bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biocompatible Glutathione Capped Functionalized Carbon Dots as Nanosensors for the Detection of Silver Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution and Human Cells as well as Bacterial Cells
Authors: Kong Lingcan , Lu Keyu , Ling Xia , Zhu Pengfei , Liu Wenwei , Guan Hongxia , Wang Chuanxi 
Published: August 2016

AbstractFunctional carbon materials have aroused much attention owing to their applications in cellular imaging and sensing. In this paper, we use a hydrothermal approach to prepare luminescent sodium citrate carbon dots (CDs) using glutathione (GSH) as the surface capping reagent. The effects of feed ratio, reaction temperature and reaction time on the luminescent behavior of CDs are investigated. Subsequently, as‐prepared CDs are characterized by UV‐vis, photoluminescence, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The luminescent CDs exhibit good stability in the presence of various ions or photo irradiation. Furthermore, the luminescence of the CDs is reversible upon the pH cycling between pH=4 and 6. In addition, the emission intensity of CDs decreases gradually with increasing the concentration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and a linear relationship between the logarithm of emission intensity and the concentration of AgNPs is observed within the investigated concentration ranging from 0 to 40 μmol•L−1. The detection limit is 0.9 μmol•L−1 in terms of signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3. More importantly, the sensor can be successfully applied to the detection of AgNPs in real lake water, urine of human, Hep‐2 cells, E. Coli and Salmonella bacteria, which offers a promising platform for environmental and biological sensing applications.
Complex Metal–Organic Frameworks from Symmetrically Backfolded Dendrimers
Authors: Yang Chen , Wong Yan‐Lung , Xiao Ran , Zeller Matthias , Hunter Allen D. , Yiu Shek‐Man , Xu Zhengtao 
Published: August 2016

AbstractWe study symmetrically backfolded building blocks (Sierpinski dendrimers) that generate metal‐organic frameworks featuring graphitic ribbons, free‐standing carboxylic functions and intricate topologies in clear correspondence with molecular structures. Unlike the starburst shape of traditional dendrimers, the Sierpinski dendrimer features side branches bent away (e. g., by 120°) from the outward direction of the main branch. This paper reports a systematic attempt to correlate the backfolded shape with the connectivity (topology) of the resultant network. Our discovery is surprisingly simple: as building blocks for extended nets, the backfolded Sierpinski dendrimer behaves as a collection of subsidiary building units of the conventional starburst shape (e. g., the regular tritopic unit); and the resultant networks can be deconstructed into subnets corresponding to the star‐shaped subunits of the molecule. These seemingly exotic and highly branched molecules are not only compatible with the purpose of network construction, but also present fundamentally new features that open new horizons for molecular design.
Energetic Materials ‐ Nitrated Phenyl Peroxy Anhydrides as Peroxide Based Explosives with Relatively High Densities and Thermal Stabilities
Authors: Klapötke Thomas M. , Stiasny Benedikt , Stierstorfer Jörg 
Published: August 2016

AbstractNine different nitrated phenyl peroxy anhydrides were synthesized using two different strategies and crystal structures of two compounds were determined. Sensitivities of the compounds toward impact, friction and electrostatic discharge were measured and the thermal stability was determined. Some of the compounds are remarkable insensitive and they show relatively high thermal decomposition points for organic peroxides. Detonation parameters and performance data were calculated using the EXPLO5 program yielding performance values in the range of trinitrotoluene (TNT).
Tcf12, A Member of Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors, Mediates Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Yi Siqi , Yu Miao , Yang Shuang , Miron Richard J. , Zhang Yufeng 
Published: August 2016

AbstractSeveral basic Helix-Loop-Helix transcription factors have recently been identified to regulate mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. In the present study, Tcf12 was investigated for its involvement in the osteoblastic cell commitment of MSCs. Tcf12 was found highly expressed in undifferentiated MSCs whereas its expression decreased following osteogenic culture differentiation. Interestingly, Tcf12 endogenous silencing using shRNA lentivirus significantly promoted the differentiation ability of MSCs evaluated by alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin red staining and expression of osteoblast-specific markers by real-time PCR. Conversely, overexpression of Tcf12 in MSCs suppressed osteoblast differentiation. It was further found that silencing of Tcf12 activated bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2 signaling pathway activity and upregulated the expression of phospho-SMAD1 and phospho-Erk1/2. A BMP inhibitor (LDN-193189) and Erk1/2 signaling pathway inhibitor (U0126) reduced these findings in the Tcf12 silencing group. Following these in vitro results, a poly-L-lactic acid/Hydroxyappatite scaffold carrying Tcf12 silencing lentivirus was utilized to investigate the repair of bone defects in vivo. The use of Tcf12 silencing lentivirus significantly promoted new bone formation in 3-mm mouse calvarial defects as assessed by micro-CT and histological examination whereas overexpression of Tcf12 inhibited new bone formation. Collectively, these data indicate that Tcf12 is a transcription factor highly expressed in the nuclei of stem cells and its downregulation plays an essential role in osteoblast differentiation partially via BMP and Erk1/2 signaling pathways.
“Prison Is for Young People!” Youth, Violence, and the State in Praia and Mindelo, Cape Verde
Authors: Zoettl Peter Anton 
Published: August 2016

Abstract:In the past decade Cape Verde has seen an unexpected outburst of gang-related urban violence. The state has reacted mainly by means of a repressive securitization policy, which has not been able to offer more than temporary solutions. In public discourses, “broken” families, youth drug consumption, and a supposed lack of education and sufficiently severe punishment are often referred to as the main causes for the rise in crime. The article discusses such discourses, contrasting them with the experiences and narratives of inmates from the country’s two central prisons. It suggests that extrajudicial punishment of suspects and offenders by police officers, as reported by many juvenile convicts, is part of the dynamics of violence manifest in different spheres of Cape Verdean society and may be a possible factor influencing the decision of young citizens to “opt” for, or stick to, careers of marginality and delinquency.
Tightly Packed: Disciplinary Power, the UNODC, and the Container Control Programme in Dakar
Authors: Sandor Adam 
Published: August 2016

Abstract:This article uses the lens of disciplinary power to analyze the North–South relationships in efforts to govern drug trafficking in Senegal. Disciplinary surveillance shapes the activities of anti-trafficking units through repetitive examination, correction, and persuasion. These practices produce forms of resistance to the ways in which interdiction occurs, which implicate elites in the country. The result of constant international correction, and subsidiary actor resistance, is a frustrated law enforcement team. The argument deepens the literature on police reform in Africa, acknowledging the effects of international discipline on policing agents, while maintaining that immediate political settings heavily constrain disciplinary techniques and their internalizing effects.
“Money Is Your Government”: Refugees, Mobility, and Unstable Documents in Kenya’s Operation Usalama Watch
Authors: Balakian Sophia 
Published: August 2016

Abstract:During a 2014 security operation in Kenya known as Operation Usalama Watch, Somali refugees spoke of money as their only valid ID, knowing that only cash, in contrast to identity documents, would be accepted by police and military. The article argues that such extortion should not be interpreted uncategorically as an example of refugees’ exclusion from state-derived citizenship rights. Rather, by paying bribes to resist forced removal from Nairobi, Somali refugees constructed a global diasporan identity tied to free flows of capital. By using money as a substitute for identity documents, refugees appealed to a notion of rights untethered to the state. At the same time, by speaking of money as their government, they articulated a critique against a political system that excluded them.
Orthostatic Symptoms of Transient Ischemic Attack – Revised
Authors: Hendin Ariel , Fischer Lisa M , Perry Jeffrey J 
Published: August 2016

AbstractTransient ischemic attacks (TIA) are a common presentation to the emergency department (ED) and are associated with an estimated 9% risk of stroke within 90 days.1 We report the case of a 72-year-old female who presented with orthostatic symptoms of facial weakness and dysarthria; that is, the patient’s symptoms were present when she was standing and resolved when supine. Neurological deficits present only when standing should alert the clinician to the importance of advanced neuroimaging to evaluate for acute arterial occlusion.
Asteroid Hyalosis: A Mimic of Vitreous Hemorrhage on Point of Care Ultrasound
Authors: Stringer Charles E.A. , Ahn Justin S. , Kim Daniel J. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractPoint of care ultrasound in the emergency department (ED) is increasingly being used to diagnose time-sensitive, vision-threatening conditions. We present a case of a 64-year-old female who presented to the ED with a three-day history of worsening left eye floaters. Point of care ocular ultrasound demonstrated a posterior chamber containing many echogenic opacities of varying size without acoustic shadowing. Movement of the eye resulted in significant after-movement of these opacities, giving the classic “washing machine” appearance seen with vitreous hemorrhage (VH). Based on these ultrasound findings, the patient was diagnosed with a VH and was referred to ophthalmology. The consulting ophthalmologist ultimately diagnosed the patient with asteroid hyalosis without VH. Asteroid hyalosis is a benign condition of the vitreous resulting in calcium phosphate and lipid deposits that can mimic more serious VH on point of care ultrasound. Knowledge of this mimic is helpful for communication with specialists and for awareness of the potential for misdiagnosis with ocular ultrasound.
EXISTENCE OF -ANALOGS OF STEINER SYSTEMS
Authors: BRAUN MICHAEL , ETZION TUVI , ÖSTERGÅRD PATRIC R. J. , VARDY ALEXANDER , WASSERMANN ALFRED 
Published: August 2016

Let $\mathbb{F}_{q}^{n}$ be a vector space of dimension $n$ over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q}$. A $q$-analog of a Steiner system (also known as a $q$-Steiner system), denoted ${\mathcal{S}}_{q}(t,\!k,\!n)$, is a set ${\mathcal{S}}$ of $k$-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb{F}_{q}^{n}$ such that each $t$-dimensional subspace of $\mathbb{F}_{q}^{n}$ is contained in exactly one element of ${\mathcal{S}}$. Presently, $q$-Steiner systems are known only for $t\,=\,1\!$, and in the trivial cases $t\,=\,k$ and $k\,=\,n$. In this paper, the first nontrivial $q$-Steiner systems with $t\,\geqslant \,2$ are constructed. Specifically, several nonisomorphic $q$-Steiner systems ${\mathcal{S}}_{2}(2,3,13)$ are found by requiring that their automorphism groups contain the normalizer of a Singer subgroup of $\text{GL}(13,2)$. This approach leads to an instance of the exact cover problem, which turns out to have many solutions.
Study and design of cladding power stripper for high power fiber laser systems
Authors: An Haixia , Liu Xiaogang , Bi Zhiyue 
Published: August 2016

Heat handling has been a significant problem of the high power fiber laser systems as the output power increases rapidly. Cladding power stripper (CPS) which is used to deal with the unwanted optical power and light is required for higher cooling ability. So the methods of stripping the unwanted light attracted much attention recently, and the thermal effect is given. However, few investigations focus on the dissipation of the heat converted from the unwanted light. In this paper, an approach of active cooling for CPS is demonstrated. This is achieved by using microchannel cooling technology in heat sinking in CPS to improve the efficiency of heat exchange. In order to explain the mechanism of CPS the function of it and consistence of categories of the unwanted light are detailed firstly. Then microchannel heat sinking is proposed and verified by the heat exchange theory. At last, the design of the CPS with microchannel heat sinking is shown and following experiment is conducted. The final temperature of the device with 1000 W cladding power was demonstrated at last to verify the ability of heat distribution of the CPS component. This suggests that these CPSs can be used to stripe a thousand of watts of light in high power double cladding fiber lasers.
Improving the Understanding of Publicly Reported Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) Data
Authors: Masnick Max , Morgan Daniel J. , Macek Mark D. , Sorkin John D. , Brown Jessica P. , Rheingans Penny , Harris Anthony D. 
Published: August 2016

OBJECTIVEHospital-acquired infection (HAI) data are reported to the public on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. We previously found that public understanding of these data is poor. Our objective was to develop an improved method for presenting HAI data that could be used on the CMS website.DESIGNRandomized controlled trial comparing understanding of data presented using the current CMS presentation strategy versus a new strategy.SETTINGA 760-bed tertiary referral hospital.PARTICIPANTSA total of 61 patients were randomly selected within 24 hours of admission.INTERVENTIONParticipants were shown HAI data as presented on the CMS Hospital Compare website (control arm) or data formatted using a new method (experimental arm).RESULTSNo statistically significant demographic differences were identified between study arms. Although 47% percent of participants said a website for comparing hospitals would have been helpful, only 10% had ever used such a website. Participants viewing data using the new presentation strategy compared hospitals correctly 56% of the time, compared with 32% in the control arm (P=.0002).CONCLUSIONSUnderstanding of HAI data increased significantly with the new data presentation method compared to the method currently used on the CMS Hospital Compare website. Many participants expressed interest in a website for comparing hospitals. Improved methods for presenting CMS HAI data, such as the one assessed here, should be adopted to increase public understanding.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6
Role of Coinfecting Strains in Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Sun Janet , Mc Millen Tracy , Babady N. Esther , Kamboj Mini 
Published: August 2016

The contribution of mixed infection in recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) episodes is not known. Among paired isolates from 52 patients, mixed infection due to >1 toxigenic strain of C. difficile was identified in 8% of first episodes. Among recurrences, relapse from 1 or both co-infecting strains was uncommon; it was detected in a single case each.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1481–1484
Mortality and Costs in Clostridium difficile Infection Among the Elderly in the United States
Authors: Shorr Andrew F. , Zilberberg Marya D. , Wang Li , Baser Onur , Yu Holly 
Published: August 2016

OBJECTIVETo examine attributable mortality and costs of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the Medicare population.DESIGNA population-based cohort study among US adults aged at least 65 years in the 2008–2010 Medicare 5% sample, with follow-up of 12 months.PATIENTSIncident CDI episode was defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code of 008.45 and no other occurrences within the preceding 12 months. To quantify the adjusted mortality and costs we developed a 1:1 propensity-matched sample of CDI and non-CDI patients.RESULTSAmong 1,165,165 patients included, 6,838 (0.6%) had a CDI episode in 2009 (82.5% healthcare-associated). Patients with CDI were older (mean [SD] age, 81.0±8.0 vs 77.0±7.7 years, P<.001), were more likely to come from the Northeast (27.4% vs 18.6%, P<.001), and had a higher comorbidity burden (Charlson score, 4.6±3.3 vs 1.7±2.1, P<.001). Hospitalizations (63.2% vs 6.0%, P<.001) and antibiotics (33.9% vs 12.5%, P<.001) within the prior 90 days were more common in the group with CDI. In the propensity-adjusted analysis, CDI was associated with near doubling of both mortality (42.6% vs 23.4%, P<.001) and total healthcare costs ($64,807±$66,480 vs $38,128±$46,485, P<.001).CONCLUSIONSAmong elderly patients, CDI is associated with an increase in adjusted mortality and healthcare costs following a CDI episode. Nationwide annually this equals 240,000 patients with CDI, 46,000 potential deaths, and more than $6 billion in costs.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6
General practitioners tackle complex addictions: how complex interventions can assist in dealing with addiction
Authors: Klimas J. 
Published: August 2016

ObjectivesSubstance use disorder treatment is a complex problem. Complex problems require complex interventions, ideally tested via randomised controlled trials.MethodsComplex interventions are best developed in stages, using established implementation frameworks.Results and ConclusionsStarting with a historical patient case study, we explore how treatment of this challenging population group has been approached, how an evidence-based framework has informed formulation of a complex health intervention and how this has been progressed via the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) approach.
Elliptical instability of the Moore–Saffman model for a trailing wingtip vortex
Authors: Feys J. , Maslowe S. A. 
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we investigate the elliptical instability exhibited by two counter-rotating trailing vortices. This type of instability can be viewed as a resonance between two normal modes of a vortex and an external strain field. Recent numerical investigations have extended earlier results that ignored axial flow to include models with a simple wake-like axial flow such as the similarity solution found by Batchelor (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 20, 1964, pp. 645–658). We present herein growth rates of elliptical instability for a family of velocity profiles found by Moore & Saffman (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 333, 1973, pp. 491–508). These profiles have a parameter $n$ that depends on the wing loading. As a result, unlike the Batchelor vortex, they are capable of modelling both the jet-like and the wake-like axial flow present in a trailing vortex at short and intermediate distances behind a wingtip. Direct numerical simulations of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations are performed using an efficient spectral method in cylindrical coordinates developed by Matsushima & Marcus (J. Comput. Phys., vol. 53, 1997, pp. 321–345). We compare our results with those for the Batchelor vortex, whose velocity profiles are closely approximated as the wing loading parameter $n$ approaches 1. An important conclusion of our investigation is that the stability characteristics vary considerably with $n$ and $W_{0}$, a parameter measuring the strength of the mean axial velocity component. In the case of an elliptically loaded wing ($n=0.50$), we find that the instability growth rates are up to 50 % greater than those for the Batchelor vortex. Our results demonstrate the significant effect of the distribution and intensity of the axial flow on the elliptical instability of a trailing vortex.
A TORSION-FREE ABELIAN GROUP EXISTS WHOSE QUOTIENT GROUP MODULO THE SQUARE SUBGROUP IS NOT A NIL-GROUP
Authors: ANDRUSZKIEWICZ R. R. , WORONOWICZ M. 
Published: August 2016

The first example of a torsion-free abelian group$(A,+,0)$such that the quotient group of$A$modulo the square subgroup is not a nil-group is indicated (for both associative and general rings). In particular, the answer to the question posed by Stratton and Webb [‘Abelian groups, nil modulo a subgroup, need not have nil quotient group’,Publ. Math. Debrecen27(1980), 127–130] is given for torsion-free groups. A new method of constructing indecomposable nil-groups of any rank from$2$to$2^{\aleph _{0}}$is presented. Ring multiplications on$p$-pure subgroups of the additive group of the ring of$p$-adic integers are investigated using only elementary methods.
Molecular species delimitation in the genusEumerus(Diptera: Syrphidae)
Authors: Chroni A. , Djan M. , Vidaković D. Obreht , Petanidou T. , Vujić A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractEumerusis one of the most diverse genera of hoverfly worldwide. Species delimitation within genus is considered to be difficult due to: (a) lack of an efficient key; (b) non-defined taxonomical status of a large number of species; and (c) blurred nomenclature. Here, we present the first molecular study to delimit species of the genus by using a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) gene. We assessed 75 specimens assigned to 28 taxa originating from two biogeographic zones: 22 from the western Palaearctic and six from the Afrotropical region. Two datasets were generated based on different sequence lengths to explore the significance of availability of more polymorphic sites for species delimitation; dataset A with a total length of 647 bp and dataset B with 746 bp. Various tree inference approaches and Poisson tree processes models were applied to evaluate the putative ‘taxonomical’ vs. ‘molecular’ taxa clusters. All analyses resulted in high taxonomic resolution and clear species delimitation for both the dataset lengths. Furthermore, we revealed a high number of mitochondrial haplotypes and high intraspecific variability. We report two major monophyletic clades, and seven ‘molecular’ groups of taxa formed, which are congruent with morphology-based taxonomy. Our results support the use of the mitochondrial COI gene in species diagnosis ofEumerus.
Evidence of plastic probing behavior in a ‘superclone’ of the grain aphidSitobion avenae
Authors: Barrios-SanMartín J. , Figueroa C.C. , Ramírez C.C. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractAsexual reproduction is very common in invasive insect pest. In the recent years, increasing evidences have shown that some invasive asexual lineages display an outstanding capacity to predominate in space and persist on time (superclones). However, little is known about the host-use behavior of these superclones. The English grain aphidSitobion avenae(Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the major pests of cereals worldwide. Chilean populations of the grain aphid are characterized by a high degree of heterozygosity and low genotypic variability across regions and years, with only four predominant superclone genotypes representing nearly 90% of populations. In this study, (1) the reproductive performance and (2) the probing behavior followed a host shift of one superclone and one non-superclone ofS. avenae, were compared. The host plant in the superclone did not affect the reproductive performance, while in the non-superclone was lower on highly defended wheat seedling. The experimental switching of the host plants from barley (without chemical defenses) to two wheat species with low and high levels of chemical defenses, revealed that superclone exhibited a flexible probing activities related to access of sieve elements, while the non-superclone exhibited rigid responses. These findings are consistent with the pattern of occurrence of these genotypes in the field on cereals with different plant defenses (e.g. benzoxazinoids). These responses are discussed on the view of developing new strategies for the management in invasive populations of aphid pest species.