bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alpha‐synuclein in gastric and colonic mucosa in Parkinson's disease: Limited role as a biomarker
Authors: Chung Sun Ju , Kim Juyeon , Lee Hyo Jeong , Ryu Ho‐Sung , Kim Kiju , Lee Jeong Hoon , Jung Kee Wook , Kim Mi Jung , Kim Mi‐Jung , Kim Young Jin , Yun Sung‐Cheol , Lee Joo‐Yong , Hong Seung‐Mo , Myung Seung‐Jae 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundGastric and colonic alpha‐synuclein immunoreactivity has been reported in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, enteric alpha‐synuclein also has been reported in healthy individuals.ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the utility of alpha‐synuclein immunoreactivity from gastric and colonic mucosal tissues obtained by routine endoscopy to detect PD, and to correlate the pathological burden of alpha‐synuclein with motor and nonmotor features of PD.MethodsWe recruited 104 study subjects, consisting of 38 patients with PD, 13 patients with probable multiple system atrophy (MSA), and 53 healthy controls. Gastric and colonic mucosal tissues obtained by endoscopic gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were assessed using alpha‐synuclein immunohistochemistry. Detailed motor and nonmotor features of PD were correlated with enteric alpha‐synuclein immunoreactivity.ResultsNo difference was seen in the enteric α‐SYN immunoreactivity among patients with PD (31.6% for stomach and 10.4% for colon), patients with MSA (40.0% for stomach and 8.0% for colon), and healthy controls (33.3% for stomach and 18.5% for colon). The frequency of positive alpha‐synuclein immunoreactivity was higher in gastric biopsy tissues than in colonic biopsy tissues in all of the study groups (P < 0.05). No significant correlation was found between the presence of alpha‐synuclein immunoreactivity and the motor and nonmotor features of PD.ConclusionsThe presence of alpha‐synuclein immunoreactivity in gastric and colonic mucosa was detected in a similar manner in patients with PD, patients with MSA, and controls, thus suggesting a limited role of enteric mucosal alpha‐synuclein as a diagnostic biomarker for PD. Future studies are warranted to detect pathological alpha‐synuclein strains. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A randomized trial testing the efficacy of a novel approach to weight loss among men with overweight and obesity
Authors: Crane Melissa M. , Lutes Lesley D. , Ward Dianne S. , Bowling J. Michael , Tate Deborah F. 
Published: December 2015

ObjectiveTo test the efficacy of a weight loss intervention designed to appeal to men.MethodsA randomized trial tested the efficacy of the Rethinking Eating and FITness (REFIT) weight loss program compared to a wait‐list control. The 6‐month intervention was delivered via two face‐to‐face sessions followed by Internet contacts. REFIT encouraged participants to create calorie deficits by making six 100‐calorie changes to their eating daily while increasing physical activity, and the program encouraged customization through selection of specific diet strategies evaluated each week.ResultsParticipants (N = 107, 44.2 years, 31.4 kg/m2, 76.6% white) were randomized into the study, and 90.6% provided data at 6 months. REFIT participants lost −5.0 kg (95% CI: −6.1, −3.9) at 3 months, which was maintained through 6 months (−5.3 kg, 95% CI: −6.5, −4.2); this was greater than the control group (p < 0.001; 6 months: −0.6, 95% CI: −1.8, 0.5). More REFIT participants (49%) achieved a 5% weight loss than control participants (19%; OR 9.4; 95% CI: 3.2, 27.4). An average of 11.2 (±2.7) of 13 of the online intervention contacts were completed.ConclusionsThe novel REFIT intervention produced clinically significant weight losses. This approach holds promise as an alternative to traditional behavioral therapy for men.
Psychosocial oncology care resources in Europe: a study under the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC)
Authors: Travado Luzia , Reis Joaquim C. , Watson Maggie , Borràs Josep 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundCancer is a complex health problem requiring multidisciplinary care. There are clinical guidelines available in order to improve the process and outcomes of cancer care within Europe. However, strategic action is still needed in many European Union (EU) Member States to develop or improve national cancer control plans (NCCPs), which play a key role in cancer control and care. The current study clarifies the extent of implementation of psychosocial oncology care (PSOC) in the EU.MethodA survey methodology was used to cover four dimensions: (1) inclusion of PSOC in NCCPs; (2) structure and resources of PSOC delivery; (3) use of NCCP clinical guidelines; and (4) education and training resources available along with determination of training needs in PSOC.ResultsTwenty‐seven (90%) countries returned questionnaires of which 21 (78%) include PSOC in their NCCP. However, only 10 (37%) reported having specific budgets for PSOC, 8 (30%) having nationally recommended PSOC clinical guidelines, and 6 countries (22%) reported having an official certification for PSOC education.ConclusionAlthough many countries seem to have integrated PSOC into their NCCP, there is still much to do in terms of allocating resources and delivering psychosocial care equitably. Also, there is a need for improving training and certification in PSOC. The findings indicate the need to develop national policies concerning PSOC with clear targets for deliverables in an appropriate timetable in order that psychosocial services and existing clinical guidelines are implemented and fully integrated into EU NCCPs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monitoring the effects of thiamethoxam applied as a seed treatment to winter oilseed rape on the development of bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) colonies
Authors: Thompson Helen , Coulson Mike , Ruddle Natalie , Wilkins Selwyn , Harrington Paul , Harkin Sarah 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe development of bumblebee (Bombus terrestris audax) colonies that had foraged for 5 weeks on flowering winter oilseed rape grown from seed treated with thiamethoxam (as Cruiser OSR) was assessed (two control, one treated field). Colony development was evaluated by monitoring the colony mass, forager activity was assessed, both at the hive and within the crop, and the contribution of oilseed rape to the pollen stored within the colony was analysed.ResultsPollen collected from the treated crop contained residues of 1.0 µg thiamethoxam kg−1 and 3.0 µg CGA322704 (metabolite likely equivalent to clothiandin) kg−1, and nectar contained residues of 1.8 µg thiamethoxam kg−1 and no metabolite. No residues of thiamethoxam or CGA322704 were detected in samples from the control fields. Up to 93% of bumblebee collected pollen sampled from within the colonies originated from oilseed rape, and B. terrestris were observed actively foraging on all the fields. Colonies on all three fields showed similar rates of mass gain during the exposure phase and comparable production of gynes and drones.ConclusionsB. terrestris colonies placed adjacent to a field of flowering oilseed rape grown from thiamethoxam‐treated seed developed at a comparable rate with colonies placed adjacent to oilseed rape grown from untreated seed. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Fair coding for inter‐session network coding in wireless mesh networks
Authors: Yang Xiang , Wang Weiping , Lu Mingming , Wang Jianxin , Zhang Xi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBecause of the broadcast and overhearing capability of wireless networks, network coding can greatly improve throughput in wireless networks. However, our investigation of existing inter‐session network coding protocols found that the short‐term unfairness that existed in 802.11‐based medium access control (MAC) protocols actually decreases the coding opportunity, which in turn compromises the throughput gain of network coding. To alleviate the negative impact of this unfairness, we propose a coding‐aware cross‐layer heuristic approach to optimize the coordination of network coding and MAC layer protocol, named FairCoding, which can significantly increase coding opportunities for inter‐session network coding through a fair short‐term traffic allocation for different coding flows. Experiment evaluation shows that the proposed mechanism can bring more coding opportunities and improve the total throughput of wireless mesh networks by up to 20%, compared with the coding mechanism, without considering the negative impact of the short‐term unfairness. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between Activation Energy of Thermolysis and Friction Sensitivity of Cyclic and Acyclic Nitramines
Authors: Keshavarz Mohammad Hossein , Hayati Mehran , Ghariban‐Lavasani Sara , Zohari Narges 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe knowledge of sensitiveness of an energetic compound to friction stimuli is important to ensure the safety of people and protection of property during shipment. The information on sensitivity to friction is considered very valuable for nitramines, which show relatively higher sensitivity with respect to the other classes of secondary explosives. This study presents a novel general simple model for prediction of the relationship between friction sensitivity and activation energy of thermolysis of cyclic and acyclic nitramines on the basis of their molecular structures. This methodology assumes that friction sensitivity of an energetic compound with general formula CaHbNcOd can be expressed as a function of activation energy of thermolysis and the contribution of specific molecular structural parameters. For 21 nitramines with different molecular structures, the new correlation has the root mean square and the average standard deviations of 14.2 and 17.8 N, respectively, as compared to experimental values. The proposed new method is also tested for further 8 nitramines containing complex molecular structures, which gives good predictions.
Influence of Steric Hindrance of N‐Heterocyclic Ancillary Ligands on the Structure and Magnetic Properties of Manganese(II) Coordination Polymers
Authors: Jiang Jun , Huang Wei , Xu Jun , Pan Fei‐Fei , Wu Da‐Yu 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThree biphenyl‐3,5‐dicarboxylic acid (H2L) based coordination polymers, namely, [Mn3(L)3(2,2′‐bpy)2]n (1), {[Mn(L)(phen)]·(MeOH)}n (2), and [Mn(L)(dipt)]n (3), (2,2′‐bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine, phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline, and dipt = 2,9‐dimethyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and analyses of their magnetic properties. 1 is a trinuclear manganese structure with a 2D motifs, which can join by hydrogen bond bridges to give 3D supramolecular architectures. 2 has a dinuclear center forming a 1D supramolecular ladder chain. The mononuclear complex 3 displays 1D metal‐organic chains driven by μ2‐L linkers. Their structural differences were investigated, revealing that the influence of steric hindrance on the structures of acid‐based coordination polymers is realized through changing the N‐heterocyclic ancillaries of diverse steric hindrance. Obviously, with decreasing of the steric hindrance of the N‐donor ligand, complexes 1–3 show structures from 1D to 2D and mononuclear to multinuclear. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that 1 and 2 have dominating antiferromagnetic couplings between metal ions, whereas compound 3 is paramagnetic.
Breeding system of the critically endangered Lakela's Mint and influence of plant height on pollinators and seed output
Authors: Richardson Matthew L. , Keathley Craig P. , Peterson Cheryl L. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractUnderstanding reproductive systems of rare plants is critical for conservation efforts. Lakela's Mint, Dicerandra immaculata Lakela var. immaculata, is an endangered plant endemic to an approximately 4.8‐km long area in Florida, USA. We used an experimental garden and three populations of Lakela's Mint to determine: (1) what is the breeding system (autonomous, asexual, self‐fertile, cross‐fertile) and are insects necessary for reproduction; (2) which native and nonnative insect species visit flowers and is the frequency of visits to a plant influenced by its height; (3) does the number of flowers visited within a plant by individual insects differ among native and nonnative insect species and due to plant height; and (4) is seed output influenced by plant height? Our results indicate that the breeding system of Lakela's Mint was facultative outcrossing. Insect‐pollinated flowers produced more seeds than flowers that reproduced autonomously or asexually. The honey bee Apis mellifera L., a nonnative species, was the most frequent visitor to plants and visited more flowers within plants than native pollinators, but its behavior was not influenced by plant height. Native pollinators such as Bombus impatiens Cresson were attracted more frequently to shorter plants, but visited fewer flowers than on taller plants. Despite having fewer total and pollinated flowers, shorter plants had a higher output of intact seeds than taller plants, which could be due to differences in efficiency between native and nonnative pollinators or other factors. Our results add insight into factors influencing seed output and interactions between pollinators and rare plants.
Effect of the Molecular Structure on the Adsorption Properties of Cationic Surfactants at the Air–Water Interface
Authors: Lehanine Zineb , Badache Leila 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe surface activity and thermodynamic properties of adsorption at the air–water interface of two series of cationic surfactants based on isourea: the O‐dodecyl‐N,N′‐diisopropylisourea hydrochloride, hydrobromide, and hydroiodide and the O‐tridecafluorooctyl‐N,N′‐diisopropylisourea hydrochloride and hydrobromide were studied. The effect of structural parameters as the nature of the halide counter ion and the nature of the non‐polar chain on the surface activity and thermodynamic properties of adsorption were investigated. The surface parameters, the maximum surface excess concentration (Γmax), the minimum area per molecule (Amin) at the aqueous solution‐air interface, effectiveness of surface tension reduction (πCMC), and efficiency of surface tension reduction (pC20) were estimated. The standard Gibbs free energy of adsorption, (ΔG°ads) change has been calculated at different temperatures.
Enhanced Bioavailability of EPA From Emulsified Fish Oil Preparations Versus Capsular Triacylglycerol
Authors: Raatz Susan K. , Johnson LuAnn K. , Bukowski Michael R. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractFor those individuals who are unable to consume adequate long chain omega‐3 fatty acids (LCn3) from dietary sources, fish oil supplementation is an attractive alternative Pre‐emulsified fish oil supplements, an alternative to capsular triacylglycerol, may enhance the uptake of LCn3 fatty acids it contains. A randomized, Latin‐square crossover design was used to compare the effects of four fish oil supplement preparations (Emulsions S, B and N) on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) concentrations in ten healthy volunteers compared to oil capsules over 48 h after a single dose and chylomicron fatty acid (CMFA) was evaluated over 8 h. Blood samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h and fatty acid concentrations of PLFA and CMFA were determined by gas chromatography and the integrated area under the curve over 40 h (iAUC0–48) was determined. Emulsion S and Emulsion N promoted increased uptake of EPA into PLFA over 48 h when evaluating by iAUC0–48 or individual time points of assessment. No differences were observed between supplements in the CMFA concentrations.
Conjoined Twins Following Assisted Reproduction Technique
Authors: Thomas Anuja , Balakrishnan Bijoy K. , Batra Meenu , Kuriakose Rekha Raichel , Gopinathan Kannoly Karunakaran 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe incidence of conjoined twins as reported in a worldwide epidemiological study is 1.47 per 100,000 births. It varies from 1 in 45,000–200,000 births. Conjoined twins following assisted reproduction are even rarer and we report one such case. A 36-year-old woman who conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, was referred to the feto-maternal unit for nuchal translucency scan. A diagnosis of thoracopagus conjoined twins was made on ultrasound at 12 weeks 3 days of gestation. The couple was counseled in detail and they opted for termination. Pregnancy was terminated medically and the ultrasound diagnosis was confirmed. Assisted reproduction techniques involve a risk of conjoined twins and the present case report supports this. Early diagnosis of conjoined twins and determination of the type of fusion is possible. This aids in discussing the prognosis and counseling the couple regarding options of termination or continuation of pregnancy.
Mechanical stress models of Alzheimer's disease pathology
Authors: Levy Nogueira Marcel , Epelbaum Stéphane , Steyaert Jean‐Marc , Dubois Bruno , Schwartz Laurent 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIntroductionExtracellular accumulation of amyloid‐β protein and intracellular accumulation of tau in brain tissues have been described in animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mechanical stress‐based diseases of different mechanisms, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), arterial hypertension (HTN), and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).MethodsWe provide a brief overview of experimental models of TBI, HTN, and NPH showing features of tau‐amyloid pathology, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss.Results“Alzheimer‐like” hallmarks found in these mechanical stress‐based models were compared with AD features found in transgenic models.DiscussionThe goal of this review is, therefore, to build on current concepts of onset and progression of AD lesions. We point to the importance of accumulated mechanical stress in brain as an environmental and endogenous factor that pushes protein deposition and neuronal injury over the disease threshold. We further encourage the development of preventing strategies and drug screening based on mechanical stress models.
Four Impediments to Embedding Education for Sustainability in Higher Education
Authors: Gale Fred , Davison Aidan , Wood Graham , Williams Stewart , Towle Nick 
Published: December 2015

AbstractHigher education institutions have an unavoidable responsibility to address the looming economic, environmental and social crises imperilling humans and ecosystems by placing ‘education for sustainability’ at the heart of their concerns. Yet, for over three decades, the practice of ‘higher education for sustainability’ (HEfS) has encountered significant barriers to implementation, begging the question as to why. Drawing on a diverse, interdisciplinary literature, we identify four structural impediments to implementing HEfS: (1) disciplinary contestation, which creates confusion over what ‘sustainability’ means; (2) institutional fragmentation, which prevents the interdisciplinary dialogue that sustainability demands; (3) economic globalisation, which transforms higher education into just another market opportunity; and (4) ‘fast and frugal’ habits of reasoning, which steer time-pressed academics towards poorly integrated decisions and unsustainable positions. Our analysis highlights that wider structural change within and beyond the academy will be required if higher education institutions are to meet their responsibilities and drive the necessary social transformation.
Multiscale patterning of a metallic glass using sacrificial imprint lithography
Authors: Singer Jonathan P. , Pelligra Candice I. , Kornblum Noga , Choo Youngwoo , Gopinadhan Manesh , Bordeenithikasem Punnathat , Ketkaew Jittisa , Fatt Liew Seng , Cao Hui , Schroers Jan , Osuji Chinedum O. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been developed as a means to achieve durable multiscale, nanotextured surfaces with desirable properties dictated by topography for a multitude of applications. One barrier to this achievement is the lack of a bridging technique between macroscale thermoplastic forming and nanoimprint lithography, which arises from the difficulty and cost of generating controlled nanostructures on complex geometries using conventional top-down approaches. This difficulty is compounded by the necessary destruction of any resulting reentrant structures during rigid demolding. We have developed a generalized method to overcome this limitation by sacrificial template imprinting using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. It is established that such structures can be grown inexpensively and quickly with tunable morphologies on a wide variety of substrates out of solution, which we exploit to generate the nanoscale portion of the multiscale pattern through this bottom-up approach. In this way, we achieve metallic structures that simultaneously demonstrate features from the macroscale down to the nanoscale, requiring only the top-down fabrication of macro/microstructured molds. Upon detachment of the formed part from the multiscale molds, the ZnO remains embedded in the surface and can be removed by etching in mild conditions to both regenerate the mold and render the surface of the BMGs nanoporous. The ability to pattern metallic surfaces in a single step on length scales from centimeters down to nanometers is a critical step toward fabricating devices with complex shapes that rely on multiscale topography for their intended functions, such as biomedical and electrochemical applications.
Rapid antibiotic-resistance predictions from genome sequence data for Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Bradley Phelim , Gordon N. Claire , Walker Timothy M. , Dunn Laura , Heys Simon , Huang Bill , Earle Sarah , Pankhurst Louise J. , Anson Luke , de Cesare Mariateresa , Piazza Paolo , Votintseva Antonina A. , Golubchik Tanya , Wilson Daniel J. , Wyllie David H. , Diel Roland , Niemann Stefan , Feuerriegel Silke , Kohl Thomas A. , Ismail Nazir , Omar Shaheed V. , Smith E. Grace , Buck David , McVean Gil , Walker A. Sarah , Peto Tim E. A. , Crook Derrick W. , Iqbal Zamin 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has led to an urgent need for rapid detection of drug resistance in clinical samples, and improvements in global surveillance. Here we show how de Bruijn graph representation of bacterial diversity can be used to identify species and resistance profiles of clinical isolates. We implement this method for Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a software package (‘Mykrobe predictor’) that takes raw sequence data as input, and generates a clinician-friendly report within 3 minutes on a laptop. For S. aureus, the error rates of our method are comparable to gold-standard phenotypic methods, with sensitivity/specificity of 99.1%/99.6% across 12 antibiotics (using an independent validation set, n=470). For M. tuberculosis, our method predicts resistance with sensitivity/specificity of 82.6%/98.5% (independent validation set, n=1,609); sensitivity is lower here, probably because of limited understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms. We give evidence that minor alleles improve detection of extremely drug-resistant strains, and demonstrate feasibility of the use of emerging single-molecule nanopore sequencing techniques for these purposes.