bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral nutritional supplementation in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: a randomised, crossover pilot study
Authors: Salamon Karen M. , Lambert Kelly 
Published: November 2017

SUMMARYBackgroundMalnutrition is a significant problem in those undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Factors such as gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and the need for a fluid reduced diet can limit tolerance and thereby the efficacy of oral nutritional supplements to treat malnutrition.ObjectivesTo evaluate the acceptability and impact of two different forms of oral nutrition supplementation for 16 weeks on nutritional markers and quality of life of malnourished patients undergoing PD.DesignA randomised, within‐subject cross‐over study. Patients assessed as malnourished or with serum albumin <35 g/l were recruited. Participants were randomised to receive either 200 ml of a 1.25 kcal/ml nutrition supplement or a high protein nutrition supplement bar, for eight weeks. Each group then crossed over to receive the alternative supplement for eight weeks. Total intervention time was 16 weeks. Serum albumin, serum transthyretin and food intake were evaluated at baseline, at 8 and 16 weeks. Subjective Global Assessment, the presence of GI symptoms and quality of life were evaluated at baseline and 16 weeks.ResultsSixteen weeks of nutritional support was associated with statistically significant improvements in weight and a reduction in the proportion of patients who were malnourished. There was no difference in the impact of bars compared with liquid oral nutrition supplementation. Patients preferred the fluid supplement to the bars.ConclusionSixteen weeks of nutritional support improved nutritional status in malnourished patients on PD.
Dietary Photoprotective Compounds Ameliorate UV Tolerance in Shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) through Induction of Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Marcoval Maria A. , Pan Jerónimo , Díaz Ana C. , Espino Laura , Arzoz Natalia S. , Fenucci Jorge L. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on bioaccumulation of UV‐absorbing compounds acquired through the diet, in larvae and postlarvae of Pleoticus muelleri, and to assess tissue antioxidant activity, survival, and development. Mysis stage I were exposed to two artificial radiation treatments: M‐PAR (photosynthetically active radiation, range = 400–700 nm) and M‐PAR + UVR (280–700 nm). The experimental larvae received a mixed dietary treatment of Artemia persimilis and the microalga Pavlova lutheri, reared under two radiation regimes: PAR (D‐PAR) and PAR + UVR (D‐PAR + UVR). Shrimp from all treatments reached 8 d postlarval stage (PL8), except those under M‐PAR + UVR treatment fed the D‐PAR‐cultured algae, which had 0% survival. Larvae in M‐PAR + UVR and M‐PAR treatments fed with D‐PAR + UVR diet presented the highest survival rates (70 and 75%, respectively), with 37 and 41% increase in PL size. UV‐absorbing compounds were detected in microalgae and PL subject to PAR + UVR treatments. Antioxidant activity, quantified by measuring the free‐radical 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl in homogenates of PL8, decayed drastically under radiation treatment M‐PAR + UVR fed with algae of the D‐PAR + UVR treatment. It is concluded that the bioaccumulation of UV‐absorbing compounds and the highest antioxidant activity in PL could improve the biochemical and photophysiological responses of shrimp under UVR stress.
Relatives in silent kidney disease screening (RISKS) study: A Chinese cohort study
Authors: Li Philip Kam‐Tao , Ng Jack Kit‐Chung , Cheng Yuk Lun , Kwan Tze Hoi , Leung Chi Bon , Lau Miu Fong , Choi Koon Shing , Fung Samuel Ka‐Shun , Ho Yiu Wing , Mak Siu Ka , Tang Sydney Chi‐Wai , Wong Kin Shing , Yong David , Lui Sing Leung ,   For the Hong Kong Society of Nephrology
Published: November 2017

Summary at a GlanceThe authors studied 844 asymptomatic first‐degree relatives of patients in different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). They concluded that relatives in all stages of CKD were at risk of CKD and identified risk factors which predicted kidney damage.
Safety of folic acid
Authors: Field Martha S. , Stover Patrick J. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThere is a large body of literature demonstrating the efficacy of maternal folic acid intake in preventing birth defects, as well as investigations into potential adverse consequences of consuming folic acid above the upper intake level (UL). Recently, two authoritative bodies convened expert panels to assess risks from high intakes of folic acid: the U.S. National Toxicology Program and the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. Overall, the totality of the evidence examined by these panels, as well as studies published since the release of their reports, have not established risks for adverse consequences resulting from existing mandatory folic acid fortification programs that have been implemented in many countries. Current folic acid fortification programs have been shown to support public health in populations, and the exposure levels are informed by and adherent to the precautionary principle. Additional research is needed to assess the health effects of folic acid supplement use when the current upper limit for folic acid is exceeded.
Transmission of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’ by naturally infected Cacopsylla pyri to peach, an approach to the epidemiology of peach yellow leaf roll (PYLR) in Spain
Authors: Sabaté J. , Rodon J. , Artigues M. , Laviña A. , Batlle A. 
Published: November 2017

Peach orchards in the northeast of Spain were severely affected in 2012 by a previously unreported disease in this area. The symptoms included early reddening, leaf curling, decline, abnormal fruits, and in some cases death of the peach trees. All the infected peach samples were positive for ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’, but none were infected by the ‘Ca. Phytoplasma prunorum’. In this work, potential vectors able to transmit ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ from pear to peach and between peach trees were studied and their infective potential was analysed at different times of the year. Transmission trials of the phytoplasma with potential vectors to an artificial feeding medium for insects and to healthy peach trees were conducted. Additionally, isolated phytoplasmas were genetically characterized to determine which isolates were able to infect peach trees. Results showed that the only insect species captured inside peach plots that was a carrier of the ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ phytoplasma was Cacopsylla pyri. Other insect species captured and known to be phytoplasma transmitters were present in very low numbers, and were not infected with ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ phytoplasma. A total of 1928 individuals of C. pyri were captured in the peach orchards, of which around 49% were phytoplasma carriers. All the peach trees exposed to C. pyri in 2014, and 65% in 2015, were infected by ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ 1 year after exposure, showing that this species is able to transmit the phytoplasma to peach. Molecular characterization showed that some genotypes are preferentially determined in peach.
Globalization and inter‐industry wage differentials in China
Authors: Wang Feicheng , Milner Chris , Scheffel Juliane 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis paper explores the relationship between globalization and inter‐industry wage differentials in China by using a two‐stage estimation approach. Taking advantage of a rich household survey dataset, this paper estimates the wage premium for each industry in the first stage conditional on individual worker and firm characteristics. Alternative measures of globalization are considered in the second stage: trade openness and capital openness. A disaggregation of trade into trade in final and intermediate goods shows that increases in import (export) shares of final goods reduce (increase) the wage premia significantly, whereas imports or exports of intermediate goods do not explain differences in industry wage premia. This finding is supported by stronger effects for final goods trade in coastal than noncoastal regions. Our results also show a positive relationship between capital openness and industrial wage premia, though this finding is less robust when potential endogeneity issues are allowed for.
What the (Ideational) Study of Populism Can Teach Us, and What It Can't
Authors: Hawkins Kirk A. , Rovira Kaltwasser Cristóbal 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIn their hasty response to the recent wave of populist victories, many analysts have ignored previous scholarship on populism. In contrast, contributors to this special issue draw from well‐tested approaches to populism that allow them to build on previous work, especially work based on an ideational approach. In doing so, they highlight at least three things that a more scientific approach to populism can teach us. First, populism is not a new phenomenon, nor is the current wave necessarily stronger than previous ones; second, populist ideas exist at the level of individual voters and matter for political behavior; and third, populism has both positive and negative consequences for democracy. At the same time, contributions to this special issue allow us to highlight at least three limitations of the current ideational approach: it fails to comprehend other political ideas clearly and how they interact with populism; it lacks a theory about different modes of political organization pursued by populist forces; and it inadequately theorizes about the impact of populist forces on party systems.
Spatial Exclusion and Boundary‐Making in Different Roma Neighbourhoods in Hungarian Rural Small Towns
Authors: Virág Tünde , Váradi Monika Mária 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBased on our empirical evidence, this paper aims to provide a better understanding and analysis of the complexity and diversity of segregated Roma neighbourhoods in the context of Hungarian small towns. The paper explores the differences between the ‘ghetto’ and ‘ethnic neighbourhood’ as typical forms of spatial and social segregation of Roma in Hungary. It also discusses the mutual interplay of spatial and social segregation and social and symbolic boundary‐making within segregated neighbourhoods as well as between culturally and socially diverse Roma groups and non‐Roma living in the given settlements. Special attention is paid to the various social ties between Roma and non‐Roma in these communities. These ties are one of the key elements used to create and maintain ethnic and social hierarchy, further stratifying the unequal access to resources as well as exacerbating exclusion and boundary‐making mechanisms.
Creating Time: Social Collaboration in Music Improvisation
Authors: Walton Ashley E. , Washburn Auriel , Langland‐Hassan Peter , Chemero Anthony , Kloos Heidi , Richardson Michael J. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractMusical collaboration emerges from the complex interaction of environmental and informational constraints, including those of the instruments and the performance context. Music improvisation in particular is more like everyday interaction in that dynamics emerge spontaneously without a rehearsed score or script. We examined how the structure of the musical context affords and shapes interactions between improvising musicians. Six pairs of professional piano players improvised with two different backing tracks while we recorded both the music produced and the movements of their heads, left arms, and right arms. The backing tracks varied in rhythmic and harmonic information, from a chord progression to a continuous drone. Differences in movement coordination and playing behavior were evaluated using the mathematical tools of complex dynamical systems, with the aim of uncovering the multiscale dynamics that characterize musical collaboration. Collectively, the findings indicated that each backing track afforded the emergence of different patterns of coordination with respect to how the musicians played together, how they moved together, as well as their experience collaborating with each other. Additionally, listeners’ experiences of the music when rating audio recordings of the improvised performances were related to the way the musicians coordinated both their playing behavior and their bodily movements. Accordingly, the study revealed how complex dynamical systems methods (namely recurrence analysis) can capture the turn‐taking dynamics that characterized both the social exchange of the music improvisation and the sounds of collaboration more generally. The study also demonstrated how musical improvisation provides a way of understanding how social interaction emerges from the structure of the behavioral task context.
Preemption in Singular Causation Judgments: A Computational Model
Authors: Stephan Simon , Waldmann Michael R. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCausal queries about singular cases are ubiquitous, yet the question of how we assess whether a particular outcome was actually caused by a specific potential cause turns out to be difficult to answer. Relying on the causal power framework (Cheng, ), Cheng and Novick () proposed a model of causal attribution intended to help answer this question. We challenge this model, both conceptually and empirically. We argue that the central problem of this model is that it treats causal powers that are probabilistically sufficient to generate the effect on a particular occasion as actual causes of the effect, and thus neglects that sufficient causal powers can be preempted in their efficacy. Also, the model does not take into account that reasoners incorporate uncertainty about the underlying general causal structure and strength of causes when making causal inferences. We propose a new measure of causal attribution and embed it into the structure induction model of singular causation (SISC; Stephan & Waldmann, ). Two experiments support the model.
The use of English in the professional world in China
Authors: HE DEYUAN 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTThe status and use of English in mainland China are topics of intense interest for researchers, although most previous research has been conducted within the field of education, with few data from the professional world. The current study attempts to focus on the professionals in China and their use of English. The study has drawn data with a questionnaire from 2,247 participants in workplaces across China and 44 of them have been interviewed. The participants are from three types of organization: government, public service unit, and company. Although overall the use of English is not frequent in China's professional world, the results indicate that English plays an important role in about a quarter of the participants’ working lives and that the majority of the participants recognize the high importance of English.
Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant Proteus mirabilis Clones Carrying a Novel Integron-Borne
bla
IMP-1
in a Tertiary Hospital
Authors: Ramos Ana Carolina , Cayô Rodrigo , Carvalhaes Cecilia Godoy , Jové Thomas , da Silva Greice Pereira , Sancho Fernanda Maciel Paschoin , Chagas-Neto Thomas , Medeiros Eduardo Alexandrino Servolo , Gales Ana Cristina 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to characterize multidrug-resistant
Proteus mirabilis
clones carrying a novel class 1 integron-borne
bla
IMP-1
. In
1359
was inserted into a large conjugative plasmid that also carried
bla
CTX-M-2
. The production of carbapenemases in
Enterobacteriaceae
that are intrinsically resistant to polymyxins and tigecycline is very worrisome, representing a serious challenge to clinicians and infection control teams.
Characterization of Plasmodium Atg3-Atg8 Interaction Inhibitors Identifies Novel Alternative Mechanisms of Action in Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Varberg Joseph M. , LaFavers Kaice A. , Arrizabalaga Gustavo , Sullivan William J. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Protozoan parasites, including the apicomplexan pathogens
Plasmodium falciparum
(which causes malaria) and
Toxoplasma gondii
(which causes toxoplasmosis), infect millions of people worldwide and represent major human disease burdens. Despite their prevalence, therapeutic strategies to treat infections caused by these parasites remain limited and are threatened by the emergence of drug resistance, highlighting the need for the identification of novel drug targets. Recently, homologues of the core autophagy proteins, including Atg8 and Atg3, were identified in many protozoan parasites. Importantly, components of the Atg8 conjugation system that facilitate the lipidation of Atg8 are required for both canonical and parasite-specific functions and are essential for parasite viability. Structural characterization of the
P. falciparum
Atg3-Atg8 (PfAtg3-Atg8) interaction has led to the identification of compounds that block this interaction. Additionally, many of these compounds inhibit
P. falciparum
growth
in vitro
, demonstrating the viability of this pathway as a drug target. Given the essential role of the Atg8 lipidation pathway in
Toxoplasma
, we sought to determine whether three PfAtg3-Atg8 interaction inhibitors identified in the Medicines for Malaria Venture Malaria Box exerted a similar inhibitory effect in
Toxoplasma
. While all three inhibitors blocked
Toxoplasma
replication
in vitro
at submicromolar concentrations, they did not inhibit
T. gondii
Atg8 (TgAtg8) lipidation. Rather, high concentrations of two of these compounds induced TgAtg8 lipidation and fragmentation of the parasite mitochondrion, similar to the effects seen following starvation and monensin-induced autophagy. Additionally, we report that one of the PfAtg3-Atg8 interaction inhibitors induces
Toxoplasma
egress and provide evidence that this is mediated by an increase in intracellular calcium in response to drug treatment.
A Simplified Derivative of Human Defensin 5 with Potent and Efficient Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Wang Cheng , Zhao Gaomei , Wang Song , Chen Yin , Gong Yali , Chen Shilei , Xu Yang , Hu Mengjia , Wang Xinmiao , Zeng Hao , Wang Aiping , Liu Dengqun , Su Yongping , Cheng Tianmin , Chen Fang , Wang Junping 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
(MDR
Ab
) infections worldwide has necessitated the development of novel antibiotics. Human defensin 5 (HD5) is an endogenous peptide with a complex architecture and antibacterial activity against MDR
Ab
. In the present study, we attempted to simplify the structure of HD5 by removing disulfide bonds. We found that the Cys2-4 bond was most indispensable for HD5 to inactivate MDR
Ab
, although the antibacterial activity of the derivative was significantly attenuated. We then replaced the noncationic and nonhydrophobic residues with electropositive Arg to increase the antibacterial activity of HD5 derivative that contains a Cys2-4 bond, obtaining another derivative termed HD5d5. The in
vitro
antibacterial assay and irradiation-wound-infection animal experiment both showed that HD5d5 was much more effective than HD5 at eliminating MDR
Ab
. Further investigations revealed that HD5d5 efficiently bound to outer membrane lipid A and penetrated membranes, leading to bacterial collapse and peptide translocation. Compared to HD5, more HD5d5 molecules were located in the cytoplasm of MDR
Ab
, and HD5d5 was more efficient at reducing the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, causing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species that are detrimental to microbes. In addition, HD5 failed to suppress the pathogenic outer membrane protein A of
Acinetobacter baumannii
(
Ab
OmpA) at concentrations up to 50 μg/ml, whereas HD5d5 strongly bound to
Ab
OmpA and exhibited a dramatic toxin-neutralizing ability, thus expanding the repertoire of drugs that is available to treat MDR
Ab
infections.
In Vitro
Activities of Ceftaroline and Comparators against Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates from U.S. Hospitals: Results from Seven Years of the AWARE Surveillance Program (2010 to 2016)
Authors: Pfaller Michael A. , Mendes Rodrigo E. , Duncan Leonard R. , Flamm Robert K. , Sader Helio S. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

We evaluated trends in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
antimicrobial susceptibility in United States hospitals in the 2010 to 2016 period. A total of 8,768 clinical isolates from 47 medical centers were tested for susceptibility by broth microdilution methods. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) rates decreased from 25.7% and 12.4%, respectively, in 2010 to 17.7% and 3.6%, respectively, in 2016. The susceptibilities to most comparator antimicrobial agents increased, whereas the susceptibilities to ceftaroline, levofloxacin, linezolid, and tigecycline remained stable. Ceftaroline retained potent activity against
S. pneumoniae
(>99.9%) with no marked variations.
Proof-of-Principle Study in a Murine Lung Infection Model of Antipseudomonal Activity of Phage PEV20 in a Dry-Powder Formulation
Authors: Chang Rachel Yoon Kyung , Chen Ke , Wang Jiping , Wallin Martin , Britton Warwick , Morales Sandra , Kutter Elizabeth , Li Jian , Chan Hak-Kim 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Bacteriophage therapy is a promising alternative treatment to antibiotics, as it has been documented to be efficacious against multidrug-resistant bacteria with minimal side effects. Several groups have demonstrated the efficacy of phage suspension
in vivo
to treat lung infections using intranasal delivery; however, phage dry-powder administration to the lungs has not yet been explored. Powder formulations provide potential advantages over a liquid formulation, including easy storage, transport, and administration. The purpose of this study was to assess the bactericidal activities of phage dry-powder formulations against multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
FADDI-PA001 in a mouse lung infection model. Phage PEV20 spray dried with lactose and leucine produced an inhalable powder at a concentration of 2 × 10
7
PFU/mg.
P. aeruginosa
lung infection was established by intratracheal administration of the bacterial suspension to neutropenic mice. At 2 h after the bacterial challenge, the infected mice were treated with 2 mg of the phage powder using a dry-powder insufflator. At 24 h after the phage treatment, the bacterial load in the lungs was decreased by 5.3 log
10
(
P
< 0.0005) in the phage-treated group compared with that in the nontreated group. Additionally, the phage concentration in the lungs was increased by 1 log
10
at 24 h in the treated group. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a pulmonary delivery of phage PEV20 dry-powder formulation for the treatment of lung infection caused by antibiotic-resistant
P. aeruginosa
.