bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exercising upper respiratory videoendoscopic findings of 50 competition draught horses with abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance
Authors: Hackett E. S. , Leise B. S.
Published: September 2018

Background

Upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopy at rest is commonly used to evaluate competition draught horses with URT conditions. Overground endoscopy might be preferred for draught horse URT evaluation as it allows the horses to be driven with harness, overcheck and cart‐load under similar conditions to those experienced in the show ring where airway conditions are most prominent.

Objective

To describe the exercising URT findings of competition draught horses with abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance.

Study design

Case series.

Methods

Medical records of competition draught horses undergoing overground endoscopic evaluation between January 2013 and January 2018 with a presenting complaint of abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance were reviewed. Video recordings of resting and overground endoscopy were evaluated in all horses. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated between laryngeal function at rest and at exercise.

Results

Fifty competition draught horses were examined. Thirteen had previously undergone URT surgery. There was significant correlation between resting and exercising laryngeal function (ρ = 0.77, P<0.01). Abnormalities were detected in 46 horses and included arytenoid cartilage collapse (n = 31), vocal fold collapse (n = 27), palatal dysfunction (n = 14), epiglottic disorders (n = 11), dynamic laryngeal collapse (n = 1), rostral deviation of the palatopharyngeal arch (n = 3) and medial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds (n = 16). The majority of horses had a complex of abnormalities (n = 31) or required exercising examination for identification (n = 41). Incidental upper oesophageal incompetence was observed in nine horses.

Main limitations

Retrospective collection of data.

Conclusions

Overground endoscopic evaluation was a useful technique for identifying URT disorders in competition draught horses. The spectrum of upper airway conditions identified in exercising draught horses supports the use of overground endoscopy as a diagnostic technique and could influence treatment considerations.

The Summary is available in Portuguese – see Supporting Information
Treatment of class 2 malocclusion by corrective osteotomy using two short locking compression plates
Authors: Spoormakers T. J. P. , Wiemer P.
Published: September 2018

Objective

To describe a symphyseal osteotomy stabilised with two short locking compression plates (LCPs) for treatment of class 2 malocclusions.

Study design

Case series.

Methods

Five horses (age range 8 months to 5¾ years) with overjets and/or overbites ranging from 6 to 32 mm and from 0 to 60 mm, respectively, were treated by osteotomy through the caudal third of the mandibular symphysis, cranial to the interdental space. After cranial distraction and ventral rotation of the rostral part of the mandible, two short (5/6 hole), bent 3.5 mm LCPs were applied ventro‐laterally and secured with two or three locking screws on each side of the osteotomy. In one case, the osteotomy gap was filled with bone marrow.

Results

Final outcome was good to excellent. Two cases needed a second corrective surgery, one because of non‐occlusion of the cheek teeth and another because of abaxial deviation of the rostral portion of the mandible. In three cases with a persistent fistula, LCPs were removed after bridging; drainage resolved and wounds healed. The time to bridging of the osteotomy gap ranged from 2 to 6.5 months. The procedure is technically challenging. It is important that the incisors are well aligned, which proved to be difficult when there was an abnormal maxillary incisor arcade. Incisors should not make contact when LCPs are fixed. The cheek teeth, however, should have good occlusion after positioning and fixation of the LCPs. Endodontic treatment of open incisor pulp cavities may be helpful.

Main limitations

The study population was small and relatively heterogeneous in severity. A larger population with more severe cases might have allowed for a more definitive assessment of the value of the technique for clinical practice.

Conclusions

This technique can be used to achieve a good correction for class 2 malocclusions. The approach provides adequate stability with smaller implants than other published techniques that require transection of both rami. The technique is less invasive and preserves the roots of the incisors and cheek teeth, as well as the mandibular canal.
Dependency of prepulse inhibition deficits on baseline startle reactivity in a mouse model of the human 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome
Authors: Scarborough Joseph , Mueller Flavia , Weber‐Stadlbauer Ulrike , Richetto Juliet , Meyer Urs
Published: September 2018

Hemizygous microdeletion at the chromosomal locus 22q11.2 is a copy number variation with strong genetic linkage to schizophrenia and related disorders. This association, along with its phenotypic overlap with the 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome, has motivated the establishment of Df[h22q11]/+ mice, in which the human 22q11.2 orthologous region is deleted. Previous investigations using this model showed the presence of reduced prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex, a form of sensorimotor gating known to be impaired in a number of psychiatric disorders. Concomitantly to reduced PPI, however, Df[h22q11]/+ mice are also characterized by a robust increase in baseline startle reactivity, which may complicate or confound the interpretation of PPI. Therefore, the present study re‐examined the relationship between acoustic startle reactivity and PPI in this mouse model. We found that while PPI is reduced in Df[h22q11]/+ mice when using its relative indexation (ie, % PPI), this deficit is no longer apparent when using the absolute quantification, that is, the direct comparison between pulse‐alone and prepulse‐plus‐pulse conditions with successively increasing prepulse intensities. We further identified marked negative correlations between % PPI and startle reactivity in Df[h22q11]/+ mice. Moreover, when stratifying Df[h22q11]/+ mice into subgroups displaying low‐ and high‐startle reactivity, only the latter subgroup displayed a significant reduction in % PPI. Collectively, our data suggest that alterations in baseline startle reactivity can confound the outcomes and interpretation of PPI in this mouse model of the human 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome.
A century of climate and land‐use change cause species turnover without loss of beta diversity in California’s Central Valley
Authors: MacLean Sarah A. , Rios Dominguez Andrea F. , de Valpine Perry , Beissinger Steven R.
Published: September 2018

Climate and land‐use changes are thought to be the greatest threats to biodiversity, but few studies have directly measured their simultaneous impacts on species distributions. We used a unique historic resource—early 20th‐century bird surveys conducted by Joseph Grinnell and colleagues—paired with contemporary resurveys a century later to examine changes in bird distributions in California's Central Valley, one of the most intensively modified agricultural zones in the world and a region of heterogeneous climate change. We analyzed species‐ and community‐level occupancy using multispecies occupancy models that explicitly accounted for imperfect detection probability, and developed a novel, simulation‐based method to compare the relative influences of climate and land‐use covariates on site‐level species richness and beta diversity (measured by Jaccard similarity). Surprisingly, we show that mean occupancy, species richness and between‐site similarity have remained remarkably stable over the past century. Stability in community‐level metrics masked substantial changes in species composition; occupancy declines of some species were equally matched by increases in others, predominantly species with generalist or human‐associated habitat preferences. Bird occupancy, richness and diversity within each era were driven most strongly by water availability (precipitation and percent water cover), indicating that both climate and land‐use are important drivers of species distributions. Water availability had much stronger effects than temperature, urbanization and agricultural cover, which are typically thought to drive biodiversity decline.
Towards a deeper understanding of meaningful use in electronic health records
Authors: Joneidy Sina , Burke Maria
Published: September 2018

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyse the US Health Sector concept of the ‘Meaningful Use’ of electronic health records (EHR's) based on the wide diversity of discourses in the published literature. Meaningful Use is defined as ‘use of digital medical and health records to improve quality, safety and efficiency of patient health information’.

Methods

Herman Dooyeweerd's philosophical suite of aspects was the chosen research tool used to analyse seminal papers concerning the Meaningful Use of EHRs. The methodology included the identification of the criteria for choosing the papers: application of the criteria to the literature and then selection of the papers and finally the application of Dooyeweerd's aspects to the papers in order to analyse and classify the motivations of the authors.

Results

As a result of the aspectual analysis of the relevant texts in the seminal papers, two aspects were identified, one as primary and another one as secondary. In addition, the analytic aspect was repeated twice as the primary aspect. Although there were a number of papers distinctively centred on different aspects, overlaps and similarities were also clearly identified.

Discussion

Dooyeweerd's philosophy is useful in helping to affirm the factors that are important to the authors of the seminal papers and the philosophy helps us to accommodate this diversity in a unique way, therefore enhancing our understanding of approaches in the area.

Conclusion

By employing the lens of Dooyeweerd's aspects, the study enhances the understanding of diversity in one discipline and could potentially provide a new system for the classification of diversity within other related disciplines.
Predicting the range of a regionally threatened, benthic fish using species distribution models and field surveys
Authors: Sherwood Joshua L. , Stites Andrew J. , Dreslik Michael J. , Tiemann Jeremy S.
Published: September 2018

Understanding a species' historical and current distribution is critical when making conservation and management decisions. Recent observations in headwater streams of northern Illinois, USA, where no previous records of Iowa Darters Etheostoma exile occurred, revealed the need to re‐evaluate its state‐wide distribution. We conducted a series of species distribution modelling procedures coupled with targeted field surveys to generate historical and contemporary distribution models. The historical distribution model indicated E. exile distributions were concentrated across extreme northern Illinois. Both contemporary models included results of the historical model as a model variable. Based on the initial contemporary model, 30 potential Iowa Darter sites, 10 each of three groups representing low, medium and high model scores, were sampled during the summer of 2016. Field surveys provided nine new E. exile localities and presence–absence data from field surveys were then applied to revise the contemporary model. The revised contemporary model suggests a decrease in certain areas of its historic Illinois range, as well as areas where it has potentially expanded its range.
Abnormal hermaphroditism in Pellona flavipinnis (Clupeiformes: Pristigasteridae)
Authors: Colaço‐Fernandes Talles , Amadio Sidineia
Published: September 2018

This study records the occurrence of a hermaphrodite individual of the apapá Pellona flavipinnis captured in a floodplain area of the Amazon River. Histology of the left gonad revealed the presence of testicular germ cells (spermatocytes and spermatozoa) in the cranial portion and mature ovarian cells (primary and vitellogenic oocytes) in the caudal portion, separated by connective tissue. This is the first record of a hermaphrodite fish of the family Pristigasteridae, order Clupeiformes.
Intraspecific morphological and reproductive trait variation in mouth almighty Glossamia aprion (Apogonidae) across different flow environments
Authors: Abecia Janine E. D. , Luiz Osmar J. , King Alison J.
Published: September 2018

Intraspecific variability, although comparably less studied than interspecific variation, is an important tool in understanding population responses to environmental gradients. This study investigated intraspecific trait variation across three contrasting aquatic flow habitat types (intermittent creek, billabong and river) in a common mouth‐brooding freshwater fish in northern Australia, the mouth almighty Glossamia aprion. Samples of G. aprion were collected at various sites, within the Daly River catchment. It was predicted that a number of morphological and reproductive traits would vary among individuals across the contrasting habitats. Five out of the nine morphological and reproductive traits studied significantly varied across flow habitat types. Significant intraspecific variation in functional traits related to foraging and reproduction, such as relative eye size, eye vertical position and relative maxillary length in males suggest that the inherent characteristics of each flow habitat type could be exerting selective pressure on the morphology of G. aprion. Interestingly, traits related to swimming performance (body lateral shape) and manoeuvrability (pectoral fin ventral position) differed between flow habitat types but showed inconsistent responses to predictions. Whilst this study was temporally and spatially limited, it highlights that intraspecific variability in morphological traits can occur among flow habitat types over relatively small spatial scales.
Big Grain3, encoding a purine permease, regulates grain size via modulating cytokinin transport in rice
Authors: Xiao Yunhua , Liu Dapu , Zhang Guoxia , Gao Shaopei , Liu Linchuan , Xu Fan , Che Ronghui , Wang Yiqin , Tong Hongning , Chu Chengcai
Published: September 2018

Grain size is an important agronomic trait affecting grain yield, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we isolated a dominant mutant, big grain3 (bg3‐D), which exhibits a remarkable increase of grain size caused by activation of the PURINE PERMEASE gene, OsPUP4. BG3/OsPUP4 is predominantly expressed in vascular tissues and is specifically suppressed by exogenous cytokinin application. Hormone profiling revealed that the distribution of different cytokinin forms, in roots and shoots of the bg3‐D mutant, is altered. Quantitative reverse transcription‐PCR (qRT‐PCR) analysis indicated that expression of rice cytokinin type‐A RESPONSE REGULATOR (OsRR) genes is enhanced in the roots of the bg3‐D mutant. These results suggest that OsPUP4 might contribute to the long‐distance transport of cytokinin, by reinforcing cytokinin loading into vascular bundle cells. Furthermore, plants overexpressing OsPUP7, the closest homolog of OsPUP4, also exhibited a similar phenotype to the bg3‐D mutant. Interestingly, subcellular localization demonstrated that OsPUP4 was localized on the plasma membrane, whereas OsPUP7 was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. Based on these findings, we propose that OsPUP4 and OsPUP7 function in a linear pathway to direct cytokinin cell‐to‐cell transport, affecting both its long‐distance movement and local allocation.
Cervical lymphadenopathy from PRP treatment with microneedling therapy
Authors: Geizhals Solomon , Grunfeld Joseph , Kwon Hyeokchan , Fox Joshua
Published: September 2018

Background

Platelet‐rich plasma is highly enriched plasma that contains a large concentration of platelets that secrete various growth factors and is used in a wide variety of surgical and cosmetic procedures, including hair regrowth and skin rejuvenation.

Methods

Microneedling therapy is being combined with platelet‐rich plasma to potentiate patient's cosmetic effects. While microneedling therapy and platelet‐rich plasma therapy have been around for years and are growing in popularity internationally, there are limited data regarding complications when they are used in conjunction.

Results

We present a case in which a patient presented with acute, painful lymphadenopathy shortly after undergoing the combination treatment of a microneedling pen with platelet‐rich plasma therapy.

Conclusion

Individuals should know of the potential adverse effect of microneedling pen therapy used in conjunction with platelet‐rich plasma therapy, and it should be included in patient consent forms and doctor–patient education.
Direct visualization of location and uptake of applied melatonin and serotonin in living tissues and their redistribution in plants in response to thermal stress
Authors: Erland Lauren A. E. , Yasunaga Adam , Li Isaac T. S. , Murch Susan J. , Saxena Praveen K.
Published: September 2018

Melatonin and serotonin are important phytochemicals enabling plants to redirect growth in response to environmental stresses. Despite much research on their biosynthetic routes, localization of their biosynthetic enzymes and recent identification of a phytomelatonin receptor, localization of the molecules themselves has to date not been possible. Elucidation of their locations in living tissues can provide an effective tool to facilitate indolamine research across systems including both plants and animals. In this study, we employed a novel technique, quantum dot nanoparticles, to directly visualize melatonin and serotonin in axenic roots. Melatonin was absorbed through epidermal cells, travelled laterally, and accumulated in endodermal and rapidly dividing pericycle cells. Serotonin was absorbed by cells proximal to the crown with rapid polar movement toward the root tip. Thermal stress disrupted localization and dispersed melatonin and serotonin across cells. These data demonstrate the natural movement of melatonin and serotonin in roots directing cell growth and suggest that plants have a mechanism to disperse the indolamines throughout tissues as antioxidants in response to environmental stresses.
Comparison of surgical and conservative treatment of hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion in dogs
Authors: Nessler Jasmin , Flieshardt Cornelia , Tünsmeyer Julia , Dening Ricarda , Tipold Andrea
Published: September 2018

Background

Whether compressive cervical myelopathy caused by hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion (HNPE) in dogs should be treated surgically or conservatively has been debated. Only 1 recent study has contradicted the former predominant reports of surgical treatment for HNPE.

Hypothesis and method

Single center retrospective study to compare the outcome of client‐owned dogs with HNPE after decompressive surgery or conservative treatment.

Animals

Thirty‐six dogs diagnosed with HNPE confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results

Eighteen of 36 dogs underwent surgery whereas 18 dogs were managed conservatively including cage rest and physiotherapy. The most common affected intervertebral disc space was C4‐5. In 3 dogs, HNPE was diagnosed at the level of T13‐L1. Median time to regain ambulation was 6.6 days (range, 0‐28 days) after surgery and 5.9 days (range, 0‐15 days) with conservative management (P = .37).

Only the length of a potential intramedullary lesion in cervical HNPE detected by MRI had an influence on the prognosis to gain ambulatory status in a time period of ≤9 days (P = .0035) and on short‐term survival (P = .0011).

Conclusions and clinical importance

Conservative management of HNPE in the cervical as well as in the thoracolumbar region represents a reasonable alternative to surgery, showing similar favorable outcome.
Differential susceptibility to tetracycline, oxytetracycline and doxycycline of the calf pathogensMannheimia haemolyticaandPasteurella multocidain three growth media
Authors: Mead Andrew , Lees Peter , Mitchell John , Rycroft Andrew , Standing Joseph F. , Toutain Pierre‐Louis , Pelligand Ludovic
Published: September 2018

For clinical isolates of bovineMannheimia haemolyticaandPasteurella multocida,this study reports minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) differences for tetracycline, oxytetracycline and doxycycline between cation‐adjusted Mueller‐Hinton broth (CAMHB), foetal bovine serum (FBS) and Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium.MICs were determined according toCLSIstandards and additionally using five overlapping sets of twofold dilutions.Matrix effect: (a) free drugMICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) for all drugs were significantly higher inFBSthan inCAMHBfor both pathogens (p < 0.001); (b)MICs andMBCs were higher forCAMHBandFBScompared toRPMIforP. multocidaonly. Net growth rate forP. multocidainCAMHBwas significantly slower than inFBSand higher than inRPMI, correlating toMICandMBCranking.Drug effect: doxycyclineMICs andMBCs were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in bothCAMHBandFBSthan tetracycline and oxytetracycline for both pathogens. Only forM. haemolyticawere oxytetracyclineMICandMBCsignificantly lower than tetracycline, precluding the use of tetracycline to predict oxytetracycline susceptibility in this species. Determining potencies of tetracyclines in a physiological medium, such asFBS, is proposed, when the objective is correlation with pharmacokinetic data for dosage determination.
Phylogenomics supports incongruence between ecological specialization and taxonomy in a charismatic clade of buck moths
Authors: Dupuis Julian R. , Peigler Richard S. , Geib Scott M. , Rubinoff Daniel
Published: September 2018

Local adaptation can be a fundamental component of speciation, but its dynamics in relation to gene flow are not necessarily straightforward. Herbivorous taxa with localized host plant or habitat specialization across their geographic range are ideal models for investigating the patterns and constraints of local adaptation and its impact on diversification. The charismatic, day‐flying moths of the Hemileuca maia species complex (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) are such taxa, as they are geographically widespread, exhibit considerable ecological and morphological variability and host and habitat specificity, but apparently lack genetic differentiation across their range. Here, we use genomewide single nucleotide polymorphisms to assess relationships and population structure of this group across North America and investigate the scales where genomic divergence correlates with adaptive ecological characteristics. In contrast to previous genetic studies of the group, we find broad‐ and fine‐scale genetic differentiation between lineages, which is at odds with various levels of taxonomic description and recognition of conservation units. Furthermore, ecological specialization only explains some fine‐scale genetic differentiation, and across much of the group's range, local adaptation is apparently occurring in the face of strong gene flow. These results provide unprecedented insight into drivers of speciation in this group, the relationship between taxonomy and genomics‐informed species boundaries and conservation management of internationally protected entities. Broadly, this system provides a model for understanding how local adaptation in an herbivore can arise and be maintained in the face of apparently strong gene flow, and the importance of geographic isolation in generating genomic divergence, despite a lack of ecological divergence.
Breathing New Life Into the World‐Soul? Revisiting an Old Doctrine Through the Lens of Current Debates on Special Divine Action
Authors: Dumsday Travis
Published: September 2018

Nicholas Saunders’ 2002 book Divine Action and Modern Science remains among the most significant and widely‐cited recent contributions to the literature on special divine action (SDA). One of the tasks he takes up in that work is to critique a wide assortment of models of SDA, including that of Grace Jantzen. Her account employs the panentheistic notion that the physical universe is related to God in a manner closely analogous to the way in which a human body is related to the human mind—that is, the cosmos is God’s body. And just as we humans can exercise basic actions on and with our bodies without violating the laws of nature, God can exercise basic action on parts of the cosmos without such violations, thereby providing a workable non‐interventionist model of SDA. Saunders critiques this model on both philosophical and theological grounds, and moves on to consider another: the idea that God never acts directly on the cosmos, but instead interacts with the world by influencing human minds, which influence needn’t involve the violation of laws. This model too comes in for heavy criticism. In this essay I suggest a way of retaining important aspects of both of these accounts while sidestepping the criticisms levelled by Saunders. This can be done by reviving an idea sympathetically entertained by such notables as Plato, several early Church fathers (including Augustine), and Isaac Newton: that of a World‐Soul distinct from God.
Identification by Tn‐seq of Dickeya dadantii genes required for survival in chicory plants
Authors: Royet Kévin , Parisot Nicolas , Rodrigue Agnès , Gueguen Erwan , Condemine Guy
Published: September 2018

The identification of the virulence factors of plant‐pathogenic bacteria has relied on the testing of individual mutants on plants, a time‐consuming process. Transposon sequencing (Tn‐seq) is a very powerful method for the identification of the genes required for bacterial growth in their host. We used this method in a soft‐rot pathogenic bacterium to identify the genes required for the multiplication of Dickeya dadantii in chicory. About 100 genes were identified showing decreased or increased fitness in the plant. Most had no previously attributed role in plant–bacterium interactions. Following our screening, in planta competition assays confirmed that the uridine monophosphate biosynthesis pathway and the purine biosynthesis pathway were essential to the survival of D. dadantii in the plant, as the mutants ∆carA, ∆purF, ∆purL, ∆guaB and ∆pyrE were unable to survive in the plant in contrast with the wild‐type (WT) bacterium. This study also demonstrated that the biosynthetic pathways of leucine, cysteine and lysine were essential for bacterial survival in the plant and that RsmC and GcpA were important in the regulation of the infection process, as the mutants ∆rsmC and ∆gcpA were hypervirulent. Finally, our study showed that D. dadantii flagellin was glycosylated and that this modification conferred fitness to the bacterium during plant infection. Assay by this method of the large collections of environmental pathogenic strains now available will allow an easy and rapid identification of new virulence factors.
The cotton laccase geneGhLAC15enhances Verticillium wilt resistance via an increase in defence‐induced lignification and lignin components in the cell walls of plants
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wu Lizhu , Wang Xingfen , Chen Bin , Zhao Jing , Cui Jing , Li Zhikun , Yang Jun , Wu Liqiang , Wu Jinhua , Zhang Guiyin , Ma Zhiying
Published: September 2018

Verticillium dahliaeis a phytopathogenic fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilt diseases responsible for considerable decreases in cotton yields. The lignification of cell wall appositions is a conserved basal defence mechanism in the plant innate immune response. However, the function of laccase in defence‐induced lignification has not been described. Screening of an SSH library of a resistant cotton cultivar, Jimian20, inoculated withV. dahliaerevealed a laccase gene that was strongly induced by the pathogen.This gene was phylogenetically related toAtLAC15and contained domains conserved by laccases; therefore, we named itGhLAC15. Quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction indicated thatGhLAC15maintained higher expression levels in tolerant than in susceptible cultivars. Overexpression ofGhLAC15enhanced cell wall lignification, resulting in increased total lignin, G monolignol and G/S ratio, which significantly improved the Verticillium wilt resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis. In addition, the levels of arabinose and xylose were higher in transgenic plants than in wild‐type plants, which resulted in transgenic Arabidopsis plants being less easily hydrolysed. Furthermore, suppression of the transcriptional level ofGhLAC15resulted in an increase in susceptibility in cotton. The content of monolignol and the G/S ratio were lower in silenced cotton plants, which led to resistant cotton cv. Jimian20 becoming susceptible. These results demonstrate thatGhLAC15enhances Verticillium wilt resistance via an increase in defence‐induced lignification and arabinose and xylose accumulation in the cell wall ofGossypium hirsutum.This study broadens our knowledge of defence‐induced lignification and cell wall modifications as defence mechanisms againstV. dahliae.
Rhodotorula species infections in humans: A systematic review
Authors: Ioannou Petros , Vamvoukaki Rodanthi , Samonis George
Published: September 2018

Background

Fungal infections by Rhodotorula species are increasingly reported in the literature and consist of bloodstream infections, especially in patients with central venous catheters (CVC), as well as central nervous system (CNS), ocular and other less frequent infections.

Objectives

The aim of this systematic review was to record and evaluate all available evidence regarding infections by Rhodotorula species.

Methods

Systematic review of PubMed (through 9 August 2017) for studies providing epidemiological, clinical, microbiological, as well as treatment data and outcomes of Rhodotorula species infections.

Results

A total of 111 studies, containing data of 248 patients, were eventually included in the analysis. The most common Rhodotorula infections were those of bloodstream, CNS and ocular infections, as well as peritoneal dialysis‐associated peritonitis. Epidemiology of each type of infection was different, with the bloodstream ones being more common in patients with malignancy and CVCs, while those of the CNS were more common in patients with AIDS. Mortality was variable being higher in CNS infections. Amphotericin B remains the most common agent used for treatment, irrespectively of the infection site.

Conclusions

This systematic review thoroughly describes fungal infections by Rhodotorula species and provides information on their epidemiology, clinical picture, microbiology, treatment and outcomes.
Diagnostic potential of sarcoplasmic myxovirus resistance protein A expression in subsets of dermatomyositis
Authors: Uruha A. , Allenbach Y. , Charuel J.‐L. , Musset L. , Aussy A. , Boyer O. , Mariampillai K. , Landon‐Cardinal O. , Rasmussen C. , Bolko L. , Maisonobe T. , Leonard‐Louis S. , Suzuki S. , Nishino I. , Stenzel W. , Benveniste O.
Published: September 2018

Aims

To elucidate the diagnostic value of sarcoplasmic expression of myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) for dermatomyositis (DM) specifically analysing different DM subforms, and to test the superiority of MxA to other markers.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry for MxA and retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I) was performed on skeletal muscle samples and compared with the item presence of perifascicular atrophy (PFA) in 57 DM patients with anti‐Mi‐2 (n = 6), ‐transcription intermediary factor 1 gamma (n = 10), ‐nuclear matrix protein 2 (n = 13), ‐melanoma differentiation‐associated gene 5 (MDA5) (n = 10) or ‐small ubiquitin‐like modifier activating enzyme (n = 1) autoantibodies and with no detectable autoantibody (n = 17). Among the patients, nine suffered from cancer and 22 were juvenile‐onset type. Disease controls included antisynthetase syndrome (ASS)‐associated myositis (n = 30), immune‐mediated necrotizing myopathy (n = 9) and inclusion body myositis (n = 5).

Results

Sarcoplasmic MxA expression featured 77% sensitivity and 100% specificity for overall DM patients, while RIG‐I staining and PFA reached respectively 14% and 59% sensitivity and 100% and 86% specificity. In any subset of DM, sarcoplasmic MxA expression showed higher sensitivity than RIG‐I and PFA. Some anti‐MDA5 antibody‐positive DM samples distinctively showed a scattered staining pattern of MxA. No ASS samples had sarcoplasmic MxA expression even though six patients had DM skin rash.

Conclusions

Sarcoplasmic MxA expression is more sensitive than PFA and RIG‐I expression for a pathological diagnosis of DM, regardless of the autoantibody‐related subgroup. In light of its high sensitivity and specificity, it may be considered a pathological hallmark of DM per se. Also, lack of MxA expression in ASS supports the idea that ASS is a distinct entity from DM.
Calcium‐enhanced phosphorus toxicity in calcifuge and soil‐indifferent Proteaceae along the Jurien Bay chronosequence
Authors: Hayes Patrick E. , Guilherme Pereira Caio , Clode Peta L. , Lambers Hans
Published: September 2018

Many Proteaceae are highly phosphorus (P)‐sensitive and occur exclusively on old nutrient‐impoverished acidic soils (calcifuge), whilst a few also occur on young calcareous soils (soil‐indifferent) that are higher in available calcium (Ca) and P. Calcium increases the severity of P‐toxicity symptoms, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. We propose that Ca‐enhanced P toxicity explains the calcifuge habit of most Proteaceae.

Four calcifuge and four soil‐indifferent Proteaceae from South‐Western Australia were grown in hydroponics, at a range of P and Ca concentrations.

Calcium increased the severity of P‐toxicity symptoms in all species. Calcifuge Proteaceae were more sensitive to Ca‐enhanced P toxicity than soil‐indifferent ones. Calcifuges shared these traits: low leaf zinc concentration ([Zn]), low Zn allocation to leaves, low leaf [Zn]:[P], low root : shoot ratio, and high seed P content, compared with soil‐indifferent species.

This is the first demonstration of Ca‐enhanced P toxicity across multiple species. Calcium‐enhanced P toxicity provides an explanation for the calcifuge habit of most Proteaceae and is critical for the management of this iconic Australian family. This study represents a major advance towards an understanding of the physiological mechanisms of P toxicity and its role in the distribution of Proteaceae.
Impact of vegetation on the methane budget of a temperate forest
Authors: Plain Caroline , Ndiaye Fatou‐Kiné , Bonnaud Pascal , Ranger Jacques , Epron Daniel
Published: September 2018

Upland forest soils are known to be the main biological sink for methane, but studies have shown that net methane uptake of a forest ecosystem can be reduced when methane emissions by vegetation are considered. We estimated the methane budget of a young oak plantation by considering tree stems but also the understorey vegetation.

Automated chambers connected to a laser‐based gas analyser, on tree stems, bare soil and soil covered with understorey vegetation, recorded CH4 fluxes for 7 months at 3 h intervals.

Tree stem emissions were low and equated to only 0.1% of the soil sink. Conversely, the presence of understorey vegetation increased soil methane uptake. This plant‐driven enhancement of CH4 uptake occurred when the soil was consuming methane. At the stand level, the methane budget shifted from −1.4 ± 0.4 kg C ha−1 when we upscaled data obtained only on bare soil, to −2.9 ± 0.6 kg C ha−1 when we considered soil area that was covered with understorey vegetation.

These results indicate that aerenchymatous plant species, which are known to reduce the methane sink in wetlands, actually increase soil methane uptake two‐fold in an upland forest by enhancing methane and oxygen transport and/or by promoting growth of methanotrophic populations.
Natural allelic variation of GVS1 confers diversity in the regulation of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis
Authors: Lyu Jae Il , Kim Jin Hee , Chu Hyosub , Taylor Mark A. , Jung Sukjoon , Baek Seung Hee , Woo Hye Ryun , Lim Pyung Ok , Kim Jeongsik
Published: September 2018

Leaf senescence affects plant fitness. Plants that evolve in different environments are expected to acquire distinct regulations of leaf senescence. However, the adaptive and evolutionary roles of leaf senescence are largely unknown.

We investigated leaf senescence in 259 natural accessions of Arabidopsis by quantitatively assaying dark‐induced senescence responses using a high‐throughput chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system. A meta‐analysis of our data with phenotypic and climatic information demonstrated biological and environmental links with leaf senescence. We further performed genome‐wide association mapping to identify the genetic loci underlying the diversity of leaf senescence responses.

We uncovered a new locus, Genetic Variants in leaf Senescence (GVS1), with high similarity to reductase, where a single nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution at GVS1 mediates the diversity of the senescence trait. Loss‐of‐function mutations of GVS1 in Columbia‐0 delayed leaf senescence and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, suggesting that this GVS1 variant promotes optimal responses to developmental and environmental signals. Intriguingly, gvs1 loss‐of‐function mutants display allele‐ and accession‐dependent phenotypes, revealing the functional diversity of GVS1 alleles not only in leaf senescence, but also oxidative stress.

Our discovery of GVS1 as the genetic basis of natural variation in senescence programs reinforces its adaptive potential in modulating life histories across diverse environments.
Negotiated compliance at the street level: Personalizing immunization in England, Israel and Sweden
Authors: Gofen Anat , Blomqvist Paula , Needham Catherine E. , Warren Kate , Winblad Ulrika
Published: September 2018

Often portrayed as behaviour that is inconsistent with policy goals, public noncompliance poses a significant challenge for government. To explore what compliance efforts entail on the ground, this study focuses on childhood immunization as a paradigmatic case where a failure to ensure compliance poses a public health risk. The analysis draws on 48 semi‐structured interviews with frontline nurses and regional/national public health officials in England (N= 15), Sweden (N= 17) and Israel (N= 16), all of which have experienced periodic noncompliance spikes, but differ in direct delivery of vaccination provision. Compliance efforts emerged as a joint decision‐making process in which improvisatory practices of personalized appeals are deployed to accommodate parents’ concerns, termed here ‘street‐level negotiation’. Whereas compliance is suggestive of compelling citizens’ adherence to standardized rules, compliance negotiation draws attention to the limited resources street‐level workers have when encountering noncompliance and to policy‐clients’ influence on delivery arrangements when holding discretionary power over whether or not to comply.
A genealogy of EU discourses and practices of deliberative governance: Beyond states and markets?
Authors: Parker Owen
Published: September 2018

The article offers a genealogy of ‘deliberative governance’ in the EU—an important contemporary discourse and practice of ‘throughput legitimacy’ within that setting. It focuses on three key episodes: the late 1990s ‘Governance’ reports of the European Commission's in‐house think‐tank, the Forward Studies Unit (FSU); the Commission's 2001 White Paper on Governance; and the EU's ‘Open Method of Coordination’, which emerged in the 1990s and was widely studied in the early and mid‐2000s. The genealogy serves to highlight the particular intellectual lineages and political contingencies associated with such a discourse and in so doing points to its exclusive potential in both theory and practice. In particular, the article argues that it excludes, on the one hand, those championing the enduring sociological and normative importance of the nation state and an associated representative majoritarianism and, on the other hand, those (excessively) critical of a functionalist, neoliberal, market‐making status quo.
Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Proxy‐estimated by Sky View Fish‐eye Photography—Potentials and Limitations from an Exploratory Correlation Study
Authors: Wester Ulf , Pagels Peter , Boldemann Cecilia
Published: September 2018

Potentials and limitations of sky view fish‐eye photography and calculation of the percentage of free sky (sky view factor, SVF) as a proxy to estimate solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure in shade settings are investigated using controlled situations. SVF and measured solar UVR exposure correlated at high mid‐latitude (56.65°N) near autumnal equinox in September. The correlation was enhanced by splitting the sky view images into a south‐ and a north‐half and weighting the south‐half higher to account for the direct sun. Sky view images from eight different settings with SVF‐values 98.3% – 14.9% were compared to exposure measurements by polysulphone film dosimeter badges in the horizontal zenith‐, vertical‐south‐, east‐, west‐ and north‐directions and their combinations. The sky view images were un‐split and un‐weighted or split and the semi‐skies given south/north weights (3.0/1.0) or a higher weight ratio (3.5/0.5). Of all tested combinations split sky view SVFs weighted 3.0/1.0 and compared to horizontal (zenith‐oriented) dosimeters yielded the highest correlation (R2 = 0.96). The weight ratio (3.5/0.5) yielded the 2nd highest correlation (R2 = 0.90) both compared to measured horizontal exposure and compared to the horizontal exposure averaged with the vertical‐south‐oriented exposure. SVF from sky view fish‐eye photography may estimate solar UVR exposure in shade settings.
The Protective Effect of Violaxanthin from Nannochloropsis oceanica against Ultraviolet B‐Induced Damage in Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Kim Hyun‐Min , Jung Jin Hyuk , Kim Ji Yea , Heo Jina , Cho Dae‐Hyun , Kim Hee‐Sik , An Sungkwan , An In‐Sook , Bae Seunghee
Published: September 2018

Skin photoaging, which is mainly induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, is prevented by the application of UV‐protective agents. The microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica (N. oceanica) has been primarily reported as a potential biofuel; however, in this study, we investigated whether N. oceanica extracts exerted photoprotective effects against UVB‐irradiated human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and which single component was responsible for the protective effect of the extracts. Two extracts—pigment and nonpigment—were prepared from N. oceanica biomass. WST‐1 assay and expression analysis of interleukin genes showed that the pigment extracts were not significantly cytotoxic to HDFs. Further experiments revealed that treatment with the pigment extract upregulated the expression of collagen genes and significantly blocked UVB‐induced damage such as decreased cell viability and increased ROS production. Next, to investigate the pigment composition of the extracts, HPLC analysis was conducted and violaxanthin was identified as the major pigment. The UVB photoprotective effect of the pigment extracts was confirmed in violaxanthin‐treated HDFs. In addition, violaxanthin significantly attenuated UVB‐induced G1 phase arrest, senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activation, p16 and p21 upregulation, ERK phosphorylation and the downregulation of ECM molecules in HDFs. Therefore, we concluded that violaxanthin was a potential antiphotoaging agent.
Plasmodiophora brassicae resting spore dynamics in clubroot resistant canola (Brassica napus) cropping systems
Authors: Ernst T. W. , Kher S. , Stanton D. , Rennie D. C. , Hwang S. F. , Strelkov S. E.
Published: September 2018

The soilborne pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae, causal agent of clubroot of canola (Brassica napus), is difficult to manage due to the longevity of its resting spores, ability to produce large amounts of inoculum, and the lack of effective fungicides. The cropping of clubroot resistant (CR) canola cultivars is one of the few effective strategies for clubroot management. This study evaluated the impact of the cultivation of CR canola on P. brassicae resting spore concentrations in commercial cropping systems in Alberta, Canada. Soil was sampled pre‐seeding and post‐harvest at multiple georeferenced locations within 17 P. brassicae‐infested fields over periods of up to 4 years in length. Resting spore concentrations were measured by quantitative PCR analysis, with a subset of samples also evaluated in greenhouse bioassays with a susceptible host. The cultivation of CR canola in soil with quantifiable levels of P. brassicae DNA resulted in increased inoculum loads. There was a notable lag in the release of inoculum after harvest, and quantifiable P. brassicae inoculum peaked in the year following cultivation of CR canola. Rotations that included a ≥2‐year break from P. brassicae hosts resulted in significant declines in soil resting spore concentrations. A strong positive relationship was found between the bioassays and qPCR‐based estimates of soil infestation. Results suggest that CR canola should not be used to reduce soil inoculum loads, and crop rotations in P. brassicae infested fields should include breaks of at least 2 years away from B. napus, otherwise the risk of selecting for virulent pathotypes may increase.
Caesarean delivery, childhood asthma, and effect modification by sex: An observational study and meta‐analysis
Authors: Pennington Audrey Flak , Strickland Matthew J. , Klein Mitchel , Drews‐Botsch Carolyn , Hansen Craig , Darrow Lyndsey A.
Published: September 2018

Background

Numerous studies indicate caesarean delivery is associated with childhood asthma. Sex‐specific associations were reported in four of these studies, and in all four studies, the estimated association between caesarean delivery and asthma was of greater magnitude among girls, although most report a lack of evidence of multiplicative interaction.

Methods

We assessed potential effect modification by sex, on the additive and multiplicative scales, of the association between caesarean delivery and asthma by ages 2 through 6 in up to 17 075 racially diverse children from a retrospective birth cohort, the Kaiser Air Pollution and Pediatric Asthma (KAPPA) Study. We also conducted a random‐effects meta‐analysis, combining our sex‐stratified results (using the odds ratio for compatibility with previous studies) with previously published results.

Results

Adjusted risk differences for caesarean delivery and asthma in the KAPPA cohort were higher among girls than boys at every follow‐up age. By age 5, caesarean delivery was associated with an absolute 3.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4%, 7.3%) higher asthma risk among girls and a 1.9% (95% CI −1.7, 5.4) higher risk among boys. The summary odds ratio from the meta‐analysis for caesarean delivery and asthma among girls was 1.26 (95% CI 1.14, 1.39) and 1.08 (95% CI 0.98, 1.20) among boys (P = 0.036).

Conclusions

Higher, but imprecise, estimates for females across five studies should motivate investigators to estimate sex‐specific associations for caesarean delivery and asthma and to explore biological mechanisms or sex‐dependent biases that could explain this possible heterogeneity.