bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between modified CHA2DS2-VASc Score with Ankle-Brachial index < 0.9
Authors: Hsu Po-Chao , Lee Wen-Hsien , Lee Hsiang-Chun , Tsai Wei-Chung , Chu Chun-Yuan , Chen Ying-Chih , Lee Chee-Siong , Lin Tsung-Hsien , Voon Wen-Chol , Sheu Sheng-Hsiung , Su Ho-Ming 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a reliable diagnostic examination for peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). We previously reported CHADS2 score was significantly correlated with PAOD. However, the association between CHA2DS2-VASc score and ABI < 0.9 is not evaluated in the literature. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether CHA2DS2-VASc score has a strong association with PAOD. We enrolled 1482 patients in this study. PAOD was defined as ABI < 0.9 in either leg. Vascular disease in CHA2DS2-VASc score was modified as vascular disease except PAOD. Of the 1482 subjects, the prevalence of ABI < 0.9 was 5.6%. Multivariate analysis showed that the increased age, decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate and increased modified CHA2DS2-VASc score (OR, 1.764; p < 0.001) were independent associated with ABI < 0.9. In addition, the percentage of ABI < 0.9 in patients with modified CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0, 1, and <2 were 0%, 0.9%, and 0.7%, respectively (All < 1%). Our study demonstrated modified CHA2DS2-VASc score was significantly associated with ABI < 0.9. Calculation of modified CHA2DS2-VASc score might be useful in identifying patients with PAOD and in stratifying the risk of PAOD in non-AF patients.
Structural Covariance of Gray Matter Volume in HIV Vertically Infected Adolescents
Authors: Li Jielan , Gao Lei , Wen Zhi , Zhang Jing , Wang Panying , Tu Ning , Lei Hao , Lin Fuchun , Gui Xi’en , Wu Guangyao 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection significantly affect neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. We investigated whether alterations of gray matter organization and structural covariance networks with vertical HIV infection adolescents exist, by using the GAT toolbox. MRI data were analysed from 25 HIV vertically infected adolescents and 33 HIV-exposed-uninfected control participants. The gray matter volume (GMV) was calculated, and structural brain networks were reconstructed from gray matter co-variance. Gray matter losses were pronounced in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), right pallidum, right occipital lobe, inferior parietal lobe, and bilateral cerebellum crus. The global brain network measures were not significantly different between the groups; however, the nodal alterations were most pronounced in frontal, temporal, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and temporal lobes. Brain hubs in the HIV-infected subjects increased in number and tended to shift to sensorimotor and temporal areas. In the HIV-infected subjects, decreased GMVs in ACC and bilateral cerebellum were related to lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores; the CD4 counts were positively related to the GMVs in ACC and sensorimotor areas. These findings suggest that focally reduced gray matter, disrupted nodal profiles of structural wirings, and a shift in hub distribution may represent neuroanatomical biomarkers of HIV infection on the developing brain.
Ultra-high Photoresponsivity in Suspended Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Mesoscopic Multilayer MoS2 Broadband Detector from UV-to-IR with Low Schottky Barrier Contacts
Authors: Saenz Gustavo A. , Karapetrov Goran , Curtis James , Kaul Anupama B. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe design, fabrication, and characterization of ultra-high responsivity photodetectors based on mesoscopic multilayer MoS2 is presented, which is a less explored system compared to direct band gap monolayer MoS2 that has received increasing attention in recent years. The device architecture is comprised of a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector, where Mo was used as the contact metal to suspended MoS2 membranes. The photoresponsivity $${\boldsymbol{R}}$$
R
was measured to be ~1.4 × 104 A/W, which is > 104 times higher compared to prior reports, while the detectivity D* was computed to be ~2.3 × 1011 Jones at 300 K at an optical power P of ~14.5 pW and wavelength λ of ~700 nm. In addition, the dominant photocurrent mechanism was determined to be the photoconductive effect (PCE), while a contribution from the photogating effect was also noted from trap-states that yielded a wide spectral photoresponse from UV-to-IR (400 nm to 1100 nm) with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) ~104. From time-resolved photocurrent measurements, a decay time τ
d
~ 2.5 ms at 300 K was measured from the falling edge of the photogenerated waveform after irradiating the device with a stream of incoming ON/OFF white light pulses.
Combined use of EpCAM and FRα enables the high-efficiency capture of circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Chen Luojun , Peng Min , Li Na , Song Qibin , Yao Yi , Xu Bin , Liu Huali , Ruan Peng 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) provide a new approach for auxiliary diagnosis, therapeutic effect evaluation, and prognosis prediction for cancer patients. The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-based separation method (CellSearch) showed good clinical use in multiple types of cancer. Nevertheless, some non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor cells have a lower expression of EpCAM and are less frequently detected by CellSearch. Here, we present a highly sensitive immunomagnetic separation method to capture CTCs based on two cell surface markers for NSCLC, EpCAM and Folate receptor alpha (FRα). Our method has been demonstrated to be more efficient in capturing NSCLC cells (P < 0.01) by enriching three types of CTCs: EpCAM+/FRα−/low, EpCAM−/low/FRα+, and EPCAM+/FRα+. In 41 NSCLC patients, a significantly higher CTC capture rate (48.78% vs. 73.17%) was obtained, and by using a cutoff value of 0 CTC per 2 ml of blood, the sensitivities were 53.66% and 75.61% and the specificities were 100% and 90% for anti-EpCAM-MNs or a combination of anti-EpCAM-MNs and anti-FRα-MNs, respectively. Compared with the tumor-specific LT-PCR based on FRα, our method can isolate intact FRα+ CTCs, and it is advantageous for additional CTC-related downstream analysis. Our results provide a new method to increase the CTC capture efficiency of NSCLC.
The Direction of Tumour Growth in Glioblastoma Patients
Authors: Esmaeili Morteza , Stensjøen Anne Line , Berntsen Erik Magnus , Solheim Ole , Reinertsen Ingerid 
Published: January 2018

AbstractGenerating MR-derived growth pattern models for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has been an attractive approach in neuro-oncology, suggesting a distinct pattern of lesion spread with a tendency in growing along the white matter (WM) fibre direction for the invasive component. However, the direction of growth is not much studied in vivo. In this study, we sought to study the dominant directions of tumour expansion/shrinkage pre-treatment. We examined fifty-six GBMs at two time-points: at radiological diagnosis and as part of the pre-operative planning, both with contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRIs. The tumour volumes were semi-automatically segmented. A non-linear registration resulting in a deformation field characterizing the changes between the two time points was used together with the segmented tumours to determine the dominant directions of tumour change. To compute the degree of alignment between tumour growth vectors and WM fibres, an angle map was calculated. Our results demonstrate that tumours tend to grow predominantly along the WM, as evidenced by the dominant vector population with the maximum alignments. Our findings represent a step forward in investigating the hypothesis that tumour cells tend to migrate preferentially along the WM.
Determinants of breast size in Asian women
Authors: Lim Li Yan , Ho Peh Joo , Liu Jenny , Chay Wen Yee , Tan Min-Han , Hartman Mikael , Li Jingmei 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBreast size as a risk factor of breast cancer has been studied extensively with inconclusive results. Here we examined the associations between breast size and breast cancer risk factors in 24,353 Asian women aged 50 to 64 years old enrolled in a nationwide mammography screening project conducted between October 1994 and February 1997. Information on demographic and reproductive factors was obtained via a questionnaire. Breast size was ascertained as bust line measured at study recruitment and total breast area measured from a mammogram. The average bust line and total breast area was 91.2 cm and 102.3 cm2, respectively. The two breast measurements were moderately correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.65). Age, BMI, marital and working status were independently associated with bust line and total breast area. In the multivariable analyses, the most pronounced effects were observed for BMI (24.2 cm difference in bust line and 39.4 cm2 in breast area comparing women with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 to BMI <20 kg/m2). Ethnicity was a positive predictor for total breast area, but not bust line.
Iron Biogeochemistry in the High Latitude North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Achterberg Eric P. , Steigenberger Sebastian , Marsay Chris M. , LeMoigne Frédéric A. C. , Painter Stuart C. , Baker Alex R. , Connelly Douglas P. , Moore C. Mark , Tagliabue Alessandro , Tanhua Toste 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for marine microbial organisms, and low supply controls productivity in large parts of the world’s ocean. The high latitude North Atlantic is seasonally Fe limited, but Fe distributions and source strengths are poorly constrained. Surface ocean dissolved Fe (DFe) concentrations were low in the study region (<0.1 nM) in summer 2010, with significant perturbations during spring 2010 in the Iceland Basin as a result of an eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (up to 2.5 nM DFe near Iceland) with biogeochemical consequences. Deep water concentrations in the vicinity of the Reykjanes Ridge system were influenced by pronounced sediment resuspension, with indications for additional inputs by hydrothermal vents, with subsequent lateral transport of Fe and manganese plumes of up to 250–300 km. Particulate Fe formed the dominant pool, as evidenced by 4–17 fold higher total dissolvable Fe compared with DFe concentrations, and a dynamic exchange between the fractions appeared to buffer deep water DFe. Here we show that Fe supply associated with deep winter mixing (up to 103 nmol m−2 d−1) was at least ca. 4–10 times higher than atmospheric deposition, diffusive fluxes at the base of the summer mixed layer, and horizontal surface ocean fluxes.
Blocking Zika virus vertical transmission
Authors: Mesci Pinar , Macia Angela , Moore Spencer M. , Shiryaev Sergey A. , Pinto Antonella , Huang Chun-Teng , Tejwani Leon , Fernandes Isabella R. , Suarez Nicole A. , Kolar Matthew J. , Montefusco Sandro , Rosenberg Scott C. , Herai Roberto H. , Cugola Fernanda R. , Russo Fabiele B. , Sheets Nicholas , Saghatelian Alan , Shresta Sujan , Momper Jeremiah D. , Siqueira-Neto Jair L. , Corbett Kevin D. , Beltrão-Braga Patricia C. B. , Terskikh Alexey V. , Muotri Alysson R. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe outbreak of the Zika virus (ZIKV) has been associated with increased incidence of congenital malformations. Although recent efforts have focused on vaccine development, treatments for infected individuals are needed urgently. Sofosbuvir (SOF), an FDA-approved nucleotide analog inhibitor of the Hepatitis C (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) was recently shown to be protective against ZIKV both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that SOF protected human neural progenitor cells (NPC) and 3D neurospheres from ZIKV infection-mediated cell death and importantly restored the antiviral immune response in NPCs. In vivo, SOF treatment post-infection (p.i.) decreased viral burden in an immunodeficient mouse model. Finally, we show for the first time that acute SOF treatment of pregnant dams p.i. was well-tolerated and prevented vertical transmission of the virus to the fetus. Taken together, our data confirmed SOF-mediated sparing of human neural cell types from ZIKV-mediated cell death in vitro and reduced viral burden in vivo in animal models of chronic infection and vertical transmission, strengthening the growing body of evidence for SOF anti-ZIKV activity.
Comprehensive reduction of amino acid set in a protein suggests the importance of prebiotic amino acids for stable proteins
Authors: Shibue Rei , Sasamoto Takahiro , Shimada Masami , Zhang Bowen , Yamagishi Akihiko , Akanuma Satoshi 
Published: January 2018

AbstractModern organisms commonly use the same set of 20 genetically coded amino acids for protein synthesis with very few exceptions. However, earlier protein synthesis was plausibly much simpler than modern one and utilized only a limited set of amino acids. Nevertheless, few experimental tests of this issue with arbitrarily chosen amino acid sets had been reported prior to this report. Herein we comprehensively and systematically reduced the size of the amino acid set constituting an ancestral nucleoside kinase that was reconstructed in our previous study. We eventually found that two convergent sequences, each comprised of a 13-amino acid alphabet, folded into soluble, stable and catalytically active structures, even though their stabilities and activities were not as high as those of the parent protein. Notably, many but not all of the reduced-set amino acids coincide with those plausibly abundant in primitive Earth. The inconsistent amino acids appeared to be important for catalytic activity but not for stability. Therefore, our findings suggest that the prebiotically abundant amino acids were used for creating stable protein structures and other amino acids with functional side chains were recruited to achieve efficient catalysis.
Hemoglobin catalyzes CoA degradation and thiol addition to flavonoids
Authors: Nagakubo Toshiki , Kumano Takuto , Hashimoto Yoshiteru , Kobayashi Michihiko 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn the presence of CoA, cell-free extracts prepared from porcine liver was found to convert 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) to a pantetheine conjugate, which was a novel flavonoid. We purified a 7,8-DHF-converting enzyme from the extracts, and identified it as hemoglobin (Hb). The purified Hb showed the following two activities: (i) degradation of CoA into pantetheine through hydrolytic cleavage to yield pantetheine and 3′-phospho-adenosine-5′-diphosphate (ADP) independently of heme, and (ii) addition of a thiol (e.g., pantetheine, glutathione and cysteine) to 7,8-DHF through C-S bond formation. Human Hb also exhibited the above flavonoid-converting activity. In addition, heme-containing enzymes such as peroxidase and catalase added each of pantetheine, glutathione and cysteine to the flavonoid, although no pantetheine conjugates were synthesized when CoA was used as a substrate. These findings indicated that the thiol-conjugating activity is widely observed in heme-containing proteins. On the other hand, only Hb catalyzed the hydrolysis of CoA, followed by the thiol conjugation to synthesize the pantetheine conjugate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that Hb has the catalytic ability to convert naturally occurring bioactive compounds, such as dietary flavonoids, to the corresponding conjugates in the presence of thiol donors or CoA.
Chloroplast genomic resources for phylogeny and DNA barcoding: a case study on Fritillaria
Authors: Bi Yu , Zhang Ming-fang , Xue Jing , Dong Ran , Du Yun-peng , Zhang Xiu-hai 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe genus Fritillaria comprises approximately 130 perennial herbaceous species. In the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, the bulbs of 11 Fritillaria species are used in Chinese herbal medicines. However, the traditional methods of morphological classification cannot accurately identify closely related species of Fritillaria. Previous studies have attempted to identify these species with universal molecular markers, but insufficient phylogenetic signal was available. In this study, the complete chloroplast genomes of eight Fritillaria species were compared. The length of the eight Fritillaria chloroplast genomes ranges from 151,009 bp to 152,224 bp. A total of 136 SSR loci were identified, including 124 polymorphic SSR loci. For large repeat sequences, 108 repeat loci and four types of repeats were observed. Ten highly variable regions were identified as potential molecular markers. These SSRs, large repeat sequences and highly variable regions provide important information for the development of genetic markers and DNA fingerprints. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the topological structures of all data sets (except the IR regions) were in complete agreement and well resolved. Overall, this study provides comprehensive chloroplast genomic resources, which will be valuable for future studies of evolution and species identification in Fritillaria.
Advanced Modified Polyacrylonitrile Membrane with Enhanced Adsorption Property for Heavy Metal Ions
Authors: Zhang Xinfeng , Yang Shujing , Yu Bing , Tan Qinglong , Zhang Xiaoyan , Cong Hailin 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAdvanced modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane with high adsorption property for heavy metal ions was designed and fabricated for the first time. The introduced diazoresin-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (DR-EDTA) layer could effectively absorb the metal ion, such as Cu2+, Pb2+, Hg2+ in the waste water. The effects of layers, metal ion concentration, pH, temperature and cycle time were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption isotherms for Cu2+ were well fitted by Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the modified membrane for Cu2+ was approximately 47.6 mg/g. In addition, the prepared PAN-(DR-EDTA)3 membrane could be regenerated more than 720 h based on their adsorption/desorption cycles. The results demonstrated that the modified PAN membrane could be used as effective adsorbents for heavy metal removal from waste water.
Molting site fidelity accounts for colony elimination of the Formosan subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) by chitin synthesis inhibitor baits
Authors: Kakkar G. , Osbrink W. , Su N.-Y. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractSite fidelity by molting termites in Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki colonies is a new addition to our understanding of lower termites’ behavior and biology. Our previous studies indicated that workers moved to the central nest to molt in the presence of eggs and reproductives. The current study showed that noviflumuron-affected workers also return to the central nest and died in the vicinity of reproductives and eggs. The aversion to the dead and decaying workers caused reproductives and brood to leave the original central nest site in a colony and refuge at newer sites every few days in response to newly dead workers near them. Because mortality was an event observed only in workers undergoing molting under the effect of noviflumuron- a CSI, the death of molting individuals was observed only around reproductives and brood. This study reveals a previously undiscovered behavior of molting termites and the mechanics behind a successful arsenal; noviflumuron baits used against subterranean termites.
Stochastic optimization of broadband reflecting photonic structures
Authors: Estrada-Wiese D. , del Río-Chanona E. A. , del Río J. A. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPhotonic crystals (PCs) are built to control the propagation of light within their structure. These can be used for an assortment of applications where custom designed devices are of interest. Among them, one-dimensional PCs can be produced to achieve the reflection of specific and broad wavelength ranges. However, their design and fabrication are challenging due to the diversity of periodic arrangement and layer configuration that each different PC needs. In this study, we present a framework to design high reflecting PCs for any desired wavelength range. Our method combines three stochastic optimization algorithms (Random Search, Particle Swarm Optimization and Simulated Annealing) along with a reduced space-search methodology to obtain a custom and optimized PC configuration. The optimization procedure is evaluated through theoretical reflectance spectra calculated by using the Equispaced Thickness Method, which improves the simulations due to the consideration of incoherent light transmission. We prove the viability of our procedure by fabricating different reflecting PCs made of porous silicon and obtain good agreement between experiment and theory using a merit function. With this methodology, diverse reflecting PCs can be designed for any applications and fabricated with different materials.
Local structure, nucleation sites and crystallization behavior and their effects on magnetic properties of Fe81Si
x
B10P8−xCu1 (x = 0~8)
Authors: Cao C. C. , Wang Y. G. , Zhu L. , Meng Y. , Zhai X. B. , Dai Y. D. , Chen J. K. , Pan F. M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn this work, an attempt has been made to reveal critical factors dominating the crystallization and soft magnetic properties of Fe81Si
x
B10P8−xCu1 (x = 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) alloys. Both melt spun and annealed alloys are characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, Mössbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and magnetometry. The changes in magnetic interaction between Fe atoms and chemical homogeneity can well explain the variation of magnetic properties of Fe81Si
x
B10P8−xCu1 amorphous alloys. The density of nucleation sites in the amorphous precursors decreases in the substitution of P by Si. Meanwhile, the precipitated nanograins gradually coarsen, but the inhibiting effect of P on grain growth diminishes causing the increase of the crystallinity. Moreover, various site occupancies of Si are observed in the nanocrystallites and the Si occupancy in bcc Fe decreases the average magnetic moment of nanograins. Without sacrificing amorphous forming ability, we can obtain FeSiBPCu nanocrystalline alloy with excellent soft magnetic properties by optimizing the content of Si and P in the amorphous precursors.
Identification and quantification of plasma calciprotein particles with distinct physical properties in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Miura Yutaka , Iwazu Yoshitaka , Shiizaki Kazuhiro , Akimoto Tetsu , Kotani Kazuhiko , Kurabayashi Masahiko , Kurosu Hiroshi , Kuro-o Makoto 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCalciprotein particles (CPP) are solid-phase calcium-phosphate bound to serum protein fetuin-A and dispersed as colloids in the blood. Recent clinical studies indicated that serum CPP levels were increased with decline of renal function and associated with inflammation and vascular calcification. However, CPP assays used in these studies measured only a part of CPP over a certain particle size and density. Here we show that such CPP are mostly artifacts generated during processing of serum samples in vitro. The native CPP in fresh plasma are smaller in size and lower in density than those artifactual CPP, composed of fetuin-A carrying amorphous and/or crystalline calcium-phosphate, and increased primarily with serum phosphate levels. We have identified several physicochemical factors that promote aggregation/dissolution of CPP and transition of the calcium-phosphate from the amorphous phase to the crystalline phase in vitro, including addition of anti-coagulants, composition of buffer for sample dilution, the number of freeze-thaw cycles, the speed for sample freezing, and how many hours the samples were left at what temperature. Therefore, it is of critical importance to standardize these factors during sample preparation in clinical studies on CPP and to investigate the biological activity of the native CPP.