bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular identification and susceptibility profile of Sporothrix schenckii sensu lato isolated in Argentina
Authors: Córdoba Susana , Isla Guillermina , Szusz Wanda , Vivot Walter , Hevia Alejandra , Davel Graciela , Canteros Cristina E. 
Published: March 2018

SummaryWe studied 23 clinical and environmental strains of Sporothrix schenckii sensu lato collected from 1984 to 2017 in Argentina. The molecular identification (partial sequencing of a fragment of the calmodulin gene) of the strains was performed. For the yeast and mycelial phases, the in vitro susceptibility testing by a microdilution reference method was determined against eight antifungal drugs. Strains studied were identified as S. schenckii sensu stricto 13 (56.5%), S. brasiliensis 8 (34.7%) and S. globosa 2 (8.7%). The most active antifungal drugs tested for the yeast and mycelial phases expressed as geometric mean (GM) value of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) (μg mL−1) were terbinafine (0.07 and 0.24), posaconazole (0.13 and 0.58), itraconazole (0.38 and 1.10) and ketoconazole (0.22 and 0.89), while fluconazole (110.10 and 131.92) and flucytosine (2.96 and 79.03) were the less active. For voriconazole and amphotericin B the GM‐MIC values were acceptably low for the yeast phase (0.39 and 0.72 μg mL−1), while the mycelial phase showed values ≥2‐fold higher (8.76 and 1.88 μg mL−1), P < .05. Here, we described S. schenckii sensu stricto, S. brasiliensis and S. globosa, these species were isolated from humans, animals and soil and are circulating in Argentina since at least 1984.
Detection of some newTrichosporonspecies from the dystrophied nails of three female members of a family from North Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir
Authors: Kotwal Sandeep , Sumbali Geeta , Sharma Supriya , Kaul Sanjana 
Published: March 2018

SummaryDermatophytes are considered as the main pathogens responsible for onychomycosis, but recently successive isolations of yeast‐like fungi from the infected nails has led to consider these also as primary agents of nail infections.Trichosporonspecies which are non‐candidal, basidiomycetous, yeast‐like, anamorphic fungi are commonly isolated from soil but they are also emerging as important etiological agents of onychomycosis. Three species ofTrichosporonviz.,T. asahii,T. asteroidesandT. faecalewere isolated from the infected nails of three female members of a family from district Doda of Jammu and Kashmir State. Among the isolated species ofTrichosporon,T. asahiiwas recovered from the nail samples of all the three members, thus confirming its recognition as a main pathogenic species of onychomycosis. So far, there is no report ofT. asteroidesandT. faecalecausing onychomycosis and hence they constitute new additions to the list of onychomycotic fungi. Some of the predisposing factors like low socio‐economic condition, poor hygiene, frequent exposure of finger nails to water and dirt, climatic conditions and nail trauma were observed to be the main causes of nail infection in these patients. However, a link between the pathogenic genus and the genetic makeup of the patients is also probable.
Rhizosphere priming effects on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics among tree species with and without intraspecific competition
Authors: Yin Liming , Dijkstra Feike A. , Wang Peng , Zhu Biao , Cheng Weixin 
Published: March 2018

Summary

Rhizosphere priming effects (RPEs) play a central role in modifying soil organic matter mineralization. However, effects of tree species and intraspecific competition on RPEs are poorly understood.

We investigated RPEs of three tree species (larch, ash and Chinese fir) and the impact of intraspecific competition of these species on the RPE by growing them at two planting densities for 140 d. We determined the RPE on soil organic carbon (C) decomposition, gross and net nitrogen (N) mineralization and net plant N acquisition.

Differences in the RPE among species were associated with differences in plant biomass. Gross N mineralization and net plant N acquisition increased, but net N mineralization decreased, as the RPE on soil organic C decomposition increased. Intraspecific competition reduced the RPE on soil organic C decomposition, gross and net N mineralization, and net plant N acquisition, especially for ash and Chinese fir.

Microbial N mining may explain the overall positive RPEs across species, whereas intensified plant–microbe competition for N may have reduced the RPE with intraspecific competition. Overall, the species‐specific effects of tree species play an important role in modulating the magnitude and mechanisms of RPEs and the intraspecific competition on soil C and N dynamics.
CTLA‐4Ig (abatacept) balances bone anabolic effects of T cells and Wnt‐10b with antianabolic effects of osteoblastic sclerostin
Authors: Roser‐Page Susanne , Vikulina Tatyana , Weiss Daiana , Habib Mark M. , Beck George R. , Pacifici Roberto , Lane Timothy F. , Weitzmann M. Neale 
Published: March 2018

AbstractActivated lymphocytes promote inflammation and bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), making T cells and B cells therapeutic targets. Indeed, pharmacological blockade of CD28 costimulation using CTLA‐4Ig (abatacept), approved for amelioration of RA, renders T cells dormant (anergic). CTLA‐4Ig also promotes bone accretion in healthy mice; surprisingly, however, this effect is driven exclusively through upregulation of bone formation, rather than anti‐inflammatory effects on resorption. In the study presented here, we utilized T cell receptor β gene and Wnt‐10b gene knockout mice to investigate the roles of T cells and Wnt‐10b in CTLA‐4Ig–induced bone anabolism. Ablation of either T cells or Wnt‐10b not only abolished CTLA‐4Ig–induced bone anabolism but also, paradoxically, suppressed bone formation leading to bone loss. Stalled bone formation was accompanied by bone marrow stromal cell expression of the Wnt pathway inhibitor sclerostin. Our data suggest that an immunoskeletal pivot may promote or suppress bone formation, depending on the net outcome of CTLA‐4Ig action directed independently on T cells and osteoblast‐linage cells that counter Wnt‐10b–induced bone anabolism, by secretion of sclerostin. While CTLA‐4Ig action is tipped in favor of bone formation under physiological conditions, pathological immunodeficiency may lead to suppressed bone formation and skeletal damage.
Hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress as a key mediator of obesity‐induced leptin resistance
Authors: Ye Z. , Liu G. , Guo J. , Su Z. 
Published: March 2018

SummaryObesity is an epidemic disease that is increasing worldwide and is a major risk factor for many metabolic diseases. However, effective agents for the prevention or treatment of obesity remain limited. Therefore, it is urgent to clarify the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development and progression of obesity and exploit potential agents to cure and prevent this disease. According to a recent study series, obesity is associated with the development of endoplasmic reticulum stress and the activation of its stress responses (unfolded protein response) in metabolically active tissues, which contribute to the development of obesity‐related insulin and leptin resistance, inflammation and energy imbalance. Hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress is the central mechanism underlying the development of obesity‐associated leptin resistance and disruption of energy homeostasis; thus, targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress offers a promising therapeutic strategy for improving leptin sensitivity, increasing energy expenditure and ultimately combating obesity. In this review, we highlight the relationship between and mechanism underlying hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress and obesity‐associated leptin resistance and energy imbalance and provide new insight regarding strategies for the treatment of obesity.
Healthcare providers’ experiences of assessing and performing oral care in older adults
Authors: Ek Kristina , Browall Maria , Eriksson Monika , Eriksson Irene 
Published: March 2018

Aims and objectivesThe purpose of this study was to describe healthcare providers’ experiences, knowledge and attitudes in relation to the assessment of oral health in older adults.BackgroundOral health is an important element in the care of older adults. An increasing proportion of older people need the help and support of community‐based healthcare services, which are responsible for providing oral health assessment for this group. Although oral care is an important part of nursing care, studies show that it is often an overlooked area in the care of older people.DesignAn inductive qualitative description design was used.MethodsThe participating healthcare providers were selected from a municipality in western Sweden. Purposeful sampling was employed and data were collected through focus‐group interviews and were analysed with content analysis.ResultsThe analysis resulted in four categories: healthcare providers’ knowledge and attitudes to oral health; routines affect flexibility; challenges in assessing and performing oral care and ethical dilemmas. The results showed that oral health was neglected because of several factors. Lack of knowledge, inadequate procedures and time constraints were most prominent. The healthcare providers’ own attitudes affected the performing of oral health assessments. Ethical dilemmas related to the attitudes of those people in receipt of care and their relatives, and their integrity and autonomy, could be seen as complicating factors.ConclusionsThe healthcare providers expressed that they did not have the necessary knowledge of oral health that was required in their area of responsibility. In addition, they described their own attitudes as being important when attending to the patients’ oral health.Implications for practiceThe healthcare providers themselves identified lack of knowledge and their own attitudes as being especially important factors in the oral care of older adults, and further research in this area is needed.
Contribution of repeated infections in asthma persistence from preschool to school age: Design and characteristics of the PreDicta cohort
Authors: Xepapadaki Paraskevi , Bachert Claus , Finotto Susetta , Jartti Tuomas , Konstantinou George N. , Kiefer Alexander , Kowalski Marek , Lewandowska‐Polak Anna , Lukkarinen Heikki , Roumpedaki Eirini , Sobanska Anna , Sintobin Ina , Vuorinen Tytti , Zhang Nan , Zimmermann Theodor , Papadopoulos Nikolaos G. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe PreDicta cohort was designed to prospectively evaluate wheeze/asthma persistence in preschoolers in association with viral/microbial exposures and immunological responses. We present the cohort design and demographic/disease characteristics and evaluate unsupervised and predefined phenotypic subgroups at inclusion.MethodsPreDicta is a 2‐year prospective study conducted in five European regions, including children 4‐6 years with a diagnosis of asthma as cases and healthy age‐matched controls. At baseline, detailed information on demographics, asthma and allergy‐related disease activity, exposures, and lifestyle were recorded. Lung function, airway inflammation, and immune responses were also assessed. Power analysis confirmed that the cohort is adequate to answer the initial hypothesis.ResultsA total of 167 asthmatic children (102 males) and 66 healthy controls (30 males) were included. Groups were homogeneous in respect to most baseline characteristics, with the exception of male gender in cases (61%) and exposure to tobacco smoke. Comorbidities and number and duration of infections were significantly higher in asthmatics than controls. 55.7% of asthmatic children had at least one positive skin prick test to aeroallergens (controls: 33.3%, P = .002). Spirometric and exhaled nitric oxide values were within normal limits; only baseline FEV0.5 and FEV1 reversibility values were significantly different between groups. Viral infections were the most common triggers (89.2%) independent of severity, control, or atopy; however, overlapping phenotypes were also common. Severity and control clustered together in an unsupervised analysis, separating moderate from mild disease.ConclusionsThe PreDicta cohort presented no differences in non‐asthma related measures; however, it is well balanced regarding key phenotypic characteristics representative of “preschool asthma”.
YouTube and food allergy: An appraisal of the educational quality of information
Authors: Reddy Keerthi , Kearns Mary , Alvarez‐Arango Santiago , Carrillo‐Martin Ismael , Cuervo‐Pardo Nathaly , Cuervo‐Pardo Lyda , Dimov Ves , Lang David M. , Lopez‐Alvarez Sonia , Schroer Brian , Mohan Kaushik , Dula Mark , Zheng Simin , Kozinetz Claudia , Gonzalez‐Estrada Alexei 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundFood allergy affects an estimated 8% of children and 3% of adults in the United States. Food‐allergic individuals increasingly use the web for medical information. We sought to determine the educational quality of food allergy YouTube videos.MethodsWe performed a YouTube search using keywords “food allergy” and “food allergies”. The 300 most viewed videos were included and analyzed for characteristics, source, and content. Source was further classified as healthcare provider, alternative medicine provider, patient, company, media, and professional society. A scoring system (FA‐DQS) was created to evaluate quality (−10 to +34 points). Negative points were assigned for misleading information. Eight reviewers scored each video independently.ResultsThree hundred videos were analyzed, with a median of 6351.50 views, 19 likes, and 1 dislike. More video presenters were female (54.3%). The most common type of video source was alternative medicine provider (26.3%). Alternative treatments included the following: water fast, juicing, Ayurveda, apple cider, yoga, visualization, and sea moss. Controversial diagnostics included kinesiology, IgG testing, and pulse test. Almost half of the videos depicted a non‐IgE‐mediated reaction (49.0%).Videos by professional societies had the highest FA‐DQS (7.27). Scores for videos by professional societies were significantly different from other sources (P < .001). There was a high degree of agreement among reviewers (ICC = 0.820; P < .001).ConclusionYouTube videos on food allergy frequently recommend controversial diagnostics and commonly depict non‐IgE‐mediated reactions. There is a need for high‐quality, evidence‐based, educational videos on food allergy.
Plywood‐like shell microstructures in hyoliths from the middle Cambrian (Drumian) Gowers Formation, Georgina Basin, Australia
Authors: Moore J. L. , Porter Susannah M. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractHyoliths are a group of Palaeozoic fossils with calcareous shells whose affinities remain controversial. As their shells were originally aragonitic, their fossils are usually coarsely recrystallized, and few data on their microstructure are available. We report hyoliths from the middle Cambrian (Drumian, Floran) Gowers Formation of the eastern Georgina Basin, Queensland. These are preserved as phosphatic internal moulds, often with the inner layers of the shell also partly replaced by phosphate. Microstructural details preserved by this early diagenetic phosphatization show that these hyolith conchs were originally composed of fibrous crystallites,c. 0.5 μm wide, parallel to one another and to the inner surface of the shell. In several species, the fibres are arranged in a plywood‐like structure composed of multiple lamellae with a different fibre orientation in each lamella: often they are transversely oriented (relative to the long axis of the conch) in the inner part of the wall and longitudinally oriented in the outer part. Opercula also show a microstructure of parallel fibres. The lamello‐fibrillar microstructure we report from hyoliths is reminiscent of microstructures of many Cambrian molluscs; that this microstructure is found in both conchs and opercula suggests that these structures are serial homologues of one another, and in this respect they resemble brachiopod valves. As with many other biological plywoods, the hyolith shell probably records self‐organization in a liquid‐crystal‐like organic matrix. This provided a straightforward way to construct a material that could resist stresses from different directions, offering an effective defence against predators.
Lifestyle and overall health in high school children: Results from the Toyama birth cohort study, Japan
Authors: Li Weixiu , Sekine Michikazu , Yamada Masaaki , Fujimura Yuko , Tatsuse Takashi 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between lifestyle and overall health in high school children.MethodsSubjects were from the Toyama Birth Cohort Study, a prospective, longitudinal study of children born between 1989 and 1990, and who lived in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, at the time of the survey. This investigation used data from phase 5 of the Birth Cohort Study, which was conducted in 2005, when the children were in high school. Participants included 4,966 children (2,449 boys and 2,517 girls) aged 15–16 years old. A questionnaire was designed to measure lifestyle factors such as eating habits, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleeping pattern. A question from a validated Japanese version of the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project was used to evaluate overall health in children. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine if lifestyle factors are associated with overall health in high school children.ResultsBoys who skipped breakfast and had short night‐time sleep duration (≤6 h per night) were more likely to have poor health status. Girls who skipped breakfast, and had night‐time eating patterns, personal computer use >4 h per day, and short night‐time sleep duration (≤6 h/night) were more likely to have poor health status.ConclusionsUndesirable lifestyle was associated with poor health status in high school boys and girls. Further understanding of these relationships is needed to facilitate the development of interventions that will help children with poor health status.
The Political Use of Evidence and Its Contribution to Democratic Discourse
Authors: Schlaufer Caroline , Stucki Iris , Sager Fritz 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis article argues that evidence, even when used politically, contributes to high‐quality democratic discourse. Research results on the use of evidence in referendum campaigns in Switzerland show that (1) evidence fosters discourse quality and shifts the focus away from politics to policy; (2) evaluations and basic research contribute positively to discourse, but not opinion surveys and statistics; (3) the participation of experts and administrative practitioners in discourse is crucial to make evidence available to the public; and (4) evidence is always used as a part of a narrative and can alter the constructed images used in a story. In conclusion, the implications for practitioners are discussed.
Does Disclosure of Performance Information Influence Street‐level Bureaucrats’ Enforcement Style?
Authors: de Boer Noortje , Eshuis Jasper , Klijn Erik‐Hans 
Published: March 2018

AbstractGovernments use different regulatory instruments to ensure that businesses owners or “inspectees” comply with rules and regulations. One tool that is increasingly applied is disclosing inspectees’ performance information to other stakeholders. Disclosing performance information has consequences for street‐level bureaucrats because it increases the visibility of their day‐to‐day work. Using a survey (n = 507) among Dutch inspectors of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this article shows that the disclosure of performance information has an impact on enforcement style at the street level. Findings show that perceived disclosed performance information positively enhances all three dimensions of street‐level bureaucrats’ enforcement style (legal, facilitation, and accommodation). This effect is strongest for facilitation and accommodation and weakest for the legal style. Perceived resistance by inspectees partly explains this effect. Contrary to expectations, more perceived disclosure does not result in more but in less perceived resistance of inspectees by street‐level bureaucrats.
General and Specific Utility Measures for Synthetic Data
Authors: Snoke Joshua , Raab Gillian M. , Nowok Beata , Dibben Chris , Slavkovic Aleksandra 
Published: March 2018

SummaryData holders can produce synthetic versions of data sets when concerns about potential disclosure restrict the availability of the original records. The paper is concerned with methods to judge whether such synthetic data have a distribution that is comparable with that of the original data: what we term general utility. We consider how general utility compares with specific utility: the similarity of results of analyses from the synthetic data and the original data. We adapt a previous general measure of data utility, the propensity score mean-squared error pMSE, to the specific case of synthetic data and derive its distribution for the case when the correct synthesis model is used to create the synthetic data. Our asymptotic results are confirmed by a simulation study. We also consider two specific utility measures, confidence interval overlap and standardized difference in summary statistics, which we compare with the general utility results. We present two contrasting examples of data syntheses: one illustrating synthetic data that is evaluated as being useful by both general and specific measures and the second where neither is the case. For the second case we show how the general utility measures can identify the deficiencies of the synthetic data and suggest how this can inform possible improvements to the synthesis method.
Electromagnetic Excitation of a Spherical Medium by an Arbitrary Dipole and Related Inverse Problems
Authors: Prokopiou Prokopios , Tsitsas Nikolaos L. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA piecewise homogeneous spherical medium is excited by an external or internal electric dipole with arbitrary location and polarization. The dyadic Green's function of the medium is determined analytically. Then, the vector electric fields and far‐field patterns are obtained. Low‐frequency approximations of the far‐field patterns are subsequently derived, which encode the dipole's locations coordinates and polarization components in the different orders of the associated expansions. This fact enables the establishment of far‐field inverse scattering algorithms referring to the electromagnetic interior or exterior excitation of a small sphere by an arbitrary dipole. Inverse medium and inverse source problems are considered concerning, respectively, the determination of the scatterer's material parameters and the dipole's characteristics. The developed inverse algorithms determine exactly the unknown parameters of problems fulfilling the low‐frequency assumption, which is indeed the case in most relevant applications, like, e.g., in biomedical imaging.