bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The responses of preosteoblasts to collagen/hyaluronic acid polyelectrolyte multilayer coating on titanium
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Luo Qiaojie , Huang Ying , Li Xiaodong , Zhang Feng , Zhao Shifang 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Collagen/hyaluronic acid (Col/HA) polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coating on the behaviors and function of pre‐osteoblastic cells. Col/HA PEM coating was fabricated on acid etched Ti disc via layer‐by‐layer technique. The formation and properties of Col/HA PEM coating were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), contact angle and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Moreover, mouse preosteoblasts were used to evaluate the effect of Col/HA PEM coating on cell behaviors and function. The results of in vitro evaluations showed that the Col/HA PEM coating could accelerate the proliferation and differentiation of preosteoblasts cells. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diffusion energies of oxygen diffusing into polystyrene (PS)/poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) composites
Authors: Yargı Ö. , Ugur Ş. , Pekcan Ö. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractDiffusion coefficient of oxygen penetrating into polystyrene (PS) latex/poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel composite films were measured using Fluorescence technique. Three different (5, 15, and 40 wt%) PS content films were prepared from PS/PNIPAM mixtures. Diffusivity of PS/PNIPAM composite films were studied by diffusion measurements which were performed over the temperature range of 24–70°C. Pyrene was used as the fluorescent probe. The diffusion coefficients (D) of oxygen were determined using the Stern–Volmer fluorescence quenching method combined with Fickian transport and were computed as a function of temperature for each PS content film. The results showed that D values were strongly dependent on both temperature and PS content in the film. Diffusion energies were measured and found to be dependent on the composition of the composite films. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of miR‐150‐targeting c‐Myb in colonic epithelial disruption during dextran sulphate sodium‐induced murine experimental colitis and human ulcerative colitis
Authors: Bian Zhen , Li Limin , Cui Jinglong , Zhang Hongjie , Liu Yuan , Zhang Chen‐Yu , Zen Ke 
Published: March 2011

AbstractChronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are associated with differential expression of genes involved in inflammation and tissue remodelling. We surveyed the expression profile of apoptosis‐related microRNAs by real‐time quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) in a dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) murine model of colitis. We found that miR‐150 was strongly elevated, whereas c‐Myb, a transcription factor and a target gene of miR‐150, was significantly reduced in colon tissue after DSS treatment. Interestingly, elevation of miR‐150 and down‐regulation of c‐Myb were also observed in human colon with active ulcerative colitis compared to the normal colon. Supporting the observation of DSS treatment inducing colonic cell apoptosis, Bcl‐2, an anti‐apoptotic protein known to be regulated by c‐Myb, was reduced in colon tissue of DSS‐treated mice. Furthermore, forced expression of pre‐miR‐150 in colonic epithelial HT29 cells strongly elevated miR‐150 levels and decreased c‐Myb and Bcl‐2 levels, thus enhancing cell apoptosis induced by serum deprivation. Together, the present study presents the first evidence that miR‐150 and its targeting of c‐Myb may serve as a new mechanism underlying the colonic epithelial disruption in DSS‐induced murine experimental colitis and in active human IBD. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 promote glioma stem cell‐mediated VEGF production and tumour angiogenesis via PI3K/AKT signalling
Authors: Ping Yi‐fang , Yao Xiao‐hong , Jiang Jian‐yong , Zhao Lin‐tao , Yu Shi‐cang , Jiang Tao , Lin Marie CM , Chen Jian‐hong , Wang Bin , Zhang Rong , Cui You‐hong , Qian Cheng , Wang Ji Ming , Bian Xiu‐wu 
Published: March 2011

AbstractChemokines and their receptors are actively involved in inflammation, immune responses, and cancer development. Here we report the detection of CD133+ glioma stem‐like cells (GSCs) co‐expressing a chemokine receptor CXCR4 in human primary glioma tissues. These GSCs were located in areas adjacent to tumour vascular capillaries, suggesting an association between GSCs and tumour angiogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we isolated CD133+ GSCs from surgical specimens of human primary gliomas and glioma cell lines. As compared to CD133− cells, CD133+ GSCs expressed significantly higher levels of CXCR4 mRNA and protein, and migrated more efficiently in response to the CXCR4 ligand CXCL12. In addition, CXCL12 induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by CD133+ GSCs via activation of the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Furthermore, knocking down of CXCR4 using RNA interference or inhibition of CXCR4 function by an antagonist AMD3100 not only reduced VEGF production by CD133+ GSCs in vitro, but also attenuated the growth and angiogenesis of tumour xenografts in vivo formed by CD133+ GSCs in SCID mice. These results indicate that CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 promote GSC‐initiated glioma growth and angiogenesis by stimulating VEGF production. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extremely oriented tunicin whiskers in poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites
Authors: Jalal Uddin Ahmed , Araki Jun , Gotoh Yasuo 
Published: March 2011

AbstractIn order to utilize the excellent mechanical properties of cellulose whiskers (CWs) along their length, the present work was undertaken to embed CWs with highly oriented forms in a polymer matrix. Nanocomposite fibers were prepared using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA; degree of polymerization of 1500) as the matrix and a stable aqueous suspension of CWs extracted from tunicates as the reinforcing phase. Macroscopically homogeneous suspensions of PVA–CW were gel‐spun in a methanol coagulating bath. The as‐spun fibers included CWs oriented along the fiber axis and showed a significant increase in dynamic storage modulus. Hot drawing of the PVA–CW as‐spun fibers to their maximal draw ratio led to extremely high orientation of the CWs together with a drastic reduction in voids in the fiber matrix. Outstanding mechanical properties of the drawn composites were obtained by the incorporation of only a small amount (1 wt% of solid PVA content) of CWs. The stress transfer mechanism in the fibers was studied using an X‐ray diffraction technique by applying stress to the whole composite with in situ monitoring of stress on the incorporated CWs. The applied external stress was found to be translated efficiently to the incorporated CWs through the PVA matrix, suggesting strong interfacial bonding between filler and matrix. The strong interaction and efficient stress transfer between matrix and filler are suggested as the cause for the observed improvements in mechanical properties of the composites. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Identification of 14‐3‐3β in human gastric cancer cells and its potency as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker
Authors: Tseng Chien‐Wei , Yang Jyh‐Chin , Chen Chiung‐Nien , Huang Hsuan‐Cheng , Chuang Kai‐Neng , Lin Chen‐Ching , Lai Hong‐Shiee , Lee Po‐Huang , Chang King‐Jen , Juan Hsueh‐Fen 
Published: March 2011

AbstractGastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide and due to its poor prognosis, it is important that specific biomarkers are identified to enable its early detection. Through 2‐D gel electrophoresis and MALDI‐TOF‐TOF‐based proteomics approaches, we found that 14‐3‐3β, which was one of the proteins that were differentially expressed by 5‐fluorouracil‐treated gastric cancer SC‐M1 cells, was upregulated in gastric cancer cells. 14‐3‐3β levels in tissues and serum were further validated in gastric cancer patients and controls. The results showed that 14‐3‐3β levels were elevated in tumor tissues (n=40) in comparison to normal tissues (n=40; p<0.01), and serum 14‐3‐3β levels in cancer patients (n=145) were also significantly higher than those in controls (n=63; p<0.0001). Elevated serum 14‐3‐3β levels highly correlated with the number of lymph node metastases, tumor size and a reduced survival rate. Moreover, overexpression of 14‐3‐3β enhanced the growth, invasiveness and migratory activities of tumor cells. Twenty‐eight proteins involved in anti‐apoptosis and tumor progression were also found to be differentially expressed in 14‐3‐3β‐overexpressing gastric cancer cells. Overall, these results highlight the significance of 14‐3‐3β in gastric cancer cell progression and suggest that it has the potential to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer.
A comparative MudPIT analysis identifies different expression profiles in heart compartments
Authors: Comunian Claudio , Rusconi Francesca , De Palma Antonella , Brunetti Pietro , Catalucci Daniele , Mauri Pier L. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractCardiomyopathies indistinctly affect atrial and ventricular cardiac compartments with alterations of their mechanical and/or electrical activity. To understand the main mechanisms involved in these pathological alterations, a detailed knowledge of the physiology of the healthy heart is critical. In the present work, we utilize multidimensional protein identification technology to characterize the murine left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV), and atria (A) proteomes, identifying thousands of distinct proteins. Moreover, using multidimensional algorithm protein map tool, relative abundances of proteins among the heart chambers were investigated. In sum, we found 16 and 55 proteins were more abundant in LV compared to RV and A, respectively; 47 and 60 proteins were more abundant in RV than LV and A, respectively; and, 81 and 74 proteins were more abundant in A than LV and RV, respectively. This detailed characterization of myocardial compartment proteome represents an important advancement in the knowledge of heart physiology, and may contribute to the identification of key features underlying the onset of cardiomyopathy.
Proteomic analysis of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections
Authors: Smith Andrew , van Rooyen Jan‐Pierre , Argo Evelyn , Cash Phillip 
Published: March 2011

AbstractEscherichia coli is a major cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) where the initial infection arises from bacteria originating in the bowel. However, significant differences are observed between the genomes of intestinal and urinary E. coli strains with the latter possessing many adaptations that promote growth in the urinary tract. To define further the adaptation of urinary E. coli isolates, the cellular proteomes of 41 E. coli strains, collected from cases of UTIs or random faecal samples, were compared by 2‐D gel electrophoresis and principal component analysis. The data indicated that individual patients carried relatively homogenous E. coli populations, as defined by their cellular proteomes, but the populations were distinct between patients. For one patient, E. coli, isolated during two recurrent infections 3 months apart, were indistinguishable, indicating that for this patient the infections were possibly caused by the same bacterial population. To understand the basis of the discrimination of the bacteria, selected protein spots were identified by peptide fragment fingerprinting. The identified proteins were involved in a variety of metabolic and structural roles. The data obtained for these E. coli strains provide a basis from which to target key bacterial proteins for further investigation into E. coli pathogenesis.
Utility of Classification and Regression Tree Analyses and Vegetation in Mountain Permafrost Models, Yukon, Canada
Authors: Kremer Marian , Lewkowicz Antoni G. , Bonnaventure Philip P. , Sawada Michael C. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTClassification and regression tree (CART) analyses were undertaken to test the usefulness of including vegetation variables in mountain permafrost distribution models for five widely spaced study areas in the Yukon. Digital elevation model (DEM)‐derived variables, field‐derived vegetation variables and satellite imagery‐derived vegetation variables were employed individually to classify sites into permafrost probable, permafrost improbable and permafrost ‘uncertain’ categories. The vegetation variables were subsequently combined with the DEM‐derived set to see if they could improve the latter's accuracy. Overall training accuracies for the probable and improbable permafrost categories for 102 sites ranged from 81% to 92%. Remotely sensed imagery alone had the lowest overall training (81%) and testing (50%) accuracies. The CART that combined imagery and DEM‐based variables produced high overall accuracy for training (90%) and the highest for testing (77%), had few nodes classified as ‘uncertain’ and could be used to create permafrost probability maps of the study areas. CART analyses appear useful for predicting permafrost distribution because they can incorporate non‐linear relationships between independent variables and the presence of permafrost. Remotely sensed variables relating to vegetation, specifically a normalised difference vegetation index, improved the DEM‐based results, but required considerable additional effort for data collection and processing. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparative study of the microstructure–dielectric properties of crystalline SrTiO3 ALD films obtained via seed layer approach
Authors: Popovici Mihaela , Tomida Kazuyuki , Swerts Johan , Favia Paola , Delabie Annelies , Bender Hugo , Adelmann Christoph , Tielens Hilde , Brijs Bert , Kaczer Ben , Pawlak Malgorzata A. , Kim Min‐Soo , Altimime Laith , Van Elshocht Sven , Kittl Jorge A. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractSrTiO3 (STO) films were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on TiN using Sr(t‐Bu3Cp)2, Ti(OCH3)4 and H2O. After crystallization anneal, large single crystals grains were obtained and nanocracks were present. The microstructure can be changed using a thin STO crystalline seed spike annealed at 700 °C, which induces formation of much smaller grains in the top layer after post‐deposition anneal. The seed approach was also applied for a layer that was directly deposited in crystalline state at 370 °C, with a Ti(Me5Cp)(OMe)3 precursor thermally stable at this temperature of deposition. The nanocracks were reduced or totally eliminated when using the seed layer template approach. Nevertheless, the leakage current is only reduced for the case when the Ti(OCH3)4 precursor was used.
Optimization of thin film silicon solar cells on highly textured substrates
Authors: Despeisse Matthieu , Battaglia Corsin , Boccard Mathieu , Bugnon Gregory , Charrière Mathieu , Cuony Peter , Hänni Simon , Löfgren Linus , Meillaud Fanny , Parascandolo Gaetano , Söderström Thomas , Ballif Christophe 
Published: March 2011

AbstractDoped layers made of nanostructured silicon phases embedded in a silicon oxide matrix were implemented in thin film silicon solar cells. Their combination with optimized deposition processes for the silicon intrinsic layers is shown to allow for an increased resilience of the cell design to the substrate texture, with high electrical properties conserved on rough substrates. The presented optimizations thus permit turning the efficient light trapping provided by highly textured front electrodes into increased cell efficiencies, as reported for single junction cells and for amorphous silicon (a‐Si)/microcrystalline silicon tandem cells. Initial and stabilized efficiencies of 12.7 and 11.3%, respectively, are reported for such tandem configuration implementing a 1.1 µm thick microcrystalline silicon bottom cell.magnified image
SEM image after FIB cut of an amorphous silicon/microcrystalline silicon tandem cell reported with a stabilized efficiency of 11.3% for a bottom cell thickness of about 1.1 µm.
A study on the graphene incorporated direct‐patternable SnO2 thin film
Authors: Kim Hyuncheol , Yun Min‐Kyung , Park Hyung‐Ho 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe electrical property of direct‐patternable SnO2 thin film was improved by the incorporation of graphene. Graphene were incorporated into SnO2 photosensitive solution and the direct‐patternable film was prepared by photochemical solution deposition. The incorporation of graphene into SnO2 films slightly reduced the transmittance of the films due to light scattering by the incorporated graphene. In addition, with incorporation of graphene, the crystallinity of the SnO2 thin films was decreased slightly and the resistivity was improved due to an enhancement of mobility because of the π‐bond nature of surface on graphene. Direct‐patterning of graphene incorporated SnO2 thin films was performed without photoresist or etching process. These results suggest that a micropatterned system can be simply fabricated at a low cost and the electrical properties of SnO2 films can be improved by incorporating graphene.
Capability assessment for processes with multiple characteristics: A generalization of the popular index Cpk
Authors: Pearn W. L. , Shiau J.‐J. H. , Tai Y. T. , Li M. Y. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractProcess capability index Cpk is the most popular capability index widely used in the manufacturing industry. Existing research on the yield‐based measure index Cpk to date is restricted to processes with single characteristics. However, many manufacturing processes are commonly described with multiple characteristics, for example, the gold bumping process in the TFT‐LCD (thin film transistor‐liquid crystal display) manufacturing industry. In the gold bumping process, gold bumps have multiple characteristics all having effects on the process yield. Obtaining accurate gold bumping manufacturing yield is very important for quality assurance and in providing guidance toward process improvement. To obtain accurate yield assessment for processes with multiple characteristics, we propose a new overall yield‐measure index C, which is a generalization of the index Cpk, and a natural estimator of C. For the purpose of making inferences on the process capability, we derive a quite accurate approximation of the distribution of since the distribution is analytically intractable. With this distribution, we tabulate the lower confidence bounds of the new index under various sample sizes for in‐plant applications. In addition, we construct a statistical test on the new yield‐measure index in order to examine whether the yield meets the customers' requirements. For illustration purpose, a real case in a gold bumping factory located in the Science‐based Industrial Park at Hsinchu, Taiwan is presented. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discrete‐time H2 and H∞ low‐gain theory
Authors: Wang Xu , Stoorvogel Anton A. , Saberi Ali , Sannuti Peddapullaiah 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARYFor stabilization of linear systems subject to input saturation, there exist four different approaches of low‐gain design all of which are independently proposed in the literature, namely direct eigenstructure assignment, H2 and H∞ algebraic Riccati equation (ARE) based methods, and parametric Lyapunov equation‐based method. It is shown in X. Wang et al. (submitted, 2010) that for continuous‐time linear systems, all these methods are rooted in and can be unified under two fundamental control theories, H2 and H∞ theory. In this paper, we extend such a result to a discrete‐time setting. Both the H2 and H∞ ARE‐based methods are generalized to consider systems where all input channels are not necessarily subject to saturation, and explicit design methods are developed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pinning‐controlled synchronization of hybrid‐coupled complex dynamical networks with mixed time‐delays
Authors: Song Qiang , Cao Jinde , Liu Fang 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARYThis paper investigates the pinning‐controlled synchronization of a general complex dynamical network with hybrid coupling, which includes constant coupling, discrete‐delay coupling and distributed‐delay coupling. Furthermore, the network can be composed of coupled identical nonlinear oscillators with or without internal time‐delay. To be more consistent with the realistic networks, the internal time‐delay, the discrete time‐delay and the distributed time‐delay can be different from each other, the inner coupling matrices are not necessarily to be diagonal, and the coupling configuration matrices are not required to be symmetric or irreducible. Under some sufficient conditions, it is shown that a hybrid‐coupled complex network with or without internal time‐delay can be asymptotically pinned to a homogenous trajectory by applying adaptive control actions to a small fraction of network nodes. In particular, the paper addresses what kind of nodes should be pinned and how many nodes are needed to be pinned to achieve synchronization in a hybrid‐coupled network with fixed coupling matrices and strengths. Numerical examples are given to verify the theoretical analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A hybrid data mining metaheuristic for the p‐median problem
Authors: Plastino Alexandre , Fuchshuber Richard , Martins Simone de L. , Freitas Alex A. , Salhi Said 
Published: March 2011

AbstractMetaheuristics represent an important class of techniques to solve, approximately, hard combinatorial optimization problems for which the use of exact methods is impractical. In this work, we propose a hybrid version of the Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures (GRASP) metaheuristic, which incorporates a data mining process, to solve the p‐median problem. We believe that patterns obtained by a data mining technique, from a set of suboptimal solutions of a combinatorial optimization problem, can be used to guide metaheuristic procedures in the search for better solutions. Traditional GRASP is an iterative metaheuristic which returns the best solution reached over all iterations. In the hybrid GRASP proposal, after executing a significant number of iterations, the data mining process extracts patterns from an elite set of suboptimal solutions for the p‐median problem. These patterns present characteristics of near optimal solutions and can be used to guide the following GRASP iterations in the search through the combinatorial solution space. Computational experiments, comparing traditional GRASP and different data mining hybrid proposals for the p‐median problem, showed that employing patterns mined from an elite set of suboptimal solutions made the hybrid GRASP find better results. Besides, the conducted experiments also evidenced that incorporating a data mining technique into a metaheuristic accelerated the process of finding near optimal and optimal solutions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 2011
Steganography in IEEE 802.11 OFDM symbols
Authors: Szczypiorski Krzysztof , Mazurczyk Wojciech 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThis paper presents a new steganographic method called wireless padding (WiPad). It is based on the insertion of hidden data into the padding of frames at the physical layer of wireless local area networks (WLANs). A performance analysis based on a Markov model, previously introduced and validated by the authors, is provided for the method in relation to the IEEE 802.11 a/g standards. Its results prove that maximum steganographic bandwidth for WiPad is as high as 1.1 Mbit/s for data frames and 0.44 Mbit/s for acknowledgment frames. To the authors' best knowledge this is the most capacious of all the known steganographic network channels. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.