bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evolving epidemiology of Nipah virus infection in Bangladesh: evidence from outbreaks during 2010–2011
Authors: CHAKRABORTY A. , SAZZAD H. M. S. , HOSSAIN M. J. , ISLAM M. S. , PARVEEN S. , HUSAIN M. , BANU S. S. , PODDER G. , AFROJ S. , ROLLIN P. E. , DASZAK P. , LUBY S. P. , RAHMAN M. , GURLEY E. S. 
Published: June 2015

SUMMARYDrinking raw date palm sap is the primary route of Nipah virus (NiV) transmission from bats to people in Bangladesh; subsequent person-to-person transmission is common. During December 2010 to March 2011, we investigated NiV epidemiology by interviewing cases using structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and group discussions to collect clinical and exposure histories. We conducted a case-control study to identify risk factors for transmission. We identified 43 cases; 23 were laboratory-confirmed and 20 probable. Thirty-eight (88%) cases died. Drinking raw date palm sap and contact with an infected person were major risk factors; one healthcare worker was infected and for another case transmission apparently occurred through contact with a corpse. In absence of these risk factors, apparent routes of transmission included drinking fermented date palm sap. For the first time, a case was detected in eastern Bangladesh. Identification of new epidemiological characteristics emphasizes the importance of continued NiV surveillance and case investigation.
Psychische Belastung und Krankheitsverarbeitung krebskranker Väter von minderjährigen Kindern
Authors: Ernst Jochen , Schwarz Claudia , Romer Georg , Brähler Elmar , Hinz Andreas , Götze Heide 
Published: June 2015

Fragestellung: Die Studie erfasst den Verlauf der psychischen Belastung (Ängstlichkeit und Depressivität) und Krankheitsverarbeitung krebskranker Väter mit minderjährigen Kindern. Methode: 37 konsekutiv rekrutierte Väter wurden nach Beendigung der Primärbehandlung (T1) und ein halbes Jahr später (T2) zu ihrer Belastung (HADS) und Krankheitsverarbeitung (FKV) schriftlich befragt. Ergebnisse: Im Vergleich zu Männern aus der Allgemeinbevölkerung (adjustiert) zeigte sich eine erhöhte Ängstlichkeit zu T1 (p < 0.01) und T2 (p < 0.05), erhöhte Depressivität nur zu T1 (p < 0.05). Risikofaktoren für eine erhöhte Belastung zu T1 und T2 waren z. B. Erwerbslosigkeit (p < 0.05) und depressive Symptomatik eines Kindes (p < 0.05). Zwischen der Belastung und den Krankheitsverarbeitungsstilen Depressive Verarbeitung (r = 0.67) sowie Bagatellisierung (r = 0.56) bestanden signifikante Korrelationen (beide p < 0.001) zu T1. Schlussfolgerungen: Es ergeben sich empirische Belege, in der psychoonkologischen Forschung und Versorgung eine familienorientierte Perspektive einzunehmen.
Non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs mediate dinitrogen fixation in biological soil crusts during early crust formation
Authors: Pepe-Ranney Charles , Koechli Chantal , Potrafka Ruth , Andam Cheryl , Eggleston Erin , Garcia-Pichel Ferran , Buckley Daniel H 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBiological soil crusts (BSCs) are key components of ecosystem productivity in arid lands and they cover a substantial fraction of the terrestrial surface. In particular, BSC N2-fixation contributes significantly to the nitrogen (N) budget of arid land ecosystems. In mature crusts, N2-fixation is largely attributed to heterocystous cyanobacteria; however, early successional crusts possess few N2-fixing cyanobacteria and this suggests that microorganisms other than cyanobacteria mediate N2-fixation during the critical early stages of BSC development. DNA stable isotope probing with 15N2 revealed that Clostridiaceae and Proteobacteria are the most common microorganisms that assimilate 15N2 in early successional crusts. The Clostridiaceae identified are divergent from previously characterized isolates, though N2-fixation has previously been observed in this family. The Proteobacteria identified share &gt;98.5% small subunit rRNA gene sequence identity with isolates from genera known to possess diazotrophs (for example, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Shigella and Ideonella). The low abundance of these heterotrophic diazotrophs in BSCs may explain why they have not been characterized previously. Diazotrophs have a critical role in BSC formation and characterization of these organisms represents a crucial step towards understanding how anthropogenic change will affect the formation and ecological function of BSCs in arid ecosystems.
Making pathogens sociable: The emergence of high relatedness through limited host invasibility
Authors: van Leeuwen Edwin , O’Neill Sarah , Matthews Andrew , Raymond Ben 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Cooperation depends upon high relatedness, the high genetic similarity of interacting partners relative to the wider population. For pathogenic bacteria, which show diverse cooperative traits, the population processes that determine relatedness are poorly understood. Here, we explore whether within-host dynamics can produce high relatedness in the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis. We study the effects of host/pathogen interactions on relatedness via a model of host invasion and fit parameters to competition experiments with marked strains. We show that invasibility is a key parameter for determining relatedness and experimentally demonstrate the emergence of high relatedness from well-mixed inocula. We find that a single infection cycle results in a bottleneck with a similar level of relatedness to those previously reported in the field. The bottlenecks that are a product of widespread barriers to infection can therefore produce the population structure required for the evolution of cooperative virulence.
Glycan complexity dictates microbial resource allocation in the large intestine
Authors: Rogowski Artur , Briggs Jonathon A. , Mortimer Jennifer C. , Tryfona Theodora , Terrapon Nicolas , Lowe Elisabeth C. , Baslé Arnaud , Morland Carl , Day Alison M. , Zheng Hongjun , Rogers Theresa E. , Thompson Paul , Hawkins Alastair R. , Yadav Madhav P. , Henrissat Bernard , Martens Eric C. , Dupree Paul , Gilbert Harry J. , Bolam David N. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe structure of the human gut microbiota is controlled primarily through the degradation of complex dietary carbohydrates, but the extent to which carbohydrate breakdown products are shared between members of the microbiota is unclear. We show here, using xylan as a model, that sharing the breakdown products of complex carbohydrates by key members of the microbiota, such as Bacteroides ovatus, is dependent on the complexity of the target glycan. Characterization of the extensive xylan degrading apparatus expressed by B. ovatus reveals that the breakdown of the polysaccharide by the human gut microbiota is significantly more complex than previous models suggested, which were based on the deconstruction of xylans containing limited monosaccharide side chains. Our report presents a highly complex and dynamic xylan degrading apparatus that is fine-tuned to recognize the different forms of the polysaccharide presented to the human gut microbiota.
Early emergence of Yersinia pestis as a severe respiratory pathogen
Authors: Zimbler Daniel L. , Schroeder Jay A. , Eddy Justin L. , Lathem Wyndham W. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractYersinia pestis causes the fatal respiratory disease pneumonic plague. Y. pestis recently evolved from the gastrointestinal pathogen Y. pseudotuberculosis; however, it is not known at what point Y. pestis gained the ability to induce a fulminant pneumonia. Here we show that the acquisition of a single gene encoding the protease Pla was sufficient for the most ancestral, deeply rooted strains of Y. pestis to cause pneumonic plague, indicating that Y. pestis was primed to infect the lungs at a very early stage in its evolution. As Y. pestis further evolved, modern strains acquired a single amino-acid modification within Pla that optimizes protease activity. While this modification is unnecessary to cause pneumonic plague, the substitution is instead needed to efficiently induce the invasive infection associated with bubonic plague. These findings indicate that Y. pestis was capable of causing pneumonic plague before it evolved to optimally cause invasive infections in mammals.
Structural, mechanical and electronic properties of Rh2B and RhB2: first-principles calculations
Authors: Chu Binhua , Li Da , Tian Fubo , Duan Defang , Sha Xiaojing , Lv Yunzhou , Zhang Huadi , Liu Bingbing , Cui Tian 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe crystal structures of Rh2B and RhB2 at ambient pressure were explored by using the evolutionary methodology. A monoclinic P21/m structure of Rh2B was predicted and donated as Rh2B-I, which is energetically much superior to the previously experimentally proposed Pnma structure. At the pressure of about 39 GPa, the P21/m phase of Rh2B transforms to the C2/m phases. For RhB2, a new monoclinic P21/m phase was predicted, named as RhB2-II, it has the same structure type with Rh2B. Rh2B-I and RhB2-II are both mechanically and dynamically stable. They are potential low compressible materials. The analysis of electronic density of states and chemical bonding indicates that the formation of strong and directional covalent B-B and Rh-B bonds in these compounds contribute greatly to their stabilities and high incompressibility.
Large transport Jc in Cu-sheathed Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 superconducting tape conductors
Authors: Lin He , Yao Chao , Zhang Haitao , Zhang Xianping , Zhang Qianjun , Dong Chiheng , Wang Dongliang , Ma Yanwei 
Published: June 2015

AbstractCopper sheath is the first choice for manufacturing high-Tc superconducting wires and tapes because of its high electrical and thermal conductivities, low-cost and good mechanical properties. However, Cu can easily react with superconducting cores, such as BSCCO, MgB2 and pnictides and therefore drastically decrease the transport Jc. Here, we report the fabrication of Cu-sheathed Sr1−xKxFe2As2 tapes with superior Jc performance using a simple hot pressing method that is capable of eliminating the lengthy high-temperature sintering. We obtained high-quality Sr1−xKxFe2As2 tapes with processing at 800 oC for 30 minutes and measured high Tc and sharp transition. By this rapid fabrication, Cu sheath does not give rise to apparent reaction layer and only slightly diffuses into Sr-122 core. As a consequence, we achieved high transport Jc of 3.1 × 104 A/cm2 in 10 T and 2.7 × 104 A/cm2 in 14 T at 4.2 K. The in-field Jc performance is by far the highest reported for Cu-sheathed high-Tc conductors. More importantly, Cu-sheathed Sr-122 tapes also showed a high Je value of 1.0 × 104 A/cm2 in 10 T at 4.2 K, which has reached the widely accepted practical level for applications. These results demonstrate that Cu is a very promising sheath for the practical application of pnictide conductors.
Temperature-independent polymer optical fiber evanescent wave sensor
Authors: Zhong Nianbing , Liao Qiang , Zhu Xun , Zhao Mingfu , Huang Yun , Chen Rong 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAlthough the numerous advantages of polymer optical fibers have been exploited in the fields of sensors and telecommunications, such fibers still experience a critical problem: the temperature dependency. Therefore, we explored the temperature-independent operation of a polymer fiber-optic evanescent wave sensor immersed in distilled water. We investigated variations in the surface morphology, deformation trajectory, refractive index and weight of the fiber-sensing region with varying water temperature. We also examined the spectral transmission and transmitted light intensity of fibers subjected to a heating-cooling treatment. We observed that the light-transmission modes and sensitivity of the sensor were affected by changes in the surface morphology, diameter and refractive index of the sensing region caused by changes in temperature. The transmitted light intensity of the sensor was maintained at a constant level after five cycles of the heating-cooling treatment, after which the fibers exhibited a smooth surface, low refractive index and large fiber diameter. Consequently, we utilized the heating-cooling-treated fiber to realize a temperature-independent, U-shaped polymer fiber-optic evanescent wave sensor. The temperature independence was evaluated using glucose solutions in the range of 10 to 70 °C. The fabricated sensor showed significant temperature independence and high degree of consistency in measuring solutions.
From warm to cold: migration of Adélie penguins within Cape Bird, Ross Island
Authors: Nie Yaguang , Sun Liguang , Liu Xiaodong , Emslie Steven D. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractDue to their sensitivity to environmental change, penguins in Antarctica are widely used as bio-indicators in paleoclimatic research. On the basis of bio-element assemblages identified in four ornithogenic sediment profiles, we reconstructed the historical penguin population change at Cape Bird, Ross Island, for the past 1600 years. Clear succession of penguin population peaks were observed in different profiles at about 1400 AD, which suggested a high probability of migration within this region. The succession was most obviously marked by a sand layer lasting from 1400 to 1900 AD in one of the analyzed profiles. Multiple physical/chemical parameters indicated this sand layer was not formed in a lacustrine environment, but was marine-derived. Both isostatic subsidence and frequent storms under the colder climatic condition of the Little Ice Age were presumed to have caused the abandonment of the colonies and we believe the penguins migrated from the coastal area of mid Cape Bird northward and to higher ground as recorded in the other sediment profiles. This migration was an ecological response to global climate change and possible subsequent geological effects in Antarctica.
Structural, energetic and dynamic insights into the abnormal xylene separation behavior of hierarchical porous crystal
Authors: Lin Jiao-Min , He Chun-Ting , Liao Pei-Qin , Lin Rui-Biao , Zhang Jie-Peng 
Published: June 2015

AbstractSeparation of highly similar molecules and understanding the underlying mechanism are of paramount theoretical and practical importance, but visualization of the host-guest structure, energy, or dynamism is very difficult and many details have been overlooked. Here, we report a new porous coordination polymer featuring hierarchical porosity and delicate flexibility, in which the three structural isomers of xylene (also similar disubstituted benzene derivatives) can be efficiently separated with an elution sequence inversed with those for conventional mechanisms. More importantly, the separation mechanism is comprehensively and quantitatively visualized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography coupled with multiple computational simulation methods, in which the small apertures not only fit best the smallest para-isomer like molecular sieves, but also show seemingly trivial yet crucial structural alterations to distinguish the meta- and ortho-isomers via a gating mechanism, while the large channels allow fast guest diffusion and enable the structural/energetic effects to be accumulated in the macroscopic level.
Quantitative analysis of the human T cell palmitome
Authors: Morrison Eliot , Kuropka Benno , Kliche Stefanie , Brügger Britta , Krause Eberhard , Freund Christian 
Published: June 2015

AbstractPalmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification used to inducibly compartmentalize proteins in cellular membranes, affecting the function of receptors and intracellular signaling proteins. The identification of protein “palmitomes” in several cell lines raises the question to what extent this modification is conserved in primary cells. Here we use primary T cells with acyl-biotin exchange and quantitative mass spectrometry to identify a pool of proteins previously unreported as palmitoylated in vivo.
Using white noise to gate organic transistors for dynamic monitoring of cultured cell layers
Authors: Rivnay Jonathan , Leleux Pierre , Hama Adel , Ramuz Marc , Huerta Miriam , Malliaras George G. , Owens Roisin M. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractImpedance sensing of biological systems allows for monitoring of cell and tissue properties, including cell-substrate attachment, layer confluence and the “tightness” of an epithelial tissue. These properties are critical for electrical detection of tissue health and viability in applications such as toxicological screening. Organic transistors based on conducting polymers offer a promising route to efficiently transduce ionic currents to attain high quality impedance spectra, but collection of complete impedance spectra can be time consuming (minutes). By applying uniform white noise at the gate of an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) and measuring the resulting current noise, we are able to dynamically monitor the impedance and thus integrity of cultured epithelial monolayers. We show that noise sourcing can be used to track rapid monolayer disruption due to compounds which interfere with dynamic polymerization events crucial for maintaining cytoskeletal integrity and to resolve sub-second alterations to the monolayer integrity.
Effect of Variation in hemorheology between human and animal blood on the binding efficacy of vascular-targeted carriers
Authors: Namdee K. , Carrasco-Teja M. , Fish M. B. , Charoenphol P. , Eniola-Adefeso O. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAnimal models are extensively used to evaluate the in vivo functionality of novel drug delivery systems (DDS). However, many variations likely exist in vivo between the animals and human physiological environment that significantly alter results obtained with animal models relative to human system. To date, it is not clear if the variation in hemorheology and hemodynamics between common animal and human models affect the functionality of DDS. This study investigates the role of hemorheology of humans and various animal models in dictating the binding efficiency of model vascular-targeted carriers (VTCs) to the wall in physiological blood flows. Specifically, the adhesion of sLeA-coated nano- and micro-spheres to inflamed endothelial cells monolayers were conducted via a parallel plate flow chamber assay with steady and disturbed red blood cells (RBCs)-in-buffer and whole blood flows of common animal models. Our results suggest that the ratio of carrier size to RBC size dictate particle binding in blood flow. Additionally, the presence of white blood cells affects the trend of particle adhesion depending on the animal species. Overall, this work sheds light on some deviation in VTC vascular wall interaction results obtained with in vivo animal experimentation from expected outcome and efficiency in vivo in human.
A novel recombinant lineage’s contribution to the outbreak of coxsackievirus A6-associated hand, foot and mouth disease in Shanghai, China, 2012-2013
Authors: Feng Xiaobo , Guan Wencai , Guo Yifeng , Yu Huiju , Zhang Xiaoling , Cheng Ruhong , Wang Zhen , Zhang Zhen , Zhang Jia , Li Huaguo , Zhuang Yin , Zhang Hui , Lu Zhiyong , Li Ming , Yu Hong , Bao Yixiao , Hu Yunwen , Yao Zhirong 
Published: June 2015

AbstractSince late 2012, coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) has gradually become the predominant pathogen responsible for hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in several provinces of China. A total of 626 patients diagnosed with HFMD in Shanghai, China from January 2012 to September 2013 were enrolled in this study. Of these, 292 CVA6 infected cases were subjected to clinical analyses. Whole-genome sequencing, recombination and phylogenetic analyses were also performed. A recombinant CVA6 monophyletic lineage was found during an outbreak of CVA6-associated HFMDs in Shanghai, China in November 2012 and accounted for 21.9% (64/292) of the CVA6 strains during the study period. Recombination analyses showed that the 2C gene of the novel CVA6 virus was probably derived from a coxsackievirus A4 (CVA4) strain circulating in the population. Clinical observation showed that this recombinant CVA6 virus led to a more generalized rash than did the non-recombinant CVA6 virus. This newly emerged CVA6 lineage was associated with a considerable proportion of HFMD cases from 2012 to 2013 in Shanghai and poses a potential threat to public health.
Gap formation following climatic events in spatially structured plant communities
Authors: Liao Jinbao , De Boeck Hans J. , Li Zhenqing , Nijs Ivan 
Published: June 2015

AbstractGaps play a crucial role in maintaining species diversity, yet how community structure and composition influence gap formation is still poorly understood. We apply a spatially structured community model to predict how species diversity and intraspecific aggregation shape gap patterns emerging after climatic events, based on species-specific mortality responses. In multispecies communities, average gap size and gap-size diversity increased rapidly with increasing mean mortality once a mortality threshold was exceeded, greatly promoting gap recolonization opportunity. This result was observed at all levels of species richness. Increasing interspecific difference likewise enhanced these metrics, which may promote not only diversity maintenance but also community invasibility, since more diverse niches for both local and exotic species are provided. The richness effects on gap size and gap-size diversity were positive, but only expressed when species were sufficiently different. Surprisingly, while intraspecific clumping strongly promoted gap-size diversity, it hardly influenced average gap size. Species evenness generally reduced gap metrics induced by climatic events, so the typical assumption of maximum evenness in many experiments and models may underestimate community diversity and invasibility. Overall, understanding the factors driving gap formation in spatially structured assemblages can help predict community secondary succession after climatic events.
Spinal muscular atrophy phenotype is ameliorated in human motor neurons by SMN increase via different novel RNA therapeutic approaches
Authors: Nizzardo Monica , Simone Chiara , Dametti Sara , Salani Sabrina , Ulzi Gianna , Pagliarani Serena , Rizzo Federica , Frattini Emanuele , Pagani Franco , Bresolin Nereo , Comi Giacomo , Corti Stefania 
Published: June 2015

AbstractSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a primary genetic cause of infant mortality due to mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) 1 gene. No cure is available. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) aimed at increasing SMN levels from the paralogous SMN2 gene represent a possible therapeutic strategy. Here, we tested in SMA human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-differentiated motor neurons, three different RNA approaches based on morpholino antisense targeting of the ISSN-1, exon-specific U1 small nuclear RNA (ExSpeU1) and Transcription Activator-Like Effector-Transcription Factor (TALE-TF). All strategies act modulating SMN2 RNA: ASO affects exon 7 splicing, TALE-TF increase SMN2 RNA acting on the promoter, while ExSpeU1 improves pre-mRNA processing. These approaches induced up-regulation of full-length SMN mRNA and differentially affected the Delta-7 isoform: ASO reduced this isoform, while ExSpeU1 and TALE-TF increased it. All approaches upregulate the SMN protein and significantly improve the in vitro SMA motor neurons survival. Thus, these findings demonstrate that therapeutic tools that act on SMN2 RNA are able to rescue the SMA disease phenotype. Our data confirm the feasibility of SMA iPSCs as in vitro disease models and we propose novel RNA approaches as potential therapeutic strategies for treating SMA and other genetic neurological disorders.