bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seroprevalence of measles antibodies and factors associated with susceptibility: a national survey in Mexico using a plaque reduction neutralization test
Authors: Díaz-Ortega José Luis , Ferreira-Guerrero Elizabeth , Cruz-Hervert Luis Pablo , Delgado-Sánchez Guadalupe , Ferreyra-Reyes Leticia , Yanes-Lane Mercedes , Mongua-Rodríguez Norma , Montero-Campos Rogelio , Castañeda-Desales Deyanira , García-García Lourdes 
Published: October 2020

AbstractMeasles continues to be one of the leading causes of child mortality worldwide, even though a highly effective vaccine has existed for more than 40 years. We aimed to describe the seroprevalence of measles antibodies in Mexico in 2012 and the risk factors associated with susceptibility. A total of 7,785 serum samples were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Mexico. This national survey is representative of the general population, including noninstitutionalized adult, adolescent, and child populations. Antibody titers were classified into protective (> 120 mIU/mL) or susceptible (≤ 120 mIU/mL) levels. The weighted seroprevalence and susceptibility of the overall population were 99.37% (95% CI 99.07–99.58) and 0.63% (95% CI 0.42–0.93), respectively. Among 1-to-4-year-old children, 2.18% (95% CI 1.36–3.48) were susceptible to measles. Among adolescents and young adults, the prevalence of susceptibility was as follows: those 15–19 years of age had a prevalence of 0.22% (95% CI 0.09–0.57), and those 30–39 years of age had a prevalence of 1.17% (95% CI 0.47–2.85). Susceptibility was associated with young age, living in Mexico City, living in crowded households and unknown or nonvaccinated status among 1- to 5-year-old children. Although the overall sample population seroprevalence for measles is above 95%, increased susceptibility among younger children signals the importance of the timely administration of the first vaccine dose at 12 months of age. Furthermore, increased susceptibility among specific subgroups indicates the need to reinforce current vaccination policies, including the immunization of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated individuals from 10 to 39 years of age.
Development of a non-radiometric method for measuring the arterial input function of a 11C-labeled PET radiotracer
Authors: Shetty H. Umesha , Zoghbi Sami S. , Morse Cheryl L. , Kowalski Aneta , Hirvonen Jussi , Innis Robert B. , Pike Victor W. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPositron emission tomography (PET) uses radiotracers to quantify important biochemical parameters in human subjects. A radiotracer arterial input function (AIF) is often essential for converting brain PET data into robust output measures. For radiotracers labeled with carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min), AIF is routinely determined with radio-HPLC of blood sampled frequently during the PET experiment. There has been no alternative to this logistically demanding method, neither for regular use nor validation. A 11C-labeled tracer is always accompanied by a large excess of non-radioactive tracer known as carrier. In principle, AIF might be obtained by measuring the molar activity (Am; ratio of radioactivity to total mass; Bq/mol) of a radiotracer dose and the time-course of carrier concentration in plasma after radiotracer injection. Here, we implement this principle in a new method for determining AIF, as shown by using [11C]PBR28 as a representative tracer. The method uses liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for measuring radiotracer Am and then the carrier in plasma sampled regularly over the course of a PET experiment. Am and AIF were determined radiometrically for comparison. The new non-radiometric method is not constrained by the short half-life of carbon-11 and is an attractive alternative to conventional AIF measurement.
A national observation study of cancer incidence and mortality risks in type 2 diabetes compared to the background population over time
Authors: Bjornsdottir Hulda Hrund , Rawshani Araz , Rawshani Aidin , Franzén Stefan , Svensson Ann-Marie , Sattar Naveed , Gudbjörnsdottir Soffia 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWe examined changing patterns in cancer incidence and deaths in diabetes compared to the background population. A total of 457,473 patients with type 2 diabetes, included between 1998 and 2014, were matched on age, sex, and county to five controls from the population. Incidence, trends in incidence and post-cancer mortality for cancer were estimated with Cox regression and standardised incidence rates. Causes of death were estimated using logistic regression. Relative importance of risk factors was estimated using Heller’s relative importance model. Type 2 diabetes had a higher risk for all cancer, HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.09–1.12), with highest HRs for liver (3.31), pancreas (2.19) and uterine cancer (1.78). There were lesser increases in risk for breast (1.05) and colorectal cancers (1.20). Type 2 diabetes patients experienced a higher HR 1.23 (1.21–1.25) of overall post-cancer mortality and mortality from prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers. By the year 2030 cancer could become the most common cause of death in type 2 diabetes. Persons with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of developing cancer and lower chance of surviving it. Notably, hazards for specific cancers (e.g. liver, pancreas) in type 2 patients cannot be explained by obesity alone.
New 3D measurements of large redwood trees for biomass and structure
Authors: Disney Mathias , Burt Andrew , Wilkes Phil , Armston John , Duncanson Laura 
Published: October 2020

AbstractLarge trees are disproportionately important in terms of their above ground biomass (AGB) and carbon storage, as well as their wider impact on ecosystem structure. They are also very hard to measure and so tend to be underrepresented in measurements and models of AGB. We show the first detailed 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) estimates of the volume and AGB of large coastal redwoodSequoia sempervirenstrees from three sites in Northern California, representing some of the highest biomass ecosystems on Earth. Our TLS estimates agree to within 2% AGB with a species-specific model based on detailed manual crown mapping of 3D tree structure. However TLS-derived AGB was more than 30% higher compared to widely-used general (non species-specific) allometries. We derive an allometry from TLS that spans a much greater range of tree size than previous models and so is potentially better-suited for use with new Earth Observation data for these exceptionally high biomass areas. We suggest that where possible, TLS and crown mapping should be used to provide complementary, independent 3D structure measurements of these very large trees.
Use of open source monitoring hardware to improve the production of MOFs: using STA-16(Ni) as a case study
Authors: Massingberd-Mundy Felicity , Poulston Stephen , Bennett Stephen , Yeung Hamish Hei-Man , Johnson Timothy 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAffordable and readily available microelectronics are becoming prevalent in teaching laboratories however these useful and economic tools are not used widely in either academia or industry. Herein we report how a metal organic framework (MOF) synthetic route can be optimized using an in situ monitoring apparatus designed in-house on open source hardware for under $100. We demonstrate that the MOF can be produced at atmospheric pressure, an improvement over previous reports, but also with a reduction in reaction time of 93%. This improvement in reaction time was predicted after a single experiment using the monitoring kit showing how efficiencies in the lab can be gained with very little experimental and monetary overhead while minimising the resources used.
An observational study of innate immune responses in patients with acute appendicitis
Authors: Peeters Toon , Martens Sandrina , D’Onofrio Valentino , Stappers Mark H. T. , van der Hilst Jeroen C. H. , Houben Bert , Achten Ruth , Joosten Leo A. B. , Gyssens Inge C. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAcute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency worldwide. Exaggerated immune responses could be associated with appendicitis. This study aimed at characterizing immune responses towards a large variety of gut commensals and pathogens, and pattern recognition receptor (PRR) ligands, and investigating the course of systemic inflammation in a prospective cohort of acute appendicitis patients. PBMC responses of 23 patients of the cohort and 23 healthy controls were characterized more than 8 months post-surgery. Serum cytokine levels were measured in 23 patients at the time of appendicitis and after one month. CRP, WBC and percentage of neutrophils were analyzed in the total cohort of 325 patients. No differences in PBMC responses were found between patients and controls. Stronger IL-10 responses were found following complicated appendicitis. A trend towards lower IL-8 responses was shown following gangrenous appendicitis. Serum IL-10 and IL-6 were significantly elevated at presentation, and IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were higher in complicated appendicitis. Routine biomarkers could predict severity of appendicitis with high specificities, but low sensitivities. Cytokine responses in patients following acute appendicitis did not differ from healthy controls. Higher serum cytokine levels were found in acute complicated and gangrenous cases. Further research into discriminative biomarkers is warranted.
Universality in spectral condensation
Authors: Pavithran Induja , Unni Vishnu R. , Varghese Alan J. , Premraj D. , Sujith R. I. , Vijayan C. , Saha Abhishek , Marwan Norbert , Kurths Jürgen 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSelf-organization is the spontaneous formation of spatial, temporal, or spatiotemporal patterns in complex systems far from equilibrium. During such self-organization, energy distributed in a broadband of frequencies gets condensed into a dominant mode, analogous to a condensation phenomenon. We call this phenomenon spectral condensation and study its occurrence in fluid mechanical, optical and electronic systems. We define a set of spectral measures to quantify this condensation spanning several dynamical systems. Further, we uncover an inverse power law behaviour of spectral measures with the power corresponding to the dominant peak in the power spectrum in all the aforementioned systems.
The heterogeneous nucleation of threading dislocations on partial dislocations in III-nitride epilayers
Authors: Smalc-Koziorοwska J. , Moneta J. , Chatzopoulou P. , Vasileiadis I. G. , Bazioti C. , Prytz Ø. , Belabbas I. , Komninou Ph. , Dimitrakopulos G. P. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIII-nitride compound semiconductors are breakthrough materials regarding device applications. However, their heterostructures suffer from very high threading dislocation (TD) densities that impair several aspects of their performance. The physical mechanisms leading to TD nucleation in these materials are still not fully elucidated. An overlooked but apparently important mechanism is their heterogeneous nucleation on domains of basal stacking faults (BSFs). Based on experimental observations by transmission electron microscopy, we present a concise model of this phenomenon occurring in III-nitride alloy heterostructures. Such domains comprise overlapping intrinsic I1 BSFs with parallel translation vectors. Overlapping of two BSFs annihilates most of the local elastic strain of their delimiting partial dislocations. What remains combines to yield partial dislocations that are always of screw character. As a result, TD nucleation becomes geometrically necessary, as well as energetically favorable, due to the coexistence of crystallographically equivalent prismatic facets surrounding the BSF domain. The presented model explains all observed BSF domain morphologies, and constitutes a physical mechanism that provides insight regarding dislocation nucleation in wurtzite-structured alloy epilayers.
Broadband optical ultrafast reflectivity of Si, Ge and GaAs
Authors: Di Cicco A. , Polzoni G. , Gunnella R. , Trapananti A. , Minicucci M. , Rezvani S. J. , Catone D. , Di Mario L. , Pelli Cresi J. S. , Turchini S. , Martelli F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractUltrafast optical reflectivity measurements of silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide have been carried out using an advanced set-up providing intense subpicosecond pulses (35 fs FWHM, $$\lambda $$
λ
= 400 nm) as a pump and broadband 340–780 nm ultrafast pulses as a white supercontinuum probe. Measurements have been performed for selected pump fluence conditions below the damage thresholds, that were carefully characterized. The obtained fluence damage thresholds are 30, 20.8, 9.6 mJ/$$\hbox {cm}^2$$

cm
2

for Si, Ge and GaAs respectively. Ultrafast reflectivity patterns show clear differences in the Si, Ge, and GaAs trends both for the wavelength and time dependences. Important changes were observed near the wavelength regions corresponding to the $$E_1$$

E
1

, $$E_1+\Delta $$

E
1

+
Δ

singularities in the joint density of states, so related to the peculiar band structure of the three systems. For Ge, ultrafast reflectivity spectra were also collected at low temperature (down to 80 K) showing a shift of the characteristic doublet peak around 2.23 eV and a reduction of the recovery times.
Multivalent tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli promotes Axin biomolecular condensate formation and efficient β-catenin degradation
Authors: Li Tie-Mei , Ren Jing , Husmann Dylan , Coan John P. , Gozani Or , Chua Katrin F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is frequently mutated in colorectal cancers. APC and Axin are core components of a destruction complex that scaffolds GSK3β and CK1 to earmark β-catenin for proteosomal degradation. Disruption of APC results in pathologic stabilization of β-catenin and oncogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism by which APC promotes β-catenin degradation is unclear. Here, we find that the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of APC, which contains multiple β-catenin and Axin interacting sites, undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro. Expression of the APC IDR in colorectal cells promotes Axin puncta formation and β-catenin degradation. Our results support the model that multivalent interactions between APC and Axin drives the β-catenin destruction complex to form biomolecular condensates in cells, which concentrate key components to achieve high efficient degradation of β-catenin.
Effects of feeding frequency on juvenile Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis
Authors: Hu Yacheng , Xiao Kan , Yang Jing , Liu Xueqing , Wang Binzhong , Zeng Qingkai , Du Hejun 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn this study, the effects of different feeding frequencies on the growth and the expression of genes in the GH/IGF axis were assessed in juvenile Chinese sturgeon. The newly hatched Chinese sturgeons were bred for 38 days at three different feeding frequencies groups (feeding frequency of two times a day, TWD; three times a day, THD; and four times a day, FOD), and the expression levels of the GH/IGF axis responses to feeding frequency were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, the full-length of the Coding Sequences of IGF I and IGF II genes (489-bp and 660-bp, respectively), were cloned and analyzed from Chinese sturgeon the first time. Multiple sequence alignments of IGFs revealed that Chinese sturgeon are high sequence identity to IGFs from other species. The phylogenetic relationships based on the IGF I and IGF II amino acid sequences were consistent with the traditional classification. After 38 days of growth, the three different feeding frequencies groups of Chinese sturgeon had no significant difference of body length, body weight, specific growth rate, the survival rate, the rate of weight gain and the condition factor. However, the relative expression of Chinese sturgeon GH in the pituitary decreased with increasing feeding frequency. The relative expression of Chinese sturgeon GHR in liver and skeletal muscle was deceased with increasing feeding frequency, while the relative expression of GHR in stomach and intestines at THD group was significantly higher than that of at TWD group and FOD group (p < 0.05). The relative expression of Chinese sturgeon IGF I in liver increased significantly with increasing feeding frequency (p < 0.05). The relative expression of IGF I in stomach and skeletal muscle was similar at the three groups. The relative expression of IGF I in intestines was significantly higher at FOD group than at TWD group and THD group (p < 0.05). The relative expression of Chinese sturgeon IGF II in liver at TWD group was significantly higher than that at THD group and FOD group (p < 0.05). However, the relative expression of IGF II in stomach, intestines and skeletal muscle at THD group was higher than that at TWD group and FOD group. Based on these previous studies that liver IGF I is regarded as a biomarker of growth performance, this result suggested that the juvenile Chinese sturgeon is better for growth when feeding four times daily compared to twice and thrice daily.
Optimized DNA extraction and purification method for characterization of bacterial and fungal communities in lung tissue samples
Authors: Pérez-Brocal Vicente , Magne Fabien , Ruiz-Ruiz Susana , Ponce Carolina A. , Bustamante Rebeca , Martin Viviana San , Gutierrez Mireya , Gatti Gianna , Vargas Sergio L. , Moya Andrés 
Published: October 2020

AbstractHuman lungs harbor a scarce microbial community, requiring to develop methods to enhance the recovery of nucleic acids from bacteria and fungi, leading to a more efficient analysis of the lung tissue microbiota. Here we describe five extraction protocols including pre-treatment, bead-beating and/or Phenol:Chloroform:Isoamyl alcohol steps, applied to lung tissue samples from autopsied individuals. The resulting total DNA yield and quality, bacterial and fungal DNA amount and the microbial community structure were analyzed by qPCR and Illumina sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS genes. Bioinformatic modeling revealed that a large part of microbiome from lung tissue is composed of microbial contaminants, although our controls clustered separately from biological samples. After removal of contaminant sequences, the effects of extraction protocols on the microbiota were assessed. The major differences among samples could be attributed to inter-individual variations rather than DNA extraction protocols. However, inclusion of the bead-beater and Phenol:Chloroform:Isoamyl alcohol steps resulted in changes in the relative abundance of some bacterial/fungal taxa. Furthermore, inclusion of a pre-treatment step increased microbial DNA concentration but not diversity and it may contribute to eliminate DNA fragments from dead microorganisms in lung tissue samples, making the microbial profile closer to the actual one.
The three-stage rock failure dynamics of the Drus (Mont Blanc massif, France) since the June 2005 large event
Authors: Guerin Antoine , Ravanel Ludovic , Matasci Battista , Jaboyedoff Michel , Deline Philip 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSince the end of the Little Ice Age, the west face of the Drus (Mont Blanc massif, France) has been affected by a retrogressive erosion dynamic marked by large rockfall events. From the 1950s onwards, the rock failure frequency gradually increased until the large rockfall event (292,680 m3) of June 2005, which made the Bonatti Pillar disappear. Aiming to characterize the rock failure activity following this major event, which may be related to permafrost warming, the granitic rock face was scanned each autumn between October 2005 and September 2016 using medium- and long-range terrestrial laser scanners. All the point clouds were successively compared to establish a rockfall source inventory and determine a volume-frequency relationship. Eleven years of monitoring revealed a phase of rock failure activity decay until September 2008, a destabilization phase between September 2008 and November 2011, and a new phase of rock failure activity decay from November 2011 to September 2016. The destabilization phase was marked by three major rockfall events covering a total volume of 61,494 m3, resulting in the progressive collapse of a new pillar located in the northern part of the June 2005 rockfall scar. In the same way as for the Bonatti Pillar, rock failure instability propagated upward with increasing volumes. In addition to these major events, 304 rockfall sources ranging from 0.002 to 476 m3 were detected between 2005 and 2016. The temporal evolution of rock failure activity reveals that after a major event, the number of rockfall sources and the eroded volume both follow a rapid decrease. The rock failure activity is characterized by an exponential decay during the period following the major event and by a power-law decay for the eroded volume. The power law describing the distribution of the source volumes detected between 2005 and 2016 indicates an exponent of 0.48 and an average rock failure activity larger of more than six events larger than 1 m3 per year. Over the 1905–2016 period, a total of 426,611 m3 of rock collapsed from the Drus west face, indicating a very high rock wall retreat rate of 14.4 mm year−1 over a surface of 266,700 m2. Averaged over a time window of 1000 years, the long-term retreat rate derived from the frequency density integration of rock failure volumes is 2.9 mm year−1. Despite difficulty in accessing and monitoring the site, our study demonstrates that long-term surveys of high-elevation rock faces are possible and provide valuable information that helps improve our understanding of landscape evolution in mountainous settings subject to permafrost warming.
The role of IL-6-174 G/C polymorphism and intraocular IL-6 levels in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ulhaq Zulvikar Syambani , Soraya Gita Vita , Budu  , Wulandari Lely Retno 
Published: October 2020

AbstractInterleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the key regulators behind the inflammatory and pathological process associated with ophthalmic diseases. The role of IL-6-174 G/C polymorphism as well as intraocular IL-6 levels among various eye disease patients differ across studies and has not been systematically reviewed. Thus, this study aims to provide a summary to understand the relationship between IL-6 and ophthalmic disease. In total, 8,252 and 11,014 subjects for IL-6-174 G/C and intraocular levels of IL-6, respectively, were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. No association was found between IL-6-174 G/C polymorphisms with ocular diseases. Subgroup analyses revealed a suggestive association between the GC genotype of IL-6-174 G/C with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Further, the level of intraocular IL-6 among ocular disease patients in general was found to be higher than the control group [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24–1.58, P < 0.00001]. Closer examination through subgroup analyses yielded similar results in several ocular diseases. This study thus indicates that the IL-6-174 G/C polymorphism does not predispose patients to ocular disease, although the GC genotype is likely to be a genetic biomarker for PDR. Moreover, intraocular IL-6 concentrations are related to the specific manifestations of the ophthalmic diseases. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm this conclusion.