bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asymptomatic Transmission and the Dynamics of Zika Infection
Authors: Moghadas Seyed M. , Shoukat Affan , Espindola Aquino L. , Pereira Rafael S. , Abdirizak Fatima , Laskowski Marek , Viboud Cecile , Chowell Gerardo 
Published: July 2017

AbstractFollowing the 2013–14 outbreak in French Polynesia, the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic spread widely to many countries where Aedes Aegypti as the main transmitting vector is endemic. The lack of a second wave of ZIKV infection in most affected regions may suggest that a sufficiently high level of herd immunity was reached during the first wave. We developed an agent-based transmission model to investigate the role of asymptomatic infection on the likelihood of observing a second wave, while accounting for its relative transmissibility. We found that, as the relative transmissibility of asymptomatic infection increases, a second wave is more likely to occur, despite an increase in the attack rate during the first wave. When the reproduction number varies between 1.9 and 2.8 based on estimates for Antioquia, Colombia, the attack rate varies between 4% and 26% for a low (below 10%) effectiveness of interventions in blunting the ZIKV transmission from symptomatic cases to mosquitoes. Moreover, the fraction of cases due to sexual transmission is estimated below 4% of the cumulative incidence. Our analyses underscore the need to quantify the transmissibility of asymptomatic infections, without which the overall attack rates and the level of herd immunity cannot be accurately estimated.
Honokiol inhibits c-Met-HO-1 tumor-promoting pathway and its cross-talk with calcineurin inhibitor-mediated renal cancer growth
Authors: Balan Murugabaskar , Chakraborty Samik , Flynn Evelyn , Zurakowski David , Pal Soumitro 
Published: July 2017

AbstractHonokiol (HNK) is a small molecule with potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic properties; yet the molecular targets of HNK are not well studied. Hyperactivation of the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Met and overexpression of the cytoprotective enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) play a critical role in the growth and progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Interestingly, the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) cyclosporine A (CsA), an immunosuppressant used to prevent allograft rejection, can also increase the risk of RCC in transplant patients. We studied the potential role of c-Met signaling axis on CNI-induced renal tumor growth and tested the anti-tumor efficacy of HNK. Importantly, CNI treatment promoted c-Met induction and enhanced c-Met-induced Ras activation. We found that HNK treatment effectively down-regulated both c-Met phosphorylation and Ras activation in renal cancer cells. It inhibited the expression of both c-Met- and CNI-induced HO-1, and promoted cancer cell apoptosis. In vivo, HNK markedly inhibited CNI-induced renal tumor growth; and it decreased the expression of phospho-c-Met and HO-1 and reduced blood vessel density in tumor tissues. Our results suggest a novel mechanism(s) by which HNK exerts its anti-tumor activity through the inhibition of c-Met-Ras-HO-1 axis; and it can have significant therapeutic potential to prevent post-transplantation cancer in immunosuppressed patients.
Warming effects on the urban hydrology in cold climate regions
Authors: Järvi L. , Grimmond C. S. B. , McFadden J. P. , Christen A. , Strachan I. B. , Taka M. , Warsta L. , Heimann M. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWhile approximately 338 million people in the Northern hemisphere live in regions that are regularly snow covered in winter, there is little hydro-climatologic knowledge in the cities impacted by snow. Using observations and modelling we have evaluated the energy and water exchanges of four cities that are exposed to wintertime snow. We show that the presence of snow critically changes the impact that city design has on the local-scale hydrology and climate. After snow melt, the cities return to being strongly controlled by the proportion of built and vegetated surfaces. However in winter, the presence of snow masks the influence of the built and vegetated fractions. We show how inter-year variability of wintertime temperature can modify this effect of snow. With increasing temperatures, these cities could be pushed towards very different partitioning between runoff and evapotranspiration. We derive the dependency of wintertime runoff on this warming effect in combination with the effect of urban densification.
Bootstrap quantification of estimation uncertainties in network degree distributions
Authors: Gel Yulia R. , Lyubchich Vyacheslav , Ramirez Ramirez L. Leticia 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWe propose a new method of nonparametric bootstrap to quantify estimation uncertainties in functions of network degree distribution in large ultra sparse networks. Both network degree distribution and network order are assumed to be unknown. The key idea is based on adaptation of the “blocking” argument, developed for bootstrapping of time series and re-tiling of spatial data, to random networks. We first sample a set of multiple ego networks of varying orders that form a patch, or a network block analogue, and then resample the data within patches. To select an optimal patch size, we develop a new computationally efficient and data-driven cross-validation algorithm. The proposed fast patchwork bootstrap (FPB) methodology further extends the ideas for a case of network mean degree, to inference on a degree distribution. In addition, the FPB is substantially less computationally expensive, requires less information on a graph, and is free from nuisance parameters. In our simulation study, we show that the new bootstrap method outperforms competing approaches by providing sharper and better-calibrated confidence intervals for functions of a network degree distribution than other available approaches, including the cases of networks in an ultra sparse regime. We illustrate the FPB in application to collaboration networks in statistics and computer science and to Wikipedia networks.
Primary phonological planning units in spoken word production are language-specific: Evidence from an ERP study
Authors: Wang Jie , Wong Andus Wing-Kuen , Wang Suiping , Chen Hsuan-Chih 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIt is widely acknowledged in Germanic languages that segments are the primary planning units at the phonological encoding stage of spoken word production. Mixed results, however, have been found in Chinese, and it is still unclear what roles syllables and segments play in planning Chinese spoken word production. In the current study, participants were asked to first prepare and later produce disyllabic Mandarin words upon picture prompts and a response cue while electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were recorded. Each two consecutive pictures implicitly formed a pair of prime and target, whose names shared the same word-initial atonal syllable or the same word-initial segments, or were unrelated in the control conditions. Only syllable repetition induced significant effects on event-related brain potentials (ERPs) after target onset: a widely distributed positivity in the 200- to 400-ms interval and an anterior positivity in the 400- to 600-ms interval. We interpret these to reflect syllable-size representations at the phonological encoding and phonetic encoding stages. Our results provide the first electrophysiological evidence for the distinct role of syllables in producing Mandarin spoken words, supporting a language specificity hypothesis about the primary phonological units in spoken word production.
Precipitates and Particles Coarsening of 9Cr–1.7W–0.4Mo–Co Ferritic Heat-Resistant Steel after Isothermal Aging
Authors: Gao Qiuzhi , Zhang Yanan , Zhang Hailian , Li Huijun , Qu Fu , Han Jian , Lu Cheng , Wu Bintao , Lu Yao , Ma Yan 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe precipitates obtained by EPE technology from the 9Cr-1.7W-0.4Mo-Co ferritic heat-resistant steel subject to isothermal aging were investigated using SEM, TEM and XRD. The particle size distribution and the coarsening kinetics of M23C6 with duration of isothermal aging were also analyzed with or without consideration of Laves phase. The results show that the isolated dislocations were detected in delta ferrite interior, and the precipitates on delta ferrite and martensite boundaries are obviously larger than other locations. Fe2W-Laves phase can only be found as duration of aging time to 2000 h, and is preferential to form adjacent to M23C6 particles. The small M23C6 particles firstly coarsen, but the large M23C6 are relatively stable during short aging. The total coarsening rate of M23C6 precipitates is 9.75 × 10−28m3s−1, and the coarsening of M23C6 depends on the formation of Laves phase.
X-Ray Phase Contrast Tomography Reveals Early Vascular Alterations and Neuronal Loss in a Multiple Sclerosis Model
Authors: Cedola A. , Bravin A. , Bukreeva I. , Fratini M. , Pacureanu A. , Mittone A. , Massimi L. , Cloetens P. , Coan P. , Campi G. , Spanò R. , Brun F. , Grigoryev V. , Petrosino V. , Venturi C. , Mastrogiacomo M. , Kerlero de Rosbo Nicole , Uccelli A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe degenerative effects of multiple sclerosis at the level of the vascular and neuronal networks in the central nervous system are currently the object of intensive investigation. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model for multiple sclerosis, but the neuropathology of specific lesions in EAE and the effects of MSC treatment are under debate. Because conventional imaging techniques entail protocols that alter the tissues, limiting the reliability of the results, we have used non-invasive X-ray phase-contrast tomography to obtain an unprecedented direct 3D characterization of EAE lesions at micro-to-nano scales, with simultaneous imaging of the vascular and neuronal networks. We reveal EAE-mediated alterations down to the capillary network. Our findings shed light on how the disease and MSC treatment affect the tissues, and promote X-ray phase-contrast tomography as a powerful tool for studying neurovascular diseases and monitoring advanced therapies.
All-printed highly sensitive 2D MoS2 based multi-reagent immunosensor for smartphone based point-of-care diagnosis
Authors: Sajid Memoon , Osman Ahmed , Siddiqui Ghayas Uddin , Kim Hyun Bum , Kim Soo Wan , Ko Jeong Bum , Lim Yoon Kyu , Choi Kyung Hyun 
Published: July 2017

AbstractImmunosensors are used to detect the presence of certain bio-reagents mostly targeted at the diagnosis of a condition or a disease. Here, a general purpose electrical immunosensor has been fabricated for the quantitative detection of multiple bio-reagents through the formation of an antibody-antigen pair. The sensors were fabricated using all printing approaches. 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) MoS2 thin film was deposited using Electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) on top of an interdigitated transducer (IDT) electrode fabricated by reverse offset printing. The sensors were then treated with three different types of antibodies that were immobilized by physisorption into the highly porous multi-layered structure of MoS2 active layer. BSA was used as blocking agent to prevent non-specific absorption (NSA). The sensors were then employed for the targeted detection of the specific antigens including prostate specific antigen (PSA), mouse immunoglobulin-G (IgG), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). IgG was then selected to test the sensors for point of care (POC) diagnosis through a specially designed electronic readout system for sensors and interfacing it with a smartphone using Bluetooth connection. The sensors showed promising performance in terms of stability, specificity, repeatability, sensitivity, limit of detection (LoD), and range of detection (RoD).
Risk factors for prolonged hypotension in patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Wu Shubin , Chen Weiyun , Shen Le , Xu Li , Zhu Afang , Huang Yuguang 
Published: July 2017

AbstractProlonged hypotension during pheochromocytoma resection is a significant complication. We sought to investigate the predictors of prolonged hypotension in patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). Patients with pheochromocytoma who underwent LA between 2012 and 2015 were surveyed. Patients were considered to have prolonged hypotension if they had a mean arterial blood pressure <60 mmHg or required ≥30 consecutive minutes of catecholamine support intraoperatively. Among 123 patients, 54 (43.9%) developed prolonged hypotension requiring ≥30 consecutive minutes of catecholamine support. Compared with patients with nonprolonged hypotension, those with prolonged hypotension had higher levels of urinary norepinephrine (P = 0.011), epinephrine (P < 0.001), and dopamine (P = 0.019) preoperatively, and a higher incidence of vital organ injury postoperatively (P = 0.039). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that independent predictors for prolonged hypotension were multiples of the normal reference upper limit value of urinary epinephrine (odds ratio, 1.180; 95% confidence interval, 1.035–1.345) and dopamine (odds ratio, 4.375; 95% confidence interval, 1.207–15.855). The levels of preoperative urinary epinephrine and dopamine are clinical predictors for prolonged hypotension in patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing LA. Using these parameters, clinicians can assess and manage this patient population more effectively.
High-resolution, on-chip RF photonic signal processor using Brillouin gain shaping and RF interference
Authors: Choudhary Amol , Liu Yang , Morrison Blair , Vu Khu , Choi Duk-Yong , Ma Pan , Madden Stephen , Marpaung David , Eggleton Benjamin J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIntegrated microwave photonics has strongly emerged as a next-generation technology to address limitations of conventional RF electronics for wireless communications. High-resolution RF signal processing still remains a challenge due to limitations in technology that offer sub-GHz spectral resolution, in particular at high carrier frequencies. In this paper, we present an on-chip high-resolution RF signal processor, capable of providing high-suppression spectral filtering, large phase shifts and ns-scale time delays. This was achieved through tailoring of the Brillouin gain profiles using Stokes and anti-Stokes resonances combined with RF interferometry on a low-loss photonic chip with strong opto-acoustic interactions. Using an optical power of <40 mW, reconfigurable filters with a bandwidth of ~20 MHz and an extinction ratio in excess of 30 dB are synthesized. Through the concept of vector addition of RF signals we demonstrate, almost an order of magnitude amplification in the phase and delay compared to devices purely based upon the slow-light effect of Brillouin scattering. This concept allows for versatile and power-efficient manipulation of the amplitude and phase of RF signals on a photonic chip for applications in wireless communications including software defined radios and beam forming.
Genomic characterization of novel IncFII-type multidrug resistant plasmids p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC from Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Feng Jiao , Yin Zhe , Zhao Qiangyuan , Zhao Yachao , Zhang Defu , Jiang Xiaoyuan , Wu Weili , Chen Weijun , Wang Hui , Song Yajun , Tong Yigang , Wang Jinglin , Li Yanjun , Zhou Dongsheng 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis study aimed to genetically characterize two fully-sequenced novel IncFII-type multidrug resistant (MDR) plasmids, p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC, recovered from two different clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC had a very similar genomic content. The backbones of p0716-KPC/p12181-KPC contained two different replicons (belonging to a novel IncFII subtype and the Rep_3 family), the IncFIIK and IncFIIY maintenance regions, and conjugal transfer gene sets from IncFIIK-type plasmids and unknown origins. p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC carried similar three accessory resistance regions, namely ΔTn6209, a MDR region, and the blaKPC-2 region. Resistance genes blaKPC-2, mph(A), strAB, aacC2, qacEΔ1, sul1, sul2, and dfrA25, which are associated with transposons, integrons, and insertion sequence-based mobile units, were located in these accessory regions. p0716-KPC carried two additional resistance genes: aphA1a and blaTEM-1. Together, our analyses showed that p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC belong to a novel IncFII subtype and display a complex chimeric nature, and that the carbapenem resistance gene blaKPC-2 coexists with a lot of additional resistance genes on these two plasmids.
Cyclic di-GMP regulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to ethionamide
Authors: Zhang Hai-Nan , Xu Zhao-Wei , Jiang He-Wei , Wu Fan-Lin , He Xiang , Liu Yin , Guo Shu-Juan , Li Yang , Bi Li-Jun , Deng Jiao-Yu , Zhang Xian-En , Tao Sheng-Ce 
Published: July 2017

AbstractTuberculosis is still on the top of infectious diseases list on both mobility and mortality, especially due to drug-resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). Ethionamide (ETH) is one of effective second line anti-TB drugs, a synthetic compound similar to isoniazid (INH) structurally, with existing severe problem of ETH resistance. ETH is a prodrug, which is activated by Etha inside M.tb, and etha is transcriptionally repressed by Ethr. We found that c-di-GMP could bind Ethr, enhanced the binding of Ethr to the promoter of etha, and then repressed the transcription of etha, thus caused resistance of M.tb to ETH. Through docking analysis and in vitro validation, we identified that c-di-GMP binds 3 amino acids of Ethr, i.e., Q125, R181 and E190, while the first 2 were the major binding sites. Homology analysis showed that Ethr was highly conservative among mycobacteria. Further docking analysis showed that c-di-GMP preferentially bound proteins of TetR family at the junction hole of symmetric dimer or tetramer proteins. Our results suggest a possible drug-resistance mechanism of ETH through the regulation of Ethr by c-di-GMP.
The asymmetric impact of global warming on US drought types and distributions in a large ensemble of 97 hydro-climatic simulations
Authors: Huang Shengzhi , Leng Guoyong , Huang Qiang , Xie Yangyang , Liu Saiyan , Meng Erhao , Li Pei 
Published: July 2017

AbstractProjection of future drought is often involved large uncertainties from climate models, emission scenarios as well as drought definitions. In this study, we investigate changes in future droughts in the conterminous United States based on 97 1/8 degree hydro-climate model projections. Instead of focusing on a specific drought type, we investigate changes in meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological drought as well as the concurrences. Agricultural and hydrological droughts are projected to become more frequent with increase in global mean temperature, while less meteorological drought is expected. Changes in drought intensity scale linearly with global temperature rises under RCP8.5 scenario, indicating the potential feasibility to derive future drought severity given certain global warming amount under this scenario. Changing pattern of concurrent droughts generally follows that of agricultural and hydrological droughts. Under the 1.5 °C warming target as advocated in recent Paris agreement, several hot spot regions experiencing highest droughts are identified. Extreme droughts show similar patterns but with much larger magnitude than the climatology. This study highlights the distinct response of droughts of various types to global warming and the asymmetric impact of global warming on drought distribution resulting in a much stronger influence on extreme drought than on mean drought.
The salivary microbiome as an indicator of carcinogenesis in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A pilot study
Authors: Wolf Axel , Moissl-Eichinger Christine , Perras Alexandra , Koskinen Kaisa , Tomazic Peter V. , Thurnher Dietmar 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis study aimed to undertake an initial, comparative analysis of the oral salivary microbiome of patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma versus healthy controls. This project, conceived as a pilot study, included 11 patients (1 female, 10 male, mean age 61.6 yrs., SD = 8.2 yrs.) and 11 healthy controls (1 female, 10 male, mean age 46.7 yrs., SD = 15.1 yrs.). Samples of saliva were analysed by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene using the MiSeq platform. Sequence data revealed microbial changes that may mirror disease progression and reflect clinical preconditions such as age, alcohol consumption, tumour size, lymph node status, smoking habit, and tumour HPV-positivity. Consequently, mapping microbial changes in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas might improve our understanding of the pathobiology of the disease, and help in the design of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Loss of X-linked Protocadherin-19 differentially affects the behavior of heterozygous female and hemizygous male mice
Authors: Hayashi Shuichi , Inoue Yoko , Hattori Satoko , Kaneko Mari , Shioi Go , Miyakawa Tsuyoshi , Takeichi Masatoshi 
Published: July 2017

AbstractMutations in the X-linked gene Protocadherin-19 (Pcdh19) cause female-limited epilepsy and mental retardation in humans. Although Pcdh19 is known to be a homophilic cell-cell adhesion molecule, how its mutations bring about female-specific disorders remains elusive. Here, we report the effects of Pcdh19 knockout in mice on their development and behavior. Pcdh19 was expressed in various brain regions including the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Although Pcdh19-positive cells were evenly distributed in layer V of wild-type cortices, their distribution became a mosaic in Pcdh19 heterozygous female cortices. In cortical and hippocampal neurons, Pcdh19 was localized along their dendrites, showing occasional accumulation on synapses. Pcdh19 mutants, however, displayed no detectable abnormalities in dendrite and spine morphology of layer V neurons. Nevertheless, Pcdh19 hemizygous males and heterozygous females showed impaired behaviors including activity defects under stress conditions. Notably, only heterozygous females exhibited decreased fear responses. In addition, Pcdh19 overexpression in wild-type cortices led to ectopic clustering of Pcdh19-positive neurons. These results suggest that Pcdh19 is required for behavioral control in mice, but its genetic loss differentially affects the male and female behavior, as seen in human, and they also support the hypothesis that the mosaic expression of Pcdh19 in brains perturbs neuronal interactions.