bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Challenges to validity in single‐group interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Linden Ariel 
Published: September 2016

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesSingle‐group interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) is a popular evaluation methodology in which a single unit of observation is studied; the outcome variable is serially ordered as a time series, and the intervention is expected to “interrupt” the level and/or trend of the time series, subsequent to its introduction. The most common threat to validity is history—the possibility that some other event caused the observed effect in the time series. Although history limits the ability to draw causal inferences from single ITSA models, it can be controlled for by using a comparable control group to serve as the counterfactual.MethodTime series data from 2 natural experiments (effect of Florida's 2000 repeal of its motorcycle helmet law on motorcycle fatalities and California's 1988 Proposition 99 to reduce cigarette sales) are used to illustrate how history biases results of single‐group ITSA results—as opposed to when that group's results are contrasted to those of a comparable control group.ResultsIn the first example, an external event occurring at the same time as the helmet repeal appeared to be the cause of a rise in motorcycle deaths, but was only revealed when Florida was contrasted with comparable control states. Conversely, in the second example, a decreasing trend in cigarette sales prior to the intervention raised question about a treatment effect attributed to Proposition 99, but was reinforced when California was contrasted with comparable control states.ConclusionsResults of single‐group ITSA should be considered preliminary, and interpreted with caution, until a more robust study design can be implemented.
Pregnancy‐driven cardiovascular maternal miR‐29 plasticity in obesity
Authors: Schlabritz‐Loutsevitch N. , Apostolakis‐Kyrus K. , Krutilina R. , Hubbard G. , Kocak M. , Janjetovic Z. , Sathanandam S. , Slominski A. T. , Mari G. , Dick E. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractBackgroundObesity in pregnancy (MO) is a risk factor for maternal and/or fetal cardiovascular system disorders. This study evaluated maternal CVS expression of microRNA‐29 family and its target molecules in MO to test the hypotheses: CVS miR‐29 concentrations are increased in pregnancy and decreased in MO.MethodsNon‐pregnant (n=4), pregnant obese (POb, n=4), and pregnant non‐obese (PnOb, n=4) baboons (Papio spp.) were studied. Maternal left ventricle (LV), left atrium (LA), and aortic arch (AA) were collected at the end of gestation. Expression of MiR‐29 and elastin (ELN) mRNA were quantified.ResultsLA miR‐29 (a, c) expression was highest in PnOb. In the LV, miR‐29b expression trended lower (P=.059) for PnOb animals. ELN mRNA expression correlated positively with miR‐29b expression in AA (r=.76, P=.03).ConclusionMaternal obesity diminishes miR‐29 adaptation to pregnancy. Pharmacologic, tissue‐specific targeting of miRNA‐29 may represent a strategy for prevention and treatment of MO complications.
Biometric values, C‐reactive protein, and proteinogram of healthy blonde capuchin(Sapajus flavius)kept in northeast of Brazil
Authors: Mota Stéphanie Machado , Ferreira Adriano Fernandes , Azevedo Jair , Nery Thiago Lopes , Zermiani Fabiana , Queiroga Felisbina Luisa 
Published: September 2016

AbstractBackgroundSapajus flaviusis a species of capuchin monkey classified as critically endangered. Studies related to their biometric values are scarce with incomplete external measurement reports available from only four specimens. Moreover, information regarding proteinogram is limited with no reference to C‐reactive protein (CRP) and globulin fractions for this species.MethodsBiometric values,CRP, and proteinogram were determined for 12 clinically healthyS. flavius, kept in captivity in João Pessoa, Brazil.ResultsThe measured values in biometric parameters present a tendency to be higher in males. TheCRPmean values from 12S. flaviuswere 1.2±0.2 mg/dL. For albumin, alpha, beta, and gamma globulin fraction parameters, the reference interval was calculated.ConclusionsAuthors believe that with certain limitations, results obtained can be helpful for the populations in the wild, which could be of great aid in detecting unhealthy individuals and therefore contributing to the conservation of this species.
GABA Receptors in the Medial Preoptic Area Modulate the Onset of Oestradiol‐Induced Maternal Behaviour in Hysterectomised‐Ovariectomised, Pregnant Rats
Authors: Gómora‐Arrati P. , Dominguez G. , Ågmo A. 
Published: September 2016

We studied the participation of GABA neurotransmission in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) with respect to the onset of the pup retrieval response and nest building. Pregnant female rats were implanted with bilateral cannulae in the mPOA on day 12 of pregnancy and, on day 16, the females were hysterectomised and ovariectomised and given 200 μg/kg of oestradiol benzoate. Two days later, the females received one of the following intracerebral drug treatments: GABAB agonist baclofen (200 ng); GABAB antagonist phaclofen (1 μg); GABAA antagonist bicuculline (60 ng); or physiological saline. Five minutes after intracerebral infusion, three foster pups were introduced into the females’ home cage. The subjects were observed for pup grouping (retrieval) during 15 min, after which the pups were left with the female. During the next 12 h, an observation was made every 1 h to determine whether the pups had been grouped (retrieved) or not. The GABAB agonist baclofen reduced the proportion of females retrieving pups from 4 to 8 h following pup introduction. By contrast, both the GABAA antagonist bicuculline and the GABAB antagonist phaclofen enhanced the proportion of females retrieving pups during the first 3 h of observation. The latency to pup retrieval in subjects treated with the GABAB agonist baclofen was significantly longer than that in subjects given any of the antagonists. All females built a nest but baclofen reduced nest quality. These data show that activation of GABAB receptors in the mPOA has an inhibitory effect on basic maternal behaviours, whereas blockade of either the GABAA or GABAB receptor facilitates pup retrieval. It is possible that reduced GABAergic tone in the mPOA is a key element in the initiation of maternal behaviours in postparturient rats.
Sibling Additions, Resource Dilution, and Cognitive Development During Early Childhood
Authors: Workman Joseph 
Published: September 2016

AbstractA sizable literature found an inverse association between number of siblings and developmental outcomes. Little is known about this relationship during the earliest years of children's lives, a period when parental attention and resources matter greatly for cognitive development. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort, a nationally representative sample of American children born in 2001, this study investigates the inter‐relationships between siblings, home resources, and cognitive development during the years before formal schooling. To address unobserved differences between families, child fixed effects models were used to assess children's experiences before and after the birth of a sibling. The birth of a sibling was not significantly associated with lower cognitive development, even when the age spacing between the siblings was small. Concerning home resources, interpersonal resources mattered a great deal for young children's cognitive development, but interpersonal resources were not shaped by the presence of siblings.
“Hemispheric Postcolonialism: Black Female Sexuality and Slavery in the Americas”
Authors: Shinn Christopher A. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractBuilding on what Günter H. Lenz describes as the “always two‐directional processes of transculturation,” this piece brings together two classic works, Gayl Jones's Corregidora and Carlos Diegues's Brazilian film, Xica da Silva (1975), specifically addressing the hemispheric connections in cross‐cultural literary and cinematic representations of black female sexuality, colonialism and slavery in the Americas. The essay presents a critical comparison of the legacy of slave concubinage and black female resistance, noting how Jones's Corregidora helps to undermine the Brazilian myth of racial democracy, while Xica da Silva deepens Gayl Jones's Pan‐African vision of the quilombos, or maroon societies, and problematizes sexuality by magnifying the complex mix of abjection and desire, which deeply engages Jones's novel. By furthering an already existing discussion yet promoting a new critical paradigm for a hemispheric postcolonialism, this work seeks to fortify the nexus of Africana Studies, Comparative American Studies and Hemispheric Studies, but with a distinct postcolonial focus on the historic and cultural intersections of U.S. and Latin America, working within the purview of postcolonial studies in particular.
Recollection is delayed under changed viewing conditions: A graded effect on the latency of the late posterior component
Authors: Liesefeld Heinrich René , Liesefeld Anna M. , Zimmer Hubert D. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractObject recognition is a central human ability. In everyday life, the conditions under which objects have to be recognized are usually not perfect. Often, viewing conditions change in between two encounters with an object; typical are changes in illumination or in the object‐observer distance. With such changes, object recognition sometimes feels slightly delayed. We examined this phenomenon empirically by measuring the latency of the well‐established electrophysiological correlate of recollection, the late posterior component (LPC), in an object‐recognition task. Although the cognitive processes underlying successful recognition are well examined, thus far the consequences of changed viewing conditions on the timing of these processes have not been investigated. The ERP technique is well suited for investigating this question, because it allows differentiating between processes contributing to recognition times (in particular, recollection from familiarity as indexed by the FN400 component) and measuring their time course with high temporal precision. In the present study, participants' task was to differentiate previously studied (old) objects from a set of new objects. Viewing conditions for old objects changed slightly, changed strongly, or remained identical between learning and test. We found that the latency of the LPC in response to an old object was delayed whenever viewing conditions changed. Moreover, this delay in LPC latency scaled with the size of the change. These effects were absent for the FN400. This is the first examination of effects of changes in viewing conditions on the latency of recollection and the first dissociation of FN400 and LPC latencies.
Service Trade and Occupational Tasks: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Ariu Andrea , Mion Giordano 
Published: September 2016

AbstractUsing microdata for Belgium, we investigate the relationship between changes in the task content of production and the rise in the number of service exporters. We show that occupational tasks changes display an extremely consistent relationship with participation to service exports: in sectors in which the importance of face‐to‐face communication with customers has increased, the firm‐level likelihood of entering export markets has decreased; instead, the likelihood of exporting increased in sectors in which the sophistication of production and delivery has expanded (following an increase in cognitive tasks). Moreover, our analysis suggests that the change in IT use per se does not strike as being a key underlying force behind the increase in the extensive margin of service exports. These results are robust controlling for comparative advantage, offshoring, trade liberalisation and demand shifts.
Study of different ratios of primary and waste activated sludges to enhance the methane yield
Authors: Pinto N. , Carvalho A. , Pacheco J. , Duarte E. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThis work aimed the study of methane yield using different proportions of primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) for anaerobic digestion (AD) conversion. Three trials were carried out: T1 (60 : 40, v/v), T2 (80 : 20, v/v) and T3 (100 : 00, v/v) to estimate the best proportion in comparison with a reference scenario, T0 (40 : 60, v/v). AD was performed in mesophilic conditions with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 15 days and an organic loading rate (OLR) expressed in total volatile solids (TVS) of 1.62 ± 0.06 kgTVS m−3 day−1. Biogas production for trials T1 and T2 increased from 45 to 71% in comparison with T0. The experimental methane production along trials was used to assess the energy recovery corresponding to increases from 32 to 55%. The most suitable trial to be implemented at real‐scale is T1, applying a lower PS solid retention time combined with an increase of WAS thickening.
Lung surface deformation prediction from spirometry measurement and chest wall surface motion
Authors: Nasehi Tehrani Joubin , McEwan Alistair , Wang Jing 
Published: September 2016

PurposeThe authors have developed and evaluated a method to predict lung surface motion based on spirometry measurements, and chest and abdomen motion at selected locations.MethodsA patient‐specific 3D triangular surface mesh of the lung region was obtained at the end expiratory phase by the threshold‐based segmentation method. Lung flow volume changes were recorded with a spirometer for each patient. A total of 192 selected points at a regular spacing of 2 × 2 cm matrix points were used to detect chest wall motion over a total area of 32 × 24 cm covering the chest and abdomen surfaces. QR factorization with column pivoting was employed to remove redundant observations of the chest and abdominal areas. To create a statistical model between the lung surface and the corresponding surrogate signals, the authors developed a predictive model based on canonical ridge regression. Two unique weighting vectors were selected for each vertex on the lung surface; they were optimized during the training process using all other 4D‐CT phases except for the test inspiration phase. These parameters were employed to predict the vertex locations of a testing data set.ResultsThe position of each lung surface mesh vertex was estimated from the motion at selected positions within the chest wall surface and from spirometry measurements in ten lung cancer patients. The average estimation of the 98th error percentile for the end inspiration phase was less than 1 mm (AP = 0.9 mm, RL = 0.6 mm, and SI = 0.8 mm). The vertices located at the lower region of the lung had a larger estimation error as compared with those within the upper region of the lung. The average landmark motion errors, derived from the biomechanical modeling using real surface deformation vector fields (SDVFs), and the predicted SDVFs were 3.0 and 3.1 mm, respectively.ConclusionsOur newly developed predictive model provides a noninvasive approach to derive lung boundary conditions. The proposed system can be used with personalized biomechanical respiration modeling to derive lung tumor motion during radiation therapy from noninvasive measurements.
Comparison of NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel and Anyplex II RV16 Tests for Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Hospitalized Children
Authors: Brotons Pedro , Henares Desiree , Latorre Irene , Cepillo Antonio , Launes Cristian , Muñoz-Almagro Carmen 
Published: September 2016

ABSTRACT

Multiplex molecular techniques can detect a diversity of respiratory viruses and bacteria that cause childhood acute respiratory infection rapidly and conveniently. However, currently available techniques show high variation in performance. We sought to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the novel multiplex NxTAG respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) RUO test versus a routine multiplex Anyplex II RV16 assay in respiratory specimens collected from children <18 years of age hospitalized with nonspecific symptoms of acute lower respiratory infection. Parallel testing was performed on nasopharyngeal aspirates prospectively collected at referral Children's Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (Barcelona, Spain) between June and November 2015. Agreement values between the two tests and
kappa
coefficients were assessed. Bidirectional sequencing was performed for the resolution of discordant results. A total of 319 samples were analyzed by both techniques. A total of 268 (84.0%) of them yielded concordant results. Positive percent agreement values ranged from 83.3 to 100%, while the negative percent agreement was more than 99% for all targets except for enterovirus/rhinovirus (EV/RV; 94.4%). Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 1.00. Discrepancy analysis confirmed 66.0% of NxTAG RPP RUO results. A total of 260 viruses were detected, with EV/RV (
n
= 105, 40.4%) being the most prevalent target. Viral coinfections were found in 44 (14.2%) samples. In addition, NxTAG RPP RUO detected single bacterial and mixed viral-bacterial infections in seven samples. NxTAG RPP RUO showed high positive and negative agreement with Anyplex II RV16 for main viruses that cause acute respiratory infections in children, coupled with an additional capability to detect some respiratory bacteria.
Characterization and Recognition of Brachyspira hampsonii sp. nov., a Novel Intestinal Spirochete That Is Pathogenic to Pigs
Authors: Mirajkar Nandita S. , Phillips Nyree D. , La Tom , Hampson David J. , Gebhart Connie J. 
Published: September 2016

ABSTRACT

Swine dysentery (SD) is a mucohemorrhagic colitis of swine classically caused by infection with the intestinal spirochete
Brachyspira hyodysenteriae
. Since around 2007, cases of SD have occurred in North America associated with a different strongly beta-hemolytic spirochete that has been molecularly and phenotypically characterized and provisionally named “
Brachyspira hampsonii.
” Despite increasing international interest,
B. hampsonii
is currently not recognized as a valid species. To support its recognition, we sequenced the genomes of strains NSH-16
T
, NSH-24, and P280/1, representing
B. hampsonii
genetic groups I, II, and III, respectively, and compared them with genomes of other valid
Brachyspira
species. The draft genome of strain NSH-16
T
has a DNA G+C content of 27.4% and an approximate size of 3.2 Mb. Genomic indices, including digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), average nucleotide identity (ANI), and average amino acid identity (AAI), clearly differentiated
B. hampsonii
from other recognized
Brachyspira
species. Although discriminated genotypically, the three genetic groups are phenotypically similar. By electron microscopy, cells of different strains of
B. hampsonii
measure 5 to 10 μm by 0.28 to 0.34 μm, with one or two flat curves, and have 10 to 14 periplasmic flagella inserted at each cell end. Using a comprehensive evaluation of genotypic (gene comparisons and multilocus sequence typing and analysis), genomic (dDDH, ANI, and AAI) and phenotypic (hemolysis, biochemical profiles, protein spectra, antibiogram, and pathogenicity) properties, we classify
Brachyspira hampsonii
sp. nov. as a unique species with genetically diverse yet phenotypically similar genomovars (I, II, and III). We designate the type strain NSH-16 (= ATCC BAA-2463 = NCTC 13792).
The Presumed Polyomavirus Viroporin VP4 of Simian Virus 40 or Human BK Polyomavirus Is Not Required for Viral Progeny Release
Authors: Henriksen Stian , Hansen Terkel , Bruun Jack-Ansgar , Rinaldo Christine Hanssen 
Published: September 2016

ABSTRACT
The minor capsid protein of human BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), VP2, and its N-terminally truncated form, VP3, are both important for viral entry. The closely related simian virus 40 (SV40) reportedly produces an additional truncated form of VP2/3, denoted VP4, apparently functioning as a viroporin promoting progeny release. The VP4 open reading frame is conserved in some polyomaviruses, including BKPyV. In this study, we investigated the role of VP4 in BKPyV replication. By transfecting viral genomes into primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells, we demonstrated that unaltered BKPyV and mutants with start codon substitutions in VP4 (VP2M229I and VP2M229A) abolishing putative VP4 production were released at the same level to supernatants. However, during infection studies, VP2M229I and VP2M229A exhibited 90% and 65% reduced infectivity, respectively, indicating that isoleucine substitution inadvertently disrupted VP2/3 function to the detriment of viral entry, while inhibition of VP4 production during late infection was well tolerated. Unexpectedly, and similarly to BKPyV, wild-type SV40 and the corresponding VP4 start codon mutants (VP2M228I and VP2M228A) transfected into monkey kidney cell lines were also released at equal levels. Upon infection, only the VP2M228I mutant exhibited reduced infectivity, a 43% reduction, which also subsequently led to delayed host cell lysis. Mass spectrometry analysis of nuclear extracts from SV40-infected cells failed to identify VP4. Our results suggest that neither BKPyV nor SV40 require VP4 for progeny release. Moreover, our results reveal an important role in viral entry for the amino acid in VP2/VP3 unavoidably changed by VP4 start codon mutagenesis.

IMPORTANCE
Almost a decade ago, SV40 was reported to produce a late nonstructural protein, VP4, which forms pores in the nuclear membrane, facilitating progeny release. By performing transfection studies with unaltered BKPyV and SV40 and their respective VP4-deficient mutants, we found that VP4 is dispensable for progeny release, contrary to the original findings. However, infection studies demonstrated a counterintuitive reduction of infectivity of certain VP4-deficient mutants. In addition to the isoleucine-substituted SV40 mutant of the original study, we included alanine-substituted VP4-deficient mutants of BKPyV (VP2M229A) and SV40 (VP2M228A). These revealed that the reduction in infectivity was not caused by a lack of VP4 but rather depended on the identity of the single amino acid substituted within VP2/3 for VP4 start codon mutagenesis. Hopefully, our results will correct the longstanding misconception of VP4's role during infection and stimulate continued work on unraveling the mechanism for release of polyomavirus progeny.