bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Selection on bristle length has the ability to drive the evolution of male abdominal appendages in the sepsid fly Themira biloba
Authors: Herath B. , Dochtermann N. A. , Johnson J. I. , Leonard Z. , Bowsher J. H. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractMany exaggerated and novel traits are strongly influenced by sexual selection. Although sexual selection is a powerful evolutionary force, underlying genetic interactions can constrain evolutionary outcomes. The relative strength of selection vs. constraint has been a matter of debate for the evolution of male abdominal appendages in sepsid flies. These abdominal appendages are involved in courtship and mating, but their function has not been directly tested. We performed mate choice experiments to determine whether sexual selection acts on abdominal appendages in the sepsid Themira biloba. We tested whether appendage bristle length influenced successful insemination by surgically trimming the bristles. Females paired with males that had shortened bristles laid only unfertilized eggs, indicating that long bristles are necessary for successful insemination. We also tested whether the evolution of bristle length was constrained by phenotypic correlations with other traits. Analyses of phenotypic covariation indicated that bristle length was highly correlated with other abdominal appendage traits, but was not correlated with abdominal sternite size. Thus, abdominal appendages are not exaggerated traits like many sexual ornaments, but vary independently from body size. At the same time, strong correlations between bristle length and appendage length suggest that selection on bristle length is likely to result in a correlated increase in appendage length. Bristle length is under sexual selection in T. biloba and has the potential to evolve independently from abdomen size.
Automixis in Artemia: solving a century‐old controversy
Authors: Nougué O. , Rode N. O. , Jabbour‐zahab R. , Ségard A. , Chevin L.‐M. , Haag C. R. , Lenormand T. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractParthenogenesis (reproduction through unfertilized eggs) encompasses a variety of reproduction modes with (automixis) or without (apomixis) meiosis. Different modes of automixis have very different genetic and evolutionary consequences but can be particularly difficult to tease apart. In this study, we propose a new method to discriminate different types of automixis from population‐level genetic data. We apply this method to diploid Artemia parthenogenetica, a crustacean whose reproductive mode remains controversial despite a century of intensive cytogenetic observations. We focus on A. parthenogenetica from two western Mediterranean populations. We show that they are diploid and that markers remain heterozygous in cultures maintained up to ~36 generations in the laboratory. Moreover, parallel patterns of population‐wide heterozygosity levels between the two natural populations strongly support the conclusion that diploid A. parthenogenetica reproduce by automictic parthenogenesis with central fusion and low, but nonzero recombination. This settles a century‐old controversy on Artemia, and, more generally, suggests that many automictic organisms harbour steep within‐chromosome gradients of heterozygosity due to a transition from clonal transmission in centromere‐proximal regions to a form of inbreeding similar to self‐fertilization in centromere‐distal regions. Such systems therefore offer a new avenue for contrasting the genomic consequences of asexuality and inbreeding.
Radial artery blood gas sampling: a randomized controlled trial of lidocaine local anesthesia
Authors: Wade Ryckie G. , Crawfurd Jim , Wade Donna , Holland Richard 
Published: September 2015

AbstractBackgroundRadial artery puncture is a common procedure and yet the role of local anesthesia for reducing the pain of this procedure continues to be debated. Clinical practice is variable and there is potential for substantial financial savings. This is the first randomized trial to investigate the effectiveness of subcutaneously injected lidocaine anesthesia on the perceived pain of radial artery puncture and the financial impact.MethodsBetween December 2012 and April 2013, 43 patients in the Emergency Department were randomized into the intervention group to receive lidocaine 1% 1 mL subcutaneously or the control group (to receive no local anesthesia) prior to radial artery puncture for blood gas sampling. Pain was rated on a 10 cm visual analogue scale and procedural variables collected for between group analyses.ResultsOverall, 41 participants were included. Subcutaneously injected lidocaine anesthesia did not reduce the median pain of radial artery puncture (control 1.8 vs. intervention 1.6 cm, P = 0.938). Those patients who had other systemically acting analgesia appeared to report reduced pain for radial artery puncture (0.60 vs. 2.30 cm, P = 0.105) as did those where a smaller 25‐gauge needle was used compared to the standard 22‐gauge (1.40 vs. 4.35 cm, P = 0.150), although these were not statistically significant. Anxious patients and those requesting local anesthesia experienced relatively higher levels of pain.ConclusionLocal anesthesia did not reduce the perceived pain of radial artery puncture.
BANK COMPETITION AND FINANCIAL STABILITY: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?
Authors: Zigraiova Diana , Havranek Tomas 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe theoretical literature gives conflicting predictions on how bank competition should affect financial stability, and dozens of researchers have attempted to evaluate the relationship empirically. We collect 598 estimates of the competition‐stability nexus reported in 31 studies and analyse the literature using meta‐analysis methods. We control for 35 aspects of study design and employ Bayesian model averaging to tackle the resulting model uncertainty. Our findings suggest that the definition of financial stability and bank competition used by researchers influences their results in a systematic way. The choice of data, estimation methodology, and control variables also affects the reported coefficient. We find evidence for moderate publication bias. Taken together, the estimates reported in the literature suggest little interplay between competition and stability, even when corrected for publication bias and potential misspecifications.
Grazoprevir plus peginterferon and ribavirin in treatment‐naive patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection: a randomized trial
Authors: Lagging M. , Brown A. , Mantry P. S. , Ramji A. , Weilert F. , Vierling J. M. , Howe A. , Gendrano I. N. , Hwang P. , Zhang B. , Wahl J. , Robertson M. , Mobashery N. 
Published: September 2015

SummaryGrazoprevir (MK‐5172, Merck & Co., Inc.) is a selective inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4a protease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of grazoprevir at doses of 25–100 mg/day in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin (PEG‐IFN/RBV). In this randomized, dose‐ranging, multicentre trial, treatment‐naive adults with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection received once‐daily grazoprevir 25 mg, 50 mg or 100 mg plus PEG‐IFN/RBV for 12 weeks. Patients with quantifiable HCV RNA (≥25 IU/mL) at week 4 received an additional 12 weeks of PEG‐IFN/RBV. The primary endpoint was sustained virologic response (HCV RNA <25 IU/mL 12 weeks after completing therapy [SVR12]). Eighty‐seven patients were randomly assigned and received ≥1 dose of therapy. Median time to undetectable HCV RNA was 16 days in the 100‐mg arm and 22 days in the 25‐ and 50‐mg arms. All patients except one had HCV RNA undetectable or unquantifiable at week 4 and received 12 weeks of therapy. SVR12 was achieved by 13 of 24 (54.2%), 21 of 25 (84.0%) and 23 of 26 (88.5%) patients in the 25‐, 50‐ and 100‐mg arms, respectively (per‐protocol analysis). Three patients discontinued as a result of nonserious adverse events (AEs) and three patients experienced serious AEs. Transaminase elevations occurred in two patients (one each in the 25‐ and 100‐mg arms). Conclusion: These data support further study of the grazoprevir 100‐mg dose. Phase 3 studies of grazoprevir 100 mg in combination with elbasvir are currently ongoing (NCT01710501; protocol P038).
Interdisciplinary collaboration in the use of a music‐with‐movement intervention to promote the wellbeing of people with dementia and their families: Development of an evidence‐based intervention protocol
Authors: Lai Claudia K. Y. , Lai Daniel L. L. , Ho Jacqueline S. C. , Wong Kitty K. Y. , Cheung Daphne S. K. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe music‐with‐movement intervention is particularly suitable for people with dementia because their gross motor ability is preserved until the later stage of dementia. This study examines the effect of music‐with‐movement on reducing anxiety, sleep disturbances, and improving the wellbeing of people with dementia. This paper reports the first stage of the study – developing the intervention protocol that staff can use to teach family caregivers. A registered music therapist developed a music‐with‐movement protocol and taught staff of two social service centers over five weekly 1.5 h sessions, with center‐in‐charges (social workers and occupational therapists) and our research team joining these sessions to provide comments from their professional perspective. Each discipline had different expectations about the content; therefore, numerous meetings and discussions were held to bridge these differences and fine‐tune the protocol. Few healthcare professionals doubt the merits of interdisciplinary collaboration at all levels of health promotion. In practice, interdisciplinary collaboration is complex and requires commitment. Openness and persistence is required from all stakeholders to achieve a successful intervention for consumers.
Can a sustainability and health scenario provide a realistic challenge to student nurses and provoke changes in practice? An evaluation of a training intervention
Authors: Grose J. , Richardson J. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractClimate change and limited natural resources will impact on the sustainable supply and disposal of materials used in health care. Healthcare students need opportunities to reflect on the ecological footprint of health services to mitigate against negative effects on service delivery. In order to raise awareness of these issues, there is a need for evidence‐based teaching tools which are relevant and meaningful to nursing practice. An evidence‐based sustainability skills teaching session was delivered to 293 nursing students from child and adult health disciplines. Following the sessions, evaluation sheets were distributed to the participants, of which 290 responded. The majority of nurses valued both the delivery and the content of the training and some were motivated to complete further study. The evaluation provided valuable information on how to deliver sustainability education and important insights into where more information and support was needed in order to change practice. Embedding sustainability teaching in skill sessions appears to be a realistic way of informing and motivating learners to consider current and best practice. Following training, further evaluation of practice‐based behaviour is needed.
Brain abscess in hepatopulmonary syndrome associated with biliary atresia
Authors: Morita Keiichi , Fukuzawa Hiroaki , Maeda Kosaku 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe first‐choice therapy for biliary atresia (BA) is Kasai hepatoportoenterostomy, which has been shown to greatly improve outcome. Various long‐term complications, however, such as portal hypertension and hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), can occur in patients with native liver. A rare case of brain abscess in an 11‐year‐old girl with HPS associated with BA is reported. The patient underwent hepatoportoenterostomy for BA at 53 days of age, with resolution of hyperbilirubinemia. At 10 years of age, she was diagnosed with severe HPS with right‐to‐left shunting, and preparations for liver transplantation proceeded. Three months after the diagnosis, she had a right parietal brain abscess. Given that the brain abscess enlarged in size, surgical drainage of the brain abscess was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, but a slight left hemiplegia remained at discharge. The presumed mechanism of abscess formation in HPS may be right‐to‐left bacterial transit through intrapulmonary vascular dilatations and/or arteriovenous fistulae.
Fatal Kawasaki disease with incomplete criteria: Correlation between optical coherence tomography and pathology
Authors: Dionne Audrey , Kokta Victor , Chami Rose , Morissette Geneviève , Dahdah Nagib 
Published: September 2015

AbstractCoronary artery aneurysm is a serious complication of Kawasaki disease (KD). A 3‐month‐old infant presented with severe KD 27 days after onset of fever. The patient presented with shock, inferolateral ischemia on electrocardiogram and high troponin. Echocardiography showed severe myocardial dysfunction with diffuse coronary dilation and right coronary artery aneurysm. Arterial Doppler demonstrated thrombosis of aneurysmal axillary and iliac arteries. Withdrawal of support was implemented due to multi‐organ failure. Post‐mortem optical coherence tomography correlated with pathology. The pulmonary artery was normal on OCT and histology. Coronary arteries showed aneurysmal dilatation, with intimal hyperplasia and preserved media on OCT. Pathology confirmed these findings, with destruction of the internal elastic lamina, luminal myofibroblastic proliferation, neovascularization, and partial disappearance of the media. This is the first report of pathologic correlation in KD with OCT at the subacute stage, which adequately identified structural wall changes.
Review of combined liver and kidney transplantation in children
Authors: Ganschow Rainer , Hoppe Bernd 
Published: September 2015

AbstractIn this review, we focused on CLKT with regard to indication, results, outcome, and future developments. PH1 is one of the most common diagnoses for adult and pediatric patients qualifying for CLKT. The other major indication for combined transplantation is ARPKD. CLKT appears to be superior to sequential liver and kidney transplantation in the majority of patients and overall results following CLKT are now good, even in small children. Clinical observations suggest that there is an immunological advantage of CLKT in comparison with isolated liver or kidney transplantation. More clinical studies are necessary to identify the best candidates for CLKT while the availability of donor organs is low.
The Evaluation of a Regional Faith Community Network's Million Hearts Program
Authors: Cooper Jennifer , Zimmerman Wendy 
Published: September 2015

AbstractObjectiveThe goal of the Million Hearts initiative is to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Maryland was one state in the Association of State and Territorial Health Official's Million Hearts State Learning Collaborative. Washington County, Maryland formed a collaboration between the County Health Department, Meritus Health System, and the Meritus Health Parish Nurse Coordinator to address hypertension in the county.Program Plan and ImplementationWithin a regional network of 52 faith communities, the Parish Nurse Coordinator recruited 25 faith community nurses to participate in a three‐month program. Nurses were trained on proper blood pressure measurement and 22 nurses identified 58 participants engaged in blood pressure self‐monitoring and coaching for lifestyle changes. Additionally, nurses took 1,729 blood pressures and provided health education to individuals within their congregations.Program EvaluationFifty‐one participants participated in blood pressure self‐monitoring and lifestyle coaching with faith community nurses. There was improvement in six out of seven lifestyle areas. Eight‐two percent of participants (N = 42) decreased their systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure over three months.ConclusionCoaching provided by faith community nurses can create an environment of sustained support to promote improved lifestyle and blood pressure changes over time.
A new standardized clinical‐grade protocol for banking human umbilical cord tissue cells
Authors: Fazzina Raffaella , Mariotti Andrea , Procoli Annabella , Fioravanti Daniela , Iudicone Paola , Scambia Giovanni , Pierelli Luca , Bonanno Giuseppina 
Published: September 2015

BACKGROUNDMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from human umbilical cord tissue (UCT) can be considered the perfect candidates for cell‐based therapies and regenerative medicine. UCT‐derived MSCs can be cryogenically stored in cell banks and expanded as needed for therapeutic uses.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe developed a new method for UCT‐MSC isolation, cryopreservation, and expansion, following all criteria required by a stem cell bank. UCT‐MSCs were isolated either by manual dissociation (MM) or by a semiautomatic dissociation system (SAM). In both protocols UCTs were treated enzymatically using Type IV collagenase good manufacturing practices (GMP) graded and hyaluronidase (medicinal product). Isolated UCT‐MSCs were cryopreserved and analyzed after thawing for phenotype; for proliferation rate; and for their osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation capabilities.RESULTSWe found that SAM reduced the time of tissue enzyme exposure and enabled us to obtain a homogeneous single‐cell suspension deprived of tissue fragments. The isolated cells in both groups showed high expression of MSC markers CD105, CD73, and CD90 and similar differentiation capabilities, phenotype, and proliferation potential. Moreover, the final yield of MSCs was comparable between the two techniques.CONCLUSIONIn this study, we have established a reliable and standardized protocol to isolate UCT‐MSCs from UCT for cell banking purposes. Processing the whole umbilical tissue with GMP‐graded enzymes using a semiautomatic dissociator allowed us to obtain a single‐cell suspension product with a known number of isolated cells that can be cryopreserved right after isolation and thawed as needed for expansion and clinical use.
Infection with Toxin A-Negative, Toxin B-Negative, Binary Toxin-Positive Clostridium difficile in a Young Patient with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Androga Grace O. , Hart Julie , Foster Niki F. , Charles Adrian , Forbes David , Riley Thomas V. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Large clostridial toxin-negative, binary toxin-positive (A
−
B
−
CDT
+
) strains of
Clostridium difficile
are almost never associated with clinically significant
C. difficile
infection (CDI), possibly because such strains are not detected by most diagnostic methods. We report the isolation of an A
−
B
−
CDT
+
ribotype 033 (RT033) strain of
C. difficile
from a young patient with ulcerative colitis and severe diarrhea.
Mutational Disruption of
cis
-Acting Replication Element 2C in Coxsackievirus B3 Leads to 5′-Terminal Genomic Deletions
Authors: Smithee S. , Tracy S. , Chapman N. M. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Following natural human or experimental murine infections and in cell culture, coxsackievirus B (CVB) RNA can persist for weeks in the absence of a cytopathic effect, yet viral RNA remains detectable. Our earlier studies demonstrated that this persistence produced viral RNA with up to 49 nucleotide deletions at the genomic 5′ terminus which partially degraded the cloverleaf (or domain I), an RNA structure required for efficient viral replication. A
cis
-acting replication element (CRE) in the 2C protein-coding region [CRE(2C)] templates the addition of two uridine residues to the virus genome-encoded RNA replication primer VPg prior to positive-strand synthesis. Because our previous work also demonstrated that the genomes of CVB with a 5′-terminal deletion (CVB-TD) have VPg covalently linked, even though they rarely terminate in the canonical UU donated by CRE(2C)-mediated uridylylation of VPg, we hypothesized that a functional (uridylylating) CRE(2C) would be unnecessary for CVB-TD replication. Using the same 16 mutations in the CVB3 CRE(2C) structure that were considered lethal for this virus by others, we demonstrate here both in infected cell cultures and in mice that wild-type (wt) and CVB3-TD strains carrying these mutations with a nonuridylylating CRE(2C) are viable. While the wt genome with the mutated CRE(2C) displays suppressed replication levels similar to those observed in a CVB3-TD strain, mutation of the CRE(2C) function in a CVB3-TD strain does not further decrease replication. Finally, we show that replication of the parental CVB3 strain containing the mutated CRE(2C) drives the
de novo
generation of genomic deletions at the 5′ terminus.

IMPORTANCE
In this report, we demonstrate that while CVB can replicate without a uridylylating CRE(2C), the replication rate suffers significantly. Further, deletions at the 5′ terminus of the genome are generated in this virus population, with this virus population supplanting the wild-type population. This demonstrates that VPg can prime without being specifically uridylylated and that this priming is error prone, resulting in the loss of sequence information from the 5′ terminus. These findings have significance when considering the replication of human enteroviruses, and we believe that these data are unattainable in a cell-free system due to the poor replication of these CRE-deficient viruses.
Regulation of PACT-Mediated Protein Kinase Activation by the OV20.0 Protein of Orf Virus
Authors: Tseng Yeu-Yang , Liao Guan-Ru , Sen Ganes C. , Lin Fong-Yuan , Hsu Wei-Li 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase (PKR), a major component of the cellular antiviral system, is activated by the binding of either dsRNA or the cellular PKR activator, the PACT protein. The suppression of PKR activation is one of the main strategies that viruses employ to circumvent interferon signaling. Orf virus (ORFV), a parapoxvirus from the
Poxviridae
family, causes contagious pustular dermatitis in small ruminants. Previous studies have demonstrated that various OV20.0 isoforms, encoded by the OV20.0L gene, are able to inhibit PKR activation both by sequestering dsRNA and by physically interacting with PKR
in vitro
. Thus, this gene acts as a virulence factor of ORFV when tested using a mouse infection model. In the present study, the regions within OV20.0 that interact with dsRNA and with PKR have been mapped. Furthermore, this study demonstrates for the first time that OV20.0 is also able to interact with the dsRNA binding domain of PACT and that the presence of dsRNA strengthened the interaction of these two molecules. The presence of OV20.0 diminishes PKR phosphorylation when this is stimulated by PACT. Nevertheless, the association of OV20.0 with PKR, rather than with PACT, was found to be essential for reducing PACT-mediated PKR phosphorylation. These observations elucidate a new strategy whereby innate immunity can be evaded by ORFV.

IMPORTANCE
Our previous study indicated that ORFV's two OV20.0 isoforms act as a PKR antagonist via sequestering the PKR activator, dsRNA, and by interacting with PKR, leading to an inhibition of PKR activation (Y. Y. Tseng, F. Y. Lin, S. F. Cheng, D. Tscharke, S. Chulakasian, C. C. Chou, Y. F. Liu, W. S. Chang, M. L. Wong, and W. L. Hsu, J Virol
89:
4966–4979, 2015, doi:10.1128/JVI.03714-14). In the current study, the possible mechanisms by which OV20.0 protein counteracts PKR activation were studied in depth. OV20.0 is able to bind PKR and its two activators, dsRNA and PACT. In addition, OV20.0 binds directly to the RNA binding domains (RBDs) of PKR, and this interaction does not require dsRNA. Moreover, OV20.0 interacts with or occupies the RBD2 and the kinase domain of PKR, which then prevents PACT binding to PKR. Finally, OV20.0 associates with PACT via the RBDs, which may reduce the ability of PACT to induce PKR activation. The findings in this study provide new concepts in relation to how ORFV modulates PKR activation.