bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate: Risk factors and microbiological analysis
Authors: Kikuchi Mina , Kameyama Koji , Yasuda Mitsuru , Yokoi Shigeaki , Deguchi Takashi , Miwa Kosei 
Published: June 2016

ObjectivesTo examine the incidence of postoperative bacteriuria and febrile complications, and to investigate bacterial strains in the urine of patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 190 evaluable patients treated with holmium laser enucleation of the prostate at the Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan, between September 2005 and May 2014. All patients presented with lower urinary tract symptoms as a result of benign prostatic hyperplasia. We also evaluated the causative bacteria and compared the findings with the results of preoperative urine cultures. We analyzed the relationship between the emergence of postoperative febrile complications, antibiotic prophylaxis, patient background and surgical procedure.ResultsThe frequency of bacterial isolation in preoperative and postoperative urine cultures was 41% and 23%, respectively. Preoperatively, Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently cultured bacteria, second was methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis, and third was Escherichia coli. Postoperatively, Enterococcus faecalis was still the most frequently cultured bacteria, whereas the second was Escherichia coli. Risk factors for postoperative bacteriuria were evaluated. Multivariate analysis showed that the rate of postoperative bacteriuria in patients who had taken dutasteride preoperatively was significantly lower than that in the other patients. Risk factors for febrile complications could not be identified.ConclusionsThe use of perioperative prophylactic antibacterial agents for holmium laser enucleation of the prostate keeps the rate of postoperative infectious complications low. Dutasteride treatment administered before surgery might reduce the risk of postoperative bacteriuria.
Changing prognosis in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria disease subcategories: an analysis of the International PNH Registry
Authors: Socié G. , Schrezenmeier H. , Muus P. , Lisukov I. , Röth A. , Kulasekararaj A. , Lee J. W. , Araten D. , Hill A. , Brodsky R. , Urbano‐Ispizua A. , Szer J. , Wilson A. , Hillmen P. ,   on behalf of the PNH Registry
Published: June 2016

BackgroundParoxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare disease. Although much progress has been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, far less is known with respect to the clinical outcomes of patients with PNH. Few retrospective studies provide survival estimates, and even fewer have explored the clinical heterogeneity of the disease. Haemolytic and aplastic anaemia (AA) forms of the disease have been recognised as main disease categories, with the haemolytic form being associated with the worst prognosis by the largest studied cohort some years ago.AimsTo describe mortality and causes of death in PNH overall and by PNH classification and to evaluate risk factors associated with mortality.MethodsWe analysed data of 2356 patients enrolled in the International PNH Registry with multivariate analyses, using time‐dependent covariates. Patients were classified into haemolytic, AA/PNH syndrome or intermediate PNH.ResultsOverall, 122 (5.2%) patients died after enrolment, the incidence according to subcategories being 5.1, 11.7, 2.0 and 4.8% for patients with haemolytic PNH, AA‐PNH, intermediate and insufficient data respectively. Older age and decreased performance status also affected survival in multivariate analysis. Improved outcome of patients with haemolytic PNH suggests that eculizumab treatment in PNH may be associated with improved survival.ConclusionA detailed analysis of clinical presentations and causes of death in patients with PNH, overall and by disease subcategories, provide evidence that in the current era, patients with haemolytic PNH are no longer those who harbour the worst prognosis. This finding differs sharply from what has been previously reported.
Multiple prehistoric introductions of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) on a remote island, as revealed by ancient DNA
Authors: Ahlgren Hans , Norén Karin , Angerbjörn Anders , Lidén Kerstin 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAimThe majority of the non‐volant mammals now present on the island of Gotland, Sweden, have been introduced in modern times. One exception is the mountain hare (Lepus timidus), which was present on the island more than 9000 years ago. This paper investigates the origins of the Gotland hares and temporal changes in their genetic structure, and considers how they may have reached the island.LocationThe island of Gotland, Sweden (57°30′ N, 18°20′ E).MethodsTwo fragments of the mitochondrial D‐loop 130 + 164 base pairs in length from skeletal remains from 40 ancient mountain hares from Gotland, 38 from the Swedish mainland and five from Lithuania were analysed and compared with 90 modern L. timidus haplotypes from different locations in Eurasia and five haplotypes of the Don‐hare (Lepus tanaiticus) morphotype.ResultsThe Mesolithic hares from Gotland (7304 bc–5989 bc) cluster with modern hares from Russia, Scotland, the Alps and Fennoscandia whereas the Gotland hares from the Neolithic and onwards (2848 bc–1641 ad) cluster with Neolithic hares from the Swedish mainland and modern hares from Fennoscandia. The Neolithic haplotypes from Lithuania and the Don‐hare haplotypes were dispersed within the network. The level of differentiation (FST) between the Mesolithic and Neolithic hares on Gotland was twice as great as that observed on the mainland.Main conclusionsThe ancient hares on Gotland fall into two haplogroups separated in time, indicating that the mountain hare became extinct at one point, with subsequent re‐colonization events. In view of the isolated location of Gotland, it is probable that the hares were brought there by human means of transport.
Environmental correlates of floristic regions and plant turnover in the Atlantic Forest hotspot
Authors: Zamborlini Saiter Felipe , Brown Jason L. , Thomas William Wayt , de Oliveira‐Filho Ary T. , Carnaval Ana Carolina 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAimUsing a comprehensive floristic database (2616 species, 36,004 occurrence records from 128 unique localities), we model species turnover along the central region of the Atlantic Forest hotspot to (1) test whether local rivers, particularly the Rio Doce, are associated with marked biogeographical breaks, and (2) investigate how regional compositional changes correlate with geo‐climatic variables.LocationThe central region of the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil (12°–22° S latitude).MethodsWe combine occurrence and geo‐climatic data in a generalized dissimilarity model, obtaining a continuous prediction of species turnover across space and identifying 12 significant geo‐climatic predictors of community composition. We use a two‐step cluster analysis to classify the turnover map into major floristic regions based on the natural subgroups observed. We further divide each major floristic region into smaller sub‐regions based on natural subgroups statistically identified by the two‐step cluster analyses.ResultsHigh levels of turnover in species composition occurred around latitudes 18°–19° S,c. 50–100 km north of the Rio Doce, and concurred with shifts in availability of both humidity and energy. We identified three major floristic regions in the central region of the Atlantic Forest, which we called Bahia Interior Forests, Bahia Coastal Forests, and the Krenák‐Waitaká Forests – each of them divided into two to four subregions.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that local climatic conditions, not riverine barriers, drive biogeographical shifts in this region – a finding that supports studies of current and historical determinants of the composition of the Atlantic Forest biota. Floristic composition at higher elevations (> 600 m) is clearly distinct from those in lower elevations, likely as a result of physiological constraints imposed by cooler climates in the former. Floristic regions here identified from observed communities substantially improve the maps currently employed for conservation planning in a shrinking hotspot.
Biogeographical patterns in fungal communities from soils cultivated with sugarcane
Authors: Gumiere Thiago , Durrer Ademir , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Andreote Fernando Dini 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAimDespite the important roles that microbial communities play world‐wide, relatively little attention has been given to the processes that shape their distributions. Of those studies that have addressed this question, the vast majority has focused on temperate regions and relatively undisturbed environments. In particular, tropical agricultural environments have been rarely studied, and it is commonly assumed that agriculture reduces spatial variation in microbial communities, especially in soil. Here, we evaluated the diversity and abundance of fungal communities in soils used for the cultivation of the world's largest crop, sugarcane, in the world's largest producer, Brazil.LocationState of São Paulo, Brazil.MethodsOur study sampled across 23,022 km2 of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, in an area that is a major producer of sugarcane. The composition of the fungal communities was estimated via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis, and the fungal abundance was estimated by quantitative PCR (qPCR).ResultsWe observed that the variance in community composition explained by soil characteristics was 2.88%, and that explained by climate variables was 2.93%. In contrast, geographical distance explained 50.75% of the variance. Moreover, the distribution of fungal species abundance fits a neutral model that assumes only dispersal and drift better, rather than models that assume environmental filtering.Main conclusionsOur work demonstrates that fungal communities in soil can exhibit biogeographical patterns, even in agricultural soils, and that these patterns are likely to be due at least in part to dispersal limitation.
Invading Africa: a novel transoceanic dispersal by a New World ant parasitoid
Authors: Murray Elizabeth A. , Heraty John M. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAimAn ant parasitoid wasp genus (Eucharitidae: Kapala) common in the New World exhibits the intriguing pattern of having one species distributed widely across tropical Africa and Madagascar. The unusual distribution prompted an investigation of the age, origins and diversification of the Afrotropical Kapala species. We evaluate a previous hypothesis that the species was anthropogenically introduced.LocationAfrica and Madagascar and the Neotropics.MethodsNumerous forms of evidence are incorporated to explain the origin of the Afrotropical species Kapala ivorensis, including phylogenetic relationships, molecular dating estimates, inter‐ and intraspecific genetic distances, morphology and geography. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using six gene regions (18S, 28S‐D2, 28S‐D3‐D5, ITS2, COI and COII), and network and haplotype analyses were executed with subsets of the data. Two mitochondrial gene fragments were used to calculate divergence times under a strict clock model. Additionally, we tested for a correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance in K. ivorensis populations.ResultsPhylogenetic analysis supports one evolutionary origin of K. ivorensis from within a clade of New World relatives. Network and haplotype analyses of the species show no biogeographical structure, and additionally, there is no statistical phylogeographical signal. These results, in conjunction with the low amount of phenotypic intraspecific variation and the genetic distance to the nearest New World relative, provide sufficient evidence to maintain the Old World Kapala as one species. Estimated mitochondrial mutation rates suggest that this species is over 1 Myr old, thus predating any potential for recent human introduction.Main conclusionsMultiple analytical methods indicate the Afrotropical K. ivorensis is molecularly distinct from the Neotropical sister species and originated from a single pre‐human dispersal. This is the first dated example of an insect that has colonized Africa via trans‐Atlantic dispersal from South America.
Impact of biotic interactions on biodiversity varies across a landscape
Authors: Mod Heidi K. , Heikkinen Risto K. , le Roux Peter C. , Wisz Mary S. , Luoto Miska 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAimBiotic interactions have a central role in defining species assemblages, realized both through negative and positive impacts. However, forecasts of how these interactions affect biodiversity across landscapes are challenging (and lacking) because the outcome of interactions depends not only on the identity of the interacting species but also on local environmental conditions. Thus, we study how biotic interactions manifest across a landscape.LocationHigh‐latitude northern Finland and Norway (69° N, 21° E).MethodsWe modelled the influence of a dominant shrub, Empetrum hermaphroditum, on spatial patterns of species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens (using cover of the shrub as a proxy for the frequency and intensity of interaction with other species) across a topographically variable landscape.ResultsThe relationship between the cover of the dominant shrub and species richness differed between guilds, being strongest for vascular plant richness, and varied considerably along environmental gradients. The dominant shrub showed stronger negative impact on vascular plant richness under less abiotically extreme conditions. For lichens, the relationship was the opposite: under mild conditions, species richness increased with the cover of the shrub. Incorporating specific leaf area (SLA) data into analyses revealed that the dominant shrub affected species with high SLA (typically competitive species of resource‐rich environments) most negatively.Main conclusionsOur findings show how the impact of a dominant species varies across a landscape, with distinctly different effects on competitive and stress‐tolerant vascular plants, and on bryophytes and lichens. Spatial predictions of biodiversity trends under global environmental change could, therefore, critically benefit from accounting for context‐dependent impacts of biotic interactions.
The impact of experimental sleep restriction on affective functioning in social and nonsocial contexts among adolescents
Authors: McMakin Dana L. , Dahl Ronald E. , Buysse Daniel J. , Cousins Jennifer C. , Forbes Erika E. , Silk Jennifer S. , Siegle Greg J. , Franzen Peter L. 
Published: June 2016

BackgroundShort sleep duration is highly prevalent in adolescence, and it prospectively predicts problems with emotional adjustment and psychiatric health. To move beyond epidemiological associations and inform models of developmental psychopathology, we experimentally restricted sleep to observe impacts on affective functioning. Based on the importance of social contexts to adolescent emotional experiences, we also examined the impact of restricted sleep on socioaffective functioning in an ecologically valid peer interaction task.MethodsIn Study 1, adolescents (ages 11.5–15.0, n = 48) were randomly assigned to two nights of polysomnography‐monitored sleep restriction (4 hr in bed) or extension (10 hr in bed). One week later, they completed the other sleep manipulation. Affective functioning was assessed by self‐report and pupil response to standardized affective sounds. Study 2 used a similar protocol and invited adolescents (ages 12–15.0, n = 16) to the sleep laboratory along with 2–4 friends to observe affective behavior in a social context primed for peer conflict. Mixed effects models were used to evaluate the effect of sleep condition on affective outcomes.ResultsStudy 1 demonstrated increased negative affect following sleep restriction, relative to extension, on self‐report (p = .02) and pupil measures (p = .01). Study 2 replicated these effects (both p = .04) and demonstrated greater negative affective behavior in a peer social context (p = .01). Exploratory analyses for positive affect showed reductions as assessed by self‐report (p = .005), but not pupil (p = .81), in Study 1; and no significant effects in Study 2 (self‐report, p = .14; pupil, p = .29; positive affective behavior, p = .43).ConclusionsExperimental sleep restriction in adolescence impacts negative affective functioning as evidenced by self‐report and pupil reactivity, as well as observed behavior in a social context primed for peer conflict. Implications for the impact of short sleep on developmental trajectories of emotional adjustment and psychiatric health, and opportunities for early intervention, are briefly discussed.
Health Vulnerability of Immigrants with Limited English Proficiency: A Study of Older Korean Americans
Authors: Jang Yuri , Yoon Hyunwoo , Park Nan Sook , Chiriboga David A. 
Published: June 2016

ObjectivesTo examine the extent to which limited English proficiency (LEP) poses a risk to physical and mental health, using older Korean Americans as a target population.DesignCross‐sectional survey.ParticipantsOlder Korean Americans (N = 1,301).MeasurementsHealth outcomes were indexed using binary variables covering activity limitation, self‐rated health, and probable depression. Participants who reported that they spoke English less than very well were categorized as manifesting LEP.ResultsApproximately 71% of the sample had LEP. Those with LEP scored lower on all measures of health than their English‐proficient counterparts. In multivariate models, the risk of having activity limitations was 2.72 times as great (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.72–4.29, P < .001), a fair or poor rating of health 2.59 times as great (95% CI = 1.91–3.49, P < .001), and probable depression 1.73 times as great (95% CI = 1.29–2.31, P < .001) in participants with LEP.ConclusionLimited English proficiency was identified as a critical source of health vulnerability. Systematic efforts should be made to reach out to older immigrants with LEP and include them in health‐related research and prevention and intervention programs.
The International Dementia Alliance Instrument for Feasible and Valid Staging of Individuals with Dementia by Informal Caregivers
Authors: Richters Anke , Melis Rene J.F. , Olde Rikkert Marcel G.M. , van der Marck Marjolein A. 
Published: June 2016

ObjectivesTo assess the feasibility and validity of the International Dementia Alliance (IDEAL) instrument for Informal Caregivers (IDEAL‐IC), which is based on the IDEAL instrument for professionals (IDEAL‐P), for staging individuals with dementia.DesignCross‐sectional.SettingMemory clinic of a university hospital.ParticipantsInformal caregivers of 73 community‐dwelling elderly adults referred to a memory clinic and six geriatric registrars.MeasurementsCaregivers completed the IDEAL‐IC; physicians completed the original IDEAL‐P and the Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes (CDR‐SB). Missing items and floor and ceiling effects were reviewed to assess feasibility. To test construct validity, a priori hypotheses were defined for expected correlations between IDEAL‐IC, IDEAL‐P, and CDR‐SB scores.ResultsSeventy‐three IDEAL‐IC instruments were completed, 86% of which had no missing items. Three percent of all 730 individual items were missing. No floor or ceiling effects were detected. CDR scores were 0 7%, 0.5 in 33%, 1 in 27%, 2 in 10%, and unknown in 23%. IDEAL‐IC scores correlated highly with IDEAL‐P scores (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.70) and with CDR‐SB scores (r = 0.65) as expected; the difference between these two correlations was smaller than expected. Agreement between IDEAL‐IC and IDEAL‐P scores was 34% within a range of 1 point difference on 36‐point scales, 57% within a range of two points, and 81% within a range of five points. Correlation between IDEAL‐P and CDR‐SB was very high (r = 0.85).ConclusionResults of this study indicate good feasibility and high validity of staging dementia by informal caregivers using the IDEAL‐IC.
Qualitative and quantitative interpretation of SEM image using digital image processing
Authors: SALADRA DAWID , KOPERNIK MAGDALENA 
Published: June 2016

SummaryThe aim of the this study is improvement of qualitative and quantitative analysis of scanning electron microscope micrographs by development of computer program, which enables automatic crack analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs. Micromechanical tests of pneumatic ventricular assist devices result in a large number of micrographs. Therefore, the analysis must be automatic. Tests for athrombogenic titanium nitride/gold coatings deposited on polymeric substrates (Bionate II) are performed. These tests include microshear, microtension and fatigue analysis. Anisotropic surface defects observed in the SEM micrographs require support for qualitative and quantitative interpretation. Improvement of qualitative analysis of scanning electron microscope images was achieved by a set of computational tools that includes binarization, simplified expanding, expanding, simple image statistic thresholding, the filters Laplacian 1, and Laplacian 2, Otsu and reverse binarization. Several modifications of the known image processing techniques and combinations of the selected image processing techniques were applied. The introduced quantitative analysis of digital scanning electron microscope images enables computation of stereological parameters such as area, crack angle, crack length, and total crack length per unit area. This study also compares the functionality of the developed computer program of digital image processing with existing applications. The described pre‐ and postprocessing may be helpful in scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy surface investigations.