bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Orthostatic Blood Pressure Behavior in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment Predicts Conversion to Dementia
Authors: Hayakawa Tomoaki , McGarrigle Christine A. , Coen Robert F. , Soraghan Christopher J. , Foran Tim , Lawlor Brian A. , Kenny Rose Anne 
Published: August 2015

ObjectivesTo compare the patterns of blood pressure (BP) behavior during orthostasis in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with those of controls and to investigate whether orthostatic BP behavior differs between individuals with MCI who convert to dementia and those who do not.DesignLongitudinal study with 3 years of follow‐up.SettingMemory clinic in Dublin, Ireland, between 2007 and 2012.ParticipantsCommunity‐dwelling individuals with MCI (n = 150) and controls (n = 75).MeasurementsOrthostatic BP was examined using the active standing test with a beat‐to‐beat continuous BP monitoring device in addition to neuropsychological testing. Hazard ratios (HRs) from parametric survival models were used to determine whether conversion to dementia was independently associated with baseline orthostatic BP variables.ResultsIndividuals with MCI were more likely than controls to have a systolic BP (SBP) deficit of greater than 30% 30 seconds after standing (P = .01). Thirty percent of participants with MCI (n = 43) converted to dementia within the 3‐year follow‐up period. Individuals with MCI with a SBP deficit greater than 30% 30 seconds after standing were twice as likely to convert to dementia as those without the deficit (HR = 2.77, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–7.50).ConclusionHuman beings have evolved an elaborate neurological control system to maintain cerebral perfusion during orthostatic challenge. In people with MCI, this response is impaired and renders them twice as likely to convert to dementia.
Pressure ulcer risk assessment: retrospective analysis of Braden Scale scores in Portuguese hospitalised adult patients
Authors: Sardo Pedro , Simões Cláudia , Alvarelhão José , Costa César , Simões Carlos J , Figueira Jorge , Simões João L , Amado Francisco , Amaro António , Melo Elsa 
Published: August 2015

Aims and objectivesTo analyse the Braden Scale scores and sub‐scores assessed in Portuguese hospitalised adult patients in association with their characteristics, diagnoses and length of stay.BackgroundThe Braden Scale is used worldwide for pressure ulcer risk assessment and supports nurses in the implementation of preventive interventions.DesignRetrospective cohort analysis of electronic health record database from adult patients admitted to medical and surgical areas during 2012.MethodsBraden Scale scores and sub‐scores of 8147 patients were associated with age, gender, type of admission (emergency service or programmed), specialty units (medical or surgical), length of stay, patient discharge (discharge, decease or transference to other hospital) and ICD‐9 diagnosis.ResultsThe participants with significantly lower Braden Scale scores were women, older people, hospitalised in medical units, with emergency service admission, longer hospitalisation stays and/or with vascular, traumatisms, respiratory, infection or cardiac diseases. Mobility, friction/shear forces and activity had higher contributions to the Braden Scale score, while nutrition had the lowest contribution.ConclusionsApproximately one‐third of all participants had high risk of pressure ulcer development at admission, which led to the application of nursing preventive care. Our study demonstrated that nurses should pay special attention to patients over 50 years of age, who had significantly lower Braden Scale scores. The Braden Scale scores significantly increased in the last assessments showing that Braden Scale is sensitive to the clinical improvement of the patient. Braden Scale correlations with length of stay reveal its importance as predictor of length of stay.Relevance to clinical practiceNurses should use Braden Scale assessment and consider patients' characteristics and diagnoses to plan more focused preventive interventions and improve nursing care. This study could be the first step to create a preventive protocol based on institutional reality, patients' characteristics, level of risk and affected sub‐scales.
Nursing teams caring for hospitalised older adults
Authors: Dahlke Sherry , Baumbusch Jennifer 
Published: August 2015

Aims and objectivesTo offer an explanation of how registered nurses’ are providing care to hospitalised older adults in nursing teams comprised of a variety of roles and educational levels.BackgroundAround the globe economic pressures, nursing shortages and increased patient acuity have resulted in tasks being shifted to healthcare workers with less education and fewer qualifications than registered nurses. In acute care hospitals, this often means reducing the number of registered nurses and adding licensed practical nurses and care aides (also referred to as unregulated healthcare workers) to the nursing care team. The implications of these changes are not well understood especially in the context of hospitalised older adults, who are complex and the most common care recipients.DesignThematic analysis of data that were collected in a previous grounded theory study to provide an opportunity in‐depth analysis of how nurses provided care to hospitalised older adults within nursing teams.MethodsData collected in western Canada on two hospital units in two different health authorities were analysed in relation to how nursing teams provide care. Hand coding and thematic analysis were employed.ResultsThe themes of scrutinised skill mix and working together highlighted how the established nursing value of reciprocity is challenging to enact in teams with a variety of scopes of practice. The value of reciprocity both aided and hindered the nursing team in engaging in team behaviours to effectively manage patient care.ConclusionEducators and leaders could assist the nursing care team in re‐thinking how they engage in teamwork by providing education about roles and communication techniques to support teams and ultimately improve nursing care.Relevance to clinical practiceThe value of reciprocity within nursing teams needs to be re‐examined within the context of team members with varying abilities to reciprocate in kind.
Willingness of reproductive‐aged women in a Nigerian community to accept human papillomavirus vaccination for their children
Authors: Morhason‐Bello Imran O. , Wallis Selina , Adedokun Babatunde O. , Adewole Isaac F. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to determine the willingness of reproductive‐aged women in a Nigerian community to allow human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in their children and the associated factors with this decision.Material and MethodsA multistage household survey of 1002 women who participated in the HPV Vaccine and Cervical Cancer Prevention Survey from 26 August to 29 September 2012 at Ibadan North Local Government Area, Mokola Ibadan, Nigeria. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed, and statistical significance was set at 95% confidence level (CI).ResultsThere was high willingness (88.6%) to vaccinate, and this attitude was associated with previous history of genital discharge or sores (adjusted odds ratio, 1.91; 95%CI, 1.05–3.45), and knowledge that cervical cancer is preventable (adjusted odds ratio, 1.67; 95%CI, 1.07–2.59). On the likely acceptability of Nigerian HPV vaccine policy, about two‐thirds strongly agreed to its incorporation into the routine immunization program (66.9%), it being free (66.7%) and mandatory (64.3%), amongst other factors. The commonest concerns raised were cost/expenses (10.2%), that it might encourage promiscuity (9.9%), or stimulate early sexual debut (6.7%), and fear of infertility (6.3%).ConclusionThis study found that the majority of Nigerian women are willing to vaccinate their children against HPV infection and would prefer free universal HPV vaccination with regulation to ensure better uptake. The concerns expressed would need to be addressed by policy‐makers to increase its acceptability.
Lumbar paraspinal muscle transverse area and symmetry in dogs with and without degenerative lumbosacral stenosis
Authors: Henderson A. L. , Hecht S. , Millis D. L. 
Published: August 2015

OBJECTIVESTo investigate whether dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis have decreased lumbar paraspinal muscle transverse area and symmetry compared with control dogs.MATERIALS AND METHODSRetrospective cross‐sectional study comparing muscles in transverse T2‐weighted magnetic resonance images for nine dogs with and nine dogs without degenerative ‐lumbosacral stenosis. Mean transverse area was measured for the lumbar multifidus and sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis muscles bilaterally and the L7 vertebral body at the level of the caudal endplate. Transverse areas of both muscle groups relative to L7 and asymmetry indices were compared between study populations using independent t tests.RESULTSMean muscle‐to‐L7 transverse area ratios were significantly smaller in the degenerative lumbosacral stenosis group compared with those in the control group in both lumbar multifidus (0·84 ±0·26 versus 1·09 ±0·25; P=0·027) and sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis (0·5 ±0·15 versus 0·68 ±0·12; P=0·005) muscles. Mean asymmetry indices were higher for both muscles in the group with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis than in the control group, but highly variable and the difference was not statistically significant.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEThese findings suggest that dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis have decreased lumbar paraspinal muscle mass that may be a cause or consequence of the ‐syndrome. Understanding altered paraspinal muscle characteristics may improve understanding of the ‐pathophysiology and management options for degenerative lumbosacral stenosis.
Phylogenomics of polyploid Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) by RAD‐tag based GBS—insights into species origin and effects of software pipelines
Authors: Qi Zhe‐Chen , Yu Yi , Liu Xiang , Pais Andrew , Ranney Thomas , Whetten Ross , Xiang Qiu‐Yun (Jenny) 
Published: August 2015

AbstractFothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) consists of Fothergilla gardenii (4x) from the coastal plains of the southeastern USA, F. major (6x) from the piedmont and mountains of the same region, and a few allopatric diploid populations of unknown taxonomic status. The objective of this study was to explore the relationships of the polyploid species with the diploid plants. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was applied to generate genome‐wide molecular markers for phylogenetic and genetic structure analyses of 36 accessions of Fothergilla. Sanger sequencing of three plastid and one nuclear regions provided data for comparison with GBS‐based results. Phylogenetic outcomes were compared using data from different sequencing runs and different software workflows. The different data sets showed substantial differences in inferred phylogenies, but all supported a genetically distinct 6x F. major and two lineages of the diploid populations closely associated with the 4x F. gardenii. We hypothesize that the 4x F. gardenii originated through hybridization between the Gulf coastal 2x and an extinct (or undiscovered) 2x lineage, followed by backcrosses to the Atlantic coastal 2x before chromosome doubling, and the 6x F. major also originated from the “extinct” 2x lineage. Alternative scenarios are possible but are not as well supported. The origins and divergence of the polyploid species likely occurred during the Pleistocene cycles of glaciation, although fossil evidence indicates the genus might have existed for a much longer time with a wider past distribution. Our study demonstrates the power of combining GBS data with Sanger sequencing in reconstructing the evolutionary network of polyploid lineages.
Detection of selective sweeps in structured populations: a comparison of recent methods
Authors: Vatsiou Alexandra I. , Bazin Eric , Gaggiotti Oscar E. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIdentifying genomic regions targeted by positive selection has been a long‐standing interest of evolutionary biologists. This objective was difficult to achieve until the recent emergence of next‐generation sequencing, which is fostering the development of large‐scale catalogues of genetic variation for increasing number of species. Several statistical methods have been recently developed to analyse these rich data sets, but there is still a poor understanding of the conditions under which these methods produce reliable results. This study aims at filling this gap by assessing the performance of genome‐scan methods that consider explicitly the physical linkage among SNPs surrounding a selected variant. Our study compares the performance of seven recent methods for the detection of selective sweeps (iHS, nSL, EHHST, xp‐EHH, XP‐EHHST, XPCLR and hapFLK). We use an individual‐based simulation approach to investigate the power and accuracy of these methods under a wide range of population models under both hard and soft sweeps. Our results indicate that XPCLR and hapFLK perform best and can detect soft sweeps under simple population structure scenarios if migration rate is low. All methods perform poorly with moderate‐to‐high migration rates, or with weak selection and very poorly under a hierarchical population structure. Finally, no single method is able to detect both starting and nearly completed selective sweeps. However, combining several methods (XPCLR or hapFLK with iHS or nSL) can greatly increase the power to pinpoint the selected region.
Role of ToxS in the proteolytic cascade of virulence regulator ToxR in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Almagro‐Moreno Salvador , Root Michael Z. , Taylor Ronald K. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryTwo of the primary virulence regulators of Vibrio cholerae, ToxR and TcpP, function together with cognate effector proteins. ToxR undergoes regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) during late stationary phase in response to nutrient limitation at alkaline pH; however, the specific function of its cognate ToxS remains unresolved. In this work, we found that ToxR rapidly becomes undetectable in a ΔtoxS mutant when cultures are exposed to either starvation conditions or after alkaline pH shock individually. A ΔtoxS mutant enters into a dormant state associated with the proteolysis of ToxR at a faster rate than wild‐type, closely resembling a ΔtoxR mutant. Using a mutant with a periplasmic substitution in ToxS, we found that the proteases DegS and DegP function additively with VesC and a novel protease, TapA, to degrade ToxR in the mutant. Overall, the results shown here reveal a role for ToxS in the stabilization of ToxR by protecting the virulence regulator from premature proteolysis.
Osmoporin OmpC forms a complex with MlaA to maintain outer membrane lipid asymmetry in Escherichia coli
Authors: Chong Zhi‐Soon , Woo Wei‐Fen , Chng Shu‐Sin 
Published: August 2015

SummaryGram‐negative bacteria can survive in harsh environments in part because the asymmetric outer membrane (OM) hinders the entry of toxic compounds. Lipid asymmetry is established by having phospholipids (PLs) confined to the inner leaflet of the membrane and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to the outer leaflet. Perturbation of OM lipid asymmetry, characterized by PL accumulation in the outer leaflet, disrupts proper LPS packing and increases membrane permeability. The multi‐component Mla system prevents PL accumulation in the outer leaflet of the OM via an unknown mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that in Escherichia coli, the Mla system maintains OM lipid asymmetry with the help of osmoporin OmpC. We show that the OM lipoprotein MlaA interacts specifically with OmpC and OmpF. This interaction is sufficient to localize MlaA lacking its lipid anchor to the OM. Removing OmpC, but not OmpF, causes accumulation of PLs in the outer leaflet of the OM in stationary phase, as was previously observed for MlaA. We establish that OmpC is an additional component of the Mla system; the OmpC‐MlaA complex may function to remove PLs directly from the outer leaflet to maintain OM lipid asymmetry. Our work reveals a novel function for the general diffusion channel OmpC in lipid transport.
A mutational analysis of the cytosolic domain of the tomato Cf‐9 disease‐resistance protein shows that membrane‐proximal residues are important for Avr9‐dependent necrosis
Authors: Chakrabarti Apratim , Velusamy Thilaga , Tee Choon Yang , Jones David A. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryThe tomato Cf‐9 gene encodes a membrane‐anchored glycoprotein that imparts race‐specific resistance against the tomato leaf mould fungus Cladosporium fulvum in response to the avirulence protein Avr9. Although the N‐terminal half of the extracellular leucine‐rich repeat (eLRR) domain of the Cf‐9 protein determines its specificity for Avr9, the C‐terminal half, including its small cytosolic domain, is postulated to be involved in signalling. The cytosolic domain of Cf‐9 carries several residues that are potential sites for ubiquitinylation or phosphorylation, or signals for endocytic uptake. A targeted mutagenesis approach was employed to investigate the roles of these residues and cellular processes in Avr9‐dependent necrosis triggered by Cf‐9. Our results indicate that the membrane‐proximal region of the cytosolic domain of Cf‐9 plays an important role in Cf‐9‐mediated necrosis, and two amino acids within this region, a threonine (T835) and a proline (P838), are particularly important for Cf‐9 function. An alanine mutation of T835 had no effect on Cf‐9 function, but an aspartic acid mutation, which mimics phosphorylation, reduced Cf‐9 function. We therefore postulate that phosphorylation/de‐phosphorylation of T835 could act as a molecular switch to determine whether Cf‐9 is in a primed or inactive state. Yeast two‐hybrid analysis was used to show that the cytosolic domain of Cf‐9 interacts with the cytosolic domain of tomato VAP27. This interaction could be disrupted by an alanine mutation of P838, whereas interaction with CITRX remained unaffected. We therefore postulate that a proline‐induced kink in the membrane‐proximal region of the cytosolic domain of Cf‐9 may be important for interaction with VAP27, which may, in turn, be important for Cf‐9 function.
ABC transporter PEN3/PDR8/ABCG36 interacts with calmodulin that, like PEN3, is required for Arabidopsis nonhost resistance
Authors: Campe Ruth , Langenbach Caspar , Leissing Franz , Popescu George V. , Popescu Sorina C. , Goellner Katharina , Beckers Gerold J. M. , Conrath Uwe 
Published: August 2015

Summary

Nonhost resistance (NHR) is the most prevalent form of plant immunity. In Arabidopsis, NHR requires membrane‐localized ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter PENETRATION (PEN) 3. Upon perception of pathogen‐associated molecular patterns, PEN3 becomes phosphorylated, suggestive of PEN3 regulation by post‐translational modification. Here, we investigated the PEN3 protein interaction network.

We probed the Arabidopsis protein microarray AtPMA‐5000 with the N‐terminal cytoplasmic domain of PEN3. Several of the proteins identified to interact with PEN3 in vitro represent cellular Ca2+ sensors, including calmodulin (CaM) 3, CaM7 and several CaM‐like proteins, pointing to the importance of Ca2+ sensing to PEN3‐mediated NHR.

We demonstrated co‐localization of PEN3 and CaM7, and we confirmed PEN3–CaM interaction in vitro and in vivo by PEN3 pull‐down with CaM Sepharose, CaM overlay assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation. We also show that just like in pen3, NHR to the nonadapted fungal pathogens Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei is compromised in the Arabidopsis cam7 and pen3 cam7 mutants.

Our study discloses CaM7 as a PEN3‐interacting protein crucial to Arabidopsis NHR and emphasizes the importance of Ca2+ sensing to plant immunity.
CML10, a variant of calmodulin, modulates ascorbic acid synthesis
Authors: Cho Kwang‐Moon , Nguyen Ha Thi Kim , Kim Soo Youn , Shin Jin Seok , Cho Dong Hwa , Hong Seung Beom , Shin Jeong Sheop , Ok Sung Han 
Published: August 2015

Summary

Calmodulins (CaMs) regulate numerous Ca2+‐mediated cellular processes in plants by interacting with their respective downstream effectors. Due to the limited number of CaMs, other calcium sensors modulate the regulation of Ca2+‐mediated cellular processes that are not managed by CaMs. Of 50 CaM‐like (CML) proteins identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, we characterized the function of CML10.

Yeast two‐hybrid screening revealed phosphomannomutase (PMM) as a putative interaction partner of CML10. In vitro and in vivo interaction assays were performed to analyze the interaction mechanisms of CML10 and PMM. PMM activity and the phenotypes of cml10 knock‐down mutants were studied to elucidate the role(s) of the CML10–PMM interaction.

PMM interacted specifically with CML10 in the presence of Ca2+ through its multiple interaction motifs. This interaction promoted the activity of PMM. The phenotypes of cml10 knock‐down mutants were more sensitive to stress conditions than wild‐type plants, corresponding with the fact that PMM is an enzyme which modulates the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid, an antioxidant.

The results of this research demonstrate that a calcium sensor, CML10, which is an evolutionary variant of CaM, modulates the stress responses in Arabidopsis by regulating ascorbic acid production.
Diagnostic tools for post‐gastric bypass hypoglycaemia
Authors: Emous M. , Ubels F. L. , van Beek A. P. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryIn spite of its evident success, several late complications can occur after gastric bypass surgery. One of these is post‐gastric bypass hypoglycaemia. No evidence‐based guidelines exist in the literature on how to confirm the presence of this syndrome. This study aims to describe and compare the tests aimed at making a diagnosis of post‐gastric bypass hypoglycaemia and to provide a diagnostic approach based upon the available evidence. A search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane and Embase. A few questionnaires have been developed to measure the severity of symptoms in post‐gastric bypass hypoglycaemia but none has been validated. The gold standard for provocation of a hypoglycaemic event is the oral glucose tolerance test or the liquid mixed meal tolerance test. Both show a high prevalence of hypoglycaemia in post‐gastric bypass patients with and without hypoglycaemic complaints as well as in healthy volunteers. No uniformly established cut‐off values for glucose concentrations are defined in the literature for the diagnosis of post‐gastric bypass hypoglycaemia. For establishing an accurate diagnosis of post‐gastric bypass hypoglycaemia, a validated questionnaire, in connection with the diagnostic performance of provocation tests, is the most important thing missing. Given these shortcomings, we provide recommendations based upon the current literature.