bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Description of two waterborne disease outbreaks in France: a comparative study with data from cohort studies and from health administrative databases
Authors: MOULY D. , VAN CAUTEREN D. , VINCENT N. , VAISSIERE E. , BEAUDEAU P. , DUCROT C. , GALLAY A. 
Published: July 2015

SUMMARYWaterborne disease outbreaks (WBDO) of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) are a public health concern in France. Their occurrence is probably underestimated due to the lack of a specific surveillance system. The French health insurance database provides an interesting opportunity to improve the detection of these events. A specific algorithm to identify AGI cases from drug payment reimbursement data in the health insurance database has been previously developed. The purpose of our comparative study was to retrospectively assess the ability of the health insurance data to describe WBDO. Data from the health insurance database was compared with the data from cohort studies conducted in two WBDO in 2010 and 2012. The temporal distribution of cases, the day of the peak and the duration of the epidemic, as measured using the health insurance data, were similar to the data from one of the two cohort studies. However, health insurance data accounted for 54 cases compared to the estimated 252 cases accounted for in the cohort study. The accuracy of using health insurance data to describe WBDO depends on the medical consultation rate in the impacted population. As this is never the case, data analysis underestimates the total number of AGI cases. However this data source can be considered for the development of a detection system of a WBDO in France, given its ability to describe an epidemic signal.
Molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of Blastocystis infection in humans in Italy
Authors: MATTIUCCI S. , CRISAFI B. , GABRIELLI S. , PAOLETTI M. , CANCRINI G. 
Published: July 2015

SUMMARYIn order to describe the molecular epidemiology of Blastocystis infection in Italy, 189 isolates, which had been collected during the years 2012–2014 from mildly symptomatic patients, or those affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or chronic diarrhoea, or otherwise immunosuppressed, were subtyped by sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA gene (536 bp). Six subtypes (STs) were detected: ST1 (15·3%), ST2 (13·8%), ST3 (46·0%), ST4 (21·7%), ST6 (3·2%) and ST8 (0·5%). They clustered in distinct clades, as inferred from Bayesian inference phylogenetic and median joining network analyses. A high genetic differentiation was found at the inter-subtype level; it ranged from Jukes–Cantor (JC) distance = 0·02 (between ST1 and ST4) to JC = 0·11 (between ST6 and ST2). At the intra-ST level, a high genetic homogeneity was registered in ST4, whereas higher genetic variation was found in isolates corresponding to ST1 and ST2. Accordingly, high values of haplotype and nucleotide diversity were observed in ST1, ST2 and ST3. No association was found between patient gender and ST, whereas ST3 and ST1 were significantly more prevalent in patients aged 15–50 years. A significant occurrence of Blastocystis ST4 in patients suffering from IBS, IBD or chronic diarrhoea was observed; in addition, a slight significant association between ST1 and ST3 and IBS patients was found. Multiple correspondence analysis showed some significant contribution of different variables (subtypes, haplotypes, age) in the observed pattern of ordination of the 189 patients in the symptom categories.
Longitudinal investigation of anxiety sensitivity growth trajectories and relations with anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence
Authors: Allan Nicholas P. , Felton Julia W. , Lejuez Carl W. , MacPherson Laura , Schmidt Norman B. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAnxiety sensitivity (AS), the belief that anxious arousal is harmful, is a malleable risk factor that has been implicated in anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents. Although there is some evidence that adolescents possess distinct developmental trajectories, few studies have explored this topic. This study examined the developmental trajectory of AS in 248 adolescents (Mage = 11.0 years,SD= 0.82; 56% male) across 6 years, beginning when children were age 11. This study also examined the influence of AS trajectories on anxiety and depression at age 16. Finally, this study examined the utility of AS classes in identifying anxiety and depression growth. Three AS classes were found, described by normative-stable, high-stable, and high-unstable trajectories. Adolescents in the high-stable and the high-unstable AS classes had higher levels of anxiety and depression at age 16 than did adolescents in the normative-stable AS class. In addition, the anxiety and depression trajectories fit by AS class mirrored the AS class trajectories. These findings suggest three AS trajectories can be identified in adolescents. These trajectories are discussed in relation to a developmental perspective of AS.
Chemically inducible gene expression in seeds before testa rupture
Authors: Nonogaki Mariko , Sekine Taira , Nonogaki Hiroyuki 
Published: July 2015

AbstractImpermeability of the testa hinders efficient penetration of some small chemicals, such as transcriptional inhibitors, through the endosperm and the embryo during seed experiments. InArabidopsisseeds, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl β-d-glucuronic acid, a substrate for β-glucuronidase, did not permeate through the endosperm and embryo efficiently at the stages before testa rupture. TheArabidopsistesta also limited efficient entry of methoxyfenozide, a chemical ligand that was used for inducible gene expression experiments, into seeds. While the detection of a reporter gene at the early imbibitional stages could be replaced by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the interference of entry of the chemical ligand into seeds by the testa was still problematic to gene induction experiments. To develop an efficient inducible expression system for gene function analysis in seeds, an inducible expression system with nitrate, which is a testa-permeable ligand, was examined. The vector containing the 2.1-kb upstream sequence ofNITRITE REDUCTASE 1was able to cause expression of a test gene (long non-coding RNA) in imbibed seeds at the stage before testa rupture in a nitrate-dependent manner. This system can be used not only for characterization of genes associated with seed dormancy and germination in basic research, but also for the development of germination recovery or enhancement technologies for agricultural applications.
Evaluation of the left ventricle longitudinal deformity using myocardial-tracking signals in severely obese adolescents
Authors: Balderrábano Norma , Del Rio Blanca , Navarrete Elsy , Berber Arturo , Méndez Nancy 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe global prevalence of obesity in school-age children and adolescents has increased in recent decades. Obesity modifies some aspects of the cardiovascular system in order to preserve the body homoeostasis. Echocardiography to study ventricular function plays an important role in the evaluation of pathological re-modelling associated with left ventricular dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the left ventricle function and structure with conventional echocardiography and to analyse the longitudinal deformity of the left ventricle using myocardial-tracking signals in a group of severely obese adolescents.Methods and resultsWe carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study. We describe the evaluation of the left ventricle using conventional bi-dimensional echocardiography and the myocardial-tracking signals in severely obese adolescents. There were 34 severely obese adolescents included in our study; 52% had a left ventricular ejection fraction<55%, the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was increased in 70.5% of patients, and 32.3% had an increase in left ventricular mass. On average, 78.9% had abnormal values of left ventricle longitudinal deformations. The number of segments affected per patient was, on average, 5.8, with the anterior apical segment being the most commonly affected. There was a decrease in global longitudinal deformity in 79.4% of the cases.ConclusionMore than half of this group of asymptomatic severely obese adolescents showed abnormalities in left ventricular structure and function evaluated using traditional echocardiographic methods, but 100% of the cases showed abnormalities in longitudinal deformation in at least one of the 17 left ventricle segments evaluated using myocardial-tracking signals.
Smuggling India: Deconstructing Western India's Illicit Export Trade, 1818–1870
Authors: BOEHME KATE 
Published: July 2015

AbstractIn the 1800s it was not only merchants from British India who participated in the expanding trade with China, but also those from the princely states who sought to profit from the increased demand for cash crops. Smuggling—just as most commercial activities unsanctioned by the Bombay Government were labelled—was a source of great anxiety for the colonial authorities in India, especially in the western territories. This article looks at smuggling activity in and around the Bombay Presidency during the first half of the nineteenth century. It will assert that local ‘smuggling’ was, in many cases, the continuation of pre-colonial trade relations, labelled as illegal as a result of ill-defined boundaries and ambiguous legal restrictions. In fact, the success of these activities was less a reflection of widespread criminality than structural weaknesses in the colonial administration. Evidence suggests that British anxieties over smuggling had a greater effect on the political economy of western India than the actual financial damage caused by the illicit trade. The coordinated subversive smuggling network, ultimately, did not exist, and held power largely as a figment of the imperial imagination.
First record of albinism in a tropical anguillid eel Anguilla bengalensis bengalensis from Malaysia
Authors: Abdul Kadir Siti Raudah , Abdul Rasid Mohamad Hafiz Farhan , Wong Li Lian , Kwong Kok Onn , Arai Takaomi 
Published: July 2015

This study reports the first occurrence of partial albinism in a tropical anguillid eelAnguilla bengalensis bengalensisfrom Malaysia. This paper also describes the first record of albinism in the genusAnguilla. The occurrence of albinism in our specimen ofAnguillamight have been caused by three factors: (1) contamination effects; (2) random genetic alterations; or (3) genetic alteration due to small population size. The present results suggest that the albinism inA. bengalensis bengalensisis probably caused by random genetic alteration. Partial albinism may not be a handicap in the life of the present specimen because the eel could still potentially grow to more than 1 m in total length, just like a normal adult eel.
Evidence that the rab5 effector APPL1 mediates APP-βCTF-induced dysfunction of endosomes in Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kim S , Sato Y , Mohan P S , Peterhoff C , Pensalfini A , Rigoglioso A , Jiang Y , Nixon R A 
Published: July 2015

Abstractβ-Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its cleaved products are strongly implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Endosomes are highly active APP processing sites, and endosome anomalies associated with upregulated expression of early endosomal regulator, rab5, are the earliest known disease-specific neuronal response in AD. Here, we show that the rab5 effector APPL1 (adaptor protein containing pleckstrin homology domain, phosphotyrosine binding domain and leucine zipper motif) mediates rab5 overactivation in Down syndrome (DS) and AD, which is caused by elevated levels of the β-cleaved carboxy-terminal fragment of APP (βCTF). βCTF recruits APPL1 to rab5 endosomes, where it stabilizes active GTP-rab5, leading to pathologically accelerated endocytosis, endosome swelling and selectively impaired axonal transport of rab5 endosomes. In DS fibroblasts, APPL1 knockdown corrects these endosomal anomalies. βCTF levels are also elevated in AD brain, which is accompanied by abnormally high recruitment of APPL1 to rab5 endosomes as seen in DS fibroblasts. These studies indicate that persistent rab5 overactivation through βCTF–APPL1 interactions constitutes a novel APP-dependent pathogenic pathway in AD.
Towards a mechanistic understanding of carbon stabilization in manganese oxides
Authors: Johnson Karen , Purvis Graham , Lopez-Capel Elisa , Peacock Caroline , Gray Neil , Wagner Thomas , März Christian , Bowen Leon , Ojeda Jesus , Finlay Nina , Robertson Steve , Worrall Fred , Greenwell Chris 
Published: July 2015

AbstractMinerals stabilize organic carbon (OC) in sediments, thereby directly affecting global climate at multiple scales, but how they do it is far from understood. Here we show that manganese oxide (Mn oxide) in a water treatment works filter bed traps dissolved OC as coatings build up in layers around clean sand grains at 3%w/wC. Using spectroscopic and thermogravimetric methods, we identify two main OC fractions. One is thermally refractory (>550 °C) and the other is thermally more labile (<550 °C). We postulate that the thermal stability of the trapped OC is due to carboxylate groups within it bonding to Mn oxide surfaces coupled with physical entrapment within the layers. We identify a significant difference in the nature of the surface-bound OC and bulk OC . We speculate that polymerization reactions may be occurring at depth within the layers. We also propose that these processes must be considered in future studies of OC in natural systems.
Residue-specific structures and membrane locations of pH-low insertion peptide by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Shu Nicolas S. , Chung Michael S. , Yao Lan , An Ming , Qiang Wei 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe pH-low insertion peptide (pHLIP) binds to a membrane at pH 7.4 unstructured but folds across the bilayer as a transmembrane helix at pH∼6. Despite their promising applications as imaging probes and drug carriers that target cancer cells for cytoplasmic cargo delivery, the mechanism of pH modulation on pHLIP-membrane interactions has not been completely understood. Here, we show the first study on membrane-associated pHLIP using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Data on residue-specific conformation and membrane location describe pHLIP in various surface-bound and membrane-inserted states at pH 7.4, 6.4 and 5.3. The critical membrane-adsorbed state is more complex than previously envisioned. At pH 6.4, for the major unstructured population, the peptide sinks deeper into the membrane in a state II′ that is distinct from the adsorbed state II observed at pH 7.4, which may enable pHLIP to sense slight change in acidity even before insertion.
Intestinal CD169+ macrophages initiate mucosal inflammation by secreting CCL8 that recruits inflammatory monocytes
Authors: Asano Kenichi , Takahashi Naomichi , Ushiki Mikiko , Monya Misa , Aihara Fumiaki , Kuboki Erika , Moriyama Shigetaka , Iida Mayumi , Kitamura Hiroshi , Qiu Chun-Hong , Watanabe Takashi , Tanaka Masato 
Published: July 2015

AbstractLamina propria (LP) macrophages are constantly exposed to commensal bacteria, and are refractory to those antigens in an interleukin (IL)-10-dependent fashion. However, the mechanisms that discriminate hazardous invasion by bacteria from peaceful co-existence with them remain elusive. Here we show that CD169+ macrophages reside not at the villus tip, but at the bottom-end of the LP microenvironment. Following mucosal injury, the CD169+ macrophages recruit inflammatory monocytes by secreting CCL8. Selective depletion of CD169+ macrophages or administration of neutralizing anti-CCL8 antibody ameliorates the symptoms of experimentally induced colitis in mice. Collectively, we identify an LP-resident macrophage subset that links mucosal damage and inflammatory monocyte recruitment. Our results suggest that CD169+ macrophage-derived CCL8 serves as an emergency alert for the collapse of barrier defence, and is a promising target for the suppression of mucosal injury.
Breast cancer survivors are at an increased risk for osteoporotic fractures not explained by lower BMD: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Fraenkel Merav , Geffen David B , Novack Victor , Shafat Tali , Mizrakli Yuval , Ariad Samuell , Koretz Michael , Norton Larry , Siris Ethel 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
Background:
An association between higher bone mineral density (BMD) and the diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) has been reported. Data on the risk of osteoporotic fractures in women with BC are conflicting.

Aims:
The objective of this study was to assess fracture risk adjusted for BMD in women with and without BC, and to assess whether fracture risk in BC patients is attributed to BMD or BC characteristics.

Methods:
Using electronic medical records of patients who underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry BMD studies at Soroka University Medical Center between February 2003 and March 2011, we identified women with subsequent diagnosis of osteoporotic fractures. BC status, demographic, health characteristics, BMD, and other laboratory findings were assessed. In BC patients data on grade, stage, and treatment were collected. Primary outcome was osteoporotic fracture, analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results:
During a median follow-up of 4.9 years in 17,110 women with BMD testing (658 BC patients), 1,193 women experienced an osteoporotic fracture (62 in BC and 1,131 in no-BC groups). In multivariate analysis adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI) and BMD, hazard ratio (HR) for any osteoporotic fracture in women with BC was 1.34 (P=0.026). BMD was similar among women with and without BC who fractured. BC patients who experienced an osteoporotic fracture had a trend for less-advanced BC, lower rates of chemotherapy treatment, and higher rates of tamoxifen treatment.

Conclusions:
BC survivors are at increased risk of an osteoporotic fracture, which is not explained by worse BMD. Chemotherapy or aromatase inhibitors did not contribute substantially to fracture risk among our BC survivors.
All-carbon based graphene field effect transistor with graphitic electrodes fabricated by e-beam direct writing on PMMA
Authors: Chen Wei , Yu Yayun , Zheng Xiaoming , Qin Shiqiao , Wang Fei , Fang Jingyue , Wang Guang , Wang Chaocheng , Wang Li , Peng Gang , Zhang Xue-Ao 
Published: July 2015

AbstractA so called all-carbon based graphene field effect transistor (GFET) in which the electrodes are composed of graphite-like nano-sheets instead of metals in the traditional devices is fabricated by one-step e-beam direct writing (EBDW). It is also found that the graphite-like nano-sheets in electrodes are perpendicular to the channel graphene, which is confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The one-step fabrication of the carbonaceous electrodes is more convenient and lower-cost comparing to the preparation of traditional metal electrodes and can be applied to many other nano-electronic devices.
Unveiling hidden ferrimagnetism and giant magnetoelectricity in polar magnet Fe2Mo3O8
Authors: Wang Yazhong , Pascut Gheorghe L. , Gao Bin , Tyson Trevor A. , Haule Kristjan , Kiryukhin Valery , Cheong Sang-Wook 
Published: July 2015

AbstractMagnetoelectric (ME) effect is recognized for its utility for low-power electronic devices. Largest ME coefficients are often associated with phase transitions in which ferroelectricity is induced by magnetic order. Unfortunately, in these systems, large ME response is revealed only upon elaborate poling procedures. These procedures may become unnecessary in single-polar-domain crystals of polar magnets. Here we report giant ME effects in a polar magnet Fe2Mo3O8 at temperatures as high as 60 K. Polarization jumps of 0.3 μC/cm2 and repeated mutual control of ferroelectric and magnetic moments with differential ME coefficients on the order of 104 ps/m are achieved. Importantly, no electric or magnetic poling is needed, as necessary for applications. The sign of the ME coefficients can be switched by changing the applied “bias” magnetic field. The observed effects are associated with a hidden ferrimagnetic order unveiled by application of a magnetic field.
Low threshold optical bistability at terahertz frequencies with graphene surface plasmons
Authors: Dai Xiaoyu , Jiang Leyong , Xiang Yuanjiang 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe propose a modified Kretschmann-Raether configuration to realize the low threshold optical bistable devices at the terahertz frequencies. The metal layer is replaced by the dielectric sandwich structure with the insertion of graphene and this configuration can support TM-polarization surface electromagnetic wave. The surface plasmon resonance is strongly dependent on the Fermi-level of graphene and the thickness of the sandwich structure. It is found that the switching-up and switching-down intensities required to observe the optical bistable behavior are lowered markedly due to the excitation of the graphene surface plasmons, thus making this configuration a prime candidate for experimental investigation at the terahertz range. And the switching threshold value can be further reduced by decreasing the Fermi-level or increasing the thickness of sandwich structure, hence providing a new way for realizing tunable optical bistable devices. Finally, the optical bistability at higher terahertz frequency and the influence of relaxation time under the actual experimental condition on Fermi-level are discussed.
The pain receptor TRPV1 displays agonist-dependent activation stoichiometry
Authors: Hazan Adina , Kumar Rakesh , Matzner Henry , Priel Avi 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe receptor channel TRPV1 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1) is expressed by primary afferent sensory neurons of the pain pathway, where it functions as a sensor of noxious heat and various chemicals, including eicosanoids, capsaicin, protons and peptide toxins. Comprised of four identical subunits that organize into a non-selective cationic permeable channel, this receptor has a variety of binding sites responsible for detecting their respective agonists. Although its physiological role as a chemosensor has been described in detail, the stoichiometry of TRPV1 activation by its different ligands remains unknown. Here, we combined the use of concatemeric constructs harboring mutated binding sites with patch-clamp recordings in order to determine the stoichiometry for TRPV1 activation through the vanilloid binding site and the outer-pore domain by capsaicin and protons, respectively. We show that, while a single capsaicin-bound subunit was sufficient to achieve a maximal open-channel lifetime, all four proton-binding sites were required. Thus, our results demonstrate a distinct stoichiometry of TRPV1 activation through two of its different agonist-binding domains.
Common dependence on stress for the statistics of granular avalanches and earthquakes
Authors: Hatano Takahiro , Narteau Clément , Shebalin Peter 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBoth earthquake size-distributions and aftershock decay rates obey power laws. Recent studies have demonstrated the sensibility of their parameters to faulting properties such as focal mechanism, rupture speed or fault complexity. The faulting style dependence may be related to the magnitude of the differential stress, but no model so far has been able to reproduce this behaviour. Here we investigate the statistical properties of avalanches in a dissipative, bimodal particulate system under slow shear. We find that the event size-distribution obeys a power law only in the proximity of a critical volume fraction, whereas power-law aftershock decay rates are observed at all volume fractions accessible in the model. Then, we show that both the exponent of the event size-distribution and the time delay before the onset of the power-law aftershock decay rate are decreasing functions of the shear stress. These results are consistent with recent seismological observations of earthquake size-distribution and aftershock statistics.