bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
L'influence du contexte sociolinguistique minoritaire sur le maintien à domicile des aînés en milieu rural dévitalisé: le cas d’Acadieville au Nouveau-Brunswick
Authors: Simard Majella , Dupuis-Blanchard Suzanne , Villalon Lita , Gould Odette , Éthier Sophie , Gibbons et Caroline 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTNew Brunswick is one of the provinces most affected by the aging of the population. Moreover, aging at home in Francophone minority communities is a major challenge in rural areas. The goal of this paper is to identify the main advantages and disadvantages of aging at home and to expose organizational strategies deployed by seniors and their families in order to promote aging in place. The case study is the method of analysis that we have recommended. Our methodology is based on content analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews with seniors and their children. The results show that family and community support, resourcefulness and resiliency, the practice of leisure activities as well as the living environment are among the principal means used by older adults to promote aging at home.
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation affects pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Karamali Maryam , Asemi Zatollah , Ahmadi-Dastjerdi Maedeh , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad 
Published: March 2015

AbstractObjectiveThe present study was designed to assess the effects of Ca+vitamin D supplementation on pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).DesignA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among sixty women with GDM. Participants were divided into two groups to receive Ca+vitamin D supplements or placebo. Individuals in the Ca+vitamin D group (n 30) received 1000 mg Ca/d and two pearls containing 1250 µg (50 000 IU) of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) during the intervention (one at study baseline and another at day 21 of the intervention); those in the placebo group (n 30) received two placebos of vitamin D at the mentioned times and placebos of Ca every day for 6 weeks. Pregnancy outcomes were determined.SettingA urban community setting in Arak, Iran.SubjectsSixty women with GDM and their newborns, living in Arak, Iran were enrolled.ResultsWomen treated with Ca+vitamin D had a significant decrease in caesarean section rate (23·3 % v. 63·3 %, P=0·002) and maternal hospitalization (0 v. 13·3 %, P=0·03) compared with those receiving placebo. In addition, newborns of GDM women randomized to Ca+vitamin D had no case of macrosomia, while the prevalence of macrosomia among those randomized to placebo was 13·3 % (P=0·03). Lower rates of hyperbilirubinaemia (20·0 % v. 56·7 %, P=0·03) and hospitalization (20·0 % v. 56·7 %, P=0·03) were also seen in the supplemented group of newborns than in the placebo group.ConclusionsCa+vitamin D supplementation for 6 weeks among pregnant women with GDM led to decreased caesarean section rate and maternal hospitalization, and decreased macrosomia, hyperbilirubinaemia and hospitalization in newborns.
A robust and rapid xenograft model to assess efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents for human acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Saland E , Boutzen H , Castellano R , Pouyet L , Griessinger E , Larrue C , de Toni F , Scotland S , David M , Danet-Desnoyers G , Vergez F , Barreira Y , Collette Y , Récher C , Sarry J-E 
Published: March 2015

AbstractRelevant preclinical mouse models are crucial to screen new therapeutic agents for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Current in vivo models based on the use of patient samples are not easy to establish and manipulate in the laboratory. Our objective was to develop robust xenograft models of human AML using well-characterized cell lines as a more accessible and faster alternative to those incorporating the use of patient-derived AML cells. Five widely used AML cell lines representing various AML subtypes were transplanted and expanded into highly immunodeficient non-obese diabetic/LtSz-severe combined immunodeficiency IL2Rγcnull mice (for example, cell line-derived xenografts). We show here that bone marrow sublethal conditioning with busulfan or irradiation has equal efficiency for the xenotransplantation of AML cell lines. Although higher number of injected AML cells did not change tumor engraftment in bone marrow and spleen, it significantly reduced the overall survival in mice for all tested AML cell lines. On the basis of AML cell characteristics, these models also exhibited a broad range of overall mouse survival, engraftment, tissue infiltration and aggressiveness. Thus, we have established a robust, rapid and straightforward in vivo model based on engraftment behavior of AML cell lines, all vital prerequisites for testing new therapeutic agents in preclinical studies.
Priority effects during fungal community establishment in beech wood
Authors: Hiscox Jennifer , Savoury Melanie , Müller Carsten T , Lindahl Björn D , Rogers Hilary J , Boddy Lynne 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAssembly history of fungal communities has a crucial role in the decomposition of woody resources, and hence nutrient cycling and ecosystem function. However, it has not been clearly determined whether the fungal species that arrive first may, potentially, dictate the subsequent pathway of community development, that is, whether there is a priority effect at the species level. We used traditional culture-based techniques coupled with sequencing of amplified genetic markers to profile the fungal communities in beech (Fagus sylvatica) disks that had been pre-colonised separately with nine species from various stages of fungal succession. Clear differences in community composition were evident following pre-colonisation by different species with three distinct successor communities identified, indicating that individual species may have pivotal effects in driving assembly history. Priority effects may be linked to biochemical alteration of the resource and combative ability of the predecessor.
Coherent creation and destruction of orbital wavepackets in Si:P with electrical and optical read-out
Authors: Litvinenko K.L. , Bowyer E.T. , Greenland P.T. , Stavrias N. , Li Juerong , Gwilliam R. , Villis B.J. , Matmon G. , Pang M.L.Y. , Redlich B. , van der Meer A.F.G. , Pidgeon C.R. , Aeppli G. , Murdin B.N. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe ability to control dynamics of quantum states by optical interference, and subsequent electrical read-out, is crucial for solid state quantum technologies. Ramsey interference has been successfully observed for spins in silicon and nitrogen vacancy centres in diamond, and for orbital motion in InAs quantum dots. Here we demonstrate terahertz optical excitation, manipulation and destruction via Ramsey interference of orbital wavepackets in Si:P with electrical read-out. We show milliradian control over the wavefunction phase for the two-level system formed by the 1s and 2p states. The results have been verified by all-optical echo detection methods, sensitive only to coherent excitations in the sample. The experiments open a route to exploitation of donors in silicon for atom trap physics, with concomitant potential for quantum computing schemes, which rely on orbital superpositions to, for example, gate the magnetic exchange interactions between impurities.
Humidity-enhanced wet adhesion on insect-inspired fibrillar adhesive pads
Authors: Xue Longjian , Kovalev Alexander , Eichler-Volf Anna , Steinhart Martin , Gorb Stanislav N. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractMany insect species reversibly adhere to surfaces by combining contact splitting (contact formation via fibrillar contact elements) and wet adhesion (supply of liquid secretion via pores in the insects’ feet). Here, we fabricate insect-inspired fibrillar pads for wet adhesion containing continuous pore systems through which liquid is supplied to the contact interfaces. Synergistic interaction of capillarity and humidity-induced pad softening increases the pull-off force and the work of adhesion by two orders of magnitude. This increase and the independence of pull-off force on the applied load are caused by the capillarity-supported formation of solid–solid contact between pad and the surface. Solid–solid contact dominates adhesion at high humidity and capillarity at low humidity. At low humidity, the work of adhesion strongly depends on the amount of liquid deposited on the surface and, therefore, on contact duration. These results may pave the way for the design of insect-inspired adhesive pads.
Sedimentary geology of the middle Carboniferous of the Donbas region (Dniepr-Donets basin, Ukraine)
Authors: van Hinsbergen Douwe J. J. , Abels Hemmo A. , Bosch Wolter , Boekhout Flora , Kitchka Alexander , Hamers Maartje , van der Meer Douwe G. , Geluk Mark , Stephenson Randell A. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe Paleozoic Dniepr-Donets Basin in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia forms a major hydrocarbon province. Although well- and seismic data have established a 20 km thick stratigraphy, field-studies of its sediments are scarce. The inverted Donbas segment (Ukraine) exposes the middle Carboniferous part of the basin's stratigraphy. Here, we provide detailed sedimentological data from 13 sections that cover 1.5 of the total of 5 km of the Bashkirian and Moscovian stages and assess the paleoenvironment and paleo-current directions. Middle Carboniferous deposition occurred in a shelf environment, with coal deposition, subordinate fluvial facies and abundant lower and middle shoreface facies, comprising an intercalated package of potential source and reservoir rocks. Sedimentary facies indicate a paleodepth range from below storm wave base to near-coastal swamp environments. Sedimentation and subsidence were hence in pace, with subtle facies changes likely representing relative sea-level changes. Paleocurrent directions are remarkably consistently southeastward in time and space in the different sedimentary facies across the Donbas Fold Belt, illustrating a dominant sedimentary infill along the basin axis, with little basin margin influence. This suggests that the middle Carboniferous stratigraphy of the Dniepr-Donets basin to the northwest probably contains significant amounts of fluvial sandstones, important for assessing hydrocarbon reservoir potential.
Isolation of high-purity myenteric plexus from adult human and mouse gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Grundmann David , Klotz Markus , Rabe Holger , Glanemann Matthias , Schäfer Karl-Herbert 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe enteric nervous system (ENS) orchestrates a broad range of important gastrointestinal functions such as intestinal motility and gastric secretion. The ENS can be affected by environmental factors, diet and disease. Changes due to these alterations are often hard to evaluate in detail when whole gut samples are used. Analyses based on pure ENS tissue can more effectively reflect the ongoing changes during pathological processes. Here, we present an optimized approach for the isolation of pure myenteric plexus (MP) from adult mouse and human. To do so, muscle tissue was individually digested with a purified collagenase. After incubation and a gentle mechanical disruption step, MP networks could be collected with anatomical integrity. These tissues could be stored and used either for immediate genomic, proteomic or in vitro approaches and enteric neurospheres could be generated and differentiated. In a pilot experiment, the influence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on human MP was analyzed using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The method also allows investigation of factors that are secreted by myenteric tissue in vitro. The isolation of pure MP in large amounts allows new analytical approaches that can provide a new perspective in evaluating changes of the ENS in experimental models, human disease and aging.
Oligomerized, filamentous surface presentation of RANTES/CCL5 on vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Øynebråten Inger , Barois Nicolas , Bergeland Trygve , Küchler Axel M. , Bakke Oddmund , Haraldsen Guttorm 
Published: March 2015

AbstractVascular endothelial cells present luminal chemokines that arrest rolling leukocytes by activating integrins. It appears that several chemokines must form higher-order oligomers to elicit proper in vivo effects, as mutants restricted to forming dimers have lost the ability to recruit leukocytes to sites of inflammation. Here, we show for the first time that the chemokine RANTES/CCL5 binds to the surface of human endothelial cells in a regular filamentous pattern. Furthermore, the filaments bound to the surface in a heparan sulfate-dependent manner. By electron microscopy we observed labeling for RANTES on membrane projections as well as on the remaining plasma membrane. Mutant constructs of RANTES restricted either in binding to heparin, or in forming dimers or tetramers, appeared either in a granular, non-filamentous pattern or were not detectable on the cell surface. The RANTES filaments were also present after exposure to flow, suggesting that they can be present in vivo. Taken together with the lacking in vivo or in vitro effects of RANTES mutants, we suggest that the filamentous structures of RANTES may be of physiological importance in leukocyte recruitment.
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platform for both small neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in blood, with automatic and robust solid phase extraction
Authors: Johnsen Elin , Leknes Siri , Wilson Steven Ray , Lundanes Elsa 
Published: March 2015

AbstractNeurons communicate via chemical signals called neurotransmitters (NTs). The numerous identified NTs can have very different physiochemical properties (solubility, charge, size etc.), so quantification of the various NT classes traditionally requires several analytical platforms/methodologies. We here report that a diverse range of NTs, e.g. peptides oxytocin and vasopressin, monoamines adrenaline and serotonin and amino acid GABA, can be simultaneously identified/measured in small samples, using an analytical platform based on liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The automated platform is cost-efficient as manual sample preparation steps and one-time-use equipment are kept to a minimum. Zwitter-ionic HILIC stationary phases were used for both on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography (capillary format, cLC). This approach enabled compounds from all NT classes to elute in small volumes producing sharp and symmetric signals and allowing precise quantifications of small samples, demonstrated with whole blood (100 microliters per sample). An additional robustness-enhancing feature is automatic filtration/filter back-flushing (AFFL), allowing hundreds of samples to be analyzed without any parts needing replacement. The platform can be installed by simple modification of a conventional LC-MS system.
Elevated CO2 shifts the functional structure and metabolic potentials of soil microbial communities in a C4 agroecosystem
Authors: Xiong Jinbo , He Zhili , Shi Shengjing , Kent Angela , Deng Ye , Wu Liyou , Van Nostrand Joy D. , Zhou Jizhong 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAtmospheric CO2 concentration is continuously increasing and previous studies have shown that elevated CO2 (eCO2) significantly impacts C3 plants and their soil microbial communities. However, little is known about effects of eCO2 on the compositional and functional structure and metabolic potential of soil microbial communities under C4 plants. Here we showed that a C4 maize agroecosystem exposed to eCO2 for eight years shifted the functional and phylogenetic structure of soil microbial communities at both soil depths (0–5 cm and 5–15 cm) using EcoPlate and functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0) analyses. The abundances of key genes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling were significantly stimulated under eCO2 at both soil depths, although some differences in carbon utilization patterns were observed between the two soil depths. Consistently, CO2 was found to be the dominant factor explaining 11.9% of the structural variation of functional genes, while depth and the interaction of depth and CO2 explained 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively. This study implies that eCO2 has profound effects on the functional structure and metabolic potential/activity of soil microbial communities associated with C4 plants, possibly leading to changes in ecosystem functioning and feedbacks to global change in C4 agroecosystems.
Hypergravity exposure during gestation modifies the TCRβ repertoire of newborn mice
Authors: Ghislin Stéphanie , Ouzren-Zarhloul Nassima , Kaminski Sandra , Frippiat Jean-Pol 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDuring spaceflight, organisms are subjected to mechanical force changes (gravity (G) changes) that affect the immune system. However, gravitational effects on lymphopoiesis have rarely been studied. Consequently, we investigated whether the TCRβ repertoire, created by V(D)J recombination during T lymphopoiesis, is affected by hypergravity exposure during murine development. To address this question, C57BL/6j mice were mated in a centrifuge so that embryonic development, birth and TCRβ rearrangements occurred at 2G. Pups were sacrificed at birth and their thymus used to quantify transcripts coding for factors required for V(D)J recombination and T lymphopoiesis. We also created cDNA mini-libraries of TCRβ transcripts to study the impact of hypergravity on TCRβ diversity. Our data show that hypergravity exposure increases the transcription of TCRβ chains and of genes whose products are involved in TCR signaling and affects the V(D)J recombination process. We also observed that ~85% of the TCRβ repertoire is different between hypergravity and control pups. These data indicate that changing a mechanical force (the gravity) during ontogeny will likely affect host immunity because properties of loops constituting TCR antigen-binding sites are modified in hypergravity newborns. The spectrum of peptides recognized by TCR will therefore likely be different.
Molecular Design of Near-IR Dyes with Different Surface Energy for Selective Loading to the Heterojunction in Blend Films
Authors: Xu Huajun , Wada Takaaki , Ohkita Hideo , Benten Hiroaki , Ito Shinzaburo 
Published: March 2015

AbstractWe have synthesized three silicon phthalocyanine dyes with different hydrophobic substituents in order to control surface energy in the solid state, aiming at selective loading of the dyes into blend films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and polystyrene (PS). These three dyes are differently located at P3HT domains, at P3HT/PS interface and at PS domains, respectively, which are fully consistent with the locations predicted by the wetting coefficient derived from the surface energy of each material.
The Relationship Between Lower Limb Bone and Muscle in Military Recruits, Response to Physical Training and Influence of Smoking Status
Authors: Puthucheary Zudin , Kordi Mehdi , Rawal Jai , Eleftheriou Kyriacos I. , Payne John , Montgomery Hugh E. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe relationship between bone and skeletal muscle mass may be affected by physical training. No studies have prospectively examined the bone and skeletal muscle responses to a short controlled exercise-training programme. We hypothesised that a short exercise-training period would affect muscle and bone mass together. Methods: Femoral bone and Rectus femoris Volumes (RFVOL) were determined by magnetic resonance imaging in 215 healthy army recruits and bone mineral density (BMD) by Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and repeated after 12 weeks of regulated physical training. Results: Pre-training, RFVOL was smaller in smokers than non-smokers (100.9 ± 20.2 vs. 108.7 ± 24.5, p = 0.018; 96.2 ± 16.9 vs. 104.8 ± 21.3, p = 0.002 for dominant/non-dominant limbs), although increases in RFVOL with training (of 14.2 ± 14.5% and 13.2 ± 15.6%] respectively, p < 0.001) were independent of prior smoking status. Pre-training RFVOL was related to bone cortical volume (r2 = 0.21 and 0.30, p < 0.001 for dominant and non-dominant legs) and specifically to periosteal (r2 = 0.21 and 0.23, p < 0.001) volume. Pre-training dominant RFVOL was independently associated with Total Hip BMD (p < 0.001). Training-related increases in RFVOL and bone volumes were related. Whilst smokers demonstrated lower muscle mass than non-smokers, differences were abolished with training. Training-related increases in muscle mass were related to increases in periosteal bone volume in both dominant and non-dominant legs.
Transcriptome comparison of the sex pheromone glands from two sibling Helicoverpa species with opposite sex pheromone components
Authors: Li Zhao-Qun , Zhang Shuai , Luo Jun-Yu , Wang Chun-Yi , Lv Li-Min , Dong Shuang-Lin , Cui Jin-Jie 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDifferences in sex pheromone component can lead to reproductive isolation. The sibling noctuid species, Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa assulta, share the same two sex pheromone components, Z9-16:Ald and Z11-16:Ald, but in opposite ratios, providing an typical example of such reproductive isolation. To investigate how the ratios of the pheromone components are differently regulated in the two species, we sequenced cDNA libraries from the pheromone glands of H. armigera and H. assulta. After assembly and annotation, we identified 108 and 93 transcripts putatively involved in pheromone biosynthesis, transport and degradation in H. armigera and H. assulta, respectively. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, phylogenetic and mRNA abundance analyses suggested that some of these transcripts involved in the sex pheromone biosynthesis pathways perform. Based on these results, we postulate that the regulation of desaturases, KPSE and LPAQ, might be key factor regulating the opposite component ratios in the two sibling moths. In addition, our study has yielded large-scale sequence information for further studies and can be used to identify potential targets for the bio-control of these species by disrupting their sexual communication.
Rich stoichiometries of stable Ca-Bi system: Structure prediction and superconductivity
Authors: Dong Xu , Fan Changzeng 
Published: March 2015

AbstractUsing a variable-composition ab initio evolutionary algorithm implemented in the USPEX code, we have performed a systematic search for stable compounds in the Ca-Bi system at different pressures. In addition to the well-known tI12-Ca2Bi and oS12-CaBi2, a few more structures were found by our calculations, among which phase transitions were also predicted in Ca2Bi (tI12 → oI12 → hP6), Ca3Bi2 (hP5 → mC20 → aP5) and CaBi (tI2 → tI8), as well as a new phase (Ca3Bi) with a cF4 structure. All the newly predicted structures can be both dynamically and thermodynamically stable with increasing pressure. The superconductive properties of cF4-CaBi3, tI2-CaBi and cF4-Ca3Bi were studied and the superconducting critical temperature Tc can be as high as 5.16, 2.27 and 5.25 K, respectively. Different superconductivity behaviors with pressure increasing have been observed by further investigations.