bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A rapid culture system uninfluenced by an inoculum effect increases reliability and convenience for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Jung Yong-Gyun , Kim Hyejin , Lee Sangyeop , Kim Suyeoun , Jo EunJi , Kim Eun-Geun , Choi Jungil , Kim Hyun Jung , Yoo Jungheon , Lee Hye-Jeong , Kim Haeun , Jung Hyunju , Ryoo Sungweon , Kwon Sunghoon 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe Disc Agarose Channel (DAC) system utilizes microfluidics and imaging technologies and is fully automated and capable of tracking single cell growth to produce Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) drug susceptibility testing (DST) results within 3~7 days. In particular, this system can be easily used to perform DSTs without the fastidious preparation of the inoculum of MTB cells. Inoculum effect is one of the major problems that causes DST errors. The DAC system was not influenced by the inoculum effect and produced reliable DST results. In this system, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the first-line drugs were consistent regardless of inoculum sizes ranging from ~103 to ~108 CFU/mL. The consistent MIC results enabled us to determine the critical concentrations for 12 anti-tuberculosis drugs. Based on the determined critical concentrations, further DSTs were performed with 254 MTB clinical isolates without measuring an inoculum size. There were high agreement rates (96.3%) between the DAC system and the absolute concentration method using Löwenstein-Jensen medium. According to these results, the DAC system is the first DST system that is not affected by the inoculum effect. It can thus increase reliability and convenience for DST of MTB. We expect that this system will be a potential substitute for conventional DST systems.
The prion protein is embedded in a molecular environment that modulates transforming growth factor β and integrin signaling
Authors: Ghodrati Farinaz , Mehrabian Mohadeseh , Williams Declan , Halgas Ondrej , Bourkas Matthew E. C. , Watts Joel C. , Pai Emil F. , Schmitt-Ulms Gerold 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAt times, it can be difficult to discern if a lack of overlap in reported interactions for a protein-of-interest reflects differences in methodology or biology. In such instances, systematic analyses of protein-protein networks across diverse paradigms can provide valuable insights. Here, we interrogated the interactome of the prion protein (PrP), best known for its central role in prion diseases, in four mouse cell lines. Analyses made use of identical affinity capture and sample processing workflows. Negative controls were generated from PrP knockout lines of the respective cell models, and the relative levels of peptides were quantified using isobaric labels. The study uncovered 26 proteins that reside in proximity to PrP. All of these proteins are predicted to have access to the outer face of the plasma membrane, and approximately half of them were not reported to interact with PrP before. Strikingly, although several proteins exhibited profound co-enrichment with PrP in a given model, except for the neural cell adhesion molecule 1, no protein was highly enriched in all PrP-specific interactomes. However, Gene Ontology analyses revealed a shared association of the majority of PrP candidate interactors with cellular events at the intersection of transforming growth factor β and integrin signaling.
The influence of salinity on the effects of Multi-walled carbon nanotubes on polychaetes
Authors: De Marchi Lucia , Neto Victor , Pretti Carlo , Figueira Etelvina , Chiellini Federica , Morelli Andrea , Soares Amadeu M. V. M. , Freitas Rosa 
Published: May 2018

AbstractSalinity shifts in estuarine and coastal areas are becoming a topic of concern and are one of the main factors influencing nanoparticles behaviour in the environment. For this reason, the impacts of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) under different seawater salinity conditions were evaluated on the common ragworm Hediste diversicolor, a polychaete species widely used as bioindicator of estuarine environmental quality. An innovative method to assess the presence of MWCNT aggregates in the sediments was used for the first time. Biomarkers approach was used to evaluate the metabolic capacity, oxidative status and neurotoxicity of polychaetes after long-term exposure. The results revealed an alteration of energy-related responses in contaminated polychaetes under both salinity conditions, resulting in an increase of metabolism and expenditure of their energy reserves (lower glycogen and protein contents). Moreover, a concentration-dependent toxicity (higher lipid peroxidation, lower ratio between reduced and oxidized glutathione and activation of antioxidant defences and biotransformation mechanisms) was observed in H. diversicolor, especially when exposed to low salinity. Additionally, neurotoxicity was observed by inhibition of Cholinesterases activity in organisms exposed to MWCNTs at both salinities.
Mice Lacking Alternatively Activated (M2) Macrophages Show Impairments in Restorative Sleep after Sleep Loss and in Cold Environment
Authors: Massie Ashley , Boland Erin , Kapás Levente , Szentirmai Éva 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe relationship between sleep, metabolism and immune functions has been described, but the cellular components of the interaction are incompletely identified. We previously reported that systemic macrophage depletion results in sleep impairment after sleep loss and in cold environment. These findings point to the role of macrophage-derived signals in maintaining normal sleep. Macrophages exist either in resting form, classically activated, pro-inflammatory (M1) or alternatively activated, anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes. In the present study we determined the contribution of M2 macrophages to sleep signaling by using IL-4 receptor α-chain-deficient [IL-4Rα knockout (KO)] mice, which are unable to produce M2 macrophages. Sleep deprivation induced robust increases in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS) and slow-wave activity in wild-type (WT) animals. NREMS rebound after sleep deprivation was ~50% less in IL-4Rα KO mice. Cold exposure induced reductions in rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) and NREMS in both WT and KO mice. These differences were augmented in IL-4Rα KO mice, which lost ~100% more NREMS and ~25% more REMS compared to WTs. Our finding that M2 macrophage-deficient mice have the same sleep phenotype as mice with global macrophage depletion reconfirms the significance of macrophages in sleep regulation and suggests that the main contributors are the alternatively activated M2 cells.
Alcohol consumption promotes colorectal carcinoma metastasis via a CCL5-induced and AMPK-pathway-mediated activation of autophagy
Authors: Zhao Haodong , Chen Danlei , Cao Rui , Wang Shiqing , Yu Dandan , Liu Yakun , Jiang Yu , Xu Mei , Luo Jia , Wang Siying 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThere is a definite relationship between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) development. We investigated effect of alcohol consumption on CRC patients’ progression and prognosis by utilizing epidemiological data and found patients with alcohol consumption increased risks of tumor-node-metastasis (TNM), organ metastasis and poorer prognosis. Because their tumor tissues displayed increased expression of C-C chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), we hypothesized CCL5 might participate in cancer progression in such patients. Ethanol increased the secretion of CCL5 in two CRC cell lines, HT29 and DLD-1. Treatment with CCL5 directly increased migratory ability of these cells, whereas neutralization or knockdown of CCL5 can partially block alcohol-stimulated migration. We further investigated underlying mechanism of CCL5-induced migration. Our results indicated that effects of CCL5 on migration are mediated by the ability of CCL5 to induce autophagy, a cellular process known to be critical for migration. Using high-throughput sequencing and western blotting, we found induction of autophagy by CCL5 takes place via AMPK pathway. Aforementioned ethanol increases CCL5 secretion, CCL5 activates autophagy through AMPK pathway, and autophagy increases migration was confirmed by experiments with autophagy or AMPK inhibitors. To sum up, our study demonstrates that chronic alcohol consumption may promote metastasis of CRC through CCL5-induced autophagy.
Environmental factors controlling the distributions of Botryococcus braunii (A, B and L) biomarkers in a subtropical freshwater wetland
Authors: He Ding , Simoneit Bernd R. T. , Jaffé Rudolf 
Published: May 2018

AbstractHere we report the molecular biomarker co-occurrence of three different races of Botryococcus braunii (B. braunii) in the freshwater wetland ecosystem of the Florida Everglades, USA. Thespecific biomarkers include C32–C34 botryococcenes for race B, C27–C32n-alkadienes and n-alkatrienes for race A, and lycopadiene for race L. The n-alkadienes and n-alkatrienes were present up to 3.1 and 69.5 µg/g dry weight (dw), while lycopadiene was detected in lower amounts up to 3.0 and 1.5 µg/g dw in periphyton and floc samples, respectively. Nutrient concentrations (P and N) did not significantly correlate with the abundances of these compounds. In contrast, n-alkadienes and n-alkatrienes were present in wider diversity and higher abundance in the floc from slough (deeper water and longer hydroperiod) than ridge (shallower water and shorter hydroperiod) locations. n-Alkadienes, n-alkatrienes, and lycopadiene, showed lower δ13C values from −40.0 to −35.5‰, suggesting that the source organisms B. braunii at least partially utilize recycled CO2 (13C depleted) produced from OM respiration rather than atmospheric CO2 (13C enriched) as the major carbon sources.
Relay synchronization in multiplex networks
Authors: Leyva I. , Sendiña-Nadal I. , Sevilla-Escoboza R. , Vera-Avila V. P. , Chholak P. , Boccaletti S. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRelay (or remote) synchronization between two not directly connected oscillators in a network is an important feature allowing distant coordination. In this work, we report a systematic study of this phenomenon in multiplex networks, where inter-layer synchronization occurs between distant layers mediated by a relay layer that acts as a transmitter. We show that this transmission can be extended to higher order relay configurations, provided symmetry conditions are preserved. By first order perturbative analysis, we identify the dynamical and topological dependencies of relay synchronization in a multiplex. We find that the relay synchronization threshold is considerably reduced in a multiplex configuration, and that such synchronous state is mostly supported by the lower degree nodes of the outer layers, while hubs can be de-multiplexed without affecting overall coherence. Finally, we experimentally validated the analytical and numerical findings by means of a multiplex of three layers of electronic circuits.
Serum N1-methylnicotinamide is Associated with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Chinese
Authors: Liu Ming , He Anxia , Chu Jihong , Chen Chao , Zhang Siqi , He Yun , Tao Weiwei , Lu Meijuan , Hua Mulian , Ju Wenzheng , Fang Zhuyuan 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe previously reported that serum N1-methylnicotinamide (me-NAM), an indicator of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) activity, was associated with obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease in Chinese patients. However, whether NNMT might play a role in the development of heart failure remains to be elucidated. In this study, the associations between levels of serum me-NAM and left ventricular structure and function were investigated in Chinese patients. Serum me-NAM was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in 265 subjects. M-mode, 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography were performed with the GE Vivid E9 system to assess left ventricular structure and function. Of note, the participants in the top tertile of me-NAM had the lowest left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW), and highest prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Serum me-NAM was negatively correlated with LVEF and PRSW before and after adjusted for potential confounding variables (P ≤ 0.02). In multiple logistic regression analyses, the subjects in the top tertile of me-NAM had highest risks for LVSD (OR 6.80; 95% CI 1.26–36.72; P = 0.026), which was also observed in continuous analyses (OR 9.48; 95% CI 1.41–63.48; P = 0.02). In conclusion, serum me-NAM is negatively associated with LVEF and PRSW and accordingly positively associated with the prevalence of LVSD in Chinese patients.
Response of soil organic carbon and nitrogen to nitrogen deposition in a Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation
Authors: Ma Junyong , Kang Fengfeng , Cheng Xiaoqin , Han Hairong 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPlant growth and ecosystem production are limited by nitrogen (N), however, the mechanisms of N limitation in terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration in soil remains unclear. To examine these mechanisms N was deposited at rates of 0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha−1 yr−1 for two years in a subalpine Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation. Soil C and N components were measured three times encompassing the entire growing season (spring, summer, and autumn) in the second year of the experiment. Results showed that N-deposition affected soil organic carbon (SOC) in the upper soil layer (0–10 cm) especially in the summer season. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) played the key role in C loss under the high-N treatment (p < 0.01) with higher N-deposition significantly increasing both DOC and DOC/SOC in summer (p < 0.01). In the summer season when there was sufficient precipitation and higher temperatures, the average DOC across all treatments was higher than spring and autumn. The active C components contributed to SOC sequestration in low and medium N- treatment and DOC, DON dynamics in summer were responsible for the C and N pool loss under the high N-treatment.
A novel risk score for hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian cirrhotic patients: a multicentre prospective cohort study
Authors: Liang Kung-Hao , Ahn Sang Hoon , Lee Hye Wong , Huang Ya-Hui , Chien Rong-Nan , Hu Tsung-Hui , Lin Kwang-Huei , Yeh Christopher Sung-Huan , Hsu Chao-Wei , Lin Chih-Lang , Pan Tai-Long , Ke Po-Yuan , Chang Ming-Ling , Yeh Chau-Ting 
Published: May 2018

AbstractLiver cirrhotic patients suffer from a seemingly unpredictable risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, an HCC risk score R (0 ≦ R ≦ 1) was derived from commonly tested haematological and biochemical parameters. In the score-derivation Taiwanese cohort (144 cirrhosis versus 48 HCC-remission patients), the score had an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61–0.78, P < 0.001). When validated in a Korean cohort (78 cirrhosis versus 23 HCC-remission patients), the AUC was 0.68 (CI, 0.56–0.80, P = 0.009). In a multicentre prospective cohort (478 cirrhotic patients prospectively followed for HCC occurrence), the hazard ratio with respect to R was 2.344 (CI = 1.183–4.646, P = 0.015). The cumulative incidences of HCC at two years after patient enrolment were 9.6% and 1.7% for the high-risk (R ≧ 0.5) and low-risk (R < 0.5) groups, respectively (P < 0.001). At the end of the study, the incidences were 10.9% and 5.0%, respectively (P = 0.012). The majority of HCCs (23/26) in the high-risk group emerged within the first two years of follow-up. In conclusion, an HCC risk score was developed for cirrhotic patients that effectively predicted HCC in a prospective cohort study.
GaN intermediate band solar cells with Mn-doped absorption layer
Authors: Lee Ming-Lun , Huang Feng-Wen , Chen Po-Cheng , Sheu Jinn-Kong 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe effect of Mn concentration on the optical properties of Mn-doped layers grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy is investigated. The Mn-doped GaN layers exhibite a typical transmittance spectrum with a distinct dip around 820 nm which is attributed to the transition of electrons between the edge of valence band and the Mn-related states within the bandgap. In addition, electroluminescence (EL) spectra obtained from the bipolar devices with Mn-doped GaN active layer also show that considerable Mn-related energy states existed in the bandgap. The position of the Mn-related energy states in the GaN is first evaluated via EL spectra. In addition to the absorption of band edge, the Mn-related energy states behaving like an intermediate band cause an additional sub-band gap absorption. Consequently, the fabricated GaN-based solar cells using Mn-doed GaN as the absorption layer exhibit photocurrent higher than the control devices without Mn doping. Under one-sun air mass 1.5 G testing condition, the short-circuit current of the Mn-doed GaN solar cells can be enhanced by a magnitude of 10 times compared with the cells without Mn doping.
Atmospheric NLTE models for the spectroscopic analysis of blue stars with winds
Authors: Sundqvist J. O. , Puls J. 
Published: May 2018

Context. Clumping in the radiation-driven winds of hot, massive stars severly affects the derivation of synthetic observables across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Aims. We implement a formalism for treating wind clumping – focusing in particular on the light-leakage effects associated with a medium that is porous in physical and velocity space – into the global (photosphere + wind) NLTE model atmosphere and spectrum synthesis code FASTWIND.
Methods. The basic method presented here assumes a stochastic, two-component wind consisting of a mixture of optically thick and thin clumps embedded in a rarefied inter-clump medium. We have accounted fully for the reductions in opacity associated with porosity in physical and velocity-space (the latter due to Doppler shifts in an accelerating medium), as well as for the well-known effect that opacities depending on ⟨ρ2⟩ are higher in clumpy winds than in smooth ones of equal mass-loss rate. By formulating our method in terms of suitable mean and effective opacities for the clumpy wind, we are able to compute atmospheric models with the same speed (∼15 min on a modern laptop or desktop) as in previous generations of FASTWIND.
Results. After verifying important analytic limits (smooth, optically thin, completely optically thick), we present some first, generic results of the new models. These include: i) Confirming earlier results that velocity-space porosity is critical for analysis of UV wind resonance lines in O-stars; ii) for the optical Hα line, we show that optically thick clumping effects are small for O-stars, but potentially very important for late B and A-supergiants; iii) in agreement with previous work, we show that spatial porosity is a marginal effect for absorption of high-energy X-rays in O-stars, as long as the mean-free path between clumps are kept at realistic values ≲R*; iv) whereas radio absorption in O-stars shows strong spatial porosity effects in near photospheric layers, it is negligible at their typical radio-photosphere radii ∼100R*; v) regarding the wind ionization balance, a general trend is that increased rates of recombination in simulations with optically thin clumps lead to overall lower degrees of ionization than in corresponding smooth models, but that this effect now is counteracted by the increased levels of light-leakage associated with porosity in physical and velocity space (i.e., by an increase of ionization rates). We conclude by discussing future work and some planned applications for this new generation of FASTWIND models.
Die psychotherapeutische Abendklinik: Konzept und erste Ergebnisse
Authors: Dinger Ulrike , Komo-Lang Miriam , Schauenburg Henning , Herzog Wolfgang , Nikendei Christoph 
Published: May 2018

ZusammenfassungDieser Beitrag berichtet über die neue Versorgungsform der psychotherapeutischen Abendklinik am Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg. Die Behandlungsintensität der Abendklinik ist zwischen den intensiven ganztägigen Programmen im Krankenhaus und der ambulanten Richtlinientherapie angesiedelt. Patienten kommen an 3 Abenden pro Woche für jeweils 3 Stunden und erhalten in dieser Zeit eine intensive Gruppenpsychotherapie, die durch Einzelpsychotherapie, Achtsamkeitsübungen und psychotherapeutische Visiten ergänzt wird. Die ersten Erfahrungen mit dem neuen Setting sind positiv, eine besondere Stärke ist die Alltagsnähe und die Nutzung vorhandener Ressourcen. Therapeutische Herausforderungen bestehen in der Gefahr der Überforderung ohnehin belasteter Patienten. Auf struktureller Ebene steht eine Sicherung der Finanzierung des neuen Versorgungssystems aus.
Raynaud-Syndrom
Authors: Dechant C. , Czihal M. , Sander O. 
Published: June 2018

ZusammenfassungDas Raynaud-Syndrom ist eine durch Kälte oder Stress ausgelöste reversible Entfärbung der Akren, typischerweise einzelner Finger, durch einen Vasospasmus. Etwa 6 % der Bevölkerung sind betroffen, Frauen häufiger als Männer. Gesichert wird ein Raynaud-Syndrom durch die typische Anamnese und klinische Untersuchung. Bei 80 % der Betroffenen ist von einem primären Raynaud-Syndrom auszugehen. Insbesondere bei spätem Beginn und ausgeprägter Symptomatik kann ein sekundäres Raynaud-Phänomen vorliegen. Hierfür sind viele mögliche, oft seltene Ursachen beschrieben. Die Differenzialdiagnostik bedarf einer detaillierten Anamnese und Untersuchung. Die wichtigsten Instrumente bei Verdacht auf eine entzündlich rheumatische Erkrankung sind Antinukleare Antikörper und die Kapillarmikroskopie. Sind beide unauffällig, ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit sehr gering. Bei Nachweis spezifischer Autoantikörper oder kapillarmorphologischer Veränderungen werden Verlaufskontrollen empfohlen. Der Gefäßultraschall ist die am häufigsten genutzte angiologisch technische Diagnostik.
Unerwünschte Nebenwirkungen in der Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapie – Eine Einführung und Empfehlungen
Authors: Bieda Angela , Pflug Verena , Scholten Saskia , Lippert Michael , Ladwig Inga , Nestoriuc Yvonne , Schneider Silvia 
Published: May 2018

ZusammenfassungPsychotherapie bei Kinder- und Jugendlichen wirkt, jedoch können auch unerwünschte Effekte auftreten. Im Kinder- und Jugendbereich ist dieses wichtige Thema bisher vernachlässigt worden, obwohl gerade Kinder und Jugendliche eines besonderen Schutzes bedürfen. Durch Therapie verursachte unerwünschte Effekte der Psychotherapie sind im Kinder- und Jugendbereich bisher nicht systematisch untersucht worden und eine entsprechende Konzeptualisierung fehlt. Ziel des vorliegenden Artikels ist es, aktuelle Klassifikationen zu unerwünschten Effekten von Psychotherapie bei Erwachsenen hinsichtlich der Übertragbarkeit auf das Kindes- und Jugendalter zu prüfen und die Besonderheiten in diesem Bereich herauszuarbeiten. Des Weiteren wird die Adaptation des Inventars zur Erfassung negativer Effekte für das Kindes- und Jugendalter vorgestellt (Kinder-INEP) 1. Abschließend werden Maßnahmen zur Aufklärung und Vermeidung von unerwünschten, negativen Effekten in der Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapie aufgezeigt.
Patterns of everyday activities across social contexts
Authors: Vagni Giacomo , Cornwell Benjamin 
Published: May 2018

SignificanceEveryday life in modern society often seems unpredictable and disorganized. Much research has demonstrated the structured nature of time, though, by documenting trends in individuals’ time use or allocation. We expand on this by using sequence analysis methods to identify and describe common patterns with regard to how individuals sequence their everyday activities—like working, eating, and traveling—during the course of the day. Using a large collection of time diaries from different contexts, we identify eight common behavioral sequence patterns. The distribution of these patterns holds across a variety of countries and over time. This study provides additional evidence of the highly structured nature of everyday behavior and suggests future directions for time use research.