bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasmakinetic resection technology for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Sheng , Kwong Joey S.W. , Zeng Xian-Tao , Ruan Xiao-Lan , Liu Tong-Zu , Weng Hong , Guo Yi , Xu Chang , Yan Jin-Zhu , Meng Xiang-Yu , Wang Xing-Huan 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe aim of this study was to compare plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (PKRP) with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in terms of efficacy and safety. Published RCTs were searched from PubMed, Embase, Science Citation Index and Cochrane Library up to April 10, 2014. After methodological quality assessment and data extraction, meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software. 18 reports of 16 RCTs were included in this analysis. Meta-analyses showed that PKRP significantly improved Qmax at 12 months, but no significant difference was found for other efficacy outcomes. In terms of safety, treatment of PKRP was associated with reduced drop in serum sodium, lower TUR syndrome, reduced need of blood transfusion, clot retention and shorter catheterization time and hospital stay; in contrast, there were no significant differences in the analysis of operative time, postoperative fever and long-term postoperative complications. In summary, current evidence suggests that, although PKRP and TURP are both effective for BPH, PKRP is associated with additional potential benefits in efficacy and more favorable safety profile. It may be possible that PKRP may replace the TURP in the future and become a new standard surgical procedure.
To brood or not to brood: Are marine invertebrates that protect their offspring more resilient to ocean acidification?
Authors: Lucey Noelle Marie , Lombardi Chiara , DeMarchi Lucia , Schulze Anja , Gambi Maria Cristina , Calosi Piero 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAnthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is being absorbed by seawater resulting in increasingly acidic oceans, a process known as ocean acidification (OA). OA is thought to have largely deleterious effects on marine invertebrates, primarily impacting early life stages and consequently, their recruitment and species’ survival. Most research in this field has been limited to short-term, single-species and single-life stage studies, making it difficult to determine which taxa will be evolutionarily successful under OA conditions. We circumvent these limitations by relating the dominance and distribution of the known polychaete worm species living in a naturally acidic seawater vent system to their life history strategies. These data are coupled with breeding experiments, showing all dominant species in this natural system exhibit parental care. Our results provide evidence supporting the idea that long-term survival of marine species in acidic conditions is related to life history strategies where eggs are kept in protected maternal environments (brooders) or where larvae have no free swimming phases (direct developers). Our findings are the first to formally validate the hypothesis that species with life history strategies linked to parental care are more protected in an acidifying ocean compared to their relatives employing broadcast spawning and pelagic larval development.
DNA-dependent targeting of cell nuclei by a lupus autoantibody
Authors: Weisbart Richard H. , Chan Grace , Jordaan Gwen , Noble Philip W. , Liu Yanfeng , Glazer Peter M. , Nishimura Robert N. , Hansen James E. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractA nuclear-penetrating lupus anti-DNA autoantibody, 3E10, has been found to inhibit DNA repair and selectively kill certain cancer cells that are highly vulnerable to DNA damage. In addition, a 3E10 single chain variable fragment (scFv) has been developed for use as a delivery vehicle to carry therapeutic cargo proteins into cell nuclei. A greater understanding of the mechanism by which 3E10 penetrates cell nuclei is needed to help determine the scope of its potential therapeutic applications. Here we show that the presence of extracellular DNA significantly enhances the nuclear uptake of 3E10 scFv. In addition, we find that 3E10 scFv preferentially localizes into tumor cell nuclei in vivo, likely due to increased DNA in the local environment released from ischemic and necrotic regions of tumor. These data provide insight into the mechanism of nuclear penetration by 3E10 and demonstrate the potential for use of 3E10 in therapeutic approaches to diseases ranging from malignancy to ischemic conditions such as stroke.
Inactivation of group II intron RmInt1 in the Sinorhizobium meliloti genome
Authors: Dolores Molina-Sánchez María , Toro Nicolás 
Published: July 2015

AbstractGroup II introns are self-splicing catalytic RNAs that probably originated in bacteria and act as mobile retroelements. The dispersal and dynamics of group II intron spread within a bacterial genome are thought to follow a selection-driven extinction model. Likewise, various studies on the evolution of group II introns have suggested that they are evolving toward an inactive form by fragmentation, with the loss of the intron 3′-terminus, but with some intron fragments remaining and continuing to evolve in the genome. RmInt1 is a mobile group II intron that is widespread in natural populations of Sinorhizobium meliloti, but some strains of this species have no RmInt1 introns. We studied the splicing ability and mobility of the three full-length RmInt1 copies harbored by S. meliloti 1021 and obtained evidence suggesting that specific mutations may lead to the impairment of intron splicing and retrohoming. Our data suggest that the RmInt1 copies in this strain are undergoing a process of inactivation.
Coherent control of radiation patterns of nonlinear multiphoton processes in nanoparticles
Authors: Papoff Francesco , McArthur Duncan , Hourahine Ben 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe propose a scheme for the coherent control of light waves and currents in metallic nanospheres which applies independently of the nonlinear multiphoton processes at the origin of waves and currents. We derive conditions on the external control field which enable us to change the radiation pattern and suppress radiative losses or to reduce absorption, enabling the particle to behave as a perfect scatterer or as a perfect absorber. The control introduces narrow features in the response of the particles that result in high sensitivity to small variations in the local environment, including subwavelength spatial shifts.
Mammalian ranges are experiencing erosion of natural darkness
Authors: Duffy James P. , Bennie Jonathan , Durán América P. , Gaston Kevin J. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe continuous increase in the intensity and extent of anthropogenic artificial light has significantly shaped Earth’s nighttime environment. This environmental change has effects across the natural world, with consequences for organismal physiology and behaviour and the abundances and distributions of species. Here, we evaluate for the first time the relations between the spatio-temporal patterns of anthropogenic nighttime light and the distribution of terrestrial mammals, one of the most endangered species groups and one that expresses varying time partitioning strategies. Using descriptive statistics, trend tests and spatial prioritization analysis we show that in most places on earth there is a terrestrial mammal species whose range is experiencing detectable artificial light. For most species this tends only to be for small parts of their range and those affected across large parts are typically rare. Over time (1992–2012), an increase in mean light intensity was found for the ranges of the majority of species, with very few experiencing a decrease. Moreover, nocturnal species are more likely to experience an increase in light within their ranges. This is of conservation concern as many terrestrial mammals are nocturnal and therefore often particularly vulnerable to a pressure such as artificial light at night.
Using Benford’s law to investigate Natural Hazard dataset homogeneity
Authors: Joannes-Boyau Renaud , Bodin Thomas , Scheffers Anja , Sambridge Malcolm , May Simon Matthias 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWorking with a large temporal dataset spanning several decades often represents a challenging task, especially when the record is heterogeneous and incomplete. The use of statistical laws could potentially overcome these problems. Here we apply Benford’s Law (also called the “First-Digit Law”) to the traveled distances of tropical cyclones since 1842. The record of tropical cyclones has been extensively impacted by improvements in detection capabilities over the past decades. We have found that, while the first-digit distribution for the entire record follows Benford’s Law prediction, specific changes such as satellite detection have had serious impacts on the dataset. The least-square misfit measure is used as a proxy to observe temporal variations, allowing us to assess data quality and homogeneity over the entire record and at the same time over specific periods. Such information is crucial when running climatic models and Benford’s Law could potentially be used to overcome and correct for data heterogeneity and/or to select the most appropriate part of the record for detailed studies.
Regulation rewiring analysis reveals mutual regulation between STAT1 and miR-155-5p in tumor immunosurveillance in seven major cancers
Authors: Lin Chen-Ching , Jiang Wei , Mitra Ramkrishna , Cheng Feixiong , Yu Hui , Zhao Zhongming 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTranscription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) form a gene regulatory network (GRN) at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level in living cells. However, this network has not been well characterized, especially in regards to the mutual regulations between TFs and miRNAs in cancers. In this study, we collected those regulations inferred by ChIP-Seq or CLIP-Seq to construct the GRN formed by TFs, miRNAs and target genes. To increase the reliability of the proposed network and examine the regulation activity of TFs and miRNAs, we further incorporated the mRNA and miRNA expression profiles in seven cancer types using The Cancer Genome Atlas data. We observed that regulation rewiring was prevalent during tumorigenesis and found that the rewired regulatory feedback loops formed by TFs and miRNAs were highly associated with cancer. Interestingly, we identified one regulatory feedback loop between STAT1 and miR-155-5p that is consistently activated in all seven cancer types with its function to regulate tumor-related biological processes. Our results provide insights on the losing equilibrium of the regulatory feedback loop between STAT1 and miR-155-5p influencing tumorigenesis.
Both TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 directly target the HBB IVS2–654 (C > T) mutation in β-thalassemia-derived iPSCs
Authors: Xu Peng , Tong Ying , Liu Xiu-zhen , Wang Ting-ting , Cheng Li , Wang Bo-yu , Lv Xiang , Huang Yue , Liu De-pei 
Published: July 2015

Abstractβ-Thalassemia is one of the most common genetic blood diseases and is caused by either point mutations or deletions in the β-globin (HBB) gene. The generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and subsequent correction of the disease-causing mutations may be a potential therapeutic strategy for this disease. Due to the low efficiency of typical homologous recombination, endonucleases, including TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9, have been widely used to enhance the gene correction efficiency in patient-derived iPSCs. Here, we designed TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 to directly target the intron2 mutation site IVS2-654 in the globin gene. We observed different frequencies of double-strand breaks (DSBs) at IVS2-654 loci using TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 and TALENs mediated a higher homologous gene targeting efficiency compared to CRISPR/Cas9 when combined with the piggyBac transposon donor. In addition, more obvious off-target events were observed for CRISPR/Cas9 compared to TALENs. Finally, TALENs-corrected iPSC clones were selected for erythroblast differentiation using the OP9 co-culture system and detected relatively higher transcription of HBB than the uncorrected cells. This comparison of using TALENs or CRISPR/Cas9 to correct specific HBB mutations in patient-derived iPSCs will guide future applications of TALENs- or CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapies in monogenic diseases.
Wideband gain enhancement of slot antenna using one unprinted dielectric superstrate
Authors: Zeb B.A. , Hashmi R.M. , Esselle K.P. 
Published: July 2015

A quarter‐wavelength‐thick unprinted dielectric slab is placed above a slot antenna to achieve high gain with a large bandwidth. By optimally truncating the high‐permittivity superstrate to a small area of 2.25λ02, 8–10 dB enhancement in the directivity of the slot is achieved over a 3 dB directivity bandwidth of 16–18%. A prototype antenna was fabricated and tested at 11.5 GHz. Its measured peak gain is 16.95 dBi and the 3 dB gain bandwidth is 16.25%. The proposed antenna is simple and, more importantly, has a lower profile with a total height of 0.593λ0.
16.8 A/600 V AlGaN/GaN MIS‐HEMTs employing LPCVD‐Si3N4 as gate insulator
Authors: Zhang Zhili , Yu Guohao , Zhang Xiaodong , Tan Shuxin , Wu Dongdong , Fu Kai , Huang Wei , Cai Yong , Zhang Baoshun 
Published: July 2015

An AlGaN/GaN metal–insulator–semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MIS‐HEMT) on Si substrate was obtained with 18 nm silicon nitride (Si3N4) grown by low‐pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) as the gate insulator. The D‐mode MIS‐HEMT shows a high Idss of 16.8 A at Vg = 3 V, a high breakdown voltage (BV) of 600 V and a low‐specific on‐resistance of 2.3 mΩ·cm2. The power device figure of merit (FOM = BV2/Ron,sp) is calculated as 157 MW·cm−2. The good insulation effects of LPCVD‐Si3N4 were also demonstrated by the low gate leakage current of 154 nA at Vds = 600 V and Vgs = −14 V. Furthermore, an E‐mode device was realised by a low‐voltage silicon metal–oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistor in series; the Vth was determined to be 2.6 V. The high Idss, low‐specific on‐resistance, high BV and positive Vth show the potential and advantages of GaN MIS‐HEMTs for power switching applications.
Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors: Part II—Management Options and Outcomes
Authors: Samartzis Dino , Gillis Christopher C. , Shih Patrick , O'Toole John E. , Fessler Richard G. 
Published: July 2015

Study Design Broad narrative review. Objectives Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCT) are uncommon lesions that can affect any age group or sex. However, numerous IMSCT exist and the clinical course of each tumor varies. The following article addresses the various management options and outcomes in patients with IMSCT. Methods An extensive review of the peer-reviewed literature was performed, addressing management options and clinical outcomes of patients with IMSCT. Results Early diagnosis and intervention are essential to obtain optimal functional outcome. Each IMSCT have specific imaging characteristics, which help in the clinical decision-making and prognostication. A comprehension of the tumor pathology and the clinical course associated with each tumor can allow for the proper surgical and nonsurgical management of these tumors, and reduce any associated morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in the operative management of such lesions have increased the success rate of tumor removal while minimizing iatrogenic-related trauma to the patient and, in tandem, improving patient outcomes. Conclusions Awareness and understanding of IMSCT is imperative to design proper management and obtain optimal patient outcomes. Meticulous operative technique and the use of surgical adjuncts are essential to accomplish proper tumor removal, diminish the risk of recurrence, and preserve neurologic function. Operative management of IMSCT should be individualized and based on tumor type, location, and dimensional extensions. To assist with preoperative and intraoperative decision-making, a general algorithm is provided.
The Evaluation and Observation of “Hidden” Hypertrophy of Cervical Ligamentum Flavum, Cervical Canal, and Related Factors Using Kinetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Zeng Cheng , Xiong Jian , Wang Jeffrey C. , Inoue Hirokazu , Tan Yanlin , Tian Haijun , Aghdasi Bayan 
Published: July 2015

Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Objective The objective was to measure the change of flavum ligament diameter during positional changes of the cervical spine using kinetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to examine the correlational diameter changes of the flavum ligament, disk bulging, and the spinal canal from extension to flexion positions. Methods One hundred eight-nine patients underwent kinetic MRI in neutral, extension, and flexion positions. The diameters of cervical ligamentum flavum, disk bulging, and cervical spinal canal and the disk degeneration grade and Cobb angles were measured from C2–C3 to C7–T1. Results In all, 1,134 cervical spinal segments from 189 patients were included. There was a 0.26 ± 0.85-mm average increase in the diameter of the ligamentum flavum from flexion to extension, and 62.70% of the segments had increased ligamentum flavum diameter from flexion to extension. For all segments of the 189 patients, the cervical spinal canal diameters had an average decrease at the disk level of 0.56 ± 1.21 mm from flexion to extension. For all segments with cervical spinal canal narrowing ≥1 mm from flexion to extension view, the ligamentum flavum diameters at C3–C4 to C5–C6 had significant increases compared with patients with spinal canal narrowing < 1 mm ( p < 0.05). For patients with ligamentum flavum hypertrophy of ≥1 mm from the flexion to extension view, the cervical spinal canal diameters at C2–C3, C4–C5, and C5–C6 had significant decreases compared with patients with ligamentum flavum hypertrophy of <1 mm ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The “hidden” hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum was significant at C4–C5 and C5–C6 and significantly contributes to the stenosis of cervical spinal canal in the extension position.
Suppression of conformational heterogeneity at a protein–protein interface
Authors: Deis Lindsay N. , Wu Qinglin , Wang You , Qi Yang , Daniels Kyle G. , Zhou Pei , Oas Terrence G. 
Published: July 2015

SignificanceThe emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, is an increasing threat to human health.S. aureusinfections cause a variety of health complications, ranging from skin lesions to life-threatening infections. Staphylococcal protein A (SpA) is the major cell-surface protein and a multitarget virulence factor. The design of SpA-targeted therapeutics requires a molecular description of its interactions with host proteins. Here we report the crystal structure of a complete SpA domain in complex with an Fcfragment of human IgG. Our structure reveals changes in SpA when it binds to Fc, including a significant reduction in conformational heterogeneity as well as displacement of a SpA side chain by an Fcside chain in a molecular-recognition pocket.
Effects of Increased Discharge on Spawning and Age-0 Recruitment of Rainbow Trout in the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona
Authors: Avery Luke A. , Korman Josh , Persons William R. 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
Negative interactions of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss with endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha pose challenges to the operation of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) to manage for both species in the Colorado River. Operations to enhance the Rainbow Trout tailwater fishery may lead to an increase in downstream movement of the trout to areas where they are likely to interact with Humpback Chub. We evaluated the effects of dam operations on age-0 Rainbow Trout in the tailwater fishery to inform managers about how GCD operations could benefit a tailwater fishery for Rainbow Trout; although this could affect a Humpback Chub population farther downstream. A near year-long increase in discharge at GCD in 2011 enabled us to evaluate whether high and stable flows led to increased spawning and production of age-0 Rainbow Trout compared with other years. Rainbow Trout spawning was monitored by fitting a model to observed redd counts to estimate the number of redds created over a spawning season. Data collected during electrofishing trips in July–September and November were used to acquire age-0 trout population and mortality rate estimates. We found that high and stable flows in 2011 resulted in 3,062 redds (1.7 times the mean of all survey years) and a population estimate of 686,000 age-0 Rainbow Trout (second highest on record). Despite high initial abundance, mortality remained low through the year (0.0043%/d) resulting in significant recruitment with a record high November population estimate of 214,000 age-0 Rainbow Trout. Recent monitoring indicates this recruitment event was followed by an increase in downstream migration, which may lead to increased interactions with downstream populations of Humpback Chub. Consequently, while our results indicate that manipulating flow at GCD can be used to manage Rainbow Trout spawning and recruitment, fisheries managers should use flow manipulation in moderation to minimize downstream migration in order to reduce negative interactions with other species in the Colorado River.
Received September 8, 2014; accepted March 28, 2015
Estimating Regional Fishing Mortality for Freshwater Systems: a Florida Largemouth Bass Example
Authors: Kerns Janice A. , Allen Micheal S. , Dotson Jason R. , Hightower Joseph E. 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
Species-specific harvest regulations in recreational fisheries are commonly applied regionally to protect stocks from overharvest and satisfy a diverse set of anglers. While setting regulations is a complex task and may incorporate the best available social and biological information, fisheries managers commonly obtain directed fishing mortality estimates within a single lake and then assume similar rates among other systems when setting regional harvest regulations. Thus, there is a need to assess regional levels of fishing mortality for informed use of regionally applied regulations. We implemented a practical method for assessing catch and harvest for a recreational fishery across a broad spatial region. We used a passive tag-reward study design and a regional management regulation area for Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus in central Florida as our case study. The estimated fishing mortality rate included both harvest and deaths due to catch and release. We found overall regional fishing mortality for Florida Largemouth Bass in central Florida was relatively low. From the 247 dart tags returned, the mean annual instantaneous total fishing mortality rate was 0.11 (95% credible interval = 0.08–0.15). We also found fishing mortality rates did not vary with lake size or fish total length. Our study design did not provide mortality estimates for any specific lake due to a low number of tagged fish per lake, but the method could be used to elucidate the effectiveness of regulations that are applied at a regional scale.
Received November 20, 2014; accepted March 31, 2015