bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Use of Rapid Molecular Testing for Staphylococcus aureus for Patients With Cutaneous Abscesses in the Emergency Department With Standard of Care
Authors: May Larissa S. , Rothman Richard E. , Miller Loren G. , Brooks Gillian , Zocchi Mark , Zatorski Catherine , Dugas Andrea F. , Ware Chelsea E. , Jordan Jeanne A. 
Published: August 2015

OBJECTIVETo determine whether real-time availability of rapid molecular results of Staphylococcus aureus would impact emergency department clinician antimicrobial selection for adults with cutaneous abscesses.DESIGNWe performed a prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing a rapid molecular test with standard of care culture-based testing. Follow-up telephone calls were made at between 2 and 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge.SETTINGTwo urban, academic emergency departments.PATIENTSPatients at least 18 years old presenting with a chief complaint of abscess, cellulitis, or insect bite and receiving incision and drainage were eligible. Seven hundred seventy-eight people were assessed for eligibility and 252 met eligibility criteria.METHODSClinician antibiotic selection and clinical outcomes were evaluated. An ad hoc outcome of test performance was performed.RESULTSWe enrolled 252 patients and 126 were randomized to receive the rapid test. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus–positive patients receiving rapid test results were prescribed beta-lactams more often than controls (absolute difference, 14.5% [95% CI, 1.1%–30.1%]) whereas methicillin-resistant S. aureus–positive patients receiving rapid test results were more often prescribed anti–methicillin-resistant S. aureus antibiotics (absolute difference, 21.5% [95% CI, 10.1%–33.0%]). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in 1-week or 3-month clinical outcomes.CONCLUSIONAvailability of rapid molecular test results after incision and drainage was associated with more-targeted antibiotic selection.TRIAL REGISTRATIONclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01523899Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(12):1423–1430
Dietary carbohydrate and lipid source affect cholesterol metabolism of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles
Authors: Castro Carolina , Corraze Geneviève , Pérez-Jiménez Amalia , Larroquet Laurence , Cluzeaud Marianne , Panserat Stéphane , Oliva-Teles Aires 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPlant feedstuffs (PF) are rich in carbohydrates, which may interact with lipid metabolism. Thus, when considering dietary replacement of fishery by-products with PF, knowledge is needed on how dietary lipid source (LS) and carbohydrates affect lipid metabolism and other metabolic pathways. For that purpose, a 73-d growth trial was performed with European sea bass juveniles (IBW 74 g) fed four diets differing in LS (fish oil (FO) or a blend of vegetable oils (VO)) and carbohydrate content (0 % (CH–) or 20 % (CH+) gelatinised starch). At the end of the trial no differences among diets were observed on growth and feed utilisation. Protein efficiency ratio was, however, higher in the CH+ groups. Muscle and liver fatty acid profiles reflected the dietary LS. Dietary carbohydrate promoted higher plasma cholesterol and phospholipids (PL), whole-body and hepatic (mainly 16 : 0) lipids and increased muscular and hepatic glycogen. Except for PL, which were higher in the FO groups, no major alterations between FO and VO groups were observed on plasma metabolites (glucose, TAG, cholesterol, PL), liver and muscle glycogen, and lipid and cholesterol contents. Activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme – lipogenesis-related enzymes – increased with carbohydrate intake. Hepatic expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism was up-regulated with carbohydrate (HMGCR and CYP3A27) and VO (HMGCR and CYP51A1) intake. No dietary regulation of long-chain PUFA biosynthesis at the transcriptional level was observed. Overall, very few interactions between dietary carbohydrates and LS were observed. However, important insights on the direct relation between dietary carbohydrate and the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway in European sea bass were demonstrated.
Differences in gluten metabolism among healthy volunteers, coeliac disease patients and first-degree relatives
Authors: Caminero Alberto , Nistal Esther , Herrán Alexandra R. , Pérez-Andrés Jénifer , Ferrero Miguel A. , Vaquero Ayala Luis , Vivas Santiago , Ruiz de Morales José M. G. , Albillos Silvia M. , Casqueiro Francisco Javier 
Published: August 2015

AbstractCoeliac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy resulting from exposure to gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. Gluten proteins are partially digested by human proteases generating immunogenic peptides that cause inflammation in patients carryingHLA-DQ2andDQ8genes. Although intestinal dysbiosis has been associated with patients with CD, bacterial metabolism of gluten has not been studied in depth thus far. The aim of this study was to analyse the metabolic activity of intestinal bacteria associated with gluten intake in healthy individuals, CD patients and first-degree relatives of CD patients. Faecal samples belonging to twenty-two untreated CD patients, twenty treated CD patients, sixteen healthy volunteers on normal diet, eleven healthy volunteers on gluten-free diet (GFD), seventy-one relatives of CD patients on normal diet and sixty-nine relatives on GFD were tested for several proteolytic activities, cultivable bacteria involved in gluten metabolism, SCFA and the amount of gluten in faeces. We detected faecal peptidasic activity against the gluten-derived peptide 33-mer. CD patients showed differences in faecal glutenasic activity (FGA), faecal tryptic activity (FTA), SCFA and faecal gluten content with respect to healthy volunteers. Alterations in specific bacterial groups metabolising gluten such asClostridiumorLactobacilluswere reported in CD patients. Relatives showed similar parameters to CD patients (SCFA) and healthy volunteers (FTA and FGA). Our data support the fact that commensal microbial activity is an important factor in the metabolism of gluten proteins and that this activity is altered in CD patients.
Diet-induced modulation of pharmacokinetics of albendazole in Sahiwal cattle
Authors: Sanyal P.K. , Rawte D. , Kerketta A.E. , Kumbhakar N.K. , Kumar D. , Pal S. , Baghel K.R. , Bisen S. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe influence of diet type and pre-treatment fasting on the kinetic disposition of albendazole was evaluated in Sahiwal heifers following oral and intra-ruminal administration of the drug. The anthelmintically active moiety albendazole sulphoxide appeared early and was eliminated early in cattle offered green fodder, with decreased maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under concentration–time curve (AUC) when the drug was administered both through oral and intra-ruminal routes. Further, the elimination half-life (t½β) revealed significantly increased values for albendazole sulphoxide in cattle administered albendazole through the intra-ruminal route. An increased AUC and t½β is reflective of increased bioavailability of albendazole in animals offered dry fodder. Increased values (P < 0.05) of Cmax, time to Cmax (Tmax), AUC and t½β for albendazole sulphoxide occurred in cattle with a pre-treatment 24-h fast, resulting in its increased bioavailability. Extrapolation of data of the active metabolite albendazole sulphoxide levels in terms of drug–parasite contact revealed increased exposure of parasites to the drug in cattle administered albendazole through the intra-ruminal route and with 24-h pre-treatment fasting.
Empirical Derivation and Validation of a Clinical Case Definition for Neuropsychological Impairment in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Beauchamp Miriam H. , Brooks Brian L. , Barrowman Nick , Aglipay Mary , Keightley Michelle , Anderson Peter , Yeates Keith O. , Osmond Martin H. , Zemek Roger 
Published: August 2015

AbstractNeuropsychological assessment aims to identify individual performance profiles in multiple domains of cognitive functioning; however, substantial variation exists in how deficits are defined and what cutoffs are used, and there is no universally accepted definition of neuropsychological impairment. The aim of this study was to derive and validate a clinical case definition rule to identify neuropsychological impairment in children and adolescents. An existing normative pediatric sample was used to calculate base rates of abnormal functioning on eight measures covering six domains of neuropsychological functioning. The dataset was analyzed by varying the range of cutoff levels [1, 1.5, and 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean] and number of indicators of impairment. The derived rule was evaluated by bootstrap, internal and external clinical validation (orthopedic and traumatic brain injury). Our neuropsychological impairment (NPI) rule was defined as “two or more test scores that fall 1.5 SDs below the mean.” The rule identifies 5.1% of the total sample as impaired in the assessment battery and consistently targets between 3 and 7% of the population as impaired even when age, domains, and number of tests are varied. The NPI rate increases in groups known to exhibit cognitive deficits. The NPI rule provides a psychometrically derived method for interpreting performance across multiple tests and may be used in children 6–18 years. The rule may be useful to clinicians and scientists who wish to establish whether specific individuals or clinical populations present within expected norms versus impaired function across a battery of neuropsychological tests. (JINS, 2015, 21, 596–609)
Effects of the Danish saturated fat tax on the demand for meat and dairy products
Authors: Jensen Jørgen Dejgaard , Smed Sinne , Aarup Lars , Nielsen Erhard 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveTaxation of unhealthy food is considered a regulation tool to improve diets. In 2011 Denmark introduced a tax on saturated fat in food products, the first country in the world to do so. The objective of the present paper is to investigate the effects of the tax on consumers’ intake of saturated fat within three different types of food product group: minced beef, regular cream and sour cream.DesignWe use an augmented version of the Linearized Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) functional form for econometric analysis, allowing for tax-induced structural breaks.SettingData originate from one of the largest retail chains in Denmark (Coop Danmark) and cover January 2010 to October 2012, with monthly records of sales volume, sales revenue and information about specific campaigns from 1293 stores.ResultsThe Danish fat tax had an insignificant or small negative effect on the price for low- and medium-fat varieties, and led to a 13–16 % price increase for high-fat varieties of minced beef and cream products. The tax induced substitution effects, budget effects and preference change effects on consumption, yielding a total decrease of 4–6 % in the intake of saturated fat from minced beef and regular cream, and a negligible effect on the intake from sour cream.ConclusionsThe Danish introduction of a tax on saturated fat in food in October 2011 had statistically significant effects on the sales of fat in minced beef and cream products, but the tax seems to have reduced the beyond-recommendation saturated fat intake to only a limited extent.
Sonic Patterns and Compositional Strategies in Queen's ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Authors: BRAAE NICK 
Published: August 2015

AbstractQueen's ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975) has been the subject of many academic analyses; the song has not been considered, however, in the context of Queen's wider output. This article examines ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in relation to Queen's idiolect as identified from the group's songs written between 1973 and 1975. ‘Idiolect’ refers to the common musical details of an artist's output or segment of their output. I subdivide the category of an idiolect to include sonic patterns and compositional strategies. The former accounts for patterns that are consistent in their presentation across songs, the latter accounts for patterns that differ in their presentation across songs. The formal and harmonic structures of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ reflect the group's common compositional strategies; the song's textural arrangements highlight Queen's sonic patterns. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ occupies a unique place in Queen's output, as the first song to present all the major elements of the group's idiolect.
Dual-topology insertion of a dual-topology membrane protein
Authors: Woodall Nicholas B. , Yin Ying , Bowie James U. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractSome membrane transporters are dual-topology dimers in which the subunits have inverted transmembrane topology. How a cell manages to generate equal populations of two opposite topologies from the same polypeptide chain remains unclear. For the dual-topology transporter EmrE, the evidence to date remains consistent with two extreme models. A post-translational model posits that topology remains malleable after synthesis and becomes fixed once the dimer forms. A second, co-translational model, posits that the protein inserts in both topologies in equal proportions. Here we show that while there is at least some limited topological malleability, the co-translational model likely dominates under normal circumstances.
A stem acrodontan lizard in the Cretaceous of Brazil revises early lizard evolution in Gondwana
Authors: Simões Tiago R. , Wilner Everton , Caldwell Michael W. , Weinschütz Luiz C. , Kellner Alexander W. A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIguanians are one of the most diverse groups of extant lizards (>1,700 species) with acrodontan iguanians dominating in the Old World, and non-acrodontans in the New World. A new lizard species presented herein is the first acrodontan from South America, indicating acrodontans radiated throughout Gondwana much earlier than previously thought, and that some of the first South American lizards were more closely related to their counterparts in Africa and Asia than to the modern fauna of South America. This suggests both groups of iguanians achieved a worldwide distribution before the final breakup of Pangaea. At some point, non-acrodontans replaced acrodontans and became the only iguanians in the Americas, contrary to what happened on most of the Old World. This discovery also expands the diversity of Cretaceous lizards in South America, which with recent findings, suggests sphenodontians were not the dominant lepidosaurs in that continent as previously hypothesized.
Multiple loss-of-function variants of taste receptors in modern humans
Authors: Fujikura Kohei 
Published: August 2015

AbstractDespite recent advances in the knowledge of interindividual taste differences, the underlying genetic backgrounds have remained to be fully elucidated. Much of the taste variation among different mammalian species can be explained by pseudogenization of taste receptors. Here I investigated whether the most recent disruptions of taste receptor genes segregate with their intact forms in modern humans by analyzing 14 ethnically diverse populations. The results revealed an unprecedented prevalence of 25 segregating loss-of-function (LoF) taste receptor variants, identifying one of the most pronounced cases of functional population diversity in the human genome. LoF variant frequency in taste receptors (2.10%) was considerably higher than the overall LoF frequency in human genome (0.16%). In particular, molecular evolutionary rates of candidate sour (14.7%) and bitter (1.8%) receptors were far higher in humans than those of sweet (0.02%), salty (0.05%) and umami (0.17%) receptors compared with other carnivorous mammals, although not all of the taste receptors were identified. Many LoF variants are population-specific, some of which arose even after population differentiation, not before divergence of the modern and archaic human. I conclude that modern humans might have been losing some sour and bitter receptor genes because of high-frequency LoF variants.
The natural compound forskolin synergizes with dexamethasone to induce cell death in myeloma cells via BIM
Authors: Follin-Arbelet Virginie , Misund Kristine , Hallan Naderi Elin , Ugland Hege , Sundan Anders , Kiil Blomhoff Heidi 
Published: August 2015

AbstractWe have previously demonstrated that activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway kills multiple myeloma (MM) cells both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study we have investigated the potential of enhancing the killing of MM cell lines and primary MM cells by combining the cAMP-elevating compound forskolin with the commonly used MM therapeutic drugs melphalan, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, bortezomib and dexamethasone. We observed that forskolin potentiated the killing induced by all the tested agents as compared to treatment with the single agents alone. In particular, forskolin had a synergistic effect on the dexamethasone-responsive cell lines H929 and OM-2. By knocking down the proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BIM, we proved this protein to be involved in the synergistic induction of apoptosis by dexamethasone and forskolin. The ability of forskolin to maintain the killing of MM cells even at lower concentrations of the conventional agents suggests that forskolin may be used to diminish treatment-associated side effects. Our findings support a potential role of forskolin in combination with current conventional agents in the treatment of MM.
Restoration of Physiologically Responsive Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis in Genetically Deficient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Ramakrishnan Venkat M. , Yang Jeong-Yeh , Tien Kevin T. , McKinley Thomas R. , Bocard Braden R. , Maijub John G. , Burchell Patrick O. , Williams Stuart K. , Morris Marvin E. , Hoying James B. , Wade-Martins Richard , West Franklin D. , Boyd Nolan L. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAcquiring sufficient amounts of high-quality cells remains an impediment to cell-based therapies. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) may be an unparalleled source, but autologous iPSC likely retain deficiencies requiring correction. We present a strategy for restoring physiological function in genetically deficient iPSC utilizing the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) deficiency Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) as our model. FH fibroblasts were reprogrammed into iPSC using synthetic modified mRNA. FH-iPSC exhibited pluripotency and differentiated toward a hepatic lineage. To restore LDLR endocytosis, FH-iPSC were transfected with a 31 kb plasmid (pEHZ-LDLR-LDLR) containing a wild-type LDLR (FH-iPSC-LDLR) controlled by 10 kb of upstream genomic DNA as well as Epstein-Barr sequences (EBNA1 and oriP) for episomal retention and replication. After six months of selective culture, pEHZ-LDLR-LDLR was recovered from FH-iPSC-LDLR and transfected into Ldlr-deficient CHO-a7 cells, which then exhibited feedback-controlled LDLR-mediated endocytosis. To quantify endocytosis, FH-iPSC ± LDLR were differentiated into mesenchymal cells (MC), pretreated with excess free sterols, Lovastatin, or ethanol (control) and exposed to DiI-LDL. FH-MC-LDLR demonstrated a physiological response, with virtually no DiI-LDL internalization with excess sterols and an ~2-fold increase in DiI-LDL internalization by Lovastatin compared to FH-MC. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of functionalizing genetically deficient iPSC using episomal plasmids to deliver physiologically responsive transgenes.
Modulation of protein behavior through light responses of TiO2 nanodots films
Authors: Cheng Kui , Hong Yi , Yu Mengfei , Lin Jun , Weng Wenjian , Wang Huiming 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn this work, the behavior of protein molecules adsorbed on TiO2 nanodots films are modulated through the light responses of the nanodots. TiO2 nanodots films are first prepared through phase separation induced self assembly. Then, bovine serum albumin (BSA) is adsorbed on TiO2 nanodots films and exposed to ultraviolet (365 nm) illumination. It is found the conformation of surface-bound BSA molecules changes with ultraviolet illumination. Moreover, the BSA molecules conjugate to the surface-bound molecules, which are in the overlayer, are released. The reason is ascribed to that TiO2 nanodots absorb ultraviolet and result in the increase of surface hydroxyl groups on nanodots. Such increase further leads to intensified attraction of -NH3 groups in the surface-bound BSA molecules. That not only changes the conformation of the surface-bound BSA molecules, but also weaken the conjugation between surface-bound molecules and other BSA molecules in the overlayer. Eventually, the overlayer of BSA molecules is released. It is believed that such protein conformation variation and release behavior induced through light responses of TiO2 nanodots are crucial in understanding the biomedical performance of TiO2 nanostructures. Also, it could be widely utilized in tailoring of the materials-protein interactions.
The prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia in mainland China: evidence from epidemiological surveys
Authors: Wang Wenying , Guo Yuwen , Zhang Daoxin , Tian Ye , Zhang Xiaonan 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe epidemiological characteristics of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) in mainland China are not completely understood. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of BPH from 1989 through 2014. A total of 14 articles and 19 datasets were included. The pooled overall prevalence of BPH among men aged 40 years and older was 36.6% [95% CI, 32.3–44.8]. The occurrence rate of BPH in the age groups 40–49 years, 50–59 years, 60–69 years, 70–79 years and 80 years and older was 2.9%, 29.0%, 44.7%, 58.1% and 69.2%, respectively. The pooled occurrence rate of BPH was 41.5% [95% CI, 34.5–48.4] in urban areas and 38.6% [95% CI, 22.7–54.6] in rural areas; this difference in prevalence was not statistically significant [OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.97–2.36]. BPH is highly prevalent in mainland China and its prevalence increased with age. The trend in the prevalence of BPH in mainland China was not steady; the prevalence map based on a geographic information system (GIS) showed an unequal geographic distribution. High-quality surveys on BPH with a larger sample size are needed throughout mainland China to confirm these findings.
Optimum current‐voltage characteristics of GaAs/AlAs intraband microwave devices
Authors: Yang Chih Chin , Su Yan Kuin , Chang Ting Chang 
Published: August 2015

In this reported work, both high peak current density and high peak‐to‐valley current ratio (PVCR) in AlAs/GaAs triple‐barrier quantum‐well intraband resonant tunnelling diodes (TBQW IRTDs) were accomplished. The valley current density (JV) of TBQW IRTDs can be degraded as the barrier thickness reaches 4 nm thickness. This result suggests narrow barrier thickness is due to the slight band bending effect in the conduction band of i ‐AlAs barrier layers. The peak current density (JP) of the TBQW IRTDs will be <2.43 KA/cm2 as the i ‐AlAs barriers thickness of the TBQW IRTD reaches 5 nm thickness. The optimal thickness of barrier layers should be selected at 4 nm thickness to obtain the highest PVCR value (about 4270), in which the sample with barrier layers of 4 nm thickness possesses the lowest valley current density.