bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nationwide survey of Helicobacter pylori treatment for children and adolescents in Japan
Authors: Okuda Masumi , Kikuchi Shogo , Mabe Katsuhiro , Osaki Takako , Kamiya Shigeru , Fukuda Yoshihiro , Kato Mototsugu 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBackgroundTo prevent gastric cancer, a test‐and‐treat strategy for Helicobacter pylori has been proposed. This retrospective study assessed the clinical features, efficacy and safety of treatment for H. pylori infection in children and adolescents.MethodsQuestionnaires concerning the clinical features and treatment of H. pylori in children and adolescents were sent to doctors in 2013. It included questions on patient background, H. pylori‐associated disease, first‐ and second‐line treatment, success or failure of eradication, resistance to antibiotics, and occurrence of adverse events. In 2014, serious adverse events associated with treatment were analyzed.ResultsInvitation letters and questionnaires were sent to 1097 doctors, of whom 409 (37.3%) participated. Finally, 332 patients (mean age, 11.6 ± 3.4 years; male, n = 200) treated from 1997 to 2013 were analyzed. H. pylori‐associated gastritis, iron deficiency anemia, and duodenal ulcer occurred most frequently. Success rates for first‐ and second‐line treatments were 73.1% and 79.6%, respectively. Seventy‐six H. pylori strains were analyzed for resistance to amoxicillin (AMPC) and clarithromycin (CAM), and 64 were analyzed for resistance to metronidazole (MNZ). CAM resistance was most frequent, occurring in 43.4% of patients; that of MNZ was 21.9%. Adverse events were observed in 13.8% of cases. In total, 587 cases of H. pylori infection were analyzed and no serious adverse events were observed.ConclusionsTreatment for H. pylori in children and adolescents is safe, but further studies on treatment regimens should be conducted to improve eradication rates and monitor increasing CAM resistance.
Synthesis of TiO2/CNT Composites and its Photocatalytic Activity Toward Sudan (I) Degradation
Authors: Miribangul Amat , Ma Xiaoli , Zeng Chen , Zou Huan , Wu Yahui , Fan Tengpeng , Su Zhi 
Published: May 2016

AbstractSemiconductor photocatalysis has the potential for achieving sustainable energy generation and degrading organic contaminants. In TiO2, the addition of carbonaceous nanomaterials has attracted extensive attention as a means to increase its photocatalytic activity. In this study, composites of TiO2 and carbon nanotubes (CNT) in various proportions were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The crystalline structures, morphologies, and light absorption properties of the TiO2/CNT photocatalysts were characterized by PXRD, TEM and UV–Vis absorption spectra. The photocatalytic efficiency of the composites was evaluated by the degradation of Sudan (I) in UV–Vis light. Introducing 0.1–0.5 wt% CNT was shown to substantially improve the photoactivity of TiO2. The composite with 0.3 wt% CNT showed the best catalytic activity, and its reaction activation energy was calculated as 39.57 kJ mol−1 from experimental rates. The degradation products of Sudan (I) with different irradiation durations were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and a degradation reaction process was proposed.
Remittances and the Effectiveness of Foreign Aid
Authors: Minasyan Anna , Nunnenkamp Peter 
Published: May 2016

AbstractWe argue that donors could improve the effectiveness of foreign aid by pursuing complementary and coherent non‐aid policies. In particular, we hypothesize that aid has stronger growth effects if recipients receive more aid from donors who allow for (temporary) worker mobility and (more permanent) migration. We focus on overall remittances paid by the donor countries to proxy for worker mobility and migration. Our empirical results support the hypothesis that higher remittances paid by donor countries strengthen the growth effects of foreign aid.
Plastic mulching increased soil CO2 concentration and emissions from an oasis cotton field in Central Asia
Authors: Yu Y. , Zhao C. , Stahr K. , Zhao X. , Jia H. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAlthough previous researchers suggest that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are influenced by plastic mulching, the effects of this method on soil CO2 concentration and emissions remain uncertain. Soil CO2 concentration and emissions from ridge and furrow soils under mulched and nonmulched treatments in 2014 and 2015 were measured. The soil CO2 concentration was observed using modified diffusion equilibrium samplers, and the soil CO2 emissions were measured using a closed‐chamber method. In the ridge soil, although the plastic mulching increased the CO2 concentration by 49% (0–40 cm), no significant difference in CO2 emissions was found between the mulched and nonmulched treatments. Accordingly, the relationship between soil CO2 concentration and CO2 emissions was affected by plastic mulching, with a lower slope of the linear equation found in the mulched treatment compared to the nonmulched treatment. In the furrow soil, the plastic mulching increased the CO2 concentration and emissions by 15% and 21%, respectively. In conclusion, plastic mulching significantly increased the CO2 concentration in both the ridge and furrow soils and increased the cumulative CO2 emissions by 8%. The temperature sensitivity of the soil CO2 concentration increased with soil depth, whereas the plastic mulching only influenced the temperature sensitivity of the soil CO2 concentration in both the ridge and furrow soils at a depth of 40 cm. Our results suggest that the temperature sensitivity of the soil CO2 concentration not only reflects the effects of temperature on CO2 production but also indicates poor diffusion in the deep profile.
Phylogeny and species delimitation of North European Lumbricillus (Clitellata, Enchytraeidae)
Authors: Klinth Mårten J. , Martinsson Svante , Erséus Christer 
Published: May 2016

The enchytraeid genus Lumbricillus comprises about 80 described species of clitellate worms, which are up to a few centimetres long, and they mostly inhabit the littoral zone of non‐tropical marine and brackish waters world‐wide. The phylogeny of this genus is poorly studied, but previous work has suggested that Lumbricillus is a non‐monophyletic group. In this study, species boundaries and the phylogeny of this genus is re‐assessed using more than 300 DNA‐barcoded specimens (using COI mtDNA), part of which was also sequenced for two additional mitochondrial and four nuclear molecular markers. Statistical and coalescent based applications were used for the delimitation of a total of 24 species, of which 20 were identified as belonging to 17 described morphospecies; one morphospecies was found to be a complex of four delimited species, and another four delimited species could not be matched with any described species. Furthermore, gene trees, concatenation and multispecies coalescent based species trees were estimated using Bayesian inference. The estimated phylogenies confirm a non‐monophyletic Lumbricillus as L. semifuscus is clearly excluded from the genus. Furthermore, the placement of a monophyletic clade consisting of L. arenarius, L. dubius, and an unidentified species varies between analyses; they are either found as the sister‐group to the genus Grania or as sister‐group to the remaining Lumbricillus, where the latter relationship is supported by the multispecies coalescent, which we consider as the most reliable method.
Staphylococcus aureus Protein A Mediates Interspecies Interactions at the Cell Surface of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Armbruster Catherine R. , Wolter Daniel J. , Mishra Meenu , Hayden Hillary S. , Radey Matthew C. , Merrihew Gennifer , MacCoss Michael J. , Burns Jane , Wozniak Daniel J. , Parsek Matthew R. , Hoffman Lucas R. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACT

While considerable research has focused on the properties of individual bacteria, relatively little is known about how microbial interspecies interactions alter bacterial behaviors and pathogenesis.
Staphylococcus aureus
frequently coinfects with other pathogens in a range of different infectious diseases. For example, coinfection by
S. aureus
with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
occurs commonly in people with cystic fibrosis and is associated with higher lung disease morbidity and mortality.
S. aureus
secretes numerous exoproducts that are known to interact with host tissues, influencing inflammatory responses. The abundantly secreted
S. aureus
staphylococcal protein A (SpA) binds a range of human glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, and other molecules, with diverse effects on the host, including inhibition of phagocytosis of
S. aureus
cells. However, the potential effects of SpA and other
S. aureus
exoproducts on coinfecting bacteria have not been explored. Here, we show that
S. aureus
-secreted products, including SpA, significantly alter two behaviors associated with persistent infection. We found that SpA inhibited biofilm formation by specific
P. aeruginosa
clinical isolates, and it also inhibited phagocytosis by neutrophils of all isolates tested. Our results indicate that these effects were mediated by binding to at least two
P. aeruginosa
cell surface structures—type IV pili and the exopolysaccharide Psl—that confer attachment to surfaces and to other bacterial cells. Thus, we found that the role of a well-studied
S. aureus
exoproduct, SpA, extends well beyond interactions with the host immune system. Secreted SpA alters multiple persistence-associated behaviors of another common microbial community member, likely influencing cocolonization and coinfection with other microbes.

IMPORTANCE
Bacteria rarely exist in isolation, whether on human tissues or in the environment, and they frequently coinfect with other microbes. However, relatively little is known about how microbial interspecies interactions alter bacterial behaviors and pathogenesis. We identified a novel interaction between two bacterial species that frequently infect together—
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. We show that the
S. aureus
-secreted protein staphylococcal protein A (SpA), which is well-known for interacting with host targets, also binds to specific
P. aeruginosa
cell surface molecules and alters two persistence-associated
P. aeruginosa
behaviors: biofilm formation and uptake by host immune cells. Because
S. aureus
frequently precedes
P. aeruginosa
in chronic infections, these findings reveal how microbial community interactions can impact persistence and host interactions during coinfections.
Antagonism of the Sodium-Potassium ATPase Impairs Chikungunya Virus Infection
Authors: Ashbrook Alison W. , Lentscher Anthony J. , Zamora Paula F. , Silva Laurie A. , May Nicholas A. , Bauer Joshua A. , Morrison Thomas E. , Dermody Terence S. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACT
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerging alphavirus that has caused epidemics of fever, arthralgia, and rash worldwide. There are currently no licensed vaccines or antiviral therapies available for the prevention or treatment of CHIKV disease. We conducted a high-throughput, chemical compound screen that identified digoxin, a cardiac glycoside that blocks the sodium-potassium ATPase, as a potent inhibitor of CHIKV infection. Treatment of human cells with digoxin or a related cardiac glycoside, ouabain, resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in infection by CHIKV. Inhibition by digoxin was cell type-specific, as digoxin treatment of either murine or mosquito cells did not diminish CHIKV infection. Digoxin displayed antiviral activity against other alphaviruses, including Ross River virus and Sindbis virus, as well as mammalian reovirus and vesicular stomatitis virus. The digoxin-mediated block to CHIKV and reovirus infection occurred at one or more postentry steps, as digoxin inhibition was not bypassed by fusion of CHIKV at the plasma membrane or infection with cell surface-penetrating reovirus entry intermediates. Selection of digoxin-resistant CHIKV variants identified multiple mutations in the nonstructural proteins required for replication complex formation and synthesis of viral RNA. These data suggest a role for the sodium-potassium ATPase in promoting postentry steps of CHIKV replication and provide rationale for modulation of this pathway as a broad-spectrum antiviral strategy.

IMPORTANCE
Mitigation of disease induced by globally spreading, mosquito-borne arthritogenic alphaviruses requires the development of new antiviral strategies. High-throughput screening of clinically tested compounds provides a rapid means to identify undiscovered, antiviral functions for well-characterized therapeutics and illuminate host pathways required for viral infection. Our study describes the potent inhibition of Chikungunya virus and related alphaviruses by the cardiac glycoside digoxin and demonstrates a function for the sodium-potassium ATPase in Chikungunya virus infection.
Multicentre prospective survey of SeHCAT provision and practice in the UK
Authors: Summers Jennifer A , Peacock Janet , Coker Bolaji , McMillan Viktoria , Ofuya Mercy , Lewis Cornelius , Keevil Stephen , Logan Robert , McLaughlin John , Reid Fiona 
Published: May 2016

ObjectiveA clinical diagnosis of bile acid malabsorption (BAM) can be confirmed using SeHCAT (tauroselcholic (75selenium) acid), a radiolabelled synthetic bile acid. However, while BAM can be the cause of chronic diarrhoea, it is often overlooked as a potential diagnosis. Therefore, we investigated the use of SeHCAT for diagnosis of BAM in UK hospitals.DesignA multicentre survey was conducted capturing centre and patient-level information detailing patient care-pathways, clinical history, SeHCAT results, treatment with bile acid sequestrants (BAS), and follow-up in clinics. Eligible data from 38 centres and 1036 patients were entered into a validated management system.ResultsSeHCAT protocol varied between centres, with no standardised patient positioning, and differing referral systems. Surveyed patients had a mean age of 50 years and predominantly women (65%). The mean SeHCAT retention score for all patients was 19% (95% CI 17.8% to 20.3%). However, this differed with suspected BAM type: type 1: 9% (95% CI 6.3% to 11.4%), type 2: 21% (95% CI 19.2% to 23.0%) and type 3: 22% (95% CI 19.6% to 24.2%). Centre-defined ‘abnormal’ and ‘borderline’ results represented over 50% of the survey population. BAS treatment was prescribed to only 73% of patients with abnormal results.ConclusionsThe study identified a lack of consistent cut-off/threshold values, with differing centre criteria for defining an ‘abnormal’ SeHCAT result. BAS prescription was not related in a simple way to the SeHCAT result, nor to the centre-defined result, highlighting a lack of clear patient care-pathways. There is a clear need for a future diagnostic accuracy study and a better understanding of optimal management pathways.
State-level and community-level salt reduction initiatives: a systematic review of global programmes and their impact
Authors: Christoforou Anthea , Trieu Kathy , Land Mary-Anne , Bolam Bruce , Webster Jacqui 
Published: May 2016

BackgroundHigh-salt diets are linked to elevated blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, particularly stroke. State and community salt reduction strategies may complement nationally led initiatives and contribute to achieving global salt reduction targets. We aim to systematically review such interventions and document reported impact where programmes have been evaluated.MethodsElectronic databases were searched up to June 2015 using terms ‘salt’ or ‘sodium’ and ‘state’ and ‘community’ in combination with ‘campaign’, ‘initiative’, ‘project’, ‘strategy’, ‘intervention’ or ‘programme’. Data from evaluated and unevaluated interventions were included. Studies were analysed in relation to intervention components and outcome measures and appraised for quality using a Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool.Results39 state and community programmes were identified. Settings varied from whole communities (n=23), state-owned buildings (n=5), schools (n=7), workplaces (n=3) and correctional facilities (n=1). Strategies included nutrition education programmes, public education campaigns, changes to the food environment, other ‘novel’ approaches and multifaceted approaches. Of the 28 studies that evaluated intervention effectiveness, significant reductions were observed in terms of salt intake from dietary assessment (n=7), urinary sodium excretion (n=8), blood pressure (n=11) and sodium in foods (n=9). Six studies reported positive changes in consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. All but two studies had some methodological limitations.ConclusionsState and community salt reduction programmes may be effective in a range of settings but more robust evaluation methods are needed. Scaling up these efforts in coordination with national initiatives could provide the most effective and sustainable approach to reducing population salt intake.
Evaluation of 10‐minute versus 30‐minute tourniquet time for intravenous regional limb perfusion with amikacin sulfate in standing sedated horses
Authors: Kilcoyne I. , Dechant J. E. , Nieto J. E. 
Published: May 2016

The objective of the article is to determine the synovial fluid concentrations of amikacin sulfate (AS) after performing an intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with the tourniquet in place for 10 minutes and compare this with 30 minutes. This is a randomised crossover experimental design. Animals were seven healthy adult horses. Horses underwent two IVRLP procedures in a randomised, crossover design. The horses received IVRLP with 2 g AS diluted to 60 ml using 0.9% saline in the cephalic vein of alternate limbs with the tourniquet in place for either 10 or 30 minutes, with a washout period between procedures. Movement of the horses was recorded. Synovial fluid was collected from the radiocarpal and metacarpophalangeal joints at five minutes and 24 hours after IVRLP, and amikacin concentration was compared between groups. Amikacin was quantified by a fluorescence polarisation immunoassay. There was no significant difference between the synovial amikacin concentrations noted between 10 minute and 30 minute IVRLP. Horses in the 30 minute tourniquet application group demonstrated more movement than the 10 minute tourniquet group. There was a significant difference between groups with regard to the systemic venous blood concentration of amikacin one minute after tourniquet release with mean systemic venous blood concentrations of AS being higher (P=0.001) in the 10 minute group. Ten minute application of a wide elastic tourniquet may be sufficient when performing IVRLP in standing sedated horses.
MicroRNA-211 Enhances the Oncogenicity of Carcinogen-Induced Oral Carcinoma by Repressing TCF12 and Increasing Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Chen Yi-Fen , Yang Cheng-Chieh , Kao Shou-Yen , Liu Chung-Ji , Lin Shu-Chun , Chang Kuo-Wei 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
miR-211 expression in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been implicated in poor patient survival. To investigate the oncogenic roles of miR-211, we generated K14-EGFP-miR-211 transgenic mice tagged with GFP. Induction of oral carcinogenesis in transgenic mice using 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) resulted in more extensive and severe tongue tumorigenesis compared with control animals. We found that 4NQO and arecoline upregulated miR-211 expression in OSCC cells. In silico and experimental evidence further revealed that miR-211 directly targeted transcription factor 12 (TCF12), which mediated suppressor activities in OSCC cells and was drastically downregulated in tumor tissues. We used GeneChip analysis and bioinformatic algorithms to identify transcriptional targets of TCF12 and confirmed through reporter and ChIP assays that family with sequence similarity 213, member A (FAM213A), a peroxiredoxin-like antioxidative protein, was repressed transcriptionally by TCF12. FAM213A silencing in OSCC cells diminished oncogenic activity, reduced the ALDH1-positive cell population, and increased reactive oxygen species. TCF12 and FAM213A expression was correlated inversely in head and neck carcinoma samples according to The Cancer Genome Atlas. OSCC patients bearing tumors with high FAM213A expression tended to have worse survival. Furthermore, 4NQO treatment downregulated TCF12 and upregulated FAM213A by modulating miR-211 both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our findings develop a mouse model that recapitulates the molecular and histopathologic alterations of human OSCC pathogenesis and highlight a new miRNA-mediated oncogenic mechanism. Cancer Res; 76(16); 4872–86. ©2016 AACR.
Tissue Factor Induced by Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Triggers a Procoagulant State That Drives Metastasis of Circulating Tumor Cells
Authors: Bourcy Morgane , Suarez-Carmona Meggy , Lambert Justine , Francart Marie-Emilie , Schroeder Hélène , Delierneux Céline , Skrypek Nicolas , Thompson Erik W. , Jérusalem Guy , Berx Geert , Thiry Marc , Blacher Silvia , Hollier Brett G. , Noël Agnès , Oury Cécile , Polette Myriam , Gilles Christine 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is prominent in circulating tumor cells (CTC), but how it influences metastatic spread in this setting is obscure. Insofar as blood provides a specific microenvironment for tumor cells, we explored a potential link between EMT and coagulation that may provide EMT-positive CTCs with enhanced colonizing properties. Here we report that EMT induces tissue factor (TF), a major cell-associated initiator of coagulation and related procoagulant properties in the blood. TF blockade by antibody or shRNA diminished the procoagulant activity of EMT-positive cells, confirming a functional role for TF in these processes. Silencing the EMT transcription factor ZEB1 inhibited both EMT-associated TF expression and coagulant activity, further strengthening the link between EMT and coagulation. Accordingly, EMT-positive cells exhibited a higher persistance/survival in the lungs of mice colonized after intravenous injection, a feature diminished by TF or ZEB1 silencing. In tumor cells with limited metastatic capability, enforcing expression of the EMT transcription factor Snail increased TF, coagulant properties, and early metastasis. Clinically, we identified a subpopulation of CTC expressing vimentin and TF in the blood of metastatic breast cancer patients consistent with our observations. Overall, our findings define a novel EMT–TF regulatory axis that triggers local activation of coagulation pathways to support metastatic colonization of EMT-positive CTCs. Cancer Res; 76(14); 4270–82. ©2016 AACR.