bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of hyporheic zone characteristics on the structure and activity of microbial assemblages
Authors: Nogaro Geraldine , Datry Thibault , Mermillod‐Blondin Florian , Foulquier Arnaud , Montuelle Bernard 
Published: September 2013

Summary

The hyporheic zone is a pivotal environment for biogeochemical processes in riverine ecosystems. However, the responses of hyporheic microbial assemblage structure and activity to environmental variables remain poorly understood.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of hyporheic zone characteristics on microbial assemblages in three French rivers (Usses, Isère and Drôme). For each river, microbial structure (assemblage composition and abundance) and activity were measured at three sites with contrasting environmental characteristics (e.g. effective streambed porosity, oxygen and nutrient concentrations).

Firstly, we expected that the structure and activity of the hyporheic microbial assemblage would be significantly affected by the environmental characteristics of the hyporheic zone. We also expected a strong relationship between the structure and activity of hyporheic microbial communities in the Usses River, due to greater spatial heterogeneity (i.e. greater porosity differences between the studied sites) compared with the two other rivers.

Our results showed that porosity reduction, greatest in the Usses River, affected the exchanges of flows and energy through the hyporheic zone and, consequently, led to a distinct microbial assemblage composition in comparison with the two other rivers. Significant relationships between bacterial assemblage structure and activity were detected for the Usses and Drôme rivers, due to the greater spatial variability in sediment and physicochemical variables observed in these two rivers than in the Isère.

Hyporheic zone characteristics (sediment permeability, water chemistry, particulate organic matter) appear to be the key factors controlling microbial structure and activity in riverine environments. As the hyporheic zone is essential for biogeochemical processes, including those attenuating pollution, a better quantification of the influences of environmental factors controlling microbial activity is needed to understand and predict ecosystem processes in the hyporheic zone.
Complex seasonality observed amongst diverse phytoplankton viruses in the Bay of Quinte, an embayment of Lake Ontario
Authors: Rozon R. M. , Short S. M. 
Published: September 2013

Summary

To initiate research on algal viruses (viruses that infect eukaryotic algae) and cyanophages (viruses that infect cyanobacteria) in the Bay of Quinte, a Lake Ontario embayment, samples of viruses free in the water (i.e. not associated with particulate material) were collected throughout 2011 with the goals of examining the diversity of phytoplankton viruses and monitoring their dynamics.

PCR and sequencing of DNA polymerase (polB) and major capsid protein (MCP) genes from algal viruses, and sheath protein genes from cyanophages, revealed diverse phytoplankton viruses in the bay. Specifically, polB sequences from the bay were most closely related to sequences from viruses that infect prasinophyte algae, MCP sequences were related to sequences from viruses that infect prasinophytes and from Mimivirus‐like viruses that infect prymnesiophytes and prasinophytes, whilst sheath protein sequences were related to sequences from the phage Ma‐LMM01 that infects M. aeruginosa.

The abundances of 10 distinct viral genes monitored using quantitative PCR ranged from exceptionally high values (e.g. 256 441 gene copies mL−1 for a putative M. aeruginosa phage) to values that were just above detection limits (e.g. a putative Prasinovirus never exceeded 20 gene copies mL−1).

Patterns of abundance included genes that were seasonally sporadic or geographically patchy, as well as some that were stable throughout the bay over the entire year. Despite the heterogeneity of viral abundance across the bay, gene abundance clustered by sampling date and geographical location.

Even for closely related viruses, seasonality and geographical distribution were distinct. By providing evidence for the complex seasonality of diverse phytoplankton viruses, this work highlighted significant gaps in knowledge of aquatic virus ecology that can be extrapolated from this one system to most aquatic environments.
Sleep and frailty syndrome in elderly residents of long‐stay institutions: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Nóbrega Patrícia Vidal de Negreiros , Maciel Álvaro Campos Cavalcanti , de Almeida Holanda Cristina Marques , Oliveira Guerra Ricardo , Araújo John Fontenele 
Published: September 2013

AimAging changes sleep patterns in most elderly people. Frailty shares a number of characteristics with sleep disorders and leads to similar results. However, their relationship in residents of long‐stay institutions remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep and frailty syndrome in residents of long‐stay institutions.MethodsThis was a cross‐sectional study of 69 institutionalized elderly in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, actimetry and specific tests for frailty phenotype variables were used. Pearson's χ2‐test, one‐way anova and multiple linear regression were applied in statistical analysis.ResultsThe sample was characterized as predominantly frail (49.3%), mainly women (62.3%), with a mean age of 77.52 years (±7.82). Frail elderly exhibited poor sleep quality, when compared with non‐frail individuals (P = 0.02). In the multiple linear regression analysis, sleep latency (R2 = 0.11, P = 0.003) and sleep quality (R2 = 0.08, P = 0.013) had an influence on frailty, especially sleep quality. No differences were found between rest–activity pattern and frailty phenotype.ConclusionSleep alterations, including poor sleep quality and prolonged latency, were related to frailty in institutionalized elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 605–612.
Serum levels of albumin‐amyloid beta complexes are decreased in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Yamamoto Keiichi , Shimada Hiroyuki , Koh Hideo , Ataka Suzuka , Miki Takami 
Published: September 2013

AimDecreased amyloid β (Aβ) clearance from the brain to blood might play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is normally bound to and transported by albumin in blood, thus possibly maintaining constant concentration of free Aβ in the blood. We therefore hypothesized that decreased blood levels of albumin‐Aβ complexes could be associated with decreased Aβ removal from the brain to blood, resulting in Aβ accumulation in the brain.MethodsWe carried out a cross‐sectional investigation of the association between serum levels of albumin‐Aβ complexes (SLAAC) and AD prevalence in 89 patients who visited our outpatient clinic, and gave written informed consent between August 2008 and May 2012.ResultsWe confirmed 45 cases of AD. Low SLAAC was associated with an increased prevalence of AD (OR 0.27; 95% CI 0.14–0.51) in a univariable logistic model and multivariable logistic models. In addition, decreased SLAAC was associated with decreased levels of Aβ42 in CSF (r = 0.38, P = 0.0221) and increased levels of p‐tau in CSF (r = −0.43, P = 0.0090), findings that have been shown to be associated with AD progression.ConclusionsThis novel method might be very useful for monitoring of the progression of AD. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 716–723.
Novel hepatitis B virus strain developing due to recombination between genotypes H and B strains isolated from a Japanese patient
Authors: Uchida Yoshihito , Kouyama Jun‐ichi , Naiki Kayoko , Sugawara Kayoko , Inao Mie , Nakayama Nobuaki , Mochida Satoshi 
Published: September 2013

AimIn Japan, genotypes B and C are the predominant genotypes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis B, while genotype A predominates in patients with acute hepatitis B. Globalization, however, appears to have changed the distribution of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes. Thus, the viral characteristics of HBV genotypes other than genotypes A, B and C were examined.MethodsScreening of genotypes was performed by enzyme immunoassay and/or polymerase chain reaction INVADER method in 222 patients with HBV. The full‐length nucleotide sequences of unusual strains were compared to those in the database, followed by construction of a phylogenetic tree.ResultsUnusual HBV strains were isolated from two patients: a 27‐year‐old Japanese bisexual man with acute hepatitis B with HIV co‐infection and a 52‐year‐old Japanese man with chronic hepatitis B. The former strain was classified as genotype H, showing an overall identity of 99.8% to the Thailand strain (EU498228), while the nucleotide sequence of the latter strain showed similarity to the genotype B strains isolated in Malaysia (JQ027316) and Indonesia (JQ429079) between DR2 and DR1 in the X region, with identities of 96.9%. However, this strain was classified as genotype H by full‐length sequence analysis, and the sequence between nt2023 and nt2262 showed no similarity to that in any previously reported strains.ConclusionHBV strains showing recombination between genotype B and H strains were found even in chronic hepatitis patients in Japan. Globalization may yield HBV strains of possible novel genotypes containing novel nucleotide sequences in the precore/core region.
Experimental rat model for alcohol‐induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head
Authors: Okazaki Shunichiro , Nagoya Satoshi , Tateda Kenji , Katada Ryuichi , Mizuo Keisuke , Watanabe Satoshi , Yamashita Toshihiko , Matsumoto Hiroshi 
Published: September 2013

SummaryAlcohol‐induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is observed in alcohol abusers and patients with alcoholic fatty liver disease. It has been reported that Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver disease. We previously reported a corticosteroid‐induced ONFH rat model, and suggested that TLR4 signalling contributes to the pathogenesis of ONFH. Thus, it is thought that the pathogenesis of alcohol‐induced ONFH is probably similar to that of corticosteroid‐induced ONFH. The aim of this study was to develop a new animal model for alcohol‐induced ONFH and to evaluate the relationship between the pro‐inflammatory response via TLRs and the development of ONFH in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed a Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% ethanol (experimental group) or dextran (control group) for 1–24 weeks. Histopathological and biochemical analyses were performed. Feeding the ethanol‐containing liquid diet resulted in the development of ONFH with hepatic steatosis, hepatic dysfunction and hyperlipidaemia, whereas feeding the dextran‐containing diet did not cause ONFH. However, we could not recognize any relationship between the pro‐inflammatory response via TLR4 and the development of alcohol‐induced ONFH. Thus in this study we have developed a new rat model for alcohol‐induced ONFH based on the feeding of an ethanol liquid diet. ONFH was observed within seven days from the start of feeding with 5% ethanol‐containing liquid diet. Although this was linked to hepatic steatosis, a TLR4 association was not a feature of this model.
Inflammatory bowel disease cancer surveillance in a tertiary referral hospital: attitudes and practice
Authors: Verschuren E. C. , Ong D. E. , Kamm M. A. , Desmond P. V. , Lust M. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractBackgroundPhysician adherence to guidelines for colorectal cancer (CRC) surveillance in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often poor. This may lead to adverse patient outcomes and excess endoscopic workload.AimsTo assess the attitudes and practice of IBD specialists in a tertiary centre towards colonoscopic surveillance.MethodsFirst, a questionnaire evaluating attitudes and approach to CRC surveillance was issued to 36 clinicians at one tertiary referral hospital. Second, a retrospective audit of IBD surveillance colonoscopy practice over a 2‐year period was performed.ResultsQuestionnaire response rate was 97%. Sixty‐nine per cent of respondents were aware of, and used, Australian guidelines. Surveillance was undertaken by all clinicians in patients with extensive colitis, 83% in patients with left‐sided colitis and 51% in patients with proctitis. Seventy‐six per cent used chromoendoscopy, and 47% took 10 to 20 random biopsies. Colectomy was considered appropriate in 0% for unifocal low‐grade dysplasia, 35% for multifocal low‐grade dysplasia and 83% for high‐grade dysplasia. Sixty‐six per cent would remove elevated dysplastic lesions endoscopically. The audit identified 103 surveillance colonoscopies in 81 patients. Chromoendoscopy was used in 21% of cases, and the median number of random biopsies was 13. Sixty‐two per cent of colonoscopies were performed outside the guidelines in relation to colonoscopic frequency. Following colonoscopy, an appropriate recommendation for subsequent surveillance was documented in 40% of cases.ConclusionsKnowledge and practice of CRC surveillance in IBD vary among specialist clinicians and often deviate from guidelines. Many clinicians perform surveillance earlier and more frequently than recommended. These findings have implications for patient outcomes and workload.
Mast cells, glia and neuroinflammation: partners in crime?
Authors: Skaper Stephen D. , Facci Laura , Giusti Pietro 
Published: September 2013

SummaryGlia and microglia in particular elaborate pro‐inflammatory molecules that play key roles in central nervous system (CNS) disorders from neuropathic pain and epilepsy to neurodegenerative diseases. Microglia respond also to pro‐inflammatory signals released from other non‐neuronal cells, mainly those of immune origin such as mast cells. The latter are found in most tissues, are CNS resident, and traverse the blood–spinal cord and blood–brain barriers when barrier compromise results from CNS pathology. Growing evidence of mast cell–glia communication opens new perspectives for the development of therapies targeting neuroinflammation by differentially modulating activation of non‐neuronal cells that normally control neuronal sensitization – both peripherally and centrally. Mast cells and glia possess endogenous homeostatic mechanisms/molecules that can be up‐regulated as a result of tissue damage or stimulation of inflammatory responses. Such molecules include the N‐acylethanolamine family. One such member, N‐palmitoylethanolamine is proposed to have a key role in maintenance of cellular homeostasis in the face of external stressors provoking, for example, inflammation. N‐Palmitoylethanolamine has proven efficacious in mast‐cell‐mediated experimental models of acute and neurogenic inflammation. This review will provide an overview of recent progress relating to the pathobiology of neuroinflammation, the role of microglia, neuroimmune interactions involving mast cells and the possibility that mast cell–microglia cross‐talk contributes to the exacerbation of acute symptoms of chronic neurodegenerative disease and accelerates disease progression, as well as promoting pain transmission pathways. We will conclude by considering the therapeutic potential of treating systemic inflammation or blockade of signalling pathways from the periphery to the brain in such settings.
CEO Pay and Corporate Governance in the U.S.: Perceptions, Facts, and Challenges
Authors: Kaplan Steven N. 
Published: September 2013

This article brings a broad range of statistical studies and evidence to bear on three common perceptions about the CEO compensation and governance of U.S. public companies: (1) CEOs are overpaid and their pay keeps increasing; (2) CEOs are not paid for their performance; and (3) boards do not penalize CEOs for poor performance.While average CEO pay increased substantially during the 1990s, it has declined since then— by more than 30%—from peak levels that were reached around 2000. Moreover, when viewed relative to corporate net income or profits, CEO pay levels at S&P 500 companies are the lowest they've been in the last 20 years. And the ratio of large‐company CEO pay to firm market value is roughly similar to its level in the late 1970s, and lower than the levels that prevailed before the 1960s. What's more, in studies that begin with the late '70s, private company executives have seen their pay increase by at least as much as public companies. And when set against the compensation of other highly paid groups, today's levels of CEO pay, although somewhat above their long‐term historical average, are about the same as their average levels in the early 1990s.At the same time, the pay of U.S. CEOs appears to be reasonably highly correlated with corporate performance. As evidence, the author cites a 2010 study reporting that, over the period 1992 to 2005, companies with CEOs in the top quintile (top 20%) of realized pay in any given year had generated stock returns that were 60% higher than the average companies in their industries over the previous three years. Conversely, companies with CEOs in the bottom quintile of realized pay underperformed their industries by almost 20% in the previous three years. And along with lower pay, the CEOs of poorly performing companies in the 2000s faced a significant increase in the likelihood of dismissal by their own boards.When viewed together, these findings suggest that corporate boards have done a reasonably good job of overseeing CEO pay, and that factors such as technological advances and increased scale have played meaningful roles in driving the pay of both CEOs and others with top incomes—people who are assumed to have comparable skills, experience, and opportunities. If one wants to use increases in CEO pay as evidence of managerial power or “board capture,” one also has to explain why the other professional groups have experienced similar, or even higher, growth in pay. A more straightforward interpretation of the evidence reviewed in this article is that the market for talent has driven a meaningful portion of the increase in pay at the top. Consistent with this conclusion, top executive pay policies at roughly 97% of S&P 500 and Russell 3000 companies received majority shareholder support in the Dodd‐Frank mandated “Say‐on‐Pay” votes in 2011 and 2012, the first two years the measure was in force.
The Future of International Liquidity and the Role of China*
Authors: Taylor Alan M. 
Published: September 2013

China has prospered from its strategy of reserve accumulation and related export surplus. But the strategy has drawbacks. Open‐ended reserve accumulation has left the the economy exposed to an eventual devaluation of the dollar, and reliance on exports has left it exposed to a downturn in rich‐world consumption. China thus has an incentive to rethink both halves of its model—to accumulate fewer reserves, on the one hand, and to run a smaller current‐account surplus on the other. Recent steps such as faster renminbi appreciation, the new Five‐Year Plan, and announced shifts in reserve strategy will move China in this direction— and other emerging economies may well follow.This article analyzes the likely consequences of internationalization of the Chinese renminbi for the global monetary system and its possible ascension to reserve currency status. It argues that if the process proves feasible, despite the difficult hurdles along the way, the results of internationalization would be constructive, both for China and the rest of the world. If emerging‐market central banks and other reserve managers (such as sovereign wealth funds) continue overwhelmingly to favor the dollar and a small set of other developed‐market reserve currencies as a store of value, the world risks a third crisis of the global reserve system. This would be a rerun in a somewhat different guise of the well‐known paradox described by economist Robert Triffin, whereby the demand for international liquidity, when loaded onto a small set of national currencies, ends up destabilizing the system as the key reserve suppliers issue more and more assets and hence build up unsustainable debts. (Such forces, Triffin argued, were a main cause of the 1930s crisis of the gold exchange standard; and as he predicted, those forces emerged again in the 1970s to destabilize the dollar‐and goldbased Bretton Woods system.)In today's global monetary system, the emergence of the renminbi (along with other developed‐ and emerging‐market currencies) as a potential reserve currency would expand and diversify the supply of reserve assets, enabling central banks to maintain large buffers against financial shocks while allowing the United States to stop issuing a large and growing bulk of the world's safe and liquid claims, and thus bearing the burden of an everexpanding, and ultimately questionable, debt to the rest of the world.
Discounted Cash Flow Valuation for Small Cap M&A Integration*
Authors: Hoffmann Norman 
Published: September 2013

Frank Batten rose to the upper ranks of the Forbes 400 by using his Norfolk newspaper as a base to consolidate publications and then later to create a media enterprise, including cable‐TV (which was eventually sold for $1.2 billion) and The Weather Channel (sold for over $3 billion). Batten's success offers a compelling case study of the often pursued but much maligned “roll up” strategy of mergers, providing evidence that the strategy can produce superior returns for those consolidators devoted to integrating small, value‐priced acquisitions within an industry niche. The author identifies three keys to Batten's success in making the strategy work: (1) aggressive, but astute, adoption of “best practices” and enhanced processes; (2) refinement of the business model to “roll out” the launch of like entities to underserved markets; and, most important, (3) identification and pursuit of innovative business development opportunities made possible by the consolidation.Too often, intricate discounted cash flow (DCF) analyses are used to justify disastrous valuations, such as the one that helped support Daimler's $37 billion acquisition of Chrysler. Landmark's employment of rigorous DCF analyses was valued primarily not as a guide to value, but rather as a way of assessing the economic drivers of the business, the opportunities to control costs, the rationality of forecasted growth rates, and the probability of competition and market forces affecting short‐ and longterm results. These analyses formed the basis for management's long‐term development goals. When seeking approval for a deal, however, the valuation depended on a simpler criterion: the multiple of the prior year's cash flow relative to prospective long‐term profit growth. In this regard, Batten's use of DCF was much more akin to Warren Buffett's “spontaneous” valuations, delivered “customarily within five minutes.”