bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Skin cleansing and emolliating for older people: A quasi‐experimental pilot study
Authors: Brooks Jill , Cowdell Fiona , Ersser Steven J , Gardiner Eric D 
Published: January 2017

AimsThe aims of this study were to (i) assess the effect of low‐cost hygiene and emollient regimens on the skin barrier function (SBF) of people aged >65 year with xerosis (dry skin) on their lower legs; (ii) to assess the utility of portable measures of skin barrier function in terms of stratum corneum hydration (SCH) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in community settings; and iii) to provide evidence for a randomised controlled trial on the treatment of adults in a resource‐poor country with dry skin on their lower legs which causes and exacerbates the skin disease podoconiosis (non‐filarial elephantiasis).BackgroundAge increases the risk of impaired skin barrier function which can precipitate skin breakdown. Older skin is frequently characterised by troublesome xerosis and pruritus (itching). Hygiene and emollient practices are central to maintaining skin integrity but are currently under‐researched.MethodA quasi‐experimental pilot study of five combinations of cleansing and emollient interventions was applied to the xerotic lower legs of ten participants with no skin disease for five consecutive days. Stratum corneum hydration and transepidermal water loss were measured at baseline and day six. Products were chosen because of effectiveness, low cost and availability in a poor‐resource country.ResultsThe greatest difference in transepidermal water loss pre‐intervention–postintervention was indicated by the regimen of soapy water, 2% glycerine soak and Vaseline™ (mean 1.14, SD 1.27). This regimen also indicated the greatest difference in stratum corneum hydration (mean 7.92, SD 3.93). The improvement in stratum corneum hydration was significantly greater than for the control (p = .011), soap (p = .050) or water soak (p = .011).ConclusionA regimen of washing skin with soapy water, soaking in 2% glycerine for 30 min and applying Vaseline™ has a beneficial effect on the skin barrier function in older people. The study supports previous findings on the positive effects of glycerine on skin barrier function.Implications for practice and researchSkin barrier function in older people can be improved using a regimen of washing, soaking in 2% glycerine and applying Vaseline™.
The early response of subtropical tussock grasslands to restoration treatments
Authors: Ladouceur Emma , Mayfield Margaret M. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractOnce widespread, Australia's bluegrass tussock grasslands (dominated by Dichanthium sp.) of the Queensland Central Highlands are now severely endangered. Despite being biodiversity rich and highly valued as low input, nutrient‐dense grazing systems, bluegrass tussock grasslands have suffered extensive clearing and degradation over the last 150 years. Natural recovery of these grasslands is possible but rates of recovery are slow. As such, there is an urgent need to assess practical management strategies to accelerate recovery of these grasslands, with a particular focus on early‐successional stages, when aggressive exotic species are most prevalent. To date, no studies have tested whether commonly used grassland restoration strategies can enhance early‐successional stages and accelerate regeneration in this system. Here, we examine the early short‐term impacts (first two seasons) of two common grassland restoration approaches, with two variations each: direct seeding (single species and low seed diversity) and vegetation clearing (prescribed burning and glyphosate application) across two common starting points: a formerly cropped old field and a historically overgrazed natural grassland. No treatment increased native diversity (Shannon's or richness) in plots but the composition of burned plots in the old field did become more similar to healthy reference sites after two seasons. Burning combined with direct seeding also increased the abundance of the dominant grass, Dichanthium sericeum, toward healthy reference levels within the first two seasons post seeding. This study provides a practical assessment of the short‐term impacts and capacity of common grassland restoration treatments to enhance the recovery of Australia's tussock grassland systems.
Cryptococcus laurentii diarrhea post hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Bhat Vivek , Vira Hemant , Khattry Navin , Toshniwal Manoj 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe report the recent isolation of Cryptococcus laurentii from the feces of a patient with Hodgkin's lymphoma who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The organism was identified using microscopic morphology, cultural characteristics, and biochemical tests including sugar assimilation. Minimum inhibitory concentration of various antifungals was determined by microbroth dilution method. The recovery of pure culture of C. laurentii from stool culture, and the patient's response to treatment with voriconazole support its potential etiological role. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of diarrhea caused by C. laurentii in an HSCT recipient.
ABNORMAL POLLEN VACUOLATION1 (APV1) is required for male fertility by contributing to anther cuticle and pollen exine formation in maize
Authors: Somaratne Yamuna , Tian Youhui , Zhang Hua , Wang Mingming , Huo Yanqing , Cao Fengge , Zhao Li , Chen Huabang 
Published: January 2017

SummaryAnther cuticle and pollen exine are the major protective barriers against various stresses. The proper functioning of genes expressed in the tapetum is vital for the development of pollen exine and anther cuticle. In this study, we report a tapetum‐specific gene, Abnormal Pollen Vacuolation1 (APV1), in maize that affects anther cuticle and pollen exine formation. The apv1 mutant was completely male sterile. Its microspores were swollen, less vacuolated, with a flat and empty anther locule. In the mutant, the anther epidermal surface was smooth, shiny, and plate‐shaped compared with the three‐dimensional crowded ridges and randomly formed wax crystals on the epidermal surface of the wild‐type. The wild‐type mature pollen had elaborate exine patterning, whereas the apv1 pollen surface was smooth. Only a few unevenly distributed Ubisch bodies were formed on the apv1 mutant, leading to a more apparent inner surface. A significant reduction in the cutin monomers was observed in the mutant. APV1 encodes a member of the P450 subfamily, CYP703A2‐Zm, which contains 530 amino acids. APV1 appeared to be widely expressed in the tapetum at the vacuolation stage, and its protein signal co‐localized with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signal. RNA‐Seq data revealed that most of the genes in the fatty acid metabolism pathway were differentially expressed in the apv1 mutant. Altogether, we suggest that APV1 functions in the fatty acid hydroxylation pathway which is involved in forming sporopollenin precursors and cutin monomers that are essential for the development of pollen exine and anther cuticle in maize.
The Role of a Temperament Intervention in Kindergarten Children’s Standardized Academic Achievement
Authors: Collins Ashleigh , O’Connor Erin , McClowry Sandee 
Published: January 2017

Previous research finds that children experience a range of school readiness challenges (e.g., Chartier, Walker, & Naimark, 2010; Zill, 1999). Such challenges vary by children’s gender, temperament, and participation in school-based interventions (e.g., Mullola et al., 2011; Bramlett, Scott, Rowell, 2000). However, the examination of child temperament, gender, and children’s participation in school-based, temperament programming has been minimal. This study explores the role of child temperament profiles and child gender on children’s standardized academic outcomes following participation in a school-based, temperament intervention. Study participants included 324 kindergarten students attending urban, low-income schools. A multivariate regression analysis explored associations among child temperament profile, gender, and academic performance. Cautious and male kindergarten intervention participants attained higher standardized mathematics and literacy scores than their non-intervention participating counterparts.
A Component-Centric Approach to Structural Analysis of Mechanisms
Authors: Stack Christopher , Kumpaty Subha , Mahinfalah Mohammad 
Published: January 2017

Structural analyses of mechanisms with components that move relative to each other provide a unique problem to the analyst building and running structural models. In these situations, the analyst usually has to either simplify the problem to a point where the results are unusable or maintain multiple models, which will take more effort to maintain and more resources to run the models. If a mechanism is simplified down to just analyzing one component at a time without regard for the other components in the system, the results will not be accurate because the loading effects of the other components will not be accounted for. In cases where all the components are included in the model the loading effects from the other components will be accounted for, however, a separate model will be required for each position. This paper presents a method of breaking down the complex mechanism into a component level model for each part of the assembly, while still accounting for all loading effects of the other components; in the Pivot Method the component under analysis stays stationary and the loading moves around the component to represent the different positions that it can take.
In order to accomplish this task, a simplified model is used to generate loads at each of the joints. Once the pivot loads are known, a spreadsheet can be used to transform the loads to a coordinate system in which the individual component is being modeled. With the pivot loads known and all the loads transformed into the proper coordinate system the structural analysis of the component under investigation can continue.
The intention of this paper is to introduce the Pivot Method and to demonstrate that it provides a good trade off between both the complexity of methods that model the assembly as a system, and those that focus on the component under question alone. To accomplish this, the analysis results of the Pivot Method models will be compared to results obtained from other methods, with the intention of showing that the Pivot Method will provide the same results while requiring less effort to model and less resources to run.
Using Data from Macaques To Predict Gamma Interferon Responses after Mycobacterium bovis BCG Vaccination in Humans: a Proof-of-Concept Study of Immunostimulation/Immunodynamic Modeling Methods
Authors: Rhodes Sophie J. , Sarfas Charlotte , Knight Gwenan M. , White Andrew , Pathan Ansar A. , McShane Helen , Evans Thomas G. , Fletcher Helen , Sharpe Sally , White Richard G. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT

Macaques play a central role in the development of human tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. Immune and challenge responses differ across macaque and human subpopulations. We used novel immunostimulation/immunodynamic modeling methods in a proof-of-concept study to determine which macaque subpopulations best predicted immune responses in different human subpopulations. Data on gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting CD4
+
T cells over time after recent
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG vaccination were available for 55 humans and 81 macaques. Human population covariates were baseline BCG vaccination status, time since BCG vaccination, gender, and the monocyte/lymphocyte cell count ratio. The macaque population covariate was the colony of origin. A two-compartment mathematical model describing the dynamics of the IFN-γ T cell response after BCG vaccination was calibrated to these data using nonlinear mixed-effects methods. The model was calibrated to macaque and human data separately. The association between subpopulations and the BCG immune response in each species was assessed. The macaque subpopulations that best predicted immune responses in different human subpopulations were identified using Bayesian information criteria. We found that the macaque colony and the human baseline BCG status were significantly (
P
< 0.05) associated with the BCG-induced immune response. For humans who were BCG naïve at baseline, Indonesian cynomolgus macaques and Indian rhesus macaques best predicted the immune response. For humans who had already been BCG vaccinated at baseline, Mauritian cynomolgus macaques best predicted the immune response. This work suggests that the immune responses of different human populations may be best modeled by different macaque colonies, and it demonstrates the potential utility of immunostimulation/immunodynamic modeling to accelerate TB vaccine development.
Laboratory Testing of Donors and Stool Samples for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Woodworth Michael H. , Neish Emma M. , Miller Nancy S. , Dhere Tanvi , Burd Eileen M. , Carpentieri Cynthia , Sitchenko Kaitlin L. , Kraft Colleen S. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT

Fecal microbiota transplantation is an efficacious and inexpensive therapy for recurrent
Clostridium difficile
infection, yet its safety is thought to depend on appropriate fecal donor screening. FDA guidance for regulation of this procedure is in flux, but screening and manufacture of fecal material from asymptomatic donors present many challenges to clinical laboratories. This minireview summarizes FDA regulatory changes, principles of donor selection, and recommended laboratory screening practices for fecal microbiota transplantation.
Point-Counterpoint: What Is the Optimal Approach for Detection of Clostridium difficile Infection?
Authors: Fang Ferric C. , Polage Christopher R. , Wilcox Mark H. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

In 2010, we published an initial Point-Counterpoint on the laboratory diagnosis of
Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI). At that time, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) were just becoming commercially available, and the idea of algorithmic approaches to CDI was being explored. Now, there are numerous NAATs in the marketplace, and based on recent proficiency test surveys, they have become the predominant method used for CDI diagnosis in the United States. At the same time, there is a body of literature that suggests that NAATs lack clinical specificity and thus inflate CDI rates. Hospital administrators are taking note of institutional CDI rates because they are publicly reported. They have become an important metric impacting hospital safety ratings and value-based purchasing; hospitals may have millions of dollars of reimbursement at risk. In this Point-Counterpoint using a frequently asked question approach, Ferric Fang of the University of Washington, who has been a consistent advocate for a NAAT-only approach for CDI diagnosis, will discuss the value of a NAAT-only approach, while Christopher Polage of the University of California Davis and Mark Wilcox of Leeds University, Leeds, United Kingdom, each of whom has recently written important articles on the value of toxin detection in the diagnosis, will discuss the impact of toxin detection in CDI diagnosis.
Phyloepidemiological Analysis Reveals that Viral Divergence Led to the Paucity of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmus/gsn/mon Infections in Wild Populations
Authors: Schmidt Fabian , Liegeois Florian , Greenwood Edward J. D. , LeBreton Matthew , Lester James , Deleplancque Luc , Peeters Martine , Aghokeng Avelin , Tamoufe Ubald , Diffo Joseph L. D. , Takuo Jean M. , Wolfe Nathan D. , Leroy Eric , Rouet François , Heeney Jonathan L. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the result of cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus from chimpanzees (SIVcpz). SIVcpz is a chimeric virus which shares common ancestors with viruses infecting red-capped mangabeys and a subset of guenon species. The epidemiology of SIV infection in hominoids is characterized by low prevalences and an uneven geographic distribution. Surveys in Cameroon indicated that two closely related members of the guenon species subset, mustached guenons and greater spot-nosed guenons, infected with SIVmus and SIVgsn, respectively, also have low rates of SIV infections in their populations. Compared to that for other monkeys, including red-capped mangabeys and closely related guenon species, such an epidemiology is unusual. By intensifying sampling of geographically distinct populations of mustached and greater spot-nosed guenons in Gabon and including large sample sets of mona guenons from Cameroon, we add strong support to the hypothesis that the paucity of SIV infections in wild populations is a general feature of this monophyletic group of viruses. Furthermore, comparative phylogenetic analysis reveals that this phenotype is a feature of this group of viruses infecting phylogenetically disparate hosts, suggesting that this epidemiological phenotype results from infection with these HIV-1-related viruses rather than from a common host factor. Thus, these HIV-1-related viruses, i.e., SIVcpz and the guenon viruses which share an ancestor with part of the SIVcpz genome, have an epidemiology distinct from that found for SIVs in other African primate species.

IMPORTANCE
Stable virus-host relationships are established over multiple generations. The prevalence of viral infections in any given host is determined by various factors. Stable virus-host relationships of viruses that are able to cause persistent infections and exist with high incidences of infection are generally characterized by a lack of morbidity prior to host reproduction. Such is the case for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections of humans. SIV infections of most African primate species also satisfy these criteria, with these infections found at a high prevalence and with rare cases of clinical disease. In contrast, SIVcpz, the ancestor of HIV-1, has a different epidemiology, and it has been reported that infected animals suffer from an AIDS-like disease in the wild. Here we conclusively demonstrate that viruses which are closely related to SIVcpz and infect a subset of guenon monkeys show an epidemiology resembling that of SIVcpz.
Virion Structure of Black Queen Cell Virus, a Common Honeybee Pathogen
Authors: Spurny Radovan , Přidal Antonín , Pálková Lenka , Kiem Hoa Khanh Tran , de Miranda Joachim R. , Plevka Pavel 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT

Viral diseases are a major threat to honeybee (
Apis mellifera
) populations worldwide and therefore an important factor in reliable crop pollination and food security. Black queen cell virus (BQCV) is the etiological agent of a fatal disease of honeybee queen larvae and pupae. The virus belongs to the genus
Triatovirus
from the family
Dicistroviridae
, which is part of the order
Picornavirales
. Here we present a crystal structure of BQCV determined to a resolution of 3.4 Å. The virion is formed by 60 copies of each of the major capsid proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3; however, there is no density corresponding to a 75-residue-long minor capsid protein VP4 encoded by the BQCV genome. We show that the VP4 subunits are present in the crystallized virions that are infectious. This aspect of the BQCV virion is similar to that of the previously characterized triatoma virus and supports the recent establishment of the separate genus
Triatovirus
within the family
Dicistroviridae
. The C terminus of VP1 and CD loops of capsid proteins VP1 and VP3 of BQCV form 34-Å-tall finger-like protrusions at the virion surface. The protrusions are larger than those of related dicistroviruses.

IMPORTANCE
The western honeybee is the most important pollinator of all, and it is required to sustain the agricultural production and biodiversity of wild flowering plants. However, honeybee populations worldwide are suffering from virus infections that cause colony losses. One of the most common, and least known, honeybee pathogens is black queen cell virus (BQCV), which at high titers causes queen larvae and pupae to turn black and die. Here we present the three-dimensional virion structure of BQCV, determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure of BQCV reveals large protrusions on the virion surface. Capsid protein VP1 of BQCV does not contain a hydrophobic pocket. Therefore, the BQCV virion structure provides evidence that capsid-binding antiviral compounds that can prevent the replication of vertebrate picornaviruses may be ineffective against honeybee virus infections.
Chikungunya, Influenza, Nipah, and Semliki Forest Chimeric Viruses with Vesicular Stomatitis Virus: Actions in the Brain
Authors: van den Pol Anthony N. , Mao Guochao , Chattopadhyay Anasuya , Rose John K. , Davis John N. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT
Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based chimeric viruses that include genes from other viruses show promise as vaccines and oncolytic viruses. However, the critical safety concern is the neurotropic nature conveyed by the VSV glycoprotein. VSVs that include the VSV glycoprotein (G) gene, even in most recombinant attenuated strains, can still show substantial adverse or lethal actions in the brain. Here, we test 4 chimeric viruses in the brain, including those in which glycoprotein genes from Nipah, chikungunya (CHIKV), and influenza H5N1 viruses were substituted for the VSV glycoprotein gene. We also test a virus-like vesicle (VLV) in which the VSV glycoprotein gene is expressed from a replicon encoding the nonstructural proteins of Semliki Forest virus. VSVΔG-CHIKV, VSVΔG-H5N1, and VLV were all safe in the adult mouse brain, as were VSVΔG viruses expressing either the Nipah F or G glycoprotein. In contrast, a complementing pair of VSVΔG viruses expressing Nipah G and F glycoproteins were lethal within the brain within a surprisingly short time frame of 2 days. Intranasal inoculation in postnatal day 14 mice with VSVΔG-CHIKV or VLV evoked no adverse response, whereas VSVΔG-H5N1 by this route was lethal in most mice. A key immune mechanism underlying the safety of VSVΔG-CHIKV, VSVΔG-H5N1, and VLV in the adult brain was the type I interferon response; all three viruses were lethal in the brains of adult mice lacking the interferon receptor, suggesting that the viruses can infect and replicate and spread in brain cells if not blocked by interferon-stimulated genes within the brain.

IMPORTANCE
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) shows considerable promise both as a vaccine vector and as an oncolytic virus. The greatest limitation of VSV is that it is highly neurotropic and can be lethal within the brain. The neurotropism can be mostly attributed to the VSV G glycoprotein. Here, we test 4 chimeric viruses of VSV with glycoprotein genes from Nipah, chikungunya, and influenza viruses and nonstructural genes from Semliki Forest virus. Two of the four, VSVΔG-CHIKV and VLV, show substantially attenuated neurotropism and were safe in the healthy adult mouse brain. VSVΔG-H5N1 was safe in the adult brain but lethal in the younger brain. VSVΔG Nipah F+G was even more neurotropic than wild-type VSV, evoking a rapid lethal response in the adult brain. These results suggest that while chimeric VSVs show promise, each must be tested with both intranasal and intracranial administration to ensure the absence of lethal neurotropism.