bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Temporal Blending for Adaptive SPH
Authors: Orthmann Jens , Kolb Andreas 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIn this paper, we introduce a fast and consistent smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) technique which is suitable for convection–diffusion simulations of incompressible fluids. We apply our temporal blending technique to reduce the number of particles in the simulation while smoothly changing quantity fields. Our approach greatly reduces the error introduced in the pressure term when changing particle configurations. Compared to other methods, this enables larger integration time‐steps in the transition phase. Our implementation is fully GPU‐based to take advantage of the parallel nature of particle simulations.
The composition of phyllosphere fungal assemblages of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) varies significantly along an elevation gradient
Authors: Cordier Tristan , Robin Cécile , Capdevielle Xavier , Fabreguettes Olivier , Desprez‐Loustau Marie‐Laure , Vacher Corinne 
Published: August 2012

Summary

Little is known about the potential effect of climate warming on phyllosphere fungi, despite their important impact on the dynamics and diversity of plant communities. The structure of phyllosphere fungal assemblages along elevation gradients may provide information about this potential effect, because elevation gradients correspond to temperature gradients over short geographic distances.

We thus investigated variations in the composition of fungal assemblages inhabiting the phyllosphere of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) at four sites over a gradient of 1000 m of elevation in the French Pyrénées Mountains, by using tag‐encoded 454 pyrosequencing.

Our results show that the composition of fungal assemblages varied significantly between elevation sites, in terms of both the relative abundance and the presence–absence of species, and that the variations in assemblage composition were well correlated with variations in the average temperatures.

Our results therefore suggest that climate warming might alter both the incidence and the abundance of phyllosphere fungal species, including potential pathogens. For example, Mycosphaerella punctiformis, a causal agent of leaf spots, showed decreasing abundance with elevation and might therefore shift to higher elevations in response to warming.
A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and Injury Risk as a Function of Study Design and Recall Period
Authors: Zeisser Cornelia , Stockwell Tim R. , Chikritzhs Tanya , Cherpitel Cheryl , Ye Yu , Gardner Christian 
Published: August 2012

BackgroundIt is well established that alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of injury. This systematic review and meta‐analysis addresses important methodological issues commonly encountered in the alcohol and injury field by delineating the effect of study design and alcohol consumption recall period on effect size magnitude and by conducting gender‐specific analyses.MethodsWe performed meta‐analyses using random‐effect models. Data sources were peer‐reviewed studies on alcohol and injury from 1970 to 2009 from MEDLINE, PsychInfo, and on‐line journals. Case–control or case‐crossover emergency department (ED) studies reporting injury risk from alcohol consumption 6 hours before injury were included.ResultsThe overall odds of injury were 2.799 (2.214 to 3.538, p < 0.001). For case‐crossover studies, the odds were 3.815 (2.646 to 5.499, p < 0.001); for ED case–control studies, the odds were 1.977 (1.385 to 2.821, p < 0.001); and for population case–control designs, the odds were 3.145 (1.583 to 6.247, p < 0.005). The “usual frequency” recall period yielded an odds ratio of 4.235 (2.541 to 7.057, p < 0.001), compared to 2.320 (1.789 to 3.008, p < 0.001) for all other methods. There were significant differences in odds ratio magnitude when comparing studies by design and recall period. Females had higher odds of injury than males, 2.285 (1.361 to 3.836, p < 0.005) versus 1.071 (0.715 to 1.605, p = 0.737).ConclusionsStudy design and alcohol consumption recall period have significant effects on effect size magnitude in estimating the risk of injury from alcohol consumption 6 hours prior to injury. For the “usual frequency” case‐crossover design, significant moderator effects were found, resulting in overestimates of injury risk from alcohol. ED case‐crossover designs tend to overestimate risk, and ED case–control designs tend to underestimate. We provide recommendations for future ED research.
Early Left Atrial Mechanics and Volume Abnormalities in Subjects with Prehypertension: A Real Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography Study
Authors: Aktürk Erdal , Ermis Necip , Yağmur Jülide , Acikgoz Nusret , Kurtoğlu Ertuğrul , Cansel Mehmet , Eyüpkoca Ferhat , Pekdemir Hasan , Özdemir Ramazan 
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate left atrial (LA) volume and mechanical functions by real time three‐dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in prehypertensive subjects. The study included 54 (34 male and 20 female) prehypertensive subjects and 36 (14 male and 22 female) healthy control subjects. Transthoracic echocardiography and RT3DE were performed in all patients. Interventricular septum thickness and isovolumetric relaxation time were significantly higher in prehypertensives than in controls (10.7 ± 0.7 vs. 10.1 ± 0.8 P = 0.001 and 89.9 ± 10 vs. 82.4 ± 11 P = 0.002, respectively). LA maximum volume, volume before atrial contraction, total and active stroke volume, total and active emptying fractions, expansion index, and LA max volume index were significantly higher in prehypertensives when compared with controls (P < 0.0001 for all). However, the passive emptying fraction was significantly lower in prehypertensives than controls (45.7 ± 5.6 vs. 48.6 ± 4.1, P = 0.006), and the minimum LA volume between the two groups was similar. The main finding of this study was that although LA volume and LA active systolic functions were significantly increased in prehypertensive people, there was a reduction in passive LA systolic functions. These parameters may be important in showing hemodynamic and structural changes in cardiac tissue caused by prehypertension.
Life course experiences and lay diagnosis explain low‐income parents' child dental decisions: a qualitative study
Authors: Muirhead Vanessa , Levine Alissa , Nicolau Belinda , Landry Anne , Bedos Christophe 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to better understand low‐income parents' child dental care decisions through a life course approach that captured parents' experiences within the social context of poverty.MethodsWe conducted 43 qualitative life history interviews with 10 parents, who were long‐term social assistance recipients living in Montreal, Canada. Thematic analysis involved interview debriefing, transcript coding, theme identification and data interpretation.ResultsOur interviews identified two emergent themes: lay diagnosis and parental oral health management. Parents described a process of ‘lay diagnosis’ that consisted of examining their children's teeth and interpreting their children's oral signs and symptoms based on their observations. These lay diagnoses were also shaped by their own dental crises, care experiences and oral health knowledge gained across a life course of poverty and dental disadvantage. Parents' management strategies included monitoring and managing their children's oral health themselves or by seeking professional recourse. Parents' management strategies were influenced both by their lay diagnoses and their perceived ability to manage their children's oral health. Parents felt responsible for their children's dental care, empowered to manage their oral health and sometimes forgo dental visits for their children because of their own self‐management life history.ConclusionThis original approach revealed insights that help to understand why low‐income parents may underutilize free dental services. Further research should consider how dental programs can nurture parental empowerment and capitalize on parents' perceived ability to diagnose and manage their children's oral health.
Single point mutation in Vibrio cholerae cytolysin compromises the membrane pore‐formation mechanism of the toxin
Authors: Paul Karan , Chattopadhyay Kausik 
Published: August 2012

Vibrio cholerae cytolysin (VCC) belongs to the family of β‐barrel pore‐forming protein toxins. VCC is secreted by the bacteria as water‐soluble monomers, which upon binding to target eukaryotic cells form transmembrane heptameric β‐barrel channels. High‐resolution 3D structures are described both for the water‐soluble monomeric form and the transmembrane oligomeric pore; albeit that our understanding of the mechanistic details of the membrane pore‐formation process remains incomplete. Here, we report the characterization of a nonfunctional VCC variant harboring a single point mutation of Ala425Val positioned within a potential membrane‐interacting loop in the VCC structure. The mutation appears to affect interaction of the toxin with erythrocytes as well as cholesterol‐containing liposome membrane, without affecting the oligomerization ability of the membrane‐bound toxin molecules. The membrane‐bound oligomers formed by this VCC mutant do not appear to represent the functional pore assembly of the toxin; rather, such assembly could be considered as being trapped in an abortive, nonfunctional oligomeric state. Our results suggest that the Ala425Val mutation in VCC critically compromises its cholesterol‐dependent membrane‐interaction mechanism and also abrogates the process of functional membrane pore formation by the toxin.
Comparative structural and functional analysis of two octaheme nitrite reductases from closely related Thioalkalivibrio species
Authors: Tikhonova Tamara , Tikhonov Alexey , Trofimov Anton , Polyakov Konstantin , Boyko Konstantin , Cherkashin Eugene , Rakitina Tatiana , Sorokin Dmitry , Popov Vladimir 
Published: August 2012

Octaheme nitrite reductase from the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Thioalkalivibrio paradoxus was isolated and characterized. A comparative structural and functional analysis of two homologous octaheme nitrite reductases from closely related Thioalkalivibrio species was performed. It was shown that both enzymes have similar catalytic properties, owing to high structural similarity. Both enzymes are characterized by specific structural features distinguishing them from pentaheme cytochrome c nitrite reductases, such as the Tyr‐Cys bond in the active site, the hexameric structure resulting in the formation of a void space inside the hexamer, and the product channel that opens into the void interior space of the hexamer. It is suggested that these specific structural features are responsible for the higher nitrite reductase activity, the greater preference for nitrite than for sulfite as a substrate, and the wider pH range of the catalytic activity of octaheme nitrite reductases than of pentaheme homologs.DatabaseNucleotide sequence data are available in the GenBank database under the accession number HQ665012.1. Structural data are available in the RCSB Protein Data Bank database under the accession numbers 3SXQ and 3TTBStructured digital abstract

TvPaR and TvPaR bind by x-ray crystallography (View interaction)
Socioeconomic determinants of infant growth: The Perspective Cohort Study of Thai Children
Authors: PHUPHAIBUL Rutja , KONGSAKTRAKUL Chuenreudee , PHUSAMON Srisamon , PEASUE Noppawan , MOSUWAN Ladda , CHOPRAPAWON Chanpen 
Published: August 2012

AbstractAim:  The present study is based on the Prospective Cohort Study of Thai Children (PCTC), and focuses on socioeconomic factors including maternal age, maternal education, living with parents, family size, family income, locality, and sex that affect the growth outcomes of infants at 1 year of age.Methods:  Data was collected among 3679 pairs of mothers and infants in the PCTC cohort in rural and urban locations during 2001–2002. Data collection was performed by interviewing mothers in their 7th to 8th month of pregnancy using family profile questionnaires. The anthropometric measures including weight, length, and head circumference of the infants were later collected at 1 year of age at home.Results:  The results show the effects of family socioeconomic status maternal education, living with parents, family size, family income, locality, and sex on their weight (R2 = 14.2%, P < 0.001) and length (R2 = 8.7%, P < 0.001) at 1 year of age. The findings suggest that maternal age, maternal education, living with parents, family size, family income, locality, and sex predict infant head circumference (R2 = 16.8%, P < 0.001) at 1 year of age.Conclusion:  Infants' growth, including weight, height, and head circumference, are affected by family socioeconomic status factors. It is recommended that the effect of maternal age on growth and development of children among those in the PCTC cohort is examined in the future.
WHY RENAL NURSES COPE SO WELL WITH THEIR WORKPLACE STRESSORS
Authors: Dolan Gillian , Strodl Esben , Hamernik Elisabeth 
Published: August 2012

SUMMARYBackground: Previous studies have found significant stressors experienced by nurses working in haemodialysis units yet renal nurses appear to report less burnout than other nurses.Objectives: This study aims to undertake an inductive process to better understand the stressors and the coping strategies used by renal nurses that may lead to resilience.Method: Sixteen haemodialysis nurses from a metropolitan Australian hospital and two satellite units participated in open‐ended interviews. Data were analysed from a grounded theory methodology. Measures of burnout and resilience were also obtained.Results: Two major categories of stressors emerged. First, due to prolonged patient contact, family‐like relationships developed that lead to the blurring of boundaries. Second, participants experienced discrimination from both patients and staff. Despite these stressors, the majority of participants reported low burnout and moderately high‐to‐high levels of resilience. The major coping strategy that appeared to promote resilience was emotional distancing, while emotional detachment appeared to promote burn‐out.Conclusion: Assisting nurses to use emotional distancing, rather than emotional detachment strategies to engender a sense of personal achievement may promote resilience.
Knowledge, skills, and attitudes of medical students to patient safety: a cross‐sectional pilot investigation in China
Authors: Li Lin , Duan Yurong , Chen Peixian , Li Jing , Mao Xuanyue , Barraclough Bruce H. , Zhang Mingming 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackground: To reduce harm caused by health care is a global priority. Medical students should be able to recognize unsafe conditions, systematically report errors, and near misses, investigate and improve such systems with a thorough understanding of human fallibility, and disclose errors to patients. Therefore, incorporating knowledge about patient safety into medical school curriculums is an urgent necessity.Objectives: To describe the extent to which Chinese medical students have patient safety in their knowledge, skills, and attitudes so as to provide evidence for implementation of a patient safety curriculum in medical schools, and to assess the quality of this investigative questionnaire.Methods: Our questionnaire of 31 items was developed based on a 2008 WHO pilot study for a patient safety curriculum guide. Our investigation was conducted in three university medical schools in China. Year 3 and year 4 medical students were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire in their classroom settings. All items were scored from 1 to 5. Differences in responses among different universities, genders, and levels, as well as the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, were analyzed using SPSS 15.0.Results: A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, and 143 male and 262 female students completed the survey. An average of 0.96% of survey questions were not answered, of which the most frequently unanswered item was “what will happen when medical error occurs?” The students’ attitudes to learning about patient safety were positive, although their knowledge of medical error and how to report error was poor. There were no statistical differences among different medical schools and levels in any item responses. The only gender difference appeared in the response to “I would like to discuss with others when I made a medical error.” There was a good coherence of reliability in sections 2, 3, and 4 of the questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha > 0.8), while sections 5 and 6 scored as less reliable. The validity of the questionnaire was good.Conclusions: Although medical students’ understanding of patient safety is very poor in China, the students have a positive attitudes to learning about the knowledge of patient safety in their future careers.
Adoptive transfusion of tolerance dendritic cells prolongs the survival of cardiac allograft: a systematic review of 44 basic studies in mice
Authors: Wu Wenqiao , Shan Juan , Li Youping , Luo Lei , Sun Guixiang , Zhou Yanni , Yang Tong , Xia Mengjuan , Guo Yingjia , Feng Li 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackground and Objective: Tolerogenic DCs (Tol‐DCs), a group of cells with imDC phenotype, can stably induce T cells low‐reactivity and immune tolerance. We systematically reviewed the adoptive transfusion of Tol‐DCs induced by different ways to prolong cardiac allograft survival and its possible mechanism.Method: MEDLINE (1966 to March 2011), EMbase (1980 to March 2011), and ISI (inception to March 2011) were searched for identification of relevant studies. We used allogeneic heart graft survival time as endpoint outcome to analyze the effect of adoptive transfusion of Tol‐DC on cardiac allograft. By integrating studies’ information, we summarized the mechanisms of Tol‐DC in prolonging cardiac grafts.Results: Four methods were used to induce Tol‐DC in all of the 44 included studies including gene‐modified, drug‐intervened, cytokine‐induced, and other‐derived (liver‐derived & spleen‐derived) DCs. The results showed that all types of Tol‐DC can effectively prolong graft survival, and the average extension of graft survival time for each group was as follows: 22.02 ± 21.9 days (3.2 folds to control group) in the gene modified group, 25.94 ± 16.9 days (4.3 folds) in the drug‐intervened groups, 9.00 ± 8.13 days (1.9 folds) in the cytokine‐induced group, and 10.69 ± 9.94 days (2.1 folds) in the other‐derived group. The main mechanisms of Tol‐DCs to prolong graft survival were as follows: (1) induceT‐cell hyporeactivity (detected by MLR); (2) reduce the effect of cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL); (3) promote Th2 differentiation; (4) induce Treg; (5) induce chimerism.Conclusion: For fully MHC mismatched allogeneic heart transplant recipients of inbred mouse, adoptive transfusion of Tol‐DC, which can be gene‐modified, drug‐intervened, cytokine‐induced, spleen‐derived or liver‐derived, can clearly prolong the survival of cardiac allograft or induce immune tolerance. Gene‐modified and drug‐induced Tol‐DC can prolong graft survival most obviously. Having better reliability and stability than drug‐induction, gene‐modification is the best way to induce Tol‐DCs at present. One‐time intravenous infusion of 2 × 106 Tol‐DC is a simple and feasible way to induce long‐term graft survival. Multiple infusions will prolong it but increase the risk and cost. Adoptive transfusion of Tol‐DC in conjunction with immunosuppressive agents may also prolong the graft survival time.
RPB2 gene reveals a phylodemographic signal in wild and domesticated grapevine (Vitis vinifera)
Authors: ZECCA Giovanni , GRASSI Fabrizio 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPolymorphism at the single copy RPB2 locus was investigated to define the relationship between wild and domesticated grapevines. Two different forms still coexist in Eurasia, the cultivated (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera) and the wild (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi), referred to as separate subspecies. Using the observed number of mutations at the RPB2 locus, as well as archaeological data, to define an approximate age of domestication, we have estimated a high nucleotide substitution rate (4.25 × 10−7) in the domesticated group. Moreover, the dynamics of population size in the RPB2 gene were estimated using Bayesian coalescent inference. The Bayesian skyline plot offered interesting information on the past dynamics of RPB2 for both wild and domesticated groups. The signal of exponential growth observed in grapevine accessions can be viewed as a consequence of human breeding activity during the domestication of the species. However, a recent and drastic decline of population size has been observed in the Mediterranean wild lineages. This event mirrors the demographic decline of wild grape, probably explained by anthropogenic pressure on its natural habitats and by the introduction of pathogens from North America in recent centuries.
Successful control of a case of severe insulin allergy with liraglutide
Authors: Kawanami Daiji , Ito Tomoko , Watanabe Yui , Kinoshita Jun , Sakamoto Masaya , Isaka Tsuyoshi , Utsunomiya Kazunori 
Published: August 2012

AbstractA 72‐year‐old woman presented with repeated hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes because of an insulin allergy. On admission, she was diagnosed with type B insulin resistance syndrome. She was also found to have anti‐insulin antibodies. After steroid therapy, glycemic control improved dramatically accompanied by the disappearance of the insulin allergy. We then introduced liraglutide, which successfully stabilized her glycemic episodes without allergic reactions. Liraglutide might be useful to treat patients with severe insulin allergy.
Microcolony formation by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires pyruvate and pyruvate fermentation
Authors: Petrova Olga E. , Schurr Jill R. , Schurr Michael J. , Sauer Karin 
Published: August 2012

SummaryA hallmark of the biofilm architecture is the presence of microcolonies. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms governing microcolony formation. In the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, microcolony formation is dependent on the two‐component regulator MifR, with mifR mutant biofilms exhibiting an overall thin structure lacking microcolonies, and overexpression of mifR resulting in hyper‐microcolony formation. Using global transcriptomic and proteomic approaches, we demonstrate that microcolony formation is associated with stressful, oxygen‐limiting but electron‐rich conditions, as indicated by the activation of stress response mechanisms and anaerobic and fermentative processes, in particular pyruvate fermentation. Inactivation of genes involved in pyruvate utilization including uspK, acnA and ldhA abrogated microcolony formation in a manner similar to mifR inactivation. Moreover, depletion of pyruvate from the growth medium impaired biofilm and microcolony formation, while addition of pyruvate significantly increased microcolony formation. Addition of pyruvate to or expression of mifR in lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA) mutant biofilms did not restore microcolony formation, while addition of pyruvate partly restored microcolony formation in mifR mutant biofilms. In contrast, expression of ldhA in mifR::Mar fully restored microcolony formation by this mutant strain. Our findings indicate the fermentative utilization of pyruvate to be a microcolony‐specific adaptation of the P. aeruginosa biofilm environment.