bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seasonally‐induced alterations of some facial signs in Caucasian women and their changes induced by a daily application of a photo‐protective product
Authors: Flament F. , Gautier B. , Benize A.‐M. , Charbonneau A. , Cassier M.
Published: September 2017

Objectives

These were two‐fold: (i) to assess the possible changes in some facial signs induced in a 6‐month period by the periodical shift from winter to summer in Caucasian women and (ii) to appraise the preventive effects of a strong photo‐protective product.

Methods

The facial signs of two cohorts of French women (N= 40 and 42), of comparable ages were graded between winter to summer. One group was left unprotected whereas the other daily applied a strong photo‐protective product for 6 months. Facial signs (structural and pigmentation‐related) were graded in blind by a panel of 12 experts from photographs taken under standard conditions. A global and focused analysis of the skin colour or dark spots, when present, was carried out through spectro‐radiometry under diffuse and standardized visible light, using the L*, a*, b* referential system.

Results

The unprotected group showed significant changes in summer as compared to winter on 10 facial signs (two‐third of the studied signs) that presented an increased severity, of variable respective amplitude. Five signs among the 10 were particularly and significantly affected by the seasonal transition, of an amplitude above the precision of the grading scale. Three of these five signs concerned structural elements (wrinkles), the two others being related to vascular disorders (redness). These season‐induced alterations appear efficiently reduced in the photo‐protected group. The colour of the facial skin then appears more homogeneous, less red, less dull, all criteria being quantified by the L*, a*, b* referential system. The comparison with a previous work carried out on Chinese women, through a similar protocol, shows that the photo‐protective product brings, in Caucasian women, a more important effect upon structural and vascular features than upon pigmentation disorders, inversely to the results previously observed in Chinese women.

Conclusion

The alterations in some facial signs occurring in a 6‐month period between winter and summer are confirmed in Caucasian women, mostly related to structural (wrinkles) and vascular elements. Such changes appear alleviated or prevented by daily applications of a strong sun photo‐protective product.
Optimisation of phenol extraction from wine using layered double hydroxides and technological evaluation of the bioactive‐rich powder
Authors: Pagano Cinzia , Perioli Luana , Blasi Francesca , Bastianini Maria , Chiesi Claudia , Cossignani Lina
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study was to extract functional components, such as phenols, from wine under mild conditions and without the use of organic solvents. A dry and alcohol‐free concentrated wine bioactive extract was obtained using layered double hydroxides (LDHs). The influence of some factors (LDH type, temperature, time and LDH/wine ratio) was evaluated using an experimental design software. Three responses were selected (phenol, anthocyanin and catechin contents). Using the optimised results, the best extraction conditions were as follows: pH 3.7, time 240 min, ratio 3, temperature 20 °C. The sample prepared in these conditions was characterised technologically (size, flowability, wettability) to investigate its manageability and workability. The phenol extract obtained using MgAl‐LDH had suitable particle size and good flowability. A formulation of concentrated wine phenol extract with interesting applications for the nutraceutical field was successfully produced.
Effects of l‐lysine/l‐arginine on the emulsion stability, textural, rheological and microstructural characteristics of chicken sausages
Authors: Zhu Xiaoxu , Ning Cheng , Li Shiyi , Xu Peng , Zheng Yadong , Zhou Cunliu
Published: September 2017

The effects of l‐lysine (Lys), l‐arginine (Arg) and soya protein isolated (SPI) on the physicochemical properties of chicken sausages were investigated. The results showed that the addition of Lys/Arg significantly decreased total expressible fluid and expressible fat, but significantly increased hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness of chicken sausage. Moreover, Lys and Arg were more effective than SPI. Rheology indicated that Lys/Arg increased final storage modulus and final loss modulus. Also, scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy disclosed that Lys or Arg was conducive to the formation of regular and uniform oil droplet surrounded integrate membrane. Overall, Lys/Arg exhibited a potential in the preparation of emulsion‐type meat products.
Electrospun nanofibers from cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with cineole and p‐cymene: enhanced water solubility and thermal stability
Authors: Celebioglu Asli , Yildiz Zehra Irem , Uyar Tamer
Published: September 2017

The electrospinning of self‐standing nanofibrous webs from inclusion complexes (IC) of cineole and p‐cymene with two modified cyclodextrins (HPβCD, HPγCD) was achieved without using carrier polymeric matrix. Although they are highly volatile, certain amount of cineole and p‐cymene was protected in cyclodextrin inclusion complexes nanofibers (CD‐IC‐NF). That is, 68.4%, 78.1%, 54.5% and 44.0% (w/w) of active agent were preserved in cineole/HPβCD‐IC‐NF, cineole/HPγCD‐IC‐NF, p‐cymene/HPβCD‐IC‐NF and p‐cymene/HPγCD‐IC‐NF, respectively. Remarkable, high thermal stability for cineole (~150 °C – 270 °C) and p‐cymene (~150 °C – 275 °C) was achieved for CD‐IC‐NF samples due to CD‐IC formation. The water solubility of cineole and p‐cymene was significantly improved by inclusion complexation where CD‐IC‐NF samples become readily dissolved in water. In brief, essential oils and flavours such as cineole and p‐cymene could be applicable in food and oral care applications owing to their fast‐dissolving behaviour along with high water solubility, enhanced thermal stability and free‐standing feature of CD‐IC‐NF webs.
Does the jack of all trades fare best? Survival and niche width in Late Pleistocene megafauna
Authors: Di Febbraro Mirko , Carotenuto Francesco , Castiglione Silvia , Russo Danilo , Loy Anna , Maiorano Luigi , Raia Pasquale
Published: September 2017

Aim

We sought to assess different megafaunal species responses to the intense climatic changes that characterized the end of the Quaternary.

Location

Eurasia.

Methods

We used species distribution modelling, niche overlap tests and co‐occurrence analysis to model climatic niche evolution and change in six different megafauna species, including three extinct (woolly mammoth, woolly rhino and steppe bison) and three extant (red deer, wolf and reindeer) species.

Results

Co‐occurrence analysis indicates mammoth, rhino, reindeer and steppe bison to be significantly associated to each other in the fossil record in cold, arid environments. In contrast, red deer and wolf show no evidence for strong habitat requirements, although they both tended to be associated with more humid conditions than the other megafauna. Woolly mammoth and the woolly rhino were the best adapted to the cold, arid conditions dominating the Eurasian landscapes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Extant species did not exhibit larger climatic niches than extinct species, but changed more from one period to the next than those of extinct species.

Main conclusions

Although they did not have wider climatic niches, and were the least adapted to cold climates, red deer and the wolf were able to withstand the harsh climatic conditions of the LGM. Conversely, the now extinct mammoth and woolly rhino did not survive the demise of the LGM environment. Although “cold‐adapted”, reindeer survived the LGM by occupying a northerly distribution similar to today. Independent evidence indicates the steppe bison lineage might have survived in North America. Our data are consistent with a strong climatic control on the fate of late Quaternary megafauna species in Eurasia. We were unable to exclude a sizeable effect of human intervention by overhunting.
A little bit everyday: range size determinants inArachis(Fabaceae), a dispersal‐limited group
Authors: Ceolin Guilherme Bordignon , Giehl Eduardo L. H.
Published: September 2017

Aim

Even though all species ofArachis(wild peanuts) develop pods underground (geocarpy), strongly limiting their dispersal ability, this genus is quite widespread in South America. Thus, our goal was to test potential explanations for howArachisspecies may have achieved their current distribution.

Location

South America.

Methods

We used a dated phylogeny and 1,052 georeferenced records to run several analyses to select the variables that best explain the variation in range size inArachisspecies. We tested a set of models incorporating both abiotic (age, association with rivers, niche parameters) and biotic (life span, vegetative growth, dispersal ability) factors thought to influence geographical distribution in order to select those variables that may best explain the range size ofArachisspecies.

Results

We found that no single factor was able to satisfactorily explain the geographical distribution of wild peanuts. Our results showed thatArachisrange sizes are influenced by a combination of differential dispersal ability and age, although the effect of time alone was small. We also found that asArachisspecies are geocarpic, their dispersal ability is positively influenced by presence of rhizomes, which improves the distances reached by individuals.

Main conclusions

Our research shows that the range sizes of wild peanuts are mainly constrained by differential dispersal ability and time, and they are improved by the presence of rhizomatous growth. We also advocate that applying a set of candidate hypotheses to explain species range sizes is a much better alternative than previous attempts, in which single or few hypotheses have been tested at a time.
Is evolution of apomicts driven by the phylogeography of the sexual ancestor? Insights from European and Caucasian brambles (Rubus, Rosaceae)
Authors: Sochor Michal , Šarhanová Petra , Pfanzelt Simon , Trávníček Bohumil
Published: September 2017

Aim

Apomixis, i.e. asexual reproduction via seeds, occurs in many plant taxa of diverse phylogenetic origins and has resulted in a high abundance and wide distribution of some groups. When and where apomicts arose and how their evolution is linked to their sexual ancestors is poorly understood. We aimed at detecting phylogeographical patterns in Rubus ulmifolius–R. sanctus agg., a diploid sexual species aggregate from Rubus series Discolores (Rosaceae), and asked where and when its polyploid apomictic descendants originated.

Location

Europe and adjacent regions (Caucasus, Macaronesia, Morocco).

Methods

Next‐generation sequencing of 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, Sanger sequencing of two plastid loci and ecological niche modelling.

Results

The data reveal strong, continental‐scale genetic structuring within Rubus ulmifolius–R. sanctus agg. Geographical patterns of genetic diversity and ecological niche models indicate its survival mainly on the Iberian Peninsula and in Morocco during the Last Glacial Maximum, as well as population bottlenecks in the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus, whereas low allelic diversity in north‐western Europe stems from post‐glacial re‐colonization from southern refugia. The distribution of alleles among diploids and polyploids indicates that the first allopolyploidization events occurred prior to the last glaciation, but also reflects post‐glacial gene flow from diploids to polyploids.

Main conclusions

Polyploid apomicts both preserve ancestral alleles lost in their diploid ancestors because of ice‐age bottlenecks and harbour also derived, i.e. younger, alleles obtained from diploid taxa via recent gene flow. Diversification of apomicts as a result of the diploid's genetic deterioration is hypothesized. Then, geographical parthenogenesis in Rubus could also be explained by genetic diversity patterns in the diploid, sexual ancestor.
Biogeography of cryoconite forming cyanobacteria on polar and Asian glaciers
Authors: Segawa Takahiro , Yonezawa Takahiro , Edwards Arwyn , Akiyoshi Ayumi , Tanaka Sota , Uetake Jun , Irvine‐Fynn Tristram , Fukui Kotaro , Li Zhongqin , Takeuchi Nozomu
Published: September 2017

Aim

Cryoconite, a microbe‐mineral aggregate found on glaciers worldwide, is formed by microbial phototrophs, principally cyanobacteria. Despite their ecological importance in supraglacial environments, the phylogeographical distributions of supraglacial cyanobacteria are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the biogeographical distribution of cyanobacteria on glaciers in the Antarctic, Arctic and Asia.

Location

Glaciers in the Antarctic, Arctic and Asia.

Methods

We analysed contiguous sequences of 16S rRNA genes and 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, determined by a long read strategy and single‐filament PCR analysis in 38 glacial samples. We analysed cyanobacterial distribution patterns and genetic differentiation.

Results

The cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were grouped into 20 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and the six major OTUs that accounted for 88% of sequences were distributed broadly from polar to Asian glaciers, suggesting that they are cosmopolitan at the species level. However, analysis of the more variable ITS region revealed geographical differentiation at the strain level. Nineteen OTUs, including the six major OTUs, showed considerable genetic differentiation among geographical regions; at the population level, they are, thus, geographically restricted. Only one of the phylotype exhibits a population structure which does not show a relationship with geographical distribution, suggesting that is cosmopolitan, even at the strain level.

Main conclusions

Our 16S rRNA gene analyses suggest a global distribution of species of cyanobacteria colonizing glacier surfaces; however, the 16S–23S ITS regions revealed that most of the phylotypes are fundamentally endemic to particular areas at the population level and indicate limited migration among regions. Our result suggests that selection pressures among geographical regions are strong driving forces shaping genetic structure in cyanobacteria.
Burden of chronic urticaria relative to psoriasis in five European countries
Authors: Balp M.M. , Khalil S. , Tian H. , Gabriel S. , Vietri J. , Zuberbier T.
Published: September 2017

Background

Quantification of burden of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) vs. psoriasis (PsO) is limited.

Objective

To evaluate the burden associated with CSU vs. PsO of all severities (overall PsO), mild and moderate/severe PsO.

Methods

This retrospective cross‐sectional analysis compared data from adult patients with chronic urticaria (CU), used as a proxy for CSU, and PsO from the National Health and Wellness Survey in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Outcomes included mental and physical component summary scores (MCS and PCS) calculated from the Short Form (SF)‐36v2 or SF‐12v2, SF‐6D health utility scores, self‐reported psychological complaints (anxiety, depression and sleep difficulties), work productivity and activity impairment, and self‐reported healthcare resource utilization. Bivariate and multivariate analyses for each outcome and comparative groups were conducted.

Results

This analysis included 769 CU and 7857 PsO (26.9% moderate/severe) patients. Following adjustment for covariates, CU patients showed a greater health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) impairment vs. overall PsO (MCS: −2.4, PCS: −1.6, SF‐6D: −0.03; all P < 0.001). CU patients showed a higher risk of anxiety, depression and sleep difficulties [odds ratio (OR): 1.63, 1.34 and 1.56, respectively; all P < 0.01] and greater healthcare resource use vs. overall PsO. The overall activity impairment was significantly greater in CU patients than in overall PsO patients (P = 0.001), while the impact on work was not significantly different. The results vs. moderate/severe PsO group showed no significant differences on all outcomes.

Conclusion

Burden of illness in CU is higher than PsO of all severities but similar to that observed in moderate/severe PsO. Both diseases have a similar negative impact on work productivity.
Identifying the signs of weakness, deterioration, and damage to flood defence infrastructure from remotely sensed data and mapped information
Authors: Tarrant O. , Hambidge C. , Hollingsworth C. , Normandale D. , Burdett S.
Published: September 2017

Monitoring flood defence condition is a critical part of the effective management of flood defence infrastructure. In this study, the use of remotely sensed data to identify indicators of weakness, deterioration, and damage is explored. Such indicators are often tell‐tale signs of processes that can lead to flood defence failure and breaching. Sources of data and the techniques to analyse those data are discussed and a framework is developed that links data sources to indicators of flood defence performance. A range of examples are presented that highlight both the value and limitations of bringing together multiple sources of data such as Light Detection and Ranging and historical mapping to supplement visual inspection assessments. The paper concludes that nationally available sources of remotely sensed data can be used to supplement existing visual condition inspection procedures to help prioritise and programme maintenance and repair work.
Effects of Anhydrous Lanolin versus Breast Milk Combined with a Breast Shell for the Treatment of Nipple Trauma and Pain During Breastfeeding: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Vieira Flaviana , Mota Dálete Delalibera C. F. , Castral Thaíla Corrêa , Guimarães Janaína Valadares , Salge Ana Karina Marques , Bachion Maria Márcia
Published: September 2017

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of anhydrous lanolin with the effect of breast milk combined with a breast shell for treatment of nipple trauma and pain during breastfeeding.

Methods

A randomized clinical trial was conducted in a maternity ward in a hospital accredited as a Baby‐Friendly Hospital located in the middle‐western region of Brazil. Breastfeeding women with obvious nipple trauma were randomized into 2 groups. In both groups, breastfeeding education was conducted. For up to 10 days, in Group 1, anhydrous lanolin was applied daily after each breastfeeding session, whereas in Group 2, breast milk combined with a breast shell was applied. Trauma was assessed using the Nipple Trauma Score, and pain was assessed using a numerical scale and sensory descriptors from the McGill Questionnaire.

Results

One hundred women participated, with 50 women in each of the 2 groups. The healing of nipple trauma was faster in the group treated with breast milk combined with a breast shell, starting on the third day of intervention (P = .032). The intensity of pain was lower in the group treated with breast milk combined with a breast shell starting on the fifth day of treatment (P = .008). The use of anhydrous lanolin had a progressively reduced treatment efficacy, with values of 86.4% on the third day (95% confidence interval [CI], −4.5%–98.2%), 58.3% on the fifth day (95% CI, 20.1%–78.3%), 48.1% on the seventh day (95% CI, 20.1%–66.2%), and 26.9.% on the tenth day (95% CI, 6.4%–43%) of intervention. The resolution of nipple trauma was significantly associated with the use of the nipple shell on all intervention days.

Discussion

The intervention with breast milk combined with a breast shell was more effective than anhydrous lanolin for the treatment of nipple trauma and pain in breastfeeding women. This treatment should be encouraged among breastfeeding women to promote healing and reduce pain.
The hypothalamic regulation of metabolic adaptations to exercise
Authors: Fujikawa T. , Castorena C. M. , Lee S. , Elmquist J. K.
Published: September 2017

Our modern lifestyle is characterised by easy access to nutrient dense foods combined with limited physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle is one of several factors that have contributed to the global obesity epidemic and it also predisposes to chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Although many studies have focused on the benefits of exercise in peripheral tissues, the contributions of the central nervous system to these exercise‐induced metabolic adaptations are relatively unknown. The present review highlights the role of the ventromedial hypothalamus in regulating the metabolic response to exercise.
Neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying bariatric surgery: Insights from human studies and animal models
Authors: Stefanidis A. , Oldfield B. J.
Published: September 2017

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and, to date, bariatric surgery remains the only effective treatment for morbid obesity in terms of its capacity to achieve durable weight loss. Bariatric surgery procedures, including Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG), have been the primary procedures conducted over the past decade, with SG increasing in popularity over the past 5 years at the expense of both RYGB and AGB. Although these procedures were initially proposed to function via restrictive or malabsorptive mechanisms, it is now clear that profound physiological changes underlie the metabolic improvements in patients who undergo bariatric surgery. Data generated in human patients and animal models highlight the rapid and sustained changes in gut hormones that coincide with these procedures. Furthermore, recent studies highlight the involvement of the nervous system, specifically the vagus nerve, in mediating the reduction in appetite and food intake following bariatric surgery. What is unclear is where these pathways converge and interact within the gut‐brain axis and whether vagally‐mediated circuits are sufficient to drive the metabolic sequalae following bariatric surgery.
Action observation produces motor resonance in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Bek Judith , Gowen Emma , Vogt Stefan , Crawford Trevor , Poliakoff Ellen
Published: September 2017

Observation of movement activates the observer's own motor system, influencing the performance of actions and facilitating social interaction. This motor resonance is demonstrated behaviourally through visuomotor priming, whereby response latencies are influenced by the compatibility between an intended action and an observed (task‐irrelevant) action. The impact of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) on motor resonance is unclear, as previous studies of visuomotor priming have not separated imitative compatibility (specific to human movement) from general stimulus‐response compatibility effects. We examined visuomotor priming in 23 participants with mild‐to‐moderate PD and 24 healthy older adults, using a task that pitted imitative compatibility against general stimulus‐response compatibility. Participants made a key press after observing a task‐irrelevant moving human finger or rectangle that was either compatible or incompatible with their response. Imitative compatibility effects, rather than general stimulus‐response compatibility effects, were found specifically for the human finger. Moreover, imitative compatibility effects did not differ between groups, indicating intact motor resonance in the PD group. These findings constitute the first unambiguous demonstration of imitative priming in both PD and healthy ageing, and have implications for therapeutic techniques to facilitate action, as well as the understanding of social cognition in PD.
Platelet‐rich plasma, the ultimate secret for youthful skin elixir and hair growth triggering
Authors: Elghblawi Ebtisam
Published: September 2017

The clinical application of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) is based on the increase in the concentration of growth factors that are released from alpha‐granule of the concentrated platelets and in the secretion of proteins which are able to capitalize on the healing process at the cellular level. It has been invented to restore the natural beauty by starting the natural rejuvenation process of the skin and aiming to make it function as a younger one and to keep the skin youthful and maintain it. Besides that, it is also emerged to include hairs as a new injectable procedure to enable stimulating hair growth locally and topically; preventing its fall; improving hair shaft, hair stem, and its caliber; increasing its shine, vitality, and pliability; and declining hair splitting and breakage. Thus, youth is in your blood as it has a magical power imposed in the platelet factors. There is, however, no standardization of the techniques besides insufficient description of the adopted procedures. Not long, autologous platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) has surfaced strongly in diverse medical specialties including plastic, wound healing and diabetic ulcers, orthopedic, trauma, ocular surgery, dry eye for eyelid injection, urology for urinary incontinence, sexual wellness, cutaneous surgery, sport medicine, dentistry and dermatology, and aesthetic applications. PRP proved to promote wound healing and aid in facelift, volumetric skin, skin rejuvenation, regeneration, and reconstruction; improve wrinkling; stimulate hair growth; increase hair follicle viability and its survival rate; prevent apoptosis; increase and prolong the anagen hair growth stage; and delay the progression to catagen hair cycle stage with increased density in hair loss and hair transplantation. The aims of this extensive review were to cover all PRP application aspects that are carried out in aesthetic dermatology and to assess the literature on platelet‐rich plasma outcomes on main aesthetic practices of general dermatology. A literature review was conducted by searching through PubMed, Biomedical Library database, Google Scholar, and Research Gate for the terms PRP, platelet‐rich plasma, platelet‐rich fibrin matrix, platelet preparations, platelet application therapy, platelet growth factors, platelet facial, platelet facial rejuvenation, platelet hairs, and platelet wound healing, from inception till 2017, and they were combined using Boolean operators. All those retrieved articles in English language were looked at and explored thoroughly.
Pressure injuries in people with darker skin tones: A literature review
Authors: Oozageer Gunowa Neesha , Hutchinson Marie , Brooke Joanne , Jackson Debra
Published: September 2017

Aims and objectives

In this article, we aimed to explore the literature to ascertain what research evidence exists in relation to the identification of pressure injuries in people with dark skin tones.

Background

Pressure injuries development has been widely researched and documented; however, much of this work does not address ethnicity or race and assumes Caucasian‐ness. Thus, the perceptions of people with dark skin tones and the influence of skin pigmentation on identification and management of pressure injuries is under examined.

Design

Literature review.

Methods

A comprehensive electronic database search was undertaken of PubMed, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane and British Nursing Index (BNI) between 1990–July 2016. Alongside the electronic data, journals, books, papers from conferences, relevant national and international organisations and reference lists were also used to help source key studies.

Results

A search of the literature revealed 11 relevant articles. The foci of studies included the following: risk of sustaining a pressure injuries based on skin tones, identification of pressure injuries amongst people with dark skin tones, pressure injuries and place of care and socio‐economic impact on pressure injuries development. Overall, findings indicate that people with darker skin tones are more likely to develop higher stage pressure injuries. Reasons for this are not fully elucidated; however, it may be associated with current skin assessment protocols being less effective for people who have darker skin tones resulting in early damage arising from pressure not being recognised.

Conclusion

From the literature reviewed, it can be seen that there is a lack of guidance and evidence, and people with darker skin tones are more likely in comparison with people presenting as Caucasian to develop higher stage pressure injuries.

Relevance to clinical practice

The current literature suggests a need for researchers and clinicians to consider skin tone variances rather than ethnicity when exploring comprehensive skin assessment.
Interobserver Variation in the Diagnosis of Neurologic Abnormalities in the Horse
Authors: Saville W.J.A. , Reed S.M. , Dubey J.P. , Granstrom D.E. , Morley P.S. , Hinchcliff K.W. , Kohn C.W. , Wittum T.E. , Workman J.D.
Published: September 2017

Background

The diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) relies heavily on the clinical examination. The accurate identification of neurologic signs during a clinical examination is critical to the interpretation of laboratory results.

Objective

To investigate the level of agreement between board‐certified veterinary internists when performing neurologic examinations in horses.

Animals

Ninety‐seven horses admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at The Ohio State University from December 1997 to June 1998.

Methods

A prospective epidemiologic research design was used. Horses enrolled in the study were examined by the internist responsible for care of the horse, and later by an internist who was not aware of the presenting complaint or other patient history. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, and kappa (K) statistics were calculated to assess interobserver agreement.

Results

Ninety‐seven horses were enrolled in the study. Overall, examiners, also referred to as observers, agreed that 60/97 (61.9%) were clinically abnormal, 21/97 (21.6%) were clinically normal, and the status of 16/97 (16.5%) of horses was contested. There was complete agreement among the examiners with regard to cranial nerve signs and involuntary movements. Disagreement involving severity of clinical signs occurred in 31 horses, and 25 of those horses (80.6%) were considered either normal or mildly affected by the primary observer. When examining the results of all paired clinical examinations for 11 different categories, there was wide variability in the results. When examiners rated the presence or absence of any neurologic abnormalities, lameness, or ataxia, the agreement among observers was either good or excellent for 80% of horses. When assessing truncal sway, the agreement among observers was good or excellent for 60% of the horses. When examining the horses for asymmetry of deficits, agreement was either good or excellent for 40% of the horses. Agreement among observers was excellent or good for only 20% of the horses when assessing muscle atrophy, spasticity (hypermetria), and overall assessment of the severity of neurologic abnormalities.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This study underscores the subjectivity of the neurologic examination and demonstrates a reasonable level of agreement that may be achieved when different clinicians examine the same horse.
Climatic and land‐use drivers along a latitudinal gradient: species diversity in temperate grasslands on agricultural soils
Authors: Perelman Susana B. , Burkart Silvia E. , Oyarzabal Mariano , Bagnato Camilo , Batista William
Published: September 2017

Questions

Do remaining mesophytic grasslands on soils with agricultural potential respond to a latitudinal gradient? Are climatic or land‐use factors the principal drivers of regional and local diversity of these grasslands?

Location

Mesophytic grasslands, Argentine Pampas, Rio de la Plata grasslands.

Methods

The species presence and cover was recorded in each of 96 remnant grasslands on soils suitable for cropping, grouped into five sampling locations. In each region, CIs for γ‐diversity and for the slope of species/area curves were estimated. Unconstrained ordination was applied to detect the principal gradients in floristic composition and correlation analysis to identify their main drivers. Mantel test was used to evaluate the correlation between floristic similarity and geographic distance, and with Euclidean distance in fragmentation and climatic variables. To rank the climatic and land‐use factors that account for local species richness and percentge of exotics, we applied correlation analysis and regression models.

Results

Community composition (73% native species) was mainly related to climatic variables determined by latitude, with a slight influence of fragmentation variables. Regional species richness responded to latitude: γ‐diversity decreased linearly with increasing distance from the Equator, as did the rate of species accumulation with expanding area. Alpha‐diversity did not vary in a systematic way with latitude, being associated with landscape fragmentation and mean annual precipitation. Relative importance of C4 grasses and mean percentage exotics showed opposite latitudinal tendencies, the former decreasing and the latter increasing towards the south.

Conclusions

Latitude was a strong determinant of regional diversity and community composition, but a partial driver for local species richness, mainly influenced by landscape fragmentation. While climatic and geographic drivers determined gradual latitudinal turnover in regional species pools, within regions land‐use history, stochastic processes and biotic interactions were also important. All these patterns need to be considered together when delimiting grassland nature reserves for conservation of the most diverse ecosystems of this region, currently threatened by agricultural expansion and intensification.
Job contenders: roles of the β‐barrel assembly machinery and the translocation and assembly module in autotransporter secretion
Authors: Albenne Cécile , Ieva Raffaele
Published: September 2017

In Gram‐negative bacteria, autotransporters secrete effector protein domains that are linked to virulence. Although they were once thought to be simple and autonomous secretion machines, mounting evidence reveals that multiple factors of the bacterial envelope are necessary for autotransporter assembly. Secretion across the outer membrane of their soluble effector “passenger domain” is promoted by the assembly of an outer membrane‐spanning “β‐barrel domain”. Both reactions require BamA, an essential component of the β‐barrel assembly machinery (BAM complex) that catalyzes the final reaction step by which outer membrane proteins are integrated into the lipid bilayer. A large amount of data generated in the last decade has shed key insights onto the mechanistic coordination of autotransporter β‐barrel domain assembly and passenger domain secretion. These results, together with the recently solved structures of the BAM complex, offer an unprecedented opportunity to discuss a detailed model of autotransporter assembly. Importantly, some autotransporters benefit from the presence of an additional machinery, the translocation and assembly module (TAM), a two‐membrane spanning complex, which contains a BamA‐homologous subunit. Although it remains unclear how the BAM complex and the TAM cooperate, it is evident that multiple preparatory steps are necessary for efficient autotransporter biogenesis.
Cassava brown streak disease: historical timeline, current knowledge and future prospects
Authors: Tomlinson Katie R. , Bailey Andy M. , Alicai Titus , Seal Sue , Foster Gary D.
Published: September 2017

Cassava is the second most important staple food crop in terms of per capita calories consumed in Africa and holds potential for climate change adaptation. Unfortunately, productivity in East and Central Africa is severely constrained by two viral diseases: cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). CBSD was first reported in 1936 from northeast Tanzania. For approximately 70 years, CBSD was restricted to coastal East Africa and so had a relatively low impact on food security compared with CMD. However, at the turn of the 21st century, CBSD re‐emerged further inland, in areas around Lake Victoria, and it has since spread through many East and Central African countries, causing high yield losses and jeopardizing the food security of subsistence farmers. This recent re‐emergence has attracted intense scientific interest, with studies shedding light on CBSD viral epidemiology, sequence diversity, host interactions and potential sources of resistance within the cassava genome. This review reflects on 80 years of CBSD research history (1936–2016) with a timeline of key events. We provide insights into current CBSD knowledge, management efforts and future prospects for improved understanding needed to underpin effective control and mitigation of impacts on food security.
Impact of climate change on vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909) in North America
Authors: CARMONA‐CASTRO O. , MOO‐LLANES D. A. , RAMSEY J. M.
Published: September 2017

Climate change can influence the geographical range of the ecological niche of pathogens by altering biotic interactions with vectors and reservoirs. The distributions of 20 epidemiologically important triatomine species in North America were modelled, comparing the genetic algorithm for rule‐set prediction (GARP) and maximum entropy (MaxEnt), with or without topographical variables. Potential shifts in transmission niche for Trypanosoma cruzi (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) (Chagas, 1909) were analysed for 2050 and 2070 in Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5. There were no significant quantitative range differences between the GARP and MaxEnt models, but GARP models best represented known distributions for most species [partial‐receiver operating characteristic (ROC) > 1]; elevation was an important variable contributing to the ecological niche model (ENM). There was little difference between niche breadth projections for RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5; the majority of species shifted significantly in both periods. Those species with the greatest current distribution range are expected to have the greatest shifts. Positional changes in the centroid, although reduced for most species, were associated with latitude. A significant increase or decrease in mean niche elevation is expected principally for Neotropical 1 species. The impact of climate change will be specific to each species, its biogeographical region and its latitude. North American triatomines with the greatest current distribution ranges (Nearctic 2 and Nearctic/Neotropical) will have the greatest future distribution shifts. Significant shifts (increases or decreases) in mean elevation over time are projected principally for the Neotropical species with the broadest current distributions. Changes in the vector exposure threat to the human population were significant for both future periods, with a 1.48% increase for urban populations and a 1.76% increase for rural populations in 2050.
Effects of temperature on germination of sporangia, infection and protein secretion by Phytophthora kernoviae
Authors: Shelley B. A. , Luster D. G. , Garrett W. M. , McMahon M. B. , Widmer T. L.
Published: September 2017

Phytophthora kernoviae is a pathogen on a wide range of plants, but little is known of optimal infection conditions. Rhododendron ponticum leaves were inoculated with six different isolates of P. kernoviae sporangia and incubated at different temperatures from 10 to 28 °C. After 1 week, lesion development and pathogen recovery were only observed from all isolates at 15 and 20 °C and a few isolates at 10 °C. In an experiment with temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 °C, lesion development and pathogen recovery on R. ponticum, Magnolia stellata and Viburnum tinus occurred consistently at 20 and 21 °C, was limited at 22 °C, and did not occur at 23 °C and above. There was no difference in sporangia and zoospore germination at 20–25 °C. In a temperature fluctuation experiment, the necrotic area of inoculated R. ponticum leaves increased with longer incubation at 20 °C and decreased with longer incubation at 24 °C. Crude extracts of secreted proteins from P. kernoviae cultures grown at 20 and 24 °C were compared to determine any effects of temperature on pathogenicity. When spot tested on R. ponticum leaves, crude protein suspensions from cultures grown at 20 °C induced necrosis, while proteins from cultures grown at 24 °C did not. Proteomic analysis confirmed that a 10 kDa protein secreted at both 20 and 24 °C shared sequence homology to the conserved domains of known elicitins of other Phytophthora spp. The protein secreted at 20 °C that was responsible for necrosis has not been identified.
Introduction to the South African Revenue Service and National Treasury Firm‐Level Panel
Authors: Pieterse Duncan , Gavin Elizabeth , Kreuser C. Friedrich
Published: September 2017

The South African Revenue Service and National Treasury Firm‐Level Panel is an unbalanced panel data set created by merging several sources of administrative tax data received during 2015. The four data sources that constitute the panel are: (i) company income tax from registered firms who submit tax forms; (ii) employee data from employee income tax certificates submitted by employers; (iii) value‐added tax data from registered firms; and (iv) customs records from traders. These data sets constitute a significant and unique source for the study of firm‐level behaviour in post‐apartheid South Africa. We review the key data sources used to construct the panel, highlight some important questions that arise as a result of panel construction, discuss the biases in the resulting data, compare key aggregates in the panel to other data sources, and provide a descriptive overview of the tax records.
Mapping soil salinity in 3‐dimensions using an EM38 and EM4Soil inversion modelling at the reconnaissance scale in central Morocco
Authors: Dakak H. , Huang J. , Zouahri A. , Douaik A. , Triantafilis J.
Published: September 2017

Large areas of Morocco require irrigation and although good quality water is available in dams, farmers augment river water with poorer quality ground water, resulting in salt build‐up without a sufficient leaching fraction. Implementation of management plans requires baseline reconnaissance maps of salinity. We developed a method to map the distribution of salinity profiles by establishing a linear regression (LR) between calculated true electrical conductivity (σ, mS/m) and electrical conductivity of the saturated soil‐paste extract (ECe, dS/m). Estimates of σ were obtained by inverting the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa, mS/m) collected from a 500‐m grid survey using an EM38. Spherical variograms were developed to interpolate ECa data onto a 100 m grid using residual maximum likelihood. Inversion was carried out on kriged ECa data using a quasi‐3d model (EM4Soil software), selecting the cumulative function (CF) forward modelling and S2 inversion algorithm with a damping factor of 3.0. Using a ‘leave‐one‐out cross‐validation' (LOOCV), of one in 12 of the calibration sites, the use of the q‐3d model yielded a high accuracy (RMSE = 0.42 dS/m), small bias (ME = −0.02 dS/m) and Lin's concordance (0.91). Slightly worse results were obtained using individual LR established at each depth increment overall (i.e. RMSE = 0.45 dS/m; ME = 0.00 dS/m; Lin's = 0.89) with the raw EM38 ECa. Inversion required a single LR (ECe = 0.679 + 0.041 × σ), enabling efficiencies in estimating ECe at any depth across the irrigation district. Final maps of ECe, along with information on water used for irrigation (ECw) and the characterization of properties of the two main soil types, enabled better understanding of causes of secondary soil salinity. The approach can be applied to problematic saline areas with saline water tables.
Ultratransparent and stretchable graphene electrodes
Authors: Liu Nan , Chortos Alex , Lei Ting , Jin Lihua , Kim Taeho Roy , Bae Won-Gyu , Zhu Chenxin , Wang Sihong , Pfattner Raphael , Chen Xiyuan , Sinclair Robert , Bao Zhenan
Published: September 2017

A new graphene structure allowing unprecedented stretchability in graphene electrodes was designed.
Opto-thermophoretic assembly of colloidal matter
Authors: Lin Linhan , Zhang Jianli , Peng Xiaolei , Wu Zilong , Coughlan Anna C. H. , Mao Zhangming , Bevan Michael A. , Zheng Yuebing
Published: September 2017

Colloidal matter with a wide range of materials, sizes, and configurations was built with opto-thermophoretic assembly.
Rubbery electronics and sensors from intrinsically stretchable elastomeric composites of semiconductors and conductors
Authors: Kim Hae-Jin , Sim Kyoseung , Thukral Anish , Yu Cunjiang
Published: September 2017

Stretchable rubber-like electronics from intrinsically stretchable semiconductors and conductors are demonstrated.
Time-of-day–dependent global distribution of lunar surficial water/hydroxyl
Authors: Wöhler Christian , Grumpe Arne , Berezhnoy Alexey A. , Shevchenko Vladislav V.
Published: September 2017

Variations in H
2
O/OH absorption band strength with time of lunar day exhibit strong dependence on latitude and terrain type.
Experimental phase diagram of zero-bias conductance peaks in superconductor/semiconductor nanowire devices
Authors: Chen Jun , Yu Peng , Stenger John , Hocevar Moïra , Car Diana , Plissard Sébastien R. , Bakkers Erik P. A. M. , Stanescu Tudor D. , Frolov Sergey M.
Published: September 2017

Map to Majorana fermions in nanowires is revealed.
Single-pixel computational ghost imaging with helicity-dependent metasurface hologram
Authors: Liu Hong-Chao , Yang Biao , Guo Qinghua , Shi Jinhui , Guan Chunying , Zheng Guoxing , Mühlenbernd Holger , Li Guixin , Zentgraf Thomas , Zhang Shuang
Published: September 2017

A helicity-dependent computational ghost image generated by a metasurface hologram offers a promising optical encryption scheme.
T
fr
cells lack IL-2Rα but express decoy IL-1R2 and IL-1Ra and suppress the IL-1–dependent activation of T
fh
cells
Authors: Ritvo Paul-Gydeon G. , Churlaud Guillame , Quiniou Valentin , Florez Laura , Brimaud Faustine , Fourcade Gwladys , Mariotti-Ferrandiz Encarnita , Klatzmann David
Published: September 2017

Follicular regulatory T cells suppress B cell activation by expression of decoy IL-1R2 and IL-1Ra.
Aminoglycoside Concentrations Required for Synergy with Carbapenems against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Determined via Mechanistic Studies and Modeling
Authors: Yadav Rajbharan , Bulitta Jürgen B. , Schneider Elena K. , Shin Beom Soo , Velkov Tony , Nation Roger L. , Landersdorfer Cornelia B.
Published: September 2017

This study aimed to systematically identify the aminoglycoside concentrations required for synergy with a carbapenem and characterize the permeabilizing effect of aminoglycosides on the outer membrane of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Monotherapies and combinations of four aminoglycosides and three carbapenems were studied for activity against
P. aeruginosa
strain AH298-GFP in 48-h static-concentration time-kill studies (SCTK) (inoculum: 10
7.6
CFU/ml). The outer membrane-permeabilizing effect of tobramycin alone and in combination with imipenem was characterized via electron microscopy, confocal imaging, and the nitrocefin assay. A mechanism-based model (MBM) was developed to simultaneously describe the time course of bacterial killing and prevention of regrowth by imipenem combined with each of the four aminoglycosides. Notably, 0.25 mg/liter of tobramycin, which was inactive in monotherapy, achieved synergy (i.e., ≥2-log
10
more killing than the most active monotherapy at 24 h) combined with imipenem. Electron micrographs, confocal image analyses, and the nitrocefin uptake data showed distinct outer membrane damage by tobramycin, which was more extensive for the combination with imipenem. The MBM indicated that aminoglycosides enhanced the imipenem target site concentration up to 4.27-fold. Tobramycin was the most potent aminoglycoside to permeabilize the outer membrane; tobramycin (0.216 mg/liter), gentamicin (0.739 mg/liter), amikacin (1.70 mg/liter), or streptomycin (5.19 mg/liter) was required for half-maximal permeabilization. In summary, our SCTK, mechanistic studies and MBM indicated that tobramycin was highly synergistic and displayed the maximum outer membrane disruption potential among the tested aminoglycosides. These findings support the optimization of highly promising antibiotic combination dosage regimens for critically ill patients.