bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective effects of breastfeeding against acute respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea: Findings of a cohort study
Authors: Raheem Raheema Abdul , Binns Colin W , Chih Hui J
Published: January 2017

Aim

The objective of this paper is to identify associations between breastfeeding and acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) and diarrhoea.

Methods

A cohort of 458 mothers was recruited at the antenatal clinics at Indira Gandhi Memorial and Abdul Rahman Dhon Kaleyfaanu Hospitals. Mothers were interviewed ‘face‐to‐face’ at 36 weeks of gestation and at 1, 3 and 6 months after delivery. The questionnaires included demographic information about parents, infant feeding methods and breastfeeding duration. The number of episodes of ARTIs and diarrhoea was also recorded. Ethics approval was obtained from the National Research Committee of the Maldives and Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. Descriptive, univariate, logistic and survival analyses were used to assess the effects of breastfeeding on infant ARTIs and diarrhoea.

Results

The partial, predominant and exclusive breastfeeding rates at 1 month were 98.9, 67.6 and 26.9%, respectively. The risk of acquiring ARTIs is significantly reduced when the infants were predominantly breastfed for 3 months (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.56, 95% of adjusted OR: 0.34–0.94) and 6 months (adjusted OR: 0.45, 95% of adjusted OR: 0.24–0.84). The risk of getting diarrhoea is significantly reduced even when the babies were partially breastfed for 6 months (adjusted OR): 0.31, 95% of adjusted OR: 0.11–0.90). Kaplan Meier curves demonstrated that the risk lowers with longer duration of breastfeeding.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding need to be promoted because the risk of infant morbidity is negatively associated with the duration of breastfeeding.
Carob pods (Ceratonia siliqua L.) improve growth performance, antioxidant status and caecal characteristics in growing rabbits
Authors: Abu Hafsa S. H. , Ibrahim S. A. , Hassan A. A.
Published: January 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate carob pods and their effect on growth performance, antioxidant activities, carcass and caecal characteristics and equilibrium modification of the caecal microbiota population of growing NZW rabbits. Eighty weaned rabbits (initial body weight: 625.00 ± 26.46 g) were randomly allocated into four dietary groups of 20 rabbits each until 90 days of age. Dietary groups were as follows: C (basal diet with no supplementation), CP1 (basal diet + 2.5% carob pods), CP2 (basal diet + 5% carob pods) and CP3 (basal diet + 10% carob pods). Rabbits given the CP2 diet had significantly higher daily and final body weights compared with the other experimental groups. The increase in inclusion rate of carob pods significantly decreased feed intake, whereas carob pods at 5% in the CP2 group recorded the best value of feed conversion ratio. Rabbits in the CP3 group showed the worst slaughter weight and carcass dressing percentage weight. No significant effect was found on meat protein and ash contents. Cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein, high‐density lipoprotein and triglycerides decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in rabbits treated with carob pods compared with the control. Because of high content of the antioxidant compounds in CP2 and CP3 groups, the activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S‐transferase, catalase and superoxide dismutase increased, whereas the concentration of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance decreased significantly. Rabbits given the CP2 diet had a significantly higher volatile fatty acid concentration and a lower pH in content of the caecum compared to the other groups. The data of microbial analysis for C group showed a significant increase in Escherichia coli and Clostridium counts. Lactobacillus and Bacillus counts increased significantly more in the CP2 and CP3 groups than in the other groups. In conclusion, 5% of carob pods in the diet stimulated the performance of growing rabbits, and thus, it has potential as an unconventional feed resource for rabbits without any adverse effects.
Analysis of serum corticosteroid‐induced alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme in dogs with hepatobiliary diseases
Authors: Kojima K. , Ohno K. , Kanemoto H. , Goto‐Koshino Y. , Fukushima K. , Tsujimoto H.
Published: January 2017

Objective

To reveal the relationship between canine corticosteroid‐induced alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme activity and hepatobiliary diseases.

Materials andMethods

Retrospective analysis of the relationship between serum corticosteroid‐induced alkaline phosphatase activity and diagnosis, serum cortisol concentration and alanine transferase activity in dogs with hepatobiliary diseases. Dogs with a history of glucocorticoid administration were excluded.

Results

Seventy‐two dogs with hepatobiliary diseases were analysed. The serum corticosteroid‐induced alkaline phosphatase concentration was increased in dogs with hepatobiliary diseases. There was no correlation between serum cortisol concentration and serum corticosteroid‐induced alkaline phosphatase percentage or activity.

ClinicalSignificance

Dogs with hepatobiliary disease can exhibit high serum alkaline phosphatase activity even if the dogs have not been administrated glucocorticoids and the serum cortisol concentration is normal.
Toxicity of metronomic cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in a UK population of cancer‐bearing dogs: a retrospective study
Authors: Harper A. , Blackwood L.
Published: January 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of toxicity in a group of cancer‐bearing dogs treated with metronomic chemotherapy.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective review of dogs treated with metronomic doses of cyclophosphamide: between 5 and 15 mg/m2/day or every other day for treatment of neoplasia.

Results

Of the 65 dogs included, there were signs of, mostly mild, toxicity in 32 (49%). The most common toxicities were sterile haemorrhagic cystitis (n=16) and gastrointestinal disorders (n=12). Median time to development of sterile haemorrhagic cystitis was 110 days (range 7 to 686 days). Four dogs developed suspected bacterial infections during treatment.

Clinical Significance

Metronomic cyclophosphamide is generally well‐tolerated in dogs but the incidence of sterile haemorrhagic cystitis in this study is higher than previously reported. Regular urinalysis is recommended for all dogs receiving cyclophosphamide chemotherapy, as early detection of haemorrhagic cystitis may prevent development of more serious disease.
Exploring Language Teacher Identity Work as Ethical Self‐Formation
Authors: Miller Elizabeth R. , Morgan Brian , Medina Adriana L.
Published: January 2017

In this article, we treat language teacher identity as foundational to educational practice and see Foucault's (, ) notion of ethical self‐formation, and its adoption in teacher education research by Clarke (, , ), as providing a potential vehicle for understanding the development of teacher agency and critical identity work. We use the 4 axes of Foucault's () approach to ethical self‐formation, as captured in Clarke's () “Diagram for Doing Identity Work,” in exploring a case study of an elementary reading and language arts teacher who worked in a multilingual inclusion classroom with exceptional (i.e., learning disabled) and mainstreamed students. We consider the relevance of how this teacher's identity developed over the course of 7 interviews, spanning 9 years, for teacher identity work in language teacher education (LTE). In doing so, we foreground the critical as well as the dangerous potential of all teachers’ identity work and argue for the importance of nurturing teachers’ reflective, action‐oriented identity practices as well as fostering a self‐awareness of language teachers as ethical subjects “acting on others” (Foucault, , p. 262) even as they struggle within power relations that press upon educational practices and discourses.
The African Storybook and Language Teacher Identity in Digital Times
Authors: Stranger–Johannessen Espen , Norton Bonny
Published: January 2017

The African Storybook (ASb) is a digital initiative that promotes multilingual literacy for African children by providing openly licenced children's stories in multiple African languages, as well as English, French, and Portuguese. Based on Darvin and Norton's () model of identity and investment, and drawing on the Douglas Fir Group's () framework for second language acquisition, this study investigates Ugandan primary school teachers’ investment in the ASb, its impact on their teaching, and their changing identities. The study was conducted in a rural Ugandan school from June to December 2014, and the data, which focus on one key participant, Monica, were drawn from field notes, classroom observations, interview transcripts, and questionnaires, which were coded using retroductive coding. The findings indicate that through the ASb initiative and its stories, Monica and other teachers began to imagine themselves as writers, readers, and teachers of stories, reframing what it means to be a reading teacher. Teachers’ shifts of identity were indexical of their enhanced social and cultural capital as they engaged with the ASb, notwithstanding ideological constraints associated with mother tongue usage, assessment practices, and teacher supervision. The authors conclude that the enhancement of language teacher identity has important implications for the promotion of multilingual literacy for young learners in African communities.
Sexual Subversion and the Subdominant: the Case of Suede
Authors: SMITH KENNETH M.
Published: January 2017

The first two studio albums from Suede (in America, ‘The London Suede’), fruits of a collaboration between Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson, served as the erotically twisted underbelly of early 1990s Britpop, adding bizarre, seductive alternatives to the relatively normalised sexual experiences described in the songs of Pulp or Blur. A vital part of the band's aesthetics, Suede's harmonic progressions prove to be extremely dexterous, with sinuous voice leading and meandering key changes, often based on common‐tone modulations and parsimony rather than any sense of dominant‐to‐tonic resolution. Using a range of songs from an extensive corpus study, I theorise the chord patterns that were to become recognisable Suede clichés (the ♭VI–V progressions and the III/♭VII/♭II dominant substitutes). In doing so I posit a sense of substituted functionality (T, S or D) and a sense of flow in a D‐wards or S‐wards direction. Uncovering a strong predilection for the latter, I return to examine their earlier work in a new light with readings of ‘Sleeping Pills’ and ‘Pantomime Horse’ from their debut album, Suede.
Effects of scFOS on the composition of fecal microbiota and anxiety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study
Authors: Azpiroz F. , Dubray C. , Bernalier‐Donadille A. , Cardot J.‐M. , Accarino A. , Serra J. , Wagner A. , Respondek F. , Dapoigny M.
Published: January 2017

Background

Short‐chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) have beneficial effects in subjects with minor digestive complaints, but the potential mechanisms involved have not been elucidated. The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in rectal sensitivity related to the clinical effects of scFOS in a selected group of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and rectal hypersensitivity.

Methods

In 79 IBS patients (defined by Rome III criteria) with rectal hypersensitivity (defined as discomfort threshold ≤44 g) a parallel, placebo‐controlled, randomized, and double‐blind study was performed to assess the effects of dietary supplementation (5 g d−1) with scFOS vs placebo for 4 weeks on rectal sensitivity (primary outcome: tolerance to increasing wall tension applied by a tensostat), clinical outcomes (IBS, anxiety/depression and quality of life scores) and composition of fecal microbiota.

Key Results

Rectal discomfort threshold, and IBS and quality of life scores, significantly improved during treatment, but in a similar manner in both scFOS and placebo groups; a post‐hoc analysis showed that the effect of scFOS on rectal sensitivity was more pronounced in constipation‐predominant‐IBS patients (P=.051 vs placebo). Contrary with placebo, scFOS significantly reduced anxiety scores and increased fecal Bifidobacteria (P<.05 for both) without modifying other bacterial groups.

Conclusions & Interfences

The effect of scFOS on anxiety may be related to modulation of the gut microbiota; demonstration of effects of scFOS on rectal sensitivity may require higher doses and may depend on the IBS subgroup.
Evaluating realized seed dispersal across fragmented tropical landscapes: a two‐fold approach using parentage analysis and the neighbourhood model
Authors: Ismail Sascha A. , Ghazoul Jaboury , Ravikanth Gudasalamani , Kushalappa Cheppudira G. , Uma Shaanker Ramanan , Kettle Chris J.
Published: January 2017

Despite the importance of seed dispersal for survival of plant species in fragmented landscapes, data on seed dispersal at landscape scales remain sparse. Effective seed dispersal among fragments determines recolonization and plant species persistence in such landscapes. We present the first large‐scale (216‐km2) direct estimates of realized seed dispersal of a high‐value timber tree (Dysoxylum malabaricum) across an agro‐forest landscape in the Western Ghats, India.

Based upon an exhaustive inventory of adult trees and a sample of 488 seedlings all genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, we estimated realized seed dispersal using parentage analysis and the neighbourhood model.

Our estimates found that most realized seed dispersal was within 200 m, which is insufficient to effectively bridge the distances between forest patches.

We conclude that using mobility of putative animal dispersers can be misleading when estimating tropical tree species vulnerability to habitat fragmentation. This raises serious concerns about the potential of many tropical trees to recolonize isolated forest patches where high‐value tree species have already been removed.
Functional PTB phosphate transporters are present in streptophyte algae and early diverging land plants
Authors: Bonnot Clémence , Proust Hélène , Pinson Benoît , Colbalchini Florine P. L. , Lesly‐Veillard Alexis , Breuninger Holger , Champion Clément , Hetherington Alexander J. , Kelly Steven , Dolan Liam
Published: January 2017

Two inorganic phosphate (Pi) uptake mechanisms operate in streptophytes and chlorophytes, the two lineages of green plants. PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER B (PTB) proteins are hypothesized to be the Na+/Pi symporters catalysing Pi uptake in chlorophytes, whereas PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER 1 (PHT1) proteins are the H+/Pi symporters that carry out Pi uptake in angiosperms. PHT1 proteins are present in all streptophyte lineages. However, Pi uptake in streptophyte algae and marine angiosperms requires Na+ influx, suggesting that Na+/Pi symporters also function in some streptophytes.

We tested the hypothesis that Na+/Pi symporters exist in streptophytes.

We identified PTB sequences in streptophyte genomes. Core PTB proteins are present at the plasma membrane of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. The expression of M. polymorpha core PTB proteins in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae pho2 mutant defective in high‐affinity Pi transport rescues growth in low‐Pi environments. Moreover, levels of core PTB mRNAs of M. polymorpha and the streptophyte alga Coleochaete nitellarum are higher in low‐Pi than in Pi‐replete conditions, consistent with a role in Pi uptake from the environment.

We conclude that land plants inherited two Pi uptake mechanisms – mediated by the PTB and PHT1 proteins, respectively – from their streptophyte algal ancestor. Both systems operate in parallel in extant early diverging land plants.
Challenges and opportunities for whole‐genome sequencing–based surveillance of antibiotic resistance
Authors: Schürch Anita C. , van Schaik Willem
Published: January 2017

Infections caused by drug‐resistant bacteria are increasingly reported across the planet, and drug‐resistant bacteria are recognized to be a major threat to public health and modern medicine. In this review, we discuss how whole‐genome sequencing (WGS)–based approaches can contribute to the surveillance of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. We outline the characteristics of sequencing technologies that are currently most used for WGS (Illumina short‐read technologies and the long‐read sequencing platforms developed by Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore). The challenges posed by the analysis of sequencing data sets for antimicrobial‐resistance determinants and the solutions offered by modern bioinformatics tools are discussed. Finally, we illustrate the power of WGS‐based surveillance of antimicrobial resistance by summarizing recent studies on the spread of the multidrug‐resistant opportunistic pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae and the transferable colistin‐resistance gene mcr‐1, in which high‐throughput WGS analyses played essential roles. The implementation of WGS for surveillance of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria is technically feasible and cost effective and provides actionable results with reference to infection control. Consequently, the time has come for laboratories to implement routine genome sequencing as part of their surveillance programs for antibiotic‐resistant bacteria.
Acute liver dysfunction not resulting from hepatitis virus in immunocompetent children
Authors: Tsunoda Tomoyuki , Inui Ayano , Iwasawa Kentaro , Oikawa Manari , Sogo Tsuyoshi , Komatsu Haruki , Ito Yoshinori , Fujisawa Tomoo
Published: January 2017

Background

The aim of the present study was to clarify the roles of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) in immunocompetent children with acute liver dysfunction not resulting from hepatitis virus.

Methods

Sixty‐eight children (median age, 3 years) hospitalized as a result of acute liver dysfunction were enrolled in this study. Hepatitis A, B, and C were excluded. The prevalence of CMV, EBV, and HHV‐6 and viral DNA load in whole blood was prospectively evaluated on multiplex real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

Of the 68 children with acute liver dysfunction, multiplex real‐time PCR was positive in 30 (44%). CMV, EBV, and HHV‐6 DNA were detected in 13 (19%), 14 (21%), and seven (10%), respectively. Serum CMV immunoglobulin (Ig)G/IgM and EBV viral capsid antigen IgG/IgM were measured in 40 (CMV DNA positive, n = 10; negative, n = 30) and 45 (EBV DNA positive, n = 14; negative, n = 31) of the 68 children, respectively. Eighteen percent (CMV, 7/40) and 9% (EBV, 4/45) were positive for both PCR and viral‐specific IgM. There was no significant difference in CMV and EBV viral load between IgM‐positive and ‐negative children with viremia.

Conclusions

CMV, EBV, and HHV‐6 DNA were frequently detected in immunocompetent children with acute liver dysfunction, but primary CMV and EBV infection were confirmed in 10–20% of the children with acute liver dysfunction. The combination of PCR assay and serology is necessary to make a diagnosis of acute liver dysfunction due to primary CMV, EBV and/or HHV‐6 infection in immunocompetent children.
Late cytomegalovirus infection in children: High incidence of allograft rejection and hepatitis in donor negative and seropositive liver transplant recipients
Authors: Verma A. , Palaniswamy K. , Cremonini G. , Heaton N. , Dhawan A.
Published: January 2017

The complications and outcome associated with late CMV infection and disease on the graft are poorly characterized in PLT recipients. We studied the overall incidence, risk factors, and outcome of late CMV infection and disease (infection 6 months after transplant) in 180 PLT recipients admitted between 2008 and 2011 at the King's College Hospital. Antiviral prophylaxis of intravenous ganciclovir was given only to the D+R− group starting at day 7 post‐transplant. The remaining groups (D−R+, D+R+, and D−R−) received pre‐emptive therapy when they have CMV viremia above cut‐off value and treatment for symptomatic CMV infection. The overall incidence of late CMV infection and disease was 9.4% (19/180) and 14.5% (19/130) in D+R−, D−R+, D+R− groups. The D−R+ group had the highest incidence of hepatitis (37.5%) and significantly increased incidence of CMV disease, and single and multiple acute rejection episodes when compared to the D+R− group, which received prophylaxis. The late CMV infection and disease in pediatric LT recipients was comparable to adult LT recipients despite variable duration of antiviral prophylaxis. Our results show that D−R+ group had highest rate of hepatitis and rejection episodes, associated with high morbidity, and should be considered for antiviral prophylaxis.
Outcomes of pediatric living donor kidney transplantation: A single‐center experience
Authors: Pérez‐Bertólez Sonia , Barrero Rafael , Fijo Julia , Alonso Verónica , Ojha Devicka , Fernández‐Hurtado Miguel Ángel , Martínez Jerónimo , León Eduardo , García‐Merino Francisco
Published: January 2017

Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for children with ESRD offering advantages of improved survival, growth potential, cognitive development, and quality of life. The aim of our study was to compare the outcomes of LDKT vs DDKT performed in children at a single center. Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients who underwent kidney transplantation from 2005 to 2014 was performed. Ninety‐one renal transplants were accomplished, and 31 cases (38.27%) were LDKT, and in 96.7% of the cases, the graft was obtained through laparoscopy. Thirty‐four receptors weighted <25 kg. LDKT group had statistically significant lower cold ischemia times than DDKT one. Complication rate was 9.67% for LDKT and 18.33% for DDKT. eGFR was better in LDKT. Patient survival rate was 100% for LDKT and 98.3% for DDKT, and graft survival rate was 96.7% for LDKT and 88.33%‐80% for DDKT at a year and 5 years. Our program of pediatric kidney transplantation has achieved optimal patient and graft survival rates with low rate of complications. Living donor pediatric kidney transplants have higher patient and better graft survival rates than deceased donor kidney transplants.
Effects of season and population size on pollination and reproductive output in a Mediterranean shrub
Authors: Sánchez A. M. , Rodríguez M. , Albert M. J. , Escudero A.
Published: January 2017

Pollinator guilds may change throughout extended flowering periods, affecting plant reproductive output, especially in seasonal climates. We hypothesised a seasonal shift in pollinator guild and an autumn reduction in pollinator abundance, especially in small and sparse populations.

We recorded pollinator identity, abundance and behaviour in relation to flower density from plant to population throughout the extended flowering ofOnonis tridentata. We evaluated female reproductive output by recording pollination success and pre‐dispersal seed predation in eight populations of contrasting size and density. Offspring quality was also characterised through seed weight and germination.

A diverse guild of insects visitedO. tridentatain spring, while onlyApis melliferawas observed in autumn. Visitation frequency did not vary seasonally, but the number of flowers per foraging bout was lower, and seeds were heavier and had a higher germination rate in autumn. Plant and neighbourhood flowering display were not related to pollinator visitation frequency or behaviour. However, the rate of fertilised ovules, seed set and autumn flowering display size were positively related to population density.

The maintenance of pollination in autumn enhances the reproductive performance ofO. tridentatadue to higher quality of autumn seed, and to a large reduction in seed predator pressure. We also suggest that observed changes in pollinator behaviour could be one of the processes behind seasonal variation in seed performance, since geitonogamous crosses were less likely to occur in autumn.
Survival of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of weeds
Authors: Silva J. C. , Silva Júnior T. A. F. , Soman J. M. , Tomasini T. D. , Sartori M. M. P. , Maringoni A. C.
Published: January 2017

The phyllosphere and rhizosphere of weeds are important niches for phytobacterial survival. The absence of information in Brazil regarding Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), the causal agent of black rot in crucifers, motivated this study. Twenty‐six weed species belonging to 14 botanical families were included in field experiments between August 2014 and October 2015. Lepidium virginicum and Raphanus raphanistrum (Brassicaceae) demonstrated great potential for survival of Xcc in the phyllosphere, with the bacterium isolated after 56 and 70 days, respectively. Low variation between maximum and minimum temperatures, high rainfall and high relative humidity at specific times of the year contributed to longer Xcc survival periods in the phyllosphere of some species. Xcc survived in the rhizosphere only in R. raphanistrum, where it was isolated for up to 28 days. No relation was found between climatic factors and survival in the rhizosphere. The data indicate that control of brassicaceous weeds will contribute to the control of black rot.
Expression of phytoplasma‐induced witches’ broom disease symptoms in acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia) trees is affected by climatic conditions
Authors: Al‐Ghaithi A. G. , Al‐Sadi A. M. , Al‐Hammadi M. S. , Al‐Shariqi R. M. , Al‐Yahyai R. A. , Al‐Mahmooli I. H. , Carvalho C. M. , Elliot S. L. , Hogenhout S. A.
Published: January 2017

Witches’ broom disease (WBD), caused by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’, is a serious disease of acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia) in Oman and the UAE. However, little is known about the distribution of phytoplasma and the expression of WBD symptoms in different geographical locations. A survey was carried out in 18 districts in Oman and the UAE covering 143 orchards and 5823 acid lime trees. ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ was detected in acid lime in all the 18 surveyed districts. However, the development of typical symptoms of WBD was only observed in 12 districts. Districts in which the phytoplasma was present but symptoms were not expressed were located either in desert areas or in areas characterized by semitropical conditions. Phylogenetic analysis of 16 phytoplasma isolates from trees developing WBD symptoms and six phytoplasma isolates from trees with no WBD symptoms showed that all isolates share an identical 16S rRNA sequence, belonging to subgroup II‐B. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that the concentration of phytoplasma is significantly higher (8800–801 000 copies) in leaves developing WBD symptoms compared to 2–268 copies in symptomless leaves from the same trees and 8–874 copies in acid lime trees from areas where disease symptoms were not expressed. The lack of expression of WBD symptoms under certain environmental conditions may suggest that symptom development and phytoplasma are affected by certain unfavourable environmental conditions. These findings could provide a basis for managing WBD through encouraging lime cultivation under climatic conditions less conducive to WBD symptom expression.
In the Age of Dark Money: Slouching toward Bethlehem
Authors: Ventriss Curtis
Published: January 2017

Related Content: Balfour (PAR March/April 2017)

Related Content: Immergluck (PAR March/April 2017)
Shifts in an invasive rodent community favoring Black rats (Rattus rattus) following restoration of native forest
Authors: Shiels Aaron B. , Medeiros Arthur C. , von Allmen Erica I.
Published: January 2017

One potential, unintended ecological consequence accompanying forest restoration is a shift in invasive animal populations, potentially impacting conservation targets. Eighteen years after initial restoration (ungulate exclusion, invasive plant control, and out planting native species) at a 4 ha site on Maui, Hawai'i, we compared invasive rodent communities in a restored native dry forest and adjacent non‐native grassland. Quarterly for 1 year, we trapped rodents on three replicate transects (107 rodent traps) in each habitat type for three consecutive nights. While repeated trapping may have reduced the rat (Black rat, Rattus rattus) population in the forest, it did not appear to reduce the mouse (House mouse, Mus musculus) population in the grassland. In unrestored grassland, mouse captures outnumbered rat captures 220:1, with mice averaging 54.9 indiv./night versus rats averaging 0.25 indiv./night. In contrast, in restored native forest, rat captures outnumbered mouse captures by nearly 5:1, averaging 9.0 indiv./night versus 1.9 indiv./night for mice. Therefore, relatively recent native forest restoration increased Black rat abundance and also increased their total biomass in the restored ecosystem 36‐fold while reducing House mouse biomass 35‐fold. Such a community shift is worrisome because Black rats pose a much greater threat than do mice to native birds and plants, perhaps especially to large‐seeded tree species. Land managers should be aware that forest restoration (i.e. converting grassland to native forest) can invoke shifts in invasive rodent populations, potentially favoring Black rats. Without intervention, this shift may pose risks for intended conservation targets and modify future forest restoration trajectories.
Ecological Grouping of Survey Sites When Sampling Artefacts are Present
Authors: Foster Scott D. , Hill Nicole A. , Lyons Mitchell
Published: January 2017

Grouping sites on the basis of their biological information is a common goal in ecology that has scientific and management applications. Two applications are studied in this work: classifying vegetation types for management units and predicting these units into unsampled space, and finding assemblages of fish and investigating how the presence of these assemblages varies with covariates. Data that are used to find the groupings often have extraneous sources of variation, such as those related to sampling, which are often ignored but should be accounted for when finding the groupings. In ecological studies, this is increasingly common as data sets are now being combined from many smaller survey efforts. We show, through a model-based clustering method, how the groupings can be obtained, while accounting for sampling artefacts.
Navigating the city: dialectics of everyday urbanism
Authors: McFarlane Colin , Silver Jonathan
Published: January 2017

How might we conceptualise and research everyday urbanism? By examining the making of everyday life in a low‐income neighbourhood in Uganda, we argue that a dialectics of everyday urbanism is a useful approach for understanding urban poverty. This dialectical approach examines how marginalised urban dwellers navigate the city in the relative absence of formal infrastructure systems, service provision and state welfare, and in turn exceed those limitations through forging connections, capacities and opportunities. We reveal the ‘social infrastructures’ that people put together to sustain life, as well as the limits of and placed on these infrastructures, from the legacies of structural adjustment to ongoing forms of demolition and disinvestment. We identify a set of practices that operate alongside social infrastructure – ‘coordination’, ‘consolidation’ and ‘speculation’ – important in the composition of everyday urban life. In doing so, we reflect on how we might research the dialectics of everyday urbanism, and here a ‘follow‐along participant observation’ (FAPO) methodology has significant potential. Our arguments emerge from research with residents in Kampala, but open out questions for how we conceive and research everyday life and urban infrastructure more generally.
Somatic SNPs of the BRCA2 gene at the fragments encoding RAD51 binding sites of canine mammary tumors
Authors: Ozmen O. , Kul S. , Risvanli A. , Ozalp G. , Sabuncu A. , Kul O.
Published: January 2017

Mammary tumors are the most common tumor type both in women and in female dogs. In women, heritable breast cancers have been linked mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 and it contains eight BRC repeats in exon 11 that bind to RAD51. In this study, we investigated the sequence variations of BRC1‐BRC8 and C‐terminus of canine BRCA2 gene. From a total of 64 canine patients with mammary tumors, 31 mammary tumors with benign and malign carcinomas and the 3 normal mammary glands were used for the study. In this study, 19 SNPs of exon 11 of BRCA2 in canine mammary tumors were detected for the first time. The c.2383A>C (T1425P) SNP was found to be the most probable disease‐associated nsSNP. Our findings suggest that T1425P variation in BRC3 to be the most probable disease‐associated nsSNP and may affect RAD51 binding strength.
Bartonellosis, One Health and all creatures great and small
Authors: Breitschwerdt Edward B.
Published: January 2017

Background

Bartonellosis is a zoonotic infectious disease of worldwide distribution, caused by an expanding number of recently discoveredBartonellaspp.

Objectives

This review serves as an update on comparative medical aspects of this disease, including the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, treatment and challenges.

Results

Of comparative medical importance,Bartonellaspp. are transmitted by several arthropod vectors, including fleas, keds, lice, sand flies, ticks and, potentially, mites and spiders. Prior to 1990, there was only one namedBartonellaspecies (B. bacilliformis), whereas there are now over 36, of which 17 have been associated with an expanding spectrum of animal and human diseases. Recent advances in diagnostic techniques have facilitated documentation of chronic bloodstream and dermatological infections withBartonellaspp. in healthy and sick animals, in human blood donors, and in immunocompetent and immunocompromised human patients. The field ofBartonellaresearch remains in its infancy and is rich in questions, for which patient relevant answers are badly needed. DirectedBartonellaresearch could substantially reduce a spectrum of chronic and debilitating animal and human diseases, and thereby reduce suffering throughout the world.

Conclusion

A One Health approach to this emerging infectious disease is clearly needed to define disease manifestations, to establish the comparative infectious disease pathogenesis of this stealth pathogen, to validate effective treatment regimens and to prevent zoonotic disease transmission.
A retrospective study comparing histopathological and immunopathological features of nasal planum dermatitis in 20 dogs with discoid lupus erythematosus or leishmaniosis
Authors: De Lucia Michela , Mezzalira Giorgia , Bardagí Mar , Fondevila Dolors M. , Fabbri Elisabetta , Fondati Alessandra
Published: January 2017

Background

In areas endemic for leishmaniosis, discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and canine leishmaniosis (CanL) are the most common differential diagnoses for nasal planum erosive‐ulcerative dermatitis in dogs.

Hypothesis/Objective

To compare histopathological and immunopathological features of canine nasal planum erosive‐ulcerative dermatitis with depigmentation due to DLE or CanL.

Animals

Nasal planum biopsies from dogs with nasal planum loss of architecture, depigmentation, swelling, erosions or ulcerations due to DLE (n = 14) or CanL (n = 6).

Methods

Sections of paraffin‐embedded samples, stained with haematoxylin and eosin were reviewed. Samples were examined using antibodies targeting T cells (CD3), B cells (CD20), macrophages (Mac387) and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC II). Histopathological and immunophenotypical findings were compared between DLE and CanL cases.

Results

Lichenoid and interface dermatitis were observed in both DLE and CanL cases. A nodular‐to‐diffuse, superficial and/or deep dermatitis with macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells was present only in CanL samples. CD20‐positive cells predominated over CD3‐ and Mac387‐positive cells in the two conditions. The percentage of dermal Mac387‐positive cells was higher in CanL compared to DLE samples and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.025).

Conclusions/Clinical importance

In this study, similar histopathological and immunopathological findings were observed in dogs with nasal planum lesions due to DLE or CanL. Therefore, in areas endemic for leishmaniosis, the presence of the parasite should be investigated in canine nasal planum dermatitis showing clinical and histopathological features suggestive of DLE.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—RADIOGRAPHIC, ULTRASONOGRAPHIC, AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A DUODENAL DUPLICATION CYST IN A YOUNG CAT
Authors: Agut Amalia , Carrillo Juana D. , Martínez Miryam , Murciano Jose , Belda Eliseo , Bernabé Antonio , Soler Marta
Published: January 2017

A 7‐month‐old, 2.8 kg, intact female Siamese cat was evaluated for repetitive and intermittent episodes of vomiting and anorexia. Abdominal palpation revealed a round, firm, nonpainful mass in the right cranial abdomen. Ultrasonography findings were consistent with a cystic structure adjacent to the descending duodenum. The structure exhibited a “muscular rim sign.” A duodenal duplication cyst was confirmed by histopathological analysis. Computed tomography ruled out concurrent vertebral anomalies and clarified anatomic relationships for surgical planning. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first description of an ultrasound “muscular rim sign” in a duodenal duplication cyst in a cat.
Cyclostationary Analysis of a Faulty Bearing in the Wind Turbine
Authors: Ma Zhiyong , Liu Yibing , Wang Dameng , Teng Wei , Kusiak Andrew
Published: January 2017

Bearing faults occur frequently in wind turbines, thus resulting in an unplanned downtime and economic loss. Vibration signal collected from a failing bearing exhibits modulation phenomenon and “cyclostationarity.” In this paper, the cyclostationary analysis is utilized to the vibration signal from the drive-end of the wind turbine generator. Fault features of the inner and outer race become visible in the frequency–cyclic frequency plane. Such fault signatures can not be produced by the traditional demodulation methods. Analysis results demonstrate effectiveness of the cyclostatonary analysis. The disassembled faulty bearing visualizes the fault.
Effects of age and hearing mechanism on spectral resolution in normal hearing and cochlear-implanted listeners
Authors: Horn David L. , Dudley Daniel J. , Dedhia Kavita , Nie Kaibao , Drennan Ward R. , Won Jong Ho , Rubinstein Jay T. , Werner Lynne A.
Published: January 2017

Spectral resolution limits speech perception with a cochlear implant (CI) in post-lingually deaf adults. However, the development of spectral resolution in pre-lingually deaf implanted children is not well understood. Acoustic spectral resolution was measured as a function of age (school-age versus adult) in CI and normal-hearing (NH) participants using spectral ripple discrimination (SRD). A 3-alternative forced-choice task was used to obtain SRD thresholds at five ripple depths. Effects of age and hearing method on SRD and spectral modulation transfer function (SMTF) slope (reflecting frequency resolution) and x-intercept (reflecting across-channel intensity resolution) were examined. Correlations between SRD, SMTF parameters, age, and speech perception in noise were studied. Better SRD in NH than CI participants was observed at all depths. SRD thresholds and SMTF slope correlated with speech perception in CI users. When adjusted for floor performance, x-intercept did not correlate with SMTF slope or speech perception. Age and x-intercept correlations were positive and significant in NH but not CI children suggesting that across-channel intensity resolution matures during school-age in NH children. No evidence for maturation of spectral resolution beyond early school-age in pre-lingually deaf implanted CI users was found in the present study.
Blood, brain and binocular vision
Authors: Rostron Egle , Dickerson Mary Polly , Heath Gregory
Published: January 2017

A man aged 51 years presented with sudden onset, horizontal, binocular, double vision and right facial weakness. Ocular motility examination demonstrated a right horizontal gaze palsy pattern in keeping with a one-and-a-half syndrome. Since this was associated with a concomitant, ipsilateral, lower motor neuron (LMN) facial (VIIth) cranial nerve palsy, he had acquired an eight-and-a-half syndrome. Diffusion-weighted MRI confirmed a small infarcted area in the pons of the brainstem which correlated with anatomical location of the horizontal gaze centre and VIIth cranial nerve fasciculus. As a result of this presentation, further investigations uncovered a hitherto undiagnosed blood dyscrasia—namely polycythaemia vera. Regular venesection was started which resulted in complete resolution of his ocular motility dysfunction and an improvement of his LMN facial nerve palsy.
Mycobacterium chelonaehand infection after steroid injection in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving long-term linezolid therapy
Authors: Olesen Jens Steen , Wang Mikala , Wejse Christian
Published: January 2017

A 66-year-old multimorbid man with rheumatoid arthritis developed an infection after a steroid injection in the hand.Mycobacterium chelonaewas cultured 1-month after presentation. In the mean time, his third finger had been amputated. Further treatment was based on preliminary susceptibility testing and the American Thoracic Society guidelines. No regression of the infection was observed before the addition of linezolid (600 mg×1/day) to a combination antimicrobial therapy also consisting of clarithromycin (500 mg×2/day) and moxifloxacin (400 mg×1/day), even though two methods of susceptibility testing, the E-test and broth microdilution, had shown susceptibility to other antimicrobial drugs. The healing was complete 12 months after presentation. There were no serious side effects observed with the use of linezolid in reduced dosage of 600 mg×1/day for a duration of 9 months.
Complications of dysgerminoma: meeting the health needs of patients in conflict zones
Authors: Hayari Lili , Shir On Erez , Fedorenko Andrei , Sergio Szvalb , Zidan Jamal , Solomonov Evgeny
Published: January 2017

A symptom of prolonged conflict is the destruction of infrastructure and healthcare systems. While the need for acute trauma services is obvious in conflict zones, patients with chronic diseases also require care. This report describes the clinical course of a young teenage girl with a large mid pelvic tumour originating from the left ovary and reaching the umbilicus. She presented with acute abdominal pain and underwent surgery in a healthcare facility within a conflict zone. She was then transferred to a neighbouring country for continuing care. The tumour is malignant. After further surgery, she required chemotherapy and will need ongoing surveillance. She has since returned to her home country. It is doubtful that she will be able to access all the care she needs. We describe her healthcare needs and discuss the disastrous effects of conflict on meeting the health needs of civilian populations in war zones.
Wunderlich's syndrome as a manifestation of polyarteritis nodosa
Authors: Beirão Pedro , Teixeira Lídia , Pereira Patrícia , Coelho Margarida Lopes
Published: January 2017

Wunderlich syndrome is a rare clinical entity characterised by spontaneous renal haemorrhage that can be life-threatening and requires emergency attention. The most frequent aetiologies are renal tumours and vascular diseases. The authors report a case of a patient admitted with hypovolaemic shock due to a retroperitoneal haematoma in the context of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Prognosis of untreated PAN is very poor with 13% 5-year survival rate. Therefore, early recognition of disease and proper treatment with immunosuppressors will prevent catastrophic complications and improves survival.
Aerobic capacity is not improved following 10-day supplementation with peppermint essential oil
Authors: Shepherd Kyle , Peart Daniel J.
Published: January 2017

This study examined the effects of peppermint essential oil (PEP) on aerobic capacity. Seven healthy participants performed a graded maximal exercise test following 10 days of ingesting either PEP or a control in a randomised crossover design. There was no significant difference between control and PEP trials for expired gas variables (peak oxygen uptake, 3.54 vs. 3.52 L/min) or performance measures (time to exhaustion, 583.33 vs. 587.04 s). Similarly, resting cardiopulmonary measures were also unchanged between visits.
Method comparison for analyzing wound healing rates
Authors: Dhillon Prabhpreet K. , Li Xinyin , Sanes Jurgen T. , Akintola Oluwafemi S. , Sun Bingyun
Published: January 2017

Wound healing scratch assay is a frequently used method to characterize cell migration, which is an important biological process in the course of development, tissue repair, and immune response for example. The measurement of wound healing rate, however, varies among different studies. Here we summarized these measurements into three types: (I) direct rate average; (II) regression rate average; and (III) average distance regression rate. Using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as a model, we compared the three types of analyses on quantifying the wound closing rate, and discovered that type I & III measurements are more resistant to outliers, and type II analysis is more sensitive to outliers. We hope this study can help researchers to better use this simple yet effective assay.
Water Quality Monitoring Using Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Adu-Manu Kofi Sarpong , Tapparello Cristiano , Heinzelman Wendi , Katsriku Ferdinand Apietu , Abdulai Jamal-Deen
Published: January 2017

Water is essential for human survival. Although approximately 71% of the world is covered in water, only 2.5% of this is fresh water; hence, fresh water is a valuable resource that must be carefully monitored and maintained. In developing countries, 80% of people are without access to potable water. Cholera is still reported in more than 50 countries. In Africa, 75% of the drinking water comes from underground sources, which makes water monitoring an issue of key concern, as water monitoring can be used to track water quality changes over time, identify existing or emerging problems, and design effective intervention programs to remedy water pollution. It is important to have detailed knowledge of potable water quality to enable proper treatment and also prevent contamination. In this article, we review methods for water quality monitoring (WQM) from traditional manual methods to more technologically advanced methods employing wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for in situ WQM. In particular, we highlight recent developments in the sensor devices, data acquisition procedures, communication and network architectures, and power management schemes to maintain a long-lived operational WQM system. Finally, we discuss open issues that need to be addressed to further advance automatic WQM using WSNs.
Space-Efficient Parallel Construction of Succinct Representations of Suffix Tree Topologies
Authors: Baier Uwe , Beller Timo , Ohlebusch Enno
Published: January 2017

A compressed suffix tree usually consists of three components: a compressed suffix array, a compressed LCP-array, and a succinct representation of the suffix tree topology. There are parallel algorithms that construct the suffix array and the LCP-array, but none for the third component. In this article, we present parallel algorithms on shared memory architectures that construct the balanced parentheses sequence (BPS), an explicit succinct representation of the suffix tree topology, as well as the enhanced balanced parentheses representation (eBPR), an implicit succinct representation of the suffix tree topology. For both representations, this article presents a sequential construction algorithm (a new one for the BPS), a linear work and
O
(log
n
) time parallel construction algorithm, and a heuristic parallel construction algorithm that works very well in practice. The experimental results show that our methods are well suited for real-world applications.