bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Educating Family Caregivers for Older Adults About Delirium: A Systematic Review
Authors: Bull Margaret J. , Boaz Lesley , Jermé Martha 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTBackgroundDelirium in older adults is considered a medical emergency; it contributes to a cascade of functional decline and to increased mortality. Early recognition of delirium symptoms is critical to prevent these negative consequences. Family caregivers who are educated about delirium could partner with nurses and other healthcare professionals in early recognition of delirium symptoms. Before implementing such partnership models, it is important to examine the effectiveness of educating family caregivers about delirium.AimsTo examine whether providing education on delirium to family caregivers improved their knowledge, emotional state, or response in reducing the incidence of delirium in older adults.MethodsFor this systematic review, we conducted literature searches in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Social Sciences in ProQuest, Dissertations and Theses, and the Virginia Henderson Global Nursing eRepository for studies published in the English language between January 2000 and June 2015. Criteria for inclusion were: (a) primary focus on educating family caregivers for older adults about delirium; (b) use of experimental, quasi‐experimental, or comparative design; (c) measured family caregiver outcomes of delirium knowledge, emotional state, or response in reducing delirium incidence in older adults; and (d) published in the English language. Articles were appraised using Melnyk's rapid critical appraisal guides.ResultsSeven studies met the review criteria. Four studies found that family caregivers’ delirium knowledge increased; two noted that delirium incidence in older adults declined; and one study reported less distress following receipt of education.Linking Evidence to ActionProviding family caregivers with information about delirium can be beneficial for both family caregivers and older adults. However, rigorous evaluation of education programs for family caregivers about delirium is needed.
Feral Swine Leptospira Seroprevalence Survey in Hawaii, USA, 2007–2009
Authors: Buchholz A. E. , Katz A. R. , Galloway R. , Stoddard R. A. , Goldstein S. M. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryLeptospirosis is considered the most widespread of zoonotic diseases. It was a notifiable disease in the United States until 1995 and was reinstated to the list of nationally notifiable diseases in 2014. During the time of national surveillance, Hawaii consistently led the nation in reported annual incidence rates. Leptospirosis has remained a reportable disease in Hawaii. Significant changes have been documented since the early 1970s in the predominant serogroup infecting humans in Hawaii: infections due to Icterohaemorrhagiae have declined while infections due to Australis have increased. A recent study from Hawaii demonstrated that Australis was an uncommon infecting serogroup for small mammal hosts. Swine have not been previously studied in Hawaii but are well‐recognized maintenance hosts for leptospires belonging to the Australis serogroup. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of Leptospira antibody in feral swine in Hawaii. From January 2007 through December 2009, blood samples were collected opportunistically from feral swine. Using the microscopic agglutination test, we found antibody titres ≥1 : 100 to leptospires in 272 (33.8%) of 804 feral swine. The most frequently reacting serovars to the swine sera were Icterohaemorrhagiae (Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup) (41.5%) and Bratislava (Australis serogroup) (33.8%). The high seroprevalence and presumptively infecting serovars suggest a link between swine and human infection.
Repeated ischaemic preconditioning: a novel therapeutic intervention and potential underlying mechanisms
Authors: Thijssen Dick H. J. , Maxwell Joseph , Green Daniel J. , Cable N. Timothy , Jones Helen 
Published: March 2016

New Findings
What is the topic of this review?
This review discusses the effects of repeated exposure of tissue to ischaemic preconditioning on cardiovascular function, the attendant adaptations and their potential clinical relevance.
What advances does it highlight?
We discuss the effects of episodic exposure to ischaemic preconditioning to prevent and/or attenuate ischaemic injury and summarize evidence pertaining to improvements in cardiovascular function and structure. Discussion is provided regarding the potential mechanisms that contribute to both local and systemic adaptation. Findings suggest that clinical benefits result from both the prevention of ischaemic events and the attenuation of their consequences.
Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) refers to the phenomenon whereby short periods of cyclical tissue ischaemia confer subsequent protection against ischaemia‐induced injury. As a consequence, IPC can ameliorate the myocardial damage following infarction and can reduce infarct size. The ability of IPC to confer remote protection makes IPC a potentially feasible cardioprotective strategy. In this review, we discuss the concept that repeated exposure of tissue to IPC may increase the ‘dose’ of protection and subsequently lead to enhanced protection against ischaemia‐induced myocardial injury. This may be relevant for clinical populations, who demonstrate attenuated efficacy of IPC to prevent or attenuate ischaemic injury (and therefore myocardial infarct size). Furthermore, episodic IPC facilitates repeated exposure to local (e.g. shear stress) and systemic stimuli (e.g. hormones, cytokines, blood‐borne substances), which may induce improvement in vascular function and health. Such adaptation may contribute to prevention of cardio‐ and cerebrovascular events. The clinical benefits of repeated IPC may, therefore, result from both the prevention of ischaemic events and the attenuation of their consequences. We provide an overview of the literature pertaining to the impact of repeated IPC on cardiovascular function, related to both local and remote adaptation, as well as potential clinical implications.
Framing the grid: effect of boundaries on grid cells and navigation
Authors: Krupic Julija , Bauza Marius , Burton Stephen , O'Keefe John 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCells in the mammalian hippocampal formation subserve neuronal representations of environmental location and support navigation in familiar environments. Grid cells constitute one of the main cell types in the hippocampal formation and are widely believed to represent a universal metric of space independent of external stimuli. Recent evidence showing that grid symmetry is distorted in non‐symmetrical environments suggests that a re‐examination of this hypothesis is warranted. In this review we will discuss behavioural and physiological evidence for how environmental shape and in particular enclosure boundaries influence grid cell firing properties. We propose that grid cells encode the geometric layout of enclosures.
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Presynaptic BK channels control transmitter release: physiological relevance and potential therapeutic implications
Authors: Griguoli Marilena , Sgritta Martina , Cherubini Enrico 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBK channels are large conductance potassium channels characterized by four pore‐forming α subunits, often co‐assembled with auxiliary β and γ subunits to regulate Ca2+ sensitivity, voltage dependence and gating properties. Abundantly expressed in the CNS, they have the peculiar characteristic of being activated by both voltage and intracellular calcium rise. The increase in intracellular calcium via voltage‐dependent calcium channels (Cav) during spiking triggers conformational changes and BK channel opening. This narrows the action potential and induces a fast after‐hyperpolarization that shuts calcium channels. The tight coupling between BK and Cav channels at presynaptic active zones makes them particularly suitable for regulating calcium entry and neurotransmitter release. While in most synapses, BK channels exert a negative control on transmitter release under basal conditions, in others they do so only under pathological conditions, serving as an emergency brake to protect against hyperactivity. In particular cases, by interacting with other channels (i.e. limiting the activation of the delayed rectifier and the inactivation of Na+ channels), BK channels induce spike shortening, increase in firing rate and transmitter release. Changes in transmitter release following BK channel dysfunction have been implicated in several neurological disorders including epilepsy, schizophrenia, fragile X syndrome, mental retardation and autism. In particular, two mutations, one in the α and one in the β3 subunit, resulting in a gain of function have been associated with epilepsy. Hence, these discoveries have allowed identification of BK channels as new drug targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Choroidal vasculature characteristics based choroid segmentation for enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography images
Authors: Chen Qiang , Niu Sijie , Yuan Songtao , Fan Wen , Liu Qinghuai 
Published: March 2016

Purpose:In clinical research, it is important to measure choroidal thickness when eyes are affected by various diseases. The main purpose is to automatically segment choroid for enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI‐OCT) images with five B‐scans averaging.Methods:The authors present an automated choroid segmentation method based on choroidal vasculature characteristics for EDI‐OCT images with five B‐scans averaging. By considering the large vascular of the Haller's layer neighbor with the choroid‐sclera junction (CSJ), the authors measured the intensity ascending distance and a maximum intensity image in the axial direction from a smoothed and normalized EDI‐OCT image. Then, based on generated choroidal vessel image, the authors constructed the CSJ cost and constrain the CSJ search neighborhood. Finally, graph search with smooth constraints was utilized to obtain the CSJ boundary.Results:Experimental results with 49 images from 10 eyes in 8 normal persons and 270 images from 57 eyes in 44 patients with several stages of diabetic retinopathy and age‐related macular degeneration demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately segment the choroid of EDI‐OCT images with five B‐scans averaging. The mean choroid thickness difference and overlap ratio between the authors’ proposed method and manual segmentation drawn by experts were −11.43 μm and 86.29%, respectively.Conclusions:Good performance was achieved for normal and pathologic eyes, which proves that the authors’ method is effective for the automated choroid segmentation of the EDI‐OCT images with five B‐scans averaging.
Isolation and Complete Genome Sequence of Algibacter alginolytica sp. nov., a Novel Seaweed-Degrading Bacteroidetes Bacterium with Diverse Putative Polysaccharide Utilization Loci
Authors: Sun Cong , Fu Ge-yi , Zhang Chong-ya , Hu Jing , Xu Lin , Wang Rui-jun , Su Yue , Han Shuai-bo , Yu Xiao-yun , Cheng Hong , Zhang Xin-qi , Huo Ying-yi , Xu Xue-wei , Wu Min 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

The members of the phylum
Bacteroidetes
are recognized as some of the most important specialists for the degradation of polysaccharides. However, in contrast to research on
Bacteroidetes
in the human gut, research on polysaccharide degradation by marine
Bacteroidetes
is still rare. The genus
Algibacter
belongs to the
Flavobacteriaceae
family of the
Bacteroidetes
, and most species in this genus are isolated from or near the habitat of algae, indicating a preference for the complex polysaccharides of algae. In this work, a novel brown-seaweed-degrading strain designated HZ22 was isolated from the surface of a brown seaweed (
Laminaria japonica
). On the basis of its physiological, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic characteristics, it is proposed that strain HZ22 represents a novel species in the genus
Algibacter
with the proposed name
Algibacter alginolytica
sp. nov. The genome of strain HZ22, the type strain of this species, harbors 3,371 coding sequences (CDSs) and 255 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), including 104 glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and 18 polysaccharide lyases (PLs); this appears to be the highest proportion of CAZymes (∼7.5%) among the reported strains in the class
Flavobacteria
. Seventeen polysaccharide utilization loci (PUL) are predicted to be specific for marine polysaccharides, especially algal polysaccharides from red, green, and brown seaweeds. In particular, PUL N is predicted to be specific for alginate. Taking these findings together with the results of assays of crude alginate lyases, we prove that strain HZ22
T
can completely degrade alginate. This work reveals that strain HZ22
T
has good potential for the degradation of algal polysaccharides and that the structure and related mechanism of PUL in strain HZ22
T
are worth further research.
Detection and Diversity of Fungal Nitric Oxide Reductase Genes (
p450nor
) in Agricultural Soils
Authors: Higgins Steven A. , Welsh Allana , Orellana Luis H. , Konstantinidis Konstantinos T. , Chee-Sanford Joanne C. , Sanford Robert A. , Schadt Christopher W. , Löffler Frank E. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Members of the Fungi convert nitrate (NO
3
−
) and nitrite (NO
2
−
) to gaseous nitrous oxide (N
2
O) (denitrification), but the fungal contributions to N loss from soil remain uncertain. Cultivation-based methodologies that include antibiotics to selectively assess fungal activities have limitations, and complementary molecular approaches to assign denitrification potential to fungi are desirable. Microcosms established with soils from two representative U.S. Midwest agricultural regions produced N
2
O from added NO
3
−
or NO
2
−
in the presence of antibiotics to inhibit bacteria. Cultivation efforts yielded 214 fungal isolates belonging to at least 15 distinct morphological groups, 151 of which produced N
2
O from NO
2
−
. Novel PCR primers targeting the
p450nor
gene, which encodes the nitric oxide (NO) reductase responsible for N
2
O production in fungi, yielded 26 novel
p450nor
amplicons from DNA of 37 isolates and 23 amplicons from environmental DNA obtained from two agricultural soils. The sequences shared 54 to 98% amino acid identity with reference P450nor sequences within the phylum
Ascomycota
and expand the known fungal P450nor sequence diversity.
p450nor
was detected in all fungal isolates that produced N
2
O from NO
2
−
, whereas
nirK
(encoding the NO-forming NO
2
−
reductase) was amplified in only 13 to 74% of the N
2
O-forming isolates using two separate
nirK
primer sets. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the value of
p450nor
-targeted PCR to complement existing approaches to assess the fungal contributions to denitrification and N
2
O formation.

IMPORTANCE
A comprehensive understanding of the microbiota controlling soil N loss and greenhouse gas (N
2
O) emissions is crucial for sustainable agricultural practices and addressing climate change concerns. We report the design and application of a novel PCR primer set targeting fungal
p450nor
, a biomarker for fungal N
2
O production, and demonstrate the utility of the new approach to assess fungal denitrification potential in fungal isolates and agricultural soils. These new PCR primers may find application in a variety of biomes to assess the fungal contributions to N loss and N
2
O emissions.
Transcriptional Profile during Deoxycholate-Induced Sporulation in a Clostridium perfringens Isolate Causing Foodborne Illness
Authors: Yasugi Mayo , Okuzaki Daisuke , Kuwana Ritsuko , Takamatsu Hiromu , Fujita Masaya , Sarker Mahfuzur R. , Miyake Masami 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Clostridium perfringens
type A is a common source of foodborne illness (FBI) in humans. Vegetative cells sporulate in the small intestinal tract and produce the major pathogenic factor
C. perfringens
enterotoxin. Although sporulation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of FBI, the mechanisms inducing sporulation remain unclear. Bile salts were shown previously to induce sporulation, and we confirmed deoxycholate (DCA)-induced sporulation in
C. perfringens
strain NCTC8239 cocultured with human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. In the present study, we performed transcriptome analyses of strain NCTC8239 in order to elucidate the mechanism underlying DCA-induced sporulation. Of the 2,761 genes analyzed, 333 were up- or downregulated during DCA-induced sporulation and included genes for cell division, nutrient metabolism, signal transduction, and defense mechanisms. In contrast, the virulence-associated transcriptional regulators (the VirR/VirS system, the
agr
system,
codY
, and
abrB
) were not activated by DCA. DCA markedly increased the expression of signaling molecules controlled by Spo0A, the master regulator of the sporulation process, whereas the expression of
spo0A
itself was not altered in the presence or absence of DCA. The phosphorylation of Spo0A was enhanced in the presence of DCA. Collectively, these results demonstrated that DCA induced sporulation, at least partially, by facilitating the phosphorylation of Spo0A and activating Spo0A-regulated genes in strain NCTC8239 while altering the expression of various genes.

IMPORTANCE
Disease caused by
Clostridium perfringens
type A consistently ranks among the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses in humans in developed countries. The sporulation of
C. perfringens
in the small intestinal tract is a key event for its pathogenesis, but the factors and underlying mechanisms by which
C. perfringens
sporulates
in vivo
currently remain unclear. Bile salts, major components of bile, which is secreted from the liver for the emulsification of lipids, were shown to induce sporulation. However, the mechanisms underlying bile salt-induced sporulation have not yet been clarified. In the present study, we demonstrate that deoxycholate (one of the bile salts) induces sporulation by facilitating the phosphorylation of Spo0A and activating Spo0A-regulated genes using a transcriptome analysis. Thus, this study enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying sporulation, particularly that of bile salt-induced sporulation, in
C. perfringens
.
Complementation of Arginine Auxotrophy for Genetic Transformation of Coxiella burnetii by Use of a Defined Axenic Medium
Authors: Sandoz Kelsi M. , Beare Paul A. , Cockrell Diane C. , Heinzen Robert A. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Host cell-free (axenic) culture of
Coxiella burnetii
in acidified citrate cysteine medium-2 (ACCM-2) has provided important opportunities for investigating the biology of this naturally obligate intracellular pathogen and enabled the development of tools for genetic manipulation. However, ACCM-2 has complex nutrient sources that preclude a detailed study of nutritional factors required for
C. burnetii
growth. Metabolic reconstruction of
C. burnetii
predicts that the bacterium cannot synthesize all amino acids and therefore must sequester some from the host. To examine
C. burnetii
amino acid auxotrophies, we developed a nutritionally defined medium with known amino acid concentrations, termed ACCM-D. Compared to ACCM-2, ACCM-D supported longer logarithmic growth, a more gradual transition to stationary phase, and approximately 5- to 10-fold greater overall replication. Small-cell-variant morphological forms generated in ACCM-D also showed increased viability relative to that generated in ACCM-2. Lack of growth in amino acid-deficient formulations of ACCM-D revealed
C. burnetii
auxotrophy for 11 amino acids, including arginine. Heterologous expression of
Legionella pneumophila
argGH
in
C. burnetii
permitted growth in ACCM-D missing arginine and supplemented with citrulline, thereby providing a nonantibiotic means of selection of
C. burnetii
genetic transformants. Consistent with bioinformatic predictions, the elimination of glucose did not impair
C. burnetii
replication. Together, these results highlight the advantages of a nutritionally defined medium in investigations of
C. burnetii
metabolism and the development of genetic tools.

IMPORTANCE
Host cell-free growth and genetic manipulation of
Coxiella burnetii
have revolutionized research of this intracellular bacterial pathogen. Nonetheless, undefined components of growth medium have made studies of
C. burnetii
physiology difficult and have precluded the development of selectable markers for genetic transformation based on nutritional deficiencies. Here, we describe a medium, containing only amino acids as the sole source of carbon and energy, which supports robust growth and improved viability of
C. burnetii
. Growth studies confirmed that
C. burnetii
cannot replicate in medium lacking arginine. However, genetic transformation of the bacterium with constructs containing the last two genes in the
L. pneumophila
arginine biosynthesis pathway (
argGH
) allowed growth on defined medium missing arginine but supplemented with the arginine precursor citrulline. Our results advance the field by facilitating studies of
C. burnetii
metabolism and allowing non-antibiotic-based selection of
C. burnetii
genetic transformants, an important achievement considering that selectable makers based on antibiotic resistance are limited.
Nanomechanical Characterization of Bacillus anthracis Spores by Atomic Force Microscopy
Authors: Li Alex G. , Burggraf Larry W. , Xing Yun 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

The study of structures and properties of bacterial spores is important to understanding spore formation and biological responses to environmental stresses. While significant progress has been made over the years in elucidating the multilayer architecture of spores, the mechanical properties of the spore interior are not known. Here, we present a thermal atomic force microscopy (AFM) study of the nanomechanical properties of internal structures of
Bacillus anthracis
spores. We developed a nanosurgical sectioning method in which a stiff diamond AFM tip was used to cut an individual spore, exposing its internal structure, and a soft AFM tip was used to image and characterize the spore interior on the nanometer scale. We observed that the elastic modulus and adhesion force, including their thermal responses at elevated temperatures, varied significantly in different regions of the spore section. Our AFM images indicated that the peptidoglycan (PG) cortex of
Bacillus anthracis
spores consisted of rod-like nanometer-sized structures that are oriented in the direction perpendicular to the spore surface. Our findings may shed light on the spore architecture and properties.

IMPORTANCE
A nanosurgical AFM method was developed that can be used to probe the structure and properties of the spore interior. The previously unknown ultrastructure of the PG cortex of
Bacillus anthracis
spores was observed to consist of nanometer-sized rod-like structures that are oriented in the direction perpendicular to the spore surface. The variations in the nanomechanical properties of the spore section were largely correlated with its chemical composition. Different components of the spore materials showed different thermal responses at elevated temperatures.