bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient‐Specific Orthopaedic Implants
Authors: Haglin Jack M , Eltorai Adam E M , Gil Joseph A , Marcaccio Stephen E , Botero‐Hincapie Juliana , Daniels Alan H
Published: December 2016

Patient‐specific orthopaedic implants are emerging as a clinically promising treatment option for a growing number of conditions to better match an individual's anatomy. Patient‐specific implant (PSI) technology aims to reduce overall procedural costs, minimize surgical time, and maximize patient outcomes by achieving better biomechanical implant fit. With this commercially‐available technology, computed tomography or magnetic resonance images can be used in conjunction with specialized computer programs to create preoperative patient‐specific surgical plans and to develop custom cutting guides from 3‐D reconstructed images of patient anatomy. Surgeons can then place these temporary guides or “jigs” during the procedure, allowing them to better recreate the exact resections of the computer‐generated surgical plan. Over the past decade, patient‐specific implants have seen increased use in orthopaedics and they have been widely indicated in total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, and corrective osteotomies. Patient‐specific implants have also been explored for use in total shoulder arthroplasty and spinal surgery. Despite their increasing popularity, significant support for PSI use in orthopaedics has been lacking in the literature and it is currently uncertain whether the theoretical biomechanical advantages of patient‐specific orthopaedic implants carry true advantages in surgical outcomes when compared to standard procedures. The purpose of this review was to assess the current status of patient‐specific orthopaedic implants, to explore their future direction, and to summarize any comparative published studies that measure definitive surgical characteristics of patient‐specific orthopaedic implant use such as patient outcomes, biomechanical implant alignment, surgical cost, patient blood loss, or patient recovery.
Surgical Technique for Subtrochanteric Fracture of Femur
Authors: Wang Peng‐cheng , Ren Dong , Song Chao‐hui , Zhou Bing
Published: December 2016

A 56‐year‐old woman had fell over herself 4 h prior to her presentation to our hospital. The diagnosis was a subtrochanteric fracture of the right femur (AO‐32‐A3). The patient was placed in a supine position was set up on a fracture traction table after general anesthesia. The right leg was placed in abduction while the left leg was positioned so that there was flexion of the knee and hip joint. The C‐arm was placed on the left side. The surgical field was sterilized and draped. Deformity and external rotation are always present for this type of fracture, so the first step was to place a joystick in the proximal fragment to correct the external rotation. Then the perfect entry point could be defined by K wire. After inserting guide wire into the canal dreaming was followed. An appropriate nail was selected and inserted. The distal tip of the nail should be located in the cancellous bone. Before inserting the proximal lag screws into the femoral head, the external rotation of the proximal fragment must be corrected by the joystick. The traction was loosened and the distal fragment was pushed towards the proximal side so that the gap between the fragments disappeared. The affected leg was maintained in perfect alignment. Meanwhile, the distal locking screws were inserted using the free hand perfect circle technique.
Thoracic Vertebral Hemangioma with Spinal Cord Compression: Multidisciplinary Surgical Treatment and Follow‐up of Six Patients
Authors: Zhang Hui‐lin , Hu Yong‐cheng , Aryal Rajendra , He Xin , Lun Deng‐xing , Zhao Li‐ming
Published: December 2016

Objective

To provide useful insights of multidisciplinary surgical treatment for vertebral hemangioma with spinal cord compression.

Methods

From 2009 to 2014, data on six patients who were diagnosed with cord compression vertebral hemangioma were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. There were five women and one man with a mean age of 48.6 years (range, 26‐68 years). All the patients were treated by multidisciplinary approach, including use of gelfoam, pedicle screw instrumentation, vertebroplasty, and decompression laminectomy. Neurological status and Frankel grades were documented, CT scan and MRI were performed after surgery.

Results

The follow‐up period ranged from 8 to 54 months. Mean blood loss was around 367 mL, and the mean surgical time was 2.30 h. All patients had uneventful intraoperative and postoperative courses and reported symptomatic and neurological relief to varying degrees, at an average follow‐up period of 23 months. Bone cement distribution was disseminated homogeneously over the affected vertebra and no leakage was observed. All the patients had a complete restoration to Frankel grade E. The postoperative and follow‐up imaging showed that the implant was in perfect position, and no recurrence occurred in all patients.

Conclusion

The vertebral hemangioma with cord compression is a challenge to surgeons for therapeutic improvement, and an active involvement of several disciplines as well as performance of multidisciplinary surgical treatment can be crucial in achieving favorable results.
Investigation of the crosstalk between the flg22 and the UV‐B‐induced flavonol pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings
Authors: Zhou Zheng , Schenke Dirk , Miao Ying , Cai Daguang
Published: December 2016

In Arabidopsis cell culture, we have shown that flavonol metabolite accumulation depends on expression of the flavonol pathway genes (FPGs), which are up‐regulated by UV‐B irradiation but repressed during microbe‐associated molecular pattern (MAMP) ‐triggered immunity (MTI) induced by the bacterial elicitor flg22. The suppression of flavonoid production during MTI is believed to allow the plant focusing its metabolism on the pathogen defense by directing phenylalanine resources from UV‐B protective flavonol production towards production of phytoalexins and cell wall fortification by lignin incorporation. Here, we show that UV‐B‐induced FPGs are also suppressed by flg22 in Arabidopsis seedlings, demonstrating that this kind of ‘crosstalk’ is fully functional in planta. We believe that this system based on seedlings of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana constitutes a valuable tool for further dissection of the underlying molecular mechanism, for example, by deploying gain/loss‐of‐function mutants. Furthermore, we observed some differences in the expression patterns of MYB transcription factors (TFs) as compared to data from the cell culture system. The new data suggest that in planta the TF MYB111 might play a more dominant role than the TF MYB12, which was strongly regulated in cell cultures. Thus, we can present an updated working model how this crosstalk might function.
Accumulation of stem sugar and its remobilisation in response to drought stress in a sweet sorghum genotype and its near‐isogenic lines carrying different stay‐green loci
Authors: Ghate T. , Deshpande S. , Bhargava S.
Published: December 2016

Near isogenic lines (NILs) of sweet sorghum genotype S35 into which individual stay green loci were introgressed, were used to understand the contribution of Stay green loci to stem sugar accumulation and its remobilization under drought stress exposure.

Sugar and starch content, activities of sugar metabolism enzymes and levels of their expression were studied in the 3rd (source) leaf from panicle and the 5th (sugar storing) internode of the three lines, in irrigated plants and in plants exposed to a brief drought exposure at the panicle emergence stage. Annotation of genes in the respective Stay green loci introgressed in the NILs was carried out using bioinformatics tools.

The leaves of NILs accumulated more photoassimilates and the internodes accumulated more sugar, as compared to the parent S35 line. Drought stress exposure led to a decrease in the starch and sugar levels in leaves of all three lines, while an increase in sugar levels was observed in internodes of the NILs. Sugar fluxes were accompanied by alterations in the activities of sugar metabolizing enzymes as well as the expression of genes related to sugar metabolism and transport.

Remobilization of sugars from the stem internodes was apparent in the NILs when subjected to drought stress, since the peduncle, which supports the panicle, showed an increase in the sugar content, even when photoassimation in source leaves was reduced. Several genes related to carbohydrate metabolism were located in the Stay green loci, which probably contributed to variation in the parameters studied.
Luck Egalitarianism and the Rights of Immigrants
Authors: Holtug Nils
Published: December 2016

This article considers the implications of luck egalitarianism for a range of issues relating to international, South‐North migration. More specifically, the implications of luck egalitarianism for the question of whether receiving societies are justified in extending to immigrants a less comprehensive set of rights than that enjoyed by other members of society are considered. First, are voluntary migrants responsible for their migration in such a way that receiving societies are justified in extending to them a less comprehensive set of rights than if, say, they had been involuntary migrants, or citizens of the destination country? Since luck egalitarianism aims to redistribute only for inequalities for which individuals are not responsible, there is an issue of whether it will hold individuals responsible for their choice of migration in such a way that it may justify asymmetrical sets of rights between voluntary immigrants and other members of society. Second, it may be possible to allow access for a larger number of disadvantaged migrants if they are granted access to a less extensive package of rights when they reach the destination country than if they were granted access to a more extensive such package. If so, may not the less extensive package of rights turn out to have a greater positive impact on global equality? Both these arguments are critically discussed and it is concluded that neither justifies extending to immigrants a less comprehensive set of rights.
Digital humanities and the study and teaching of North American religions
Authors: Reed Ashley
Published: December 2016

The digital humanities are a collection of methodologies with a long history in the disciplines of literature, linguistics, media studies, and pedagogy. These methodologies and the scholars who employ them have recently gained widespread attention among academics and observers of higher education. While the digital humanities have deep roots in the field of religious studies, most scholars of religion have been relatively slow to embrace digital methods for research and pedagogy. This essay provides an introduction to the cluster of research and teaching methods generally grouped under the term “digital humanities.” Digital humanists create digital archives, research collections, and exhibits; map and visualize information using online tools; and develop and apply computational methods of textual and visual analysis. This essay offers examples of scholarship and pedagogy on North American religions that use each of these methodologies, and concludes with a brief discussion of resources for learning about and becoming involved with digital humanities work.
(Au, Ag)Te2Minerals from Epithermal Gold Deposits in Japan
Authors: Komuro Kosei , Nakata Masataka
Published: December 2016

Chemical composition and mode of occurrences of (Au, Ag)Te2minerals such as calaverite (AuTe2), sylvanite (AuAgTe4) and krennerite ((Au, Ag)Te2) in epithermal gold telluride ores from Suzaki, Kawazu and Teine are examined. In the ores from Suzaki, (Au, Ag)Te2minerals occur in microbands of tellurides and fine quartz. The minerals in telluride bands change from krennerite, via calaverite‐native tellurium, to sylvanite, in the order of crystallization. A sample from Kawazu contains sylvanite and native tellurium with stutzite, hessite and tetradymite in the coarser gray quartz part. The Teine sample also contains sylvanite and native tellurium with barite and quartz. The peak patterns of XRD of calaverite, krennerite and sylvanite from Suzaki are almost identical to that of JCPDS 43–1472, JCPDS 8–20 and JCPDS 9–477, respectively. The Te, Au, Cu, and Ag contents of calaverite from Suzaki range from 56.4 to 57.9 wt.%, from 41.6 to 42.6 wt.%, from 0.28 to 0.45 wt.% and from 0.14 to 0.31 wt.%, respectively, corresponding to the formula Au0.97Ag0.01Cu0.02Te2. The Te, Au, Ag, and Cu contents of krennerite from Suzaki range from 59.6 to 61.4 wt.%, from 31.3 to 33.6 wt.%, from 4.91 to 6.13 wt.% and from 0.66 to 0.80 wt.%, respectively, corresponding to the formula Au0.71Ag0.22Cu0.05Te2with Au and Ag ranging from 0.68 to 0.74 and from 0.20 to 0.25, respectively. The Te, Au, Ag, and Cu contents of sylvanite from Suzaki range from 61.5 to 63.4 wt.%, from 24.1 to 27.4 wt.%, from 10.0 to 12.5 wt.% and from 0.00 to 0.12 wt.%, respectively. The Te, Au, Ag, and Cu contents of sylvanite from Kawazu range from 62.7 to 63.3 wt.%, from 23.5 to 24.1 wt.%, from 12.0 to 12.5 wt.% and from 0.09 to 0.16 wt.%, respectively. The Te, Au, Ag, Cu and Fe contents of sylvanite from Teine range from 61.8 to 63.5 wt.%, from 23.6 to 24.7 wt.%, from 11.9 to 13.3 wt.%, from 0.01 to 1.65 wt.% and from 0.00 to 0.02 wt.%, respectively. The average formulae of sylvanite from Suzaki, Kawazu, and Teine are expressed as Au1.06Ag0.94Cu0.02Te4, Au1.00Ag0.95Cu0.02Te4and Au1.01Ag0.95Cu0.06Te4, respectively. Judging from the mineral assemblages of these ores and other localities, Au–Te mineralization in the Japanese Islands can be divided into four types: native gold–calaverite at Date and Agawa, krennerite(−native tellurium) at Osore‐zan and Mutsu, sylvanite–native tellurium–hessite at Teine, Kawazu, Kobetsuzawa, and Kato, and polyminerallic assemblages at Suzaki and Kushikino. The pH–Eh diagram of aqueous tellurium species and tellurium minerals at 250°C indicates that (Au, Ag)Te2minerals in epithermal gold telluride mineralization would have been formed under middle to low Eh and acidic (to intermediate) pH conditions. It is possible that dilute tellurium‐containing fluid would scavenge dilute gold.
Geneses of Two Types of Mafic Rocks to Carry Placer‐Magnetite Ores in the Sanin Granitic Belt, SW Japan
Authors: Ishihara Shunso , Hirano Hideo
Published: December 2016

Two types of mafic rocks from the central Sanin district, and their mafic minerals, were studied chemically and microscopically. They are classified into pyroxene‐containing gabbroid and hornblende–biotite quartz diorite. The gabbroid had higher color index but lower magnetite content; while the quartz diorite had lower color index, but higher magnetite content. The magnetite contents are also related to the amounts of hydrous mafic silicates. The gabbroic magma having pyroxene–amphibole assemblage, originated in the upper mantle, was considered essentially anhydrous, but became partly hydrous on the way to the site of solidification in the continental crust, and crystallized some magnetites with hypersthene and amphibole. The quartz dioritic magma was formed by partial melting of possibly subducting ocean‐floor basalts, once exposed to the sea‐floor then altered; thus the magmas became hydrous and oxidized originally, and precipitated abundant magnetite and hydrous mafic silicates from the early crystallization stage onward. Their weathered parts provided the most placer magnetite ores in the history.
The Use of Simulation to Reduce the Domain of “Black Swans” with Application to Hurricane Impacts to Power Systems
Authors: Berner Christine L. , Staid Andrea , Flage Roger , Guikema Seth D.
Published: December 2016

Recently, the concept of black swans has gained increased attention in the fields of risk assessment and risk management. Different types of black swans have been suggested, distinguishing between unknown unknowns (nothing in the past can convincingly point to its occurrence), unknown knowns (known to some, but not to relevant analysts), or known knowns where the probability of occurrence is judged as negligible. Traditional risk assessments have been questioned, as their standard probabilistic methods may not be capable of predicting or even identifying these rare and extreme events, thus creating a source of possible black swans.

In this article, we show how a simulation model can be used to identify previously unknown potentially extreme events that if not identified and treated could occur as black swans. We show that by manipulating a verified and validated model used to predict the impacts of hazards on a system of interest, we can identify hazard conditions not previously experienced that could lead to impacts much larger than any previous level of impact. This makes these potential black swan events known and allows risk managers to more fully consider them. We demonstrate this method using a model developed to evaluate the effect of hurricanes on energy systems in the United States; we identify hurricanes with potentially extreme impacts, storms well beyond what the historic record suggests is possible in terms of impacts.
Bayesian Hierarchical Structure for Quantifying Population Variability to Inform Probabilistic Health Risk Assessments
Authors: Shao Kan , Allen Bruce C. , Wheeler Matthew W.
Published: December 2016

Human variability is a very important factor considered in human health risk assessment for protecting sensitive populations from chemical exposure. Traditionally, to account for this variability, an interhuman uncertainty factor is applied to lower the exposure limit. However, using a fixed uncertainty factor rather than probabilistically accounting for human variability can hardly support probabilistic risk assessment advocated by a number of researchers; new methods are needed to probabilistically quantify human population variability. We propose a Bayesian hierarchical model to quantify variability among different populations. This approach jointly characterizes the distribution of risk at background exposure and the sensitivity of response to exposure, which are commonly represented by model parameters. We demonstrate, through both an application to real data and a simulation study, that using the proposed hierarchical structure adequately characterizes variability across different populations.
High Incidence of Respiratory Involvement in a Cluster of Brucella suis‐Infected Workers from a Pork Processing Plant in Argentina
Authors: Wallach J. C. , García J. L. , Cardinali P. S. , Seijo A. P. , Benchetrit A. G. , Echazarreta S. E. , Garro S. L. , Deodato B. , Baldi P. C.
Published: December 2016

Epidemiological and clinical aspects of Brucella suis infection in 17 workers from a pork processing plant in Argentina occurring between January 2014 and July 2015 are presented. All patients reported working 9 h daily without adequate personal protection garment. Blood cultures were positive for Brucella spp. in 14 of the 17 patients (82.3%). All isolates were identified as B. suis biovar 1. Although fever, sweats, asthenia, myalgia and hepatic involvement were the most frequent clinical manifestations, an unusually high incidence of respiratory involvement was found. From 13 patients in which chest radiography was performed, four (30%) had radiological abnormalities, including lobar pneumonia in two cases (one with pleural effusion) and interstitial involvement in other two. The high frequency of respiratory involvement in our series makes necessary to consider brucellosis in the differential diagnosis of respiratory diseases in pork processing plant employees.
Serial transthoracic coronary Doppler shows complete reversibility of microvascular obstruction pattern at one month after reperfused acute myocardial infarction.
Authors: Ober Camelia Diana , Ober Mihai Claudiu , Iancu Adrian Corneliu
Published: December 2016

“No reflow” phenomenon is a common complication with significant prognostic repercussions after reperfused acute myocardial infarction. Previous studies have shown the feasibility and prognostic significance of coronary microcirculation assessment by transthoracic Doppler of left anterior descending artery (LAD). The aim of the study was to evaluate the time course of the coronary microcirculation status after acute anterior myocardial infarction reperfused by primary angioplasty with stent on LAD. Material and methods: Twenty-three patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography at 3 days (M0) and one month (M1) after reperfusion, with LAD flow analysis (peak systolic and diastolic velocities, diastolic deceleration time and systolic flow reversal). The patients were divided into two groups, of good reperfusion and “no reflow”, by a 600 ms cut-off of the M0 diastolic deceleration time, previously shown to best discriminate between the two microvascular reperfusion states. Results: Of all patients, 21 survived to M1 and were included in analysis. Microvascular obstruction, as defined, was present in 50% of patients at M0 and it was associated with significantly worse ejection fraction both at M0 and M1 (p=0.01 and 0.04, respectively). Killip class at admission was the only independent predictor of “no reflow”. DDT increased from 661.9±339.3 at M0 to 948.2±201.8 at M1 (p=0.0003). In patients with initial “no reflow”, DDT increased to normal values at M1 (876.2±167.7 vs. 346.3±133.9 at M0, p<0.0001). In these patients, the PDV/PSV ratio decreased at one month (1.91±0.37 vs. 2.70±1.22, p=0.06), by decrease of PDV (0.29±0.06 vs. 0.40±0.19, p=0.03). Conclusions: The parameters of coronary microcirculatory impedance improve significantly at one month after infarction, suggesting delayed full reversibility of the microvascular obstruction.
Effects of Elastic Resistance Exercise on Muscle Strength and Functional Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: de Oliveira Poliana Alves , Blasczyk Juscelino Castro , Junior Gerson Souza , Lagoa Karina Ferreira , Soares Milene , de Oliveira Ricardo Jacó , Filho Paulo José Barbosa Gutierres , Carregaro Rodrigo Luiz , Martins Wagner Rodrigues
Published: December 2016

Background:

Elastic Resistance Exercise (ERE) has already demonstrated its effectiveness in older adults and, when combined with the resistance generated by fixed loads, in adults. This review summarizes the effectiveness of ERE performed as isolated method on muscle strength and functional performance in healthy adults.

Methods:

A database search was performed (MEDLine, Cochrane Library, PEDro and Web of Knowledge) to identify controlled clinical trials in English language. The mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and overall effect size were calculated for all comparisons. The PEDro scale was used assess the methodological quality.

Results:

From the 93 articles identified by the search strategy, 5 met the inclusion criteria, in which 3 presented high quality (PEDro > 6). Meta-analyses demonstrated that the effects of ERE were superior when compared with passive control on functional performance and muscle strength. When compared with active controls, the effect of ERE was inferior on function performance and with similar effect on muscle strength.

Conclusion:

ERE are effective to improve functional performance and muscle strength when compared with no intervention, in healthy adults. ERE are not superior to other methods of resistance training to improve functional performance and muscle strength in health adults.
Ethnic Differences in Impact of Physical Activity Program on Psychological Symptoms in Youth
Authors: Carter Jocelyn S. , Karczewski Sabrina , DeCator Draycen D. , Hollowell Alescia M.
Published: December 2016

Background:

Children who engage in regular physical activity are protected from developing behavioral problems at home and school, but many children do not have the opportunity to participate in regular physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a noncurricular school-based physical activity program resulted in reductions in children’s psychological problems in 2 domains: internalizing (eg, depression) and externalizing (eg, aggression) and whether these effects varied according to ethnicity, gender, and baseline psychological symptoms.

Methods:

One hundred and eleven third-grade students (mean age = 8.47; 55% African American, 42% Latino) from 4 schools participated in the study. Children in 2 schools received the Work to Play physical activity intervention during the study (intervention condition) and children in the other 2 schools did not receive the program until after the study was complete (waitlist control condition). Teachers and parents reported on children’s psychological symptoms at baseline and at follow-up approximately 9 months later.

Results:

Regression analyses showed that children who participated in the program had fewer internalizing symptoms at follow-up. Ethnicity moderated intervention effects with significant decreases in internalizing symptoms for African American, but not Hispanic participants. Neither gender nor baseline psychological symptoms moderated the program’s effectiveness.

Conclusions:

The Work-to-Play intervention program appeared to be effective in reducing internalizing symptoms for ethnic minority participants who are at the greatest risk for psychological problems.
Association of Maximum Temperature With Sedentary Time in Older British Men
Authors: Sartini Claudio , Morris Richard W , Whincup Peter H , Wannamethee S Goya , Ash Sarah , Lennon Lucy , Jefferis Barbara J
Published: December 2016

Background:

Sedentary behavior is very common in older adults and a risk factor for mortality. Understanding determinants of sedentary behavior may help in defining strategies aimed to reduce the time spent sedentary. The degree of difference in sedentary time attributable to varying temperatures has not been yet estimated in older men.

Methods:

Men aged 71 to 91 years participating in an established UK population-based cohort study were invited to wear an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer for 1 week in 2010–12. Outcome was sedentary time (<1.5 Metabolic Equivalent of Task) in minutes per day. Associations between daily outdoor maximum temperature and accelerometer-measured sedentary time were estimated using multilevel models.

Results:

43% (1361/3137) of invited men participated in the study and provided adequate data. Men spent on average 615 minutes in sedentary time per day (72% of the total accelerometer-wear time). After adjusting for covariates, men spent 26 minutes more per day (P < .001) in sedentary time when temperatures were in the lowest (–3.5; 9.2°C) versus highest quintile (19.1; 29.5°C).

Conclusions:

Sedentary time in older adults is highest at lowest temperatures, typically recorded in winter. Findings are relevant for guidelines: interventions may consider targeting older men in winter providing recommendations for minimizing sedentariness on daily basis.
A Test of Basic Psychological Needs Theory in a Physical-Activity-Based Program for Underserved Youth
Authors: McDavid Lindley , McDonough Meghan H. , Blankenship Bonnie T. , LeBreton James M.
Published: December 2016

This study used a randomized controlled design to test the pathways in basic psychological needs theory, where social relationships characterized by autonomy support, involvement, and structure foster psychological need satisfaction and well-being. Participants were recruited from a physical-activity-based youth program. A new staff training was implemented to manipulate the use of each interpersonal characteristic by program staff (N = 24 observed) and perceptions of each interpersonal characteristic, psychological needs, hope, and self-worth in youth (N = 379 surveyed pre- and postprogram). Staff in the intervention condition used greater overall observed autonomy support, involvement, and structure. Condition assignment did not lead to differences in youth perceptions, but observed staff behaviors positively predicted youth perceptions of staff and perceptions of staff positively predicted change in well-being. Findings indicate that the training manipulated how staff engaged youth, and autonomy support, involvement, and structure are useful strategies to foster well-being in youth.
Students’ Motivational Profiles in the Physical Education Context
Authors: Wang John C.K. , Morin Alexandre J.S. , Ryan Richard M. , Liu W.C.
Published: December 2016

The purpose of the current study is to test the self-determination theory (SDT) continuum hypothesis of motivation using latent profile analysis (LPA). A total of 3,220 school students took part in the study. We compared LPA solutions estimated using the four motivation types versus the two higher-order dimensions to assess their degree of correspondence to the SDT continuum hypothesis. To examine the concurrent validity of the profiles, we also verified their associations with three predictors (age, gender, perception of physical education teachers’ autonomy-supportive behaviors) and two outcomes variables (perceived competence and intentions to be physically active). The results showed that profiling using the four motivation types provides more differentiated and meaningful description of responses to the Perceived Locus of Causality Scale, compared with profiling using two higher-order factors. In general, the results of the current study were consistent with the SDT continuum hypothesis of human motivation.
Affective Evaluations of Exercising: The Role of Automatic–Reflective Evaluation Discrepancy
Authors: Brand Ralf , Antoniewicz Franziska
Published: December 2016

Sometimes our automatic evaluations do not correspond well with those we can reflect on and articulate. We present a novel approach to the assessment of automatic and reflective affective evaluations of exercising. Based on the assumptions of the associative-propositional processes in evaluation model, we measured participants’ automatic evaluations of exercise and then shared this information with them, asked them to reflect on it and rate eventual discrepancy between their reflective evaluation and the assessment of their automatic evaluation. We found that mismatch between self-reported ideal exercise frequency and actual exercise frequency over the previous 14 weeks could be regressed on the discrepancy between a relatively negative automatic and a more positive reflective evaluation. This study illustrates the potential of a dual-process approach to the measurement of evaluative responses and suggests that mistrusting one’s negative spontaneous reaction to exercise and asserting a very positive reflective evaluation instead leads to the adoption of inflated exercise goals.
Nanotized Curcumin and Miltefosine, a Potential Combination for Treatment of Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis
Authors: Tiwari Brajendra , Pahuja Richa , Kumar Pradeep , Rath Srikanta Kumar , Gupta Kailash Chand , Goyal Neena
Published: December 2016

Leishmaniasis chemotherapy remains very challenging due to high cost of the drug and its associated toxicity and drug resistance, which develops over a period of time. Combination therapies (CT) are now in use to treat many diseases, such as cancer and malaria, since it is more effective and affordable than monotherapy. CT are believed to represent a new explorable strategy for leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by the obligate intracellular parasite
Leishmania
. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a combination of a traditional Indian medicine (ayurveda), a natural product curcumin and miltefosine, the only oral drug for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using a
Leishmania donovani
-hamster model. We developed an oral nanoparticle-based formulation of curcumin. Nanoformulation of curcumin alone exhibited significant leishmanicidal activity both
in vitro
and
in vivo
. In combination with miltefosine, it exhibited a synergistic effect on both promastigotes and amastigotes under
in vitro
conditions. The combination of these two agents also demonstrated increased
in vivo
leishmanicidal activity accompanied by increased production of toxic reactive oxygen/nitrogen metabolites and enhanced phagocytic activity. The combination also exhibited increased lymphocyte proliferation. The present study thus establishes the possible use of nanocurcumin as an adjunct to antileishmanial chemotherapy.
Chromosomal Integration of the Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase Gene,
bla
KPC
, in Klebsiella Species Is Elusive but Not Rare
Authors: Mathers Amy J. , Stoesser Nicole , Chai Weidong , Carroll Joanne , Barry Katie , Cherunvanky Anita , Sebra Robert , Kasarskis Andrew , Peto Tim E. , Walker A. Sarah , Sifri Costi D. , Crook Derrick W. , Sheppard Anna E.
Published: December 2016

Carbapenemase genes in
Enterobacteriaceae
are mostly described as being plasmid associated. However, the genetic context of carbapenemase genes is not always confirmed in epidemiological surveys, and the frequency of their chromosomal integration therefore is unknown. A previously sequenced collection of
bla
KPC
-positive
Enterobacteriaceae
from a single U.S. institution (2007 to 2012;
n
= 281 isolates from 182 patients) was analyzed to identify chromosomal insertions of Tn
4401
, the transposon most frequently harboring
bla
KPC
. Using a combination of short- and long-read sequencing, we confirmed five independent chromosomal integration events from 6/182 (3%) patients, corresponding to 15/281 (5%) isolates. Three patients had isolates identified by perirectal screening, and three had infections which were all successfully treated. When a single copy of
bla
KPC
was in the chromosome, one or both of the phenotypic carbapenemase tests were negative. All chromosomally integrated
bla
KPC
genes were from
Klebsiella
spp., predominantly
K. pneumoniae
clonal group 258 (CG258), even though these represented only a small proportion of the isolates. Integration occurred via IS
15
-ΔI-mediated transposition of a larger, composite region encompassing Tn
4401
at one locus of chromosomal integration, seen in the same strain (
K. pneumoniae
ST340) in two patients. In summary, we identified five independent chromosomal integrations of
bla
KPC
in a large outbreak, demonstrating that this is not a rare event.
bla
KPC
was more frequently integrated into the chromosome of epidemic CG258
K. pneumoniae
lineages (ST11, ST258, and ST340) and was more difficult to detect by routine phenotypic methods in this context. The presence of chromosomally integrated
bla
KPC
within successful, globally disseminated
K. pneumoniae
strains therefore is likely underestimated.
attI1
-Located Small Open Reading Frames ORF-17 and ORF-11 in a Class 1 Integron Affect Expression of a Gene Cassette Possessing a Canonical Shine-Dalgarno Sequence
Authors: Papagiannitsis Costas C. , Tzouvelekis Leonidas S. , Tzelepi Eva , Miriagou Vivi
Published: December 2016

By searching the Integrall integron and GenBank databases, a novel open reading frame (ORF) of 51 nucleotides (nts) (ORF-17) overlapping the previously described ORF-11 was identified within the
attI1
site in virtually all class 1 integrons. Using a set of isogenic plasmid constructs carrying a single gene cassette (
bla
GES-1
) and possessing a canonical translation initiation region, we found that ORF-17 contributes to GES-1 expression.
Physiological Differences in Cryptococcus neoformans Strains
In Vitro
versus
In Vivo
and Their Effects on Antifungal Susceptibility
Authors: Grossman Nina T. , Casadevall Arturo
Published: December 2016

Cryptococcus neoformans
is an environmentally ubiquitous fungal pathogen that primarily causes disease in people with compromised immune systems, particularly those with advanced AIDS. There are estimated to be almost 1 million cases per year of cryptococcal meningitis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, leading to over 600,000 annual deaths, with a particular burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Amphotericin B (AMB) and fluconazole (FLC) are key components of cryptococcal meningitis treatment: AMB is used for induction, and FLC is for consolidation, maintenance and, for occasional individuals, prophylaxis. However, the results of standard antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) for AMB and FLC do not correlate well with therapeutic outcomes and, consequently, no clinical breakpoints have been established. While a number of explanations for this absence of correlation have been proffered, one potential reason that has not been adequately explored is the possibility that the physiological differences between the
in vivo
infection environment and the
in vitro
AFST environment lead to disparate drug susceptibilities. These susceptibility-influencing factors include melanization, which does not occur during AFST, the size of the polysaccharide capsule, which is larger in infecting cells than in those grown under normal laboratory conditions, and the presence of large polyploid “titan cells,” which rarely occur under laboratory conditions. Understanding whether and how
C. neoformans
differentially expresses mechanisms of resistance to AMB and FLC in the AFST environment compared to the
in vivo
environment could enhance our ability to interpret AFST results and possibly lead to the development of more applicable testing methods.
Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Levofloxacin in Acutely Hospitalized Older Patients with Various Degrees of Renal Function
Authors: Cojutti Pier Giorgio , Ramos-Martin Virginia , Schiavon Isabella , Rossi Paolo , Baraldo Massimo , Hope William , Pea Federico
Published: December 2016

A retrospective study was conducted in a large sample of acutely hospitalized older patients who underwent therapeutic drug monitoring during levofloxacin treatment. The aim was to assess the population pharmacokinetics (popPK) and pharmacodynamics of levofloxacin among older patients. PopPK and Monte Carlo simulation were performed to define the permissible doses in older patients according to various degrees of renal function. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to detect the cutoff 24-hour area under the concentration-time curve (AUC
24
)/MIC ratio that best correlated with the clinical outcome. The probability of target attainment (PTA) of this value was calculated against different pathogens. A total of 168 patients were included, and 330 trough and 239 peak concentrations were used for the popPK analysis. Creatinine clearance (CrCL) was the only covariate that improved the model fit (levofloxacin CL = 0.399 + 0.051 × CrCL
CKD-EPI
[creatinine clearance estimated by means of the chronic kidney disease epidemiology]). Drug doses ranged between 500 mg every 48 h and 500 mg every 12 h in relation to different renal functions. The identified cutoff AUC
24
/MIC ratio (≥95.7) was the only covariate that correlated with a favorable clinical outcome in multivariate regression analysis (odds ratio [OR], 20.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56 to 186.73). PTAs were optimal (>80%) against
Escherichia coli
and
Haemophilus influenzae
, borderline against
Staphylococcus aureus
, and suboptimal against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. The levofloxacin doses defined in our study may be effective for the treatment of infections due to bacterial pathogens, with an MIC of ≤0.5 mg/liter in older patients with various degrees of renal function, while minimizing the toxicity risk. Conversely, the addition of another active antimicrobial should be considered whenever treating infections caused by less susceptible pathogens.
Otitis-Prone Children Produce Functional Antibodies to Pneumolysin and Pneumococcal Polysaccharides
Authors: Kirkham Lea-Ann S. , Wiertsema Selma P. , Corscadden Karli J. , Mateus Tulia , Mullaney Gemma L. , Zhang Guicheng , Richmond Peter C. , Thornton Ruth B.
Published: December 2016

The pneumococcus is a major otitis media (OM) pathogen, but data are conflicting regarding whether otitis-prone children have impaired humoral immunity to pneumococcal antigens. We and others have shown that otitis-prone and healthy children have similar antibody titers to pneumococcal proteins and polysaccharides (vaccine and nonvaccine types); however, the quality of antibodies from otitis-prone children has not been investigated. Antibody function, rather than titer, is considered to be a better correlate of protection from pneumococcal disease. Therefore, we compared the capacities of antibodies from otitis-prone (cases) and healthy (controls) children to neutralize pneumolysin, the pneumococcal toxin currently in development as a vaccine antigen, and to opsonize pneumococcal vaccine and nonvaccine serotypes. A pneumolysin neutralization assay was conducted on cholesterol-depleted complement-inactivated sera from 165 cases and 61 controls. A multiplex opsonophagocytosis assay (MOPA) was conducted on sera from 20 cases and 20 controls. Neutralizing and opsonizing titers were calculated with antigen-specific IgG titers to determine antibody potency for pneumolysin, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) polysaccharides, and non-PCV polysaccharides. There was no significant difference in antibody potencies between cases and controls for the antigens tested. Antipneumolysin neutralizing titers increased with the number of episodes of acute OM, but antibody potency did not. Pneumolysin antibody potency was lower in children colonized with pneumococci than in noncarriers, and this was significant for the otitis-prone group (
P
< 0.05). The production of functional antipneumococcal antibodies in otitis-prone children demonstrates that they respond to the current PCV and are likely to respond to pneumolysin-based vaccines as effectively as healthy children.
Mycobacterium bovis Requires P27 (LprG) To Arrest Phagosome Maturation and Replicate within Bovine Macrophages
Authors: Vázquez Cristina Lourdes , Bianco María Verónica , Blanco Federico Carlos , Forrellad Marina Andrea , Gutierrez Maximiliano Gabriel , Bigi Fabiana
Published: December 2016

Mycobacterium bovis
causes tuberculosis in a wide variety of mammals, with strong tropism for cattle and eventually humans. P27, also called LprG, is among the proteins involved in the mechanisms of the virulence and persistence of
M. bovis
and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. Here, we describe a novel function of P27 in the interaction of
M. bovis
with its natural host cell, the bovine macrophage. We found that a deletion in the
p27-p55
operon impairs the replication of
M. bovis
in bovine macrophages. Importantly, we show for the first time that
M. bovis
arrests phagosome maturation in a process that depends on P27. This effect is P27 specific since complementation with wild-type
p27
but not
p55
fully restored the wild-type phenotype of the mutant strain; this indicates that P55 plays no important role during the early events of
M. bovis
infection. In addition, we also showed that the presence of P27 from
M. smegmatis
decreases the association of LAMP-3 with bead phagosomes, indicating that P27 itself blocks phagosome-lysosome fusion by modulating the traffic machinery in the cell host.
Progress in Understanding the Molecular Basis Underlying Functional Diversification of Cyclic Dinucleotide Turnover Proteins
Authors: Römling Ute , Liang Zhao-Xun , Dow J. Maxwell
Published: December 2016

Cyclic di-GMP was the first cyclic dinucleotide second messenger described, presaging the discovery of additional cyclic dinucleotide messengers in bacteria and eukaryotes. The GGDEF diguanylate cyclase (DGC) and EAL and HD-GYP phosphodiesterase (PDE) domains conduct the turnover of cyclic di-GMP. These three unrelated domains belong to superfamilies that exhibit significant variations in function, and they include both enzymatically active and inactive members, with a subset involved in synthesis and degradation of other cyclic dinucleotides. Here, we summarize current knowledge of sequence and structural variations that underpin the functional diversification of cyclic di-GMP turnover proteins. Moreover, we highlight that superfamily diversification is not restricted to cyclic di-GMP signaling domains, as particular DHH/DHHA1 domain and HD domain proteins have been shown to act as cyclic di-AMP phosphodiesterases. We conclude with a consideration of the current limitations that such diversity of action places on bioinformatic prediction of the roles of GGDEF, EAL, and HD-GYP domain proteins.
Proteolytic Cleavage of the Immunodominant Outer Membrane Protein rOmpA in Rickettsia rickettsii
Authors: Noriea Nicholas F. , Clark Tina R. , Mead David , Hackstadt Ted
Published: December 2016

Rickettsia rickettsii
, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, contains two immunodominant proteins, rOmpA and rOmpB, in the outer membrane. Both rOmpA and rOmpB are conserved throughout spotted fever group rickettsiae as members of a family of autotransporter proteins. Previously, it was demonstrated that rOmpB is proteolytically processed, with the cleavage site residing near the autotransporter domain at the carboxy-terminal end of the protein, cleaving the 168-kDa precursor into apparent 120-kDa and 32-kDa fragments. The 120- and 32-kDa fragments remain noncovalently associated on the surface of the bacterium, with implications that the 32-kDa fragment functions as the membrane anchor domain. Here we present evidence for a similar posttranslational processing of rOmpA. rOmpA is expressed as a predicted 224-kDa precursor yet is observed on SDS-PAGE as a 190-kDa protein. A small rOmpA fragment of ∼32 kDa was discovered during surface proteome analysis and identified as the carboxy-terminal end of the protein. A rabbit polyclonal antibody was generated to the autotransporter region of rOmpA and confirmed a 32-kDa fragment corresponding to the calculated mass of a proteolytically cleaved rOmpA autotransporter region. N-terminal amino acid sequencing revealed a cleavage site on the carboxy-terminal side of Ser-1958 in rOmpA. An avirulent strain of
R. rickettsii
Iowa deficient in rOmpB processing was also defective in the processing of rOmpA. The similarities of the cleavage sites and the failure of
R. rickettsii
Iowa to process either rOmpA or rOmpB suggest that a single enzyme may be responsible for both processing events.

IMPORTANCE
Members of the spotted fever group of rickettsiae, including
R. rickettsii
, the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, express at least four autotransporter proteins that are protective antigens or putative virulence determinants. One member of this class of proteins, rOmpB, is proteolytically processed to a passenger domain and an autotransporter domain that remain associated on the rickettsial outer membrane. The protease responsible for this posttranslation processing remains unknown. Here we show that another autotransporter, rOmpA, is similarly processed by
R. rickettsii
. Similarities in sequence at the cleavage site and predicted secondary protein structure suggest that all four
R. rickettsii
autotransporters may be processed by the same outer membrane protease.