bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tillage effects, soil quality and production potential of kikuyu–ryegrass pastures in South Africa
Authors: Swanepoel P. A. , Habig J. , du Preez C. C. , Snyman H. A. , Botha P. R. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractSoil quality of tillage systems receives much attention worldwide, although few studies attempt to link soil quality to yield. Partial least‐squares regression analysis is a suitable method to construct predictive models around plural, highly collinear factors, such as soil quality and its effects on yield. This study aimed at identifying the soil quality properties which best model pasture herbage yield by relating soil quality indicators with variations in yield as a result of soil disturbance caused by tillage. The study was conducted on kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) over‐sown with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) using different tillage methods. Tillage methods involved over‐sowing kikuyu with ryegrass using a minimum‐tillage seed drill, eradication of kikuyu with herbicide and ryegrass sown with a minimum‐tillage planter, shallow and deep disturbance, and a control. Most changes in soil quality indicators as a result of soil tillage were observed shortly after tillage and occurred mostly at the 0–100 mm soil layer. Few of these effects were still visible 420 d after tillage. Microbiological indicators changed most in response to the treatments, but unlike the chemical and physical indicators, microbiological indicators have no causal link to pasture production. The contribution of individual soil quality indicators to variance in pasture productivity could not be isolated and should thus be seen as complex processes which affect yield. Although mechanisms of how some soil quality indicators affect yield is clear, more research is required to determine mechanisms of how a combination of multiple soil quality indicators affects yield.
Association between migraine and risk of venous thromboembolism: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Peng Kuan‐Po , Chen Yung‐Tai , Fuh Jong‐Ling , Tang Chao‐Hsiun , Wang Shuu‐Jiun 
Published: July 2016

Background.—The link between arterial thromboembolism and migraine is well‐documented; however, few studies investigated the link between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and migraine. We aimed to evaluate the association between migraine and VTE and to examine whether demographics or comorbid risk factors modulate VTE development.Methods.—We conducted a cohort study accessing a nationwide claims‐based database with an adult cohort of 102,159 neurologist‐diagnosed migraine patients, and 102,159 nonheadache comparison subjects, matched on sex and propensity score for the diagnosis of migraine. Both cohorts were followed until the end of 2010, death, or VTE development. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated based on Cox proportional hazards regression analyses and compared between the two groups.Results.—During a mean follow‐up period of 4.2 years, VTE developed in 226 patients (460,047 person‐years) in the migraine cohort and in 203 subjects (462,401 person‐years) in the comparison cohort. Overall, likelihood of VTE for the migraine cohort did not differ from that in the comparison cohort (aHR 1.12; 95% CI, 0.92–1.35; P = .251). However, subgroup analysis by migraine subtypes (P = .004 for interaction) revealed an elevated risk of VTE in patients with migraine with aura (aHR 2.42; 95% CI, 1.40–4.19; P = .002), but not in those with migraine without aura. The association was not altered in subsequent subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses.Conclusions Risk of VTE development is elevated specifically in patients diagnosed with migraine with aura. This association suggests a linked disease mechanism and warrants further exploration.
Distributive Politics, Electoral Institutions and European Structural and Investment Funding: Evidence from Italy and France
Authors: Dellmuth Lisa Maria , Schraff Dominik , Stoffel Michael F. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractExtensive research suggests that political factors bias the domestic allocation of the European Structural and Investment Funds (SIF) in ways that may not be in line with EU goals. This article offers the first systematic and comparative analysis of the role of electoral institutions in shaping county‐level allocations of SIF. Drawing on theories of distributive politics and federalism, this article argues that electoral institutions provide politicians in the executive branch of national government with incentives to use at least a part of the SIF to buy votes in NUTS 3‐level counties, whereby vote‐buying is more common under majority voting than under proportional representation. The results of a statistical analysis of SIF allocations across 202 Italian and French NUTS 3‐level counties during 2007–13 confirm this argument. The article concludes by discussing the findings and their implications for future research on EU budgetary implementation and cohesion policy.
Short message service as an alternative in the drug consumption evaluation of persons with tuberculosis in Malang, Indonesia
Authors: Kumboyono  
Published: July 2016

AbstractAim
Short message service (SMS) is an applied technology of communication that enables the transfer of information and can be used as a part of medical efforts to motivate clients to improve their behavior regarding drug consumption. This study attempts to observe the differences in patients’ behavior as a result of either using SMS to motivate their drug consumption or by using only health providers and outreach workers to monitor them.MethodsThis study used a post‐test‐only controlled‐group design with a simple random sampling technique and was held in Malang, Indonesia. The sample in this study consisted of 45 patients with tuberculosis (TB) who received motivating SMS messages and 45 patients with only health providers and outreach workers to monitor them.ResultsFisher's Exact test using a 95% confidence interval showed that the result of this study had a P‐value of 0.059, which means that there was no difference in compliance with drug consumption between the patients who received SMS messages and the patients who were under the supervision of health providers and outreach workers.ConclusionIt is highly recommended that the application of SMS be included in TB treatment and the evaluation of patients as an alternative method of controlling patients’ compliance with consuming anti‐TB drugs at home.
Genotype differences in anxiety and fear learning and memory of WT and ApoE4 mice associated with enhanced generation of hippocampal reactive oxygen species
Authors: Villasana Laura E. , Weber Sydney , Akinyeke Tunde , Raber Jacob 
Published: July 2016

AbstractApolipoprotein E (apoE), involved in cholesterol and lipid metabolism, also influences cognitive function and injury repair. In humans, apoE is expressed in three isoforms. E4 is a risk factor for age‐related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, particularly in women. E4 might also be a risk factor for developing behavioral and cognitive changes following 56Fe irradiation, a component of the space environment astronauts are exposed to during missions. These changes might be related to enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we compared the behavioral and cognitive performance of sham‐irradiated and irradiated wild‐type (WT) mice and mice expressing the human E3 or E4 isoforms, and assessed the generation of ROS in hippocampal slices from these mice. E4 mice had greater anxiety‐like and conditioned fear behaviors than WT mice, and these genotype differences were associated with greater levels of ROS in E4 than WT mice. The greater generation of ROS in the hippocampus of E4 than WT mice might contribute to their higher anxiety levels and enhanced fear conditioning. In E4, but not WT, mice, phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate‐treated hippocampal slices showed more dihydroxy ethidium oxidation in sham‐irradiated than irradiated mice and hippocampal heme oxygenase‐1 levels were higher in irradiated than sham‐irradiated E4 mice.
image
Mice with apolipoprotein E4 (E4), a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, have greater anxiety‐like and conditioned fear behaviors than wild‐type (WT) mice. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, in red) 3 months following 56Fe irradiation, a component of the space environment astronauts are exposed to, is more pronounced in the hippocampus of E4 than WT mice. In E4, but not WT, mice, hippocampal levels of the oxidative stress‐relevant marker heme oxygenase‐1 are higher in irradiated than sham‐irradiated E4 mice.
Antifungal Activity of Rhein and Aloe‐Emodin from Rheum palmatum on Fish Pathogenic Saprolegnia sp.
Authors: Yao Jia‐Yun , Lin Ling‐Yun , Yuan Xue‐Mei , Ying Wen‐Lin , Xu Yang , Pan Xiao‐Yi , Hao Gui‐Jie , Shen Jin‐Yu , Wu Jin‐Chun , Ye Ting , Ge Pei‐Hong 
Published: July 2016

AbstractSaprolegnia infections cause severe economic losses among freshwater fish farming. In this study, two known compounds, rhein and aloe‐emodin, were isolated from Rheum palmatum, and the in vitro inhibitory activity of both compounds against mycelial growth and spore germination of Saprolegnia was tested. Both rhein and aloe‐emodin were able to decrease Saprolegnia mycelial growth and spore activity in all tested concentrations after exposure for 48 h. Complete inhibition of mycelial growth was observed at 20 mg/L for rhein and at 50 mg/L for aloe‐emodin, while spore germination was 100% prevented at 16 and 40 mg/L for rhein and aloe‐emodin, respectively. Because rhein showed stronger in vitro anti‐Saprolegnia activity, it was further tested in vivo to measure the prevention and treatment efficacy on Saprolegnia infection of grass carp. Its acute activity to grass carp was also evaluated. The results revealed that exposure to rhein at 20 mg/L for 7 d could prevent 93.3% of infections by Saprolegnia in abraded grass carp, while 67.7% of infected fish could be recovered by treatment with rhein. The 48‐h median lethal concentration (48 h‐LC50) to grass carp was 148.5 mg/L, which is about 7.4 times the effective dose indicating the safety for the use of rhein. This study suggests that rhein has promising anti‐Saprolegnia activity and may be an option in preventing and controlling Saprolegnia infection.
Prevalence and risk factors for functional bowel disorders in South China: a population based study using the Rome III criteria
Authors: Long Y. , Huang Z. , Deng Y. , Chu H. , Zheng X. , Yang J. , Zhu Y. , Fried M. , Fox M. , Dai N. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBackgroundFunctional bowel disorders (FBDs) such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) impact on quality of life and health care resources. It is uncertain whether patients with functional digestive symptoms have similar characteristics in different populations. This population‐based study assessed the prevalence and identified risk factors for these disorders in South‐East China.MethodsFive communities were selected at random and invitations distributed to a representative sample (block randomization). Questionnaires were completely supervised by investigators. Demographic and medical data with FBD symptoms (Rome III criteria), psychological condition, life event stress, and quality of life were collected.Key ResultsFunctional bowel disorder prevalence was 41.6% in 1999/2115 (94.5%) completed questionnaires: 9.9% functional constipation (FC), 6.8% bloating (FB), 6.5% diarrhea (FD), 5.9% IBS (IBS‐D 47.1%, IBS‐M 23.9%, IBS‐C 12.8%, IBS‐U 16.2%), and 12.6% unspecified. Similar numbers of men and women had FBDs or IBS (overall; 51.3% male vs 48.7% female, P=.796); however, there was female predominance in FC (62.1%, P<.001) and FB (58.5%, P=.038). FBDs were associated with greater anxiety, depression, life event stress, and a lower quality of life compared with those without symptoms (all, P<.0001). Logistic regression identified medical co‐morbidity, anxiety/depression, and life event stress as independent risk factors for these disorders.Conclusions & InferencesFunctional bowel disorders are as common in South China as in western populations. A similar number of men and women report FBDs and IBS. Only FC and FB are more prevalent in females. Independent risk factors associated with FBDs included physical and psychosocial stressors.
Temporal prediction modulates the evaluative processing of “good” action feedback: An electrophysiological study
Authors: Kimura Kenta , Kimura Motohiro , Iwaki Sunao 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate whether or not the evaluative processing of action feedback can be modulated by temporal prediction. For this purpose, we examined the effects of the predictability of the timing of action feedback on an ERP effect that indexed the evaluative processing of action feedback, that is, an ERP effect that has been interpreted as a feedback‐related negativity (FRN) elicited by “bad” action feedback or a reward positivity (RewP) elicited by “good” action feedback. In two types of experimental blocks, the participants performed a gambling task in which they chose one of two cards and received an action feedback that indicated monetary gain or loss. In fixed blocks, the time interval between the participant's choice and the onset of the action feedback was fixed at 0, 500, or 1,000 ms in separate blocks; thus, the timing of action feedback was predictable. In mixed blocks, the time interval was randomly chosen from the same three intervals with equal probability; thus, the timing was less predictable. The results showed that the FRN/RewP was smaller in mixed than fixed blocks for the 0‐ms interval trial, whereas there was no difference between the two block types for the 500‐ms and 1,000‐ms interval trials. Interestingly, the smaller FRN/RewP was due to the modulation of gain ERPs rather than loss ERPs. These results suggest that temporal prediction can modulate the evaluative processing of action feedback, and particularly good feedback, such as that which indicates monetary gain.
Patients with chronic insomnia have selective impairments in memory that are modulated by cortisol
Authors: Chen Gui‐hai , Xia Lan , Wang Fang , LI Xue‐Wei , Jiao Chuan‐an 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMemory impairment is a frequent complaint in insomniacs; however, it is not consistently demonstrated. It is unknown whether memory impairment in insomniacs involves neuroendocrine dysfunction. The participants in this study were selected from the clinical setting and included 21 patients with chronic insomnia disorder (CID), 25 patients with insomnia and comorbid depressive disorder (CDD), and 20 control participants without insomnia. We evaluated spatial working and reference memory, object working and reference memory, and object recognition memory using the Nine Box Maze Test. We also evaluated serum neuroendocrine hormone levels. Compared to the controls, the CID patients made significantly more errors in spatial working and object recognition memory (p < .05), whereas the CDD patients performed poorly in all the assessed memory types (p < .05). In addition, the CID patients had higher levels (mean difference [95% CI]) of corticotrophin‐releasing hormone, cortisol (31.98 [23.97, 39.98] μg/l), total triiodothyronine (667.58 [505.71, 829.45] μg/l), and total thyroxine (41.49 [33.23, 49.74] μg/l) (p < .05), and lower levels of thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (‐35.93 [‐38.83, ‐33.02] ng/l), gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (‐4.50 [‐5.02, ‐3.98] ng/l) (p < .05), and adrenocorticotropic hormone compared to the CDD patients. After controlling for confounding variables, the partial correlation analysis revealed that the levels of cortisol positively correlated with the errors in object working memory (r = .534,p = .033) and negatively correlated with the errors in object recognition memory (r = ‐.659,p = .006) in the CID patients. The results suggest that the CID patients had selective memory impairment, which may be mediated by increased cortisol levels.
Individual Characteristics, Behavioral Biases, and Trade Policy Preferences: Evidence from a Survey in Japan
Authors: Tomiura Eiichi , Ito Banri , Mukunoki Hiroshi , Wakasugi Ryuhei 
Published: July 2016

AbstractImport liberalization is one of the most actively debated issues in trade policy. This paper examines how trade policy preferences are related to individual characteristics based on a survey in Japan. Among 10,000 surveyed individuals, people working in non‐agricultural sectors, those working in managerial occupations, or those above retirement age tend to favor freer imports. This paper also finds that people who are influenced by the status quo bias are likely to oppose import liberalization even after controlling for each individual's various characteristics, suggesting that neither income compensation nor insurance schemes are sufficient for expanding support for free trade.
Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Broadhurst M. Jana , Brooks Tim J. G. , Pollock Nira R. 
Published: July 2016

SUMMARYLaboratory diagnosis of Ebola virus disease plays a critical role in outbreak response efforts; however, establishing safe and expeditious testing strategies for this high-biosafety-level pathogen in resource-poor environments remains extremely challenging. Since the discovery of Ebola virus in 1976 via traditional viral culture techniques and electron microscopy, diagnostic methodologies have trended toward faster, more accurate molecular assays. Importantly, technological advances have been paired with increasing efforts to support decentralized diagnostic testing capacity that can be deployed at or near the point of patient care. The unprecedented scope of the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola epidemic spurred tremendous innovation in this arena, and a variety of new diagnostic platforms that have the potential both to immediately improve ongoing surveillance efforts in West Africa and to transform future outbreak responses have reached the field. In this review, we describe the evolution of Ebola virus disease diagnostic testing and efforts to deploy field diagnostic laboratories in prior outbreaks. We then explore the diagnostic challenges pervading the 2014-2015 epidemic and provide a comprehensive examination of novel diagnostic tests that are likely to address some of these challenges moving forward.
Modulation of Host Immunity by the Human Metapneumovirus
Authors: Céspedes Pablo F. , Palavecino Christian E. , Kalergis Alexis M. , Bueno Susan M. 
Published: July 2016

SUMMARYGlobally, as a leading agent of acute respiratory tract infections in children <5 years of age and the elderly, the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has gained considerable attention. As inferred from studies comparing vaccinated and experimentally infected mice, the acquired immune response elicited by this pathogen fails to efficiently clear the virus from the airways, which leads to an exaggerated inflammatory response and lung damage. Furthermore, after disease resolution, there is a poor development of T and B cell immunological memory, which is believed to promote reinfections and viral spread in the community. In this article, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that shape the interactions of HMPV with host tissues that lead to pulmonary pathology and to the development of adaptive immunity that fails to protect against natural infections by this virus.
Species Distribution and
In Vitro
Azole Susceptibility of Aspergillus Section
Nigri
Isolates from Clinical and Environmental Settings
Authors: Iatta Roberta , Nuccio Federica , Immediato Davide , Mosca Adriana , De Carlo Carmela , Miragliotta Giuseppe , Parisi Antonio , Crescenzo Giuseppe , Otranto Domenico , Cafarchia Claudia 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACT

Aspergillus
section
Nigri
includes species of interest for animal and human health, although studies on species distribution are limited to human cases. Data on the antifungal susceptibilities and the molecular mechanism of triazole resistance in strains belonging to this section are scant. Forty-two black
Aspergillus
strains from human patients (16 isolates), animals (14 isolates), and the environment (12 isolates) were molecularly characterized and their
in vitro
triazole susceptibilities investigated.
Aspergillus tubingensis
was isolated from humans, animals, and environmental settings, whereas
Aspergillus awamori
and
Aspergillus niger
were isolated exclusively from humans. Phylogenetic analyses of β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences were concordant in differentiating
A. tubingensis
from
A. awamori
and
A. niger
. Voriconazole and posaconazole (PSZ) were the most active triazoles. One
A. tubingensis
strain was resistant to itraconazole and PSZ and one
A. niger
strain to PSZ. Sequence analysis of the
cyp51A
gene revealed different sequence types within a species, and
A. tubingensis
strains were also phylogenetically distinct from
A. awamori
/
A. niger
strains according to the strain origin and susceptibility profile. Genetic analysis of the
cyp51A
sequences suggests that two nonsynonymous mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions in the CYP51A protein (changes of L to R at position 21 [L21R] and of Q to R at position 228 [Q228R]) might be involved in azole resistance. Though azole resistance in black
Aspergillus
isolates from animals and rural environments does not represent a threat to public health in Southern Italy, the use of triazoles in the clinical setting needs to better monitored. The
cyp51A
sequence is useful for the molecular identification of black
Aspergillus
, and point mutations in protein sequences could be responsible for azole resistance phenomena.
Moraxella catarrhalis Might Be More Common than Expected in Acute Otitis Media in Young Finnish Children
Authors: Sillanpää Saara , Oikarinen Sami , Sipilä Markku , Kramna Lenka , Rautiainen Markus , Huhtala Heini , Aittoniemi Janne , Laranne Jussi , Hyöty Heikki , Cinek Ondrej 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACT

According to studies based on bacterial cultures of middle ear fluids,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
,
Haemophilus influenzae
, and
Moraxella catarrhalis
have been the most common pathogens in acute otitis media. However, bacterial culture can be affected by reduced viability or suboptimal growth of bacteria. PCR detects bacterial DNA from samples with greater sensitivity than culture. In the present study, we analyzed the middle ear pathogens with both conventional culture and semiquantitative real-time PCR in 90 middle ear fluid samples obtained from children aged 5 to 42 months during acute otitis media episodes. Samples were tested for the presence of
S. pneumoniae
,
H. influenzae
,
M. catarrhalis
,
Alloiococcus
otitidis
,
Staphylococcus aureus
, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. One or more bacterial pathogens were detected in 42 (47%) samples with culture and in 69 (77%) samples with PCR. According to PCR analysis,
M. catarrhalis
results were positive in 42 (47%) samples,
H. influenzae
in 30 (33%),
S. pneumoniae
in 27 (30%),
A. otitidis
in 6 (6.7%),
S. aureus
in 5 (5.6%), and
P. aeruginosa
in 1 (1.1%). Multibacterial etiology was seen in 34 (38%) samples, and
M. catarrhalis
was detected in most (85%) of those cases. Fifteen signals for
M. catarrhalis
were strong, suggesting a highly probable etiological role of the pathogen. In conclusion, even though
M. catarrhalis
is often a part of mixed flora in acute otitis media, a considerable proportion of cases may be primarily attributable to this pathogen.