bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The bamboo spider mite Aponychus corpuzae Rimando (Acari: Tetranychidae); first record in the West‐Palaearctic
Authors: Seljak G.
Published: June 2015

Aponychus corpuzae Rimando 1966 is an Oriental and East‐Palaearctic tetranychoid mite dwelling mainly on bamboo plants. In November 2012, it was recorded for the first time on Phyllostachys bambusoides (Poaceae, Bambuseae) in South‐Western Slovenia near Nova Gorica, which is also the first occurrence of this species in Europe. Later on it was discovered on the same bamboo species in several places in the area as well as in one place in North‐Eastern Italy (Gorizia) near the border with Slovenia. Its repeated findings for three consecutive years suggest that the species has become established in this area. The morphological and morphometric features of the local populations were compared with the data given in the literature. Photographs of the findings are also provided.
The pumpkin fly Dacus frontalis (Diptera: Tephritidae): a new pest of curcubits in Tunisia
Authors: Hafsi A. , Abbes K. , Harbi A. , Ben Othmen S. , Limem E. , Elimem M. , Ksantini M. , Chermiti B.
Published: June 2015

The pumpkin fly Dacus frontalis is reported in this paper for the first time in Tunisia, where it was found in several locations. It is a pest of cucurbits of economic importance and is common especially in the eastern and southern parts of Africa. D. frontalis was collected from infested cucumber fruits in the region of El‐Jebil (Kairouan) and female bait traps for the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata and the olive fly Bactrocera oleae. Preliminary data from Tunisia suggest that D. frontalis is already established in four regions in which cucurbits are important crops. Brief notes on the diagnostic features for the species, its ecology and geographic distribution are given. Symptoms on cucumber from Tunisia are presented.
Spread of the spotted wing drosophila – Drosophila suzukii (Diptera, Drosophlidae) and new distribution records in Dalmatia region of Croatia
Authors: Bjeliš M. , Buljubašić I. , Popović L. , Masten Milek T.
Published: June 2015

A specific survey for the detection of Drosophila suzukii Matsmura 1931 (Diptera, Drosophilidae) in Dalmatia region of the Republic of Croatia during 2013, confirmed that the pest is present and widespread. Adults were detected in traps suspended in Prunus cerasus L. (sour cherry), Prunus persica L. (peach), Ficus carica L. (fig) and Morus alba L. (mulberry) orchards and individual trees, during the fruit maturation period, in 16 (of the 51 locations) where traps were placed in Dubrovačko–neretvanska, Splitsko–dalmatinska, Šibensko–kninska and Zadarska counties. This confirmed the rapid spread of D. suzukii in Croatia and this pest is a great concern for areas that are not yet infested that have favourable conditions for the pests’ development. The results of the survey highlight the importance of the development and implementation of long‐term sustainable control.
Establishment of the pineapple mealybug Dysmicoccus brevipes (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Italy
Authors: Suma P. , Mazzeo G. , La Pergola A. , Nucifora S. , Russo A.
Published: June 2015

The establishment of the pineapple mealybug Dysmicoccus brevipes (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Italy is reported in this paper. The different instars of the mealybug found during winter in Sicily on the aerial roots of adult date palms (Phoenix dactylifera L.), suggests that D. brevipes has a strong capability to survive and continue its development even under cold temperatures. The establishment of this mealybug in Sicily could represent a serious threat for vineyards, considering the damage observed in South America to the ‘Italia’ grape variety, one of the most widely cultivated table grapes in the island. The application of control strategies should probably be considered.
The effects of spatial structure, frequency dependence and resistance evolution on the dynamics of toxin‐mediated microbial invasions
Authors: Libberton Ben , Horsburgh Malcolm J. , Brockhurst Michael A.
Published: June 2015

Recent evidence suggests that interference competition between bacteria shapes the distribution of the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in the lower nasal airway of humans, either by preventing colonization or by driving displacement. This competition within the nasal microbial community would add to known host factors that affect colonization. We tested the role of toxin‐mediated interference competition in both structured and unstructured environments, by culturing S. aureus with toxin‐producing or nonproducing Staphylococcus epidermidis nasal isolates. Toxin‐producing S. epidermidis invaded S. aureus populations more successfully than nonproducers, and invasion was promoted by spatial structure. Complete displacement of S. aureus was prevented by the evolution of toxin resistance. Conversely, toxin‐producing S. epidermidis restricted S. aureus invasion. Invasion of toxin‐producing S. epidermidis populations by S. aureus resulted from the evolution of toxin resistance, which was favoured by high initial frequency and low spatial structure. Enhanced toxin production also evolved in some invading populations of S. epidermidis. Toxin production therefore promoted invasion by, and constrained invasion into, populations of producers. Spatial structure enhanced both of these invasion effects. Our findings suggest that manipulation of the nasal microbial community could be used to limit colonization by S. aureus, which might limit transmission and infection rates.
Rapidly shifting maturation schedules following reduced commercial harvest in a freshwater fish
Authors: Feiner Zachary S. , Chong Stephen C. , Knight Carey T. , Lauer Thomas E. , Thomas Michael V. , Tyson Jeffrey T. , Höök Tomas O.
Published: June 2015

Size‐selective harvest of fish stocks can lead to maturation at smaller sizes and younger ages, which may depress stock productivity and recovery. Such changes in maturation may be very slow to reverse, even following complete fisheries closures. We evaluated temporal trends in maturation of five Great Lakes stocks of yellow perch (Perca flavescens Mitchill) using indices that attempt to disentangle plastic and evolutionary changes in maturation: age at 50% maturity and probabilistic maturation reaction norms (PMRNs). Four populations were fished commercially throughout the time series, while the Lake Michigan fishery was closed following a stock collapse. We documented rapid increases in PMRNs of the Lake Michigan stock coincident with the commercial fishery closure. Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron PMRNs also increased following reduced harvest, while Lake Erie populations were continuously fished and showed little change. The rapid response of maturation may have been enhanced by the short generation time of yellow perch and potential gene flow between northern and southern Lake Michigan, in addition to potential reverse adaptation following the fishing moratorium. These results suggest that some fish stocks may retain the ability to recover from fisheries‐induced life history shifts following fishing moratoria.
Latent profile analysis of neuropsychological measures to determine preschoolers' risk for ADHD
Authors: Rajendran Khushmand , O'Neill Sarah , Marks David J. , Halperin Jeffrey M.
Published: June 2015

Background

Hyperactive/Inattentive preschool children show clear evidence of neuropsychological dysfunction. We examined whether patterns and severity of test scores could reliably identify subgroups of preschoolers with differential risk for ADHD during school‐age.

Method

Typically developing (TD: n = 76) and Hyperactive/Inattentive (HI: n = 138) 3–4 year olds were assessed annually for 6 years (T1–T6). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to form subgroups among the HI group based on objective/neuropsychological measures (NEPSY, Actigraph and Continuous Performance Test). Logistic regression assessed the predictive validity of empirically formed subgroups at risk for ADHD diagnosis relative to the TD group and to each other from T2 to T6.

Results

Latent profile analysis yielded two subgroups of HI preschoolers: (a) selectively weak Attention/Executive functions, and (b) pervasive neuropsychological dysfunction across all measures. Both subgroups were more likely to have ADHD at all follow‐up time‐points relative to the TD group (OR range: 11.29–86.32), but there were no significant differences between the LPA‐formed subgroups of HI children at any time‐point.

Conclusions

Objective/neuropsychological measures distinguish HI preschoolers from their TD peers, but patterns and severity of neuropsychological dysfunction do not predict risk for ADHD during school‐age. We hypothesize that trajectories in at‐risk children are influenced by subsequent environmental and neurodevelopmental factors, raising the possibility that they are amenable to early intervention.
Effect of dietary supplementation of rutin on lactation performance, ruminal fermentation and metabolism in dairy cows
Authors: Cui K. , Guo X. D. , Tu Y. , Zhang N. F. , Ma T. , Diao Q. Y.
Published: June 2015

The effect of long‐term dietary supplementation with rutin on the lactation performance, ruminal fermentation and metabolism of dairy cows were investigated in this study. Twenty multiparous Chinese Holstein cows were randomly divided into four groups, and each was offered a basal diet supplemented with 0, 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 mg rutin/kg of diet. The milk yield of the cows receiving 3.0 and 4.5 mg rutin/kg was higher than that of the control group, and the milk yield was increased by 10.06% and 3.37% (p < 0.05). On the basis of that finding, the cows supplemented with 0 or 3.0 mg rutin/kg of diet were used to investigate the effect of rutin supplementation on blood metabolites and hormone levels. Compared with the control group, the serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration of the 3.0 mg rutin/kg group is significantly decreased (p < 0.05). In another trial, four adult cows with permanent rumen fistula and duodenal cannulae were attributed in a self‐control design to investigate the peak occurrence of rutin and quercetin in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, ruminal fermentation and microbial population in dairy cows. The cows supplemented with 3.0 mg rutin/kg in the diet differed from the control period. Samples of rumen fluid, duodenal fluid and blood were collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 h after morning feeding. Compared to the control group, the pH, ammonia nitrogen concentration, number and protein content of rumen protozoa and blood urea nitrogen were lower, but the concentration of total volatile fatty acid (TVFA), microbial crude protein (MCP) and serum lysozyme content were higher for the cows fed the rutin diets. The addition of 3.0 mg rutin/kg to diets for a long term tended to increase the milk yield and improve the metabolism and digestibility of the dairy cows.
Insomnia Complaint Versus Sleep Diary Parameters: Predictions of Suicidal Ideation
Authors: Woosley Julie A. , Lichstein Kenneth L. , Taylor Daniel J. , Riedel Brant W. , Bush Andrew J.
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine which aspects of insomnia best predict suicidal ideation (SI). Participants were grouped according to whether they complained of insomnia and whether their sleep would be characterized as poor or good by applying quantitative criteria for insomnia to their sleep diary data. Analyses revealed that insomnia complaint was more strongly associated with SI than was poor sleep. These findings suggest that patients who complain of insomnia, regardless of the presence or absence of poor sleep, may be at greater risk for suicide than those who are content with their sleep.
Enhanced Alcaligenes faecalis Denitrification Rate with Electrodes as the Electron Donor
Authors: Wang Xin , Yu Ping , Zeng Cuiping , Ding Hongrui , Li Yan , Wang Changqiu , Lu Anhuai
Published: June 2015

The utilization by
Alcaligenes faecalis
of electrodes as the electron donor for denitrification was investigated in this study. The denitrification rate of
A. faecalis
with a poised potential was greatly enhanced compared with that of the controls without poised potentials. For nitrate reduction, although
A. faecalis
could not reduce nitrate, at three poised potentials of +0.06, −0.06, and −0.15 V (versus normal hydrogen electrode [NHE]), the nitrate was partially reduced with −0.15- and −0.06-V potentials at rates of 17.3 and 28.5 mg/liter/day, respectively. The percentages of reduction for −0.15 and −0.06 V were 52.4 and 30.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, for nitrite reduction, the poised potentials greatly enhanced the nitrite reduction. The nitrite reduction rates for three poised potentials (−0.06, −0.15, and −0.30 V) were 1.98, 4.37, and 3.91 mg/liter/h, respectively. When the potentials were cut off, the nitrite reduction rate was maintained for 1.5 h (from 2.3 to 2.25 mg/liter/h) and then greatly decreased, and the reduction rate (0.38 mg/liter/h) was about 1/6 compared with the rate (2.3 mg/liter/h) when potential was on. Then the potentials resumed, but the reduction rate did not resume and was only 2 times higher than the rate when the potential was off.
Treatment of Alkaline Cr(VI)-Contaminated Leachate with an Alkaliphilic Metal-Reducing Bacterium
Authors: Watts Mathew P. , Khijniak Tatiana V. , Boothman Christopher , Lloyd Jonathan R.
Published: June 2015

Chromium in its toxic Cr(VI) valence state is a common contaminant particularly associated with alkaline environments. A well-publicized case of this occurred in Glasgow, United Kingdom, where poorly controlled disposal of a cementitious industrial by-product, chromite ore processing residue (COPR), has resulted in extensive contamination by Cr(VI)-contaminated alkaline leachates. In the search for viable bioremediation treatments for Cr(VI), a variety of bacteria that are capable of reduction of the toxic and highly soluble Cr(VI) to the relatively nontoxic and less mobile Cr(III) oxidation state, predominantly under circumneutral pH conditions, have been isolated. Recently, however, alkaliphilic bacteria that have the potential to reduce Cr(VI) under alkaline conditions have been identified. This study focuses on the application of a metal-reducing bacterium to the remediation of alkaline Cr(VI)-contaminated leachates from COPR. This bacterium, belonging to the
Halomonas
genus, was found to exhibit growth concomitant to Cr(VI) reduction under alkaline conditions (pH 10). Bacterial cells were able to rapidly remove high concentrations of aqueous Cr(VI) (2.5 mM) under anaerobic conditions, up to a starting pH of 11. Cr(VI) reduction rates were controlled by pH, with slower removal observed at pH 11, compared to pH 10, while no removal was observed at pH 12. The reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) resulted in the precipitation of Cr(III) biominerals, which were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (TEM-EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effectiveness of this haloalkaliphilic bacterium for Cr(VI) reduction at high pH suggests potential for its use as an
in situ
treatment of COPR and other alkaline Cr(VI)-contaminated environments.
Three New Cutinases from the Yeast Arxula adeninivorans That Are Suitable for Biotechnological Applications
Authors: Bischoff Felix , Litwińska Katarzyna , Cordes Arno , Baronian Keith , Bode Rüdiger , Schauer Frieder , Kunze Gotthard
Published: June 2015

The genes
ACUT1
,
ACUT2
, and
ACUT3
, encoding cutinases, were selected from the genomic DNA of
Arxula adeninivorans
LS3. The alignment of the amino acid sequences of these cutinases with those of other cutinases or cutinase-like enzymes from different fungi showed that they all had a catalytic S-D-H triad with a conserved G-Y-S-Q-G domain. All three genes were overexpressed in
A. adeninivorans
using the strong constitutive
TEF1
promoter. Recombinant 6× His (6h)-tagged cutinase 1 protein (p) from
A. adeninivorans
LS3 (Acut1-6hp), Acut2-6hp, and Acut3-6hp were produced and purified by immobilized-metal ion affinity chromatography and biochemically characterized using
p
-nitrophenyl butyrate as the substrate for standard activity tests. All three enzymes from
A. adeninivorans
were active from pH 4.5 to 6.5 and from 20 to 30°C. They were shown to be unstable under optimal reaction conditions but could be stabilized using organic solvents, such as polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG 200), isopropanol, ethanol, or acetone. PEG 200 (50%, vol/vol) was found to be the best stabilizing agent for all of the cutinases, and acetone greatly increased the half-life and enzyme activity (up to 300% for Acut3-6hp). The substrate spectra for Acut1-6hp, Acut2-6hp, and Acut3-6hp were quite similar, with the highest activity being for short-chain fatty acid esters of
p
-nitrophenol and glycerol. Additionally, they were found to have polycaprolactone degradation activity and cutinolytic activity against cutin from apple peel. The activity was compared with that of the 6× His-tagged cutinase from
Fusarium solani
f. sp.
pisi
(FsCut-6hp), also expressed in
A. adeninivorans
, as a positive control. A fed-batch cultivation of the best Acut2-6hp-producing strain,
A. adeninivorans
G1212/YRC102-ACUT2-6H, was performed and showed that very high activities of 1,064 U ml
−1
could be achieved even with a nonoptimized cultivation procedure.
Physiological and Transcriptional Responses of Different Industrial Microbes at Near-Zero Specific Growth Rates
Authors: Ercan Onur , Bisschops Markus M. M. , Overkamp Wout , Jørgensen Thomas R. , Ram Arthur F. , Smid Eddy J. , Pronk Jack T. , Kuipers Oscar P. , Daran-Lapujade Pascale , Kleerebezem Michiel
Published: June 2015

The current knowledge of the physiology and gene expression of industrially relevant microorganisms is largely based on laboratory studies under conditions of rapid growth and high metabolic activity. However, in natural ecosystems and industrial processes, microbes frequently encounter severe calorie restriction. As a consequence, microbial growth rates in such settings can be extremely slow and even approach zero. Furthermore, uncoupling microbial growth from product formation, while cellular integrity and activity are maintained, offers perspectives that are economically highly interesting. Retentostat cultures have been employed to investigate microbial physiology at (near-)zero growth rates. This minireview compares information from recent physiological and gene expression studies on retentostat cultures of the industrially relevant microorganisms
Lactobacillus plantarum
,
Lactococcus lactis
,
Bacillus subtilis
,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, and
Aspergillus niger
. Shared responses of these organisms to (near-)zero growth rates include increased stress tolerance and a downregulation of genes involved in protein synthesis. Other adaptations, such as changes in morphology and (secondary) metabolite production, were species specific. This comparison underlines the industrial and scientific significance of further research on microbial (near-)zero growth physiology.
Screening of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Populations with Single-Cell Resolution by Using a High-Throughput Microscale Sample Preparation for Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Krismer Jasmin , Sobek Jens , Steinhoff Robert F. , Fagerer Stephan R. , Pabst Martin , Zenobi Renato
Published: June 2015

The consequences of cellular heterogeneity, such as biocide persistence, can only be tackled by studying each individual in a cell population. Fluorescent tags provide tools for the high-throughput analysis of genomes, RNA transcripts, or proteins on the single-cell level. However, the analysis of lower-molecular-weight compounds that elude tagging is still a great challenge. Here, we describe a novel high-throughput microscale sample preparation technique for single cells that allows a mass spectrum to be obtained for each individual cell within a microbial population. The approach presented includes spotting
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
cells, using a noncontact microarrayer, onto a specialized slide and controlled lysis of cells separated on the slide. Throughout the sample preparation, analytes were traced and individual steps optimized using autofluorescence detection of chlorophyll. The lysates of isolated cells are subjected to a direct, label-free analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Thus, we were able to differentiate individual cells of two
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
strains based on single-cell mass spectra. Furthermore, we showed that only population profiles with real single-cell resolution render a nondistorted picture of the phenotypes contained in a population.
Adaptive Evolution of Thermotoga maritima Reveals Plasticity of the ABC Transporter Network
Authors: Latif Haythem , Sahin Merve , Tarasova Janna , Tarasova Yekaterina , Portnoy Vasiliy A. , Nogales Juan , Zengler Karsten
Published: June 2015

Thermotoga maritima
is a hyperthermophilic anaerobe that utilizes a vast network of ABC transporters to efficiently metabolize a variety of carbon sources to produce hydrogen. For unknown reasons, this organism does not metabolize glucose as readily as it does glucose di- and polysaccharides. The leading hypothesis implicates the thermolability of glucose at the physiological temperatures at which
T. maritima
lives. After a 25-day laboratory evolution, phenotypes were observed with growth rates up to 1.4 times higher than and glucose utilization rates exceeding 50% those of the wild type. Genome resequencing revealed mutations in evolved cultures related to glucose-responsive ABC transporters. The native glucose ABC transporter, GluEFK, has more abundant transcripts either as a result of gene duplication-amplification or through mutations to the operator sequence regulating this operon. Conversely, BglEFGKL, a transporter of beta-glucosides, is substantially downregulated due to a nonsense mutation to the solute binding protein or due to a deletion of the upstream promoter. Analysis of the ABC2 uptake porter families for carbohydrate and peptide transport revealed that the solute binding protein, often among the transcripts detected at the highest levels, is predominantly downregulated in the evolved cultures, while the membrane-spanning domain and nucleotide binding components are less varied. Similar trends were observed in evolved strains grown on glycerol, a substrate that is not dependent on ABC transporters. Therefore, improved growth on glucose is achieved through mutations favoring GluEFK expression over BglEFGKL, and in lieu of carbon catabolite repression, the ABC transporter network is modulated to achieve improved growth fitness.
The N-Linked Outer Chain Mannans and the Dfg5p and Dcw1p Endo-α-1,6-Mannanases Are Needed for Incorporation of Candida albicans Glycoproteins into the Cell Wall
Authors: Ao Jie , Chinnici Jennifer L. , Maddi Abhiram , Free Stephen J.
Published: June 2015

A biochemical pathway for the incorporation of cell wall protein into the cell wall of
Neurospora crassa
was recently proposed. In this pathway, the DFG-5 and DCW-1 endo-α-1,6-mannanases function to covalently cross-link cell wall protein-associated N-linked galactomannans, which are structurally related to the yeast outer chain mannans, into the cell wall glucan-chitin matrix. In this report, we demonstrate that the mannosyltransferase enzyme Och1p, which is needed for the synthesis of the N-linked outer chain mannan, is essential for the incorporation of cell wall glycoproteins into the
Candida albicans
cell wall. Using endoglycosidases, we show that
C. albicans
cell wall proteins are cross-linked into the cell wall via their N-linked outer chain mannans. We further demonstrate that the Dfg5p and Dcw1p α-1,6-mannanases are needed for the incorporation of cell wall glycoproteins into the
C. albicans
cell wall. Our results support the hypothesis that the Dfg5p and Dcw1p α-1,6-mannanases incorporate cell wall glycoproteins into the
C. albicans
cell wall by cross-linking outer chain mannans into the cell wall glucan-chitin matrix.
Young people's perceptions of tobacco packaging: a comparison of EU Tobacco Products Directive & Ireland's Standardisation of Tobacco Act
Authors: Babineau Kate , Clancy Luke
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To measure young people's perceptions of tobacco packaging according to two current pieces of legislation: The EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and Ireland's Public Health (Standardisation of Tobacco Products) Act.

Design

Within-subject experimental cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of secondary school students. School-based pen and paper survey.

Setting

27 secondary schools across Ireland, randomly stratified for size, geographic location, gender, religious affiliation and school-level socioeconomic status. Data were collected between March and May 2014.

Participants

1378 fifth year secondary school students aged 16–17 in Ireland.

Main outcome measures

Young people's perceptions of attractiveness, health risk and smoker characteristics of packs according to EU and Irish branding and packaging guidelines.

Results

Packs with more branding elements were thought to be healthier than standardised packs for Silk Cut (χ2=158.58, p<0.001), Marlboro (χ2=113.65, p<0.001), and Benson and Hedges (χ2=137.95, p<0.001) brands. Generalized estimating equation binary regressions found that gender was a significant predictor of pack attractiveness for Silk Cut, with females being more likely to find the EU packs attractive (β=−0.45, p=0.007). Gender was a significant predictor for females with regards to the perceived popularity of the Silk Cut brand (β=−0.37, p=0.03).

Conclusions

The removal of brand identifiers, including colour, font and embossing, reduces the perceived appeal of cigarette packs for young people across all three tested brands. Packs standardised according to Irish legislation are perceived as less attractive, less healthy and smoked by less popular people than packs which conform to the EU TPD 2014 guidelines.
Acupuncture for psoriasis: protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Wang Lei , Yang Haoyu , Li Nuo , Wang Weiming , Bai Yanping
Published: June 2015

Introduction

The described systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for psoriasis.

Methods and analysis

We will electronically search for randomised controlled trials in the following databases from inception to 31 March 2015: OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Medical Current Content, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database), Wan-Fang Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. We will also try to obtain literature by manually searching reference lists, conference proceedings and registers of clinical trials (eg, the Meta Register of Controlled Trials and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry). Changes in disease status as evaluated by clinical signs or any available tool will be measured as the primary outcome. Global changes as well as changes in participant status (as evaluated by quality of life), safety (as measured by the prevalence and severity of adverse effects or adverse events) and costs (if available) will be measured as secondary outcomes. Two researchers will independently undertake selection of studies, data extraction and assessment of the quality of included studies. Data synthesis and subgroup analyses will be performed using special software (Review Manager). Data will be combined with a random effect model. Results will be presented as risk ratios for dichotomous data and the standardised mean difference for continuous data.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval will not be required as this is a protocol for a systematic review. The systematic review will evaluate the current evidence regarding acupuncture therapy for psoriasis. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

PROSPERO CRD 42014013695.
Impact of ethnicity on progress of glycaemic control in 131 935 newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes: a nationwide observational study from the Swedish National Diabetes Register
Authors: Rawshani Araz , Svensson Ann-Marie , Rosengren Annika , Zethelius Björn , Eliasson Björn , Gudbjörnsdottir Soffia
Published: June 2015

Objectives

Studies on ethnic disparities in glycaemic control have been contradictory, and compromised by excessively broad categories of ethnicity and inadequate adjustment for socioeconomic differences. We aimed to study the effect of ethnicity on glycaemic control in a large cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Setting

We used nationwide data (mainly from primary care) from the Swedish National Diabetes Register (2002–2011) to identify patients with newly diagnosed (within 12 months) type 2 diabetes.

Participants

We included 131 935 patients (with 713 495 appointments), representing 10 ethnic groups, who were followed up to 10 years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Progress of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for up to 10 years was examined. Mixed models were used to correlate ethnicity with HbA1c (mmol/mol). The effect of glycaemic disparities was examined by assessing the risk of developing albuminuria. The impact of ethnicity was compared to that of income, education and physical activity.

Results

Immigrants, particularly those of non-Western origin, received glucose-lowering therapy earlier, had 30% more appointments but displayed poorer glycaemic control (2–5 mmol/mol higher HbA1c than native Swedes). Probability of therapy failure was 28–111% higher for non-Western groups than for native Swedes. High-income Western groups remained below the target-level of HbA1c for 4–5 years, whereas non-Western populations never reached the target level. These disparities translated into 51–92% higher risk of developing albuminuria. The impact of ethnicity was greater than the effect of income and education, and equal to the effect of physical activity.

Conclusions

Despite earlier pharmacological treatment and more frequent appointments, immigrants of non-Western origin display poorer glycaemic control and this is mirrored in a higher risk of developing albuminuria.
A comparison of the recording of comorbidity in primary and secondary care by using the Charlson Index to predict short-term and long-term survival in a routine linked data cohort
Authors: Crooks C J , West J , Card T R
Published: June 2015

Objective

Hospital admission records provide snapshots of clinical histories for a subset of the population admitted to hospital. In contrast, primary care records provide continuous clinical histories for complete populations, but might lack detail about inpatient stays. Therefore, combining primary and secondary care records should improve the ability of comorbidity scores to predict survival in population-based studies, and provide better adjustment for case-mix differences when assessing mortality outcomes.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

English primary and secondary care 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2010.

Participants

All patients 20 years and older registered to a primary care practice contributing to the linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink from England.

Outcome

The performance of the Charlson index with mortality was compared when derived from either primary or secondary care data or both. This was assessed in relation to short-term and long-term survival, age, consultation rate, and specific acute and chronic diseases.

Results

657 264 people were followed up from 1 January 2005. Although primary care recorded more comorbidity than secondary care, the resulting C statistics for the Charlson index remained similar: 0.86 and 0.87, respectively. Higher consultation rates and restricted age bands reduced the performance of the Charlson index, but the index's excellent performance persisted over longer follow-up; the C statistic was 0.87 over 1 year, and 0.85 over all 5 years of follow-up. The Charlson index derived from secondary care comorbidity had a greater effect than primary care comorbidity in reducing the association of upper gastrointestinal bleeding with mortality. However, they had a similar effect in reducing the association of diabetes with mortality.

Conclusions

These findings support the use of the Charlson index from linked data and show that secondary care comorbidity coding performed at least as well as that derived from primary care in predicting survival.
Positive affect as coercive strategy: conditionality, activation and the role of psychology in UK government workfare programmes
Authors: Friedli Lynne , Stearn Robert
Published: June 2015

Eligibility for social security benefits in many advanced economies is dependent on unemployed and underemployed people carrying out an expanding range of job search, training and work preparation activities, as well as mandatory unpaid labour (workfare). Increasingly, these activities include interventions intended to modify attitudes, beliefs and personality, notably through the imposition of positive affect. Labour on the self in order to achieve characteristics said to increase employability is now widely promoted. This work and the discourse on it are central to the experience of many claimants and contribute to the view that unemployment is evidence of both personal failure and psychological deficit. The use of psychology in the delivery of workfare functions to erase the experience and effects of social and economic inequalities, to construct a psychological ideal that links unemployment to psychological deficit, and so to authorise the extension of state—and state-contracted—surveillance to psychological characteristics. This paper describes the coercive and punitive nature of many psycho-policy interventions and considers the implications of psycho-policy for the disadvantaged and excluded populations who are its primary targets. We draw on personal testimonies of people experiencing workfare, policy analysis and social media records of campaigns opposed to workfare in order to explore the extent of psycho-compulsion in workfare. This is an area that has received little attention in the academic literature but that raises issues of ethics and professional accountability and challenges the field of medical humanities to reflect more critically on its relationship to psychology.
Unpacking intoxication, racialising disability
Authors: Chen Mel Y
Published: June 2015

This article examines concepts whose strictly medical applications have only partly informed their widespread use and suggests that demonstrably shared logics motivate our thinking across domains in the interest of a politically just engagement. It considers exchanges between the culturally complex concepts of ‘toxicity’ and ‘intoxication’, assessing the racialised conditions of their animation in several geopolitically—and quite radically—distinct scenarios. First, the article sets the framework through considering the racial implications of impairment and disability language of ‘non-toxic’ finance capital in the contemporary US financial crisis. Shifting material foci from ‘illiquid financial bodies’ to opiates while insisting that neither is ‘more’ metaphorically toxic than the other, the article turns to address the role of opium and temporality in the interanimations of race and disability in two sites of 19th-century British empire: Langdon Down's clinic for idiocy, and China's retort on opium to Queen Victoria. The article concludes with a provocation that suggests yet another crossing of borders, that between researcher and researched: ‘intoxicated method’ is a hypothetical mode of approach that refuses idealised research positions by ‘critically disabling’ the idealised cognitive and conceptual lens of analysis.
Homo immunologicus: on the limits of critique
Authors: Goffey Andrew
Published: June 2015

Through a discussion of a range of research drawn from the humanities and social sciences, and with a particular emphasis on work that tackles questions about the discourse of the life sciences, this paper considers some of the difficulties with research that aims to offer a critical analysis of immunology and its relationship to culture. It considers in particular arguments made on behalf of a biopolitical reading of the life sciences and, by examining the uncertain shift between discursive analysis and philosophical claim, it seeks to address some of the underlying assumptions made about the relations between different kinds of knowledge practice in the interplay between life science, philosophy and culture. Drawing on the work of Belgian philosopher of science Isabelle Stengers to consider the ways in which critical and philosophical appraisals of immunology adopt a characteristically modern stance in the way that they address the life sciences, it further seeks to characterise some of the limits that such forms of critique display.
Critical medical humanities: embracing entanglement, taking risks
Authors: Viney William , Callard Felicity , Woods Angela
Published: June 2015

What can the medical humanities achieve? This paper does not seek to define what is meant by the medical humanities, nor to adjudicate the exact disciplinary or interdisciplinary knowledges it should offer, but rather to consider what it might be capable of doing. Exploring the many valences of the word ‘critical’, we argue here for a critical medical humanities characterised by: (i) a widening of the sites and scales of ‘the medical’ beyond the primal scene of the clinical encounter; (ii) greater attention not simply to the context and experience of health and illness, but to their constitution at multiple levels; (iii) closer engagement with critical theory, queer and disability studies, activist politics and other allied fields; (iv) recognition that the arts, humanities and social sciences are best viewed not as in service or in opposition to the clinical and life sciences, but as productively entangled with a ‘biomedical culture’; and, following on from this, (v) robust commitment to new forms of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. We go on to introduce the five other articles published in this special issue of the journal, reflecting on the ways in which collaboration and critique are articulated in their analyses of immunology, critical neuroscience, toxicity, global clinical labour, and psychological coercion and workfare. As these articles demonstrate, embracing the complex role of critical collaborator—one based on notions of entanglement, rather than servility or antagonism—will, we suggest, develop the imaginative and creative heterodox qualities and practices which have long been recognised as core strengths of the medical humanities.
Accuracy of flat panel detector CT with integrated navigational software with and without MR fusion for single-pass needle placement
Authors: Mabray Marc C , Datta Sanjit , Lillaney Prasheel V , Moore Teri , Gehrisch Sonja , Talbott Jason F , Levitt Michael R , Ghodke Basavaraj V , Larson Paul S , Cooke Daniel L
Published: June 2015

Purpose

Fluoroscopic systems in modern interventional suites have the ability to perform flat panel detector CT (FDCT) with navigational guidance. Fusion with MR allows navigational guidance towards FDCT occult targets. We aim to evaluate the accuracy of this system using single-pass needle placement in a deep brain stimulation (DBS) phantom.

Materials and methods

MR was performed on a head phantom with DBS lead targets. The head phantom was placed into fixation and FDCT was performed. FDCT and MR datasets were automatically fused using the integrated guidance system (iGuide, Siemens). A DBS target was selected on the MR dataset. A 10 cm, 19 G needle was advanced by hand in a single pass using laser crosshair guidance. Radial error was visually assessed against measurement markers on the target and by a second FDCT. Ten needles were placed using CT-MR fusion and 10 needles were placed without MR fusion, with targeting based solely on FDCT and fusion steps repeated for every pass.

Results

Mean radial error was 2.75±1.39 mm as defined by visual assessment to the centre of the DBS target and 2.80±1.43 mm as defined by FDCT to the centre of the selected target point. There were no statistically significant differences in error between MR fusion and non-MR guided series.

Conclusions

Single pass needle placement in a DBS phantom using FDCT guidance is associated with a radial error of approximately 2.5–3.0 mm at a depth of approximately 80 mm. This system could accurately target sub-centimetre intracranial lesions defined on MR.
Analytical Aspects of Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Engen John R. , Wales Thomas E.
Published: June 2015

This article reviews the analytical aspects of measuring hydrogen exchange by mass spectrometry (HX MS). We describe the nature of analytical selectivity in hydrogen exchange, then review the analytical tools required to accomplish fragmentation, separation, and the mass spectrometry measurements under restrictive exchange quench conditions. In contrast to analytical quantitation that relies on measurements of peak intensity or area, quantitation in HX MS depends on measuring a mass change with respect to an undeuterated or deuterated control, resulting in a value between zero and the maximum amount of deuterium that can be incorporated. Reliable quantitation is a function of experimental fidelity and to achieve high measurement reproducibility, a large number of experimental variables must be controlled during sample preparation and analysis. The method also reports on important qualitative aspects of the sample, including conformational heterogeneity and population dynamics.
Identification of Viruses and Viroids by Next-Generation Sequencing and Homology-Dependent and Homology-Independent Algorithms
Authors: Wu Qingfa , Ding Shou-Wei , Zhang Yongjiang , Zhu Shuifang
Published: June 2015

A fast, accurate, and full indexing of viruses and viroids in a sample for the inspection and quarantine services and disease management is desirable but was unrealistic until recently. This article reviews the rapid and exciting recent progress in the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies for the identification of viruses and viroids in plants. A total of four viroids/viroid-like RNAs and 49 new plant RNA and DNA viruses from 18 known or unassigned virus families have been identified from plants since 2009. A comparison of enrichment strategies reveals that full indexing of RNA and DNA viruses as well as viroids in a plant sample at single-nucleotide resolution is made possible by one NGS run of total small RNAs, followed by data mining with homology-dependent and homology-independent computational algorithms. Major challenges in the application of NGS technologies to pathogen discovery are discussed.
Lipochitooligosaccharides Modulate Plant Host Immunity to Enable Endosymbioses
Authors: Limpens Erik , van Zeijl Arjan , Geurts Rene
Published: June 2015

Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing rhizobium bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi use lipochitooligosaccharide (LCO) signals to communicate with potential host plants. Upon a compatible match, an intimate relation is established during which the microsymbiont is allowed to enter root (-derived) cells. Plants perceive microbial LCO molecules by specific LysM-domain-containing receptor-like kinases. These do not only activate a common symbiosis signaling pathway that is shared in both symbioses but also modulate innate immune responses. Recent studies revealed that symbiotic LCO receptors are closely related to chitin innate immune receptors, and some of these receptors even function in symbiosis as well as immunity. This raises questions about how plants manage to translate structurally very similar microbial signals into different outputs. Here, we describe the current view on chitin and LCO perception in innate immunity and endosymbiosis and question how LCOs might modulate the immune system. Furthermore, we discuss what it takes to become an endosymbiont.
Landscape-Scale Disease Risk Quantification and Prediction
Authors: Yuen Jonathan , Mila Asimina
Published: June 2015

The study of plant disease epidemics at a landscape scale can be extended to allow for predictions about disease occurrence at this scale. Examined within the context of the disease triangle, systems developed to incorporate information primarily about the pathogen and conditions conducive to the infection process. Parametric methods can be used to relate environmental conditions to disease, and specifically relate environment to the inoculum production, the resulting infection process, or both. Aspects relating to the presence or absence of the host plant within the landscape, or patterns of the host within the landscape, are much rarer in disease prediction, although analyses incorporating these factors have been conducted. Predictive systems at the landscape scale may concentrate only on the conditions for infection or possible migratory paths of pathogen propagules. Incorporation of all components of the disease triangle may be one way to improve these systems.
The Economics of Shale Gas Development
Authors: Mason Charles F. , Muehlenbachs Lucija A. , Olmstead Sheila M.
Published: June 2015

In the past decade, innovations in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have fueled a boom in the production of natural gas (as well as oil) from geological formations—primarily deep shales—in which hydrocarbon production was previously unprofitable. Impacts on US fossil fuel production and the US economy more broadly have been transformative, even in the first decade. The boom has been accompanied by concerns about negative externalities, including impacts to air, water, and quality of life in producing regions. We describe the economic benefits of the shale gas boom, including direct market impacts and positive externalities, providing back-of-the-envelope estimates of their magnitude. This article also summarizes the current science and economics literatures on negative externalities. We conclude that the likely scope of economic benefits is extraordinarily large and that continued research on the magnitude of negative externalities is necessary to inform risk-mitigating policies.