bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Hungarian mushrooms for antibacterial activity and synergistic effects with standard antibiotics against resistant bacterial strains
Authors: Liktor-Busa E. , Kovács B. , Urbán E. , Hohmann J. , Ványolós A. 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
This study aimed to screen the antibacterial activity of 160 extracts of 40 mushroom species, collected in Hungary, against 11 standard bacterial strains and 9 clinical isolates. The further objective of this work was to evaluate the capacity of active fungal extracts to potentiate the action of antibiotics against resistant pathogens. Disc-diffusion method was applied for screening of antibacterial activity of extracts. Microdilution method was used to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations. The active extracts were applied to different resistant micro-organisms (multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and MRSA), combined with commercial drugs. The synergism between extracts and antibiotics was assessed by double-disc synergy assay and determination of fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) with checkerboard technique. From 40 mushrooms included in this experiment, 16 species exhibited antibacterial effects with moderate to high potential. In general the chloroform extracts proved to be most active, while the aqueous and aqueous-methanolic extracts demonstrated low or no activity. Fistulina hepatica, Tapinella atrotomentosa (syn. Paxillus atrotomentosus) and Rhodocybe popinalis were the most active species; moreover, they can potentiate the action of cefuroxime against MRSA.

Significance and Impact of the Study
In this study, 160 organic (n-hexane, chloroform and 50% methanol) and aqueous extracts of 40 mushroom species were submitted to antibacterial screening assay. The antibacterial capacity of 18 species has been examined for the first time. Nineteen extracts of 16 species showed antibacterial effects with moderate to high potential. The extracts of Fistulina hepatica, Tapinella atrotomentosa and Rhodocybe popinalis exhibited not only broad antibacterial spectrum, but also synergistic activity with cefuroxime against MRSA. Our screening study proved that mushroom species are promising sources of potential antimicrobial molecules. The results serve as good starting point for selection of fungal species for detailed pharmacological and chemical investigation.
Attitudes toward child rearing in female clinical nurses working in three shifts
Authors: Ha Eun‐Ho 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe balance between child‐rearing and work may be one of the most challenging issues facing female clinical nurses, particularly those who work in three shifts. This study aimed to identify attitudes toward child‐rearing in this particular cohort, female clinical nurses working three shifts. Q methodology, a research method concerned with individuals' subjective points of view, was used. Thirty‐five selected Q statements from 51 participants were divided into a normal distribution using a nine‐point bipolar scale, and the collected data were analyzed using the QUANL program. Three discrete factors emerged: Factor I: child‐rearing is natural work (child‐rearing and work are separate); Factor II: child‐rearing is hard work (child‐rearing and work are in conflict); and Factor III: child‐rearing requires help from someone (child‐rearing and work are balanced). The subjective viewpoints of the three identified factors can be applied to develop diverse strategies to support child‐rearing in female clinical nurses.
Gastric emptying of solids in children: reference values for the 13C‐octanoic acid breath test
Authors: Hauser B. , Roelants M. , De Schepper J. , Veereman G. , Caveliers V. , Devreker T. , De Greef E. , Vandenplas Y. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractBackground99mTechnetium scintigraphy (99mTS) is the ‘gold standard’ for measuring gastric emptying (GE), but it is associated with a radiation exposure. For this reason, the 13C‐octanoic acid breath test (13C‐OBT) was developed for measuring GE of solids. The objective of this study was to determine normal values for gastric half‐emptying time (t1/2GE) of solids in healthy children.MethodsGastric emptying of a standardized solid test meal consisting of a pancake evaluated with 99mTS and 13C‐OBT was compared in 22 children aged between 1 and 15 years with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Subsequently, the 13C‐OBT was used to determine normal values for GE of the same solid test meal in 120 healthy children aged between 1 and 17 years.Key ResultsThe results showed a significant correlation (r = 0.748, p = 0.0001) between t1/2GE measured with both techniques in the group of children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. In the group of healthy children, mean t1/2GE was 157.7 ± 54.0 min (range 71–415 min), but t1/2GE decreased with age between 1 and 10 years and remained stable afterward. There was no influence of gender, weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area on t1/2GE.Conclusions & InferencesNormal values for GE of solids measured with the 13C‐OBT using a standardized methodology were determined in healthy children. We propose to use this method and corresponding reference ranges to study GE of solids in children with gastrointestinal problems.
Secondary pouchitis in a pediatric patient successfully treated by salvage surgery
Authors: Okita Yoshiki , Araki Toshimitsu , Uchida Keiichi , Matsushita Kohei , Kawamura Mikio , Koike Yuhki , Otake Kohei , Inoue Mikihiro , Toiyama Yuji , Ohi Masaki , Tanaka Koji , Inoue Yasuhiro , Mohri Yasuhiko , Kusunoki Masato 
Published: April 2016

AbstractApart from primary pouchitis, patients with secondary pouchitis caused by surgical complications require surgical management. The use of abdomino‐anal salvage surgery to treat secondary pouchitis caused by surgical complications in pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been reported in detail. A girl was diagnosed with UC at 8 years old. She underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) at 9 years old. She presented at 12 years old because of chronic antibiotic‐refractory pouchitis. The fistula and stricture failed to improve despite multiple local salvage surgeries and ileostomy construction. At 15 years old, she underwent redo IPAA. The patient was well at 20 years old with no signs of pouchitis. Early treatment by abdomino‐anal salvage surgery might be indicated to improve quality of life in pediatric patients with secondary pouchitis caused by surgical complication unresponsive to defunctioning and local salvage surgery.
Biomass production and fatty acid accumulation in Chlorella sp. (strain DEC1B) isolated from a petrol refinery in Huelva (Spain)
Authors: Ruiz‐Domínguez Mari Carmen , Vaquero Isabel , Rivas Mariella , Zapata Manuel , Mogedas Benito , Márquez Mayca , Gómez José , Larraz Rafael , Frontela Juana , Vega José M. , Vílchez Carlos 
Published: April 2016

SummaryA microalgal strain was established from Cepsa's refinery wastewater treatment plant in Huelva (southwest of Spain). Genetic analysis of the chloroplastic rbcL gene encoding for the large subunit of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase enzyme (Rubisco) showed the strain had high homology with other known rbcL sequences of the genus Chlorella. The strain grows well autotrophically in minimum mineral medium, with a growth rate of 0.28 ± 0.012 day−1 and a biomass productivity of 138.9 ± 6.7 mg L−1 day−1. N‐starvation and/or over illumination with 650 µmol photons m−2 s−1 of PAR light on the cultures induced a significant increase in the intracellular content of lipids in this microalga. Total lipids were extracted from the strain biomass with 2:1 chloroform‐methanol, and they accounted for approximately 50% of the dry biomass. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) represented 60.4% of the total fatty acids found in the strain, thus making this biomass attractive as a high added‐value product source. The strain was able to grow efficiently in the refinery treated wastewater from which it was isolated, providing an attractive advantage for further development of more sustainable algal biomass production processes at reduced costs close to a petrol refinery area.
Research Note: Observations on a terrestrial charophyte in a temperate environment
Authors: Romanov Roman E , Bulionkova Tatiana S 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThis study describes the unusual growth forms of Chara (Charales) in a natural terrestrial environment in a temperate region (southern Siberia). Chara vulgaris had a moss‐like habit and grew on wet soil in small compact turfs probably germinated from oospores. The upper branchlets were curved in a hook‐liked manner and convergent above the apex of the thallus. The lowest internode and branchlets of fertile plants were ecorticate, whereas all other parts were normally corticated; the completely ecorticate plants were sterile. The terrestrial growth of charophytes had an irregular appearance but was successfully maintained in culture, providing a potential model of the first steps of land colonization by the ancestors of embryophytes.
Bridging the Divide between Evidence and Policy in Public Sector Decision Making: A Practitioner's Perspective
Authors: Arinder Max K. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractWhile policy advocates can help bridge the divide between evidence and policy in decision making by focusing on ambiguity and uncertainty, policy makers must also play a role by promoting and preserving deliberative processes that value evidence as a core element in leveling raw constituent opinion, ultimately resulting in a better‐informed electorate. Building on existing research and analytic capability, state legislatures can increase the demand for and delivery of relevant information, giving the institution the capacity to keep abreast of research in critical public policy areas. By implementing data and time‐conscious evaluative frameworks that emphasize evidence‐based decision making and longitudinal cost–benefit analytics at critical policy‐making junctures, the institutional culture can become less unpredictable and the “rules of the game” can be more transparent. In 2015, Mississippi's legislative leaders created a system to review requests for new programs and funding using such an evidence screen.
Effects of IGF‐1 on In Vitro Culture of Bovine Preantral Follicles are Dose‐Dependent
Authors: Jimenez CR , de Azevedo JL , Silveira RG , Penitente‐Filho J , Carrascal‐Triana EL , Zolini AM , Araujo VR , Torres CAA , Gonçalves WG 
Published: April 2016

ContentsThis study aimed at assessing the effect of different concentrations of the growth factor similar to insulin 1 (IGF‐1) in the development, survival and ultrastructure of the bovine preantral follicles cultured in situ. Fragments of bovine ovarian cortical tissue were cultured during 1 and 7 days in 1 ml of α‐MEM+, supplemented with different concentrations of human recombinant IGF‐1 (0, 30, 70 and 100 ng/ml), in an incubator at 37°C and 5% of CO2 in 24‐well plates with total replacement of the medium every 2 days. Non‐cultured ovarian fragments (control) and ovarian fragments cultured during 1 and 7 days were processed for classic histology, mechanical isolation and electron transmission microscopy (ETM). Parameters such as normality, viability, activation, development, diameter and ultrastructure were evaluated. All statistical analyses were carried out using sas Version 9.2. The results showed that the percentage of follicles morphologically normal in the IGF‐1 30 ng/ml treatment was similar to the fresh control (p > 0.05) both on the day 1 and on the day 7 of in vitro culture. In the viability analysis, the cultured treatments maintained the percentage of viable follicles during the entire culture period (p > 0.05). After 7 days of culture, the IGF‐1 30 ng/ml treatment showed higher percentages of developing follicles (48.33%) than those of the fresh control (22.22%) and the cultured treatments (p < 0.05). Also, after 7 days of culture, IGF‐1 30 ng/ml presented a higher follicular diameter when compared to the control and other concentrations of IGF‐1 tested. Ultrastructurally, the non‐cultured control and IGF‐1 30 ng/ml, after 7 days of culture, showed conserved oocytes, nuclei and organelles. Hence, it is concluded that IGF‐1 30 ng/ml was the most efficient concentration for the development of bovine preantral follicles cultured in vitro.
Immunotherapy for lung cancer
Authors: Steven Antonius , Fisher Scott A. , Robinson Bruce W. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractTreatment of lung cancer remains a challenge, and lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer‐related mortality. Immunotherapy has previously failed in lung cancer but has recently emerged as a very effective new therapy, and there is now growing worldwide enthusiasm in cancer immunotherapy. We summarize why immune checkpoint blockade therapies have generated efficacious and durable responses in clinical trials and why this has reignited interest in this field. Cancer vaccines have also been explored in the past with marginal success. Identification of optimal candidate neoantigens may improve cancer vaccine efficacy and may pave the way to personalized immunotherapy, alone or in combination with other immunotherapy such as immune checkpoint blockade. Understanding the steps in immune recognition and eradication of cancer cells is vital to understanding why previous immunotherapies failed and how current therapies can be used optimally. We hold an optimistic view for the future prospect in lung cancer immunotherapy.
Book Review: Rediscovering the Immune System as an Integrated Organ
Authors: Corthay A. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe immune system may seem incredibly complex. Researchers in immunology are amassing enormous amounts of detailed information without gaining proportional insights. Why might this be? So asks Peter Bretscher near the start of his book Rediscovering the Immune System as an Integrated Organ. He argues that contemporary immunology fails to provide understanding at the level of the system because it is dominated by molecular and cellular considerations. He reminds us of a famous quotation: Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts, before stating the ambitious aim of his book: to make plausible an integrated and readily accessible view of how the immune system functions. By Peter Bretscher. FriesenPress, 2016. 288 pp. ISBN: 978‐1‐4602‐7406‐4.
The Political Behavior of “Unhyphenated Americans”: An Individual‐Level Analysis of Causes and Consequences*
Authors: Knoll Benjamin R. 
Published: April 2016

ObjectivesThis analysis seeks to assess the findings of previous research that “unhyphenated Americans” have distinct voting patterns. This analysis also provides an empirical test for various hypotheses about the determinants of unhyphenated self‐identification that have previously been advanced, but not definitely tested, by scholars.MethodsMultivariate quantitative analysis of a nationally representative public opinion survey fielded in 2015.ResultsThe results of previous research are not confirmed. Unhyphenated Americans are no more or less likely to vote for either Obama in 2012 or Democratic congressional candidates in 2014 once important demographic and political control variables are accounted for. Also, contrary to most previous research, unhyphenated self‐identification is driven to a large extent by race‐related factors.ConclusionUnhyphenated Americans appear to have distinct political voting patterns at the aggregate level, but this pattern disappears at the individual level of analysis. Further research is called for to better understand the behavior of unhyphenated Americans.
The Mothers’ Union goes on strike: Women, tapa cloth and Christianity in a Papua New Guinea society
Authors: Barker John , Hermkens Anna‐Karina 
Published: April 2016

This paper explores the story of the formation and subsequent activities of a church women's group in Maisin villages and women's experiences of Christianity more broadly, in relation to the changing production and uses of traditional bark cloth (tapa), a signature women's product which has become a marker of Maisin identity. While the influence of the local Mothers’ Union has waxed and waned over the past 60 years, tapa cloth has had a continuing influence upon its fortunes. Tapa cloth has been the chief means for church women to raise funds to support their activities and the local church. However, we argue that, more fundamentally, tapa has shaped women's gendered Christian identities, experiences and history, mediating relationships with men, between generations of women, and with various sorts of ‘missionaries’ who have often justified their intrusions in terms of improving women's lives.
Entry characteristics and performance in a Masters module in Tropical Medicine: a 5‐year analysis
Authors: Weigel R. , Robinson D. , Stewart M. , Assinder S. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractObjectivesPostgraduate courses can contribute to better‐qualified personnel in resource‐limited settings. We aimed to identify how entry characteristics of applicants predict performance in order to provide support measures early.MethodsWe describe demographic data and end‐of‐module examination marks of medical doctors who enrolled in a first semester module of two one‐year MSc programmes between 2010 and 2014. We used t‐tests and one‐way anova to compare, and post hoc tests to locate differences of mean marks between categories of entry characteristics in univariate analysis. After exclusion of collinear variables, multiple regression examined the effect of several characteristics in multivariable analysis.ResultsEighty‐nine students (47% male) with a mean age of 32 (SD 6.4) years who received their medical degree in the UK (19%), other European (22%), African (35%) or other countries (24%) attended the 3‐months module. Their mean mark was 69.1% (SD 10.9). Medical graduates from UK universities achieved significantly higher mean marks than graduates from other countries. Students’ age was significantly negatively correlated with the module mark. In multiple linear regression, place of medical degree (β = −0.44, P < 0.001) and time since graduation (β = −0.28, P = 0.007) were strongest predictors of performance, explaining 32% of the variation of mean marks.ConclusionStudents’ performance substantially differs based on their entry criteria in this 1st semester module. Non‐UK graduates and mature students might benefit from early support.
Preclinical and clinical evaluation of autonomic function in humans
Authors: Joyner Michael J. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThis review focuses on how to assess autonomic function in humans including various ways to measure heart rate, catecholamines, and sympathetic neural activity. The need to assess autonomic function is paramount in many experimental paradigms because of the following. (1) Autonomic dysfunction is present in common diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart failure, and the magnitude of this dysfunction is broadly related to morbidity and mortality in these disorders. (2) The relationship between autonomic dysfunction and morbidity and mortality can be causal. (3) Interventions that modulate or reverse autonomic dysfunction can improve outcomes in the affected patients. The techniques discussed are also frequently used to understand the autonomic response to sympathoexcitatory manoeuvres like exercise, the cold pressor test or mental stress. Because these manoeuvres can engage a variety of sensory and efferent pathways, under some circumstances the physiological responses measured by many of the techniques are directionally similar, in others they are divergent. Thus any investigator seeking to study the autonomic nervous system or its contribution to either normal physiology or pathophysiological conditions must carefully balance a number of considerations to ensure that the right technique is used to address the question of interest.
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Comparison of Cepheid Xpert Flu/RSV XC and BioFire FilmArray for Detection of Influenza A, Influenza B, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Authors: Wahrenbrock Mark G. , Matushek Scott , Boonlayangoor Sue , Tesic Vera , Beavis Kathleen G. , Charnot-Katsikas Angella 
Published: April 2016

ABSTRACT
The Xpert Flu/RSV XC was compared to the FilmArray respiratory panel for detection of influenza (Flu) A, Flu B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), using 128 nasopharyngeal swabs. Positive agreements were 100% for Flu A and RSV and 92.3% for Flu B. The Xpert may be useful in clinical situations when extensive testing is not required and may serve an important role in laboratories already performing broader respiratory panel testing.
Towards Development of Improved Serodiagnostics for Tularemia by Use of Francisella tularensis Proteome Microarrays
Authors: Nakajima Rie , Escudero Raquel , Molina Douglas M. , Rodríguez-Vargas Manuela , Randall Arlo , Jasinskas Algis , Pablo Jozelyn , Felgner Philip L. , AuCoin David P. , Anda Pedro , Davies D. Huw 
Published: April 2016

ABSTRACTTularemia in humans is caused mainly by two subspecies of the Gram-negative facultative anaerobeFrancisella tularensis:F. tularensissubsp.tularensis(type A) andF. tularensissubsp.holarctica(type B). The current serological test for tularemia is based on agglutination of whole organisms, and the reactive antigens are not well understood. Previously, we profiled the antibody responses in type A and B tularemia cases in the United States using a proteome microarray of 1,741 different proteins derived from the type A strain Schu S4. Fifteen dominant antigens able to detect antibodies to both types of infection were identified, although these were not validated in a different immunoassay format. Since type A and B subspecies are closely related, we hypothesized that Schu S4 antigens would also have utility for diagnosing type B tularemia caused by strains from other geographic locations. To test this, we probed the Schu S4 array with sera from 241 type B tularemia cases in Spain. Despite there being no type A strains in Spain, we confirmed the responses against some of the same potential serodiagnostic antigens reported previously, as well as determined the responses against additional potential serodiagnostic antigens. Five potential serodiagnostic antigens were evaluated on immunostrips, and two of these (FTT1696/GroEL and FTT0975/conserved hypothetical protein) discriminated between the Spanish tularemia cases and healthy controls. We conclude that antigens from the type A strain Schu S4 are suitable for detection of antibodies from patients with type BF. tularensisinfections and that these can be used for the diagnosis of tularemia in a deployable format, such as the immunostrip.