bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Terrestrial N cycling associated with climate and plant‐specific N preferences: a review
Authors: Zhang J. , Cai Z. , Müller C. 
Published: January 2018

The dramatic increase in anthropogenic reactive nitrogen (Nr) from agricultural activities negatively affects the environment. An additional challenge is to ensure food security while at the same time keeping the environmental impact to a minimum to prevent negative feedback effects on climate. To date, however, few studies have addressed the direct connection between soil N transformations, forms of N, species‐specific N preferences and climate, despite the fact that the fate of N and soil N biochemical cycling are known to be intimately linked. In this paper we review the connections between soil N transformation, species‐specific N preferences and climate, and explore how N‐use efficiency may be enhanced while minimizing the environmental effect. Gross rates of N mineralization and immobilization govern the amount of available N in soil, especially in natural ecosystems, while nitrification plays a central role in regulating the NO3− to NH4+ ratio. Plant species prefer either NH4+‐N or NO3−‐N, depending on the NO3−‐N to NH4+‐N ratio in their habitat. Thus, plant N uptake could be optimized (i.e. Nr losses reduced) if species‐specific N preferences are maintained by matching N sources applied with prevailing soil‐specific N transformations. Therefore, whether N management practices can optimize N‐use efficiencies hinges on the coupling of soil N transformation with climate and species‐specific N preferences.Highlights
We review the inherent connections between the soil N cycle, plant N preference and climate.
Nitrification plays a central role in regulating the NO3− to NH4+ ratio in soil and soil solution.
Soil N transformations regulate the composition of hydrological N export.
Plant N uptake can be optimized if soil N cycle is well matched with plant N preference.
Genomewide evidence of environmentally mediated secondary contact of European green crab (Carcinus maenas) lineages in eastern North America
Authors: Jeffery Nicholas W. , Bradbury Ian R. , Stanley Ryan R. E. , Wringe Brendan F. , Van Wyngaarden Mallory , Lowen J. Ben , McKenzie Cynthia H. , Matheson Kyle , Sargent Philip S. , DiBacco Claudio 
Published: January 2018

AbstractGenetic‐environment associations are increasingly revealed through population genomic data and can occur through a number of processes, including secondary contact, divergent natural selection, or isolation by distance. Here, we investigate the influence of the environment, including seasonal temperature and salinity, on the population structure of the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in eastern North America. Green crab populations in eastern North America are associated with two independent invasions, previously shown to consist of distinct northern and southern ecotypes, with a contact zone in southern Nova Scotia, Canada. Using aRAD‐seq panel of 9,137 genomewideSNPs, we detected 41SNPs (0.49%) whose allele frequencies were highly correlated with environmental data. A principal components analysis of 25 environmental variables differentiated populations into northern, southern, and admixed sites in concordance with the observed genomic spatial structure. Furthermore, a spatial principal components analysis conducted on genomic and geographic data revealed a high degree of global structure (p < .0001) partitioning a northern and southern ecotype. Redundancy and partial redundancy analyses revealed that among the environmental variables tested, winter sea surface temperature had the strongest association with spatial structuring, suggesting that it is an important factor defining range and expansion limits of each ecotype. Understanding environmental thresholds associated with intraspecific diversity will facilitate the ability to manage current and predict future distributions of this aquatic invasive species.
Homeobox transcription factor DLX4 is not necessary for skin development and homeostasis
Authors: Bhattacharya Shreya , Duverger Olivier , Brooks Stephen R. , Morasso Maria I. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDlx4 is a member of a family of homeobox genes with homology to Drosophila distal‐less (dll) gene. We show that Dlx4 expression pattern partially overlaps with its cis‐linked gene Dlx3 during mouse development as well as in neonatal and adult skin. In mice, Dlx4 is expressed in the branchial arches, embryonic limbs, digits, nose, hair follicle and in the basal and suprabasal layers of mouse interfollicular epidermis. We show that inactivation of Dlx4 in mice did not result in any overtly gross pathology. Skin development, homeostasis and response to TPA treatment were similar in mice with loss of Dlx4 compared to wild‐type counterparts.
Validation and standardization of the Brazilian version of the Medication Regimen Complexity Index for older adults in primary care
Authors: Pantuzza Laís LN , Ceccato Maria das Graças B , Silveira Micheline R , Pinto Isabela VL , Reis Adriano Max M 
Published: January 2018

AimTo validate and standardize the Brazilian version of the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) for older adults in primary healthcare.MethodsA cross‐sectional methodological study was carried out with elderly patients attending primary healthcare centers in southeastern Brazil. Convergent validity was tested by correlating MRCI scores with medication number. Divergent validity was tested by correlating MRCI scores with age, sex, cognition, and basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Reliability was assessed by interrater and test–retest reliability. Regarding standardization, percentiles were calculated for the total MRCI scores.ResultsA total of 227 older adults were included, with a mean age of 71.4 years (standard deviation 7.5 years) and mostly women (70.9%). There was a correlation between MRCI scores and medication number (rho = 0.890; P = 0.000). There was no correlation between MRCI scores and age (P = 0.192), sex (P = 0.052), cognition (P = 0.369), and basic (P = 0.682) and instrumental (P = 0.582) activities of daily living. High interrater (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98; rho = 0.991) and test–retest (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.996; rho = 0.985) reliability was obtained. The following complexity was considered: low, MRCI ≤ 9.0 points; average 0.9 < MRCI ≤ 16.5 points; and high, MRCI > 16.5 points.ConclusionsMRCI showed satisfactory psychometric qualities for measuring regimen complexity of older adults attending the primary healthcare centers evaluated. Standardization might increase the applicability of MRCI to the health research context. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 853–859
An outbreak of acute hepatitis A among young adult men: clinical features and HIV coinfection rate from a large teaching hospital in Rome, Italy
Authors: Ciccullo A , Gagliardini R , Baldin G , Borghetti A , Moschese D , Emiliozzi A , Lombardi F , Ricci R , Speziale D , Pallavicini F , Di Giambenedetto S 
Published: January 2018

ObjectivesItaly is a low‐incidence region for hepatitis A; however, during the last 2 years an increase in the incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection was reported in Europe. The aim of this study was to describe this recent outbreak.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed all cases of acute hepatitis A diagnosed at our laboratory between January 2010 and June 2017. We evaluated the following variables at the time of diagnosis: sex, age, nationality, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT/AST), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT/ALT), bilirubin concentration, international normalized ratio (INR) and the presence or absence of anti‐HIV‐1/2 antibodies. Hospitalization was also considered. We analysed these parameters using the χ2 test and Mann–Whitney U‐test.ResultsA total of 225 cases were analysed; 82.7% were in male patients, 94.2% were in Italians and the median age of the patients was 36.4 years. At diagnosis, the median GOT value was 306 U/L, the median GPT was 1389 U/L, and the median total bilirubin value was 5.88 mg/dL. Hospitalization was required for 142 patients, with a median duration of hospital stay of 8.5 days. In 2016‐2017 we registered 141 cases, with a higher prevalence of male patients, higher GPT values and a higher prevalence of patients aged 20‐39 years compared with older (2010‐2015) cases. Homosexual intercourse was reported as the HAV risk factor in 70.2% of patients. HIV serology was available for 120 patients: 24 were HIV‐positive, four of whom represented new diagnoses. HIV‐positive patients showed lower bilirubin and GPT values and fewer hospitalizations than HIV‐negative patients.ConclusionsIn 2016–2017, we saw a rise in the number of hepatitis A cases, with a higher prevalence of adult male patients. No significant differences regarding the prevalence of HIV coinfection emerged.
Mental health assessment: Inference, explanation, and coherence
Authors: Thagard Paul , Larocque Laurette 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMental health professionals such as psychiatrists and psychotherapists assess their patients by identifying disorders that explain their symptoms. This assessment requires an inference to the best explanation that compares different disorders with respect to how well they explain the available evidence. Such comparisons are captured by the theory of explanatory coherence that states 7 principles for evaluating competing hypotheses in the light of evidence. The computational model ECHO shows how explanatory coherence can be efficiently computed. We show the applicability of explanatory coherence to mental health assessment by modelling a case of psychiatric interviewing and a case of psychotherapeutic evaluation. We argue that this approach is more plausible than Bayesian inference and hermeneutic interpretation.
Management of Challenging Esthetic Anterior Cases with Limited Restorative Space: A Clinical Report
Authors: Afify Ahmed , Haney Stephan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractWith careful restorative planning and surgical placement, dental implants can be used to support and retain a wide range of esthetic prostheses. When implant planning or surgical executions are less than ideal, however, the resulting restorative space can be a significant obstacle to successful treatment. The aim of this article is to describe the use of a customized anterior bar to support a partial overdenture prosthesis for a youthful patient with a high smile line and a limited restorative space of 6 mm. Details of the treatment and an illustration of the customized design are also presented.
Epothilone D accelerates disease progression in the SOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Clark J. A. , Blizzard C. A. , Breslin M. C. , Yeaman E. J. , Lee K. M. , Chuckowree J. A. , Dickson T. C. 
Published: January 2018

AimsDegeneration of the distal neuromuscular circuitry is a hallmark pathology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The potential for microtubule dysfunction to be a critical pathophysiological mechanism in the destruction of this circuitry is increasingly being appreciated. Stabilization of microtubules to improve neuronal integrity and pathology has been shown to be a particularly favourable approach in other neurodegenerative diseases. We present evidence here that treatment with the microtubule‐targeting compound Epothilone D (EpoD) both positively and negatively affects the spinal neuromuscular circuitry in the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS.MethodsSOD1G93A mice were treated every 5 days with 2 mg/kg EpoD. Evaluation of motor behaviour, neurological phenotype and survival was completed, with age‐dependent histological characterization also conducted, using the thy1‐YFP mouse. Motor neuron degeneration, axonal integrity, neuromuscular junction (NMJ) health and gliosis were also assessed.ResultsEpoD treatment prevented loss of the spinal motor neuron soma, and distal axon degeneration, early in the disease course. This, however, was not associated with protection of the NMJ synapse and did not improve motor phenotype or clinical progression. EpoD administration was also found to be neurotoxic at later disease stages. This was evidenced by accelerated motor neuron cell body loss, increasing gliosis, and was associated with detrimental outcomes to motor behaviour, clinical assessment and survival.ConclusionsThe results suggest that EpoD accelerates disease progression in the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS, and highlights that the pathophysiological involvement of microtubules in ALS is an evolving and underappreciated phenomenon.
Phytophthora oleae sp. nov. causing fruit rot of olive in southern Italy
Authors: Ruano‐Rosa D. , Schena L. , Agosteo G. E. , Magnano di San Lio G. , Cacciola S. O. 
Published: January 2018

A homothallic Phytophthora species was found to be consistently associated with a rot of mature fruits of two local cultivars of olive (Olea europaea) in Calabria, southern Italy. The phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 region and cox1 gene enabled its identification as a new species of clade 2, with a basal position compared to previously described subclades. The new species is described formally with the epithet Phytophthora oleae, referring to the natural matrix from which it was isolated. A unique combination of molecular and morphological characters clearly separates P. oleae from other already described Phytophthora species. This new species produced semipapillate, occasionally bipapillate, persistent sporangia on simple sympodially branching sporangiophores as well as globose and smooth‐walled oogonia, paragynous antheridia and spherical, plerotic oospores. The pathogenicity of P. oleae was confirmed in inoculation trials on fruits of three olive cultivars, including the two local cultivars from which the pathogen had been isolated.
Hyperpycnal delivery of sand to the continental shelf: Insights from the Jurassic Lajas Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina
Authors: Steel Elisabeth , Simms Alexander R. , Steel Ronald , Olariu Cornel 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHyperpycnal currents are river‐derived turbidity currents capable of transporting significant volumes of sediment from the shoreline onto the shelf and potentially further to deep ocean basins. However, their capacity to deposit sand bodies on the continental shelf is poorly understood. Shelf hyperpycnites remain an overlooked depositional element in source to sink systems, primarily due to their limited recognition in the rock record. Recent discoveries of modern shelf hyperpycnites, and previous work describing hyperpycnites deposited in slope or deep‐water settings, provide a valuable framework for understanding and recognizing shelf hyperpycnites in the rock record. This article describes well‐sorted lobate sand bodies on the continental shelf of the Neuquén Basin, Argentina, interpreted to have been deposited by hyperpycnal currents. These hyperpycnites of the Jurassic Lajas Formation are characterized by well‐sorted, medium‐grained, parallel‐laminated sandstones with hundreds of metre extensive, decimetre thick beds encased by organic‐rich, thinly laminated sandstone and siltstone. These deposits represent slightly obliquely‐migrating sand lobes fed by small rivers and deposited on the continental shelf. Hyperpycnites of the Lajas Formation highlight several unique characteristics of hyperpycnal deposits, including their distinctively thick horizontal laminae attributed to pulsing of the hyperpycnal currents, the extraction of coarse gravel due to low flow competence, and the extraction of mud due to lofting of light interstitial fluid. Recognition of shelf hyperpycnites in the Lajas Formation of the Neuquén Basin allows for a broader understanding of shelf processes and adds to the developing facies models of hyperpycnites. Recognizing and understanding the geometry and internal architecture of shelf hyperpycnites will improve current understanding of sediment transfer from rivers to deeper water, will improve palaeoenvironmental interpretations of sediment gravity‐flow deposits, and has implications for modelling potentially high‐quality hydrocarbon reservoirs.
Risk factors for recurrence of pressure ulcers after defect reconstruction
Authors: Wurzer Paul , Winter Raimund , Stemmer Sebastian O. , Ivancic Josipa , Lebo Patricia B. , Hundeshagen Gabriel , Cambiaso‐Daniel Janos , Quehenberger Franz , Kamolz Lars‐Peter , Lumenta David B. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPatients suffering from pressure ulcers remain to be a challenging task for nursing staff and doctors in the daily clinical management, putting—notably in the case of recurrences—additional strain on the constantly reduced resources in public healthcare. We aimed to assess the risk factors for the recurrence of pressure ulcers at our institution, a tertiary referral center. In this retrospective analysis of patients admitted to our division we identified risk factors for pressure ulcer recurrence. The hospital patient database search included all patients with a diagnosis of pressure ulcers of the torso and lower extremity. One hundred sixty‐three patients were diagnosed with pressure ulcers and 55 patients with 63 pressure ulcers met our inclusion criteria. The 17 recurrences (27%) had an average follow‐up of 728 days. Most presented with lesions of the ischial tuberosity (n=24). Recurrence was statistically associated with defect size (p = 0.013, Cox regression analysis), and serum albumin levels (p = 0.045, Spearman correlation), but no association was found for body mass index, bacterial profile, comorbidities, localization, previous surgery, or time‐to‐admission for reconstruction (all p > 0.05). Supported by the recent literature we identified factors like defect size to be associated with pressure ulcer recurrence, but not with time‐to admission for reconstruction or number of previous debridements. Whether laboratory values like serum albumin levels were the cause, the result or associated with pressure ulcer recurrence warrants further investigation.
Resilience Quantification for Probabilistic Design of Cyber-Physical
System Networks
Authors: Wang Yan 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are the physical systems of which individual components have functional identities in both physical and cyber spaces. Given the vastly diversified CPS components in dynamically evolving networks, designing an open and resilient architecture with flexibility and adaptability thus is important. To enable a resilience engineering approach for systems design, quantitative measures of resilience have been proposed by researchers. Yet, domain-dependent system performance metrics are required to quantify resilience. In this paper, generic system performance metrics for CPS are proposed, which are entropy, conditional entropy, and mutual information associated with the probabilities of successful prediction and communication. A new probabilistic design framework for CPS network architecture is also proposed for resilience engineering, where several information fusion rules can be applied for data processing at the nodes. Sensitivities of metrics with respect to the probabilistic measurements are studied. Fine-grained discrete-event simulation models of communication networks are used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed metrics.
Population Pharmacokinetics and Dosing Optimization of Ceftazidime in Infants
Authors: Shi Zhong-Ren , Chen Xing-Kai , Tian Li-Yuan , Wang Ya-Kun , Zhang Gu-Ying , Dong Lei , Jirasomprasert Totsapol , Jacqz-Aigrain Evelyne , Zhao Wei 
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT

Ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin, can be used for the treatment of adults and children with infections due to susceptible bacteria. To date, the pediatric pharmacokinetic data are limited in infants, and therefore we aimed to evaluate the population pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime in infants and to define the appropriate dose to optimize ceftazidime treatment. Blood samples were collected from children treated with ceftazidime, and concentrations of the drug were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV). A population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using NONMEM software
(
version 7.2.0). Fifty-one infants
(
age range, 0.1 to 2.0 years
)
were included. Sparse pharmacokinetic samples
(
n
= 90
)
were available for analysis. A one-compartment model with first-order elimination showed the best fit with the data. A covariate analysis identified that body weight and creatinine clearance (CL
CR
) were significant covariates influencing ceftazidime clearance. Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated that the currently used dosing regimen of 50 mg
/
kg twice daily was associated with a high risk of underdosing in infants. In order to reach the target of 70% of the time that the free antimicrobial drug concentration exceeds the MIC (
fT
>MIC
), 25 mg/kg every 8 h (q8h) and 50 mg/kg q8h were required for MICs of 4 and 8 mg/liter, respectively. The population pharmacokinetic characteristics of ceftazidime were evaluated in infants. An evidence-based dosing regimen was established based on simulation.
Regulation of the CRISPR-Associated Genes by Rv2837c (CnpB) via an Orn-Like Activity in Tuberculosis Complex Mycobacteria
Authors: Zhang Yang , Yang Jun , Bai Guangchun 
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and the CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) provide bacteria and archaea with adaptive immunity to specific DNA invaders.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
encodes a type III CRISPR-Cas system that has not been experimentally explored. In this study, we found that the CRISPR-Cas systems of both
M. tuberculosis
and
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG were highly upregulated by deletion of Rv2837c (
cnpB
), which encodes a multifunctional protein that hydrolyzes cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP), cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP), and nanoRNAs (short oligonucleotides of 5 or fewer residues). By using genetic and biochemical approaches, we demonstrated that the CnpB-controlled transcriptional regulation of the CRISPR-Cas system is mediated by an Orn-like activity rather than by hydrolyzing the cyclic dinucleotides. Additionally, our results revealed that tuberculosis (TB) complex mycobacteria are functional in processing CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs), which are also more abundant in the Δ
cnpB
strain than in the parent strain. The elevated crRNA levels in the Δ
cnpB
strain could be partially reduced by expressing
Escherichia coli orn
. Our findings provide new insight into transcriptional regulation of bacterial CRISPR-Cas systems.

IMPORTANCE
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and the CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) provide adaptive immunity to specific DNA invaders.
M. tuberculosis
encodes a type III CRISPR-Cas system that has not been experimentally explored. In this study, we first demonstrated that the CRISPR-Cas systems in tuberculosis (TB) complex mycobacteria are functional in processing CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs). We also showed that Rv2837c (CnpB) controls the expression of the CRISPR-Cas systems in TB complex mycobacteria through an oligoribonuclease (Orn)-like activity, which is very likely mediated by nanoRNA. Since little is known about regulation of CRISPR-Cas systems, our findings provide new insight into transcriptional regulation of bacterial CRISPR-Cas systems.