bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A game theory appraisal of the insurance hypothesis: Specific polymorphisms in the energy homeostasis network as imprints of a successful minimax strategy
Authors: Mattei Tobias A. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe existence of specific polymorphisms in genes of key hormones of the energy homeostasis network that have been shown to predispose to obesity and the so-called metabolic syndrome provides further biological support for the proposed insurance hypothesis. In a broader sense, such polymorphisms can be understood as biological imprints of an evolutionarily successful minimax strategy employed by ancient Homo sapiens subpopulations in a one-player game against nature.
Household-level financial uncertainty could betheprimary driver of the global obesity epidemic
Authors: Smith Trenton G. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractEvidence has accumulated in support of the notion that changes in household-level financial uncertainty (or “economic insecurity”) may be an important fundamental cause of the global obesity epidemic. The timing and spatial/demographic incidence of the obesity epidemic suggest that economic policies aimed at expanding economic freedom may have inadvertently shifted risk to households, thereby generating a costly public health problem.
‘It’s not just the word care, it’s the meaning of the word…(they) actually care': caregivers’ perceptions of home-based primary care in Toronto, Ontario
Authors: SMITH-CARRIER TRACY , PHAM THUY-NGA , AKHTAR SABRINA , SEDDON GAYLE , NOWACZYNSKI MARK , SINHA SAMIR K. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTThe frail and homebound older adult populations currently experience difficulties accessing primary care in the medical office. Given this fundamental access to care problem, and the questionable care quality that arises when navigating a labyrinthine health-care system, these populations have typically been subject to inadequate primary care. To meet their needs better, growing research stresses the importance of providing comprehensive home-based primary care (HBPC), delivered by an inter-professional team of health-care providers. Family care-givers typically provide the majority of care within the home, yet their perceptions of HBPC remain under-researched. The purpose of this study was to explore unpaid care-givers' perceptions of and experiences with HBPC programmes in Toronto, Canada. We conducted qualitative inductive content analysis, using analytic procedures informed by grounded theory, to discover a number of themes regarding unpaid care-givers' understandings of HBPC. Findings suggest that, compared to the standard office-based care model, HBPC may better support unpaid care-givers, providing them assistance with system navigation and offering them the peace of mind that they are not alone, but have someone to call should the need arise. The implications of this research suggest that HBPC could be a model to help mitigate the discontinuities in care that patients with comorbid chronic conditions and their attendant unpaid care-givers experience when accessing fragmented health, home and social care systems.
Rejection Sensitivity as a Moderator of Psychosocial Outcomes Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Meadows Emily A. , Owen Yeates Keith , Rubin Kenneth H. , Taylor H. Gerry , Bigler Erin D. , Dennis Maureen , Gerhardt Cynthia A. , Vannatta Kathryn , Stancin Terry , Hoskinson Kristen R. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractObjectives:The current study examines whether psychosocial outcomes following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) vary as a function of children’s rejection sensitivity (RS), defined as their disposition to be hypersensitive to cues of rejection from peers.Methods:Children ages 8–13 with a history of severe TBI (STBI,n=16), complicated mild/moderate TBI (n=35), or orthopedic injury (OI,n=49) completed measures assessing self-esteem and RS on average 3.28 years post-injury (SD=1.33, range=1.25–6.34). Parents reported on their child’s emotional and behavioral functioning and social participation.Results:Regression analyses found moderation of group differences by RS for three outcomes: social participation, self-perceptions of social acceptance, and externalizing behavior problems. Conditional effects at varying levels of RS indicated that externalizing problems and social participation were significantly worse for children with STBI at high levels of RS, compared to children with OI. Social participation for the STBI group remained significantly lower than the OI group at mean levels of RS, but not at low levels of RS. At high levels of RS, self-perceptions of social acceptance were lower for children with moderate TBI compared to OI, but group differences were not significant at mean or low levels of RS. No evidence of moderation was found for global self-worth, self-perceptions of physical appearance or athletic ability, or internalizing problems.Conclusions:The findings highlight the salient nature of social outcomes in the context of varying levels of RS. These findings may have implications for the design of interventions to improve social outcomes following TBI. (JINS, 2017,23, 451–459)
Long-term implications of observing an expanding cosmological civilization
Authors: Olson S. Jay 
Published: May 2017

AbstractSuppose that advanced civilizations, separated by a cosmological distance and time, wish to maximize their access to cosmic resources by rapidly expanding into the universe. How does the presence of one limit the expansionistic ambitions of another, and what sort of boundary forms between their expanding domains? We describe a general scenario for any expansion speed, separation distance and time. We then specialize to a question of particular interest: What are the future prospects for a young and ambitious civilization if they can observe the presence of another at a cosmological distance? We treat cases involving the observation of one or two expanding domains. In the single-observation case, we find that almost any plausible detection will limit one's future cosmic expansion to some extent. Also, practical technological limits to expansion speed (well below the speed of light) play an interesting role. If a domain is visible at the time one embarks on cosmic expansion, higher practical limits to expansion speed are beneficial only up to a certain point. Beyond this point, a higher speed limit means that gains in the ability to expand are more than offset by the first-mover advantage of the observed domain. In the case of two visible domains, it is possible to be ‘trapped’ by them if the practical speed limit is high enough and their angular separation in the sky is large enough, i.e. one's expansion in any direction will terminate at a boundary with the two visible civilizations. Detection at an extreme cosmological distance has surprisingly little mitigating effect on our conclusions.
Optical determination of crystal phase in semiconductor nanocrystals
Authors: Lim Sung Jun , Schleife André , Smith Andrew M. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractOptical, electronic and structural properties of nanocrystals fundamentally derive from crystal phase. This is especially important for polymorphic II–VI, III–V and I-III-VI2 semiconductor materials such as cadmium selenide, which exist as two stable phases, cubic and hexagonal, each with distinct properties. However, standard crystallographic characterization through diffraction yields ambiguous phase signatures when nanocrystals are small or polytypic. Moreover, diffraction methods are low-throughput, incompatible with solution samples and require large sample quantities. Here we report the identification of unambiguous optical signatures of cubic and hexagonal phases in II–VI nanocrystals using absorption spectroscopy and first-principles electronic-structure theory. High-energy spectral features allow rapid identification of phase, even in small nanocrystals (∼2 nm), and may help predict polytypic nanocrystals from differential phase contributions. These theoretical and experimental insights provide simple and accurate optical crystallographic analysis for liquid-dispersed nanomaterials, to improve the precision of nanocrystal engineering and improve our understanding of nanocrystal reactions.
Inferring personal economic status from social network location
Authors: Luo Shaojun , Morone Flaviano , Sarraute Carlos , Travizano Matías , Makse Hernán A. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIt is commonly believed that patterns of social ties affect individuals’ economic status. Here we translate this concept into an operational definition at the network level, which allows us to infer the economic well-being of individuals through a measure of their location and influence in the social network. We analyse two large-scale sources: telecommunications and financial data of a whole country’s population. Our results show that an individual’s location, measured as the optimal collective influence to the structural integrity of the social network, is highly correlated with personal economic status. The observed social network patterns of influence mimic the patterns of economic inequality. For pragmatic use and validation, we carry out a marketing campaign that shows a threefold increase in response rate by targeting individuals identified by our social network metrics as compared to random targeting. Our strategy can also be useful in maximizing the effects of large-scale economic stimulus policies.
Enhanced heterogeneous ice nucleation by special surface geometry
Authors: Bi Yuanfei , Cao Boxiao , Li Tianshu 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe freezing of water typically proceeds through impurity-mediated heterogeneous nucleation. Although non-planar geometry generically exists on the surfaces of ice nucleation centres, its role in nucleation remains poorly understood. Here we show that an atomically sharp, concave wedge can further promote ice nucleation with special wedge geometries. Our molecular analysis shows that significant enhancements of ice nucleation can emerge both when the geometry of a wedge matches the ice lattice and when such lattice match does not exist. In particular, a 45° wedge is found to greatly enhance ice nucleation by facilitating the formation of special topological defects that consequently catalyse the growth of regular ice. Our study not only highlights the active role of defects in nucleation but also suggests that the traditional concept of lattice match between a nucleation centre and crystalline lattice should be extended to include a broader match with metastable, non-crystalline structural motifs.
Non-cell-autonomous activation of IL-6/STAT3 signaling mediates FGF19-driven hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Zhou Mei , Yang Hong , Learned R. Marc , Tian Hui , Ling Lei 
Published: May 2017

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a primary malignancy of the liver, is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 (FGF19) is one of the most frequently amplified genes in HCC patients. Moreover, mice expressing an FGF19 transgene have been shown to develop HCC. However, the downstream signalling pathways that mediate FGF19-dependent tumorigenesis remain to be deciphered. Here we show that FGF19 triggers a previously unsuspected, non-cell-autonomous program to activate STAT3 signalling in hepatocytes through IL-6 produced in the liver microenvironment. We show that the hepatocyte-specific deletion of Stat3, genetic ablation of Il6, treatment with a neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody or administration of a small-molecule JAK inhibitor, abolishes FGF19-induced tumorigenesis, while the regulatory functions of FGF19 in bile acid, glucose and energy metabolism remain intact. Collectively, these data reveal a key role for the IL-6/STAT3 axis in potentiating FGF19-driven HCC in mice, a finding which may have translational relevance in HCC pathogenesis.
Efficient hydrogen production on MoNi4 electrocatalysts with fast water dissociation kinetics
Authors: Zhang Jian , Wang Tao , Liu Pan , Liao Zhongquan , Liu Shaohua , Zhuang Xiaodong , Chen Mingwei , Zschech Ehrenfried , Feng Xinliang 
Published: May 2017

AbstractVarious platinum-free electrocatalysts have been explored for hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic solutions. However, in economical water-alkali electrolysers, sluggish water dissociation kinetics (Volmer step) on platinum-free electrocatalysts results in poor hydrogen-production activities. Here we report a MoNi4 electrocatalyst supported by MoO2 cuboids on nickel foam (MoNi4/MoO2@Ni), which is constructed by controlling the outward diffusion of nickel atoms on annealing precursor NiMoO4 cuboids on nickel foam. Experimental and theoretical results confirm that a rapid Tafel-step-decided hydrogen evolution proceeds on MoNi4 electrocatalyst. As a result, the MoNi4 electrocatalyst exhibits zero onset overpotential, an overpotential of 15 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 30 mV per decade in 1 M potassium hydroxide electrolyte, which are comparable to the results for platinum and superior to those for state-of-the-art platinum-free electrocatalysts. Benefiting from its scalable preparation and stability, the MoNi4 electrocatalyst is promising for practical water-alkali electrolysers.
Inter-basin sources for two-year predictability of the multi-year La Niña event in 2010–2012
Authors: Luo Jing-Jia , Liu Guoqiang , Hendon Harry , Alves Oscar , Yamagata Toshio 
Published: May 2017

AbstractMulti-year La Niña events often induce persistent cool and wet climate over global lands, altering and in some case mitigating regional climate warming impacts. The latest event lingered from mid-2010 to early 2012 and brought about intensive precipitation over many land regions of the world, particularly Australia. This resulted in a significant drop in global mean sea level despite the background upwards trend. This La Niña event is surprisingly predicted out to two years ahead in a few coupled models, even though the predictability of El Niño-Southern Oscillation during 2002–2014 has declined owing to weakened ocean-atmosphere interactions. However, the underlying mechanism for high predictability of this multi-year La Niña episode is still unclear. Experiments based on a climate model that demonstrates a successful two-year forecast of the La Niña support the hypothesis that warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans act to intensify the easterly winds in the central equatorial Pacific and largely contribute to the occurrence and two-year predictability of the 2010–2012 La Niña. The results highlight the importance of increased Atlantic-Indian Ocean SSTs for the multi-year La Niña’s predictability under global warming.
Towards ultimate low frequency air-core magnetometer sensitivity
Authors: Pellicer-Guridi Ruben , Vogel Michael W. , Reutens David C. , Vegh Viktor 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAir-core magnetometers are amongst the most commonly used magnetic field detectors in biomedical instruments. They offer excellent sensitivity, low fabrication complexity and a robust, cost-effective solution. However, air-core magnetometers must be tailored to the specific application to achieve high sensitivity, which can be decisive in the accuracy of the diagnoses and the time required for the examination. Existing methods proposed for the design of air-core magnetometers are based on simplified models and simulations using a reduced number of variables, potentially leading to sensitivity that is suboptimal. To circumvent this we chose a method with fewer assumptions and a larger number of decision variables which employed a genetic algorithm, a global optimisation method. Experimental validation shows that the model is appropriate for the design of highly sensitive air-core magnetometers. Moreover, our results support the suitability of a genetic algorithm for optimization in this context. The new method described herein will be made publicly available via our website to facilitate the development of less costly biomedical instruments using air-core magnetometers with unprecedented sensitivity.
Reduced Mismatch Negativity is Associated with Increased Plasma Level of Glutamate in First-episode Psychosis
Authors: Nagai Tatsuya , Kirihara Kenji , Tada Mariko , Koshiyama Daisuke , Koike Shinsuke , Suga Motomu , Araki Tsuyoshi , Hashimoto Kenji , Kasai Kiyoto 
Published: May 2017

AbstractReduced amplitude of mismatch negativity (MMN) is one of the more promising biological markers of schizophrenia. This finding holds true in both early and chronic phases of the disorder, and is compatible with the glutamatergic dysfunction hypothesis. To further establish MMN as a biomarker of aberrant glutamatergic neurotransmission, an exploration for an association with blood levels of glutamatergic amino acids is an important next step. Despite a large body of work investigating MMN in schizophrenia, no previous studies have undertaken this endeavor. Nineteen patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 21 ultra-high risk individuals (UHR), and 16 healthy controls (HC) participated in the study. The MMNs in response to duration change (dMMN) and frequency change (fMMN) were measured. The fasting plasma levels of glutamate, glutamine, glycine, D-serine, and L-serine were measured. dMMN amplitudes were significantly reduced in FEP and UHR, compared to HC. The plasma levels of glutamate of FEP were significantly higher than those of HC. Higher plasma levels of glutamate were associated with smaller dMMN amplitudes in the FEP and HC groups. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that MMN is a useful biological marker of aberrant glutamatergic neurotransmission in the early stages of schizophrenia.
Toll-like receptor 4 mediates Lewis lung carcinoma-induced muscle wasting via coordinate activation of protein degradation pathways
Authors: Zhang Guohua , Liu Zhelong , Ding Hui , Miao Hongyu , Garcia Jose M. , Li Yi-Ping 
Published: May 2017

AbstractCancer-induced cachexia, characterized by muscle wasting, is a lethal metabolic syndrome with undefined etiology. Current consensus is that multiple factors contribute to cancer-induced muscle wasting, and therefore therapy requires combinational strategies. Here, we show that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediates cancer-induced muscle wasting by directly activating muscle catabolism as well as stimulating an innate immune response in mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), and targeting TLR4 alone effectively abrogate muscle wasting. Utilizing specific siRNAs we observed that LLC cell-conditioned medium (LCM)-treated C2C12 myotubes underwent a rapid catabolic response in a TLR4-dependent manner, including activation of the p38 MAPK−C/EBPβ signaling pathway as well as the ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome pathways, resulting in myotube atrophy. Utilizing a reporter cell-line it was confirmed that LCM activated TLR4. These results suggest that LLC-released cachexins directly activate muscle catabolism via activating TLR4 on muscle cells independent of immune responses. Critically, LLC tumor-bearing TLR4−/−mice were spared from muscle wasting due to a blockade in muscle catabolic pathways. Further, tumor-induced elevation of circulating TNFα and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was abolished in TLR4−/−mice. These data suggest that TLR4 is a central mediator and therapeutic target of cancer-induced muscle wasting.
A temporal banding approach for consistent taxonomic ranking above the species level
Authors: Kraichak Ekaphan , Crespo Ana , Divakar Pradeep K. , Leavitt Steven D. , Lumbsch H. Thorsten 
Published: May 2017

AbstractComparable taxonomic ranks within clades can facilitate more consistent classifications and objective comparisons among taxa. Here we use a temporal approach to identify taxonomic ranks. This is an extension of the temporal banding approach including a Temporal Error Score that finds an objective cut-off for each taxonomic rank using information for the current classification. We illustrate this method using a data set of the lichenized fungal family Parmeliaceae. To assess its performance, we simulated the effect of taxon sampling and compared our method with the other temporal banding method. For our sampled phylogeny, 11 of the 12 included families remained intact and 55 genera were confirmed, whereas 32 genera were lumped and 15 genera were split. Taxon sampling impacted the method at the genus level, whereas yielded only insignificant changes at the family level. The other available temporal approach also gives a similar cutoff point to our method. Our approach to identify taxonomic ranks enables taxonomists to revise and propose classifications on an objective basis, changing ranks of clades only when inconsistent with most taxa in a phylogenetic tree. An R script to find the time point with the minimal temporal error is provided.
A Chemometrics-driven Strategy for the Bioactivity Evaluation of Complex Multicomponent Systems and the Effective Selection of Bioactivity-predictive Chemical Combinations
Authors: Fujimura Yoshinori , Kawano Chihiro , Maeda-Murayama Ayaka , Nakamura Asako , Koike-Miki Akiko , Yukihira Daichi , Hayakawa Eisuke , Ishii Takanori , Tachibana Hirofumi , Wariishi Hiroyuki , Miura Daisuke 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAlthough understanding their chemical composition is vital for accurately predicting the bioactivity of multicomponent drugs, nutraceuticals, and foods, no analytical approach exists to easily predict the bioactivity of multicomponent systems from complex behaviors of multiple coexisting factors. We herein represent a metabolic profiling (MP) strategy for evaluating bioactivity in systems containing various small molecules. Composition profiles of diverse bioactive herbal samples from 21 green tea extract (GTE) panels were obtained by a high-throughput, non-targeted analytical procedure. This employed the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–mass spectrometry (MALDI–MS) technique, using 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (1,5-DAN) as the optical matrix for detecting GTE-derived components. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed differences among the GTEs in their antioxidant activity, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). A reliable bioactivity-prediction model was constructed to predict the ORAC of diverse GTEs from their compositional balance. This chemometric procedure allowed the evaluation of GTE bioactivity by multicomponent rather than single-component information. The bioactivity could be easily evaluated by calculating the summed abundance of a few selected components that contributed most to constructing the prediction model. 1,5-DAN-MALDI–MS-MP, using diverse bioactive sample panels, represents a promising strategy for screening bioactivity-predictive multicomponent factors and selecting effective bioactivity-predictive chemical combinations for crude multicomponent systems.