bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Th17 and Th17/Treg ratio at early HIV infection associate with protective HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and disease progression
Authors: Falivene Juliana , Ghiglione Yanina , Laufer Natalia , Socías María Eugenia , Holgado María Pía , Ruiz María Julia , Maeto Cynthia , Figueroa María Inés , Giavedoni Luis D. , Cahn Pedro , Salomón Horacio , Sued Omar , Turk Gabriela , Gherardi María Magdalena 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyze Th17 and Treg subsets and their correlation with anti-HIV T-cell responses and clinical parameters during (acute/early) primary HIV infection (PHI) and up to one year post-infection (p.i). Samples from 14 healthy donors (HDs), 40 PHI patients, 17 Chronics and 13 Elite controllers (ECs) were studied. The percentages of Th17 and Treg subsets were severely altered in Chronics, whereas all HIV-infected individuals (including ECs) showed Th17/Treg imbalance compared to HDs, in concordance with higher frequencies of activated CD8+ T-cells (HLA-DR+/CD38+). Better clinical status (higher CD4 counts, lower viral loads and activation) was associated with higher Th17 and lower Treg levels. We found positive correlations between Th17 at baseline and anti-HIV CD8+ T-cell functionality: viral inhibitory activity (VIA) and key polyfunctions (IFN-γ+/CD107A/B+) at both early and later times p.i, highlighting the prognostic value of Th17 cells to preserve an effective HIV T-cell immunity. Th17/Treg ratio and the IL-17 relative mean fluorescence intensity (rMFI of IL-17) were also positively correlated with VIA. Taken together, our results suggested a potential link between Th17 and Th17/Treg ratio with key HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses against the infection.
Burning Graphene Layer-by-Layer
Authors: Ermakov Victor A. , Alaferdov Andrei V. , Vaz Alfredo R. , Perim Eric , Autreto Pedro A. S. , Paupitz Ricardo , Galvao Douglas S. , Moshkalev Stanislav A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractGraphene, in single layer or multi-layer forms, holds great promise for future electronics and high-temperature applications. Resistance to oxidation, an important property for high-temperature applications, has not yet been extensively investigated. Controlled thinning of multi-layer graphene (MLG), e.g., by plasma or laser processing is another challenge, since the existing methods produce non-uniform thinning or introduce undesirable defects in the basal plane. We report here that heating to extremely high temperatures (exceeding 2000 K) and controllable layer-by-layer burning (thinning) can be achieved by low-power laser processing of suspended high-quality MLG in air in “cold-wall” reactor configuration. In contrast, localized laser heating of supported samples results in non-uniform graphene burning at much higher rates. Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were also performed to reveal details of oxidation mechanisms leading to uniform layer-by-layer graphene gasification. The extraordinary resistance of MLG to oxidation paves the way to novel high-temperature applications as continuum light source or scaffolding material.
Amniotic fluid stem cells provide considerable advantages in epidermal regeneration: B7H4 creates a moderate inflammation microenvironment to promote wound repair
Authors: Sun Qing , Li Fang , Li Hong , Chen Rui-Hua , Gu Yan-Zheng , Chen Ying , Liang Han-Si , You Xin-Ran , Ding Si-Si , Gao Ling , Wang Yun-Liang , Qin Ming-De , Zhang Xue-Guang 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe current treatments for severe skin injury all involve skin grafting. However, there is a worldwide shortage of donor skin tissue. In this study, we examined the advantages of using human amniotic fluid stem (hAFS) cells in skin wound healing. In vitro, hAFS cells differentiate into keratinocytes (termed hAFS-K). Like keratinocytes, hAFS-K cells express the markers K5, K14, K10 and involucrin; display typical cellular structure, including a tonofibril-rich cytoplasm; and construct a completely pluristratified epithelium in 3D culture. In vivo, in a mouse excisional wound model, GFP-positive hAFS cells participate in wound repair. Co-localization of GFP/K14 and GFP/K10 in the repaired epidermis demonstrated that hAFS cells can differentiate into keratinocytes. Real-time PCR results confirmed that hAFS cells can initiate and promote early-stage repair of skin damage. During wound repair, hAFS cells did not directly secrete repair-related factors, such as bFGF, VEGF, CXCL12, TGF-β1 and KGF and provided a moderate inflammation reaction with lower expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, Cox2 and Mac3. In hAFS cells, the negative co-stimulatory molecule B7H4 regulates low immunogenicity, which can provide a modest inflammatory reaction microenvironment for wound repair. Furthermore, with their uniquely high proliferation rate, hAFS cells offer a promising alternative for epidermal regeneration.
An integrated approach to reveal miRNAs’ impacts on the functional consequence of copy number alterations in cancer
Authors: Li Kening , Liu Yongjing , Zhou Yuanshuai , Zhang Rui , Zhao Ning , Yan Zichuang , Zhang Qiang , Zhang Shujuan , Qiu Fujun , Xu Yan 
Published: June 2015

AbstractCopy number alteration (CNA) is known to induce gene expression changes mainly through dosage effect and therefore affect the initiation and progression of tumor. However, tumor samples exhibit heterogeneity in gene dosage sensitivity due to the complicated mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. Currently, no high-throughput method has been available for identifying the regulatory factors affecting the functional consequences of CNA and determining their effects on cancer. In view of the important regulatory role of miRNA, we investigated the influence of miRNAs on the dosage sensitivities of genes within the CNA regions. By integrating copy number, mRNA expression, miRNA expression profiles of three kinds of cancer, we observed a tendency for high dosage-sensitivity genes to be more targeted by miRNAs in cancer and identified the miRNAs regulating the dosage sensitivity of amplified/deleted target genes. The results show that miRNAs can modulate oncogenic biological functions by regulating the genes within the CNA regions and thus play a role as a trigger or balancer in cancer, affecting cancer processes, even survival. This work provided a framework for analyzing the regulation of dosage effect, which will shed a light on understanding the oncogenic and tumor suppressive mechanisms of CNA. Besides, new cancer-related miRNAs were identified.
Tailoring low-dimensional structures of bismuth on monolayer epitaxial graphene
Authors: Chen H.-H. , Su S. H. , Chang S.-L. , Cheng B.-Y. , Chen S. W. , Chen H.-Y. , Lin M.-F. , Huang J. C. A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractTo improve graphene-based multifunctional devices at nanoscale, a stepwise and controllable fabrication procedure must be elucidated. Here, a series of structural transition of bismuth (Bi) adatoms, adsorbed on monolayer epitaxial graphene (MEG), is explored at room temperature. Bi adatoms undergo a structural transition from one-dimensional (1D) linear structures to two-dimensional (2D) triangular islands and such 2D growth mode is affected by the corrugated substrate. Upon Bi deposition, a little charge transfer occurs and a characteristic peak can be observed in the tunneling spectrum, reflecting the distinctive electronic structure of the Bi adatoms. When annealed to ~500 K, 2D triangular Bi islands aggregate into Bi nanoclusters (NCs) of uniform size. A well-controlled fabrication method is thus demonstrated. The approaches adopted herein provide perspectives for fabricating and characterizing periodic networks on MEG and related systems, which are useful in realizing graphene-based electronic, energy, sensor and spintronic devices.
Suppression of non-radiative surface recombination by N incorporation in GaAs/GaNAs core/shell nanowires
Authors: Chen Shula L. , Chen Weimin M. , Ishikawa Fumitaro , Buyanova Irina A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractIII-V semiconductor nanowires (NWs) such as GaAs NWs form an interesting artificial materials system promising for applications in advanced optoelectronic and photonic devices, thanks to the advantages offered by the 1D architecture and the possibility to combine it with the main-stream silicon technology. Alloying of GaAs with nitrogen can further enhance performance and extend device functionality via band-structure and lattice engineering. However, due to a large surface-to-volume ratio, III-V NWs suffer from severe non-radiative carrier recombination at/near NWs surfaces that significantly degrades optical quality. Here we show that increasing nitrogen composition in novel GaAs/GaNAs core/shell NWs can strongly suppress the detrimental surface recombination. This conclusion is based on our experimental finding that lifetimes of photo-generated free excitons and free carriers increase with increasing N composition, as revealed from our time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) studies. This is accompanied by a sizable enhancement in the PL intensity of the GaAs/GaNAs core/shell NWs at room temperature. The observed N-induced suppression of the surface recombination is concluded to be a result of an N-induced modification of the surface states that are responsible for the nonradiative recombination. Our results, therefore, demonstrate the great potential of incorporating GaNAs in III-V NWs to achieve efficient nano-scale light emitters.
Der freie osteofasziokutane Parascapularlappen
Authors: Peschel Cornelia , Raster Birgit , Wallner Britta 
Published: June 2015

Zusammenfassung
OP-ABLAUF Der freie mikrovaskuläre Gewebetransfer mit und ohne Knochen
bedeutet für viele Patienten mit ausgedehnten Weichteildefekten nach Trauma
und/oder septischem Krankheitsverlauf oft die einzige Chance auf den Erhalt der
entsprechenden Extremitäten. Er ermöglicht somit einen erheblichen Rückgewinn an
Lebensqualität.
Assessing niche width of endothermic fish from genes to ecosystem
Authors: Madigan Daniel J. , Carlisle Aaron B. , Gardner Luke D. , Jayasundara Nishad , Micheli Fiorenza , Schaefer Kurt M. , Fuller Daniel W. , Block Barbara A. 
Published: June 2015

SignificanceIn large pelagic fish, as in birds and mammals, significant questions remain concerning the selective pressures that drove the evolution of endothermy. We examined cold tolerance and niche breadth on molecular, organism, and food web levels in three closely related tuna species. We show that energetic benefits of increased cold tolerance in fishes are context dependent: advantageous when quality prey is abundant, but not when such prey is scarce. We broaden our findings to the global level using published literature to show that endothermic bluefin species in all the world’s oceans specialize, to some degree, on high energy prey. Our multifaceted approach demonstrates the concept that the advantage of a “beneficial” adaptation is dependent on environmental and anthropogenic influences.
Climate-driven diversity loss in a grassland community
Authors: Harrison Susan P. , Gornish Elise S. , Copeland Stella 
Published: June 2015

Significance
Whereas a dominant conservation paradigm proposes that species are being lost from ecological communities with a consequent loss of ecosystem function, recent analyses have concluded there is no globally consistent trend toward lower community diversity. In a study of Californian grassland communities, we show that 15 years of climatic drying—consistent with the forecasts for this and other semiarid regions under climate change—have led to directional losses of plant species richness, especially of native annual forb (“wildflower”) species with traits indicative of low drought tolerance. Although many anthropogenic impacts may increase or not affect community diversity, our result underlines that declining plant community diversity may be especially likely in climates that are becoming more arid and less productive.
Cooperative strings and glassy interfaces
Authors: Salez Thomas , Salez Justin , Dalnoki-Veress Kari , Raphaël Elie , Forrest James A. 
Published: June 2015

SignificanceAccording to Philip Anderson, the deepest and most interesting unsolved problem in solid-state physics is probably the glass transition. By extension, this includes the highly debated confinement effects in glassy polymer films. The present article introduces a minimal analytical model, which invokes only the ideas of molecular crowding and string-like cooperative rearrangement, before addressing the key effects of interfaces. The validity and simplicity of the approach make it ideal for application to various systems and geometries, and suggest that dynamics in glass-forming materials might be understood from elementary arguments.
The self-control consequences of political ideology
Authors: Clarkson Joshua J. , Chambers John R. , Hirt Edward R. , Otto Ashley S. , Kardes Frank R. , Leone Christopher 
Published: June 2015

Significance
Surprisingly little is known about the self-control consequences of individuals’ political ideologies, given the centrality of political ideology to people’s self-identity and the vitality of self-control to human functioning. This research addresses this unexplored gap by offering insight into the processes (freewill beliefs) and factors (the value of freewill for effective self-control) that lead both conservatives and liberals to demonstrate greater self-control. In doing so, these findings provide a platform by which to broaden our understanding of the underlying mechanisms impacting self-control as well as an alternative perspective for interpreting previously documented differences between conservatives and liberals (e.g., intelligence, academic success).
A review on avian tuberculosis (
Avian mycobacteriosis
).
Authors: Kwaghe A. V. , Ndahi M. D. , Usman J. G. , Vakuru C. T. , Iwar V. N. , Ameh J. A. , Ambali A. G. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract

Avian tuberculosis is a chronic disease caused mainly by
Mycobacterium avium
in birds. The disease has a worldwide distribution affecting primarily adult birds because of its long incubation period, making it a common disease in zoo and breeding establishments.
Mycobacterium avium
is highly resistant to environmental challenges and can survive in soil for up to 4 years. It is spread by ingestion of food or water contaminated by faeces from birds which shed the organism. Despite the low zoonotic risk, the disease is more likely to affect human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients and other immunocompromised individuals.
Mycobacterium avium
causes serious disseminated bacterial infection in up to 40% of patients with advanced HIV infection indicating its public health importance as a disease. Control of the disease poses a serious challenge, owing to the presence of the disease in wildlife. This review covers the general knowledge on avian tuberculosis, diagnostic methods, zoonotic implications and challenges faced in the control and eradication of the disease.
Zoonotic diseases in pigs.
Authors: Selbitz H. J. , Gotter V. , Fricke R. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract

As pigs are present in almost every country in the world, they are one of the most important species in the transmission of zoonotic diseases. Based on the form of transmission, zoonotic diseases can roughly be divided into two categories: the ones transmitted via direct contact (for example, Influenza A virus) and those that are food-borne (for example,
Salmonella
spp.). Many different viruses, bacteria and even parasites found in the pigs are zoonotic pathogens, although the risk of human infection varies considerably among them. Using the situation in the European Union as a basis, this review provides an overview about the current situation of zoonotic diseases in pigs, with a special focus on
Salmonella
spp. and Influenza A virus as representatives of their respective forms of transmission. The future of diagnostics for zoonotic diseases and the use of vaccines in prevention are also addressed.
Rehabilitation Stocking of Walleyes and Lake Trout: Restoration of Reproducing Stocks in Michigan Waters of Lake Huron
Authors: Johnson James E , He Ji X , Fielder David G 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush and Walleye Sander vitreus, native keystone predators of the upper Great Lakes, were nearly extirpated from Lake Huron in the 1940s. Efforts to restore these species in the Great Lakes constitute one of North American's largest-scaled native keystone predator recovery projects. From 1973 to 2012 nearly 49 million yearling-equivalent Lake Trout and 21 million spring-fingerling Walleyes were stocked in western Lake Huron. We used assessment catch rates and biological data, statistical catch-at-age models, and harvest statistics to evaluate whether the objectives of rehabilitation stocking and management have been achieved in the Main Basin of Lake Huron, with emphasis on the period from 2003 to 2012. Key measures of progress were the biomass of older, spawning stock and evidence of natural reproduction. Until 2000, excessive Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus– and fishing-induced mortality caused few Lake Trout to survive to spawning age. Lake Trout broodstock biomass rose after 2000 as these issues were more effectively addressed. Until 2004, Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus dominated the diets of Lake Trout, leading to low egg thiamine levels, which reduced the viability of Lake Trout fry. Adult Alewives were abundant enough to have limited reproduction by feeding on Walleye and Lake Trout fry. By 2004, Alewife had collapsed. The Walleye population is now rehabilitated in western Lake Huron and Walleye stocking ceased in 2006. Wild-origin fish now compose nearly half of Lake Trout less than 8 years old. A combination of factors contributed these positive changes. Beginning in 2000, more effective Sea Lamprey and fishing controls were implemented. Seneca strain Lake Trout survived to spawning age better than other upper Great Lakes strains and became the principal strain stocked after about 1995. Removal of impediments to reproduction, combined with judicious stocking led to the Walleye recovery and improved prospects for the rehabilitation of Lake Trout in western Lake Huron.
Fragmented Cities in the Later Middle Ages: Italy and the Near East Compared
Authors: Lantschner Patrick 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
This article investigates cities and their political cultures in Italy and the Near East in the later Middle Ages. Cities in these two regions have traditionally been viewed in diverging ways. European cities have been understood as unitary entities which stood out on account of their urban governments and the political order of which foreshadowed the rise of modern states. The absence of comparable institutions has meant that Near Eastern cities have often been seen as very unlike their European counterparts. Focusing on the political cultures of Damascus and Bologna in the eighth/fourteenth and ninth/fifteenth centuries, this article suggests that a different understanding of cities is necessary. Partly as a result of demographic growth and the breakdown of larger political structures in earlier centuries, these cities can be understood as polycentric arenas in which public life took place around multiple units of political organisation which ranged from neighbourhoods to parties. Conflicts, including civil war and revolt, were an ordinary part of their political cultures: they were expressive of fragmentation, but equally of a shared public arena in which contending groups were stake-holders.As arenas, cities on either side of the Mediterranean world gave rise to a distinctive form of political order. They did not foreshadow forms of order associated with the modern state and, particularly in the Mediterranean regions under analysis here, often remained among its greatest obstacles.
Provider and Patient Perceptions of an External Medication History Function
Authors: Wolver Susan E. , Stultz Jeremy S , Aggarwal Arpita , Thacker Leroy , Banas Colin 
Published: June 2015

Objectives
To determine the awareness and use of an external medication history (EMH) function within an electronic health record and its impact on patient perception of medication adherence.

Methods
Two self-administered surveys were given: one to providers and one to patients. Participants included providers from an academic medical center and patients from 2 general internal medicine clinics.

Results
Of 154 completed provider surveys, 61% were aware the EMH existed. More of the respondents aware of the EMH were primary care and medicine subspecialty providers (79.1%) when compared with surgical providers (20.9%, P < 0.0001). The most common reasons chosen for looking at the EMH included checking for medication adherence (44%), questions about a specific medication (40%), and checking controlled substance prescription history (37%). Of those aware of the EMH, 65% found medications on the EMH that they were not aware their patient was getting filled. Of the 94 patient surveys, 34% felt the EMH feature might change their medication taking behavior, and 48% responded that it already had. Patients with a history of depression and/or anxiety were less likely to report the intent to change their medication taking behavior, OR, 0.34 [95% CI, 0.13-0.87].

Conclusion
An external medication history function can provide further insight about a patient’s medication profile and prescription filling. Knowledge attained from the EMH may improve patient safety by helping to uncover nonadherence, dosing discrepancies, and medications prescribed by other providers. Additionally, patient knowledge of this feature might improve medication adherence. Although further studies are needed to obtain objective data, the external medication history function may have significant impact on both providers and patients, and its benefit should be widely publicized.
Review of empirical research on intellectual capital and firm performance
Authors: Inkinen Henri 
Published: June 2015

Purpose– The basis of value creation has shifted from tangible factors of production towards intangible resources such as intellectual capital (IC) (e.g. Grant, 1996). The average organisation’s IC has been estimated to be three to four times over its book value (Edvinsson and Malone, 1997); thus, it is vital for companies to understand how it is created, managed, measured and evaluated. However, there are still many debated and complex issues, and the empirical measurement of IC is one of those. The purpose of this paper is to determine if IC systematically influences firm performance.Design/methodology/approach– A systematic review procedure was utilised as this study’s research design.Findings– The findings demonstrate that IC influences firm performance mainly through interactions, combinations and mediations. Also, there is a great deal of evidence on the significant relationship between IC and firm’s innovation performance.Research limitations/implications– This paper reviews only empirical studies based on survey data and statistical methods of analysis.Practical implications– The research points to some focal aspects of IC that are associated with firm performance.Originality/value– This is the first study to review empirical literature on IC and firm performance. It increases the current understanding by bringing together the research related to the issue and drawing meta-level analysis.