bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Meta‐Analysis of Lost Ecosystem Attributes in Urban Streams and the Effectiveness of Out‐of‐Channel Management Practices
Authors: Smucker Nathan J. , Detenbeck Naomi E. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractUrban development is a leading cause of stream impairment that reduces biodiversity and negatively affects ecosystem processes and habitat. Out‐of‐stream restoration practices, such as stormwater ponds, created wetlands, and restored riparian vegetation, are increasingly implemented as management strategies to mitigate impacts. However, uncertainty exists regarding how effectively they improve downstream ecosystems because monitoring is uncommon and results are typically reported on a case‐by‐case basis. We conducted a meta‐analysis of literature and used response ratios to quantify how downstream ecosystems change in response to watershed development and to out‐of‐stream restoration. Biodiversity in unrestored urban streams was 47% less than that in reference streams, and ecological communities, habitat, and rates of nutrient cycling were negatively affected as well. Mean measures of ecosystem attributes in restored streams were significantly greater than, and 156% of, those in unrestored urban streams. Measures of biodiversity in restored streams were 132% of those in unrestored urban streams, and indices of biotic condition, community structure, and nutrient cycling significantly improved. However, ecosystem attributes and biodiversity at restored sites were significantly less than, and only 60% and 45% of, those in reference streams, respectively. Out‐of‐stream management practices improved ecological conditions in urban streams but still failed to restore reference stream conditions. Despite statistically significant improvements, assessing restoration success remains difficult due to few comparisons to reference sites or to clearly defined targets. These findings can inform future monitoring, management, and development strategies and highlight the need for preventative actions in a watershed context.
Should Smaller Countries Be More Protectionist? The Diversification Motive for Tariffs
Authors: Gaisford James , Ivus Olena 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThis paper examines the diversification motive for tariffs under trade‐related uncertainty when there is incomplete international and domestic risk sharing. In the context of a two‐country Ricardian continuum‐of‐sectors model with shocks to foreign technologies or preferences, tariffs allow a country to mitigate external risk by diversifying across sectors. Given sufficiently high risk and risk aversion, the optimality of tariffs depends primarily on a country's ability to diversify, rather than its market power, such that small countries gain most.
Donor Altruism and the Transfer Paradox in an Overlapping Generations Model
Authors: Hamada Kojun , Yanagihara Mitsuyoshi 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThis paper examines the transfer problem between two countries when a donor exhibits altruistic utility toward a recipient in a one‐sector overlapping generations model. We demonstrate that if the donor has a larger marginal propensity to save than the recipient, the donor's altruism never contributes to donor enrichment irrespective of the degree of the donor's altruism. Donor enrichment occurs only if the donor has a smaller marginal propensity to save and a sufficiently high level of altruism. These findings imply that the altruism of a donor toward a recipient does not necessarily explain the motivation to voluntarily provide a transfer.
Estimating the Health Benefit of Reducing Indoor Air Pollution in a Randomized Environmental Intervention
Authors: Peng Roger D. , Butz Arlene M. , Hackstadt Amber J. , Williams D'Ann L. , Diette Gregory B. , Breysse Patrick N. , Matsui Elizabeth C. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryRecent intervention studies targeted at reducing indoor air pollution have demonstrated both the ability to improve respiratory health outcomes and to reduce particulate matter (PM) levels in the home. However, these studies generally do not address whether it is the reduction in PM levels specifically that improves respiratory health. We apply the method of principal stratification to data from a randomized air cleaner intervention designed to reduce indoor PM in homes of children with asthma. We estimate the health benefit of the intervention among study subjects who would experience a substantial reduction in PM in response to the intervention. For those subjects we find an increase in symptom-free days that is almost three times as large as the overall intention-to-treat effect. We also explore the presence of treatment effects among those subjects whose PM levels would not respond to the air cleaner. This analysis demonstrates the usefulness of principal stratification for environmental intervention trials and its potential for much broader application in this area.
Facies analysis of a Pliocene river‐dominated deltaic succession (Siena Basin, Italy): Implications for the formation and infilling of terminal distributary channels
Authors: Martini Ivan , Sandrelli Fabio 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThe recent recognition and description of terminal distributary channels in ancient delta‐front deposits have led to important progress when it comes to understanding: delta construction processes; the plan‐view shapes of both modern and ancient river‐dominated deltas; and sediment dispersal within deltas. Deltaic deposits fed by terminal distributary channels can be observed in the extensive outcrops (approximately up to 300 m wide and 50 to 70 m thick) in the central sector of the Pliocene Siena Basin in Tuscany, Italy. Stratigraphic constraints indicate that the deposition occurred in relatively shallow marine settings, was not affected by tidal effects and was influenced only locally by wave action. As a consequence, these rock exposures provide an opportunity to investigate the facies assemblage of an ancient delta complex, which was built up almost exclusively as the result of river‐related processes. The studied deltaic succession is composed of vertically stacked parasequence‐like units, which are invariably characterized by the lack of coarse‐grained distributary channel deposits at the top and an extensive network of terminal distributary channels that controlled the deltaic deposition. These deposits were interpreted previously as deep‐water turbidites. This study provides new elements for the correct distinction between hyperpycnal‐dominated delta fronts and basinal turbidite deposits. The terminal distributary channel facies documented in this study are more complex than those investigated in previous research. The channels are often passively filled during abandonment phases, and not just due to the aggradation and lateral/upstream migration of mouth bars, as classically proposed. Moreover, the frequent occurrence of mudstone beds just above the basal channel scours may be indicative of an abandonment phase after the channel incision, and before its infilling, with subsequent implications for the formational and infilling mechanisms of terminal distributary channels. Furthermore, the channel fills are often the result of alternating depositional and erosional phases, leading to a complex stratigraphic arrangement.
New insights into geochemical behaviour in ancient marine carbonates (Upper Jurassic Ammonitico Rosso): Novel proxies for interpreting sea‐level dynamics and palaeoceanography
Authors: Coimbra Rute , Immenhauser Adrian , Olóriz Federico , Rodríguez‐Galiano Víctor , Chica‐Olmo Mario 
Published: July 2014

AbstractElemental concentrations in Phanerozoic sea water are known to fluctuate both in time and space. With regard to carbonates precipitated from marine fluids, elemental concentrations in the carbonate crystal lattice are affected by a complex array of equilibrium and non‐equilibrium as well as post‐depositional alteration processes. To assess the potential of carbonate elemental chemostratigraphy, seven Upper Jurassic sections were investigated along a proximal to distal transect across the south‐east Iberian palaeomargin. The aim was to explore stratigraphic and spatial variations in calcium, strontium, magnesium, iron and manganese elemental abundances. The epicontinental geochemical record is influenced by the combination of continental runoff and a significant diagenetic overprint. In contrast, the epioceanic geochemical record agrees with reconstructed open marine sea water values, reflecting a moderate degree of syn‐depositional to early marine pore water diagenesis. Establishing a fair degree of preservation of matrix micrite, a thorough statistical approach was applied and elemental associations tested for their environmental significance. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses revealed a persistent relation between carbonate magnesium, iron and strontium abundances. Processes related to early diagenetic nodulation in Ammonitico Rosso facies most probably account for the incorporation of these elements in the calcium carbonate lattice. The clear decoupling of carbonate manganese abundance with respect to the remaining elements is documented and related to high sea floor spreading rates and hydrothermal activity during the Late Jurassic. The investigation of potential time‐fluctuation of geochemical patterns was approached through variogram computation. The observed temporal behaviour is most likely to be forced by relative sea‐level dynamics, reflecting Late Jurassic palaeoceanographic conditions and potential planetary interactions. The data obtained in this study highlight the utility of elemental data from carbonate matrix micrites as geochemical proxies for studying the influence of remote trigger factors.
Soil degradation in environmentally sensitive areas driven by urbanization: an example from Southeast Europe
Authors: Salvati L. , Karamesouti M. , Kosmas K. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractRapid urbanization together with policy ineffectiveness in controlling urban growth is often associated to soil and land degradation in both the developing and developed world. The present study analyses the relationship between urban expansion and soil degradation in an arid Mediterranean region (Attica, Greece) where the compact settlement pattern has been replaced by low‐density urban development. The study area is one of the most densely populated areas in the Mediterranean basin that has experienced an impressive growth in population during the last 60 yr. Low‐density, dispersed urban settlements developed during the last decade (2000–2010) occupy primarily land at medium‐low soil quality. However, the overall quality conditions of vegetation, climate and soil assessed by our study shows that urban expansion consumed high‐quality land previously classified as non‐vulnerable to desertification. By contrast, compact urban settlements have consumed land of intermediate or even high soil quality, but experience poor climatic and vegetation conditions that are classified as highly vulnerable to desertification. Regional planning should incorporate multi‐dimensional indicators of soil, climate and vegetation quality to evaluate the environmental impact of urban expansion.
Cerebral trypanosomiasis in a renal transplant recipient
Authors: Cicora F. , Escurra V. , Bibolini J. , Petroni J. , González I. , Roberti J. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractChagas disease is a lifelong, systemic, parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The main form of disease transmission is vector borne, but vertical transmission, such as by organ transplantation from a chronically infected donor, is also possible. The brain tumor‐like form can occur years after infection and has been described in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and in a very few cases in transplant recipients. We describe the case of a kidney transplant patient who was human immunodeficiency virus negative and infected with T. cruzi, and developed cerebral trypanosomiasis that was successfully treated with benznidazole at 7 mg/kg/day for 60 days. The risk of Chagas disease transmission should not be underestimated in renal transplant patients, even in non‐endemic areas. Chagas disease can present as a tumor‐like brain lesion, very difficult to differentiate from other opportunistic infectious or neoplastic processes. Frequent monitoring for T. cruzi infection is essential to promptly implement treatment, which, in our patient, proved to be effective and safe.
Supply Chains, Global Financial Shocks and Firm Behaviour towards Liquidity Needs
Authors: Jinjarak Yothin 
Published: July 2014

AbstractDriven by the increasingly important role of supply chains in global production, this paper studies empirical association between global credit‐market shocks and firm behaviour towards liquidity needs across countries and industries. Focusing on the adjustment of working‐capital financing, we find two pieces of supporting evidence from international firm‐level panel data covering the period 2002:I–2012:IV. First, for industries where specific investment in the input supplier–customer relationship is large, firms are more exposed to credit‐market shocks. We find that measures of global credit‐market shocks are negatively associated with trade receivables, trade payables and inventories, conditional on the level of contract intensity in the industries where firms operate. Second, firms in emerging markets are more vulnerable to
credit‐market shocks than are firms in developed countries. We are also able to verify the economic significance of sales growth, operating cash flows, cash stock and firm size in the overall adjustment. Our findings highlight the importance of balance‐sheet contagion along supply chains during the 2007–09 global financial crisis.
An ex vivo evaluation of efficacy of refrigerated canine plasma
Authors: Grochowsky Adam R. , Rozanski Elizabeth A. , de Laforcade Armelle M. , Sharp Claire R. , Meola Dawn M. , Schavone Jessica J. , Brooks Majory B. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractObjectivesTo determine thawing times of fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and to evaluate the activity of hemostatic proteins (coagulation factors V, VII, VIII, IX, X, and fibrinogen), clotting times (prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time), and sterility of canine plasma stored refrigerated.DesignProspective laboratory‐based study.SettingVeterinary teaching hospital blood bank.InterventionsPhase 1: Six units of canine FFP were retrieved from the blood bank and thawed individually in a warm water bath. Time for thaw was recorded in minutes and reported as mean ± SD. Phase 2: One unit of fresh whole blood was collected from 9 dogs and processed routinely. Resulting plasma was divided into 2 aliquots, 1 stored as refrigerated plasma (RP) and 1 as frozen plasma. Samples from the RP were taken at 0, 1, 5, 7, and 14 days and from the FFP at days 0 and 14 for determination of clotting factor activity (V, VII, VIII, IX, and X and fibrinogen) and clotting times. Coagulation factors and clotting times were analyzed using a mixed effects linear model for ANOVA, comparing changes over time as well as differences between groups. For all comparisons, a P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Batch bacterial aerobic and anaerobic cultures of the RP samples were submitted on days 7 and 14 and from the frozen plasma on day 14.Measurements and Main resultsTime to thaw for FFP units was 34.7 ± 1.38 minutes. Refrigerated storage resulted in significant decreases in the activity of all clotting factors and a subsequent prolongation in clotting times. However, no values were outside of the reference interval. All bacterial cultures yielded no growth.ConclusionsRefrigerated storage results in only minor loss of coagulation factor activity in canine plasma. The use of RP, therefore, may be a viable option in high‐volume veterinary hospitals for rapid correction of coagulopathy in critical care patients.
Development of a Measure to Assess Healthcare Providers’ Implementation of Patient‐Centered Care
Authors: Sidani Souraya , Collins Laura , Harbman Patti , MacMillan Kathleen , Reeves Scott , Hurlock‐Chorostecki Christina , Donald Faith , Staples Patti , van Soeren Mary 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTBackgroundPatient‐centered care (PCC) is a vaguely defined element of high‐quality care, which precludes its consistent and precise operationalization. A conceptualization of PCC was derived from the literature and guided the development of an instrument to assess implementation of PCC by healthcare providers. The items of the instrument capture specific activities that reflect three components of PCC: holistic, collaborative, and responsive care. This paper reports on the measure's content and construct validity and reliability.MethodsContent validity was evaluated in a sample of 11 nurse practitioners who rated the relevance of each items’ content in reflecting the respective component of PCC. The content validity index (CVI) was estimated. Construct validity and internal consistency reliability were examined in a survey of 149 nurse practitioners employed in acute care institutions, using factor analysis and the KR‐20 coefficient, respectively.ResultsThe CVIs were 100% for the three subscales assessing the holistic, collaborative, and responsive care components of PCC. The items in each subscale loaded on one factor. The KR‐20 coefficients were .66, .70, and .42, respectively. Overall, the majority (>70%) of respondents indicated performance of the activities comprising the three components of PCC.Linking Evidence to ActionThe PCC measure demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. The low variance in responses, which is anticipated for instruments assessing fidelity of intervention implementation, accounts for the low reliability coefficients. Additional testing of the measure's psychometric properties in different groups of healthcare providers is warranted. The measure can be used to monitor healthcare providers’ implementation of PCC in their usual practice.
MgrB Inactivation Is a Common Mechanism of Colistin Resistance in KPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of Clinical Origin
Authors: Cannatelli Antonio , Giani Tommaso , D'Andrea Marco Maria , Di Pilato Vincenzo , Arena Fabio , Conte Viola , Tryfinopoulou Kyriaki , Vatopoulos Alkiviadis , Rossolini Gian Maria 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACT

Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains producing KPC-type carbapenemases (KPC-KP) are challenging multidrug-resistant pathogens due to their extensively drug-resistant phenotypes and potential for epidemic dissemination in health care settings. Colistin is a key component of the combination antimicrobial regimens used for treatment of severe KPC-KP infections. We previously reported that insertional inactivation of the
mgrB
gene, encoding a negative-feedback regulator of the PhoQ-PhoP signaling system, can be responsible for colistin resistance in KPC-KP, due to the resulting upregulation of the Pmr lipopolysaccharide modification system. In this work we investigated the status of the
mgrB
gene in a collection of 66 colistin-resistant nonreplicate clinical strains of KPC-KP isolated from different hospitals in Italy and Greece. Overall, 35 strains (53%) exhibited alterations of the
mgrB
gene, including insertions of different types of mobile elements (IS
5
-like, IS
1F
-like, or IS
Kpn14
), nonsilent point mutations, and small intragenic deletions. Four additional strains had a larger deletion of the
mgrB
locus, while the remaining 27 strains (41%) did not show
mgrB
alterations. Transcriptional upregulation of the
phoQ
and
pmrK
genes (part of the
phoPQ
and
pmrHFIJKLM
operon, respectively) was observed in all strains with
mgrB
alterations. Complementation experiments with a wild-type
mgrB
gene restored colistin susceptibility and basal expression levels of
phoQ
and
pmrK
genes in strains carrying different types of
mgrB
alterations. The present results suggest that
mgrB
alteration can be a common mechanism of colistin resistance among KPC-KP in the clinical setting.
Use of Transgenic Parasites and Host Reporters To Dissect Events That Promote Interleukin-12 Production during Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Christian David A. , Koshy Anita A. , Reuter Morgan A. , Betts Michael R. , Boothroyd John C. , Hunter Christopher A. 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTThe intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondiihas multiple strategies to alter host cell function, including the injection of rhoptry proteins into the cytosol of host cells as well as bystander populations, but the consequence of these events is unclear. Here, a reporter system using fluorescent parasite strains that inject Cre recombinase with their rhoptry proteins (Toxoplasma-Cre) was combined with Ai6 Cre reporter mice to identify cells that have been productively infected, that have been rhoptry injected but lack the parasite, or that have phagocytosedT. gondii. The ability to distinguish these host-parasite interactions was then utilized to dissect the events that lead to the production of interleukin-12 p40 (IL-12p40), which is required for resistance toT. gondii.In vivo, the use of invasion-competent or invasion-inhibited (phagocytosed) parasites with IL-12p40 (YET40) reporter mice revealed that dendritic cell (DC) and macrophage populations that phagocytose the parasite or are infected can express IL-12p40 but are not the major source, as larger numbers of uninfected cells secrete this cytokine. Similarly, the use ofToxoplasma-Cre parasite strains indicated that dendritic cells and inflammatory monocytes untouched by the parasite and not cells injected by the parasite are the primary source of IL-12p40. These results imply that a soluble host or parasite factor is responsible for the bulk of IL-12p40 productionin vivo, rather than cellular interactions withT. gondiithat result in infection, infection and clearance, injection of rhoptry proteins, or phagocytosis of the parasite.
Pathogenic Bacterial Species Associated with Endodontic Infection Evade Innate Immune Control by Disabling Neutrophils
Authors: Matsui Aritsune , Jin Jun-O , Johnston Christopher D. , Yamazaki Hajime , Houri-Haddad Yael , Rittling Susan R. 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACT

Endodontic infections, in which oral bacteria access the tooth pulp chamber, are common and do not resolve once established. To investigate the effects of these infections on the innate immune response, we established a mouse subcutaneous chamber model, where a mixture of four oral pathogens commonly associated with these infections (endodontic pathogens [EP]), i.e.,
Fusobacterium nucleatum
,
Streptococcus intermedius
,
Parvimonas micra
, and
Prevotella intermedia
, was inoculated into subcutaneously implanted titanium chambers. Cells that infiltrated the chamber after these infections were primarily neutrophils; however, these neutrophils were unable to control the infection. Infection with a nonpathogenic oral bacterial species,
Streptococcus mitis
, resulted in well-controlled infection, with bacterial numbers reduced by 4 to 5 log units after 7 days. Propidium iodide (PI) staining of the chamber neutrophils identified three distinct populations: neutrophils from EP-infected chambers were intermediate in PI staining, while cells in chambers from mice infected with
S. mitis
were PI positive (apoptotic) or negative (live). Strikingly, neutrophils from EP-infected chambers were severely impaired in their ability to phagocytose and to generate reactive oxygen species
in vitro
after removal from the chamber compared to cells from
S. mitis
-infected chambers. The mechanism of neutrophil impairment was necrotic cell death as determined by morphological analyses.
P. intermedia
alone could induce a similar neutrophil phenotype. We conclude that the endodontic pathogens, particularly
P. intermedia
, can efficiently disable and kill infiltrating neutrophils, allowing these infections to become established. These results can help explain the persistence of endodontic infections and demonstrate a new virulence mechanism associated with
P. intermedia
.