bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neighborhood Deprivation and Physical Activity Facilities—No Support for the Deprivation Amplification Hypothesis
Authors: Schneider Sven , D’Agostino Adriana , Weyers Simone , Diehl Katharina , Gruber Johannes 
Published: September 2014

Background:The “deprivation amplification” hypothesis states that individuals who are already socially disadvantaged experience a further contextual disadvantage regarding their access to health relevant facilities. This hypothesis is investigated for the first time for Germany, led by the question as to whether deprived neighborhoods experience worse access to physical activity facilities than affluent ones. We differentiate between facilities for children and adolescents vs. for adults, and between free vs. fee-based facilities.Methods:We identified all physical activity facilities by traversing each neighborhood by foot or bicycle in the framework of a systematic audit. Number, location, and type of facilities were recorded and visualized. The investigation area encompassed 18 social areas in a major German city with 92,000 inhabitants and an area of 12.0 km2.Results:A lower socioeconomic area status was related to a higher availability of physical activity facilities for children and adolescents (7.11/1000 minors in deprived social areas versus 4.46/1000 minors in affluent social areas; P < .05). For adults, the pattern was similar but not significant (P ≥ .05). These results were also shown in analyses in which only free facilities were taken into consideration.Conclusions:Our study cannot support the “deprivation amplification” hypothesis regarding the availability of physical activity facilities.
The Capsid Binder Vapendavir and the Novel Protease Inhibitor SG85 Inhibit Enterovirus 71 Replication
Authors: Tijsma Aloys , Franco David , Tucker Simon , Hilgenfeld Rolf , Froeyen Mathy , Leyssen Pieter , Neyts Johan 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACT

Antivirals against enterovirus 71 (EV71) are urgently needed. We demonstrate that the novel enteroviral protease inhibitor (PI) SG85 and capsid binder (CB) vapendavir efficiently inhibit the
in vitro
replication of 21 EV71 strains/isolates that are representative of the different genogroups A, B, and C. The PI rupintrivir, the CB pirodavir, and the host-targeting compound enviroxime, which were included as reference compounds, also inhibited the replication of all isolates. Remarkably, the CB compound pleconaril was devoid of any anti-EV71 activity. An
in silico
docking study revealed that pleconaril—unlike vapendavir and pirodavir—lacks essential binding interactions with the viral capsid. Vapendavir and SG85 (or analogues) should be further explored for the treatment of EV71 infections. The data presented here may serve as a reference when developing yet-novel inhibitors.
Role of
Pfmdr1
in
In Vitro
Plasmodium falciparum Susceptibility to Chloroquine, Quinine, Monodesethylamodiaquine, Mefloquine, Lumefantrine, and Dihydroartemisinin
Authors: Wurtz Nathalie , Fall Bécaye , Pascual Aurélie , Fall Mansour , Baret Eric , Camara Cheikhou , Nakoulima Aminata , Diatta Bakary , Fall Khadidiatou Ba , Mbaye Pape Saliou , Diémé Yaya , Bercion Raymond , Wade Boubacar , Pradines Bruno 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACT

The involvement of
Pfmdr1
(
Plasmodium falciparum
multidrug resistance 1) polymorphisms in antimalarial drug resistance is still debated. Here, we evaluate the association between polymorphisms in
Pfmdr1
(N86Y, Y184F, S1034C, N1042D, and D1246Y) and
Pfcrt
(K76T) and
in vitro
responses to chloroquine (CQ), mefloquine (MQ), lumefantrine (LMF), quinine (QN), monodesethylamodiaquine (MDAQ), and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in 174
Plasmodium falciparum
isolates from Dakar, Senegal. The
Pfmdr1
86Y mutation was identified in 14.9% of the samples, and the 184F mutation was identified in 71.8% of the isolates. No 1034C, 1042N, or 1246Y mutations were detected. The
Pfmdr1
86Y mutation was significantly associated with increased susceptibility to MDAQ (
P
= 0.0023), LMF (
P
= 0.0001), DHA (
P
= 0.0387), and MQ (
P
= 0.00002). The N86Y mutation was not associated with CQ (
P
= 0.214) or QN (
P
= 0.287) responses. The
Pfmdr1
184F mutation was not associated with various susceptibility responses to the 6 antimalarial drugs (
P
= 0.168 for CQ, 0.778 for MDAQ, 0.324 for LMF, 0.961 for DHA, 0.084 for QN, and 0.298 for MQ). The
Pfmdr1
86Y-Y184 haplotype was significantly associated with increased susceptibility to MDAQ (
P
= 0.0136), LMF (
P
= 0.0019), and MQ (
P
= 0.0001). The additional
Pfmdr1
86Y mutation increased significantly the
in vitro
susceptibility to MDAQ (
P
< 0.0001), LMF (
P
< 0.0001), MQ (
P
< 0.0001), and QN (
P
= 0.0026) in wild-type
Pfcrt
K76 parasites. The additional
Pfmdr1
86Y mutation significantly increased the
in vitro
susceptibility to CQ (
P
= 0.0179) in
Pfcrt
76T CQ-resistant parasites.
Effective Control of Salmonella Infections by Employing Combinations of Recombinant Antimicrobial Human β-Defensins hBD-1 and hBD-2
Authors: Maiti Soumitra , Patro Sunita , Purohit Sukumar , Jain Sumeet , Senapati Shantibhusan , Dey Nrisingha 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACT

We successfully produced two human β-defensins (hBD-1 and hBD-2) in bacteria as functional peptides and tested their antibacterial activities against
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi,
Escherichia coli
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
employing both spectroscopic and viable CFU count methods. Purified peptides showed approximately 50% inhibition of the bacterial population when used individually and up to 90% when used in combination. The 50% lethal doses (LD
50
) of hBD-1 against
S.
Typhi,
E. coli
, and
S. aureus
were 0.36, 0.40, and 0.69 μg/μl, respectively, while those for hBD-2 against the same bacteria were 0.38, 0.36, and 0.66 μg/μl, respectively. Moreover, we observed that bacterium-derived antimicrobial peptides were also effective in increasing survival time and decreasing bacterial loads in the peritoneal fluid, liver, and spleen of a mouse intraperitoneally infected with
S.
Typhi. The 1:1 hBD-1/hBD-2 combination showed maximum effectiveness in challenging the
Salmonella
infection
in vitro
and
in vivo
. We also observed less tissue damage and sepsis formation in the livers of infected mice after treatment with hBD-1 and hBD-2 peptides individually or in combination. Based on these findings, we conclude that bacterium-derived recombinant β-defensins (hBD-1 and hBD-2) are promising antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-based substances for the development of new therapeutics against typhoid fever.
Switching from Posaconazole Suspension to Tablets Increases Serum Drug Levels in Leukemia Patients without Clinically Relevant Hepatotoxicity
Authors: Jung Dong Sik , Tverdek Frank P. , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P. 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACT

We evaluated posaconazole serum concentrations and hepatotoxicity in 12 leukemia patients who transitioned from posaconazole suspension to tablets. Patients who switched to tablets had significantly increased posaconazole concentrations (median: suspension, 748 ng/ml; tablet, 1,910 ng/ml;
P
< 0.01) without clinically relevant hepatotoxicity.
A CRISPR with Roles in Myxococcus xanthus Development and Exopolysaccharide Production
Authors: Wallace Regina A. , Black Wesley P. , Yang Xianshuang , Yang Zhaomin 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACT

The Gram-negative soil bacterium
Myxococcus xanthus
utilizes its social (S) gliding motility to move on surfaces during its vegetative and developmental cycles. It is known that S motility requires the type IV pilus (T4P) and the exopolysaccharide (EPS) to function. The T4P is the S motility motor, and it powers cell movement by retraction. As the key regulator of the S motor, EPS is proposed to be the anchor and trigger for T4P retraction. The production of EPS is regulated in turn by the T4P in
M. xanthus
, and T4P
−
mutants are S
−
and EPS
−
. In this study, a Δ
pilA
strain (T4P
−
and EPS
−
) was mutagenized by a transposon and screened for EPS
+
mutants. A
pilA
suppressor isolated as such harbored an insertion in the 3rd clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR3) in
M. xanthus
. Evidence indicates that this transposon insertion, designated CRISPR3*, is a gain-of-function (GOF) mutation. Moreover, CRISPR3* eliminated developmental aggregation in both the wild-type and the
pilA
mutant backgrounds. Upstream of CRISPR3 are genes encoding the repeat-associated mysterious proteins (RAMPs). These RAMP genes are indispensable for CRISPR3* to affect development and EPS in
M. xanthus
. Analysis by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR suggested that CRISPR3* led to an increase in the processing of the RNA transcribed from CRISPR3. We propose that certain CRISPR3 transcripts, once expressed and processed, target genes critical for
M. xanthus
fruiting body development and EPS production in a RAMP-dependent manner.
Assembling Flagella in Salmonella Mutant Strains Producing a Type III Export Apparatus without FliO
Authors: Barker Clive S. , Meshcheryakova Irina V. , Inoue Tomoharu , Samatey Fadel A. 
Published: September 2014

ABSTRACT

The type III export apparatus of the
Salmonella
flagellum consists of six transmembrane proteins (FlhA, FlhB, FliO, FliP, FliQ, and FliR) and three soluble proteins (FliH, FliI, and FliJ). Deletion of the
fliO
gene creates a mutant strain that is poorly motile; however, suppressor mutations in the
fliP
gene can partially rescue motility. To further understand the mechanism of suppression of a
fliO
deletion mutation, we isolated new suppressor mutant strains with partially rescued motility. Whole-genome sequence analysis of these strains found a missense mutation that localized to the
clpP
gene [
clpP
(
V20F
)], which encodes the ClpP subunit of the ClpXP protease, and a synonymous mutation that localized to the
fliA
gene [
fliA
(+
36T
→
C
)], which encodes the flagellar sigma factor, σ
28
. Combining these suppressor mutations with mutations in the
fliP
gene additively rescued motility and biosynthesis of the flagella in
fliO
deletion mutant strains. Motility was also rescued by an
flgM
deletion mutation or by plasmids carrying either the
flhDC
or
fliA
gene. The
fliA
(+
36T
→
C
) mutation increased mRNA translation of a
fliA
′-
lacZ
gene fusion, and immunoblot analysis revealed that the mutation increased levels of σ
28
. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR showed that either the
clpP
(
V20F
) or
fliA
(+
36T
→
C
) mutation rescued expression of class 3 flagellar and chemotaxis genes; still, the suppressor mutations in the
fliP
gene had a greater effect on bypassing the loss of
fliO
function. This suggests that the function of FliO is closely associated with regulation of FliP during assembly of the flagellum.
Disposal of fetal tissue following elective abortion: what women think
Authors: Myers Amanda J , Lohr Patricia A , Pfeffer Naomi 
Published: September 2014

Background and methodologyUK regulations on managing fetal tissue after pregnancy loss, including abortion, are underscored by the concept of ‘sensitive disposal’. This involves offering women burial or cremation and, when disposal is by the health care provider, separating fetal tissue from other clinical waste before incineration. We interviewed 23 women who had undergone one or more abortions about their understanding, attitudes and experiences of fetal tissue disposal and ‘sensitive disposal’. Transcripts were analysed for representative themes.ResultsPrior to the abortion, most participants did not give consideration to disposal methods because their focus was on ending the pregnancy. Appropriate disposal by health professionals was assumed but some women undergoing early medical abortion reported anxiety about how to manage disposal at home. The term ‘sensitive disposal’ was unfamiliar to most respondents. Participants generally favoured separation of fetal tissue from other clinical waste and approved of incineration as a means of destruction. Ceremonial disposal was approved of following the loss of a wanted pregnancy but not following elective abortion. Most wanted the opportunity to access information about disposal but did not favour being asked or required to make decisions about disposal.Discussion and conclusionsKnowledge about the management of fetal tissue after abortion or the concept of ‘sensitive disposal’ was limited among the women we interviewed. Current guidelines appear discordant with the views of women terminating an unwanted pregnancy. Further research is needed to better inform policy on this issue.
The power-law attributes of stratigraphic layering and their possible significance
Authors: Bailey Robin J. 
Published: September 2014

Abstract
Conventional stratigraphic logging is biased towards human-scale units and is correspondingly suspect as a basis for statistical analysis of spatial layering relationships. AR analysis uses lithological sample series to define layers in terms of the ‘first returns’ of each sample value, yielding objective layer thickness inventories (LTI) covering several orders of magnitude. Bilogarithmic LTI plots, relating the return thicknesses to their numerical frequency in the section, reveal power-law relationships with non-integer exponents. Over two orders of magnitude, the geometric layering relationships are thus shown to be self-similar (fractal). The power-law exponents also relate to Hurst exponents that describe the variability in the data series and the negative long range dependence in the sampled records.
Kilometre-scale gamma ray logs of continental, paralic, shallow marine and pelagic facies yield similar power-law exponents, regardless of the interpreted processes and rates of accumulation. This suggests that a ‘universal’ power law describes the self-similar layering of the stratigraphic record. This is inferred to mean that the power-law behaviours are the outcome of the threshold interactions between a sediment-transporting fluid and its bed. They suggest that the erosional operations that generate the record are characterized by self-organized criticality and involve a strange attractor.
Barriers and bridges: early human dispersals in equatorial SE Asia
Authors: Wurster Christopher M. , Bird Michael I. 
Published: September 2014

Abstract
Past environments of equatorial SE Asia must have played a critical role in determining the timing and trajectory of early human dispersal into and through the region. However, very few reliable terrestrial records are available with which to contextualize human dispersal events. This circumstance, coupled with a sparse archaeological record and the likelihood that much of the archaeological record is now submerged, means we have an incomplete understanding of the role that geography, climate and environment played in shaping human pre-history in this region. From a review of the literature, we conclude that there must have been a substantial environmental barrier resulting in a genetic separation between east and west Sundaland that persisted even though a terrestrial connection was present for most of the Pleistocene. This barrier is likely to be a north–south corridor of open non-forest vegetation, and its existence may have encouraged the rapid dispersal of early humans through the interior of Sundaland and on to Sahul. We conclude that more reliable terrestrial palaeoenvironmental records are required to better understand the links between past environments and dispersal events. We highlight avenues of particular research value, such as focusing on eastern Sumatra, western/southern Borneo and the islands in the Java Sea, where the purported savanna corridor most probably existed, and including edaphic factors in palaeovegetation modelling.
On the Comprehension of Program Comprehension
Authors: Maalej Walid , Tiarks Rebecca , Roehm Tobias , Koschke Rainer 
Published: September 2014

Research in program comprehension has evolved considerably over the past decades. However, only little is known about how developers practice program comprehension in their daily work. This article reports on qualitative and quantitative research to comprehend the strategies, tools, and knowledge used for program comprehension. We observed 28 professional developers, focusing on their comprehension behavior, strategies followed, and tools used. In an online survey with 1,477 respondents, we analyzed the importance of certain types of knowledge for comprehension and where developers typically access and share this knowledge.
We found that developers follow pragmatic comprehension strategies depending on context. They try to avoid comprehension whenever possible and often put themselves in the role of users by inspecting graphical interfaces. Participants confirmed that standards, experience, and personal communication facilitate comprehension. The team size, its distribution, and open-source experience influence their knowledge sharing and access behavior. While face-to-face communication is preferred for accessing knowledge, knowledge is frequently shared in informal comments.
Our results reveal a gap between research and practice, as we did not observe any use of comprehension tools and developers seem to be unaware of them. Overall, our findings call for reconsidering the research agendas towards context-aware tool support.
Study of Baryon Spectroscopy Using a New Potential Form
Authors: Abou-Salem L. I. 
Published: September 2014

In the present work, the nonrelativistic quark model is applied to study baryon systems, where the constituent quarks are bound by a suitable hyper central potential. We proposed a new phenomenological form of the interaction potential, digamma-type potential. Using the Jacobi coordinates, the three-body wave equation is solved numerically to calculate the resonance states of theN, Δ, Λ, andΣbaryon systems. The present model contains only two adjustable parameters in addition to the quark masses. Our theoretical calculations are compared to the available experimental data and Cornell potential results. The description of the spectrum shows that the ground states of the considered light and strange baryon spectra are in general well reproduced.
Notable Stabilization of α-Chymotrypsin by the Protic Ionic Additive, [ch][dhp]: Calorimetric Evidence for a Fine Enthalpy/Entropy Balance
Authors: Uchaneishvili Sophio , Makharadze Maya , Shushanyan Mikhael , van Eldik Rudi , Khoshtariya Dimitri E. 
Published: September 2014

An impact of 0.5 to 3 M choline dihydrogen phosphate, [ch][dhp], the biotechnologically relevant ionic substance, on the thermal stability of a model globular protein, α-chymotrypsin (α-CT), has been studied exploiting the highly sensitive differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. The notable overall stabilizing effect of 11±2 K regarding the thermal transition (melting) temperature, Tm, has been detected. For this kind of series, for the first time, the calorimetric melting enthalpy (ΔHcal ) and transition entropy (ΔSm) parameters have been determined simultaneously throughout. The first analysis indicated a two-phase impact implying (a) the initial, dramatic drop in both ΔHcal and ΔSm, obviously connected to specific, direct interaction between the [ch][dhp] components and α-CT’s charged groups (within 0 to 1 mol/L [ch][dhp]), leading to the essential rearrangement of the interfacial hydrogen-bonded (HB) network; and (b) the follow-up (within 1 to 3.0 mol/L [ch][dhp]), modest changes in ΔHcal and lack of changes in ΔSm, seemingly connected with a subsequent steady strengthening of already reformed HB network, respectively. These changes, presumably, are primarily facilitated by Coulombic interactions between the [dhp] anions and solvent-exposed positively charged amino groups of α-CT.
Cardiac Evaluation of Pediatric Relatives in Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome
Authors: Wong Leonie C.H. , Roses-Noguer Ferran , Till Janice A. , Behr Elijah R. 
Published: September 2014

Background—
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome defines a sudden unexpected and unexplained death despite comprehensive pathological and toxicological investigation. Previous studies have focused on evaluation of adult relatives. There is, however, a lack of data in children, leading to highly variable management. We sought to determine the clinical utility of cardiac evaluation in pediatric relatives of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome probands.

Methods and Results—
Retrospective review was undertaken of pediatric patients with a family history of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome assessed from 2010 to 2013 in 2 centers. Clinical history, cardiac, and genetic investigations were assessed, including diagnoses made after evaluation of adult relatives. A total of 112 pediatric relatives from 61 families were evaluated (median age at presentation, 8 years; range, 0.5–16 years). A probable diagnosis was made in 18 (29.5%) families: Brugada syndrome, 13/18 (72%); long QT syndrome, 3/18 (17%); and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, 2/18 (11%). Genetic testing identified mutations in 20% of Brugada syndrome (2/10) and 50% of long QT syndrome (1/2) and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia families (1/2) who were tested. Pediatric evaluation diagnosed 6/112 relatives (5.4%), increasing to 7% (6/85) if only first-degree relatives were assessed. The only useful diagnostic tests were the 12-lead and exercise electrocardiograms and ajmaline provocation test. The median duration of follow-up was 2.1 years (range, 0.2–8.2 years) with no cardiac events.

Conclusions—
The yield of evaluating pediatric relatives is significant and higher when focused on first-degree relatives and on conditions usually expressed in childhood. We propose a management pathway for these children.
Predictors of paraplegia with current thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Authors: Wongkornrat Wanchai , Yamamoto Shin , Sekine Yuji , Ono Makoto , Fujikawa Takuya , Oshima Susumu , Sasaguri Shiro 
Published: September 2014

Background Although the results of surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm continue to improve, the incidence of paraplegia remains within a wide range depending on each institution. The purpose of this study was to find predictors of paraplegia following thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair in our institute, using the current spinal cord protection strategies. Methods From January 2007 to December 2011, 200 consecutive patients underwent thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Of these, 24 (12%) had Crawford extent I repair, 82 (41%) had extent II, 51 (25.5%) had extent III, 10 (5%) had extent IV, and 33 (16.5%) had extent V (modified by Safi). Aortic dissection was present in 101 (50.5%) patients. Adjuncts used during the procedures included left heart bypass in all patients, cerebrospinal fluid drainage in 164 (82%), and intercostal artery reimplantation in 76 (38%). Results There were 20 (10%) hospital deaths including 6 (3%) within 30 days; hospital mortality was 8.8% in elective operations. Postoperative complications included paraplegia in 17 (8.5%) patients, stroke in 5 (2.5%), and acute renal failure requiring dialysis in 5 (2.5%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that significant factors for the development of paraplegia were preoperative hypotension ( p = 0.005, odds ratio 18.5), intraoperative hypotension ( p = 0.001, odds ratio 77.6), and an open distal anastomosis technique ( p = 0.012, odds ratio 4.6). Conclusions The predictors of postoperative paraplegia in our institution were perioperative hypotension and an open distal anastomosis technique. Avoidance of these risk factors might diminish the incidence of postoperative paraplegia.