bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pleural infection in a New Zealand centre: high incidence in Pacific people and RAPID score as a prognostic tool
Authors: Wong D. , Yap E. 
Published: April 2016

BackgroundWhilst there is an increase in incidence of pleural infection worldwide, there is a paucity of New Zealand data.AimsThis study looked at the epidemiology of pleural infection in a single New Zealand institution and evaluated the RAPID score as a prognostic tool.MethodsA retrospective review was performed on patients with pleural infection over a 3‐year period. Pleural infection was defined as having clinical evidence of infection and fulfilling one of the following: (i) positive pleural fluid Gram stain or culture, (ii) frank pus, (iii) pH <7.2 or (iv) radiological evidence of complex effusion.ResultsThere were 108 patients; 76% were male, and mean age was 54 years. Two thirds of patients came from the most deprived areas. The dominant ethnic group was Pacific people (42%), which was twice as high as the Pacific population in the area (19%), P < 0.0001. After adjusting for deprivation, Pacific people were still over‐represented, P = 0.0002. There were 14 deaths (13%), and these were associated with increasing age (P = 0.001) and urea (P = 0.007) but not ethnicity or socioeconomic deprivation. The RAPID score found that those in the high‐risk (P = 0.026) and moderate‐risk (P = 0.036) groups had significantly higher mortality compared with the low‐risk group.ConclusionThe over‐representation of Pacific people with pleural infection is not fully explained by socioeconomic deprivation, highlighting other factors at play, such as genetic susceptibility. The RAPID score was of clinical utility in predicting mortality in our population.
Vitamin D immunoregulation through dendritic cells
Authors: Bscheider Michael , Butcher Eugene C. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryVitamin D (VD3) has been linked to immunological processes, and its supplementation may have a role in treatment or prevention of diseases with underlying autoimmune or pro‐inflammatory states. As initiators of the immune responses, dendritic cells (DC) are a potential target of VD3 to dampen autoimmunity and inflammation, but the role of DC in VD3‐mediated immunomodulation in vivo is not understood. In addition to being targets of VD3, DC can provide a local source of bioactive VD3 for regulation of T‐cell responses. Here we review existing studies that describe the tolerogenic potential of VD3 on DC, and discuss them in the context of current understanding of DC development and function. We speculate on mechanisms that might account for the potent but poorly understood tolerogenic activities of VD3 and the role of DC as both targets and sources of this hormone.
Preparation of Fish Oil Microcapsules by Complex Coacervation of Gelatin–Gum Arabic and their Utilization for Fortification of Pomegranate Juice
Authors: Habibi Asieh , Keramat Javad , Hojjatoleslamy Mohammad , Tamjidi Fardin 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThis work aimed to microencapsulate fish oil within the complex coacervates of gelatin–gum Arabic (ratio 1:1) and then to fortify pomegranate juice with the microcapsules. The maximum values of encapsulation efficiency and oil percent of microcapsules were found for the formulation containing 1.5% encapsulants and 3% fish oil. Optical microscopy revealed that the microcapsules have a round shape and multinucleated structure. The freeze‐dried microcapsules were added to pomegranate juice before pasteurization, and some physicochemical and sensory properties of the fortified juice were investigated during 42 days storage at 4°C. Addition of microcapsules into juice led to an increase in its turbidity and lightness. Sensory evaluation showed that it is possible to fortify pomegranate juice with fish oil microcapsules up to 100 mg long‐chain n‐3 PUFAs per liter. GC–MS analysis revealed that ≈14% of fish oil was released from the added microcapsules to pomegranate juice on the day 42.Practical ApplicationsEncapsulation of omega‐3 rich oil by complex coacervation technique is an effective approach to delay its oxidation in enriched food products. Therefore, fish oil containing long‐chain n‐3 PUFAs was microencapsulated in complex coacervates of gelatin–gum Arabic and then added to pomegranate juice. Subsequently, quality characteristics of the fortified juice were investigated during storage. This study provides useful information about fortification of aqueous‐based food products with microcapsules containing omega‐3 rich oil or other lipophilic nutraceuticals.
Control of Alternaria Rot of Cherry Tomatoes by Food‐Grade Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil Microemulsion
Authors: Xu Shixiang , Ni Zhendan , Ma Luyao , Zheng Xiaodong 
Published: April 2016

AbstractEssential oils were widely reported to control the postharvest diseases of fruits. However, the stability and solubility limited the application of essential oils. The microemulsion loaded with Laurus nobilis oil was prepared with the optimal formula: oil/Tween 20/ethanol: 3/8/9, which was food‐grade with the ability to be unlimitedly diluted with water and stable under high speed centrifugation and longtime storage. The in vitro test indicated that microemulsion showed great antifungal activity with the minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal fungicide concentration 500 μg mL−1 and 1000 μg mL−1. The in vivo test showed that 500 μg mL−1 microemulsion efficiently protected cherry tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) from decaying. Microemulsion controlled the postharvest disease via damaging the cell membrane of pathogen and increasing resistance related enzymes activity. This work suggested that the oil/Tween 20/ethanol microemulsion could be used as a carrier to load L. nobilis oil, which had efficient antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo.Practical ApplicationsThe formula of the microemulsion developed in this study solved the problem of solubility and stability of Laurus nobilis essential oil, which enhanced the antifungal activity of essential oil. The microemulsion could be used as a fungicide to control the Alternaria rot of cherry tomatoes.
Nationwide survey of specialist knowledge on current standard of care (Peg‐IFN/RBV) and barriers of care in chronic hepatitis C patients in China
Authors: Wei Lai , Li Jie , Yang Xizhong , Wang Guiqiang , Feng Bo , Hou Jinlin , Duan Zhongping , Jia Jidong , Ren Hong , Niu Junqi , Chen Xinyue , Wang Fu‐Sheng , Shang Jia , Bo Qingyan , Li Runqin , Liu Yang , Zhuang Hui 
Published: April 2016

AbstractBackground and AimChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading cause of liver diseases including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In China, it is a major national health problem that demands nationwide coordinated emphasis on prevention and treatment. To inform these initiatives, a nationwide survey was conducted from January to April 2015 to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and perceived obstacles to HCV care.MethodsA sample of 1000 HCV specialists across mainland China were recruited. Respondents were asked a series of 30 open‐ended single or multiple response and Likert‐scale questions about their HCV treatment knowledge, experience, assessment of HCV care status in China, and perceptions about treatment barriers.ResultsSixty percent of the respondents answered incorrectly to more than half of the questions on basic HCV treatment principles. Over half of them incorrectly believed that maintenance therapy should be prescribed for non‐responders (72%) and longer treatment duration improved sustained viral response rates (62%), regardless of HCV RNA level changes. Sixty‐six percent of them believed that HCV treatment would still be interferon‐based therapy in the next 5 years in China. Patient‐related barriers, in particular lack of disease awareness, were considered to be the most significant barriers to HCV care. Payer and medical‐provider barriers included affordability issues, lack of reimbursement coverage for testing and treatments, and lack of referral to HCV specialists.ConclusionsFocused and intense patient and provider education should be carried out to increase awareness. More effective direct‐acting antivirals should be made available and affordable in China.
Constraints on the timing and conditions of high‐grade metamorphism, charnockite formation and fluid–rock interaction in the Trivandrum Block, southern India
Authors: Blereau E. , Clark C. , Taylor R. J. M. , Johnson T. E. , Fitzsimons I. C. W. , Santosh M. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractIncipient charnockites have been widely used as evidence for the infiltration of CO2‐rich fluids driving dehydration of the lower crust. Rocks exposed at Kakkod quarry in the Trivandrum Block of southern India allow for a thorough investigation of the metamorphic evolution by preserving not only orthopyroxene‐bearing charnockite patches in a host garnet–biotite felsic gneiss, but also layers of garnet–sillimanite metapelite gneiss. Thermodynamic phase equilibria modelling of all three bulk compositions indicates consistent peak‐metamorphic conditions of 830–925 °C and 6–9 kbar with retrograde evolution involving suprasolidus decompression at high temperature. These models suggest that orthopyroxene was most likely stabilized close to the metamorphic peak as a result of small compositional heterogeneities in the host garnet–biotite gneiss. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether the heterogeneities were inherited from the protolith or introduced during syn‐metamorphic fluid flow. U–Pb geochronology of monazite and zircon from all three rock types constrains the peak of metamorphism and orthopyroxene growth to have occurred between the onset of high‐grade metamorphism at c. 590 Ma and the onset of melt crystallization at c. 540 Ma. The majority of metamorphic zircon growth occurred during protracted melt crystallization between c. 540 and 510 Ma. Melt crystallization was followed by the influx of aqueous, alkali‐rich fluids likely derived from melts crystallizing at depth. This late fluid flow led to retrogression of orthopyroxene, the observed outcrop pattern and to the textural and isotopic modification of monazite grains at c. 525–490 Ma.
Reduced dietary protein level influences the free amino acid and gene expression profiles of selected amino acid transceptors in skeletal muscle of growing pigs
Authors: Li Y. H. , Li F. N. , Wu L. , Liu Y. Y. , Wei H. K. , Li T. J. , Tan B. E. , Kong X. F. , Wu F. , Duan Y. H. , Oladele O. A. , Yin Y. L. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of reduced dietary protein level on growth performance, muscle mass weight, free amino acids (FAA) and gene expression profile of selected amino acid transceptors in different fibre type of skeletal muscle tissues (longissimus dorsi, psoas major, biceps femoris) of growing pigs. A total of 18 cross‐bred growing pigs (Large White × Landrace × Duroc) with initial body weight (9.57 ± 0.67 kg) were assigned into three dietary treatments: 20% crude protein (CP) diet (normal recommended, NP), 17% CP diet (low protein, LP) and 14% CP diet (very low protein, VLP). The results indicated improved feed‐to‐gain ratio was obtained for pigs fed LP and NP diets (p < 0.01), while the pigs fed VLP diet showed the worst growth performance (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the weights of longissimus dorsi and psoas major muscle between LP and NP groups (p > 0.05). Majority of the determined FAA concentration of LP group were greater than or equal to those of NP group in both longissimus dorsi and psoas major muscle (p < 0.01). Further, the mRNA expression levels of sodium‐coupled neutral amino acid transceptor 2, L‐type amino acid transceptor 1 and proton‐assisted amino acid transceptors 2 were higher in skeletal muscle tissue in LP group compared to those of the pigs fed NP or VLP diet. These results suggested that reduced dietary protein level (3 points of percentage less than recommended level) would upregulate the mRNA expression of amino acid transceptors to enhance the absorption of FAA in skeletal muscle of growing pigs. There seems to be a relationship between response of AA transceptors to the dietary protein level in skeletal muscle tissue of different fibre type. To illustrate the underlying mechanisms will be beneficial to animal nutrition.
Effect of soya bean and fish oil inclusion in diets on milk and plasma enzymes from sheep and goat related to oxidation
Authors: Tsiplakou E. , Chatzikonstantinou M. , Mitsiopoulou C. , Karaiskou C. , Mavrommatis A. , Sotirakoglou K. , Labrou N. , Zervas G. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThis study investigated the effects of dietary inclusion of soya bean oil combined with fish oil (SFO) on the activities of a) superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) and glutathione transferase (GST) in blood plasma and b) SOD, GR, CAT and lactoperoxidase (LPO) in the milk of sheep and goats. Furthermore, the oxidative stress indicators for measuring total antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging activity [ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays] and oxidative stress biomarkers [malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC)] were also determined in the blood plasma and milk of the animals. For this purpose, twelve dairy sheep and twelve dairy goats were assigned each to two homogenous subgroups. Treatments in both animal species involved a control diet without added oil and a diet supplemented with 5% soya bean oil and 1% fish oil. The results showed that the inclusion of SFO in the diets of sheep and goats increased significantly the activities of CAT and GR in their blood plasma. The same effect was observed for the activities of GST and FRAP in the blood plasma of goats. Moreover, the fact that the goats had significantly higher average daily PUFA intake (3.62 g/kg BW0.75) compared to sheep (2.51 g/kg BW0.75) resulted in an enhancement in the MDA content in their plasma. A significant increase in CAT activity in the milk in both animal species fed with SFO diets was also found. Finally, due to the higher apparent transfer rate of n‐3 FA from the diet to the milk in sheep, the PC concentrations were found to be enhanced in their plasma and milk. In conclusion, the impact of dietary SFO supplementation on the oxidative status of body and/or on the milk of small ruminants depends not only on the daily PUFA intake, but also on the amount of n‐3 FA that reach their milk.
Prevalence, Predictors, and Implications of Religious/Spiritual Struggles Among Muslims
Authors: Abu‐Raiya Hisham , Exline Julie J. , Pargament Kenneth I. , Agbaria Qutaiba 
Published: April 2016

The current investigation explored prevalence, predictors, and psychological implications of religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles among an Israeli‐Palestinian, Muslim sample. R/s struggle was assessed by the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (Exline et al. 2014), a newly developed scale that assesses a wide array of r/s struggles. Factor analysis of the scale in this study revealed five factors of struggle: Divine and Doubt, Punitive Entities, Interpersonal, Moral, and Ultimate Meaning. Of the 139 Muslim participants, between 1.4 percent and 40.2 percent experienced various r/s struggles. Positive God image and fundamentalism predicted lower levels of struggle, whereas negative God image and universality predicted higher levels of struggle. After controlling for religious variables, we found that both depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety were predicted by Punitive Entities and Ultimate Meaning struggles, while satisfaction with life was predicted by Interpersonal struggle. Possible explanations and implications of the findings are offered, and the limitations of the study are discussed.
The Generality of Theory and the Specificity of Social Behavior: Contrasting Experimental and Hermeneutic Social Science
Authors: Gantt Edwin E. , Lindstrom Jeffrey P. , Williams Richard N. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSince its inception, experimental social psychology has arguably been of two minds about the nature and role of theory. Contemporary social psychology's experimental approach has been strongly informed by the “nomological‐deductive” approach of Carl Hempel in tandem with the “hypothetico‐deducive” approach of Karl Popper. Social psychology's commitment to this hybrid model of science has produced at least two serious obstacles to more fruitful theorizing about human experience: (1) the problem of situational specificity, and (2) the manifest impossibility of formulating meaningful general laws of human social behavior. It is argued that a social psychology based on the search for this kind of lawfulness, under the auspices of either a strict or loose interpretation of the largely Hempelian model, is ultimately unworkable. An alternative approach to social psychology that is attentive both to the need for understanding individual situations and behaviors and to the need for generalized understanding of actual human behaviors is offered. This approach is grounded in the hermeneutic tradition.
Salivary Flow Decreases in Healthy Elderly People Independently of Dental Status and Drug Intake
Authors: Vandenberghe‐Descamps Mathilde , Labouré Hélène , Prot Aurélie , Septier Chantal , Tournier Carole , Feron Gilles , Sulmont‐Rossé Claire 
Published: April 2016

AbstractIn humans, oral food consumption is by far the most important point where food's organoleptic properties can be perceived and can elicit sensory pleasure. It is also the ultimate stage of the food supply chain and the beginning of the food disintegration and digestion process. However, in regard to the influence of ageing on food oral processing, this topic has been mainly investigating through mastication, whereas salivation remains largely unexplored. The present experiment aimed at studying the impact of normal ageing on salivary flow taking into account the dental status and the number of drugs taken by the elderly people. This was achieved by comparing resting and stimulated salivary flows of young versus healthy elderly adults (i.e., autonomous elderly people without acute pathology). Ninety‐three young adults (22–55 years old) and 84 elderly people (70–92 years old) underwent a measurement of resting and stimulated salivary flows and an oral examination (teeth counting; functional unit counting i.e., counting occluding tooth pairs). The present study showed an average 38.5% reduction of resting salivary flow and 38.0% reduction of stimulated salivary flow in healthy elderly people compared to young adults. This reduction was observed independently of the dental status and drug intake: elderly people presented reduced salivary flow even if they did not take any drugs or if their dental status was similar to the one of the young adults. The results also highlight a large inter‐individual variability both in young and elderly adults.Practical ApplicationsDuring oral food consumption, saliva plays a key role in the acceptance of food and beverage by modulating the perception of texture, taste and aroma, as well as providing eating comfort by assisting the food breakdown process into a bolus that can be safely swallowed. However, in regard to the influence of ageing on food oral processing, the present results demonstrate a reduced salivary flow in healthy elderly people. Consequently, there is a need for developing foods tailored to the salivary capacities of elderly people aside from the efforts put into the development of foods tailored to the mastication and swallowing abilities of this population. In fact, in the context of an ageing population, the development of products meeting an elderly person's functional capacities becomes a major challenge for the food industry as well as for society.
Epidemiology and outcomes of hepatitis C infection in elderly US Veterans
Authors: El‐Serag H. B. , Kramer J. , Duan Z. , Kanwal F. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe chronic hepatitis C (CHC) cohort in the United States is getting older. Elderly patients with CHC may be at a high risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but also other nonhepatic comorbidities that negatively impact their likelihood of receiving or responding to antiviral treatment. There is little information on the clinical epidemiology or outcomes of CHC and its treatment in the elderly. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1 61 744 patients with a positive Hepatitis C virus RNA in the Veterans Health Administration Hepatitis C Clinical Case Registry to examine the association between age subgroups (20–49, 50–64, 65–85 years) and risk of cirrhosis, HCC or death using Cox proportional hazards models. We also examined the effect of treatment with a sustained viral response (SVR) on these outcomes in each age subgroup. The age distribution was 36.8% 20‐ to 49‐year‐olds, 57.6% 50‐ to 64‐year‐olds and 5.6% 65‐ to 85‐year‐olds (i.e. elderly). Risk of cirrhosis, HCC and death was significantly elevated in elderly patients [HR cirrhosis = 1.14 (1.00–1.29), HR HCC = 2.44 (1.99–2.99); HR death 2.09 (1.98–2.22)] compared with younger patients. The incidence of HCC was than 8.4 per 1000 PY in the elderly compared with 2.6 per 1000 PY and 5.7 per 1000 PY, among the 20–49 and 50–64 age groups, respectively. Elderly patients were significantly less likely to receive antiviral treatment (3.8% vs 14.8% and 19.1%, P < 0.0001), but among those who received treatment SVR was not different among the age groups (33.5% vs 33.2% and 32.1%). In an analysis limited to those who received treatment, SVR compared to treatment receipt with no SVR was associated with a reduction in risk of developing cirrhosis (HR = 0.34; 0.18–0.66) and HCC (HR = 0.60; 0.22–1.61) and all‐cause mortality risk (HR = 0.52, 0.33–0.82). Elderly patients with CHC are more likely to develop HCC than younger patients but have traditionally received less antiviral treatment than younger patients. However, receipt of curative treatment is associated with a benefit in reducing cirrhosis, HCC and overall mortality, irrespective of age.
Trophic ecology shapes gastrointestinal helminth communities of two sympatric mesopredatory sharks in the Adriatic Sea
Authors: Gračan R. , Čulinović M. , Mladineo I. , Lacković G. , Lazar B. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractWe investigated and compared the structure of parasite communities in two sympatric, commercially exploited sharks. We analysed 188 gastrointestinal tracts from a crustacean feeder Mustelus punctulatus and 157 gastrointestinal tracts from a piscivorous Squalus acanthias. The overall prevalence of helminth parasites was very high (84.0%) for M. punctulatus with nematode Cucullanus micropapillatus as the most abundant species (mean abundance 13.96) and Anisakis spp. larvae as the most prevalent taxa (47.9%). In contrast, only 21.7% of S. acanthias specimens were infected, showing Anisakis spp. larvae as the most prevalent (17.8%) and abundant taxa (mean abundance 0.39). The subsample of Anisakis spp. larvae, isolated from both hosts, was molecularly identified at ITS locus as A. pegreffii. Significant variations among size classes were recorded for M. punctulatus, mainly as a consequence of higher C. micropapillatus loads in larger sharks. Seasonal patterns in prevalence and abundance of C. micropapillatus were recorded for M. punctulatus, with peaks in autumn, whereas Anisakis spp. larvae prevailed during spring, for both sharks. Sex contributed little to the observed parasite abundances, although female spiny dogfish were more prone to infections than males, and higher helminth diversity was recorded in females in both shark species. The differences in infection parameters between the two shark species likely reflect the variations in foraging strategies and availability of intermediate hosts. Our findings suggest that crustacean feeder M. punctulatus is more susceptible to helminth infections in the Adriatic Sea, which may affect the health status of local shark populations.