bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Measurement of the cosmic optical background using the long range reconnaissance imager on New Horizons
Authors: Zemcov Michael , Immel Poppy , Nguyen Chi , Cooray Asantha , Lisse Carey M. , Poppe Andrew R. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe cosmic optical background is an important observable that constrains energy production in stars and more exotic physical processes in the universe, and provides a crucial cosmological benchmark against which to judge theories of structure formation. Measurement of the absolute brightness of this background is complicated by local foregrounds like the Earth’s atmosphere and sunlight reflected from local interplanetary dust, and large discrepancies in the inferred brightness of the optical background have resulted. Observations from probes far from the Earth are not affected by these bright foregrounds. Here we analyse the data from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) instrument on NASA’s New Horizons mission acquired during cruise phase outside the orbit of Jupiter, and find a statistical upper limit on the optical background’s brightness similar to the integrated light from galaxies. We conclude that a carefully performed survey with LORRI could yield uncertainties comparable to those from galaxy counting measurements.
Papilloma-pseudovirus eradicates intestinal tumours and triples the lifespan of ApcMin/+ mice
Authors: Zhong Zhenyu , Zhai Yougang , Bu Ping , Shah Shivanee , Qiao Liang 
Published: April 2017

AbstractInducing tumour-specific adaptive immunity, such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, can result in promising antitumour effect against several human malignancies, especially in combination with immune checkpoint blockade strategies. However, little is known whether activation of innate immunity can lead to direct tumoricidal effect. Here, we develop a papilloma pseudovirus-based oral immunotherapeutic approach that shows strong tumoricidal effects in the gut, resulting in an almost tripled lifespan of ApcMin/+ mice (an animal model of human intestinal tumorigenesis). Mechanistically, these pseudoviruses activate the NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes, leading to caspase-1-mediated tumour regression that is dependent on neither cytotoxic T lymphocytes nor humoral immune response. Blocking caspase-1 activation abrogated the therapeutic effects of the pseudoviruses. Thus, targeting innate immune sensors in tumours by the pseudoviruses might represent a strategy to treat intestinal tumours.
Predictable phenotypic, but not karyotypic, evolution of populations with contrasting initial history
Authors: Simões Pedro , Fragata Inês , Seabra Sofia G. , Faria Gonçalo S. , Santos Marta A. , Rose Michael R. , Santos Mauro , Matos Margarida 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe relative impact of selection, chance and history will determine the predictability of evolution. There is a lack of empirical research on this subject, particularly in sexual organisms. Here we use experimental evolution to test the predictability of evolution. We analyse the real-time evolution of Drosophila subobscura populations derived from contrasting European latitudes placed in a novel laboratory environment. Each natural population was sampled twice within a three-year interval. We study evolutionary responses at both phenotypic (life-history, morphological and physiological traits) and karyotypic levels for around 30 generations of laboratory culture. Our results show (1) repeatable historical effects between years in the initial state, at both phenotypic and karyotypic levels; (2) predictable phenotypic evolution with general convergence except for body size; and (3) unpredictable karyotypic evolution. We conclude that the predictability of evolution is contingent on the trait and level of organization, highlighting the importance of studying multiple biological levels with respect to evolutionary patterns.
Habitat Variability and Ethnic Diversity in Northern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Jia Xin , Lee Harry F. , Cui Mengchun , Liu Chao , Zeng Lin , Yue Ricci P. H. , Zhao Yang , Lu Huayu 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThere are 56 officially-recognized ethnic groups in China. However, the distinct geographic patterns of various ethnic groups in relation to the physical environment in China have rarely been investigated. Based on the geo-referenced physical environmental parameters of 455 Han, Tu, Hui, Salar, Mongolian, and Tibetan communities in Qinghai, we found that the communities could be statistically demarcated by temperature and aridity threshold according to their ethnicity, implying that the geographic distribution of each ethnic group is mediated by the physical environment. We also observed that the habitat of each ethnic group is ecologically compatible with current subsistence strategies. Tibetans settle in cold and humid high-altitude regions owing to the cultivation of highland barley and the breeding of yak, dzo, Tibetan sheep and Tibetan goat. Mongolians survive by animal husbandry in cold and dry grassland areas. Han and Tu people settle in the Huangshui River Valley, which offers relatively humid climate and flat land for agriculture. Hui and Salar people occupy the Yellow River Valley with its relatively arid environment and grassland vegetation suitable for animal breeding. Our findings offer a new perspective in explaining the geographic patterns and the varieties of ethnic groups in China and elsewhere.
A joint analysis of influenza-associated hospitalizations and mortality in Hong Kong, 1998–2013
Authors: Wu Peng , Presanis Anne M. , Bond Helen S. , Lau Eric H. Y. , Fang Vicky J. , Cowling Benjamin J. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractInfluenza viruses may cause severe human infections leading to hospitalization or death. Linear regression models were fitted to population-based data on hospitalizations and deaths. Surveillance data on influenza virus activity permitted inference on influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths. The ratios of these estimates were used as a potential indicator of severity. Influenza was associated with 431 (95% CrI: 358–503) respiratory deaths and 12,700 (95% CrI: 11,700–13,700) respiratory hospitalizations per year. Majority of the excess deaths occurred in persons ≥65 y of age. The ratios of deaths to hospitalizations in adults ≥65 y were significantly higher for influenza A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 compared to A(H3N2) and B. Substantial disease burden associated with influenza viruses were estimated in Hong Kong particularly among children and elderly in 1998–2013. Infections with influenza A(H1N1) was suggested to be more serious than A(H3N2) in older adults.
Meta-analysis Reveals the Prognostic Value of Circulating Tumour Cells Detected in the Peripheral Blood in Patients with Non-Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Lu Yan-jun , Wang Peng , Peng Jing , Wang Xiong , Zhu Yao-wu , Shen Na 
Published: April 2017

AbstractDetecting circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is considered as effective and minimally invasive technique to predict the prognosis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), but its clinical validity is still conflicting in patients without metastasis. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate whether detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood can be used as a prognostic marker for patients with non-metastatic CRC. We performed a comprehensive search of the EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases (up to September 2016). Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model with the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as the effect measures. Twenty studies including 3,687 patients were eligible for inclusion. Overall analyses demonstrated that the presence of CTCs was significantly associated with aggressive disease progression (HR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.64–4.02, P
heterogeneity
< 0.001, I
2
= 81.0%) and reduced disease survival (HR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.66–3.51, P
heterogeneity
= 0.002, I
2
= 59.7%). Subgroup analyses further supported the prognostic effect of CTCs based on different subsets, including sampling time, detection method and cancer type. Our findings suggest that detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood has the clinical utility to indicate poor prognosis in patients with non-metastatic CRC.
Effect of handgrip on coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Xu Lin , Hao Yuan Tao 
Published: April 2017

AbstractObservational studies have reported an association of handgrip strength with risk of cardiovascular disease. However, residual confounding and reverse causation may have influenced these findings. A Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to examine whether handgrip is causally associated with cardiovascular disease. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs3121278 and rs752045, were used as the genetic instruments for handgrip. The effect of each SNP on coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction (CAD/MI) was weighted by its effect on handgrip strength, and estimates were pooled to provide a summary measure for the effect of increased handgrip on risk of CAD/MI. MR analysis showed that higher grip strength reduces risk for CAD/MI, with 1-kilogram increase in genetically determined handgrip reduced odds of CAD by 6% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91–0.99, P = 0.01), and reduced odds of MI by 7% (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.89–0.98, P = 0.003). No association of grip strength with type 2 diabetes, body mass index, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting glucose was found. The inverse causal relationship between handgrip and the risk of CAD or MI suggests that promoting physical activity and resistance training to improve muscle strength may be important for cardiovascular health.
Atom size electron vortex beams with selectable orbital angular momentum
Authors: Pohl Darius , Schneider Sebastian , Zeiger Paul , Rusz Ján , Tiemeijer Peter , Lazar Sorin , Nielsch Kornelius , Rellinghaus Bernd 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe decreasing size of modern functional magnetic materials and devices cause a steadily increasing demand for high resolution quantitative magnetic characterization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based measurements of the electron energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD) may serve as the needed experimental tool. To this end, we present a reliable and robust electron-optical setup that generates and controls user-selectable single state electron vortex beams with defined orbital angular momenta. Our set-up is based on a standard high-resolution scanning TEM with probe aberration corrector, to which we added a vortex generating fork aperture and a miniaturized aperture for vortex selection. We demonstrate that atom size probes can be formed from these electron vortices and that they can be used for atomic resolution structural and spectroscopic imaging – both of which are prerequisites for future atomic EMCD investigations.
Human Luteinizing Hormone and Chorionic Gonadotropin Display Biased Agonism at the LH and LH/CG Receptors
Authors: Riccetti Laura , Yvinec Romain , Klett Danièle , Gallay Nathalie , Combarnous Yves , Reiter Eric , Simoni Manuela , Casarini Livio , Ayoub Mohammed Akli 
Published: April 2017

AbstractHuman luteinizing hormone (LH) and chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) have been considered biologically equivalent because of their structural similarities and their binding to the same receptor; the LH/CGR. However, accumulating evidence suggest that LH/CGR differentially responds to the two hormones triggering differential intracellular signaling and steroidogenesis. The mechanistic basis of such differential responses remains mostly unknown. Here, we compared the abilities of recombinant rhLH and rhCG to elicit cAMP, β-arrestin 2 activation, and steroidogenesis in HEK293 cells and mouse Leydig tumor cells (mLTC-1). For this, BRET and FRET technologies were used allowing quantitative analyses of hormone activities in real-time and in living cells. Our data indicate that rhLH and rhCG differentially promote cell responses mediated by LH/CGR revealing interesting divergences in their potencies, efficacies and kinetics: rhCG was more potent than rhLH in both HEK293 and mLTC-1 cells. Interestingly, partial effects of rhLH were found on β-arrestin recruitment and on progesterone production compared to rhCG. Such a link was further supported by knockdown experiments. These pharmacological differences demonstrate that rhLH and rhCG act as natural biased agonists. The discovery of novel mechanisms associated with gonadotropin-specific action may ultimately help improve and personalize assisted reproduction technologies.
Silicon Derived from Glass Bottles as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Full Cell Batteries
Authors: Li Changling , Liu Chueh , Wang Wei , Mutlu Zafer , Bell Jeffrey , Ahmed Kazi , Ye Rachel , Ozkan Mihrimah , Ozkan Cengiz S. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractEvery year many tons of waste glass end up in landfills without proper recycling, which aggravates the burden of waste disposal in landfill. The conversion from un-recycled glass to favorable materials is of great significance for sustainable strategies. Recently, silicon has been an exceptional anode material towards large-scale energy storage applications, due to its extraordinary lithiation capacity of 3579 mAh g−1 at ambient temperature. Compared with other quartz sources obtained from pre-leaching processes which apply toxic acids and high energy-consuming annealing, an interconnected silicon network is directly derived from glass bottles via magnesiothermic reduction. Carbon-coated glass derived-silicon (gSi@C) electrodes demonstrate excellent electrochemical performance with a capacity of ~1420 mAh g−1 at C/2 after 400 cycles. Full cells consisting of gSi@C anodes and LiCoO2 cathodes are assembled and achieve good initial cycling stability with high energy density.
Achieving unlimited recording length in interference lithography via broad-beam scanning exposure with self-referencing alignment
Authors: Ma Donghan , Zhao Yuxuan , Zeng Lijiang 
Published: April 2017

AbstractLarge-area holographic gratings are of great importance in diverse fields including long-range interference metrology, high-resolution astronomical telescopes, and chirped-pulse-amplification systems. However, in conventional interference lithography, the recording length is limited by the aperture of the collimating lenses. Here we propose broad-beam scanning exposure which employs the latent grating generated continuously during scanning for real-time dynamic fringe locking and thus achieves unlimited recording length. This method is experimentally proved to make high-quality gratings, and is expected to be a new type of interference lithography.
Molecular epidemiology and azole resistance mechanism study of Candida guilliermondii from a Chinese surveillance system
Authors: Cheng Jing-Wei , Liao Kang , Kudinha Timothy , Yu Shu-Ying , Xiao Meng , Wang He , Kong Fanrong , Xu Ying-Chun 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe studied the molecular epidemiology and mechanism of azole resistance of 164 C. guilliermondii isolates from a nationwide multi-center surveillance program. The isolates were identified by ITS gene sequencing, and the in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole and voriconazole was determined by broth microdilution method. The 14-α-demethylase gene ERG11 was amplified and sequenced, and microsatellite analysis was performed to study the genetic relatedness of the isolates. Amongst the 164 C. guilliermondii isolates, 15 (9.1%) and 17 (10.4%) isolates were assigned to be non-wild type (non-WT) to fluconazole and voriconazole, respectively. Sixteen sequence types (STs) were detected by comparing the amino acid sequence polymorphisms of the ERG11 gene. Fifteen isolates of STs 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, were all assigned to be non-WT to fluconazole and voriconazole. By microsatellite analysis, 40 different genotypes were identified. Thirty-seven isolates from one hospital (Z1) shared the same ERG11 sequence type (ST 2), microsatellite genotype (PU40) and drug resistance pattern. In conclusion, this is the first molecular epidemiology study of C. guilliermondii in China. The rate of non-WT isolates to azoles was high and the accurate contribution of ERG11 gene mutations to azole resistance need be confirmed by further studies.
Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle Alters Lipid Composition of Milk
Authors: Liu Z. , Ezernieks V. , Wang J. , Arachchillage N. Wanni , Garner J. B. , Wales W. J. , Cocks B. G. , Rochfort S. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractHeat stress, potentially affecting both the health of animals and the yield and composition of milk, occurs frequently in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions. A simulated acute heat stress experiment was conducted in controlled-climate chambers and milk samples collected before, during and after the heat challenge. Milk lipid composition, surveyed using LC-MS, showed significant changes in triacylglycerol (TAG) and polar lipid profiles. Heat stress (temperature-humidity index up to 84) was associated with a reduction in TAG groups containing short- and medium-chain fatty acids and a concomitant increase in those containing long-chain fatty acids. The abundance of five polar lipid classes including phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine and glucosylceramide, was found to be significantly reduced during heat stress. Lysophosphatidylcholine, showing the greatest reduction in concentration, also displayed a differential response between heat tolerant and heat susceptible cows during heat stress. This phospholipid could be used as a heat stress biomarker for dairy cattle. Changes in TAG profile caused by heat stress are expected to modify the physical properties of milk fat, whereas the reduction of phospholipids may affect the nutritional value of milk. The results are discussed in relation to animal metabolism adaptation in the event of acute heat stress.
Enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance of CdS sensitized TiO2 nanorod arrays decorated with Au nanoparticles as electron sinks
Authors: Gao Xin , Liu Xiangxuan , Zhu Zuoming , Gao Ying , Wang Qingbo , Zhu Fei , Xie Zheng 
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we propose a nanostructure with Au nanoparticles (NPs), as electron sinks, located at the most outside layer of CdS sensitized TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs/CdS/Au). By the introduction of Au NPs, TiO2 NRAs/CdS/Au performs higher visible light photocatalytic capacity in the degradation of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine wastewater than TiO2 NRAs/CdS. The optimal deposition time for Au NPs is 30 s. The visible light induced degradation ability of TiO2 NRAs/CdS/Au (30 s) is 1.4 times that of TiO2 NRAs/CdS. The cycling stability of TiO2 NRAs/CdS is greatly enchanced after Au NPs decoration, which can maintain 95.86% after three cycles. Photoluminescence spectra and photoelectrochemical measurements were carried out to reveal the underlying mechanism for the improved visible light photocatalytic capacity of TiO2 NRAs/CdS/Au. This work demonstrates a promising way for the rational design of metal-semiconductor photocatalysts used in decomposition reaction that can achieve high photocatalytic efficiency.
Understanding the ion-induced elongation of silver nanoparticles embedded in silica
Authors: Peña-Rodríguez Ovidio , Prada Alejandro , Olivares José , Oliver Alicia , Rodríguez-Fernández Luis , Silva-Pereyra Héctor G. , Bringa Eduardo , Perlado José Manuel , Rivera Antonio 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn this work we have studied the elongation of silver nanoparticles irradiated with 40 MeV Bromine ions by means of in situ optical measurements, transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. The localized surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles has a strong dependence on the particle shape and size, which allowed us to obtain the geometrical parameters with remarkable accuracy by means of a fit of the optical spectra. Optical results have been compared with transmission electron microscopy images and molecular dynamics simulations and the agreement is excellent in both cases. An important advantage of in situ measurements is that they yield an extremely detailed information of the full elongation kinetics. Final nanoparticle elongation depends on a complex competition between single-ion deformation, Ostwald ripening and dissolution. Building and validating theoretical models with the data reported in this work should be easier than with the information previously available, due to the unprecedented level of kinetic details obtained from the in situ measurements.
Warming impact on herbivore population composition affects top-down control by predators
Authors: Wang Ying-Jie , Nakazawa Takefumi , Ho Chuan-Kai 
Published: April 2017

AbstractUnderstanding warming impact on herbivores facilitates predicting plant/crop dynamics in natural/agricultural systems. However, it remains unclear how warming will affect herbivore population size and population composition, consequently altering herbivore colonization in a tri-trophic system (plant-herbivore-predator or crop-pest-biocontrol agent). We studied a soybean-aphid-lady beetle system, by conducting (1) a laboratory warming experiment to examine warming impact (+2 °C or +4 °C) on the aphid population size and composition (alate proportion), and (2) a field colonization experiment to examine whether the warming-induced effect subsequently interacts with predators (lady beetles) in affecting aphid colonization. The results showed that warming affected the initial aphid population composition (reduced alate proportion) but not population size; this warming-induced effect strengthened the top-down control by lady beetles and slowing aphid colonization. In other words, biocontrol on crop pests by predators could improve under 2–4 °C warming. Furthermore, aphid colonization was affected by an interaction between the alate proportion and predator (lady beetle) presence. This study suggests that warming affects herbivore population composition and likely mediates top-down control on herbivore colonization by predators. This mechanism may be crucial but underappreciated in climate change ecology because population composition (wing form, sex ratio, age/body size structure) shifts in many species under environmental change.
Significance of genetic polymorphisms in long non-coding RNA AC079767.4 in tuberculosis susceptibility and clinical phenotype in Western Chinese Han population
Authors: Zhao Zhenzhen , Zhang Mei , Ying Jun , Hu Xuejiao , Zhang Jingya , Zhou Yanhong , Zhou Yi , Song Xingbo , Ying Binwu 
Published: April 2017

AbstractRecent studies have implicated long non-coding RNA, AC079767.4, as a highly susceptible gene in tuberculosis. The aim of the study was to preliminarily explore the possible association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AC079767.4 gene with clinical phenotypes and TB susceptibility in Western Chinese Han population. The improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (iMLDR) method was employed to genotype 4 SNPs in AC079767.4 in 554 tuberculosis patients and 561 healthy individuals. In subgroup analysis, only the C allele for rs12477677 was associated with the decreased susceptibility to pulmonary TB with a p-value of 0.026, but p-value was 0.103 after Bonferroni correction. In total samples, haplotype [ACAC], representing four AC079767.4 variants, was found to slightly decrease TB risk (p = 0.045). Furthermore, patients with the CC genotype of rs12477677 were correlated with fewer occurrences of fever (p = 0.016), while patients carrying the T allele were associated with lower levels of ESR in the dominant model of rs1055229 (p = 0.021). For the first time, we reported the potential susceptibility and clinical traits of tuberculosis with lncRNA variants in the Western Han Chinese population. Our data indicate AC079767.4 polymorphisms may potentially act as novel biomarkers for tuberculosis diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.