bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biocontrol of the Potato Blackleg and Soft Rot Diseases Caused by Dickeya dianthicola
Authors: Raoul des Essarts Yannick , Cigna Jérémy , Quêtu-Laurent Angélique , Caron Aline , Munier Euphrasie , Beury-Cirou Amélie , Hélias Valérie , Faure Denis 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT

Development of protection tools targeting
Dickeya
species is an important issue in the potato production. Here, we present the identification and the characterization of novel biocontrol agents. Successive screenings of 10,000 bacterial isolates led us to retain 58 strains that exhibited growth inhibition properties against several
Dickeya
sp. and/or
Pectobacterium
sp. pathogens. Most of them belonged to the
Pseudomonas
and
Bacillus
genera.
In vitro
assays revealed a fitness decrease of the tested
Dickeya
sp. and
Pectobacterium
sp. pathogens in the presence of the biocontrol agents. In addition, four independent greenhouse assays performed to evaluate the biocontrol bacteria effect on potato plants artificially contaminated with
Dickeya dianthicola
revealed that a mix of three biocontrol agents, namely,
Pseudomonas putida
PA14H7 and
Pseudomonas fluorescens
PA3G8 and PA4C2, repeatedly decreased the severity of blackleg symptoms as well as the transmission of
D. dianthicola
to the tuber progeny. This work highlights the use of a combination of biocontrol strains as a potential strategy to limit the soft rot and blackleg diseases caused by
D. dianthicola
on potato plants and tubers.
Spatial Distribution of Lactococcus lactis Colonies Modulates the Production of Major Metabolites during the Ripening of a Model Cheese
Authors: Le Boucher Clémentine , Gagnaire Valérie , Briard-Bion Valérie , Jardin Julien , Maillard Marie-Bernadette , Dervilly-Pinel Gaud , Le Bizec Bruno , Lortal Sylvie , Jeanson Sophie , Thierry Anne 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT

In cheese, lactic acid bacteria are immobilized at the coagulation step and grow as colonies. The spatial distribution of bacterial colonies is characterized by the size and number of colonies for a given bacterial population within cheese. Our objective was to demonstrate that different spatial distributions, which lead to differences in the exchange surface between the colonies and the cheese matrix, can influence the ripening process. The strategy was to generate cheeses with the same growth and acidification of a
Lactococcus lactis
strain with two different spatial distributions, big and small colonies, to monitor the production of the major ripening metabolites, including sugars, organic acids, peptides, free amino acids, and volatile metabolites, over 1 month of ripening. The monitored metabolites were qualitatively the same for both cheeses, but many of them were more abundant in the small-colony cheeses than in the big-colony cheeses over 1 month of ripening. Therefore, the results obtained showed that two different spatial distributions of
L. lactis
modulated the ripening time course by generating moderate but significant differences in the rates of production or consumption for many of the metabolites commonly monitored throughout ripening. The present work further explores the immobilization of bacteria as colonies within cheese and highlights the consequences of this immobilization on cheese ripening.
Maturation of Fibrinolytic Bacillopeptidase F Involves both Hetero- and Autocatalytic Processes
Authors: Meng Dongheng , Dai Meihong , Xu Bi-Lin , Zhao Zhong-Shu , Liang Xiaoliang , Wang Mingqiu , Tang Xiao-Feng , Tang Bing 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT

Bacillopeptidase F (Bpr) is a fibrinolytic serine protease produced by
Bacillus subtilis
. Its precursor is composed of a signal peptide, an N-terminal propeptide, a catalytic domain, and a long C-terminal extension (CTE). Several active forms of Bpr have been previously reported, but little is known about the maturation of this enzyme. Here, a gene encoding a Bpr (BprL) was cloned from
B. subtilis
LZW and expressed in
B. subtilis
WB700, and three fibrinolytic mature forms with apparent molecular masses of 45, 75, and 85 kDa were identified in the culture supernatant. After treatment with urea, the 75-kDa mature form had the same molecular mass as the 85-kDa mature form, from which we infer that they adopt different conformations. Mutational analysis revealed that while the 85-kDa mature form is generated via heterocatalytic processing of a BprL proform by an unidentified protease of
B. subtilis
, the production of the 75- and 45-kDa mature forms involves both hetero- and autocatalytic events. From
in vitro
analysis of BprL and its sequential C-terminal truncation variants, it appears that partial removal of the CTE is required for the initiation of autoprocessing of the N-terminal propeptide, which is composed of a core domain (N*) and a 15-residue linker peptide, thereby yielding the 45-kDa mature form. These data suggest that the differential processing of BprL, either heterocatalytically or autocatalytically, leads to the formation of multiple mature forms with different molecular masses or conformations.
Silver Nanoparticles Decrease the Viability of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts
Authors: Cameron Pamela , Gaiser Birgit K. , Bhandari Bidha , Bartley Paul M. , Katzer Frank , Bridle Helen 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT

Oocysts of the waterborne protozoan parasite
Cryptosporidium parvum
are highly resistant to chlorine disinfection. We show here that both silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver ions significantly decrease oocyst viability, in a dose-dependent manner, between concentrations of 0.005 and 500 μg/ml, as assessed by an excystation assay and the shell/sporozoite ratio. For percent excystation, the results are statistically significant for 500 μg/ml of AgNPs, with reductions from 83% for the control to 33% with AgNPs. For Ag ions, the results were statistically significant at 500 and 5,000 μg/ml, but the percent excystation values were reduced only to 66 and 62%, respectively, from 86% for the control. The sporozoite/shell ratio was affected to a greater extent following AgNP exposure, presumably because sporozoites are destroyed by interaction with NPs. We also demonstrated via hyperspectral imaging that there is a dual mode of interaction, with Ag ions entering the oocyst and destroying the sporozoites while AgNPs interact with the cell wall and, at high concentrations, are able to fully break the oocyst wall.
Immunophenotyping of ampullary carcinomata allows for stratification of treatment specific subgroups
Authors: Leo Joyce M , Kalloger Steve E , Peixoto Renata D , Gale Nadia S , Webber Douglas L , Owen David A , Renouf Daniel , Schaeffer David F 
Published: October 2015

BackgroundAmpullary carcinomata (AC) can be separated into intestinal (IT) or pancreatobiliary (PB) subtypes. Although morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular differentiation of IT and PB have been well documented; the prognostic significance of histological subtype and whether patients with either subtype benefit from differential chemotherapeutic regimens remains unclear.MethodsAs part of a larger cohort study, patients who underwent resection for AC or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) were retrospectively identified. Clinicopathological covariates and outcome were obtained and MUC1, MUC2, CDX2 and CK20 were assessed with immunohistochemistry.ResultsOf 99 ACs, the resultant immunophenotypes indicated 48% and 22% were IT and PB, respectively. Thirty (30%) cases were quadruple negative (QN). Within the PDAC cohort (N=257), the most prevalent immunophenotype was QN (53%). Subsequently, all QN ACs were classified as PB immunohistochemically yielding 47.5% and 52.5% classified as IT and PB, respectively. Involved regional lymph nodes and elevated T-stage were significantly associated with PB compared with IT AC (p=0.0032 and 0.0396, respectively). Progression-free survival revealed inferior survival for PB versus IT AC (p=0.0156).ConclusionsAC can be classified into prognostic groups with unique clinicopathological characteristics using immunohistochemistry. Immunophenotypical similarity of PB and PDAC suggests that treatment regimens similar to those used in PDAC should be explored.
Cardioprotective role of β-blockers and angiotensin antagonists in early-onset anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity in adult patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yun Seongseok , Vincelette Nicole D , Abraham Ivo 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT

Background
Anthracyclines are commonly used chemotherapeutic agents with proven efficacy in such malignancies as breast cancer, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. These agents are associated with irreversible accumulative dose-related cardiomyopathy. Many agents have been examined to reduce cardiotoxicity risk.

Aims
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of β-blockers and angiotensin antagonists to prevent early-onset anthracyclines-induced left ventricular dysfunction and cardiac events.

Methods
Relevant articles were searched in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane database of systematic reviews up to July 2015. Eligible studies were limited to randomised controlled trials comparing the efficacy of cardioprotective agents (β-blocker and angiotensin antagonist) with control (either no treatment or placebo) in adult patients (age &gt;18 years) treated with anthracyclines-based regimens.

Results
Pooled analysis showed an association of β-blockers and/or angiotensin antagonists treatment with higher post-chemotherapy left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 64.03% compared with 57.48% for control treatment. The mean difference estimate (95% CI) was 6.06% (0.54 to 11.58), p=0.03, with significant heterogeneity, I2 (95% CI)=96% (82.7 to 109.3). Though the point estimate for the relative rate of cardiac events was lower in the experimental arm, the difference was not statistically significant. In an exploratory subgroup analysis, the benefit of experimental agents on LVEF preservation was prominent in patients treated with higher accumulative dose of anthracyclines, but not in the lower dose group.

Conclusions
β-Blockers and angiotensin antagonists treatments were associated with better LVEF preservation, and the benefit was prominent in patients treated with higher anthracyclines accumulative dose. Unexplained heterogeneity remains, indicating the need for more controlled studies. This analysis provides some support for the routine use of β-blockers or angiotensin antagonists in patients undergoing anthracyclines treatment, especially when higher accumulative dose is expected.
Cerebral venous thrombosis: comparing characteristics of infective and non-infective aetiologies: a 12-year retrospective study
Authors: Korathanakhun Pat , Petpichetchian Wongchan , Sathirapanya Pornchai , Geater Sarayut Lucien 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT

Background
Most cases of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) have non-infective causes. Infective CVT, though less common, often results in a catastrophic outcome. The distinctive clinical characteristics of infection-associated CVT (IACVT) and non-infection-associated CVT (NIACVT) would facilitate early detection and proper management.

Objective
To compare the characteristics of IACVT and NIACVT.

Methods
All patients with CVT admitted to Songklanagarind Hospital between January 2002 and December 2013 with the ICD10 codes I636, I676, O225 and G08 were identified and recruited. We compared the clinical presentations, neuroimaging results and hospital outcomes for patients with IACVT and those with NIACVT. We analysed the differences using descriptive statistics. Additionally, for patients with IACVT, we described the primary sites of infection, associated CVT, host immune status and microbiological results.

Results
Twenty of the 83 patients with CVT (24.1%) had IACVT. Male gender (70.0% vs 34.9%) and pre-existing diabetes mellitus (35.0% vs 4.8%) were significantly more prevalent in the IACVT than the NIACVT group. Additionally, cavernous sinus thrombosis predominated in IACVT (80.0% vs 11.1%), whereas focal neurological syndrome was more common among patients with NIACVT (50.8% vs 15.0%). Paracranial infections, mostly sinusitis and orbital cellulitis, were common primary infections (80.0%) among patients with IACVT. Lastly, fungus was a devastating causative pathogen in IACVT—five of six patients with fungal infection had intracranial complications.

Conclusions
Cavernous sinus thrombosis is a distinctive clinical presentation of IACVT, whereas focal neurological syndrome is a hallmark feature of NIACVT. Paracranial fungal infections are highly virulent and frequently associated with intracranial complications.
Geometric tools for exploring manifolds of light transport paths
Authors: Jakob Wenzel , Marschner Steve 
Published: October 2015

Photorealistic images created using physical simulations of light have become a ubiquitous element of our everyday lives. The most successful techniques for producing such images replicate the key physical phenomena in a detailed software simulation, including the emission of light by sources, transport through space, and scattering in the atmosphere and at the surfaces of objects. Mathematically, this computation involves the approximation of many high-dimensional integrals, one for each pixel of the image, usually using Monte Carlo methods. Although a great deal of progress has been made on rendering algorithms, so that physically based rendering is now routinely used in many applications, commonly occurring situations can still cause these algorithms to become impractically slow, forcing users to make unrealistic scene modifications to obtain satisfactory results.
Light transport is complex because light can flow along a great variety of different paths through a scene, though only a subset of these makes relevant contributes to the final image. The simulation becomes ineffective when it is difficult to find the important paths. Commonly occurring materials like smooth metal or glass surfaces can easily lead to such situations, where only very few lighting paths participate, leading to spiky integrands and poor convergence. How to efficiently handle such cases in general has been a long-standing problem.<!-- END_PAGE_1 -->
In this paper, we provide a geometric solution to this problem by representing light paths as points in an abstract high-dimensional configuration space that is defined by a system of constraint equations. This configuration space is a differentiable manifold, which can be locally parameterized in the neighborhood of an existing path. Building on this framework, we propose Manifold Exploration, a rendering technique that efficiently explores the integration domain by taking geometrically informed steps on the manifold of light paths.
Determining fitness to drive among drivers with Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline
Authors: Unsworth Carolyn , Chan Siew-Pang 
Published: October 2015

Introduction Fitness to drive skills progressively deteriorate following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease/cognitive decline. Occupational therapists require standardised assessments to help them make recommendations to clients and licensing authorities regarding client fitness to drive. This research aimed to determine whether drivers in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease/cognitive decline can drive safely, and if this could be predicted using the occupational therapy – driver off-road assessment battery (OT-DORA Battery). Method Drivers with Alzheimer’s disease/cognitive decline were assessed by one of nine driver assessors over 18 months. Client data were collected on the OT-DORA Battery and following on-road assessment; the outcome was recorded as pass, pass with conditions, or fail. Results A total of 63 clients were assessed, and n  =  40 (63.5%) were passed as fit to drive, of whom 33(83%) had at least one condition placed on their licence. Client age and scores on four subtests of the OT-DORA Battery were predictive of outcome. Conclusion A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease/cognitive decline should not automatically preclude driving. Scores on four of the subtests from the OT-DORA Battery may be used to help determine whether a client is fit to drive or not fit to drive, or whether a client should be referred for specialist occupational therapy driver assessment.
Variability of the characteristics of a migraine attack within patients
Authors: Viana M , Sances G , Ghiotto N , Guaschino E , Allena M , Nappi G , Goadsby PJ , Tassorelli C 
Published: October 2015

Background Migraine attacks may present different features in different patients and also within the same patient. The percentage of patients reporting stereotyped attacks and those reporting attacks with different phenotypes has not been the object of specific investigations. Objective The objective of this article is to evaluate the percentage of migraine patients reporting the same characteristics, in terms of phenotype and response to symptomatic medications on three consecutive migraine attacks. Methods Thirty patients with migraine without aura prospectively recorded the features of three consecutive attacks in a headache diary. Characteristics recorded were: pain intensity, presence of nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophophia, osmophobia, allodynia, cranial autonomic symptoms (at least one), and premonitory symptoms. Patients were allowed to take frovatriptan as symptomatic medication, whose efficacy was evaluated as the two hours pain-free status. Results None of the patients presented identical characteristics on the three studied attacks. This was still the case if we reduced the number of variables evaluated from 11 to seven of the eight core features indicated by the ICHD. Considering just six variables: unilaterality and quality of pain, presence/absence of nausea, vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia, only two patients (6%) had identical features on three consecutive attacks. With respect to the response to frovatriptan, 39% of patients had the same response, either positive (i.e. pain free after two hours) or negative (i.e. not pain free after two hours) on three consecutive attacks. Conclusion Migraine attacks show a high variability not just among patients, but also within the same patient. Our data indicate that stereotypy of attacks is uncommon, and reinforces the underlying logic of the current operational classification system.
Assessing the Efficacy of a Breastfeeding-Friendly Quality Improvement Project in a Large Federally Qualified Health Center Network
Authors: Rosen-Carole Casey , Waltermaurer Eve , Goudreault Monet , Larimer Allison , Pokharel-Wood Miriam , Rajupet Sritha , Kouba Nafila 
Published: October 2015

Background: Provider attitudes can influence breastfeeding decision making, initiation, and duration, although much of this research has suffered from a “hospital-limited view.” Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a Breastfeeding-Friendly Initiative (BFI) on knowledge and attitudes of providers and staff, as well as breastfeeding rates of patients within a large Federally Qualified Health Center network with no lactation consultants on staff. Methods: We evaluated breastfeeding rates before and throughout the BFI. In addition, surveys of 136 primary care providers and staff before and after they were exposed to a breastfeeding education module were assessed to measure changes in breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes. Results: Breastfeeding initiation and duration improved over the course of the BFI, with mean breastfeeding duration increasing by nearly 1 month following the education module compared with baseline rates ( P = .01). Following participation in the breastfeeding education module, we observed a statistically significant improvement in provider and staff knowledge ( P < .01) and attitudes ( P < .01). These improvements were consistent across employment type, gender, geography, and personal experience as a parent. Conclusion: Implementing a BFI in a large multispecialty primary care network was found to improve breastfeeding initiation and duration up to 1 year, with a further increase in breastfeeding duration of 1 month following a 45-minute staff education module. After exposure to this module, health care providers and staff across our network improved in breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes. Given that expectant and new mothers regularly come into contact with staff and providers in primary care, sound knowledge and positive attitudes toward breastfeeding appear to have had a favorable effect on mothers that correlates with improved breastfeeding duration.
Sequential integrated antenatal screening for Down’s syndrome, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13
Authors: Bestwick Jonathan P , Wald Nicholas J 
Published: October 2015

Objective To estimate the performance of antenatal sequential Integrated screening for Down’s syndrome (DS), trisomy 18 (T18) and trisomy 13 (T13), in which women have first trimester testing for each disorder; those above specified risk cut-offs are screen-positive, and the remainder continue to Integrated testing, using first and second trimester screening markers together. Methods Published screening marker parameters and Monte Carlo simulation were used to calculate detection rates (DR’s) and risk cut-off levels for specified false-positive rates (FPR’s), and DR’s and FPR’s for specified risk cut-offs. We compared this screening performance with that based on all women having Integrated tests. Results Sequential Integrated DS screening detects 71% of DS pregnancies at the first trimester stage at a 0.5% FPR. For an overall 2% FPR, the DS DR is 92%, the same screening performance as the Integrated test performed on all women. Sequential Integrated T18 and T13 screening detects 70% of T18 and 53% of T13 pregnancies at the first trimester stage at a 0.05% FPR for each. The overall T18 and T13 DR’s are 96% and 72% respectively at 0.2% FPR, the same screening performance as with Integrated tests performed on all women. Increasing the overall FPR’s does not materially increase the DR’s for any of the three disorders. Conclusion The performance of sequential Integrated screening is similar to the performance if all women have an Integrated test, but has the advantage of identifying most DS, T18, and T13 pregnancies a few weeks earlier.
Fifty shades of gray: Bone disease in renal transplantation
Authors: Wong Jiunn , Tan Matthew Zhen-Wei , Chandran Manju 
Published: October 2015

Kidney transplantation is the renal replacement therapy of choice for patients with end stage renal disease. Advances in technology, surgical techniques and pharmacotherapy have improved renal allograft survival. Increasingly, we are seeing long term side effects related to renal transplantation, bone disease being a major one amongst them. Renal transplant patients have a higher risk of fragility fractures even when compared to those who remain on dialysis. This is likely to be related to pre-existing underlying bone disease and the emergence of new metabolic bone problems post-transplant. Conditions such as persistent hyperparathyroidism and the use of certain immunosuppressive agents have a deleterious effect on the post renal transplant bone. Remarkable advances in the field of metabolic bone research have been made in the last decade and newer imaging techniques, biomarkers and therapeutic options are now available for osteoporosis in the general population. Interest is being focused on attempting to extrapolate these new discoveries to the management of bone disease post renal transplant. This review will briefly describe the metabolic bone changes that occur after transplantation and will provide an update on the currently available investigative options and therapeutic strategies for the management of post renal transplant bone disease.