bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlations of Fecal Metabonomic and Microbiomic Changes Induced by High-fat Diet in the Pre-Obesity State
Authors: Lin Hong , An Yanpeng , Hao Fuhua , Wang Yulan , Tang Huiru 
Published: February 2016

AbstractObesity resulting from interactions of genetic and environmental factors becomes a serious public health problem worldwide with alterations of the metabolic phenotypes in multiple biological matrices involving multiple metabolic pathways. To understand the contributions of gut microbiota to obesity development, we analyzed dynamic alterations in fecal metabonomic phenotype using NMR and fecal microorganism composition in rats using pyrosequencing technology during the high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 81 days (pre-obesity state). Integrated analysis of these two phenotypic datasets was further conducted to establish correlations between the altered rat fecal metabonome and gut microbiome. We found that one-week HFD feeding already caused significant changes in rat fecal metabonome and such changes sustained throughout 81-days feeding with the host and gut microbiota co-metabolites clearly featured. We also found that HFD caused outstanding decreases in most fecal metabolites implying enhancement of gut absorptions. We further established comprehensive correlations between the HFD-induced changes in fecal metabonome and fecal microbial composition indicating contributions of gut microbiota in pathogenesis and progression of the HFD-induced obesity. These findings provided essential information about the functions of gut microbiota in pathogenesis of metabolic disorders which could be potentially important for developing obesity prevention and treatment therapies.
Methuselah/Methuselah-like G protein-coupled receptors constitute an ancient metazoan gene family
Authors: de Mendoza Alexandre , Jones Jeffery W. , Friedrich Markus 
Published: February 2016

AbstractInconsistent conclusions have been drawn regarding the phylogenetic age of the Methuselah/Methuselah-like (Mth/Mthl) gene family of G protein-coupled receptors, the founding member of which regulates development and lifespan in Drosophila. Here we report the results from a targeted homolog search of 39 holozoan genomes and phylogenetic analysis of the conserved seven transmembrane domain. Our findings reveal that the Mth/Mthl gene family is ancient, has experienced numerous extinction and expansion events during metazoan evolution, and acquired the current definition of the Methuselah ectodomain during its exceptional expansion in arthropods. In addition, our findings identify Mthl1, Mthl5, Mthl14, and Mthl15 as the oldest Mth/Mthl gene family paralogs in Drosophila. Future studies of these genes have the potential to define ancestral functions of the Mth/Mthl gene family.
Development of ytterbium-doped oxyfluoride glasses for laser cooling applications
Authors: Krishnaiah Kummara Venkata , Soares de Lima Filho Elton , Ledemi Yannick , Nemova Galina , Messaddeq Younes , Kashyap Raman 
Published: February 2016

AbstractOxyfluoride glasses doped with 2, 5, 8, 12, 16 and 20 mol% of ytterbium (Yb3+) ions have been prepared by the conventional melt-quenching technique. Their optical, thermal and thermo-mechanical properties were characterized. Luminescence intensity at 1020 nm under laser excitation at 920 nm decreases with increasing Yb3+concentration, suggesting a decrease in the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The PLQY of the samples was measured with an integrating sphere using an absolute method. The highest PLQY was found to be 0.99(11) for the 2 mol% Yb3+: glass and decreases with increasing Yb3+concentration. The mean fluorescence wavelength and background absorption of the samples were also evaluated. Upconversion luminescence under 975 nm laser excitation was observed and attributed to the presence of Tm3+and Er3+ions which exist as impurity traces with YbF3starting powder. Decay curves for the Yb3+:2F5/2 → 2F7/2transition exhibit single exponential behavior for all the samples, although lifetime decrease was observed for the excited level of Yb3+with increasing Yb3+concentration. Also observed are an increase in the PLQY and a slight decrease in lifetime with increasing the pump power. Finally, the potential of these oxyfluoride glasses with high PLQY and low background absorption for laser cooling applications is discussed.
Venom gland transcriptome analyses of two freshwater stingrays (Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae) from Brazil
Authors: Júnior Nelson Gomes de Oliveira , Fernandes Gabriel da Rocha , Cardoso Marlon Henrique , Costa Fabrício F. , Cândido Elizabete de Souza , Neto Domingos Garrone , Mortari Márcia Renata , Schwartz Elisabeth Ferroni , Franco Octávio Luiz , de Alencar Sérgio Amorim 
Published: February 2016

AbstractStingrays commonly cause human envenoming related accidents in populations of the sea, near rivers and lakes. Transcriptomic profiles have been used to elucidate components of animal venom, since they are capable of providing molecular information on the biology of the animal and could have biomedical applications. In this study, we elucidated the transcriptomic profile of the venom glands from two different freshwater stingray species that are endemic to the Paraná-Paraguay basin in Brazil, Potamotrygon amandae and Potamotrygon falkneri. Using RNA-Seq, we identified species-specific transcripts and overlapping proteins in the venom gland of both species. Among the transcripts related with envenoming, high abundance of hyaluronidases was observed in both species. In addition, we built three-dimensional homology models based on several venom transcripts identified. Our study represents a significant improvement in the information about the venoms employed by these two species and their molecular characteristics. Moreover, the information generated by our group helps in a better understanding of the biology of freshwater cartilaginous fishes and offers clues for the development of clinical treatments for stingray envenoming in Brazil and around the world. Finally, our results might have biomedical implications in developing treatments for complex diseases.
Influence of alkali metals (Na, Li, Rb) on the performance of electrostatic spray-assisted vapor deposited Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells
Authors: Altamura Giovanni , Wang Mingqing , Choy Kwang-Leong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractElectrostatic Spray-Assisted Vapor Deposition (ESAVD) is a non-vacuum and cost-effective method to deposit metal oxide, various sulphide and chalcogenide at large scale. In this work, ESAVD was used to deposit Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4 (CZTSSe) absorber. Different alkali metals like Na, Li and Rb were incorporated in CZTSSe compounds to further improve the photovoltaic performances of related devices. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, no experimental study has been carried out to test the effect of Li and Rb incorporation in CZTSSe solar cells. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and glow discharge spectroscopy have been used to characterize the phase purity, morphology and composition of as-deposited CZTSSe thin films. Photovoltaic properties of the resulting devices were determined by completing the solar cells as follows: Mo/CZTSSe/CdS/i-ZnO/Al:ZnO/Ni/Al. The results showed that Li, Na and Rb incorporation can increase power conversion efficiency of CZTS devices up to 5.5%. The introduction of a thiourea treatment, has improved the quality of the absorber|buffer interface, pushed the device efficiency up to 6.3% which is at the moment the best reported result for ESAVD deposited CZTSSe solar cells.
Asialoglycoprotein receptor-magnetic dual targeting nanoparticles for delivery of RASSF1A to hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Xue Wan-Jiang , Feng Ying , Wang Fei , Guo Yi-Bing , Li Peng , Wang Lei , Liu Yi-Fei , Wang Zhi-Wei , Yang Yu-Min , Mao Qin-Sheng 
Published: February 2016

AbstractWe developed a nanovector with double targeting properties for efficiently delivering the tumor suppressor gene RASSF1A specifically into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by preparing galactosylated-carboxymethyl chitosan-magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs). After conjugating galactose and CMCS to the surface of Fe3O4-NPs, we observed that Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs were round with a relatively stable zeta potential of +6.5 mV and an mean hydrodynamic size of 40.1 ± 5.3 nm. Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs had strong DNA condensing power in pH 7 solution and were largely nontoxic. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs were highly selective for HCC cells and liver cells. In vivo experiments showed the specific accumulation of Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs in HCC tissue, especially with the aid of an external magnetic field. Nude mice with orthotopically transplanted HCC received an intravenous injection of the Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs/pcDNA3.1(+)RASSF1A compound and intraperitoneal injection of mitomycin and had an external magnetic field applied to the tumor area. These mice had the smallest tumors, largest percentage of TUNEL-positive cells and highest caspase-3 expression levels in tumor tissue compared to other groups of treated mice. These results suggest the potential application of Gal-CMCS-Fe3O4-NPs for RASSF1A gene delivery for the treatment of HCC.
Effects of changes in straw chemical properties and alkaline soils on bacterial communities engaged in straw decomposition at different temperatures
Authors: Zhou Guixiang , Zhang Jiabao , Zhang Congzhi , Feng Youzhi , Chen Lin , Yu Zhenghong , Xin Xiuli , Zhao Bingzi 
Published: February 2016

AbstractDifferences in the composition of a bacterial community engaged in decomposing wheat straw in a fluvo-aquic soil at 15 °C, 25 °C and 35 °C were identified using barcode pyrosequencing. Functional carbon groups in the decomposing wheat straw were evaluated by 13C-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were more abundant, whereas Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were less abundant, at higher temperatures during the later stages of decomposition. Differences in the chemical properties of straw accounted for 19.3% of the variation in the community composition, whereas soil properties accounted for more (24.0%) and temperature, for less (7.4%). Carbon content of the soil microbial biomass and nitrogen content of straw were significantly correlated with the abundance of Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The chemical properties of straw, especially the NCH/OCH3, alkyl O-C-O and O-alkyl functional groups, exercised a significant effect on the composition of the bacterial community at different temperatures during decomposition—results that extend our understanding of bacterial communities associated with the decomposition of straw in agro-ecosystems and of the effects of temperature and chemical properties of the decomposing straw and soil on such communities.
Single‐feed low‐profile resonant cavity antenna covering entire Ku‐band
Authors: Hashmi R.M. , Esselle K.P. 
Published: February 2016

A simple single‐feed resonant cavity antenna having a flat, low‐profile all‐dielectric partially reflecting surface (PRS) is described, which has a wide 3 dB bandwidth covering the entire Ku‐band. The PRS is composed of three dielectric sections, forming a planar slab with the dielectric constant of the slab decreasing from the centre to the edge in three steps. In addition to the directivity enhancement (up to 10 dB over the feed antenna), it is shown that such single‐layer PRSs remarkably improve the bandwidth of RCAs while reducing the profile of the antenna significantly. The total height of the antenna prototype is only 0.65λ0 at the lowest operating frequency. Experimental results are included to validate the proposed concept.
Analysing the optical network unit power consumption in the 10 GB‐capable passive optical network systems
Authors: Sarigiannidis Panagiotis , Louta Malamati , Papadimitriou Georgios , Theologou Michael 
Published: February 2016

The standardisation of the 10 GB‐capable passive optical network (XG‐PON) system is accompanied by a rigorous set of recommendations. Power reduction in XG‐PONs is considered a quite important topic by the telecommunication standardisation sector (ITU‐T), thus, with importance of energy saving, XG‐PON recommendation describes power management processes in detail. The core power management process comprises distinct states representing the desired power management transitions, while two modes: namely, the doze and the cyclic sleep mode, are defined. This study provides an analytical model for power consumption computation of an optical network unit (ONU), assuming that the two modes are enabled in the ONU operation. The presented analytical findings are verified by conducting extensive simulation experiments. Concurrently, the average time spent on doze and cyclic sleep states is provided.
Investigating contingency in school history: an aid to rich, meaningfully critical citizenship?
Authors: Billingham Luke 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTA common charge levelled at English and Welsh citizenship education, whether taught as a separate subject or incorporated into other disciplines, is that it encourages compliance more than it inspires critical thought. There is room within the compulsory citizenship framework, however, for teachers to advance genuinely critical attributes in students. My aim here is to suggest that school History has particular potential for this, and to argue more specifically that the historical study of contingency in human affairs could advance a rich, meaningfully critical form of citizenship that contributes to Gutmann's ideal of ‘conscious social reproduction’. Gutmann's vision for citizenship centres on the idea that through critical scrutiny of present norms and institutions, students can be equipped to take part in the collective shaping of their future. Drawing on the work of social and political theorists as well as that of educationalists and philosophers of history, I argue that contingency can be rigorously and fruitfully investigated in school History, and that this could — at best — help students to develop three vital capacities for critical citizenship and conscious social reproduction: discernment of historical possibility, subtle normative reflection, and enriched political imagination.
Transformation through art: exploring Jung's view of art and the relevance of Charlotte Salomon's Life? or Theater?
Authors: Pounders Lisa A. 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTThis paper explores Jung's concepts regarding art, the significant role of creativity in his notion of individuation, and art's relationship to transformation. As an illustration, it introduces Charlotte Salomon – a German Jewish artist who was murdered in the gas chambers at Auschwitz in 1943 – and her unique surviving opus, Life? or Theater? – a fictionalized autobiographical play-like work of art combining painted images, written words, and music. Applying Jung's theories as a lens, it broadly analyzes Salomon's work and considers it in light of Jung's distinction between psychological and visionary creative modes. In the process I reveal a potential material connection between Salomon and Jung, and argue that Life? or Theater? is not only artistically but also historically relevant to Jungian theory. By exploring Life? or Theater? in this way, my paper proposes that Jungian theory is a potent critical lens which can reveal a work of art's transformative nature and cultural significance.
Imagining Ovid and Chrétien in Fourteenth-Century French Libraries
Authors: Griffin Miranda 
Published: February 2016

Abstract

Popular in French royal and ducal libraries, the
Ovide moralisé
is the first full-length French translation of Ovid's
Metamorphoses
; it introduces pseudo-historical explanations and Christian moralizations. Fusing references to and tales from diverse medieval and classical sources, the
Ovide moralisé
is a microcosm of the late medieval library, offering a digest of myth and doctrine, and manifesting a reading practice aware of its reliance on, and reassessment of, previous instances of authority. With reference to Foucault's evocation of the
bibliothèque fantastique
, this article focuses on two
auctores
cited by the
Ovide moralisé
: Ovid and an author referred to as ‘Crestien’. Evidence from
Ovide moralisé
manuscripts belonging to the libraries of King Philippe VI, his wife, Jeanne de Bourgogne, and their three bibliophile grandsons — King Charles V; Jean, duc de Berry; and Philippe le Hardi, duc de Bourgogne — suggests that the name Crestien, today evocative of Chrétien de Troyes, would likely connote the author of a twelfth-century translation and adaptation of the
Metamorphoses
' Philomela episode, which is interpolated into the
Ovide moralisé
. Focusing on encounters between these authors reveals the medieval library as a space of fantasy in which texts gloss, summon, adapt, and re-imagine one another.
The featureless and non-variable optical spectral energy distribution of AXP 4U 0142+61
Authors: Muñoz-Darias T. , de Ugarte Postigo A. , Casares J. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
We present GTC-10.4 m spectroscopy and multiband photometry of the faint (r ∼ 26) optical counterpart of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61. The 5000–9000 Å spectrum – the first obtained for a magnetar – is featureless, allowing us to set an equivalent width upper limit EW &lt; 25 Å to the presence of emission lines in the H α region. Multiband photometry in the g, r, i, z Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) bands obtained at different epochs over 12 yr shows no significant variability from minutes-to-years time-scales. The photometry has been calibrated, for the first time, against the SDSS itself, resulting in solid upper limits to variability ranging from ∼0.2 mag in i (over 12 yr) to 0.05 mag in z (over 1.5 yr). The shape of the optical + near-infrared (literature values) spectral energy distribution is not well constrained due to the high extinction along the line of sight. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis, we find that it can be described by a power law with a spectral index β = −0.7 ± 0.5 and E(B − V) = 1.5 ± 0.4. We also discuss on the implications of adding hard X-ray flux values from literature to the spectral fitting.
Treatment Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty for Open-angle Glaucoma Receiving Maximal-tolerable Medical Therapy
Authors: Miki Atsuya , Kawashima Rumi , Usui Shinichi , Matsushita Kenji , Nishida Kohji 
Published: February 2016

Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for patients with open-angle glaucoma receiving maximal-tolerable medical therapy.

Patients and Methods:
Consecutive patients with open-angle glaucoma who were followed up for at least 1 year after SLT were retrospectively evaluated. The effectiveness was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with 2 criteria for failure: (1) intraocular pressure (IOP) equal to or more than baseline; and (2) <20% reduction from baseline, on 2 consecutive visits. Those 2 failure criteria also included loss of light perception, reoperation of SLT, and glaucoma surgery. Influence of baseline factors on success were assessed using mixed-effects Cox proportional hazard models.

Results:
Seventy-five eyes [39 primary open-angle glaucoma, 23 exfoliation glaucoma, and 13 secondary open-angle glaucoma (SOAG)] of 59 patients (21 females) aged 65.5±15.9 (mean±SD) were included. Preoperative mean IOP was 23.3±6.5 mm Hg with 3.4±1.3 IOP lowering medications. The overall success ratio at the end of study period was 45.3% by criterion 1 and 14.2% by criterion 2. The success ratio by criterion 1 and 2 was 61.1% and 21.7% in primary open-angle glaucoma, 29.3% and 14.5% in exfoliation glaucoma, and 15.4% and 7.7% in SOAG, respectively. Higher preoperative IOP and diagnosis of SOAG were significantly associated with treatment failure (P<0.01 and 0.04, respectively).

Conclusions:
One-year efficacy of SLT in controlling IOP was very limited in patients with maximal-tolerable medical therapy. Types of glaucoma and preoperative IOP were significant prognostic factors for treatment success.
Chronic musculoskeletal complaints as a predictor of mortality—The HUNT study
Authors: Åsberg Anders N. , Stovner Lars J. , Zwart John-Anker , Winsvold Bendik S. , Heuch Ingrid , Hagen Knut 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The impact of chronic musculoskeletal complaints (CMSC) and chronic widespread chronic musculoskeletal complaints (CWMSC) on mortality is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between these conditions and mortality. In this prospective population-based cohort study from Norway, baseline data from the second Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey (HUNT2, performed 1995-1997) were linked to the comprehensive National Cause of Death Registry in Norway with follow-up through the year 2011. A total of 65,026 individuals (70%) participated and were categorized based on their response to CMSC questions in HUNT2 (no CMSC, CMSC, or CWMSC). Hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality during a mean of 14.1 years of follow-up were estimated using Cox regression. During the follow-up period, 12,521 subjects died, 5162 from cardiovascular diseases, 3478 from cancer, and 3881 from all other causes. In the multivariate-adjusted analyses, there was no difference in all-cause mortality between individuals with or without CMSC (HR 1.01, confidence interval, 0.97-1.05) and CWMSC (HR 1.01, confidence interval, 0.96-1.05). Similarly, there was no association between CMSC or CWMSC and cardiovascular mortality, mortality from cancer, or mortality from all other causes. Therefore, from this study, we conclude that there is no evidence for a higher mortality rate among individuals with CMSC or CWMSC.
Plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein fails to predict endoscopic disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients
Authors: Bodelier Alexander G.L. , Pierik Marie J. , Lenaerts Kaatje , de Boer Evelien , Olde Damink Steven W. , Hameeteman Wim M. , Masclee Ad A.M. , Jonkers Daisy M. 
Published: February 2016

Background
Monitoring disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is of major importance to prevent long-term complications. Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) has been identified as a marker for intestinal damage and correlates with the degree of inflammation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether I-FABP can predict active disease or remission in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in a real-life IBD cohort.

Methods
In total, 70 patients with endoscopic disease activity available and 194 patients with disease activity on the basis of a stringent combi-score of clinical activity index, C-reactive protein, and fecal calprotectin were included. Plasma I-FABP was compared between patients with active disease and remission. In a small subgroup of CD patients, follow-up samples were analyzed.

Results
In CD (139.2 vs. 119.2 pg/ml; P=0.37) and UC (107.8 vs. 151.8 pg/ml; P=0.33), the median I-FABP did not differ in endoscopic active disease versus remission. In UC patients with active disease on the basis of the combi-score, the median I-FABP (106.8 vs. 172.0 pg/ml; P=0.03) was significantly lower than in patients in remission, but not in CD (145.5 vs. 157.5 pg/ml; P=0.29). Neither disease location in CD nor extent of disease in UC influenced I-FABP significantly. I-FABP was not different (P=0.78) in CD patients with a change in disease activity over time.

Conclusion
Plasma I-FABP did not differ between endoscopic active disease and remission in both CD and UC. I-FABP was lower in active UC but not CD on the basis of the combi-score. On the basis of these findings, I-FABP has no potential as a novel noninvasive biomarker for disease activity in IBD.