bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Longitudinal Description of Emergency Medical Services Professionals by Race/Ethnicity
Authors: Crowe Remle P. , Levine Roger , Eggerichs Jennifer J. , Bentley Melissa A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this paper was to compare demographics, employment variables, satisfaction, and motivation for entering the field of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) between members of under-represented races/ethnicities and members of the majority group.MethodsA cohort of nationally certified EMS professionals was followed for 10 years through annual surveys; however, race/ethnicity was only available for 9 years (2000-2008). Descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and significance was determined by lack of CI overlap.ResultsFrom 2000 through 2008, the range of proportions of nationally certified EMS professionals by race/ethnicity was as follows: whites: 83.5%-86.0%, Hispanics: 4.2%-5.9%, and African-Americans: 2.5%-4.6%. There were no significant changes in the proportion of minority EMS professionals over the study period. Hispanics and African-Americans combined increased slightly from 6.7% of the population in 2000 to 9.9% in 2008. Likewise, the proportion of all under-represented races/ethnicities increased slightly from 2000 (14.0%) to 2008 (16.5%). Females were under-represented in all years. Nationally certified African-Americans were significantly more likely to be certified at the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basic level (compared with the EMT-Paramedic level) than whites in all but one survey year. The proportion of Hispanics registered at the EMT-Basic level was significantly higher than whites in three survey years. Accordingly, a larger proportion of whites were nationally registered at the EMT-Paramedic level than both African-Americans and Hispanics. A significantly larger proportion of African-Americans reported working in urban communities (population >25,000) compared with whites for nine of the 10 survey years. Similarly, a significantly larger proportion of Hispanics worked in urban communities compared with whites in 2002 and from 2005 to 2008. For satisfaction measures, there were no consistent differences between races/ethnicities. Among factors for entering EMS, the proportion of whites who reported having a friend or family member in the field was significantly higher than African-Americans in all years and significantly higher than Hispanics in four of the nine years.ConclusionThe ethnic/racial diversity of the population of nationally certified EMS professionals is not representative of the population served and has not improved over the 2000-2008 period. Similar to other health care professions, Hispanics and African-Americans are under-represented in EMS compared with the US population. This study serves as a baseline to examine under-represented populations in EMS.CroweRP, LevineR, EggerichsJJ, BentleyMA. A longitudinal description of Emergency Medical Services professionals by race/ethnicity. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(Suppl. 1):s30–s69.
Unraveling the Planar-Globular Transition in Gold Nanoclusters through Evolutionary Search
Authors: Kinaci Alper , Narayanan Badri , Sen Fatih G. , Davis Michael J. , Gray Stephen K. , Sankaranarayanan Subramanian K. R. S. , Chan Maria K. Y. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAu nanoclusters are of technological relevance for catalysis, photonics, sensors, and of fundamental scientific interest owing to planar to globular structural transformation at an anomalously high number of atoms i.e. in the range 12–14. The nature and causes of this transition remain a mystery. In order to unravel this conundrum, high throughput density functional theory (DFT) calculations, coupled with a global structural optimization scheme based on a modified genetic algorithm (GA) are conducted. More than 20,000 Au12, Au13, and Au14 nanoclusters are evaluated. With any DFT functional, globular and planar structures coexist across the size range of interest. The planar-globular transition is gradual at room temperature rather than a sharp transition as previously believed. The effects of anionicity, s-d band hybridization and long range interactions on the dimensional transition are quantified by using the structures adjacent to the minima. Anionicity marginally changes the relative stability of the clusters. The degree of s-d hybridization is varied via changing the Hubbard U value which corroborate that s-d hybridization alone does not stabilize planar structures. van der Waals interactions, on the other hand, stabilize globular structures. These results elucidate the balance between the different reasons of the dimensional transition in gold nanoclusters.
Comprehensive Gene expression meta-analysis and integrated bioinformatic approaches reveal shared signatures between thrombosis and myeloproliferative disorders
Authors: Jha Prabhash Kumar , Vijay Aatira , Sahu Anita , Ashraf Mohammad Zahid 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThrombosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs), particularly polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). Despite the attempts to establish a link between them, the shared biological mechanisms are yet to be characterized. An integrated gene expression meta-analysis of five independent publicly available microarray data of the three diseases was conducted to identify shared gene expression signatures and overlapping biological processes. Using INMEX bioinformatic tool, based on combined Effect Size (ES) approaches, we identified a total of 1,157 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (697 overexpressed and 460 underexpressed genes) shared between the three diseases. EnrichR tool’s rich library was used for comprehensive functional enrichment and pathway analysis which revealed “mRNA Splicing” and “SUMO E3 ligases SUMOylate target proteins” among the most enriched terms. Network based meta-analysis identified MYC and FN1 to be the most highly ranked hub genes. Our results reveal that the alterations in biomarkers of the coagulation cascade like F2R, PROS1, SELPLG and ITGB2 were common between the three diseases. Interestingly, the study has generated a novel database of candidate genetic markers, pathways and transcription factors shared between thrombosis and MPDs, which might aid in the development of prognostic therapeutic biomarkers.
Ultraviolet optomechanical crystal cavities with ultrasmall modal mass and high optomechanical coupling rate
Authors: Zhou Wen , Yu Zejie , Ma Jingwen , Zhu Bingqing , Tsang Hon Ki , Sun Xiankai 
Published: November 2016

AbstractOptomechanical crystal (OMC) cavities which exploit the simultaneous photonic and phononic bandgaps in periodic nanostructures have been utilized to colocalize, couple, and transduce optical and mechanical resonances for nonlinear interactions and precision measurements. The development of near-infrared OMC cavities has difficulty in maintaining a high optomechanical coupling rate when scaling to smaller mechanical modal mass because of the reduction of the spatial overlap between the optical and mechanical modes. Here, we explore OMC nanobeam cavities in gallium nitride operating at the ultraviolet wavelengths to overcome this problem. With a novel optimization strategy, we have successfully designed an OMC cavity, with a size of 3.83 × 0.17 × 0.13 μm3 and the mechanical modal mass of 22.83 fg, which possesses an optical mode resonating at the wavelength of 393.03 nm and the fundamental mechanical mode vibrating at 14.97 GHz. The radiation-limited optical Q factor, mechanical Q factor, and optomechanical coupling rate are 2.26 × 107, 1.30 × 104, and 1.26 MHz, respectively. Our design and optimization approach can also serve as the general guidelines for future development of OMC cavities with improved device performance.
Current induced polycrystalline-to-crystalline transformation in vanadium dioxide nanowires
Authors: Jeong Junho , Yong Zheng , Joushaghani Arash , Tsukernik Alexander , Paradis Suzanne , Alain David , Poon Joyce K. S. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractVanadium dioxide (VO2) exhibits a reversible insulator-metal phase transition that is of significant interest in energy-efficient nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices. In these applications, crystalline materials are usually preferred for their superior electrical transport characteristics as well as spatial homogeneity and low surface roughness over the device area for reduced scattering. Here, we show applied electrical currents can induce a permanent reconfiguration of polycrystalline VO2 nanowires into crystalline nanowires, resulting in a dramatically reduced hysteresis across the phase transition and reduced resistivity. Low currents below 3 mA were sufficient to cause the local temperature in the VO2 to reach about 1780 K to activate the irreversible polycrystalline-to-crystalline transformation. The crystallinity was confirmed by electron microscopy and diffraction analyses. This simple yet localized post-processing of insulator-metal phase transition materials may enable new methods of studying and fabricating nanoscale structures and devices formed from these materials.
SXT/R391 integrative and conjugative elements in Proteus species reveal abundant genetic diversity and multidrug resistance
Authors: Li Xinyue , Du Yu , Du Pengcheng , Dai Hang , Fang Yujie , Li Zhenpeng , Lv Na , Zhu Baoli , Kan Biao , Wang Duochun 
Published: November 2016

AbstractSXT/R391 integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are self-transmissible mobile genetic elements that are found in most members of Enterobacteriaceae. Here, we determined fifteen SXT/R391 ICEs carried by Proteus isolates from food (4.2%) and diarrhoea patients (17.3%). BLASTn searches against GenBank showed that the fifteen SXT/R391 ICEs were closely related to that from different Enterobacteriaceae species, including Proteus mirabilis. Using core gene phylogenetic analysis, the fifteen SXT/R391 ICEs were grouped into six distinct clusters, including a dominant cluster and three clusters that have not been previously reported in Proteus isolates. The SXT/R391 ICEs shared a common structure with a set of conserved genes, five hotspots and two variable regions, which contained more foreign genes, including drug-resistance genes. Notably, a class A β-lactamase gene was identified in nine SXT/R391 ICEs. Collectively, the ICE-carrying isolates carried resistance genes for 20 tested drugs. Six isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, streptomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sulfisoxazole and tetracycline, which are drug resistances commonly encoded by ICEs. Our results demonstrate abundant genetic diversity and multidrug resistance of the SXT/R391 ICEs carried by Proteus isolates, which may have significance for public health. It is therefore necessary to continuously monitor the antimicrobial resistance and related mobile elements among Proteus isolates.
Laser Light Induced Transformation of Molybdenum Disulphide-Based Nanoplatelet Arrays
Authors: Jagminas Arūnas , Niaura Gediminas , Žalnėravičius Rokas , Trusovas Romualdas , Račiukaitis Gediminas , Jasulaitiene Vitalija 
Published: November 2016

AbstractOne-pot hydrothermal synthesis of MoS2 nanoplatelet arrays on various substrates is perhaps the most promising approach to fabricate efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. However, the main challenges in this synthesis remain the purity and crystallinity of MoS2. In this study, we show for the first time that irradiation of amorphous, defect-rich MoS2 nanoplatelets with a green nanosecond laser at a proper irradiation dose, ca ≤0.35 J cm−2, can significantly improve the crystallinity and purity of MoS2 nanoplatelets. The effect was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy investigations demonstrating a surprising intensity increase of the A1g and "Equation missing" modes after the laser irradiation. Further increase of irradiation energy, however, resulted in the photocorrosion and destruction of MoS2 nanoplatelets. The variation of A1g and "Equation missing" Raman mode intensities ratio depending on the green light irradiation dose was also presented and is discussed below.
Peptides Labeled with Pyridinium Salts for Sensitive Detection and Sequencing by Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Waliczek Mateusz , Kijewska Monika , Rudowska Magdalena , Setner Bartosz , Stefanowicz Piotr , Szewczuk Zbigniew 
Published: November 2016

AbstractMass spectrometric analysis of trace amounts of peptides may be problematic due to the insufficient ionization efficiency resulting in limited sensitivity. One of the possible ways to overcome this problem is the application of ionization enhancers. Herein we developed new ionization markers based on 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridinium salts. Using of inexpensive and commercially available pyrylium salt allows selective derivatization of primary amino groups, especially those sterically unhindered, such as ε-amino group of lysine. The 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium modified peptides generate in MS/MS experiments an abundant protonated 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium ion. This fragment is a promising reporter ion for the multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) analysis. In addition, the fixed positive charge of the pyridinium group enhances the ionization efficiency. Other advantages of the proposed ionization enhancers are the simplicity of derivatization of peptides and the possibility of convenient incorporation of isotopic labels into derivatized peptides.
Hatching asynchrony vs. foraging efficiency: the response to food availability in specialist vs. generalist tit species
Authors: Barrientos R. , Bueno-Enciso J. , Sanz J. J. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBreeding mistiming is increasingly frequent in several ecosystems in the face of current climate change. Species belonging to higher trophic levels must employ mechanisms to reduce it. One of these mechanisms is hatching asynchrony, with the eggs in a clutch hatching over a period of several days. Some authors have suggested it to be adaptive when food is unpredictable. However, these birds can also suffer associated costs. We tested whether a species with higher foraging efficiency avoid hatching asynchrony compared to its sister species. We studied hatching asynchrony and nestling provisioning in relation to food availability in sympatric populations of blue and great tits. For the first time, we show that sister species respond to food availability with different strategies. Blue tit feeding rates readily responded to the abundance of their main prey, and also reduced the impact of nestling size hierarchy on mean nestling weight, consequently increasing fledging rate. Our results suggest that levels of hatching asynchrony seem to be influenced by species-specific life history traits, as generalist foragers rely less on it. They also highlight the importance of multi-species approaches when studying the response of organisms to environmental unpredictability.
A genome-wide association study identifies a horizontally transferred bacterial surface adhesin gene associated with antimicrobial resistant strains
Authors: Suzuki Masato , Shibayama Keigo , Yahara Koji 
Published: November 2016

AbstractCarbapenems are a class of last-resort antibiotics; thus, the increase in bacterial carbapenem-resistance is a serious public health threat. Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the microorganisms that can acquire carbapenem-resistance; it causes severe nosocomial infection, and is notoriously difficult to control in hospitals. Recently, a machine-learning approach was first used to analyze the genome sequences of hundreds of susceptible and resistant A. baumannii strains, including those carrying commonly acquired resistant mechanisms, to build a classifier that can predict strain resistance. A complementary approach is to explore novel genetic elements that could be associated with the antimicrobial resistance of strains, independent of known mechanisms. Therefore, we carefully selected A. baumannii strains, spanning various genotypes, from public genome databases, and conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of carbapenem resistance. We employed a recently developed method, capable of identifying any kind of genetic variation and accounting for bacterial population structure, and evaluated its effectiveness. Our study identified a surface adhesin gene that had been horizontally transferred to an ancestral branch of A. baumannii, as well as a specific region of that gene that appeared to accumulate multiple individual variations across the different branches of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains.
Abnormal Hypermethylation of the VDAC2 Promoter is a Potential Cause of Idiopathic Asthenospermia in Men
Authors: Xu Aiming , Hua Yibo , Zhang Jianzhong , Chen Wei , Zhao Kai , Xi Wei , Wang Hainan , Fang Jianzheng , Su Shifeng , Tang Min , Liu Bianjiang , Wang Zengjun 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis study aimed to explore the association between the methylation status of the VDAC2 gene promoter region and idiopathic asthenospermia (IAS). Twenty-five IAS patients and 27 fertile normozoospermia (NZ) were involved. GC-2spd cells were treated with different concentrations of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) for 24 h and 48 h. qRT-PCR was conducted to reveal whether or not VDAC2 expression was regulated by methylated modification. A dual-luciferase activity detection was used to verify VDAC2 promoter activity in GC-2spd cells. Bisulphite genomic sequence was used to analyse DNA methylation of the VDAC2 promoter. The results showed that VDAC2 expression was significantly increased after treated with 5-Aza-CdR. A strong activity of the promoter (−2000 bp to +1000 bp) was detected by dual-luciferase activity detection (P < 0.05). The bisulphite genomic sequencing and correlation analysis showed that sperm motility was positively associated with the methylation pattern of uncomplete methylation and mild hypermethylation, and negatively related to the percentage of moderate methylation. In conclusion, high methylation of the VDAC2 promoter CpGs could be positively correlated with low sperm motility. Abnormal methylation of VDAC2 promoter may be a potential cause to idiopathic asthenospermia.
Identification and expression analysis of an olfactory receptor gene family in green plant bug Apolygus lucorum (Meyer-Dür)
Authors: An Xing-Kui , Sun Liang , Liu Hang-Wei , Liu Dan-Feng , Ding Yu-Xiao , Li Le-Mei , Zhang Yong-Jun , Guo Yu-Yuan 
Published: November 2016

AbstractOlfactory receptors are believed to play a central role in insects host-seeking, mating, and ovipositing. On the basis of male and female antennal transcriptome of adult Apolygus lucorum, a total of 110 candidate A. lucorum odorant receptors (AlucOR) were identified in this study including five previously annotated AlucORs. All the sequences were validated by cloning and sequencing. Tissue expression profiles analysis by RT-PCR indicated most AlucORs were antennal highly expressed genes. The qPCR measurements further revealed 40 AlucORs were significantly higher in the antennae. One AlucOR was primarily expressed in the female antennae, while nine AlucORs exhibited male-biased expression patterns. Additionally, both the RPKM value and RT-qPCR analysis showed AlucOR83 and AlucOR21 were much higher abundant in male antennae than in female antennae, suggesting their different roles in chemoreception of gender. Phylogenetic analysis of ORs from several Hemipteran species demonstrated that most AlucORs had orthologous genes, and five AlucOR-specific clades were defined. In addition, a sub-clade of potential male-based sex pheromone receptors were also identified in the phylogenetic tree of AlucORs. Our results will facilitate the functional studies of AlucORs, and thereby provide a foundation for novel pest management approaches based on these genes.
Mitochondrial fat oxidation is essential for lipid-induced inflammation in skeletal muscle in mice
Authors: Warfel Jaycob D. , Bermudez Estrellita M. , Mendoza Tamra M. , Ghosh Sujoy , Zhang Jingying , Elks Carrie M. , Mynatt Randall , Vandanmagsar Bolormaa 
Published: November 2016

AbstractInflammation, lipotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction have been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity-induced insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, how these factors are intertwined in the development of obesity/insulin resistance remains unclear. Here, we examine the role of mitochondrial fat oxidation on lipid-induced inflammation in skeletal muscle. We used skeletal muscle-specific Cpt1b knockout mouse model where the inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation results in accumulation of lipid metabolites in muscle and elevated circulating free fatty acids. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and cytokine- and members of TLR-signalling pathways were decreased in Cpt1bm−/− muscle. Inflammatory signalling pathways were not activated when evaluated by multiplex and immunoblot analysis. In addition, the inflammatory response to fatty acids was reduced in primary muscle cells derived from Cpt1bm−/− mice. Gene expression of Cd11c, the M1 macrophage marker, was decreased; while Cd206, the M2 macrophage marker, was increased in skeletal muscle of Cpt1bm−/− mice. Finally, expression of pro-inflammatory markers was decreased in white adipose tissue of Cpt1bm−/− mice. We show that the inflammatory response elicited by elevated intracellular lipids in skeletal muscle is repressed in Cpt1bm−/− mice, strongly supporting the hypothesis that mitochondrial processing of fatty acids is essential for the lipid-induction of inflammation in muscle.
Heteronanostructured Co@carbon nanotubes-graphene ternary hybrids: synthesis, electromagnetic and excellent microwave absorption properties
Authors: Qi Xiaosi , Hu Qi , Cai Hongbo , Xie Ren , Bai Zhongchen , Jiang Yang , Qin Shuijie , Zhong Wei , Du Youwei 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn order to explore high efficiency microwave absorption materials, heteronanostructured Co@carbon nanotubes-graphene (Co@CNTs-G) ternary hybrids were designed and produced through catalytic decomposition of acetylene at the designed temperature (400, 450, 500 and 550 °C) over Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide (Co3O4/RGO). By regulating the reaction temperatures, different CNT contents of Co@CNTs-G ternary hybrids could be synthesized. The investigations indicated that the as-prepared heteronanostructured Co@CNTs-G ternary hybrids exhibited excellent microwave absorption properties, and their electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties could be tuned by the CNT content. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value reached approximately −65.6, −58.1, −41.1 and −47.5 dB for the ternary hybrids synthesized at 400, 450, 500 and 550 °C, respectively. And RL values below −20 dB (99% of electromagnetic wave attenuation) could be obtained over the as-prepared Co@CNTs-G ternary hybrids in the large frequency range. Moreover, based on the obtained results, the possible enhanced microwave absorption mechanisms were discussed in details. Therefore, a simple approach was proposed to explore the high performance microwave absorbing materials as well as to expand the application field of graphene-based materials.