bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa influences biofilm formation and surface protein expression of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Kumar Amit , Ting Yen Peng 
Published: April 2015

SummaryAlthough Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa can individually colonize and infect their hosts, the commensalistic effect of the two is more tenacious and lethal. In this study, it was shown that in co‐culture with P. aeruginosa, a sub‐population of S. aureus exhibited improved resistance to kanamycin by selection of small colony variant (SCV) phenotype. Additionally, biofilm formation by the two bacteria was denser in the co‐culture, compared with biofilm formed in individual pure cultures. Using Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) force spectroscopy for single cells, it was demonstrated that S. aureus cultured in the presence of P. aeruginosa bound more tenaciously to substrates. Surface‐shaved peptides were isolated and identified using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole‐time of flight and a homology search program spider. Results indicated that serine‐rich adhesin, extracellular matrix binding protein and other putative adhesion proteins could be responsible for the enhanced attachment of S. aureus in the co‐culture. Besides, several other proteins were differentially expressed, indicating the occurrence of a range of other interactions. Of particular interest was a multidrug resistant protein named ABC transporter permease which is known to expel xenobiotics out of the cells. Positive regulation of this protein could be involved in the SCV selection of S. aureus in the co‐culture.
Extracellular haem peroxidases mediate Mn(II) oxidation in a marine Roseobacter bacterium via superoxide production
Authors: Andeer Peter F. , Learman Deric R. , McIlvin Matt , Dunn James A. , Hansel Colleen M. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryManganese (Mn) oxides are among the strongest sorbents and oxidants in environmental systems. A number of biotic and abiotic pathways induce the oxidation of Mn(II) to Mn oxides. Here, we use a combination of proteomic analyses and activity assays, to identify the enzyme(s) responsible for extracellular superoxide‐mediated Mn oxide formation by a bacterium within the ubiquitous Roseobacter clade. We show that animal haem peroxidases (AHPs) located on the outer membrane and within the secretome are responsible for Mn(II) oxidation. These novel peroxidases have previously been implicated in direct Mn(II) oxidation by phylogenetically diverse bacteria. Yet, we show that in this Roseobacter species, AHPs mediate Mn(II) oxidation not through a direct reaction but by producing superoxide and likely also by degrading hydrogen peroxide. These findings point to a eukaryotic‐like oscillatory oxidative‐peroxidative enzymatic cycle by these AHPs that leads to Mn oxide formation by this organism. AHP expression appears unaffected by Mn(II), yet the large energetic investment required to produce and secrete these enzymes points to an as yet unknown physiological function. These findings are further evidence that bacterial peroxidases and secreted enzymes, in general, are unappreciated controls on the cycling of metals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and by extension carbon, in natural systems.
Straight, white teeth as a social prerogative
Authors: Khalid Abeer , Quiñonez Carlos 
Published: April 2015

AbstractA distinguishing feature of North American society is preoccupation with self‐image, as seen in the ritualistic nature of bodily practices aimed at constantly improving the body. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the prevailing fixation with straight, white teeth. While there is an ever‐expanding literature on the sociology of body, very little has been written on teeth in this context. Using literature from anthropology, biology, dentistry, sociology and social psychology, this study attempts to answer: (1) Why have straight, white teeth become a beauty ideal in North American society? (2) What is the basis for this ideal? (3) How is this ideal propagated? It demonstrates that dental aesthetic tendencies are biologically, culturally and socially patterned. Concepts from the works of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault are used to illustrate how straight, white teeth contribute towards reinforcing class differences and how society exercises a disciplinary power on individuals through this ideal. It is concluded that modified teeth are linked to self and identity that are rooted in social structure. Moreover, teeth demonstrate the ways in which class differences are embodied and projected as symbols of social advantage or disadvantage. Implications on professional, public health, sociological and political levels are considered.
‘Wilding' in the West Village: Queer Space, Racism and Jane Jacobs Hagiography
Authors: Andersson Johan 
Published: April 2015

AbstractIn urban studies, New York's West Village is famous for two principal reasons: as the paradigmatic ideal neighborhood in Jane Jacobs' influential The Death and Life of Great American Cities and as the site of one of the 1960s' great urban uprisings, the Stonewall riot in 1969. Today––largely because of the mixed‐use urban qualities celebrated by Jacobs––the West Village is one of New York's most desirable residential areas, yet it also remains an essential part of the city's queer geography. In this article, I analyze the persistent demonization of the area's queer youth of color by local neighborhood groups to argue that Jacobs' celebrated notion of natural surveillance (or what she called ‘eyes on the street') is fundamentally unsuited for a fluid queer space like the contemporary West Village. First, I historicize the current neighborhood tensions in the context of racialized media reporting of homophobic hate crime. Second, the discourses deployed in contemporary media of ‘wild' youth terrorizing the Village are examined. Finally, with reference to the forced closure of the African American bar Chi Chiz, I illustrate how the symbolic nightlife economy remains a key target in the city's regulation of queer space.
Isolation, Composition, Structure, Properties, Modifications, and Uses of Yam Starch
Authors: Zhu Fan 
Published: April 2015

AbstractStarch is the major carbohydrate in yam tubers and can amount up to 80% of the dry matter. The starch quality determines the quality of food and industrial products made from yam tubers. This review summarizes the present knowledge of the isolation, composition, structure, property, modifications, and uses of starches from diverse yam species. Compared with other tuber and root starches, there is a lack of systematic information on the yam starches. This hinders the further development of yams as sustainable crops as well as the value‐added processing of the starches. Therefore, suggestions on how to better understand and utilize these starches are provided.
Standard survey designs drive bias in the mapping of upland swamp communities
Authors: Tierney D. A. , Fletcher A. T. , Erskine P. D. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractVegetation maps are critical biodiversity planning instruments, but the classification of vegetation for mapping can be strongly biased by survey design. Standardization of survey design across different vegetation types is therefore increasingly recommended for vegetation mapping programs. However, some vegetation types have complex small‐scale vegetation patterns that are important in characterizing these vegetation types, and standard designs will often not capture these patterns. The objective of this paper was to investigate the magnitude of potential map bias that results from survey design standardization and recommend approaches to deal with this bias. We surveyed upland swamps of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Australia using two contrasting survey designs, including the standard 400 m2 single quadrat design recommended and used by authorities. We then derived a classification for these swamps and tested the effect of survey design on this classification, species richness and the type of species detected (obligate or facultative swamp species). Species richness and species type were not significantly different among survey techniques. However, more than 40% of swamps clustered differently among survey designs. Thus, one of the 10 derived communities (which is floristically consistent with a previously mapped endangered community) was indistinct, and some individual swamps misclassified using the standard survey design. An effect of landscape position on swamp floristic patterns and a significant trend for high similarity scores among swamps surveyed with multiple small quadrats compared to the standard survey design was also determined. Australian upland swamps are classified at the global scale as shrub‐dominated wetlands, and complex floristic patterns have been recorded in shrub‐dominated wetlands in both northern and southern hemispheres. We therefore advocate either multiple survey designs or different survey standards for upland swamp communities and other vegetation types that have complex floristic patterns at small scales.
Bradykinin and cysteinyl leukotriene concentrations in cell‐salvaged blood before and after passage through negatively charged filters during clinical use in cancer patients: a pilot study
Authors: Catling S. J. , Thornton C. A. , Russell I. T. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryIt has been suggested that giving cell‐salvaged blood through a leucocyte depletion filter can cause hypotension due to bradykinin released when factor XII and platelets are activated by the negatively charged surface of the filter. We measured the concentration of bradykinin and cysteinyl leukotrienes in cell‐salvaged blood sampled before and after passage through a negatively charged leucodepletion filter in 24 consecutive patients with gynaecological or bowel cancer undergoing elective surgery with cell salvage. In no case was an increase in bradykinin concentration observed after passage through the filter; in 23 patients the post‐filtration bradykinin concentration was zero (p = 0.007). The change in the concentration of cysteinyl leukotrienes detected during passage across the filter was not statistically significant (p = 0.1). Our findings do not support the suggestion that either bradykinin or cysteinyl leukotrienes are generated in cell‐salvaged blood during passage through leucodepletion filters.
Sensorless Viscosity Measurement in a Magnetically‐Levitated Rotary Blood Pump
Authors: Hijikata Wataru , Rao Jun , Abe Shodai , Takatani Setsuo , Shinshi Tadahiko 
Published: April 2015

AbstractControlling the flow rate in an implantable rotary blood pump based on the physiological demand made by the body is important. Even though various methods to estimate the flow rate without using a flow meter have been proposed, no adequate method for measuring the blood viscosity, which is necessary for an accurate estimate of the flow rate, without using additional sensors or mechanisms in a noninvasive way, has yet been realized. We have developed a sensorless method for measuring viscosity in magnetically levitated rotary blood pumps, which requires no additional sensors or mechanisms. By applying vibrational excitation to the impeller using a magnetic bearing, we measured the viscosity of the working fluid by measuring the phase difference between the current in the magnetic bearing and the displacement of the impeller. The measured viscosity showed a high correlation (R2 > 0.992) with respect to a reference viscosity. The mean absolute deviation of the measured viscosity was 0.12 mPa·s for several working fluids with viscosities ranging from 1.18 to 5.12 mPa·s. The proposed sensorless measurement method has the possibility of being utilized for estimating flow rate.
Pulsatility Produced by the Hemodialysis Roller Pump as Measured by Doppler Ultrasound
Authors: Fulker David , Keshavarzi Gholamreza , Simmons Anne , Pugh Debbie , Barber Tracie 
Published: April 2015

AbstractMicrobubbles have previously been detected in the hemodialysis extracorporeal circuit and can enter the blood vessel leading to potential complications. A potential source of these microbubbles is highly pulsatile flow resulting in cavitation. This study quantified the pulsatility produced by the roller pump throughout the extracorporeal circuit. A Sonosite S‐series ultrasound probe (FUJIFILM Sonosite Inc., Tokyo, Japan) was used on a single patient during normal hemodialysis treatment. The Doppler waveform showed highly pulsatile flow throughout the circuit with the greatest pulse occurring after the pump itself. The velocity pulse after the pump ranged from 57.6 ± 1.74 cm/s to −72 ± 4.13 cm/s. Flow reversal occurred when contact between the forward roller and tubing ended. The amplitude of the pulse was reduced from 129.6 cm/s to 16.25 cm/s and 6.87 cm/s following the dialyzer and venous air trap. This resulted in almost nonpulsatile, continuous flow returning to the patient through the venous needle. These results indicate that the roller pump may be a source of microbubble formation from cavitation due to the highly pulsatile blood flow. The venous air trap was identified as the most effective mechanism in reducing the pulsatility. The inclusion of multiple rollers is also recommended to offer an effective solution in dampening the pulse produced by the pump.
Change in corneal hysteresis over time in normal, glaucomatous and diabetic eyes
Authors: Hussnain Syed Amal , Alsberge Joseph B. , Ehrlich Joshua R. , Shimmyo Mitsugu , Radcliffe Nathan M. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractPurposeCorneal hysteresis (CH) is lower in glaucomatous eyes. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the change in CH over time between normal, open angle glaucoma (POAG) and diabetic subjects.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed records of patients undergoing assessment with the Ocular Response Analyzer (Reichert, Corp., New York, NY, USA). Right eyes with at least 7 measurements were included. Patients with ocular pathology other than POAG were excluded. Two‐sample t‐tests, chi‐squared and logistic regression were used to analyse data.ResultsA total of 1418 normal and 322 POAG patients were included. Patients with POAG were significantly older (70.73 ± 11.33 vs. 61.59 ± 16.56 years; p < 0.001), had a longer follow‐up (4.14 ± 1.34 vs. 2.72 ± 1.49 years; p < 0.001) and had lower CH (9.58 ± 2.17 vs. 9.95 ± 2.19 mmHg p = 0.01), but there were no gender differences between groups (61.5 vs. 57.7% female; p = 0.21). We observed a significantly greater decrease in CH among patients with POAG (−0.11 ± 0.73 vs. 0.07 ± 2.31 mm Hg/year; p = 0.02). The relation between ∆CH/year and diagnosis persisted after adjusting for age and follow‐up time (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82, 0.99; p = 0.03). We found CH to be higher in diabetics vs. non‐diabetics (10.34 ± 2.04 vs. 9.88 ± 2.19; p = 0.02), but ∆CH/year was not different (0.07 ± 1.27 vs. 0.03 ± 2.10; p = 0.77).ConclusionsPatients with POAG in this study had a significantly greater rate of CH decline compared to normal. There was no significant difference in rate of CH change in diabetic and non‐diabetic patients.
Cohort profile of the GOALS study: A large‐scale research of physical activity in Dutch students
Authors: de Groot Renate H.M. , van Dijk Martin L. , Kirschner Paul A. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe GOALS study (Grootschalig Onderzoek naar Activiteiten van Limburgse Scholieren [Large‐scale Research of Activities in Dutch Students]) was set up to investigate possible associations between different forms of physical activity and inactivity with cognitive performance, academic achievement and mental well‐being. It was conducted at a secondary school in the south of the Netherlands. Data collection took place during normal school weeks from October 2011 to March 2012, and 1 year later from October 2012 to May 2013. The study was approved by the local Ethical Committee of the Open University of the Netherlands. All students in grades 7 and 9 of senior general secondary education and university preparatory education were invited to participate (n = 526). At baseline, a sample of 440 Dutch‐speaking adolescents was willing to participate (83.7%). Of these, 344 participated in the follow‐up. Physical activity was measured objectively by an ActivPal3TM accelerometer (Paltechnologies, Glasgow, UK). Cognitive performance was measured by the d2 Test of Attention and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Academic achievement was determined using the mean of school grades in Dutch, English and Mathematics. Several well‐validated instruments were used to determine mood/depressive symptoms, self‐esteem and goal orientation. Information on several covariates such as sex, academic year, school level, ethnicity, socio‐economic status, body mass index, pubertal status, smoking, drinking, viewing television, computer use, etc., are available.
Spectrum of adult Parvovirus B19 infection according to the underlying predisposing condition and proposals for clinical practice
Authors: Wolfromm Alice , Rodriguez Christophe , Michel Marc , Habibi Anoosha , Audard Vincent , Benayoun Emmanuel , Rogier Olivier , Challine Dominique , Chosidow Olivier , Lelièvre Jean‐Daniel , Chevalier Xavier , Le Bras Fabien , Pautas Cécile , Imbert Michèle , Pawlotsky Jean‐Michel , Wagner‐Ballon Orianne 
Published: April 2015

SummaryThe virological diagnosis of Parvovirus B19 (PvB19) infection is currently based on sero‐diagnosis, molecular methods or both, yet without clear recommendations. We retrospectively identified patients with polymerase chain reaction‐positive PvB19 and/or positive serological assay between 2007 and 2013. Eighty‐two adults with at least one diagnostic criterion of recent PvB19 infection (IgM antibodies, viral DNA in blood and/or in marrow) were included and classified into three homogeneous groups: 30 patients had no underlying predisposing condition, 25 a hereditary haemolytic anaemia, 27 an underlying immunodeficiency. The classical PvB19‐related manifestations were less frequent in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients (arthromyalgia: 5 vs. 14; erythema: 4 vs. 17, respectively). Only 41·4% of patients with no underlying disease were anaemic. Bicytopenia and pancytopenia were observed mainly in immunocompromised patients. Classical pure red cell aplasia was observed in only 9 of the 27 marrow smears performed. Specific IgM were found in 93% of immunocompetent patients, whereas only 58% had detectable viral DNA in blood. IgM and DNA were present alone or together in all patients with hereditary haemolytic anaemia. In immunocompromised patients, the diagnosis was confirmed by marrow analysis in 91% of cases. We make some proposals based on this large series of PvB19‐infected patients.
Antibody‐mediated transfusion‐related acute lung injury; from discovery to prevention
Authors: Peters Anna L. , Van Stein Danielle , Vlaar Alexander P. J. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryTransfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI), a syndrome of respiratory distress caused by blood transfusion, is the leading cause of transfusion‐related mortality. The majority of TRALI cases have been related to passive infusion of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) and human neutrophil antigen (HNA) antibodies in donor blood. In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo animal models have provided insight in TRALI pathogenesis. The various classes of antibodies implicated in TRALI appear to have different pathophysiological mechanisms for the induction of TRALI involving endothelial cells, neutrophils, monocytes and, as very recently has been discovered, lymphocytes. The HLA and HNA‐antibodies are found mainly in blood from multiparous women as they have become sensitized during pregnancy. The incidence of TRALI has decreased rapidly following the introduction of a male‐only strategy for plasma donation. This review focuses on pre‐clinical and clinical studies investigating the pathophysiology of antibody‐mediated TRALI.
A meta‐analysis of human disturbance impacts on Antarctic wildlife
Authors: Coetzee Bernard W. T. , Chown Steven L. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTEvidence‐based assessments are increasingly recognized as the best‐practice approach to determine appropriate conservation interventions, but such assessments of the impact of human disturbance on wildlife are rare. Human disturbance comprises anthropogenic activities that are typically non‐lethal, but may cause short‐ and/or longer‐term stress and fitness responses in wildlife. Expanding human activity in the Antarctic region is of particular concern because it increases the scope and potential for increased human disturbance to wildlife in a region that is often thought of as relatively untouched by anthropogenic influences. Here, we use a meta‐analytical approach to synthesise research on human disturbance to wildlife over the last three decades in the Antarctic and sub‐Antarctic region. We combine data from 62 studies across 21 species on the behavioural, physiological and population responses of wildlife to pedestrian, vehicle and research disturbances. The overall effect size indicated a small, albeit statistically significant negative effect of disturbance (−0.39; 95% CI: −0.60 to −0.18). Negative effects were found for both physiological and population responses, but no evidence was found for a significant impact on wildlife behavioural responses. Negative effects were found across pedestrian, vehicle and research disturbances. Significant and high among‐study heterogeneity was found in both disturbance and response sub‐groups. Among species, it remains unclear to what extent different forms of disturbance translate into negative population responses. Most current guidelines to limit wildlife disturbance impacts in Antarctica recommend that approaches be tailored to animal behavioural cues, but our work demonstrates that behavioural changes do not necessarily reflect more cryptic, and more deleterious impacts, such as changes in physiology. In consequence, we recommend that pedestrian approach guidelines in the Antarctic region be revisited. Due to the high heterogeneity in effects, management guidelines for different sites and species will need to be developed on a case‐by‐case basis, ideally in conjunction with carefully designed experiments. Guidelines to reduce the impact of research activities per se require development to reduce the potential impacts of conducting research. We identify research questions that, if answered, will further improve the evidence base for guidelines to manage human disturbance in Antarctica.