tunable Wide-Angle Tunneling in Graphene-Assisted Frustrated Total Internal Reflection
Authors: Tran Thang Q. , Lee Sangjun , Heo Hyungjun , Kim Sangin 
Published: January 2016

AbstractElectrically tunable permittivity of graphene provides an excellent tool in photonic device design. Many previous works on graphene-based photonic devices relied on variable absorption in graphene, which is naturally small in the optical region and resonant structures to enhance it. Here we proposed a novel scheme to control evanescent coupling strength by inserting two graphene layers to a frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) configuration. The resulting structure behaves in a drastically different way from the original FTIR: optical transmission though the structure can be electrically controlled from ~10−5 to ~1 with little dependency on angle of incidence. This unique feature stems from the fact that the permittivity of doped graphene can be close to zero at a certain photon energy. The electrical controllability of evanescent coupling strength can enable novel design of optical devices. As a proof-of-concept, we designed a waveguide-type optical modulator of a novel operation principle: transmission modulation depends on the electrically controlled existence of a guided-mode of the waveguide, not the variation of the ohmic loss of graphene, resulting in a low insertion loss and a small device footprint.
Atrasentan increased the expression of klotho by mediating miR-199b-5p and prevented renal tubular injury in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Kang Wen-Ling , Xu Gao-Si 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAtrasentan is a promising therapy for treating diabetic nephropathy (DN). Here we evaluated whether atrasentan down-regulated the miR-199b-5p expression, thereby increasing klotho and preventing renal tubular injury in DN. One-hundred patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 40 healthy subjects were included. A DN mice model was established by an injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Human renal proximal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells were exposed to high glucose (20 mmol/L). Treated the mice and HK-2 cells with atrasentan and we then investigated whether and how miR-199b-5p and Klotho were involved in preventing renal tubular injury in DN. In patients, the serum miR-199b-5p level increased and the klotho concentration decreased in accordance with elevated albuminuria. Atrasentan down-regulated miR-199b-5p and up-regulated klotho of the DN mice and HK-2 cells exposed to high glucose. High glucose promoted the binding of histone H3 to the miR-199b-5p promoter and atrasentan canceled this effect. MiR-199b-5p targeted the 3′ UTR of klotho. Overexpression of miR-199b-5p canceled the effects of atrasentan on klotho expression and apoptosis of renal tubular cells in both in vivo and in vitro. The increased serum klotho, mediated by miR-199b-5p, is a possible mechanism by which atrasentan prevents renal tubular injury in DN.
An Indirect Action Contributes to C-Fos Induction in Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus by Neuropeptide Y
Authors: Fan Shengjie , Dakshinamoorthy Janani , Kim Eun Ran , Xu Yong , Huang Cheng , Tong Qingchun 
Published: January 2016

AbstractNeuropeptide Y (NPY) is a well-established orexigenic peptide and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH) is one major brain site that mediates the orexigenic action of NPY. NPY induces abundant expression of C-Fos, an indicator for neuronal activation, in the PVH, which has been used extensively to examine the underlying NPY orexigenic neural pathways. However, PVH C-Fos induction is in discordance with the abundant expression of NPY receptors, a group of inhibitory Gi protein coupled receptors in the PVH and with the overall role of PVH neurons in feeding inhibition, suggesting a mechanism of indirect action. Here we showed that the ability of NPY on C-Fos induction in the PVH was blunted in conditions of insulin deficiency and fasting, a condition associated with a high level of NPY and a low level of insulin. Moreover, insulin insufficiency blunted C-Fos induction in the PVH by fasting-induced re-feeding and insulin and NPY induced c-Fos induction in the same group of PVH neurons. Finally, NPY produced normal C-Fos induction in the PVH with disruption of GABA-A receptors. Thus, our results revealed that PVH C-Fos induction by NPY is mediated by an indirect action, which is at least partially mediated by insulin action, but not GABA-A receptors.
Reconfigurable Optical Signal Processing Based on a Distributed Feedback Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
Authors: Li Ming , Deng Ye , Tang Jian , Sun Shuqian , Yao Jianping , Azaña José , Zhu Ninghua 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAll-optical signal processing has been considered a solution to overcome the bandwidth and speed limitations imposed by conventional electronic-based systems. Over the last few years, an impressive range of all-optical signal processors have been proposed, but few of them come with reconfigurability, a feature highly needed for practical signal processing applications. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate an analog optical signal processor based on a phase-shifted distributed feedback semiconductor optical amplifier (DFB-SOA) and an optical filter. The proposed analog optical signal processor can be reconfigured to perform signal processing functions including ordinary differential equation solving and temporal intensity differentiation. The reconfigurability is achieved by controlling the injection currents. Our demonstration provitdes a simple and effective solution for all-optical signal processing and computing.
Heat-Initiated Chemical Functionalization of Graphene
Authors: Gao Guodong , Liu Dandan , Tang Shangcheng , Huang Can , He Mengci , Guo Yu , Sun Xiudong , Gao Bo 
Published: January 2016

AbstractA heat-initiated chemical reaction was developed to functionalize CVD-grown graphene at wafer scale and the reaction was universally extended to carbon nanotubes and other precursors that could be thermally converted to active radicals. The chemical reaction can occur in absence of oxygen and water vapor when the temperature is above the decomposition temperature of the reactants. The chemical reaction was also found to be substrate-dependent due to surface doping and inhomogeneity. A large-scale graphene pattern was demonstrated by combing with microfluidic technique. This heat-initiated solid-phase chemical reaction provides a facile and environmentally friendly approach to functionalize carbon nanomaterials with various functional groups.
Genetic and functional analysis of a Li Fraumeni syndrome family in China
Authors: Hu Huaying , Liu Jingping , Liao Xinbin , Zhang Shuju , Li Haibo , Lu Renbin , Li Xianfeng , Lin Wei , Liu Minji , Xia Zanxian , Qing Guoliang , Li Jia-Da 
Published: January 2016

AbstractLi Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a rare familial cancer predisposition syndrome with autosomal-dominant inheritance, occurring as frequently as one in 5,000–20,000 individuals. However, no LFS case has been reported from mainland China although it constitutes one quarter of population on earth. In this study, we identified, to our best knowledge, the first Li Fraumeni syndrome family in China. Six family members were affected with various tumors. A TP53 mutation (c.730G > A; p.G244S) co-segregated with the tumor phenotype within this family. Functional analysis indicated that G244S mutation disrupted the transactivity, DNA-binding and cell growth inhibition activity of p53 protein. Two available tumor samples (medulloblastoma and choroid plexus papilloma) underwent large rearrangement in the chromosomes and loss of wild-type TP53. Our data warranted further studies on the prevalence of germline TP53 mutation in various tumor patients in China.
Fingolimod induces neurogenesis in adult mouse hippocampus and improves contextual fear memory
Authors: Efstathopoulos P , Kourgiantaki A , Karali K , Sidiropoulou K , Margioris A N , Gravanis A , Charalampopoulos I 
Published: January 2016

AbstractFingolimod (FTY720) was the first per os administered disease-modifying agent approved for the treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. It is thought that fingolimod modulates the immune response by activating sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor type 1 (S1P1) on lymphocytes following its in vivo phosphorylation. In addition to its immune-related effects, there is evidence that fingolimod exerts several other effects in the central nervous system, including regulation of the proliferation, survival and differentiation of various cell types and their precursors. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of fingolimod on the production of new neurons in the adult mouse hippocampus and the association of this effect with the ability for pattern separation, an established adult neurogenesis-dependent memory function. Immunofluorescence analysis after chronic administration of a physiologic dose of fingolimod (0.3 mg kg−1) revealed a significant increase in both the proliferation and the survival of neural progenitors in the area of dentate gyrus of hippocampus, compared with control animals. These effects were replicated in vitro, in cultures of murine hippocampal neural stem/precursor cells that express S1P1 receptor, suggesting cell-autonomous actions. The effects of fingolimod on neurogenesis were correlated to enhanced ability for context discrimination after fear conditioning. Since impairment of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and memory is a common feature of many neuropsychiatric conditions, fingolimod treatment may be beneficial in therapeutic armamentarium of these disorders.
School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Knowledge and Perceptions of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Bullying
Authors: Ofe Erin E. , Plumb Allison M. , Plexico Laura W. , Haak Nancy J. 
Published: January 2016

PurposeThe purpose of the current investigation was to examine speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') knowledge and perceptions of bullying, with an emphasis on autism spectrum disorder (ASD).MethodA 46-item, web-based survey was used to address the purposes of this investigation. Participants were recruited through e-mail and electronic mailing lists for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) special interest divisions 1 (Language, Learning, and Education) and 16 (School-Based Issues). Also, an embedded link to the survey was posted on the ASHA Community website and ASHA Facebook page.ResultsParticipants demonstrated knowledge of many aspects of bullying research; however, they demonstrated weaknesses in others. All respondents agreed that SLPs should intervene in moments of bullying, but not all indicated that they feel comfortable intervening. Few participants indicated that their school district implemented antibullying campaigns specific to children with special needs, such as ASD.ConclusionsAs recognized experts in working with children with communication deficits, including individuals with ASD, SLPs have the opportunity to play a key role in antibullying efforts. Results revealed, however, that school-based SLPs may benefit from more information on bullying in order to understand the nature, context, and extent of this issue, as well as ways in which to respond to bullying when it is observed.
On the Jacquet Conjecture on the local converse problem for 𝑝-adic 𝐺𝐿_{𝑁}
Authors: Adrian Moshe , Liu Baiying , Stevens Shaun , Xu Peng 
Published: January 2016

Based on previous results of Jiang, Nien and the third-named author, we prove that any two minimax unitarizable supercuspidals of

p
p

-adic

G
L

N

\mathrm {GL}_N

that have the same depth and central character admit a special pair of Whittaker functions. As a corollary of our result, we prove Jacquet’s conjecture on the local converse problem for

G
L

N

\mathrm {GL}_N

, when

N
N

is prime.
Oxygen Reserve Index
Authors: Szmuk Peter , Steiner Jeffrey W. , Olomu Patrick N. , Ploski Roxana P. , Sessler Daniel I. , Ezri Tiberiu 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAbstract
During prolonged apnea in healthy anesthetized children, the Oxygen Reserve Index detected impending desaturation in median of 31.5 s (interquartile range, 19 to 34.3 s) before noticeable changes in Spo2 occurred.

Background
Pulse oximetry provides no indication of downward trends in Pao
2 until saturation begins to decrease. The Oxygen Reserve Index (ORI) is a novel pulse oximeter–based nondimensional index that ranges from 1 to 0 as Pao
2 decreases from about 200 to 80 mmHg and is measured by optically detecting changes in Svo
2 after Sao
2 saturates to the maximum. The authors tested the hypothesis that the ORI provides a clinically important warning of impending desaturation in pediatric patients during induction of anesthesia.

Methods
After preoxygenation, anesthesia induction, and tracheal intubation, the anesthesia circuit was disconnected and oxygen saturation was allowed to decrease to 90% before ventilation recommenced. The ORI and Spo
2 values were recorded from a Masimo Pulse Co-Oximeter Sensor at the beginning of apnea, beginning and end of intubation, beginning and end of the ORI alarm, and 2 min after reoxygenation.

Results
Data from 25 healthy children, aged 7.6 ± 4.6 yr, were included in the analysis. During apnea, the ORI slowly and progressively decreased over a mean of 5.9 ± 3.1 min from 0.73 ± 0.16 at the beginning of apnea to 0.37 ± 0.11. Spo
2 remained 100% throughout this initial period. Concurrently with alarm activation, the ORI began to decrease rapidly, and in median of 31.5 s (interquartile range, 19 to 34.3 s), saturation decreased to 98%.

Conclusions
In this pilot study, the ORI detected impending desaturation in median of 31.5 s (interquartile range, 19–34.3 s) before noticeable changes in Spo
2 occurred. This represents a clinically important warning time, which might give clinicians time for corrective actions.