bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preterm delivery and elevated maternal total vascular resistance: signs of suboptimal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy?
Authors: Valensise H. , Farsetti D. , Lo Presti D. , Pisani I. , Tiralongo G. M. , Gagliardi G. , Vasapollo B. , Novelli G. P. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo evaluate the maternal hemodynamic profile in women with a diagnosis of threatened preterm delivery (TPD) in order to understand the possible pathophysiologic mechanism leading to an increased lifetime risk for future cardiovascular disease.MethodsPatients with a diagnosis of TPD were enrolled and assessed using a non‐invasive method (USCOM®) for the determination of hemodynamic parameters. Vaginal and rectal swabs were taken, cervical length, blood inflammatory indices, fetal blood‐vessel Doppler velocimetry were measured and gestational age at the time of delivery and neonatal outcomes were noted.ResultsA total of 68 patients were enrolled and included in the analysis. The population was divided into two groups according to total vascular resistance (TVR): Group A with a TVR of ≤ 1000 dynes × s/cm5 (n = 48) and Group B with a TVR of > 1000 dynes × s/cm5 (n = 20). C‐reactive protein (CRP) was higher in Group B than in Group A, suggesting a systemic inflammation status. Group B delivered earlier (32 + 4 weeks vs 38 + 2 weeks; P < 0.01) and neonatal outcome was worse than in Group A. Significantly lower values of cardiac output, stroke volume, peak velocity of flow, velocity time integral, minute distance, stroke volume index, cardiac index, stroke work, cardiac power, inotropy index and potential‐to‐kinetic energy ratio were observed in Group B than in Group A.ConclusionsWomen with a diagnosis of TPD showing TVR values of > 1000 dynes × s/cm5 and elevated levels of CRP are at high risk of preterm delivery. An impaired maternal cardiovascular adaptation during pregnancy in these patients might suggest a possible higher risk for subsequent future cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Anion Directed Self‐Assembly of One‐Dimensional and Two‐Dimensional Coordination Polymers Containing Bridging Diphosphine Ligands
Authors: Shawkataly Omar Bin , Sani Nur Fatiha Amat , Rosli Mohd. M. , Razali Mohd. R. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe reactions of 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane (dppe) with different silver(I) salts facilitated the formation of 1D and 2D coordination polymers, [Ag(dppe)(OAc)]n·nH2O (1) and [Ag2(dppe)1.5(NO3)2]n (2), respectively. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, ATR‐IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and 31P NMR spectroscopy, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Structural analysis revealed that complex 1 exhibits a 1D infinite wavy structure, in which each silver(I) ion is bridged by dppe ligands. Structure 2 has a 2D topologically promising architecture that displays a 6.6.6 graphitic net, which corresponds to hnd topology. The nitrate ions and dppe ligands are in a μ2 bridging mode and support the formation of this net. Moreover, significant π–π interactions between the phenyl rings in the apertures of (6,3) grid stabilized complex 2.
Low Levels of Vitamin D have a Deleterious Effect on the Articular Cartilage in a Rat Model
Authors: Pascual-Garrido Cecilia , Angeline Michael E. , Ma Richard , Chahla Jorge , Voigt Cliff , Deng Xiang Hua , Nguyen Joseph , Warren Russell F. , Rodeo Scott A. 
Published: March 2016

Background Vitamin D appears to play an important role in bone and cartilage metabolism since its receptors are widely found in human articular chondrocytes. Thus, effects of variation of vitamin D may directly impact cartilage and bone biology. Questions/Purposes The aims of this study are to compare (1) articular cartilage structure and composition and (2) trabecular and cortical bone microstructure in rats with normal versus insufficient vitamin D levels. Methods Twenty-five mature, male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to two groups: (1) control arm (vitamin D replete—12 rats) and (2) an experimental arm (vitamin D deficient—13 rats). Vitamin D deficiency was induced using a vitamin D-deficient diet and UV light restriction. Rats were sacrificed after 4 weeks vitamin D deficiency was confirmed. The right knee was harvested for analysis of both the medial (MFC) and lateral femoral condyles (LFC). A region of interest was established on both condyles to correlate subchondral bone architecture and the overlying cartilage. Histological analysis was performed and graded using the modified Mankin score. Subchondral and cortical bony architecture was evaluated with micro-CT. Results After 4 weeks, the vitamin D-deficient group had statistically significant changes in cartilage structure in both the MFC and LFC [1.55 ± 0.6 vs. 4.23 ± 4.1 ( p = 0.035) and 1.55 ± 0.6 vs. 3.53 ± 2.4 ( p = 0.009), respectively]. Micro-CT analysis revealed no correlation between subchondral bone values and the overlying cartilage Mankin score ( p = 0.460). No significant difference was evident between the subchondral bone of the control and study group. Conclusions Low levels of vitamin D have a deleterious effect on the cartilage. Given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the general population, these findings raise important questions about the potential role of vitamin D in articular cartilage health.
Alternative splicing and nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay enforce neural specific gene expression
Authors: Zheng Sika 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAlternative pre‐mRNA splicing is a fundamental regulatory process for most mammalian multi‐exon genes to increase proteome diversity. Nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved mRNA surveillance mechanism to mitigate deleterious effects caused by gene mutations or transcriptional errors. Coupling alternative splicing and NMD (AS‐NMD), in which alternative splicing switches between translational and NMD isoforms, results in fine‐tuning overall gene expression to, in turn, expand the functional activities of these two post‐transcriptional regulatory processes. AS‐NMD is known for maintaining homeostatic expression of many RNA‐binding proteins. We further show that AS‐NMD is a conserved mechanism among mammals to induce developmental expression of the synaptic scaffold protein PSD‐95. Comparing gene sequences between human Psd‐95 and its ancestral orthologues indicates that AS‐NMD regulation of mammalian Psd‐95 is a product of selective pressure and that it enforces neural‐specific expression of PSD‐95 proteins in mammals. Invertebrate homolog of Psd‐95 is not subjected to AS‐NMD regulation and its protein product does not exhibit neural‐specific expression. Given the prevalence of alternative splicing regulation in the mammalian nervous system, neural‐specific expression of many other genes could be controlled by AS‐NMD in a similar manner. We discuss the implication of these discoveries, as well as the challenges in generalizing the regulation and functional activity of AS‐NMD.
‘Mr Smith Goes To Brussels’: Third Country Lobbying and the Making of EU Law and Policy
Authors: KORKEA-AHO Emilia 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe EU’s openness towards stakeholders is central to the legitimacy of its law-making. With the rapid globalisation of EU legislative activities, openness towards actors from third countries requires analysis. With reference to the notion of ‘lobbying’, this article outlines a framework for identifying the role of third country actors in EU policy processes. The two arguments brought forward suggest that third country lobbying is facilitated by the openness of Union law- and policy-making, and that third country actors contribute to EU decision-making at all stages. The article concludes with a set of questions that third country lobbying raises concerning the EU’s legitimate law-making authority in Europe and beyond.
Clinical significance of psychotic experiences in the context of sleep disturbance or substance use
Authors: DeVylder J. E. , Kelleher I. 
Published: March 2016

BackgroundPsychotic experiences (PE) are commonly reported in the general population, where they are associated with elevated clinical need and functional impairment. Research studies typically exclude PE that occur in the context of sleep or substance use (PE-SS), based on the assumption that they are normative within these contexts. This is the first study to formally test clinical and functional outcomes associated with PE that occur in the context of sleep or substance use.MethodData from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (n = 11 776) were used to assess the associations between both PE and PE-SS and a broad range of outcomes, including psychiatric co-morbidity, suicidal behavior, mental health treatment utilization and World Health Organization (WHO) domains of function, using logistic regression analyses. Lifetime PE and PE-SS were mutually exclusive categories, assessed using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview psychosis screen.ResultsPE were associated with all 10 clinical and functional outcomes. Similarly, respondents reporting PE-SS had greater clinical need and impaired function relative to controls, which was significant for seven of the 10 outcome variables. When directly compared, the PE and PE-SS groups differed only in their associations with role function (greater impairment for PE) and self-care (greater impairment for PE-SS).ConclusionsPE-SS were associated with a broad range of clinical and functional outcomes in this large general population sample. These associations were similar to those found for PE. Future studies should investigate relative differences between sleep- and substance-induced PE.
Ecological patterns, diversity and core taxa of microbial communities in groundwater-fed rapid gravity filters
Authors: Gülay Arda , Musovic Sanin , Albrechtsen Hans-Jørgen , Al-Soud Waleed Abu , Sørensen Søren J , Smets Barth F 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Here, we document microbial communities in rapid gravity filtration units, specifically serial rapid sand filters (RSFs), termed prefilters (PFs) and after- filters (AFs), fed with anoxic groundwaters low in organic carbon to prepare potable waters. A comprehensive 16S rRNA-based amplicon sequencing survey revealed a core RSF microbiome comprising few bacterial taxa (29–30 genera) dominated by Nitrospirae, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, with a strikingly high abundance (75–87±18%) across five examined waterworks in Denmark. Lineages within the Nitrospira genus consistently comprised the second most and most abundant fraction in PFs (27±23%) and AFs (45.2±23%), respectively, and were far more abundant than typical proteobacterial ammonium-oxidizing bacteria, suggesting a physiology beyond nitrite oxidation for Nitrospira. Within the core taxa, sequences closely related to types with ability to oxidize ammonium, nitrite, iron, manganese and methane as primary growth substrate were identified and dominated in both PFs (73.6±6%) and AFs (61.4±21%), suggesting their functional importance. Surprisingly, operational taxonomic unit richness correlated strongly and positively with sampling location in the drinking water treatment plant (from PFs to AFs), and a weaker negative correlation held for evenness. Significant spatial heterogeneity in microbial community composition was detected in both PFs and AFs, and was higher in the AFs. This is the first comprehensive documentation of microbial community diversity in RSFs treating oligotrophic groundwaters. We have identified patterns of local spatial heterogeneity and dispersal, documented surprising energy–diversity relationships, observed a large and diverse Nitrospira fraction and established a core RSF microbiome.
Beyond the Black Queen Hypothesis
Authors: Mas Alix , Jamshidi Shahrad , Lagadeuc Yvan , Eveillard Damien , Vandenkoornhuyse Philippe 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
The Black Queen Hypothesis, recently proposed to explain an evolution of dependency based on gene loss, is gaining ground. This paper focuses on how the evolution of dependency transforms interactions and the community. Using agent-based modeling we suggest that species specializing in the consumption of a common good escape competition and therefore favor coexistence. This evolutionary trajectory could open the way for novel long-lasting interactions and a need to revisit the classically accepted assembly rules. Such evolutionary events also reshape the structure and dynamics of communities, depending on the spatial heterogeneity of the common good production. Let Black be the new black!
Biofilm plasmids with a rhamnose operon are widely distributed determinants of the ‘swim-or-stick’ lifestyle in roseobacters
Authors: Michael Victoria , Frank Oliver , Bartling Pascal , Scheuner Carmen , Göker Markus , Brinkmann Henner , Petersen Jörn 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria of the metabolically versatile Roseobacter group (Rhodobacteraceae) are abundant in marine ecosystems and represent dominant primary colonizers of submerged surfaces. Motility and attachment are the prerequisite for the characteristic ‘swim-or-stick’ lifestyle of many representatives such as Phaeobacter inhibens DSM 17395. It has recently been shown that plasmid curing of its 65-kb RepA-I-type replicon with &gt;20 genes for exopolysaccharide biosynthesis including a rhamnose operon results in nearly complete loss of motility and biofilm formation. The current study is based on the assumption that homologous biofilm plasmids are widely distributed. We analyzed 33 roseobacters that represent the phylogenetic diversity of this lineage and documented attachment as well as swimming motility for 60% of the strains. All strong biofilm formers were also motile, which is in agreement with the proposed mechanism of surface attachment. We established transposon mutants for the four genes of the rhamnose operon from P. inhibens and proved its crucial role in biofilm formation. In the Roseobacter group, two-thirds of the predicted biofilm plasmids represent the RepA-I type and their physiological role was experimentally validated via plasmid curing for four additional strains. Horizontal transfer of these replicons was documented by a comparison of the RepA-I phylogeny with the species tree. A gene content analysis of 35 RepA-I plasmids revealed a core set of genes, including the rhamnose operon and a specific ABC transporter for polysaccharide export. Taken together, our data show that RepA-I-type biofilm plasmids are essential for the sessile mode of life in the majority of cultivated roseobacters.
Local diversity of heathland Cercozoa explored by in-depth sequencing
Authors: Harder Christoffer Bugge , Rønn Regin , Brejnrod Asker , Bass David , Al-Soud Waleed Abu , Ekelund Flemming 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCercozoa are abundant free-living soil protozoa and quantitatively important in soil food webs; yet, targeted high-throughput sequencing (HTS) has not yet been applied to this group. Here we describe the development of a targeted assay to explore Cercozoa using HTS, and we apply this assay to measure Cercozoan community response to drought in a Danish climate manipulation experiment (two sites exposed to artificial drought, two unexposed). Based on a comparison of the hypervariable regions of the 18S ribosomal DNA of 193 named Cercozoa, we concluded that the V4 region is the most suitable for group-specific diversity analysis. We then designed a set of highly specific primers (encompassing ~270 bp) for 454 sequencing. The primers captured all major cercozoan groups; and &gt;95% of the obtained sequences were from Cercozoa. From 443 350 high-quality short reads (&gt;300 bp), we recovered 1585 operational taxonomic units defined by &gt;95% V4 sequence similarity. Taxonomic annotation by phylogeny enabled us to assign &gt;95% of our reads to order level and ~85% to genus level despite the presence of a large, hitherto unknown diversity. Over 40% of the annotated sequences were assigned to Glissomonad genera, whereas the most common individually named genus was the euglyphid Trinema. Cercozoan diversity was largely resilient to drought, although we observed a community composition shift towards fewer testate amoebae.
Stratified coastal ocean interactions with tropical cyclones
Authors: Glenn S. M. , Miles T. N. , Seroka G. N. , Xu Y. , Forney R. K. , Yu F. , Roarty H. , Schofield O. , Kohut J. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractHurricane-intensity forecast improvements currently lag the progress achieved for hurricane tracks. Integrated ocean observations and simulations during hurricane Irene (2011) reveal that the wind-forced two-layer circulation of the stratified coastal ocean, and resultant shear-induced mixing, led to significant and rapid ahead-of-eye-centre cooling (at least 6 °C and up to 11 °C) over a wide swath of the continental shelf. Atmospheric simulations establish this cooling as the missing contribution required to reproduce Irene’s accelerated intensity reduction. Historical buoys from 1985 to 2015 show that ahead-of-eye-centre cooling occurred beneath all 11 tropical cyclones that traversed the Mid-Atlantic Bight continental shelf during stratified summer conditions. A Yellow Sea buoy similarly revealed significant and rapid ahead-of-eye-centre cooling during Typhoon Muifa (2011). These findings establish that including realistic coastal baroclinic processes in forecasts of storm intensity and impacts will be increasingly critical to mid-latitude population centres as sea levels rise and tropical cyclone maximum intensities migrate poleward.
Structural basis of allosteric and synergistic activation of AMPK by furan-2-phosphonic derivative C2 binding
Authors: Langendorf Christopher G. , Ngoei Kevin R. W. , Scott John W. , Ling Naomi X. Y. , Issa Sam M. A. , Gorman Michael A. , Parker Michael W. , Sakamoto Kei , Oakhill Jonathan S. , Kemp Bruce E. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe metabolic stress-sensing enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is responsible for regulating metabolism in response to energy supply and demand. Drugs that activate AMPK may be useful in the treatment of metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes. We have determined the crystal structure of AMPK in complex with its activator 5-(5-hydroxyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-furan-2-phosphonic acid (C2), revealing two C2-binding sites in the γ-subunit distinct from nucleotide sites. C2 acts synergistically with the drug A769662 to activate AMPK α1-containing complexes independent of upstream kinases. Our results show that dual drug therapies could be effective AMPK-targeting strategies to treat metabolic diseases.
Simulating the Kibble-Zurek mechanism of the Ising model with a superconducting qubit system
Authors: Gong Ming , Wen Xueda , Sun Guozhu , Zhang Dan-Wei , Lan Dong , Zhou Yu , Fan Yunyi , Liu Yuhao , Tan Xinsheng , Yu Haifeng , Yu Yang , Zhu Shi-Liang , Han Siyuan , Wu Peiheng 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) predicts the density of topological defects produced in the dynamical processes of phase transitions in systems ranging from cosmology to condensed matter and quantum materials. The similarity between KZM and the Landau-Zener transition (LZT), which is a standard tool to describe the dynamics of some non-equilibrium physics in contemporary physics, is being extensively exploited. Here we demonstrate the equivalence between KZM in the Ising model and LZT in a superconducting qubit system. We develop a time-resolved approach to study quantum dynamics of LZT with nano-second resolution. By using this technique, we simulate the key features of KZM in the Ising model with LZT, e.g., the boundary between the adiabatic and impulse regions, the freeze-out phenomenon in the impulse region, especially, the scaling law of the excited state population as the square root of the quenching speed. Our results provide the experimental evidence of the close connection between KZM and LZT, two textbook paradigms to study the dynamics of the non-equilibrium phenomena.
Herbivory in the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis (Alcyoniidae)
Authors: Piccinetti Chiara C. , Ricci Roberta , Pennesi Chiara , Radaelli Giuseppe , Totti Cecilia , Norici Alessandra , Giordano Mario , Olivotto Ike 
Published: March 2016

AbstractOur work provides strong support for the hypothesis that Sinularia flexibilis ingests diatoms such as Thalassiosira pseudonana. We assessed algal ingestion by S. flexibilis through estimates of algal removal, histological analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations and gene expression determination (18S and silicon transporter 1) by real time PCR. Cell counts are strongly suggestive of algal removal by the coral; light and scanning microscopy provide qualitative evidence for the ingestion of T. pseudonana by S. flexibilis, while molecular markers did not prove to be sufficiently selective/specific to give clear results. We thus propose that previous instances of inability of corals to ingest algae are reconsidered using different technical approach, before concluding that coral herbivory is not a general feature.
Metal-Diazo Radicals of α-Carbonyl Diazomethanes
Authors: Li Feifei , Xiao Longqiang , Liu Lijian 
Published: March 2016

AbstractMetal-diazo radicals of α-carbonyl diazomethanes are new members of the radical family and are precursors to metal-carbene radicals. Herein, using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy with spin-trapping, we detect diazo radicals of α-carbonyl diazomethanes, induced by [RhICl(cod)]2, [CoII(por)] and PdCl2, at room temperature. The unique quintet signal of the Rh-diazo radical was observed in measurements of α-carbonyl diazomethane adducts of [RhICl(cod)]2 in the presence of 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline-1-N-oxide (DMPO). DFT calculations indicated that 97.2% of spin density is localized on the diazo moiety. Co- and Pd-diazo radicals are EPR silent but were captured by DMPO to form spin adducts of DMPO-N∙ (triplet-of-sextets signal). The spin-trapping also provides a powerful tool for detection of metal-carbene radicals, as evidenced by the DMPO-trapped carbene radicals (DMPO-C∙, sextet signal) and 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane-carbene adducts (MNP-C∙, doublet-of-triplets signal). The transformation of α-carbonyl diazomethanes to metal-carbene radicals was confirmed to be a two-step process via metal-diazo radicals.
Characterization of organic matter of plants from lakes by thermal analysis in a N2 atmosphere
Authors: Guo Fei , Wu Fengchang , Mu Yunsong , Hu Yan , Zhao Xiaoli , Meng Wei , Giesy John P. , Lin Ying 
Published: March 2016

AbstractOrganic matter (OM) has been characterized using thermal analysis in O2 atmospheres, but it is not clear if OM can be characterized using slow thermal degradation in N2 atmospheres (STDN). This article presents a new method to estimate the behavior of OM in anaerobic environment. Seventeen different plants from Tai Lake (Ch: Taihu), China were heated to 600 °C at a rate of 10 °C min−1 in a N2 atmosphere and characterized by use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). DSC chromatograms were compared with 9 standard compounds. Seven peaks were observed in DSC chromatograms, 2 main peaks strongly correlated with biochemical indices and one main peak was a transitional stage. Energy absorbed by a peak at approximately 200 °C and total organic carbon were well correlated, while energy absorbed at approximately 460 °C was negatively correlated with lignin content. Presence of peaks at approximately 350 and 420 °C varied among plant biomass sources, providing potential evidence for biomass identification. Methods of STDN reported here were rapid and accurate ways to quantitatively characterize OM, which may provide useful information for understanding anaerobic behaviors of natural organic matters.