bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mass‐based condition measures and their relationship with fitness: in what condition is condition?
Authors: Barnett C. A. , Suzuki T. N. , Sakaluk S. K. , Thompson C. F. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractMass‐ or body‐size measures of ‘condition’ are of central importance to the study of ecology and evolution, and it is often assumed that differences in condition measures are positively and linearly related to fitness. Using examples drawn from ecological studies, we show that indices of condition frequently are unlikely to be related to fitness in a linear fashion. Researchers need to be more explicit in acknowledging the limitations of mass‐based condition measures and accept that, under some circumstances, they may not relate to fitness as traditionally assumed. Any relationship between a particular condition measure and fitness should first be empirically validated before condition is used as a proxy for fitness. In the absence of such evidence, researchers should explicitly acknowledge that assuming such a relationship may be unrealistic.
Signaling between two interacting sensor kinases promotes biofilms and colonization by a bacterial symbiont
Authors: Norsworthy Allison N. , Visick Karen L. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryCells acclimate to fluctuating environments by utilizing sensory circuits. One common sensory pathway used by bacteria is two‐component signaling (TCS), composed of an environmental sensor [the sensor kinase (SK)] and a cognate, intracellular effector [the response regulator (RR)]. The squid symbiont Vibrio fischeri uses an elaborate TCS phosphorelay containing a hybrid SK, RscS, and two RRs, SypE and SypG, to control biofilm formation and host colonization. Here, we found that another hybrid SK, SypF, was essential for biofilms by functioning downstream of RscS to directly control SypE and SypG. Surprisingly, although wild‐type SypF functioned as an SK in vitro, this activity was dispensable for colonization. In fact, only a single non‐enzymatic domain within SypF, the HPt domain, was critical in vivo. Remarkably, this domain within SypF interacted with RscS to permit a bypass of RscS‘s own HPt domain and SypF‘s enzymatic function. This represents the first in vivo example of a functional SK that exploits the enzymatic activity of another SK, an adaptation that demonstrates the elegant plasticity in the arrangement of TCS regulators.
YouTube as a source of information on dialysis: A content analysis
Authors: Garg Neetika , Venkatraman Anand , Pandey Ambarish , Kumar Nilay 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAimEnd‐stage renal disease is a prevalent and growing health problem worldwide. With increasing Internet use, video‐sharing websites could potentially serve as a powerful platform for dissemination of information on dialysis. We conducted a cross‐sectional study to assess the accuracy, content and viewership of YouTube videos on dialysis.MethodsYouTube videos identified using the search term ‘dialysis’ were classified independently by two physicians as ‘useful,’ ‘misleading’ and ‘patient's personal experiences’. Five‐point ordinal scales were used to grade reliability and quality. Information regarding source of upload, content in seven pre‐defined domains and various viewer interaction metrics was collected.ResultsOf the 115 videos with cumulative duration of 16.2 h and viewership of approximately 2.7 million, 67 (58.3%) were useful, 19 (16.5%) were misleading and 29 (25.2%) represented patient's personal experiences; kappa statistic for inter‐observer agreement was 0.985. Useful videos were the most comprehensive and had the highest reliability and quality scores. However, viewership per day was the lowest for useful videos at a median of 3 (interquartile range (IQR) 1–17), as compared with 11 (IQR 4–43) for misleading videos and 14 (IQR 5–30) for patient experiences (P = 0.013). All misleading videos were uploaded by individual users with unknown credentials. Of these, 68.4% promoted alternative therapies such as herbs and osmotherapy; 47.4% included advertisements for related services.ConclusionsViewers favoured misleading videos and patient narratives over scientifically accurate information. Authoritative sources should use popular social media websites to provide relevant and easy‐to‐understand information on dialysis; including patient stories can make this material more engaging.
Complex association between body weight and fracture risk in postmenopausal women
Authors: Mpalaris V. , Anagnostis P. , Goulis D. G. , Iakovou I. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryOsteoporosis is a common disease, characterized by low bone mass with micro‐architectural disruption and skeletal fragility, resulting in an increased risk of fracture. A substantial number of studies has examined the possible relationship between body weight, bone mineral density and fracture risk in post‐menopausal women, with the majority of them concluding that low body weight correlates with increased risk of fracture, especially hip fracture. Controversies about the potential protective effect of obesity on osteoporosis and consequent fracture risk still exist. Several recent studies question the concept that obesity exerts a protective effect against fractures, suggesting that it stands as a risk factor for fractures at specific skeletal sites, such as upper arm. The association between body weight and fracture risk is complex, differs across skeletal sites and body mass index, and is modified by the interaction between body weight and bone mineral density. Some potential explanations that link obesity with increased fracture risk may be the pattern of falls and impaired mobility in obese individuals, comorbidities, such as asthma, diabetes and early menopause, as well as, increased parathyroid hormone and reduced 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D concentrations.
Investment in Infrastructure and Effects of Tourism Boom
Authors: Yanase Akihiko 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis paper develops a dynamic trade model of a small open economy with productivity effects of public infrastructure and inbound tourism (i.e. foreign visitors' consumption of nontradable goods produced in the home country). It is shown that the economy either specializes in the production of the nontradable good or diversifies production. In the case of specialization, a tourism boom, i.e. an increase in the foreign tourists' demand for the nontradable good, makes the economy better off. In the case of diversified production, by contrast, a tourism boom induces a deterioration in the terms of trade and the economy may be worse off.
Blood transfusion at the time of the First World War – practice and promise at the birth of transfusion medicine
Authors: Boulton F. , Roberts D. J. 
Published: January 2015

SUMMARYThe centenary of the start of the First World War has stirred considerable interest in the political, social, military and human factors of the time and how they interacted to produce and sustain the material and human destruction in the 4 years of the war and beyond. Medical practice may appear distant and static and perhaps seems to have been somewhat ineffectual in the face of so much trauma and in the light of the enormous advances in medicine and surgery over the last century. However, this is an illusion of time and of course medical, surgical and psychiatric knowledge and procedures were developing rapidly at the time and the war years accelerated implementation of many important advances. Transfusion practice lay at the heart of resuscitation, and although direct transfusion from donor to recipient was still used, Geoffrey Keynes from Britain, Oswald Robertson from America and his namesake Lawrence Bruce Robertson from Canada, developed methods for indirect transfusion from donor to recipient by storing blood in bottles and also blood‐banking that laid the foundation of modern transfusion medicine. This review explores the historical setting behind the development of blood transfusion up to the start of the First World War and on how they progressed during the war and afterwards. A fresh look may renew interest in how a novel medical speciality responded to the needs of war and of post‐war society.
Parthenium hysterophorus in Nepal: a review of its weed status and possibilities for management
Authors: Shrestha B B , Shabbir A , Adkins S W 
Published: January 2015

SummaryThe rapid expansion of the alien invasive Parthenium hysterophorus is a new agricultural and environmental problem for Nepal. Although the weed was first recorded in 1967, the most significant expansion has occurred in the last 20 years. The weed is thought to have entered Nepal from India and currently is found in the Tarai, Siwalik and hill regions of Nepal. A CLIMEX modelling projection has shown these regions to be climatically suitable for the growth of P. hysterophorus, both under the present and a future projected increased temperature. From the initially invaded roadside vegetation, the weed has now spread into cropping land and forests. Vehicle movement and transportation of agriculture products are the main means by which its seed is spreading. The weed has reduced plant species richness and changed species composition in grasslands, while fodder collectors have developed contact dermatitis from the plant. To date, no sustainable management strategy has been developed for this weed. However, the fortuitous arrival of the biological control agents Zygogramma bicolorata and Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola has had some impact upon the weed's growth and abundance. A CLIMEX modelling projection identifies many suitable locations for Z. bicolorata outside of its present range and within areas where the weed is likely to spread, both under the present and under a future projected climate of increased temperature. Mapping of the currently invaded areas, management through community involvement and further releases of new and redistribution of current biological control agents are required to manage P. hysterophorus in Nepal.
Calculating tumor trajectory and dose‐of‐the‐day using cone‐beam CT projections
Authors: Jones Bernard L. , Westerly David , Miften Moyed 
Published: January 2015

Purpose:Cone‐beam CT (CBCT) projection images provide anatomical data in real‐time over several respiratory cycles, forming a comprehensive picture of tumor movement. The authors developed and validated a method which uses these projections to determine the trajectory of and dose to highly mobile tumors during each fraction of treatment.Methods:CBCT images of a respiration phantom were acquired, the trajectory of which mimicked a lung tumor with high amplitude (up to 2.5 cm) and hysteresis. A template‐matching algorithm was used to identify the location of a steel BB in each CBCT projection, and a Gaussian probability density function for the absolute BB position was calculated which best fit the observed trajectory of the BB in the imager geometry. Two modifications of the trajectory reconstruction were investigated: first, using respiratory phase information to refine the trajectory estimation (Phase), and second, using the Monte Carlo (MC) method to sample the estimated Gaussian tumor position distribution. The accuracies of the proposed methods were evaluated by comparing the known and calculated BB trajectories in phantom‐simulated clinical scenarios using abdominal tumor volumes.Results:With all methods, the mean position of the BB was determined with accuracy better than 0.1 mm, and root‐mean‐square trajectory errors averaged 3.8% ± 1.1% of the marker amplitude. Dosimetric calculations using Phase methods were more accurate, with mean absolute error less than 0.5%, and with error less than 1% in the highest‐noise trajectory. MC‐based trajectories prevent the overestimation of dose, but when viewed in an absolute sense, add a small amount of dosimetric error (<0.1%).Conclusions:Marker trajectory and target dose‐of‐the‐day were accurately calculated using CBCT projections. This technique provides a method to evaluate highly mobile tumors using ordinary CBCT data, and could facilitate better strategies to mitigate or compensate for motion during stereotactic body radiotherapy.
Reversible Antibiotic Tolerance Induced in Staphylococcus aureus by Concurrent Drug Exposure
Authors: Haaber Jakob , Friberg Cathrine , McCreary Mark , Lin Richard , Cohen Stanley N. , Ingmer Hanne 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACT

Resistance of
Staphylococcus aureus
to beta-lactam antibiotics has led to increasing use of the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin as a life-saving treatment for major S. aureus infections. Coinfection by an unrelated bacterial species may necessitate concurrent treatment with a second antibiotic that targets the coinfecting pathogen. While investigating factors that affect bacterial antibiotic sensitivity, we discovered that susceptibility of S. aureus to vancomycin is reduced by concurrent exposure to colistin, a cationic peptide antimicrobial employed to treat infections by Gram-negative pathogens. We show that colistin-induced vancomycin tolerance persists only as long as the inducer is present and is accompanied by gene expression changes similar to those resulting from mutations that produce stably inherited reduction of vancomycin sensitivity (vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus [VISA] strains). As colistin-induced vancomycin tolerance is reversible, it may not be detected by routine sensitivity testing and may be responsible for treatment failure at vancomycin doses expected to be clinically effective based on such routine testing.

IMPORTANCE
Commonly, antibiotic resistance is associated with permanent genetic changes, such as point mutations or acquisition of resistance genes. We show that phenotypic resistance can arise where changes in gene expression result in tolerance to an antibiotic without any accompanying genetic changes. Specifically, methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) behaves like vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) upon exposure to colistin, which is currently used against infections by Gram-negative bacteria. Vancomycin is a last-resort drug for treatment of serious S. aureus infections, and VISA is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Phenotypic and reversible resistance will not be revealed by standard susceptibility testing and may underlie treatment failure.
The Ordospora colligata Genome: Evolution of Extreme Reduction in Microsporidia and Host-To-Parasite Horizontal Gene Transfer
Authors: Pombert Jean-François , Haag Karen Luisa , Beidas Shadi , Ebert Dieter , Keeling Patrick J. 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACT

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasites that are best known for their unique infection mechanism and their unparalleled levels of genomic reduction and compaction. We sequenced the genome of Ordospora colligata, a gut parasite of the microcrustacean Daphnia sp. and the closest known relative to the microsporidia characterized by the most extreme genomic reduction, the model genus Encephalitozoon. We found that the O. colligata genome is as compact as those of Encephalitozoon spp., featuring few introns and a similar complement of about 2,000 genes, altogether showing that the extreme reduction took place before the origin of Encephalitozoon spp. and their adaptation to vertebrate hosts. We also found that the O. colligata genome has acquired by horizontal transfer from its animal host a septin that is structurally analogous to septin 7, a protein that plays a major role in the endocytosis-based invasion mechanism of the fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
. Microsporidian invasion is most often characterized by injection through a projectile tube, but microsporidia are also known to invade cells by inducing endocytosis. Given the function of septins in other systems, we hypothesize that the acquired septin could help O. colligata induce its uptake by mimicking host receptors.

IMPORTANCE
The smallest known eukaryotic genomes are found in members of the Encephalitozoon genus of microsporidian parasites. Their extreme compaction, however, is not characteristic of the group, whose genomes can differ by an order of magnitude. The processes and evolutionary forces that led the Encephalitozoon genomes to shed so much of their ancestral baggage are unclear. We sequenced the genome of Ordospora colligata, a parasite of the water flea Daphnia sp. and the closest known relative of Encephalitozoon species, and show that this extreme reduction predated the split between the two lineages. We also found that O. colligata has acquired a septin gene by host-to-parasite horizontal transfer and predicted that the encoded protein folds like a septin 7, which plays a major role in endocytosis. We hypothesize that this acquisition could help O. colligata parasitize its hosts by facilitating endocytic infection, a mechanism that occurs in microsporidia but that is not yet well understood.
Achilles tendons in people with type 2 diabetes show mildly compromised structure: an ultrasound tissue characterisation study
Authors: de Jonge Suzan , Rozenberg Robert , Vieyra Bruno , Stam Henk J , Aanstoot Henk-Jan , Weinans Harrie , van Schie Hans T M , Praet Stephan F E 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundMusculotendinous overuse injuries are prevalent in people with type 2 diabetes. Non-enzymatic glycosylation of collagen resulting in tendon stiffening may play a role. In this case–control study we determined whether patients with diabetes had poorer ultrasonographic structure in their Achilles tendons compared to age-matched controls.MethodsPeople with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, and age-matched controls, had computerised ultrasound tissue characterisation of both Achilles tendons. In contiguous ultrasonographic images of the tendon, echopatterns were quantified and categorised into four echo-types. Tendon abnormality was quantified as sum of echo-types III+IV. Furthermore, skin autofluorescence (AF) of the forearm (AF-value) was gathered.ResultsTwenty four type 2 diabetes patients, 24 controls, 24 type 1 diabetes patients and 20 controls were included. AF-value was higher in type 1 diabetes (1.55±0.17) than in their controls (1.39±0.18, p<0.001) and in type 2 diabetes (2.28±0.38) compared to their controls (1.84±0.32, p<0.001) Achilles tendons of type 2 diabetes patients contained more echo-types III+IV (14.1±7.9%) than matched controls (8.0±5.4%, p<0.001). There was a trend towards a difference in echo-types III+IV between type 1 diabetes patients (9.5±5.3%) and their controls (6.5±3.7%, p=0.055). In a stepwise linear regression analysis, body mass index (BMI) was moderately associated with tendon abnormality in patients with diabetes and controls (β=0.393, p<0.001).ConclusionsType 2, and possibly type 1, diabetes patients showed poorer ultrasonographic Achilles tendon structure that may be a risk factor for tendinopathy. Although markers for accumulation of advanced glycation end products were elevated in both diabetes populations, only BMI was associated with these abnormalities.Trial registration numberNTR2209.
Light cupula: the pathophysiological basis of persistent geotropic positional nystagmus
Authors: Imai Takao , Matsuda Kazunori , Takeda Noriaki , Uno Atsuhiko , Kitahara Tadashi , Horii Arata , Nishiike Suetaka , Inohara Hidenori 
Published: January 2015

ObjectiveTo clarify the pathophysiological basis of persistent geotropic positional nystagmus (PGN) in patients with the horizontal canal type of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (H-BPPV), the time constant (TC) of nystagmus and the relationship between its slow phase eye velocity (SPV) and the angle of head rotation in supine were defined.MethodsGeotropic or apogeotropic positional nystagmus was recorded by video-oculography and analysed three-dimensionally.ResultsGeotropic positional nystagmuses in patients with H-BPPV were classified as transient geotropic positional nystagmus with a TC of ≤35 s or PGN with a TC of >35 s. Alternatively, the TC of persistent apogeotropic positional nystagmus (AN) in patients with H-BPPV was >35 s. The direction of the SPV of patients with PGN was opposite to that of patients with AN at each head position across the range of neutral head positions. The relationship between the SPV of patients with PGN and the angle of head rotation was linearly symmetrical against that of patients with AN with respect to a line drawn on the neutral head position.ConclusionsSince its TC was >35 s, it is suggested that PGN is induced by cupula deviation in response to gravity at each head position. It is also suggested that the direction of cupula deviation in patients with PGN is opposite to that of patients with AN across the neutral head positional range with no nystagmus where the long axis of cupula is in alignment with the axis of gravity. Since the pathophysiological basis of AN is considered a heavy cupula, it is suggested that PGN is conversely induced by a light cupula.
Part I: Basic Considerations and Recommendations for Preparation, Measurement and Interpretation
Authors: Haroske G. , Giroud F. , Reith A. , Böcking A. 
Published: January 2015

A task force of invited experts in the field of diagnostic DNA image cytometry, especially consisting of participants from the PRESS (Prototype Reference Standard Slides) and EUROPATH (European Pathology Assisted by Telematics for Healthcare) projects, but open to any other scientist or physician revealing experience in that new diagnostic procedure (names are given in the Annex A) agreed upon the following updated consensus report during the 5th International Congress of the ESACP 1997 in Oslo. This report is based on the preceeding one [9] and on results of the above mentioned European research projects. It deals with the following items:
– Biological background and aims of DNA image cytometry,
– Principles of the method,
– Basic performance standards,
– Diagnostic interpretation of DNA measurements,
– Recommendations for practical use.
Systematic Review of Patients Presenting With Suspected Myocardial Infarction and Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries
Authors: Pasupathy Sivabaskari , Air Tracy , Dreyer Rachel P. , Tavella Rosanna , Beltrame John F. 
Published: January 2015

Background—
Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a puzzling clinical entity with no previous evaluation of the literature. This systematic review aims to (1) quantify the prevalence, risk factors, and 12-month prognosis in patients with MINOCA, and (2) evaluate potential pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder.

Methods and Results—
Quantitative assessment of 28 publications using a meta-analytic approach evaluated the prevalence, clinical features, and prognosis of MINOCA. The prevalence of MINOCA was 6% [95% confidence interval, 5%–7%] with a median patient age of 55 years (95% confidence interval, 51–59 years) and 40% women. However, in comparison with those with myocardial infarction associated with obstructive coronary artery disease, the patients with MINOCA were more likely to be younger and female but less likely to have hyperlipidemia, although other cardiovascular risk factors were similar. All-cause mortality at 12 months was lower in MINOCA (4.7%; 95% confidence interval, 2.6%–6.9%) compared with myocardial infarction associated with obstructive coronary artery disease (6.7%, 95% confidence interval, 4.3%–9.0%). Qualitative assessment of 46 publications evaluating the underlying pathophysiology responsible for MINOCA revealed the presence of a typical myocardial infarct on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in only 24% of patients, with myocarditis occurring in 33% and no significant abnormality in 26%. Coronary artery spasm was inducible in 27% of MINOCA patients, and thrombophilia disorders were detected in 14%.

Conclusions—
MINOCA should be considered as a working diagnosis with multiple potential causes that require evaluation so that directed therapies may improve its guarded prognosis.