bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Joint‐Preserving Surgery for Talar Malunions or Nonuions
Authors: Chen Gang , Hu Mu , Xu Yang , Zhen Yue‐huan , Hong Yuan , Xu Xiang‐yang 
Published: March 2017

ObjectiveTo describe the technique and analyze the outcomes of joint‐preserving surgical treatments which included anatomical reconstruction or alignment correction for talar malunions or nonunions, and avoid development of degenerative changes in the adjacent joints.MethodsEight patients who had painful talar malunions or nonunions treated between 2009 and 2015 were included in this retrospective study. The mean age of the patients was 35.6 years, with patients aged from 18 to 58 years. Two patients had talar neck fractures and six had talar body fractures. According to a classification of post‐traumatic talar deformities, five patients were classified as type I (malunion and/or residual joint displacement), two as type II (nonunion with displacement), and one as type III (malunion with partial avascular necrosis [AVN]). Of these patients, six cases were treated with an osteotomy through the malunited fracture or removal of the pseudarthrosis, and two cases were corrected by supramalleolar or calcaneal osteotomies owing to complete disappearance of the former fracture lines. The follow‐up evaluation methods included the 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) score, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, range of motion (ROM), and radiological analysis. The differences between postoperative scores and preoperative scores were evaluated statistically with the paired Student's t‐test. Significance was assumed at P < 0.05.ResultsThe mean follow‐up time was 25.6 months. No wound healing problems or infections were observed. Solid union was obtained without redislocation in all cases, and with no signs of development or progression of AVN. At a mean of 25.6 months (range, 16–36 months) after reconstruction, all patients were satisfied with the result. The mean AOFAS score increased from 30.0 ± 7.0 pre‐operatively to 86.5 ± 7.8 post‐operatively (P < 0.001), the mean SF‐36 score increased from 38.8 ± 4.1 to 81.4 ± 7.7 (P < 0.001), and the average ROM (tibiotalar joint) increased from 40.5° ± 8.7° to 43.9° ± 7.2° (P < 0.05).DiscussionJoint‐preserving procedures for talar malunions or nonunions can bring about satisfactory outcomes, and the appropriate procedure should be adopted according to different types of post‐traumatic deformities.
Respiratory syncytial virus–Host interaction in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis and its impact on respiratory morbidity in later life
Authors: Rossi Giovanni A. , Colin Andrew A. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common agent of severe airway disease in infants and young children. Large epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a clear relationship between RSV infection and subsequent recurrent wheezing and asthma into childhood, thought to be predominantly related to long‐term changes in neuroimmune control of airway tone rather than to allergic sensitization. These changes appear to be governed by the severity of the first RSV infection in infancy which in term depends on viral characteristics and load, but perhaps as importantly, on the genetic susceptibility and on the constitutional characteristic of the host. A variety of viral and host factors and their interplay modify the efficiency of the response to infection, including viral replication and the magnitude of structural and functional damage to the respiratory structures, and ultimately the extent, severity, and duration of subsequent wheezing.
Gliadin‐reactive T cells in Italian children from preventCD cohort at high risk of celiac disease
Authors: Camarca Alessandra , Auricchio Renata , Picascia Stefania , Fierro Olga , Maglio Mariantonia , Miele Erasmo , Malamisura Basilio , Greco Luigi , Troncone Riccardo , Gianfrani Carmen 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackgroundNewborns at high risk of celiac disease (CD) were recruited in Italy in the context of the PreventCD study and closely monitored for CD, from 4 months up to a mean age of 8 years at follow‐up. The aim of our study was to investigate intestinal T‐cell reactivity to gliadin at the first clinical and/or serological signs of CD.MethodsGliadin‐reactive T‐cell lines were generated from intestinal biopsies of 19 HLA‐DQ2‐or HLA‐DQ8‐positive children. At biopsy, 11 children had a diagnosis of acute CD, two of potential CD, and six were non‐celiac controls. Immune reactivity was evaluated against gliadin and known immunogenic peptides from α‐, γ‐, or ω‐gliadins. The role of deamidation by transglutaminase (tTG) in determining the immunogenicity of gliadin was also investigated.ResultsMost of the children with CD (either acute or potential) had an inflammatory response to gliadin. Notably, signs of T‐cell reactivity to gliadin were also found in some non‐celiac subjects, in which IFN‐γ responses occurred mainly when regulatory IL‐10 and TGF‐β cytokines were blocked. Interestingly, PreventCD children reacted to gliadin peptides found active in adult CD patients, and tTG deamidation markedly enhanced gliadin recognition.ConclusionsT cells reactive to gliadin can be detected in the intestine of children at high risk of developing CD, in some cases also in the presence of a normal mucosa and negative CD‐associated antibodies. Furthermore, children at a very early stage of CD recognize the same gliadin epitopes that are active in adult CD patients. Tissue transglutaminase strongly enhances gluten T‐cell immunogenicity in early CD.
Does the turgor loss point characterize drought response in dryland plants?
Authors: Farrell Claire , Szota Christopher , Arndt Stefan K. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe water potential at turgor loss point (Ψtlp) has been suggested as a key functional trait for determining plant drought tolerance, because of its close relationship with stomatal closure. Ψtlp may indicate drought tolerance as plants, which maintain gas exchange at lower midday water potentials as soil water availability declines also have lower Ψtlp. We evaluated 17 species from seasonally dry habitats, representing a range of life‐forms, under well‐watered and drought conditions, to determine how Ψtlp relates to stomatal sensitivity (pre‐dawn water potential at stomatal closure: Ψgs0) and drought strategy (degree of isohydry or anisohydry; ΔΨMD between well‐watered conditions and stomatal closure). Although Ψgs0 was related to Ψtlp, Ψgs0 was better related to drought strategy (ΔΨMD). Drought avoiders (isohydric) closed stomata at water potentials higher than their Ψtlp; whereas, drought tolerant (anisohydric) species maintained stomatal conductance at lower water potentials than their Ψtlp and were more dehydration tolerant. There was no significant relationship between Ψtlp and ΔΨMD. While Ψtlp has been related to biome water availability, we found that Ψtlp did not relate strongly to stomatal closure or drought strategy, for either drought avoiders or tolerators. We therefore suggest caution in using Ψtlp to predict vulnerability to drought.
Endocrine changes during diapause development in the cabbage army moth Mamestra brassicae
Authors: Yamada Nobuto , Mizoguchi Akira 
Published: March 2017

AbstractMany insects undergo diapause to survive adverse seasons. Although the mechanism of diapause induction is the subject of extensive study, that of diapause termination remains poorly understood. In the present study, we show the endocrine processes leading to the termination of pupal diapause in Mamestra brassicae. Diapause of this insect is terminated if the pupae are exposed to a low temperature for several weeks. During this period, the prothoracic glands (PGs) of pupae acquire the potential to secrete sufficient ecdysteroids necessary for inducing adult development. The main endocrine changes observed under the low temperature conditions are: (i) the increase in activity of the PGs in two steps; (ii) the increase in responsiveness of the glands to prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH); and (iii) two‐step increase in PTTH gene expression in the brain. The timing of the first and second increases in PG activity roughly coincides with that of the two steps of increase in PTTH gene expression, and the timing of the increase in the responsiveness of the PGs to PTTH coincides with the second, larger increase in PTTH gene expression. The ablation of the PGs prior to cooling pupae does not affect the increase in PTTH gene expression, whereas brain removal results in a failure to increase PG activity, strongly suggesting that PTTH is the master regulator of diapause development and termination.
The Political Consequences of Outsider Labour Market Status in the United States: A Micro‐level Study
Authors: Gelepithis Margarita , Jeannet Anne‐Marie 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThis article contributes to recent research that seeks to understand the political consequences of ‘outsider’ labour market status. There is an emerging consensus that labour market outsiders have systematically different policy preferences and display systematically different political behaviour to securely employed ‘insiders’ in Europe. Yet the political consequences of outsider status in the USA are less clear. They may be expected to differ from those that have been documented in the European context, because: (1) the USA is characterized by low employment protection of insiders; and (2) there is evidence that Americans are more reluctant than Europeans to hold governments responsible for personal economic hardship. We therefore use the General Social Survey to examine how outsider labour market status is related to voting behaviour and to social policy preferences in the USA. We find that the concept of ‘labour market outsider’ – as conventionally operationalized – holds little explanatory power in the American context. Disaggregating the outsider category, our results suggest that the political consequences of outsider labour market status may be contingent on individual beliefs about government responsibility.
Determination of volatilisation rate constants of trihalomethanes from heated distilled and finished tap water
Authors: Thurnau Robert C. , Clark Robert M. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDisinfection of drinking water is one of the major responsibilities facing cities, towns and rural areas around the world. However, most disinfectants react with organic material in the water to produce a wide variety of by‐products. Halogenated methane compounds (THMs) are among these by‐products and have been linked to adverse health effects in humans. The human exposure pathway includes: ingestion, inhalation and dermal adsorption, and THM volatilisation plays a role in all three. This paper examines the volatilisation of four trihalomethane compounds and relates their volatilisation rate constants to temperature, concentration and solvent matrix. Volatilisation rate constants were incorporated into a first‐order model that will allow resulting THM exposure concentrations to be calculated for household uses that involve heating of drinking water. Utilisation of the THM volatilisation rate constants developed in this manuscript should improve future exposure estimates.
PhaR, a Negative Regulator of PhaP, Modulates the Colonization of a Burkholderia Gut Symbiont in the Midgut of the Host Insect, Riptortus pedestris
Authors: Jang Seong Han , Jang Ho Am , Lee Junbeom , Kim Jong Uk , Lee Seung Ah , Park Kyoung-Eun , Kim Byung Hyun , Jo Yong Hun , Lee Bok Luel 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Five genes encoding PhaP family proteins and one
phaR
gene have been identified in the genome of
Burkholderia
symbiont strain RPE75. PhaP proteins function as the surface proteins of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) granules, and the PhaR protein acts as a negative regulator of PhaP biosynthesis. Recently, we characterized one
phaP
gene to understand the molecular cross talk between
Riptortus
insects and
Burkholderia
gut symbionts. In this study, we constructed four other
phaP
gene-depleted mutants (Δ
phaP1
, Δ
phaP2
, Δ
phaP3
, and Δ
phaP4
mutants), one
phaR
gene-depleted mutant, and a
phaR
-complemented mutant (Δ
phaR/phaR
mutant). To address the biological roles of four
phaP
family genes and the
phaR
gene during insect-gut symbiont interaction, these
Burkholderia
mutants were fed to the second-instar nymphs, and colonization ability and fitness parameters were examined.
In vitro
, the Δ
phaP3
and Δ
phaR
mutants cannot make a PHA granule normally in a stressful environment. Furthermore, the Δ
phaR
mutation decreased the colonization ability in the host midgut and negatively affected the host insect's fitness compared with wild-type
Burkholderia
-infected insects. However, other
phaP
family gene-depleted mutants colonized well in the midgut of the fifth-instar nymph insects. However, in the case of females, the colonization rate of the Δ
phaP3
mutant was decreased and the host's fitness parameters were decreased compared with the wild-type-infected host, suggesting that the environment of the female midgut may be more hostile than that of the male midgut. These results demonstrate that PhaR plays an important role in the biosynthesis of PHA granules and that it is significantly related to the colonization of the
Burkholderia
gut symbiont in the host insects' midgut.

IMPORTANCE
Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis is a complex process requiring several enzymes. The biological roles of PHA granule synthesis enzymes and the surface proteins of PHA granules during host-gut symbiont interactions are not fully understood. Here, we report the effects on colonization ability in the host midguts and the fitness of host insects after feeding
Burkholderia
mutant cells (four
phaP
-depleted mutants and one
phaR
-depleted mutant) to the host insects. Analyses of both synthesized PHA granule amounts and CFU numbers suggest that the
phaR
gene is closely related to synthesis of the PHA granule and the colonization of the
Burkholderia
gut symbiont in the host insect's midgut. Like our previous report, this study also supports the idea that the environment of the host midgut may not be favorable to symbiotic
Burkholderia
cells and that PHA granules may be required to adapt in the host midgut.
A Newly Determined Member of the
meso
-Diaminopimelate Dehydrogenase Family with a Broad Substrate Spectrum
Authors: Gao Xiuzhen , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Ya'nan , Li Ying , Zhu Heng , Wang Sheng , Li Cun 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

meso
-Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase (
meso
-DAPDH) from
Symbiobacterium thermophilum
(StDAPDH) is the first member of the
meso
-DAPDH family known to catalyze the asymmetric reductive amination of 2-keto acids to produce
d
-amino acids. It is important to understand the catalytic mechanisms of StDAPDH and other enzymes in this family. In this study, based on an evolutionary analysis and examination of catalytic activity, the
meso
-DAPDH enzymes can be divided into two types. Type I showed highly preferable activity toward
meso
-diaminopimelate (
meso
-DAP), and type II exhibited obviously reversible amination activity with a broad substrate spectrum. StDAPDH belongs to type II. A quaternary structure analysis revealed that insertions/deletions (indels) and a loss of quaternary structure resulted in divergence among members of the
meso
-DAPDH family. A structure alignment of StDAPDH with a representative of type I, the
meso
-DAPDH from
Corynebacterium glutamicum
(CgDAPDH), indicated that they had the same folding. Based on sequence and conservation analyses, two amino acid residues of StDAPDH, R35 and R71, were found to be highly conserved within type II while also distinct from each other between the subtypes. Site mutagenesis studies identified R71 as a substrate preference-related residue of StDAPDH, which may serve as an indicator of the amination preference of type II. These results deepen the present understanding of the
meso
-DAPDH family and provide a solid foundation for the discovery and engineering of
meso
-DAPDH for
d
-amino acid biosynthesis.

IMPORTANCE
The
l
-form of amino acids is typically more abundant than the
d
-form. However, the
d
-form has many important pharmaceutical applications.
meso
-Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase (
meso
-DAPDH) from
Symbiobacterium thermophilum
(StDAPDH) was the first member of
meso
-DAPDH known to catalyze the amination of 2-keto acids to produce
d
-amino acids. Accordingly, we analyzed the evolution of
meso
-DAPDH proteins and found that they form two groups, i.e., type I proteins, which show high preference toward
meso
-diaminopimelate (
meso
-DAP), and type II proteins, which show a broad substrate spectrum. We examined the differences in sequence, ternary structure, and quaternary structure to determine the mechanisms underlying the functional differences between the type I and type II lineages. These results will facilitate the identification of additional
meso
-DAPDHs and may provide guidance to protein engineering studies for
d
-amino acid biosynthesis.
Enterobius vermicularis as a Novel Surrogate for the Presence of Helminth Ova in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants
Authors: Rudko Sydney P. , Ruecker Norma J. , Ashbolt Nicholas J. , Neumann Norman F. , Hanington Patrick C. 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Significant effort has gone into assessing the fate and removal of viruses, bacteria, and protozoan parasites during wastewater treatment to provide data addressing potential health risks associated with reuse options. Comparatively less is known about the fate of parasitic worm species ova in these complex systems. It is largely assumed that these helminths settle, are removed with the sludge, and consequently represent a relatively low risk for wastewater reuse applications. However, helminths are a highly diverse group of organisms that display a wide range of physical properties that complicate the application of a single treatment for helminth reduction during wastewater treatment. Moreover, their diverse biological and physical properties make some ova highly resistant to both disinfection (i.e., with chlorine or UV treatment) and physical removal (settling) through the wastewater treatment train, indicating that there may be reason to broaden the scope of our investigations into whether parasitic worm eggs can be identified in treated wastewater. The ubiquitous human parasitic nematode
Enterobius vermicularis
(pinworm) produces small, buoyant ova. Utilizing a novel diagnostic quantitative PCR (qPCR), this study monitored
E. vermicularis
presence at two full-scale wastewater treatment plants over the course of 8 months and demonstrated incomplete physical removal of
E. vermicularis
ova through tertiary treatment, with removal efficiencies approximating only 0.5 and 1.6 log
10
at the two wastewater treatment plants based on qPCR. These findings demonstrate the need for more-diverse surrogates of helminthic ova to fully assess treatment performance with respect to reclaimed wastewaters.

IMPORTANCE
Helminths, despite being a diverse and environmentally resistant class of pathogens, are often underestimated and ignored when treatment performance at modern wastewater treatment plants is considered. A one-size-fits-all surrogate for removal of helminth ova may be inappropriate to adequately assess risk and ensure public safety when treated and partially treated wastewaters are encountered. This study argues for the use of human pinworm as a conservative indicator of the presence of helminth ova due to its small size, buoyancy, prevalence in humans, and environmental resistance.
Recent Progress in the Prevention of Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease
Authors: Feavers Ian M. , Maiden Martin C. J. 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT
The widespread use of meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines has highlighted the challenge of providing protection against serogroup B disease. Over a period of 4 decades, vaccine development has focused on subcapsular protein antigens, first with outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines against epidemic outbreaks, and more recently on new multicomponent vaccines designed to offer better cross-protection against the antigenically diverse strains responsible for endemic disease. Because of the low incidence of meningococcal disease, the protective efficacy of these vaccines has not been determined in clinical studies, and their licensure has been based on serological data; however, the serological assays used to predict protective coverage have limitations. As a result, evidence of the effectiveness of these vaccines against different strains and the contribution of specific antigens to protection can only be provided by epidemiological analyses following their implementation in sufficiently large populations. The recent inclusion of the four-component meningococcal serogroup B (4CMenB) vaccine, Bexsero, in the infant immunization program in the UK has provided preliminary evidence that the vaccine is effective. Ongoing surveillance will provide valuable data on its longer-term impact and antigenic coverage. Further development of protein-based vaccines against meningococcal disease is anticipated to improve antigenic coverage and adjust to changes in circulating strains. At the same time, alternative immunization strategies may be explored to improve overall vaccine effectiveness by, for example, protecting the youngest infants or providing herd protection.
In Vitro
Antifungal Susceptibility of Yeast and Mold Phases of Isolates of Dimorphic Fungal Pathogen Emergomycesafricanus (Formerly Emmonsia sp.) from HIV-Infected South African Patients
Authors: Maphanga Tsidiso G. , Britz Erika , Zulu Thokozile G. , Mpembe Ruth S. , Naicker Serisha D. , Schwartz Ilan S. , Govender Nelesh P. 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Disseminated emmonsiosis is an important AIDS-related mycosis in South Africa that is caused by
Emergomyces
africanus
, a newly described and renamed dimorphic fungal pathogen.
In vitro
antifungal susceptibility data can guide management. Identification of invasive clinical isolates was confirmed phenotypically and by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. Yeast and mold phase MICs of fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, anidulafungin, micafungin, and flucytosine were determined with custom-made frozen broth microdilution (BMD) panels in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. MICs of amphotericin B, itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole were determined by Etest. Fifty unique
E. africanus
isolates were tested. The yeast and mold phase geometric mean (GM) BMD and Etest MICs of itraconazole were 0.01 mg/liter. The voriconazole and posaconazole GM BMD MICs were 0.01 mg/liter for both phases, while the GM Etest MICs were 0.001 and 0.002 mg/liter, respectively. The fluconazole GM BMD MICs were 0.18 mg/liter for both phases. The GM Etest MICs of amphotericin B, for the yeast and mold phases were 0.03 and 0.01 mg/liter. The echinocandins and flucytosine had very limited
in vitro
activity. Treatment and outcome data were available for 37 patients; in a multivariable model including MIC data, only isolation from blood (odds ratio [OR], 8.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 54.4;
P
= 0.02) or bone marrow (OR, 12.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 120.2;
P
= 0.03) (versus skin biopsy) was associated with death.
In vitro
susceptibility data support the management of disseminated emmonsiosis with amphotericin B, followed by itraconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole. Fluconazole was a relatively less potent agent.