bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Eisenmenger malformation: a morphologic study
Authors: Restivo Angelo , di Gioia Cira R. T. , Anderson Robert H. , Carletti Raffaella , Gallo Pietro 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe studied 11 autopsied cases of the Eisenmenger malformation, comparing the findings with 11 hearts with intact ventricular septal structures, and nine hearts having perimembranous ventricular septal defects in the absence of aortic overriding. We found variable lengths for the subpulmonary infundibulum in the hearts with Eisenmenger defects. It was well developed in three hearts, of intermediate length in seven, and very short in one of the specimens. The muscular outlet septum was also of variable length compared with the free-standing subpulmonary infundibular sleeve. Except for one, all hearts had fibrous continuity between the aortic and tricuspid valvar leaflets, such that the ventricular septal defect was then perimembranous. In the remaining case, there was a completely subaortic muscular infundibulum, with the ventricular septal defect showing only muscular borders. The medial papillary muscle was absent in the majority of cases, but was well formed in three hearts, all with relatively short muscular outlet septums. We identified mild, intermediate, and severe degrees of rightward rotation of the aortic valve, and these findings correlated with the extent of aortic valvar overriding. In nine of the 11 hearts, the ventriculo-arterial connections were concordant, but there was double-outlet from the right ventricle in the other two specimens. Based on our anatomic and morphometric observations, we conclude that the hearts we have defined as having Eisenmenger defects show marked individual variation in their specific phenotypic anatomy.
Democratization, environmental and income inequality
Authors: Policardo Laura 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIf the demand for environmental goods is increasing with income, democratization shifts the decisive power from a rich autocrat to a poorer individual (decisive voter), so it should be associated with worse environmental conditions. In this paper, it is shown through a theoretical model that: (i) democratization may have mixed effects on the level of environmental quality, depending on the size of the price and income effects on the demand for environmental quality associated with a decrease in the decisive political actor's wealth; and (ii) assuming that society is composed of two classes of individuals with different levels of exposure to pollution, and assuming moreover that the decisive voter belongs to the most exposed class of individuals while the autocrat does not, democratization is beneficial for the environment, and the better the effect on the environment, the bigger the difference in wealth between the two decisive political actors.
Breakfast skipping and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Bi Huashan , Gan Yong , Yang Chen , Chen Yawen , Tong Xinyue , Lu Zuxun 
Published: February 2015

AbstractObjectiveBreakfast skipping has been reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the results are inconsistent. No meta-analyses have applied quantitative techniques to compute summary risk estimates. The present study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of observational studies summarizing the evidence on the association between breakfast skipping and the risk of T2D.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.SettingRelevant studies were identified by a search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and SINOMED up to 9 August 2014. We also reviewed reference lists from retrieved articles. We included studies that reported risk estimates (including relative risks, odds ratios and hazard ratios) with 95 % confidence intervals for the association between breakfast skipping and the risk of T2D.SubjectsEight studies involving 106 935 participants and 7419 patients with T2D were included in the meta-analysis.ResultsA pooled adjusted relative risk for the association between exposure to breakfast skipping and T2D risk was 1·21 (95 % CI 1·12, 1·31; P=0·984; I2=0·0 %) in cohort studies and the pooled OR was 1·15 (95 % CI, 1·05, 1·24; P=0·770; I2=0·0 %) in cross-sectional studies. Visual inspection of a funnel plot and Begg’s test indicated no evidence of publication bias.ConclusionsBreakfast skipping is associated with a significantly increased risk of T2D. Regular breakfast consumption is potentially important for the prevention of T2D.
Macroscopic rotation of photon polarization induced by a single spin
Authors: Arnold Christophe , Demory Justin , Loo Vivien , Lemaître Aristide , Sagnes Isabelle , Glazov Mikhaïl , Krebs Olivier , Voisin Paul , Senellart Pascale , Lanco Loïc 
Published: February 2015

AbstractEntangling a single spin to the polarization of a single incoming photon, generated by an external source, would open new paradigms in quantum optics such as delayed-photon entanglement, deterministic logic gates or fault-tolerant quantum computing. These perspectives rely on the possibility that a single spin induces a macroscopic rotation of a photon polarization. Such polarization rotations induced by single spins were recently observed, yet limited to a few 10−3 degrees due to poor spin–photon coupling. Here we report the enhancement by three orders of magnitude of the spin–photon interaction, using a cavity quantum electrodynamics device. A single hole spin in a semiconductor quantum dot is deterministically coupled to a micropillar cavity. The cavity-enhanced coupling between the incoming photons and the solid-state spin results in a polarization rotation by ±6° when the spin is optically initialized in the up or down state. These results open the way towards a spin-based quantum network.
Trans-mitochondrial coordination of cristae at regulated membrane junctions
Authors: Picard Martin , McManus Meagan J. , Csordás György , Várnai Péter , Dorn II Gerald W. , Williams Dewight , Hajnóczky György , Wallace Douglas C. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractReminiscent of bacterial quorum sensing, mammalian mitochondria participate in inter-organelle communication. However, physical structures that enhance or enable interactions between mitochondria have not been defined. Here we report that adjacent mitochondria exhibit coordination of inner mitochondrial membrane cristae at inter-mitochondrial junctions (IMJs). These electron-dense structures are conserved across species, resistant to genetic disruption of cristae organization, dynamically modulated by mitochondrial bioenergetics, independent of known inter-mitochondrial tethering proteins mitofusins and rapidly induced by the stable rapprochement of organelles via inducible synthetic linker technology. At the associated junctions, the cristae of adjacent mitochondria form parallel arrays perpendicular to the IMJ, consistent with a role in electrochemical coupling. These IMJs and associated cristae arrays may provide the structural basis to enhance the propagation of intracellular bioenergetic and apoptotic waves through mitochondrial networks within cells.
Rutile TiO2 Mesocrystals/Reduced Graphene Oxide with High-Rate and Long-Term Performance for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Lan Tongbin , Qiu Heyuan , Xie Fengyan , Yang Jie , Wei Mingdeng 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAn in situ hydrothermal route is developed for fabricating rutile TiO2 mesocrystals/reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (TGR) hybrids in the presence of dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid (ADBS). These rutile TiO2 mesocrystals with a Wulff shape are composed of ultra-tiny rod-like subunits with the same oriented direction and closely wrapped by the nanosheets of reduced graphene oxide (RGO). It is found that ADBS played a key role for the formation of mesocrystals during the self-assembly process, which pillared the graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and involved the aggregation of the mesocrystal subunits. Furthermore, the TGR hybrids are used as an anode material and exhibited a large capacity over 150 mA h g−1 at 20 C after 1000 cycles and high rate capability up to 40 C. These high performance characteristics may be due to the intrinsic characteristics of rutile TiO2 mesocrystals constructed from ultra-tiny subunits and hybridized with super conductive RGO nanosheets.
Toll-like receptor-2 deficiency induces schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice
Authors: Park Se Jin , Lee Jee Youn , Kim Sang Jeong , Choi Se-Young , Yune Tae Young , Ryu Jong Hoon 
Published: February 2015

AbstractDysregulation of the immune system contributes to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Here, we demonstrated that toll-like receptor (TLR)-2, a family of pattern-recognition receptors, is involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia-like symptoms. Psychotic symptoms such as hyperlocomotion, anxiolytic-like behaviors, prepulse inhibition deficits, social withdrawal and cognitive impairments were observed in TLR-2 knock-out (KO) mice. Ventricle enlargement, a hallmark of schizophrenia, was also observed in TLR-2 KO mouse brains. Levels of p-Akt and p-GSK-3α/β were markedly higher in the brain of TLR-2 KO than wild-type (WT) mice. Antipsychotic drugs such as haloperidol or clozapine reversed behavioral and biochemical alterations in TLR-2 KO mice. Furthermore, p-Akt and p-GSK-3α/β were decreased by treatment with a TLR-2 ligand, lipoteichoic acid, in WT mice. Thus, our data suggest that the dysregulation of the innate immune system by aTLR-2deficiency may contribute to the development and/or pathophysiology of schizophrenia-like behaviors via Akt-GSK-3α/β signaling.
Inflammation-induced endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles modulate the cellular status of pericytes
Authors: Yamamoto Seiji , Niida Shumpei , Azuma Erika , Yanagibashi Tsutomu , Muramatsu Masashi , Huang Ting Ting , Sagara Hiroshi , Higaki Sayuri , Ikutani Masashi , Nagai Yoshinori , Takatsu Kiyoshi , Miyazaki Kenji , Hamashima Takeru , Mori Hisashi , Matsuda Naoyuki , Ishii Yoko , Sasahara Masakiyo 
Published: February 2015

AbstractEmerging lines of evidence have shown that extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate cell-to-cell communication by exporting encapsulated materials, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), to target cells. Endothelial cell-derived EVs (E-EVs) are upregulated in circulating blood in different pathological conditions; however, the characteristics and the role of these E-EVs are not yet well understood. In vitro studies were conducted to determine the role of inflammation-induced E-EVs in the cell-to-cell communication between vascular endothelial cells and pericytes/vSMCs. Stimulation with inflammatory cytokines and endotoxin immediately induced release of shedding type E-EVs from the vascular endothelial cells and flow cytometry showed that the induction was dose dependent. MiRNA array analyses revealed that group of miRNAs were specifically increased in the inflammation-induced E-EVs. E-EVs added to the culture media of cerebrovascular pericytes were incorporated into the cells. The E-EV-supplemented cells showed highly induced mRNA and protein expression of VEGF-B, which was assumed to be a downstream target of the miRNA that was increased within the E-EVs after inflammatory stimulation. The results suggest that E-EVs mediate inflammation-induced endothelial cell-pericyte/vSMC communication and the miRNAs encapsulated within the E-EVs may play a role in regulating target cell function. E-EVs may be new therapeutic targets for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
No difference in small bowel microbiota between patients with irritable bowel syndrome and healthy controls
Authors: Dlugosz Aldona , Winckler Björn , Lundin Elin , Zakikhany Katherina , Sandström Gunnar , Ye Weimin , Engstrand Lars , Lindberg Greger 
Published: February 2015

AbstractSeveral studies have indicated that colonic microbiota may exhibit important differences between patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and healthy controls. Less is known about the microbiota of the small bowel. We used massive parallel sequencing to explore the composition of small bowel mucosa-associated microbiota in patients with IBS and healthy controls. We analysed capsule biopsies from the jejunum of 35 patients (26 females) with IBS aged 18-(36)-57 years and 16 healthy volunteers (11 females) aged 20-(32)-48 years. Sequences were analysed based on taxonomic classification. The phyla with the highest total abundance across all samples were: Firmicutes (43%), Proteobacteria (23%), Bacteroidetes (15%), Actinobacteria (9.3%) and Fusobacteria (7.0%). The most abundant genera were: Streptococcus (19%), Veillonella (13%), Prevotella (12%), Rothia (6.4%), Haemophilus (5.7%), Actinobacillus (5.5%), Escherichia (4.6%) and Fusobacterium (4.3%). We found no difference among major phyla or genera between patients with IBS and controls. We identified a cluster of samples in the small bowel microbiota dominated by Prevotella, which may represent a common enterotype of the upper small intestine. The remaining samples formed a gradient, dominated by Streptococcus at one end and Escherichia at the other.
Functional variants regulating LGALS1 (Galectin 1) expression affect human susceptibility to influenza A(H7N9)
Authors: Chen Yu , Zhou Jie , Cheng Zhongshan , Yang Shigui , Chu Hin , Fan Yanhui , Li Cun , Wong Bosco Ho-Yin , Zheng Shufa , Zhu Yixin , Yu Fei , Wang Yiyin , Liu Xiaoli , Gao Hainv , Yu Liang , Tang Linglin , Cui Dawei , Hao Ke , Bossé Yohan , Obeidat Ma′en , Brandsma Corry-Anke , Song You-Qiang , To Kelvin Kai-Wang , Sham Pak Chung , Yuen Kwok-Yung , Li Lanjuan 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe fatality of avian influenza A(H7N9) infection in humans was over 30%. To identify human genetic susceptibility to A(H7N9) infection, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 102 A(H7N9) patients and 106 heavily-exposed healthy poultry workers, a sample size critically restricted by the small number of human A(H7N9) cases. To tackle the stringent significance cutoff of GWAS, we utilized an artificial imputation program SnipSnip to improve the association signals. In single-SNP analysis, one of the top SNPs was rs13057866 of LGALS1. The artificial imputation (AI) identified three non-genotyped causal variants, which can be represented by three anchor/partner SNP pairs rs13057866/rs9622682 (AI P = 1.81 × 10−7), rs4820294/rs2899292 (2.13 × 10−7) and rs62236673/rs2899292 (4.25 × 10−7) respectively. Haplotype analysis of rs4820294 and rs2899292 could simulate the signal of a causal variant. The rs4820294/rs2899292 haplotype GG, in association with protection from A(H7N9) infection (OR = 0.26, P = 5.92 × 10−7) correlated to significantly higher levels of LGALS1 mRNA (P = 0.050) and protein expression (P = 0.025) in lymphoblast cell lines. Additionally, rs4820294 was mapped as an eQTL in human primary monocytes and lung tissues. In conclusion, functional variants of LGALS1 causing the expression variations are contributable to the differential susceptibility to influenza A(H7N9).
Shape-modification of patterned nanoparticles by an ion beam treatment
Authors: Heo Kyong Chan , Gwag Jin Seog 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis paper evaluated a practical approach to the fabrication of arrays of non-spherical nanoparticles by colloidal etching without a mask involving exposure to a low energy ion beam. A spherical nanoparticle array was transferred using a soft nanolithography technique, which is a simple and effective pattern transfer method for nanostructures on the surface of thin adhesive polymers on a planar substrate, after placing the spherical nanoparticles on a patterned PDMS [poly(dimethysiloxane)] stamp produced from a patterned Si wafer. The resulting non-spherical nanoparticle array was driven from a spherical nanoparticle array shape-modified by ion beam irradiation. A well-arrayed layer of cone-like-shapes were produced using a head-on ion beam for different exposure times. Also, a variety of mushroom-like-shapes depending on the exposure angle were produced on a substrate with a well-arranged spherical nanoparticle array. This technique has potential applications in nanophotonics, field emission displays (FEDs) and microfluid.
Folding RaCe: a robust method for predicting changes in protein folding rates upon point mutations
Authors: Chaudhary Priyashree , Naganathan Athi N. , Gromiha M. Michael 
Published: February 2015

AbstractMotivation: Protein engineering methods are commonly employed to decipher the folding mechanism of proteins and enzymes. However, such experiments are exceedingly time and resource intensive. It would therefore be advantageous to develop a simple computational tool to predict changes in folding rates upon mutations. Such a method should be able to rapidly provide the sequence position and chemical nature to modulate through mutation, to effect a particular change in rate. This can be of importance in protein folding, function or mechanistic studies.Results: We have developed a robust knowledge-based methodology to predict the changes in folding rates upon mutations formulated from amino and acid properties using multiple linear regression approach. We benchmarked this method against an experimental database of 790 point mutations from 26 two-state proteins. Mutants were first classified according to secondary structure, accessible surface area and position along the primary sequence. Three prime amino acid features eliciting the best relationship with folding rates change were then shortlisted for each class along with an optimized window length. We obtained a self-consistent mean absolute error of 0.36 s−1 and a mean Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) of 0.81. Jack-knife test resulted in a MAE of 0.42 s−1 and a PCC of 0.73. Moreover, our method highlights the importance of outlier(s) detection and studying their implications in the folding mechanism.Availability and implementation: A web server ‘Folding RaCe’ has been developed and is available at http://www.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo/proteinfolding/foldingrace.html.Contact: gromiha@iitm.ac.inSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
CTX-M-27- and CTX-M-14-producing, ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli of the H30 subclonal group within ST131 drive a Japanese regional ESBL epidemic
Authors: Matsumura Yasufumi , Johnson James R. , Yamamoto Masaki , Nagao Miki , Tanaka Michio , Takakura Shunji , Ichiyama Satoshi ,   on behalf of the Kyoto–Shiga Clinical Microbiology Study Group, Matsumura Yasufumi , Yamamoto Masaki , Nagao Miki , Takakura Shunji , Ichiyama Satoshi , Fujita Naohisa , Komori Toshiaki , Yamada Yukiji , Shimizu Tsunehiro , Hayashi Akihiko , Ono Tamotsu , Watanabe Harumi , Fujihara Naoko , Higuchi Takeshi , Moro Kunihiko , Shigeta Masayo , Kida Kaneyuki , Terada Hiromi , Tsuboi Fusayuki , Sugimoto Yoshihisa , Fukumoto Chiyoko 
Published: February 2015

Abstract

Objectives
The global increase in ESBL-producing Escherichia coli is associated with the ST131 clonal group, especially its CTX-M-15-producing H30Rx subset. To understand the rapid spread of ESBL-producing E. coli in Japan, we investigated the molecular epidemiology and ESBL-associated genetic environments of Japanese ST131 isolates.

Methods
Between 2001 and 2012, 1079 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were collected at 10 Japanese acute-care hospitals. ESBL types, ST131 status, fimH allele, H30Rx-defining sequences and ESBL-associated genetic environments were defined using PCR and sequencing. Subclonal groups were defined based on fimH allele and H30Rx status.

Results
Overall, 461 (43%) of the 1079 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates represented ST131. According to fimH-based subclonal typing, the ST131 isolates included 398 fimH allele 30 (H30) isolates, 49 H41 isolates, 10 H22 isolates and 4 other fimH-type isolates. The 398 H30 isolates included 396 ciprofloxacin-resistant H30R isolates, of which 64 (16%) represented the H30Rx subset. Between 2001 and 2007, the CTX-M-14-producing H30R subgroup predominated, accounting for 46% of ST131 isolates, whereas the CTX-M-27-producing H30R and CTX-M-15-producing H30Rx subgroups were rarely detected. In contrast, from 2008 onward the latter two subgroups rose to dominance, accounting for 45% and 24% of ST131 isolates, respectively, versus only 15% for the (formerly dominant) CTX-M-14-producing H30R subgroup. The emergent CTX-M-27-H30R subgroup frequently had an IS26-ΔISEcp1-blaCTX-M-27-ΔIS903D-IS26-like structure, whereas the older CTX-M-14-H30R subgroup frequently had an ISEcp1-blaCTX-M-14-IS903D-like structure.

Conclusions
This Japanese regional ESBL-producing E. coli epidemic is closely associated with newly identified CTX-M-27- and CTX-M-14-producing ST131 H30R subclonal groups and with mobile elements IS26, ISEcp1 and IS903D.
Synergy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy revealed by a genome-scale analysis of murine tuberculosis
Authors: Rodrigues Rodrigo F. , Zárate-Bladés Carlos R. , Rios Wendy M. , Soares Luana S. , Souza Patricia R. M. , Brandão Izaíra T. , Masson Ana P. , Arnoldi Frederico G. C. , Ramos Simone G. , Letourneur Franck , Jacques Sébastien , Cagnard Nicolas , Chiocchia Gilles , Silva Celio L. 
Published: February 2015

Abstract

Objectives
Although TB immunotherapy improves the results of conventional drug treatment, the effects of combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy have never been systematically evaluated. We used a comprehensive lung transcriptome analysis to directly compare the activity of combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy with that of single treatments in a mouse model of TB.

Methods
Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected mice in the chronic phase of the disease (day 30) received: (i) isoniazid and rifampicin (drugs) daily for 30 days; (ii) DNA immunotherapy (DNA), consisting of four 100 μg injections at 10 day intervals; (iii) both therapies (DNA + drugs); or (iv) saline. The effects were evaluated 10 days after the end of treatment (day 70 post-infection).

Results
In all groups a systemic reduction in the load of bacilli was observed, bacilli became undetectable in the drugs and DNA + drugs groups, but the whole lung transcriptome analysis showed 867 genes exclusively modulated by the DNA + drugs combination. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that DNA + drugs treatment provided synergistic effects, including the down-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators of fibrosis, as confirmed by real-time PCR, ELISA, histopathology and hydroxyproline assay.

Conclusions
Our results provide a molecular basis for the advantages of TB treatment using combined chemotherapy and DNA immunotherapy and demonstrate the synergistic effects obtained with this strategy.