bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Low Voltage Liquid Crystal Phase Grating with Switchable Diffraction Angles
Authors: Chen Haiwei , Tan Guanjun , Huang Yuge , Weng Yishi , Choi Tae-Hoon , Yoon Tae-Hoon , Wu Shin-Tson 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe demonstrate a simple yet high performance phase grating with switchable diffraction angles using a fringe field switching (FFS) liquid crystal (LC) cell. The LC rubbing angle is parallel to the FFS electrodes (i.e. α = 0°), leading to symmetric LC director distribution in a voltage-on state. Such a grating exhibits three unique features: 1) Two grating periods can be formed by controlling the applied voltage, resulting in switchable diffraction angles. In our design, the 1st diffraction order occurs at 4.3°, while the 2nd order appears at 8.6°. 2) The required voltage to achieve peak diffraction efficiency (η~32%) for the 1st order is only 4.4 V at λ = 633 nm as compared to 70 V for a conventional FFS-based phase grating in which α ≈ 7°, while the 2nd order (η~27%) is 15 V. 3). The measured rise and decay time for the 1st order is 7.62 ms and 6.75 ms, and for the 2nd order is 0.75 ms and 3.87 ms, respectively. To understand the physical mechanisms, we also perform device simulations. Good agreement between experiment and simulation is obtained.
Atomic scale chemical tomography of human bone
Authors: Langelier Brian , Wang Xiaoyue , Grandfield Kathryn 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHuman bone is a complex hierarchical material. Understanding bone structure and its corresponding composition at the nanometer scale is critical for elucidating mechanisms of biomineralization under healthy and pathological states. However, the three-dimensional structure and chemical nature of bone remains largely unexplored at the nanometer scale due to the challenges associated with characterizing both the structural and chemical integrity of bone simultaneously. Here, we use correlative transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography for the first time, to our knowledge, to reveal structures in human bone at the atomic level. This approach provides an overlaying chemical map of the organic and inorganic constituents of bone on its structure. This first use of atom probe tomography on human bone reveals local gradients, trace element detection of Mg, and the co-localization of Na with the inorganic-organic interface of bone mineral and collagen fibrils, suggesting the important role of Na-rich organics in the structural connection between mineral and collagen. Our findings provide the first insights into the hierarchical organization and chemical heterogeneity in human bone in three-dimensions at its smallest length scale – the atomic level. We demonstrate that atom probe tomography shows potential for new insights in biomineralization research on bone.
Identification of Guanosine 5′-diphosphate as Potential Iron Mobilizer: Preventing the Hepcidin-Ferroportin Interaction and Modulating the Interleukin-6/Stat-3 Pathway
Authors: Angmo Stanzin , Tripathi Neha , Abbat Sheenu , Sharma Shailesh , Singh Shelley Sardul , Halder Avishek , Yadav Kamalendra , Shukla Geeta , Sandhir Rajat , Rishi Vikas , Bharatam Prasad V. , Yadav Hariom , Singhal Nitin Kumar 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHepcidin, a peptide hormone, is a key regulator in mammalian iron homeostasis. Increased level of hepcidin due to inflammatory conditions stimulates the ferroportin (FPN) transporter internalization, impairing the iron absorption; clinically manifested as anemia of inflammation (AI). Inhibiting hepcidin-mediated FPN degradation is proposed as an important strategy to combat AI. A systematic approach involving in silico, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies is employed to identify hepcidin-binding agents. The virtual screening of 68,752 natural compounds via molecular docking resulted into identification of guanosine 5′-diphosphate (GDP) as a promising hepcidin-binding agent. The molecular dynamics simulations helped to identify the important hepcidin residues involved in stabilization of hepcidin-GDP complex. The results gave a preliminary indication that GDP may possibly inhibit the hepcidin-FPN interactions. The in vitro studies revealed that GDP caused FPN stabilization (FPN-GFP cell lines) and increased the FPN-mediated cellular iron efflux (HepG2 and Caco-2 cells). Interestingly, the co-administration of GDP and ferrous sulphate (FeSO4) ameliorated the turpentine-induced AI in mice (indicated by increased haemoglobin level, serum iron, FPN expression and decreased ferritin level). These results suggest that GDP a promising natural small-molecule inhibitor that targets Hepcidin-FPN complex may be incorporated with iron supplement regimens to ameliorate AI.
The effectiveness of pressure therapy (15–25 mmHg) for hypertrophic burn scars: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ai Jin-Wei , Liu Jiang-tao , Pei Sheng-Duo , Liu Yu , Li De-Sheng , Lin Hong-ming , Pei Bin 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAlthough pressure therapy (PT) represents the standard care for prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scar (HS) from burns, its practice is largely based on empirical evidence and its effectiveness remains controversial. To clarify the effect of PT (15–25 mmHg) for HS, we performed the systematic review and meta-analysis. Several electronic databases were screened to identify related randomized controlled trials (RCTs). 12 RCTs involving 710 patients with 761 HS resulting from burn injuries were included. Compared with non/low-PT, cases treated with PT (15–25 mmHg) showed significant differences in Vancouver Scar Scale score (MD = −0.58, 95% CI = −0.78–−0.37), thickness (SMD = −0.25, 95% CI = −0.40–−0.11), brightness (MD = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.59–3.42), redness (MD = −0.79, 95% CI = −1.52–−0.07), pigmentation (MD = −0.16, 95% CI = −0.32–−0.00) and hardness (SMD = −0.65, 95% CI = −1.07–−0.23). However, there was no difference in vascularity (MD = 0.03, 95% CI = −0.43–0.48). Our analysis indicated that patients with HS who were managed with PT (15–25 mmHg) showed significant improvements. Due to limitations, more large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm our findings and the side-effects of the PT may also need to be evaluated.
Using the “target constituent removal combined with bioactivity assay” strategy to investigate the optimum arecoline content in charred areca nut
Authors: Peng Wei , Liu Yu-Jie , Hu Mei-Bian , Yan Dan , Gao Yong-Xiang , Wu Chun-Jie 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCharred areca nut (CAN) is used to treat dyspepsia and abdominal distension in children. However, reports revealed that arecoline, the most important active constituent of CAN, possesses potential toxicities. This study was designed to investigate the optimum arecoline content in CAN, using the “target constituent removal combined with bioactivity assay” strategy. Based on PTLC method, we prepared CAN lacking all arecoline (WAC-100R) and a series of different ratios of arecoline-removed CAN samples (WAC-Rx). MTT and acute toxicity assays indicated that decreasing content by 50% decreased CAN toxicity significantly. Animal results revealed arecoline contents over 50% could guarantee the beneficial effects of CAN on gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, decreasing arecoline content in CAN by 50% decreased its pro-apoptotic effects significantly. Furthermore, decreasing 50% arecoline content in CAN down-regulated the expressions of Cleaved-Caspase-3, c-jun, c-fos, COX-2, PGE2, and IL-1α. Thus, our results revealed that CAN with 50% arecoline content (WAC-50R) has similar beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract to CAN, whereas its toxicity was decreased significantly. Collectively, our study suggested that the strategy of “target constituent removal combined with bioactivity assay” is a promising method to identify the optimum arecoline content in CAN, which is approximately 0.12%.
Rapamycin Prolongs the Survival of Corneal Epithelial Cells in Culture
Authors: Gidfar Sanaz , Milani Farnoud Y. , Milani Behrad Y. , Shen Xiang , Eslani Medi , Putra Ilham , Huvard Michael J. , Sagha Hossein , Djalilian Ali R. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractRapamycin has previously been shown to have anti-aging effects in cells and organisms. These studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of rapamycin on primary human corneal epithelial cells in vitro. Cell growth and viability were evaluated by bright field microscopy. Cell proliferation and cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry. The expression of differentiation markers was evaluated by quantitative PCR and Western blot. Senescence was evaluated by senescence-associated β-Galactosidase staining and by Western blot analysis of p16. Apoptosis was evaluated by a TUNEL assay. The results demonstrated that primary HCEC treated with rapamycin had lower proliferation but considerably longer survival in vitro. Rapamycin-treated cells maintained a higher capacity to proliferate after removal of rapamycin and expressed more keratin 14, N-Cadherin, DeltaNp63 and ABCG2, and less keratin 12, consistent with their less differentiated state. Rapamycin treated cells demonstrated less senescence by X-β-Gal SA staining and by lower expression of p16. Apoptosis was also lower in the rapamycin treated cells. These results indicate that rapamycin treatment of HCEC prevents the loss of corneal epithelial stem/progenitor cells to replicative senescence and apoptosis. Rapamycin may be a useful additive for ex vivo expansion of corneal epithelial cells.
miR-378 reduces mesangial hypertrophy and kidney tubular fibrosis via MAPK signalling
Authors: Wang Bo , Yao Kevin , Wise Andrea F. , Lau Ricky , Shen Hsin-Hui , Tesch Greg H. , Ricardo Sharon D. 
Published: January 2017

The regulatory role of a novel miRNA, miR-378, was determined in the development of fibrosis through repression of the MAPK1 pathway, miR-378 and fibrotic gene expression was examined in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice at 18 weeks or in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice at 7 days. miR-378 transfection of proximal tubular epithelial cells, NRK52E and mesangial cells was assessed with/without endogenous miR-378 knockdown using the locked nucleic acid (LNA) inhibitor. NRK52E cells were co-transfected with the mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3) CAGA reporter and miR-378 in the presence of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1) was assessed. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed a significant reduction in miR-378 (P&lt;0.05) corresponding with up-regulated type I collagen, type IV collagen and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in kidneys of STZ or UUO mice, compared with controls. TGF-β1 significantly increased mRNA expression of type I collagen (P&lt;0.05), type IV collagen (P&lt;0.05) and α-SMA (P&lt;0.05) in NRK52E cells, which was significantly reduced (P&lt;0.05) following miR-378 transfection and reversed following addition of the LNA inhibitor of endogenous miR-378. Overexpression of miR-378 inhibited mesangial cell expansion and proliferation in response to TGF-β1, with LNA–miR-378 transfection reversing this protective effect, associated with cell morphological alterations. The protective function of MAPK1 on miR-378 was shown in kidney cells treated with the MAPK1 inhibitor, selumetinib, which inhibited mesangial cell hypertrophy in response to TGF-β1. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-378 acts via regulation of the MAPK1 pathway. These studies demonstrate the protective function of MAPK1, regulated by miR-378, in the induction of kidney cell fibrosis and mesangial hypertrophy.
Hearing Impairment and Undiagnosed Disease: The Potential Role of Clinical Recommendations
Authors: Marlow Nicole M. , Malaty John , Jo Ara , Tanner Rebecca J. , Beau de Rochars Valery M. , Carek Peter J. , Mainous Arch G. 
Published: January 2017

Purpose
The objective of this study was to use cross-sectional, nationally representative data to examine the relationship between self-reported hearing impairment and undetected diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and chronic kidney disease.

Method
We analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the years 2007–2012 for individuals 40 years of age and older without previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease. Analyses were conducted examining hearing impairment and undiagnosed disease.

Results

The unweighted sample size was 9,786, representing 123,444,066 Americans. Hearing impairment was reported in 10.2% of the individuals. In unadjusted analyses, there was no significant difference between adults with hearing impairment and adults with typical hearing for undiagnosed diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia. A higher proportion of adults with hearing impairment than adults with typical hearing had undiagnosed chronic kidney disease (20.1% vs. 10.7%;
p
= .0001). In models adjusting for demographics and health care utilization, hearing impairment was associated with a higher likelihood of having undiagnosed chronic kidney disease (odds ratio = 1.53, 95% CI [1.23, 1.91]).

Conclusions
Individuals with hearing impairment are more likely to have undiagnosed chronic kidney disease. Hearing impairment may affect disclosure of important signs and symptoms as well as the comprehension of medical conversations for chronic disease management. General practitioners can play a critical role in improving medical communication by responding with sensitivity to the signs of hearing impairment in their patients.
A General Audiovisual Temporal Processing Deficit in Adult Readers With Dyslexia
Authors: Francisco Ana A. , Jesse Alexandra , Groen Margriet A. , McQueen James M. 
Published: January 2017

PurposeBecause reading is an audiovisual process, reading impairment may reflect an audiovisual processing deficit. The aim of the present study was to test the existence and scope of such a deficit in adult readers with dyslexia.MethodWe tested 39 typical readers and 51 adult readers with dyslexia on their sensitivity to the simultaneity of audiovisual speech and nonspeech stimuli, their time window of audiovisual integration for speech (using incongruent /aCa/ syllables), and their audiovisual perception of phonetic categories.ResultsAdult readers with dyslexia showed less sensitivity to audiovisual simultaneity than typical readers for both speech and nonspeech events. We found no differences between readers with dyslexia and typical readers in the temporal window of integration for audiovisual speech or in the audiovisual perception of phonetic categories.ConclusionsThe results suggest an audiovisual temporal deficit in dyslexia that is not specific to speech-related events. But the differences found for audiovisual temporal sensitivity did not translate into a deficit in audiovisual speech perception. Hence, there seems to be a hiatus between simultaneity judgment and perception, suggesting a multisensory system that uses different mechanisms across tasks. Alternatively, it is possible that the audiovisual deficit in dyslexia is only observable when explicit judgments about audiovisual simultaneity are required.
Children's Use of Semantic Context in Perception of Foreign-Accented Speech
Authors: Holt Rachael Frush , Bent Tessa 
Published: January 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate children's use of semantic context to facilitate foreign-accented word recognition in noise.MethodMonolingual American English speaking 5- to 7-year-olds (n= 168) repeated either Mandarin- or American English–accented sentences in babble, half of which contained final words that were highly predictable from context. The same final words were presented in the low- and high-predictability sentences.ResultsWord recognition scores were better in the high- than low-predictability contexts. Scores improved with age and were higher for the native than the Mandarin accent. The oldest children saw the greatest benefit from context; however, context benefit was similar regardless of speaker accent.ConclusionDespite significant acoustic-phonetic deviations from native norms, young children capitalize on contextual cues when presented with foreign-accented speech. Implications for spoken word recognition in children with speech, language, and hearing differences are discussed.
Efficacy of a Supplemental Phonemic Awareness Curriculum to Instruct Preschoolers With Delays in Early Literacy Development
Authors: Goldstein Howard , Olszewski Arnold , Haring Christa , Greenwood Charles R. , McCune Luke , Carta Judith , Atwater Jane , Guerrero Gabriela , Schneider Naomi , McCarthy Tanya , Kelley Elizabeth S. 
Published: January 2017

Purpose
Children who do not develop early literacy skills, especially phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge, prior to kindergarten are at risk for reading difficulties. We investigated a supplemental curriculum with children demonstrating delays in these skills.

Method

A cluster randomized design with 104 preschool-age children in 39 classrooms was used to determine the efficacy of a supplemental PA curriculum,
PAth to Literacy
. The curriculum consists of 36 daily scripted 10-min lessons with interactive games designed to teach PA and alphabet skills. A vocabulary intervention (
Story Friends
), which also uses a small-group format, served as the comparison condition.

Results
Multilevel modeling indicated that children in the experimental condition demonstrated significantly greater gains on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) First Sound Fluency (Dynamic Measurement Group, 2006) and Word Parts Fluency (Kaminski & Powell-Smith, 2011) measures. Educational relevance was evident: 82% of the children in the experimental condition met the kindergarten benchmark for First Sound Fluency compared with 34% of the children in the comparison condition. Teachers reported overall satisfaction with the lessons.

Conclusions
Results indicated that the vast majority of children demonstrating early literacy delays in preschool may benefit from a supplemental PA curriculum that has the potential to prevent reading difficulties as children transition to kindergarten.
Measurement of quartz crystal unit parameters based on the precise derivation of zero phase frequency
Authors: Liu Dong , Huang Xianhe , Hu Jianguo , Tang Yuanlin , Wang Yan 
Published: January 2017

It is usually considered that the resonance frequency of quartz crystal resonator is only related to dynamic inductance L1 and dynamic capacitance C1, and load resonance frequency has connection with L1, C1 and static capacitance C0. Hence, the dynamic resistance cannot be measured by frequency. The deduction show that all the frequencies relates to L1, C1, C0 and dynamic resistance R1. Then, a method for measuring the total equivalent parameters of quartz crystal resonator based on zero phase frequency is proposed in this Letter. The simulation results of advanced design system (ADS) verify the validity of this proposal in theory. After that, the phase‐frequency‐curves of a quartz crystal resonator with 10 and 5 MHz are measured, which can obtain equivalent parameters of through data processing. The results show that this method has calculated parameters essentially in agreement with nominal parameters. This method does not have reciprocating debugging process, and the test process is simple as well. In addition, the approximate calculation is not used in this method, and it could be widely extent to the field of sensors, such as quartz crystal microbalance sensors, temperature sensors and so on.
Advancing the efficiency and efficacy of patient reported outcomes with multivariate computer adaptive testing
Authors: Morris Scott , Bass Mike , Lee Mirinae , Neapolitan Richard E 
Published: January 2017

Abstract
Objective: The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative developed an array of patient reported outcome (PRO) measures. To reduce the number of questions administered, PROMIS utilizes unidimensional item response theory and unidimensional computer adaptive testing (UCAT), which means a separate set of questions is administered for each measured trait. Multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) and multidimensional computer adaptive testing (MCAT) simultaneously assess correlated traits. The objective was to investigate the extent to which MCAT reduces patient burden relative to UCAT in the case of PROs.
Methods: One MIRT and 3 unidimensional item response theory models were developed using the related traits anxiety, depression, and anger. Using these models, MCAT and UCAT performance was compared with simulated individuals.
Results: Surprisingly, the root mean squared error for both methods increased with the number of items. These results were driven by large errors for individuals with low trait levels. A second analysis focused on individuals aligned with item content. For these individuals, both MCAT and UCAT accuracies improved with additional items. Furthermore, MCAT reduced the test length by 50%.
Discussion: For the PROMIS Emotional Distress banks, neither UCAT nor MCAT provided accurate estimates for individuals at low trait levels. Because the items in these banks were designed to detect clinical levels of distress, there is little information for individuals with low trait values. However, trait estimates for individuals targeted by the banks were accurate and MCAT asked substantially fewer questions.
Conclusion: By reducing the number of items administered, MCAT can allow clinicians and researchers to assess a wider range of PROs with less patient burden.
Unveiling What Is Written in the Stars: Analyzing Explicit, Implicit, and Discourse Patterns of Sentiment in Social Media
Authors: Villarroel Ordenes Francisco , Ludwig Stephan , de Ruyter Ko , Grewal Dhruv , Wetzels Martin 
Published: January 2017

Abstract
Deciphering consumers’ sentiment expressions from big data (e.g., online reviews) has become a managerial priority to monitor product and service evaluations. However, sentiment analysis, the process of automatically distilling sentiment from text, provides little insight regarding the language granularities beyond the use of positive and negative words. Drawing on speech act theory, this study provides a fine-grained analysis of the implicit and explicit language used by consumers to express sentiment in text. An empirical text-mining study using more than 45,000 consumer reviews demonstrates the differential impacts of activation levels (e.g., tentative language), implicit sentiment expressions (e.g., commissive language), and discourse patterns (e.g., incoherence) on overall consumer sentiment (i.e., star ratings). In two follow-up studies, we demonstrate that these speech act features also influence the readers’ behavior and are generalizable to other social media contexts, such as Twitter and Facebook. We contribute to research on consumer sentiment analysis by offering a more nuanced understanding of consumer sentiments and their implications.
Hierarchical tissue organization as a general mechanism to limit the accumulation of somatic mutations
Authors: Derényi Imre , Szöllősi Gergely J. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHow can tissues generate large numbers of cells, yet keep the divisional load (the number of divisions along cell lineages) low in order to curtail the accumulation of somatic mutations and reduce the risk of cancer? To answer the question we consider a general model of hierarchically organized self-renewing tissues and show that the lifetime divisional load of such a tissue is independent of the details of the cell differentiation processes, and depends only on two structural and two dynamical parameters. Our results demonstrate that a strict analytical relationship exists between two seemingly disparate characteristics of self-renewing tissues: divisional load and tissue organization. Most remarkably, we find that a sufficient number of progressively slower dividing cell types can be almost as efficient in minimizing the divisional load, as non-renewing tissues. We argue that one of the main functions of tissue-specific stem cells and differentiation hierarchies is the prevention of cancer.