bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends of mortality from Alzheimer's disease in the European Union, 1994–2013
Authors: Niu H. , Alvarez‐Alvarez I. , Guillen‐Grima F. , Al‐Rahamneh M. J. , Aguinaga‐Ontoso I. 
Published: May 2017

Background and purposeIn many countries, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has gradually become a common disease in elderly populations. The aim of this study was to analyse trends of mortality caused by AD in the 28 member countries in the European Union (EU) over the last two decades.MethodsWe extracted data for AD deaths for the period 1994–2013 in the EU from the Eurostat and World Health Organization database. Age‐standardized mortality rates per 100 000 were computed. Joinpoint regression was used to analyse the trends and compute the annual percent change in the EU as a whole and by country. Analyses by gender and by European regions were conducted.ResultsMortality from AD has risen in the EU throughout the study period. Most of the countries showed upward trends, with the sharpest increases in Slovakia, Lithuania and Romania. We recorded statistically significant increases of 4.7% and 6.0% in mortality rates in men and women, respectively, in the whole EU. Several countries showed changing trends during the study period. According to the regional analysis, northern and eastern countries showed the steepest increases, whereas in the latter years mortality has declined in western countries.ConclusionsOur findings provide evidence that AD mortality has increased in the EU, especially in eastern and northern European countries and in the female population. Our results could be a reference for the development of primary prevention policies.
Future warmer seas: increased stress and susceptibility to grazing in seedlings of a marine habitat‐forming species
Authors: Hernán Gema , Ortega María J. , Gándara Alberto M. , Castejón Inés , Terrados Jorge , Tomas Fiona 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIncreases in seawater temperature are expected to have negative consequences for marine organisms. Beyond individual effects, species‐specific differences in thermal tolerance are predicted to modify species interactions and increase the strength of top‐down effects, particularly in plant–herbivore interactions. Shifts in trophic interactions will be especially important when affecting habitat‐forming species such as seagrasses, as the consequences on their abundance will cascade throughout the food web. Seagrasses are a major component of coastal ecosystems offering important ecosystem services, but are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors, including warming. The mechanistic understanding of seagrass responses to warming at multiple scales of organization remains largely unexplored, especially in early‐life stages such as seedlings. Yet, these early‐life stages are critical for seagrass expansion processes and adaptation to climate change. In this study, we determined the effects of a 3 month experimental exposure to present and predicted mean summer SST of the Mediterranean Sea (25°C, 27°C, and 29°C) on the photophysiology, size, and ecology (i.e., plant‐herbivore interactions) of seedlings of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Warming resulted in increased mortality, leaf necrosis, and respiration as well as lower carbohydrate reserves in the seed, the main storage organ in seedlings. Aboveground biomass and root growth were also limited with warming, which could hamper seedling establishment success. Furthermore, warming increased the susceptibility to consumption by grazers, likely due to lower leaf fiber content and thickness. Our results indicate that warming will negatively affect seagrass seedlings through multiple direct and indirect pathways: increased stress, reduced establishment potential, lower storage of carbohydrate reserves, and increased susceptibly to consumption. This work provides a significant step forward in understanding the major mechanisms that will drive the capacity of seagrass seedlings to adapt and survive to warming, highlighting the potential additive effects that herbivory will have on ultimately determining seedling success.
Localization and domain characterization of the SflA regulator of flagellar formation in Vibrio alginolyticus
Authors: Inaba Satoshi , Nishigaki Takehiko , Takekawa Norihiro , Kojima Seiji , Homma Michio 
Published: May 2017

Many swimming bacteria use flagella as locomotive organelles. The spatial and numerical regulation of flagellar biosynthesis differs by bacterial species. The marine bacteria Vibrio alginolyticus use a single polar flagellum whose number is regulated positively by FlhF and negatively by FlhG. Cells lacking FlhF and FlhG have no flagellum. The motility defect in an flhFG deletion was suppressed by a mutation in the sflA gene that resulted in the production of multiple, peritrichous flagella. SflA is a Vibrio‐specific protein. SlfA either facilitates flagellum growth at the cell pole or prevents flagellar formation on the cell body by an unknown mechanism. Fluorescent protein fusions to SflA localized to the cell pole in the presence of FlhF and FlhG, but exhibited both polar and lateral cell localization in ΔflhFG cells. Polar localization of SflA required the polar landmark protein HubP. Over‐expression of the C‐terminal region of SflA (SflAC) in ΔflhFG ΔsflA cells suppressed the lateral flagellar formation. Our results suggest that SflA localizes with the flagella and that SflAC represses the flagellar initiation in ΔflhFG strains. A model is presented where SflA inhibits lateral flagellar formation to facilitate single polar flagellum assembly in V. alginolyticus cells.
Usefulness of detection of clarithromycin‐resistant Helicobacter pylori from fecal specimens for young adults treated with eradication therapy
Authors: Osaki Takako , Mabe Katsuhiro , Zaman Cynthia , Yonezawa Hideo , Okuda Masumi , Amagai Kenji , Fujieda Shinji , Goto Mitsuhide , Shibata Wataru , Kato Mototsugu , Kamiya Shigeru 
Published: May 2017

AbstractBackgroundTo prevent Helicobacter pylori infection in the younger generation, it is necessary to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic‐resistant H. pylori.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the method of PCR‐based sequencing to detect clarithromycin (CAM) resistance‐associated mutations using fecal samples as a noninvasive method.MethodsDNA extracted from fecal specimens and isolates from gastric biopsy specimens were collected from patients with H. pylori infection. Antibiotic resistance to CAM was analyzed by molecular and culture methods. The detection rates of CAM resistance‐associated mutations (A2142C or A2143G) were compared before and after eradication therapy.ResultsWith CAM resistance of H. pylori evaluated by antibiotic susceptibility test as a gold standard, the sensitivity and the specificity of gene mutation detection from fecal DNA were 80% and 84.8%, respectively. In contrast, using DNA of isolated strains, the sensitivity and the specificity were 80% and 100%. Of the seven cases in which eradication was unsuccessful by triple therapy including CAM, CAM‐resistant H. pylori, and resistance‐associated mutations were detected in three cases, CAM‐resistant H. pylori without the mutation was detected in two patients, and resistance‐associated mutation was only detected in one patient.ConclusionPCR‐based sequencing to detect CAM resistance‐associated mutations using isolates or fecal samples was useful for finding antibiotic‐resistant H. pylori infection. Although the specificity of the detection from fecal samples compared with antibiotic susceptibility testing was lower than that from isolates, this fecal detection method is suitable especially for asymptomatic subjects including children. Further improvement is needed before clinical application.
Clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy for elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Teraoka Yuji , Kimura Tomoki , Aikata Hiroshi , Daijo Kana , Osawa Mitsutaka , Honda Fumi , Nakamura Yuki , Morio Kei , Morio Reona , Hatooka Masahiro , Kobayashi Tomoki , Nakahara Takashi , Murakami Eisuke , Nagaoki Yuko , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Tsuge Masataka , Hiramatsu Akira , Imamura Michio , Kawakami Yoshiiku , Nagata Yasushi , Chayama Kazuaki 
Published: May 2017

AimTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in elderly patients.MethodsFrom 2008 to 2015, 117 patients with HCC (≤3 nodules, ≤30 mm in diameter, Child–Pugh score ≤7, and no vascular or extracellular metastasis) were treated with SBRT at our hospital. We evaluated overall survival (OS), disease‐free survival (DFS), local control, and adverse events. Patients were stratified according to age 75 years and older (elderly group, n = 54) and age younger than 75 years (young group, n = 63).ResultsThe median OS in the elderly group was not significantly different from that in the young group (52 months vs. not reached, P = 0.27). The 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year OS rates were 96.2%, 77.6%, and 63.9%, respectively, in the elderly group, and 96.8%, 84.8%, and 67.7%, respectively, in the young group. The median DFS in the elderly group was significantly shorter than that in the young group (13 vs. 25 months, respectively; P = 0.03). The 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year DFS rates were 50.6%, 30.4%, and 26.6%, respectively, in the elderly group and 66.5%, 50.7%, and 45.3%, respectively, in the young group. The 3‐year local tumor control rate in the elderly group was 98.1%, and that in the young group was 98.4% (P = 0.83). There was no difference between groups in the incidence of any adverse events.ConclusionsStereotactic body radiotherapy can be effective and safe for the treatment of HCC in elderly patients.
The mutational frequency of BRAF and KRAS in low‐grade serous testicular neoplasms—a case series
Authors: Gwiti Paidamwoyo , Vereczkey Ildikó , Cundell David , Aslam Shazia , Clench Tim , Csernák Erzsébet , Götzer Katalin , Braybrooke Jeremy , Sohail Muhammed , Melegh Zsombor 
Published: May 2017

AimsLow‐grade serous neoplasms of the testis are rare neoplasms that show striking morphological similarities with the better‐understood ovarian neoplasms. This study is to see if there are similar molecular abnormalities in these two tumours. The cell of origin, relationship with serous ovarian tumour and the pathogenesis of these neoplasms are not fully established.Methods and resultsAs low‐grade serous ovarian neoplasms are known to harbour mutations in the MAPK pathway, we investigated the involvement of BRAF and KRAS mutations in low‐grade testicular serous tumour by performing mutational analysis of seven cases. Mutational analysis was performed by melting curve analysis followed by bidirectional sequencing. Our findings showed BRAF and/or KRAS mutations in three of the seven cases, which is similar to the proportions reported in low‐grade ovarian serous neoplasms. Of these three cases, one showed co‐mutation of BRAF and KRAS.ConclusionThe findings of this study are in support of a role of aberrant signalling of the MAPK pathway in the pathogenesis of low‐grade serous testicular neoplasms, and provide a genetic link between low‐grade testicular and ovarian serous tumours.
Absence of juvenile hormone signalling regulates the dynamic expression profiles of nutritional metabolism genes during diapause preparation in the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi
Authors: Liu W. , Tan Q.‐Q. , Zhu L. , Li Y. , Zhu F. , Lei C.‐L. , Wang X.‐P. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractTemperate insects have evolved diapause, a period of programmed developmental arrest during specific life stages, to survive unfavourable conditions. During the diapause preparation phase (DPP), diapause‐destined individuals generally store large amounts of fat by regulating nutrition distribution for the energy requirement during diapause maintenance and postdiapause development. Although nutritional patterns during the DPP have been investigated at physiological and biochemical levels in many insects, it remains largely unknown how nutritional metabolism is regulated during the DPP at molecular levels. We used RNA sequencing to compare gene expression profiles of adult female cabbage beetles Colaphellus bowringi during the preoviposition phase (POP) and the DPP. Most differentially expressed genes were involved in specific metabolic pathways during the DPP. Genes related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolic pathways were clearly highly expressed during the DPP, whereas genes related to protein metabolic pathways were highly expressed during the POP. Hormone challenge and RNA interference experiments revealed that juvenile hormone via its nuclear receptor methoprene‐tolerant mediated the expression of genes associated with nutritional metabolism during the DPP. This work not only sheds light on the mechanisms of diapause preparation, but also provides new insights into the molecular basis of environmental plasticity in insects.
The fiscal costs of systemic banking crises
Authors: Amaglobeli David , End Nicolas , Jarmuzek Mariusz , Palomba Geremia 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThis paper examines fiscal costs of systemic banking crises. It uses a dataset of 65 crisis episodes since 1980 and considers both the direct budgetary cost of government intervention and the overall fiscal impact as proxied by changes in the public debt‐to‐GDP ratio. We find that both direct and overall fiscal impacts of banking crises are high when countries enter the crisis with large banking sectors, rely on excessive external funding, have highly leveraged non‐financial private sectors, and resort to using government guarantees on bank liabilities during the crisis. Better quality of banking supervision and higher coverage of deposit insurance help, however, alleviate the direct fiscal costs. We also identify a policy trade‐off: costly short‐term interventions are not necessarily associated with larger increases in public debt, supporting the thesis that immediate intervention may actually be a more cost‐effective solution over the long term.
A century and three‐quarters of Bank Rate and long‐term interest rates in the United Kingdom
Authors: Berument Hakan , Cabezon Ezequiel , Froyen Richard 
Published: May 2017

AbstractOver the years from 1844 to 2013, the United Kingdom had several distinct monetary policy regimes. This paper examines the relationship between the Bank of England policy rate and UK long‐term rates in each regime. Our starting point is R. G. Hawtrey's A century of Bank Rate, which focused mainly on the classical Gold Standard. We also examine the Interwar years, post‐Second World War years of policy by discretion and the recent regime of inflation targeting. We find that policy regimes that firmly anchor inflationary expectations result in long‐run interest rates becoming less responsive to changes in monetary policy rates. This suggests a conflict between a regime that anchors inflationary expectations and one that allows a central bank to have significant effects on long‐term rates via a short‐term policy rate.
Does escaping victimization in elementary school lead to improved health in high school: a comparison of victimization profile groups
Authors: Jensen‐Campbell Lauri A. , Boyd Erin Q. , Arana Allyson A. , Lee Sarah 
Published: May 2017

This study examined whether children follow unique victimization trajectories during elementary school and whether these paths predict differential psychological and physical health outcomes during high school. Participants included 1,073 children from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Peer victimization was assessed in the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 9th grades, and psychological and physical health outcomes (e.g., depression, loneliness, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, physical health markers, and health habits) were measured in the 9th grade. Growth mixture modeling revealed three groups: non‐victims (n = 886), persistent victims (n = 52), and escaped victims (n = 70). Generally, persistent victims experienced poorer physical functioning and health, higher levels of psychological maladjustments, and poorer health habits (i.e., sleep problems, disordered eating) compared to non‐victims. Using case–control matching, escaped victims and non‐victims did not differ on health behaviors and most physical health measures, with the exception of adiposity. Escaped victims experienced higher levels of psychological issues than non‐victims comparable to those observed in persistent victims. These findings underscore the heterogeneity of both victimization experiences and health outcomes following aversive peer experiences.
Protection and restriction: A mixed‐methods study of self‐reported well‐being among youth with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Boström Petra , Broberg Malin 
Published: May 2017

BackgroundAs most mental health studies of school‐aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are based on proxy ratings, the subjective views of these young persons are rarely explored. The present study explores experiences of well‐being, mental ill‐health, family, school, and peer relations in students in special education.MethodsTen students in special education, aged 13–16 years, answered the Wellbeing in Special Education Questionnaire (WellSEQ) and participated in semi‐structured interviews. Data were analyzed using a mixed methods phenomenological research approach.ResultsThe general agreement between questionnaire responses and interview accounts appears to be good, and the students emphasized mainly positive emotions and good mental health. Students described their school environment and family relations as inclusive contexts experienced as both protective and restrictive.ConclusionUsing well‐adapted research instruments enables students with IDD to communicate subjective experiences of well‐being and how it relates to aspects of their everyday environment.
An event model for phylogenetic biogeography using explicitly geographical ranges
Authors: Arias J. Salvador 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAimTo develop and implement a method for phylogenetic biogeography that is both event based and geographically explicit, that is, that uses the geographical ranges observed in the terminals instead of ‘predefined areas.’MethodsThe method, GEM (Geographically explicit Event Model), attributes vicariance, sympatry (range copying), point sympatry (subset sympatry) or founder events, to the internal nodes of the tree. The cost of a reconstruction is calculated as the event cost plus the amount of range changes along a branch, and the best reconstruction is the combination of the event and range assignments that minimize the cost.ResultsThe approach was implemented in a computer program, evs, using a geographical data model (a raster) in which range changes were measured by pixel counts. The program can be used in real‐sized datasets, using an heuristic to find reasonable solutions in short times.Main conclusionGEM provides a method for direct analysis of joint data on phylogeny and explicit distribution ranges, and proposes both the ancestral ranges and the biogeographical events connected with cladogenesis.
In and out of the Neotropics: historical biogeography of Eneopterinae crickets
Authors: Vicente Natállia , Kergoat Gael J. , Dong Jiajia , Yotoko Karla , Legendre Frédéric , Nattier Romain , Robillard Tony 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAimMultiple biogeographical scenarios involving vicariance and different colonization routes can explain disjunct species distributions in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we tested several alternative hypotheses in Eneopterinae crickets, a diverse subfamily presenting a disjunct worldwide distribution. We inferred a dated phylogeny of Eneopterinae and reconstructed their biogeographical history to unravel the origin of their present‐day distribution, focusing on their multiple origins in the Neotropics.LocationWorldwide.MethodsWe sampled 62 eneopterine species representing all extant genera. We inferred their phylogenetic relationships through Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches based on four mitochondrial and three nuclear gene sequences. Divergence time estimates were inferred using Bayesian relaxed clock approaches and primary fossil calibrations. Biogeographical analyses were conducted with the default dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis (DEC) model and a variant model (DEC+J), which accounts for rare‐jump dispersal events.ResultsOur dating analyses showed that the Eneopterinae is far older than expected and its diversification can be traced back to the Late Cretaceous (c. 76 Ma). In this context, the most supported biogeographical scenario (under DEC+J) suggests that the Neotropics were colonized twice independently: first during the break‐up of Gondwana, when Antarctica, Australia and South America started separating (compatible with a vicariance event if relying on the result of the DEC model alone); later through a northern recolonization originating from Southeast Asia, likely related to a Holarctic Boreotropical distribution of an eneopterine lineage during the Eocene.Main conclusionsWe provided a dated worldwide biogeographical framework for the Eneopterinae crickets. Overall, the subfamily disjunct distribution pattern is better explained by both ancient and recent dispersal events. Whether this could reflect a widespread pattern in insect groups exhibiting a disjunct distribution remains to be investigated by studying other insect lineages. The information gathered here will also help foster new directions for future studies concerning the acoustic innovations of this clade.
Beta diversity of herbivorous insects is coupled to high species and phylogenetic turnover of plant communities across short spatial scales in the Cape Floristic Region
Authors: Kemp Jurene E. , Linder H. Peter , Ellis Allan G. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAimInsect distribution patterns can result from historical contingency (biogeography and dispersal limitation), abiotic filtering and biotic factors (ecological interactions and evolutionary associations). Here, we analyse turnover of plant and insect herbivore community composition at multiple spatial scales to tease apart these influences. While positive associations between plant and insect turnover across broad spatial scales could arise through any of these influences, strong association at very local scales is only likely if insect distributions are determined primarily by biotic factors (i.e. host specificity).LocationThe Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa.MethodsTo characterize the relationship between spatial turnover in plant and insect composition in the CFR, communities of Restionaceae, a dominant family in the florally diverse CFR, and their associated herbivores were sampled using a spatially nested sampling design on three spatially separated mountain blocks with similar climates, thus controlling for broad abiotic influences. This allowed us to quantify insect and plant turnover, and their association, at multiple independent spatial scales. Redundancy analysis was used to determine the effects of plant on insect composition, controlling for geographical distance.ResultsInsect species turnover was significantly related to plant species and phylogenetic turnover at local, as well as broad, spatial scales, suggesting that insect distribution patterns are mainly structured by host specificity. Plant communities show near complete turnover at small spatial scales (i.e. communities situated 0.1–3 km apart), with insects mirroring this pattern. Further, insect turnover increased significantly with increasing geographical separation (e.g. between mountains), suggesting an additional influence of biogeographical factors on insect distributions in the CFR. Measured environmental and plant structural components had no influence on insect composition.Main conclusionsHigh insect beta diversity positively associated with plant turnover at local scales suggests insect herbivore diversity patterns in the CFR are primarily structured by plant distribution patterns.