bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Forming-less and Non-Volatile Resistive Switching in WOX by Oxygen Vacancy Control at Interfaces
Authors: Won Seokjae , Lee Sang Yeon , Park Jucheol , Seo Hyungtak 
Published: August 2017

AbstractResistive switching devices are recognized as candidates for next-generation memory devices in that they can replace conventional memory devices. In these devices, a WOX film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering with a significant number of oxygen vacancies exhibits a resistive switching property and does not involve the use of a forming process. The resistive switching mechanism involves the hopping of electrons through the sub-band states of the oxygen vacancies in E-field-driven electromigration. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, ultra-violet photoemission spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy-electron energy loss spectroscopy were performed to analyze local variations in the O-vacancies and in the electronic band structure of a WOX thin film. The band structure is responsible for the correlation between the motion of the electrons under the interface effect at the electrodes with the change in the resistance and the bias-polarity dependence of the I-V property of the device. The optimized metal-insulator-metal structure (Pt/WOX/Au), which has an asymmetric electrode and many oxygen vacancies, gives rise to excellent resistive-switching properties with a high on/off ratio on the order of 105 times, a low set voltage of <0.34 V, and a uniform DC cyclic performance in the order of 1500 cycles at room temperature. These specifications can be further adopted for application to non-volatile memory-device applications.
Humans with latent toxoplasmosis display altered reward modulation of cognitive control
Authors: Stock Ann-Kathrin , Dajkic Danica , Köhling Hedda Luise , von Heinegg Evelyn Heintschel , Fiedler Melanie , Beste Christian 
Published: August 2017

AbstractLatent infection with Toxoplasma gondii has repeatedly been shown to be associated with behavioral changes that are commonly attributed to a presumed increase in dopaminergic signaling. Yet, virtually nothing is known about its effects on dopamine-driven reward processing. We therefore assessed behavior and event-related potentials in individuals with vs. without latent toxoplasmosis performing a rewarded control task. The data show that otherwise healthy young adults with latent toxoplasmosis show a greatly diminished response to monetary rewards as compared to their non-infected counterparts. While this selective effect eliminated a toxoplasmosis-induced speed advantage previously observed for non-rewarded behavior, Toxo-positive subjects could still be demonstrated to be superior to Toxo-negative subjects with respect to response accuracy. Event-related potential (ERP) and source localization analyses revealed that this advantage during rewarded behavior was based on increased allocation of processing resources reflected by larger visual late positive component (LPC) amplitudes and associated activity changes in the right temporo-parietal junction (BA40) and left auditory cortex (BA41). Taken together, individuals with latent toxoplasmosis show superior behavioral performance in challenging cognitive control situations but may at the same time have a reduced sensitivity towards motivational effects of rewards, which might be explained by the presumed increase in dopamine.
CXCL12 overexpression promotes the angiogenesis potential of periodontal ligament stem cells
Authors: Zhang Lei , Zhou Yong , Sun Xiaoyu , Zhou Jian , Yang Pishan 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPeriodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are a major source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in adults and are effective for tissue engineering, like promoting angiogenesis and bone regeneration. CXCL12 has been reported to be involved in the recruitment and engraftment of MSCs in wound sites. However, whether CXCL12 potentiates the angiogenesis of PDLSCs is not clear. In this experiment, we transduced PDLSCs with CXCL12, and evaluated the angiogenesis potential of CXCL12-modified PDLSCs through in vitro and in vivo studies. The results showed that CXCL12 overexpression significantly stimulated the gene and protein expressions of bFGF, VEGF, SCF and PLGF in PDLSCs; CXCL12 gene modified PDLSCs formed longer capillary‐like structure; Moreover, in vivo transplanted PDLSCs transduced with CXCL12 could significantly promote bone tissue repair and angiogenesis in a rat critical-sized calvarial bone defect model. Taken together, our study confirmed that CXCL12 can enhance the angiogenesis potential of PDLSCs, which are crucial in the repair and regeneration of bone tissue.
Organic carbon budget for the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre: major role of DOC in mesopelagic respiration
Authors: Santana-Falcón Yeray , Álvarez-Salgado Xosé Antón , Pérez-Hernández María Dolores , Hernández-Guerra Alonso , Mason Evan , Arístegui Javier 
Published: August 2017

AbstractTransports of suspended particulate (POCsusp) and dissolved (DOC) organic carbon are inferred from a box-model covering the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. Corresponding net respiration rates (R) are obtained from a net organic carbon budget that is based on the transport estimates, and includes both vertical and lateral fluxes. The overall R in the mesopelagic layer (100–1500 m) is 1.6 ± 0.4 mmol C m−2 d−1. DOC accounts for up to 53% of R as a result of drawdown of organic carbon within Eastern North Atlantic Central Water (ENACW) that is entrained into sinking Mediterranean Overflow Water (MOW) that leads to formation of Mediterranean water (MW) at intermediate depths (~900 m). DOC represents 90% of the respired non-sinking organic carbon. When converted into oxygen units, the computed net respiration rate represents less than half the oxygen utilization rates (OUR) reported for the mesopelagic waters of the subtropical North Atlantic. Mesoscale processes in the area, not quantified with our approach, could account in part for the OUR differences observed between our carbon budget and other published studies from the North Atlantic, although seasonal or interannual variability could also be responsible for the difference in the estimates.
Delay discounting is associated with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and resting-state functional connectivity in late adolescence
Authors: Wang Song , Zhou Ming , Chen Taolin , Yang Xun , Chen Guangxiang , Gong Qiyong 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAs a component of self-regulation, delay discounting (DD) refers to an individual’s tendency to prefer smaller-but-sooner rewards over larger-but-later rewards and plays an essential role in many aspects of human behavior. Although numerous studies have examined the neural underpinnings of DD in adults, there are far fewer studies focusing on the neurobiological correlates underlying DD in adolescents. Here, we investigated the associations between individual differences in DD and the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in 228 high school students using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). At the regional level, we found an association between higher DD and greater fALFF in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), which is involved in conflict monitoring and strategy adaptation. At the connectivity level, DD was positively correlated with the RSFC between the dACC and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a critical functional circuit in the cognitive control network. Furthermore, these effects persisted even after adjusting for the influences of general intelligence and trait impulsivity. Overall, this study reveals the fALFF and RSFC as the functional brain basis of DD in late adolescents, aiding to strengthen and corroborate our understanding of the neural underpinnings of DD.
Prognostic Significance of Elevated Cholestatic Enzymes for Fibrosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hospital Discharged Chronic Viral Hepatitis Patients
Authors: Xie Wen , Cao Yang , Xu Min , Wang Jiangbin , Zhou Changyu , Yang Xingxiang , Geng Xiaoxia , Zhang Wenhong , Li Ning , Cheng Jun 
Published: August 2017

AbstractChronic viral hepatitis (CVH) is the root cause of liver fibrosis and subsequent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study based on medical records and primary data collection from patients with CVH who were admitted in five hospitals across China between February and September 2013 to determine the prevalence of elevated cholestatic enzymes (ALP and/or GGT above ULN) in discharged Chinese patients with CVH as a primary outcome and secondarily evaluated the relationship of these enzymes with fibrosis and disease severity. Majority of the patients (56%) had cholestatic enzyme elevation at discharge, with high prevalence of liver fibrosis (37.6% vs. 20.1%, p < 0.001) and cirrhosis (Child-Pugh B: 56.9% vs. 48.7%; Child-Pugh C: 17.4% vs. 12.5%; p < 0.001) in addition to significantly higher odds of liver fibrosis (OR 1.54; p = 0.024) and a trend towards higher odds of moderate-to-severe cirrhosis (OR 1.24; p = 0.317) compared to those who had normal enzyme levels. Elevated cholestatic enzyme levels serve as important prognosticators of liver fibrosis in CVH patients. Therefore, pre-discharge testing of cholestatic enzymes is recommended to identify CVH patients and provide prophylactic care.
Nanoindentation Induced Deformation and Pop-in Events in a Silicon Crystal: Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Experiment
Authors: Jiapeng Sun , Cheng Li , Han Jing , Ma Aibin , Fang Liang 
Published: August 2017

AbstractSilicon has such versatile characteristics that the mechanical behavior and deformation mechanism under contact load are still unclear and hence are interesting and challenging issues. Based on combined study using molecular dynamics simulations and experiments of nanoindentation on Si(100), the versatile deformation modes, including high pressure phase transformation (HPPT), dislocation, median crack and surface crack, were found, and occurrence of multiple pop-in events in the load-indentation strain curves was reported. HPPTs are regard as the dominant deformation mode and even becomes the single deformation mode at a small indentation strain (0.107 in simulations), suggesting the presence of a defect-free region. Moreover, the one-to-one relationship between the pop-in events and the deformation modes is established. Three distinct mechanisms are identified to be responsible for the occurrence of multiple pop-in events in sequence. In the first mechanism, HPPTs from Si-I to Si-II and Si-I to bct5 induce the first pop-in event. The formation and extrusion of α-Si outside the indentation cavity are responsible for the subsequent pop-in event. And the major cracks on the surface induces the pop-in event at extreme high load. The observed dislocation burst and median crack beneath the transformation region produce no detectable pop-in events.
Comparison of Outcomes of Tricuspid Valve Surgery in Patients with Reduced and Normal Right Ventricular Function
Authors: Girdauskas Evaldas , Bernhardt Alexander , Sinning Christoph , Reichenspurner Hermann , Sill Bjoern , Subbotina Irina 
Published: August 2017

Background To study the effect of tricuspid valve repair/replacement on outcomes of patients with reduced systolic right ventricular function.
Methods Between January 2012 and July 2016, 191 patients with isolated tricuspid valve regurgitation and/or in combination with other valve diseases were enrolled into this retrospective study. We compared early postoperative outcomes (i.e., 30 days after surgery) between patients' cohort with a preoperative reduced (i.e., at least moderately) versus normal (or mildly reduced) right ventricular function as defined by means of preoperative echocardiography.
Results A total of 82 (43%) patients had preoperatively reduced right ventricle function with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) of 13.3 ± 3.3 versus 20.2 ± 4.9 mm (p < 0.001). Ring annuloplasty was the most common surgical technique (i.e., 91% in both groups). Time of procedure (317 ± 123 vs. 262 ± 88 minutes, p < 0.01) and time on cardiopulmonary bypass (163 ± 77 vs. 143 ± 57 minutes, p = 0.036) were significantly longer in patients with impaired right ventricular function. Postoperative lactate (3.5 ± 3 vs. 2 ± 1 mmol/L, p = 0.001) and dose of catecholamines (epinephrine, 0.07 ± 0.15 vs. 0.013 ± 0.02 µg/kg/min, p = 0.001; norepinephrine, 0.18 ± 0.23 vs. 0.07 ± 0.09 µg/kg/min, p = 0.007) were also higher in this group. Postoperative rate of low cardiac output syndrome (10 vs. 27%, p = 0.005) and early mortality (n = 2 vs. n = 9, p = 0.018) were significantly increased in patients with reduced right ventricular function. Previous cardiac operation (p = 0.045), preoperative higher number of acute decompensations of heart failure (p < 0.001), reduced right ventricular function (p = 0.018), postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (p < 0.001), and renal replacement therapy (p < 0.001) were identified as risk factors for early mortality. Echocardiography at discharge revealed tricuspid valve regurgitation grade of 0.9 ± 0.7 versus 0.7 ± 0.6 (p = 0.052) and TAPSE of 12 ± 3 versus 15 ± 5 mm (p = 0.026) in patients with reduced right ventricular function. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) class improved to 1.7 ± 0.7 versus 1.3 ± 1 (p < 0.001) in this group of patients.
Conclusion Tricuspid valve repair/replacement effectively eliminated severe tricuspid regurgitation and improved clinical signs of heart failure. Although mortality and morbidity were increased in the group with reduced right ventricular function, even these patients benefitted from improved functional status and right ventricular systolic function early postoperatively.
Incidence and Characterization of Hypoesthesia in the Distribution of the Infrapatellar Branch of the Saphenous Nerve after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective Study of Patient-Reported Numbness
Authors: Cohen Steven , Flato Russell , Wascher Jocelyn , Watson Ryan , Salminen Matthew , O'Brien Daniel , Tjoumakaris Fotios , Ciccotti Michael 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of patient-reported numbness following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), if postoperative numbness dissipates with time, and how the graft type affects numbness severity. A total of 218 patients undergoing ACLR were prospectively enrolled. At 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively, patients completed a questionnaire assessing numbness severity and location. Each time, patients rated their sensory deficit from 0 to 10 (0 = no deficit; 10 = complete lack of sensation) and indicated the location of their sensory deficit by marking a picture of a knee divided into nine rectangular segments. A mixed effect linear regression model was used to identify predictors for the patient-reported numbness severity. Overall, 69.8% (150/218) of patients reported numbness at 6 weeks, 50.0% (97/194) at 6 months, and 42.2% (78/185) at 1 year. Allograft patients reported a mean numbness severity of 2.9 ± 0.3 (mean ± standard error), 1.7 ± 0.2, and 1.4 ± 0.3 at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year, respectively. The 6-week, 6-month, and 1-year averages were 4.7 ± 0.4, 2.7 ± 0.4, and 1.7 ± 0.4 for bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autograft patients and 4.3 ± 0.4, 2.9 ± 0.4, and 2.5 ± 0.4 for hamstring autograft patients. The model indicated that the use of hamstring autografts increased patient-reported numbness by an average of 1.4 ± 0.5 across all time points, and the use of a BTB autograft increased patient-reported numbness by 1.2 ± 0.4 across all time points. Time from surgery decreased the severity of patient-reported numbness for all graft types (−1.3 ± 0.2 at 6 months and −1.7 ± 0.2 at 1 year). Hypoesthesia in the distribution of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve is common after ACLR but is likely to dissipate with time. Patients undergoing ACLR with allograft may be less likely to develop sensory deficits, and these deficits may be less severe.
Corrective Osteotomies for Complex Intra-Articular Tibial Plateau Malunions using Three-Dimensional Virtual Planning and Novel Patient-Specific Guides
Authors: Wang Huixiang , Newman Simon , Wang Jiandong , Wang Qian , Wang Qiugen 
Published: August 2017

AbstractCorrective osteotomy of intra-articular tibial plateau malunions is technically demanding for orthopaedic surgeons. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of the combination of three-dimensional (3D) virtual planning and novel patient-specific guides for assisting correction of complex intra-articular tibial plateau malunions. Six patients with posttraumatic intra-articular tibial plateau malunions were included. Preoperatively 3D models of the tibias were reconstructed using the computed tomography scan data. Virtual surgical planning was performed, and patient-specific guides for osteotomy and reduction were designed, which were then 3D printed. Intraoperatively they were applied to guide the osteotomy and reduction. After surgery, radiographs were taken to evaluate the knee joint surface. The operating surgeons were asked to complete the Likert scale questionnaire to assess their attitude to the novel technology. The guides were successfully used for guiding osteotomy correction of malunion in all patients. Postoperative radiographs showed the articular step-off was considerably reduced and the articular congruency was satisfactory in all patients. The results of the questionnaire demonstrated a high level of surgeon satisfaction and acceptance to the technology. For selective patients with complex intra-articular tibial plateau malunions, the novel technique could serve as a valuable option for guiding precise malunion correction.
Morgagni-Hernie als Ursache einer restriktiven Ventilationsstörung
Authors: Gillissen A. , Paparoupa M. , Zimmermann T. 
Published: August 2017

ZusammenfassungDie Morgagni-Hernie ist eine seltene, kongenitale Zwerchfell-Hernienform (2 % – 3 % aller Hernien). Die Symptome sind abhängig vom Ausprägungsgrad. Sie sind in leichten Bruchformen unspezifisch oder auch gar nicht vorhanden. Patienten mit großen Hernien beklagen Dyspnoe und in der Lungenfunktion imponiert eine restriktive Einschränkung. Es wird der seltene Fall einer ausgeprägten, rechtsseitigen Morgagni-Hernie vorgestellt, die über viele Jahre unentdeckt blieb. Im Rahmen einer dazu ergänzenden Literaturübersicht wird eine Empfehlung zum diagnostischen und therapeutischen Vorgehen gegeben. Die Standardtherapie besteht aus dem chirurgischen Verschluss der Bruchlücke nach Reposition des Bruchsacks und seinem Inhalt, der in unserem Fall in minimal-invasiver Technik erfolgte. Bei unserem Patienten dehnte sich danach die Lunge allmählich wieder aus und es besserten sich die Lungenfunktion und die initiale Hypoxie.
Wachsende Gesundheitsgefahr: Elektroschrott in Ghana
Authors: Feldt Torsten 
Published: August 2017

ZusammenfassungDie Entsorgung von Elektroschrott in Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern ist ein zunehmendes Gesundheitsproblem. Die Elektroschrotthalde in Agbogbloshie, einem Stadtteil von Ghanas Hauptstadt Accra, ist eine der größten in Afrika und weltweit. Dort werden die Geräte unter einfachsten Bedingungen ausgeschlachtet und die Reste offen verbrannt, um Metalle von unbrauchbaren Plastikmaterialien zu trennen. Dabei wird ein gefährlicher Giftcocktail freigesetzt, der zahlreiche Schwermetalle, zum Beispiel Blei, Quecksilber und Kadmium sowie organische Toxine, zum Beispiel Dioxine und Furane, enthält. Viele dieser Toxine konnten in Proben der Arbeiter in zum Teil bedrohlich hohen Konzentrationen nachgewiesen werden. Vor allem für Kinder sind bei einer solchen Exposition erhebliche Gesundheits- und Entwicklungsstörungen zu erwarten. Stärkere Kontrollen der Transportwege zur Verhinderung von illegalen Elektroschrottexporten und die Einführung von umweltfreundlicheren und zugleich wirtschaftlicheren Recyclingmethoden sind erforderlich, um die Lebensbedingungen in Agbogbloshie und anderen Elektroschrotthalden zu verbessern.
The Time of Origin and Genetic Diversity of Three Isolated Kokanee Populations in Southwest Alaska
Authors: Olsen Jeffrey B. , Wenburg John K. , Pavey Scott A. , Miller Joe L. , Hamon Troy R. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWe examined the time of origin and genetic diversity of native kokanee, the nonanadromous ecotype of Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka, from three isolated lakes in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in southwest Alaska. These kokanee evolved independently from Sockeye Salmon when migration barriers arose, blocking ocean access. We used information about the relative age of each barrier to hypothesize the relative time of origin for kokanee in each lake. In addition, we used data from 13 microsatellite loci to test our time of origin hypotheses and assess genetic diversity of kokanee from these three lakes and proximate Sockeye Salmon populations. Coalescent‐based estimates of the time of origin for kokanee in Jo‐Jo Lake (170 years before present [ybp]) and Devil's Cove Lake (6,583 ybp) were consistent with the relative age of barriers isolating each lake. However, data from Dakavak Lake (1,379 ybp) suggested that the barrier was older than hypothesized. Indices of intrapopulation diversity were lower for kokanee than for Sockeye Salmon. Estimates for kokanee population divergence (RST; the FST analog for microsatellites) among the three lakes were consistent with time of origin estimates. Furthermore, the most recently isolated kokanee (Jo‐Jo Lake population) were most closely related to neighboring Sockeye Salmon. Only the kokanee from Jo‐Jo Lake exhibited a relatively low historical effective population size (Ne ≈ 107) and evidence of a genetic bottleneck. Taken together, the results of this study show that although rare, kokanee in Alaska are not ephemeral and can persist in isolation for hundreds of generations despite the colder temperatures and shorter growing season, that are thought to limit their sustainability in Alaska.
Efficient inference for sparse latent variable models of transcriptional regulation
Authors: Dai Zhenwen , Iqbal Mudassar , Lawrence Neil D , Rattray Magnus 
Published: August 2017

Abstract

Motivation
Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes involves complex co-regulatory mechanisms involving large numbers of transcriptional regulatory proteins and their target genes. Uncovering these genome-scale interactions constitutes a major bottleneck in systems biology. Sparse latent factor models, assuming activity of transcription factors (TFs) as unobserved, provide a biologically interpretable modelling framework, integrating gene expression and genome-wide binding data, but at the same time pose a hard computational inference problem. Existing probabilistic inference methods for such models rely on subjective filtering and suffer from scalability issues, thus are not well-suited for realistic genome-scale applications.

Results
We present a fast Bayesian sparse factor model, which takes input gene expression and binding sites data, either from ChIP-seq experiments or motif predictions, and outputs active TF-gene links as well as latent TF activities. Our method employs an efficient variational Bayes scheme for model inference enabling its application to large datasets which was not feasible with existing MCMC-based inference methods for such models. We validate our method on synthetic data against a similar model in the literature, employing MCMC for inference, and obtain comparable results with a small fraction of the computational time. We also apply our method to large-scale data from Mycobacterium tuberculosis involving ChIP-seq data on 113 TFs and matched gene expression data for 3863 putative target genes. We evaluate our predictions using an independent transcriptomics experiment involving over-expression of TFs.

Availability and implementation
An easy-to-use Jupyter notebook demo of our method with data is available at https://github.com/zhenwendai/SITAR.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.