bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Calm Temperament Improves Reproductive Performance of Beef Cows
Authors: Kasimanickam R , Asay M , Schroeder S , Kasimanickam V , Gay JM , Kastelic JP , Hall JB , Whittier WD 
Published: October 2014

ContentsProfitability of a beef operation is determined by the proportion of cows attaining pregnancy early in the breeding season and those that are pregnant at the end of breeding season. Many factors, including temperament, contribute to those reproductive parameters. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of temperament on reproductive performance of beef cows. In Experiment 1, Angus and Angus‐cross beef cows (n = 1546) from eight locations were assigned a body condition score (BCS; 1 = emaciated; 9 = obese) and chute exit and gait score (1 = slow exit, walk; calm temperament; 2 = jump, trot or run; excitable temperament). Cows were grouped with bulls (1 : 25 to 1 : 30; with satisfactory breeding potential and free of venereal disease) for an 85‐day breeding season. Pregnancy status and stage of gestation were determined (transrectal palpation) 35 days after the end of the breeding season. Controlling for BCS (p < 0.01) and handling facility (p < 0.0001) and handling facility by temperament score interaction (p < 0.001), breeding season pregnancy rate was lower in excited versus calm cows [88.6% (798/901) vs 94.1% (607/645); p < 0.001]. Cows with an excitable temperament took 24 more days to become pregnant compared to calm cows (median days to pregnancy, 35 vs 59 days; p < 0.0001). In Experiment 2, Angus and Angus‐cross beef cows (n = 1407) from 8 locations were assigned scores for body condition and chute exit and gait (as described in Experiment 1) and assigned to bulls (breeding sound and free of venereal disease; 1 : 25 to 1 : 30) for 85 days. Pregnancy status was determined by transrectal palpation at 2 and 6 months after the onset of the breeding season. Controlling for BCS (p < 0.05), pregnancy loss was higher in excited versus calm cows [5.5% (36/651) vs 3.2% (20/623), p < 0.0001]. In conclusion, beef cows with an excitable temperament had significantly lower reproductive performance than calmer cows. The modified two‐point chute exit–gait scoring method was repeatable and identified cattle with an excitable temperament.
Productivity Growth of the Nontradable Sectors in China
Authors: He Dong , Zhang Wenlang , Han Gaofeng , Wu Tommy 
Published: October 2014

AbstractLittle is known about the total factor productivity of the nontradable sectors in China. In this paper we estimate productivity growth of the nontradable sectors by studying the relative price movements of the nontradable sectors vis‐à‐vis the tradable sectors, i.e. changes in the internal real exchange rate. We find that prices of the nontradable sectors have risen significantly faster than those of the tradable sectors since China's accession to the WTO, and as a result China's internal real exchange rate has appreciated faster than the renminbi real effective exchange rate. We also find that the nontradable sectors have seen much lower productivity growth than the tradable sectors. We argue that it is important to raise China's productivity growth in the nontradable sectors through policy actions to achieve growth rebalancing and containing inflationary pressures in the medium run.
A J‐function for Inhomogeneous Spatio‐temporal Point Processes
Authors: Cronie O. , Van Lieshout M. N. M. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractWe propose a new summary statistic for inhomogeneous intensity‐reweighted moment stationarity spatio‐temporal point processes. The statistic is defined in terms of the n‐point correlation functions of the point process, and it generalizes the J‐function when stationarity is assumed. We show that our statistic can be represented in terms of the generating functional and that it is related to the spatio‐temporal K‐function. We further discuss its explicit form under some specific model assumptions and derive ratio‐unbiased estimators. We finally illustrate the use of our statistic in practice. © 2014 Board of the Foundation of the Scandinavian Journal of Statistics
Navigating the Road to College: Race and Class Variation in the College Application Process
Authors: Holland Megan M. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractCollege attendance brings significant financial gain in lifetime earnings, and in order to reap those benefits more students are attending college than ever before. At the same time as more students have been applying to college, the application process itself has changed dramatically in the last few decades. As the last hurdle on the road to college, the application process is a critical step in the overall college‐choice process. However, until recently much of the research on college choice gave little attention to the actual steps of college application and did not always attend to variations by race and class. Considering the increasing importance of a college education and the consistent inequalities by race and class in who attends college, research examining how social background affects the ways in which students navigate the college application process is crucial. This review examines what we do know about race and class variation in college application, drawing from literature across sociology, economics, and higher education. This review addresses three questions: how does the admissions and application process affect race and class inequalities in college attendance? How have scholars modeled this process and do these models capture the experiences of students across race and class? And finally, how do students from different social backgrounds vary in their approach to applying to college?
Random blood glucose may be used to assess long‐term glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a rural African clinical setting
Authors: Rasmussen Jon B. , Nordin Lovisa S. , Rasmussen Niclas S. , Thomsen Jakúp A. , Street Laura A. , Bygbjerg Ib C. , Christensen Dirk L. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate the diagnostic accuracy of random blood glucose (RBG) on good glycaemic control among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in a rural African setting.MethodsCross‐sectional study at St. Francis' Hospital in eastern Zambia. RBG and HbA1c were measured during one clinical review only. Other information obtained was age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, urine albumin–creatinine ratio, duration since diagnosis and medication.ResultsOne hundred and one patients with DM (type 1 DM = 23, type 2 DM = 78) were included. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient revealed a significant correlation between RBG and HbA1c among the patients with type 2 DM (r = 0.73, P < 0.001) but not patients with type 1 DM (r = 0.17, P = 0.44). Furthermore, in a multivariate linear regression model (R2 = 0.71) RBG (per mmol/l increment) (B = 0.28, 95% CI:0.24–0.32, P < 0.001) was significantly associated with HbA1c among the patients with type 2 DM. Based on ROC analysis (AUC = 0.80, SE = 0.05), RBG ≤7.5 mmol/l was determined as the optimal cut‐off value for good glycaemic control (HbA1c <7.0% [53 mmol/mol]) among patients with type 2 DM (sensitivity = 76.7%; specificity = 70.8%; positive predictive value = 62.2%; negative predictive value = 82.9%).ConclusionsRandom blood glucose could possibly be used to assess glycaemic control among patients with type 2 DM in rural settings of sub‐Saharan Africa.
Salinity tolerance in soybean is modulated by natural variation in GmSALT3
Authors: Guan Rongxia , Qu Yue , Guo Yong , Yu Lili , Liu Ying , Jiang Jinghan , Chen Jiangang , Ren Yulong , Liu Guangyu , Tian Lei , Jin Longguo , Liu Zhangxiong , Hong Huilong , Chang Ruzhen , Gilliham Matthew , Qiu Lijuan 
Published: October 2014

SummaryThe identification of genes that improve the salt tolerance of crops is essential for the effective utilization of saline soils for agriculture. Here, we use fine mapping in a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) population derived from the commercial cultivars Tiefeng 8 and 85–140 to identify GmSALT3 (salt tolerance‐associated gene on chromosome 3), a dominant gene associated with limiting the accumulation of sodium ions (Na+) in shoots and a substantial enhancement in salt tolerance in soybean. GmSALT3 encodes a protein from the cation/H+ exchanger family that we localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and which is preferentially expressed in the salt‐tolerant parent Tiefeng 8 within root cells associated with phloem and xylem. We identified in the salt‐sensitive parent, 85–140, a 3.78‐kb copia retrotransposon insertion in exon 3 of Gmsalt3 that truncates the transcript. By sequencing 31 soybean landraces and 22 wild soybean (Glycine soja) a total of nine haplotypes including two salt‐tolerant haplotypes and seven salt‐sensitive haplotypes were identified. By analysing the distribution of haplotypes among 172 Chinese soybean landraces and 57 wild soybean we found that haplotype 1 (H1, found in Tiefeng 8) was strongly associated with salt tolerance and is likely to be the ancestral allele. Alleles H2–H6, H8 and H9, which do not confer salinity tolerance, were acquired more recently. H1, unlike other alleles, has a wide geographical range including saline areas, which indicates it is maintained when required but its potent stress tolerance can be lost during natural selection and domestication. GmSALT3 is a gene associated with salt tolerance with great potential for soybean improvement.
N‐linked glycosylation of AtVSR1 is important for vacuolar protein sorting in Arabidopsis
Authors: Shen Jinbo , Ding Yu , Gao Caiji , Rojo Enrique , Jiang Liwen 
Published: October 2014

SummaryVacuolar sorting receptors (VSRs) in Arabidopsis mediate the sorting of soluble proteins to vacuoles in the secretory pathway. The VSRs are post‐translationally modified by the attachment of N‐glycans, but the functional significance of such a modification remains unknown. Here we have studied the role(s) of glycosylation in the stability, trafficking and vacuolar protein transport of AtVSR1 in Arabidopsis protoplasts. AtVSR1 harbors three complex‐type N‐glycans, which are located in the N‐terminal ‘PA domain’, the central region and the C‐terminal epidermal growth factor repeat domain, respectively. We have demonstrated that: (i) the N‐glycans do not affect the targeting of AtVSR1 to pre‐vacuolar compartments (PVCs) and its vacuolar degradation; and (ii) N‐glycosylation alters the binding affinity of AtVSR1 to cargo proteins and affects the transport of cargo into the vacuole. Hence, N‐glycosylation of AtVSR1 plays a critical role in its function as a VSR in plants.
Lactococcus garvieae Endocarditis on a Prosthetic Biological Aortic Valve
Authors: Tsur A. , Slutzki T. , Flusser D. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractLactococcus garvieae (LG) endocarditis is a rare disease in humans. There are only about 16 reported cases in the world. We report a 76‐year‐old male patient with LG endocarditis. In depth interview with the patient revealed that 2 weeks prior to admission, he had eaten sushi containing raw fish. Unlike many of the other infections reported, which were on a native mitral valve, our patient's vegetation was on a prosthetic aortic valve.
Selection of a Multidrug Resistance Plasmid by Sublethal Levels of Antibiotics and Heavy Metals
Authors: Gullberg Erik , Albrecht Lisa M. , Karlsson Christoffer , Sandegren Linus , Andersson Dan I. 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT

How sublethal levels of antibiotics and heavy metals select for clinically important multidrug resistance plasmids is largely unknown. Carriage of plasmids generally confers substantial fitness costs, implying that for the plasmid-carrying bacteria to be maintained in the population, the plasmid cost needs to be balanced by a selective pressure conferred by, for example, antibiotics or heavy metals. We studied the effects of low levels of antibiotics and heavy metals on the selective maintenance of a 220-kbp extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) plasmid identified in a hospital outbreak of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
and
Escherichia coli
. The concentrations of antibiotics and heavy metals required to maintain plasmid-carrying bacteria, the minimal selective concentrations (MSCs), were in all cases below (almost up to 140-fold) the MIC of the plasmid-free susceptible bacteria. This finding indicates that the very low antibiotic and heavy metal levels found in polluted environments and in treated humans and animals might be sufficiently high to maintain multiresistance plasmids. When resistance genes were moved from the plasmid to the chromosome, the MSC decreased, showing that MSC for a specific resistance conditionally depends on genetic context. This finding suggests that a cost-free resistance could be maintained in a population by an infinitesimally low concentration of antibiotic. By studying the effect of combinations of several compounds, it was observed that for certain combinations of drugs each new compound added lowered the minimal selective concentration of the others. This combination effect could be a significant factor in the selection of multidrug resistance plasmids/bacterial clones in complex multidrug environments.

IMPORTANCE
Antibiotic resistance is in many pathogenic bacteria caused by genes that are carried on large conjugative plasmids. These plasmids typically contain multiple antibiotic resistance genes as well as genes that confer resistance to biocides and heavy metals. In this report, we show that very low concentrations of single antibiotics and heavy metals or combinations of compounds can select for a large plasmid that carries resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, tetracycline, macrolides, trimethoprim, sulfonamide, silver, copper, and arsenic. Our findings suggest that the low levels of antibiotics and heavy metals present in polluted external environments and in treated animals and humans could allow for selection and enrichment of bacteria with multiresistance plasmids and thereby contribute to the emergence, maintenance, and transmission of antibiotic-resistant disease-causing bacteria.
Injuries in men's international ice hockey: a 7-year study of the International Ice Hockey Federation Adult World Championship Tournaments and Olympic Winter Games
Authors: Tuominen Markku , Stuart Michael J , Aubry Mark , Kannus Pekka , Parkkari Jari 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundInformation on ice hockey injuries at the international level is very limited. The aim of the study was to analyse the incidence, type, mechanism and severity of ice hockey injuries in men's international ice hockey tournaments.MethodsAll the injuries in men's International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship tournaments over a 7-year period were analysed using a strict definition of injury, standardised reporting strategies and an injury diagnosis made by a team physician.Results528 injuries were recorded in games resulting in an injury rate of 14.2 per 1000 player-games (52.1/1000 player-game hours). Additionally, 27 injuries occurred during practice. For WC A-pool Tournaments and Olympic Winter Games (OWG) the injury rate was 16.3/1000 player-games (59.6/1000 player-game hours). Body checking, and stick and puck contact caused 60.7% of the injuries. The most common types of injuries were lacerations, sprains, contusions and fractures. A laceration was the most common facial injury and was typically caused by a stick. The knee was the most frequently injured part of the lower body and the shoulder was the most common site of an upper body injury. Arenas with flexible boards and glass reduced the risk of injury by 29% (IRR 0.71, (95% CI 0.56 to 0.91)).ConclusionsThe incidence of injury during international ice hockey competition is relatively high. Arena characteristics, such as flexible boards and glass, appeared to reduce the risk of injury.
Age at diagnosis predicts deterioration in glycaemic control among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Clements Mark A , Lind Marcus , Raman Sripriya , Patton Susana R , Lipska Kasia J , Fridlington Amanda G , Tang Fengming , Jones Phil G , Wu Yue , Spertus John A , Kosiborod Mikhail 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundPoor glycemic control early in the course of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) increases the risk for microvascular complications. However, predictors of deteriorating control after diagnosis have not been described, making it difficult to identify high-risk patients and proactively provide aggressive interventions.ObjectiveWe examined whether diagnostic age, gender, and race were associated with deteriorating glycemic control during the first 5 years after diagnosis.Participants2218 pediatric patients with T1DM.MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal cohort study of pediatric patients with T1DM from the Midwest USA, 1993–2009, evaluating within-patient glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) trajectories constructed from all available HbA1c values within 5 years of diagnosis.Results52.6% of patients were male; 86.1% were non-Hispanic Caucasian. The mean diagnostic age was 9.0±4.1 years. The mean number of HbA1c values/year/participant was 2.4±0.9. HbA1c trajectories differed markedly across age groups, with older patients experiencing greater deterioration than their younger counterparts (p<0.001). HbA1c trajectories, stratified by age, varied markedly by race (p for race×diagnostic age <0.001). Non-Hispanic African-American patients experienced higher initial HbA1c (8.7% vs 7.6% (71.6 vs 59.6 mmol/mol); p<0.001), and greater deterioration in HbA1c than non-Hispanic Caucasian patients across diagnostic ages (rise of 2.04% vs 0.99% per year (22.3 vs 10.8 mmol/mol/year); p<0.0001).ConclusionsOlder diagnostic age and black race are major risk factors for deterioration in glycemic control early in the course of T1DM. These findings can inform efforts to explore the reasons behind these differences and develop preventive interventions for high-risk patients.
A comparison of adverse event and fracture efficacy data for strontium ranelate in regulatory documents and the publication record
Authors: Bolland Mark J , Grey Andrew 
Published: October 2014

ObjectiveRecently, the European Medicines Agency reported that strontium ranelate increases myocardial infarction risk in postmenopausal women, 8.5 years after it was registered for use in osteoporosis. Unreported serious adverse events in clinical trials for other pharmaceuticals have been described in recent years. We assessed reporting of adverse events and fracture efficacy of strontium.MethodsWe compared data on adverse effects (myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism) and fracture efficacy of strontium in publicly available regulatory documents with data in publications retrieved from searching PubMed.ResultsWe identified 5 regulatory documents and 9 primary publications of 7 randomised, placebo-controlled trials of strontium that reported relevant data. We identified several areas of concern in these reports: the increased risk of myocardial infarction with strontium was not identified in a pivotal phase 3 clinical trial despite specific regulatory review of cardiovascular events; data on myocardial infarction were not included in any primary publication; increased risks of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism with strontium were not reported in either of the phase 3 clinical trials; data on venous thromboembolism were reported in only 5 of 9 primary publications, data on pulmonary embolism in only 2 of 9 primary publications, and either was discussed in <50% of subsequent review articles. There were differences in participant numbers, fracture cases and venous thromboembolism cases between regulatory documents and primary publications. Based on all available data from primary publications and regulatory documents, the number of fractures prevented by strontium use is similar to the number of extra cases of venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction caused by strontium use.ConclusionsThe risks of strontium use are similar to the benefits. Full disclosure of the clinical trial data and regulatory documents would allow clinicians and their patients to decide whether use of the drug is worthwhile.
Is changing status through housing tenure associated with changes in mental health? Results from the British Household Panel Survey
Authors: Popham Frank , Williamson Lee , Whitley Elise 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundActual or perceived status, such as housing tenure, may impact on health through stress-inducing social comparisons. Studies of how status change impacts mental health change are rare but important because they are less prone to confounding.MethodsWe used data from the British Household Panel Survey to compare psychological distress in local authority renters who opted to buy their home under the UK's Right to Buy (RTB) policy versus those who continued to rent the same (social non-mover (SNM)) or a different (social mover (SM)) local authority property or who bought privately (owner mover (OM)). General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) scores before and after any change in tenure and/or address were compared across groups using a difference-in-difference approach.ResultsIndividuals who moved house (bought or rented) were younger while those who bought (the same or different house) were better off, more likely to be employed, and had higher educational qualifications. Individuals who bought their home (under RTB or privately) had lower distress scores from the outset. Individuals who moved house (bought or rented) experienced a rise in distress prior to moving that was no longer evident 1 year after the move. There was no evidence that changing tenure reduced psychological distress comparing (difference (95% CI)) average GHQ score 2 years preaddress and 1 year postaddress/tenure change in RTB vs SNM, SM, OM: −0.08 (−0.68 to 0.51), 0.16 (−0.70 to 1.01) and −0.17 (−1.28 to 0.94), respectively).ConclusionsChanging tenure under RTB did not, on average, impact psychological distress, suggesting that this status change did not change mental health.
SCP Phosphatases Suppress Renal Cell Carcinoma by Stabilizing PML and Inhibiting mTOR/HIF Signaling
Authors: Lin Yu-Ching , Lu Li-Ting , Chen Hsin-Yi , Duan Xueyan , Lin Xia , Feng Xin-Hua , Tang Ming-Jer , Chen Ruey-Hwa 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The tumor-suppressor protein promyelocytic leukemia (PML) is aberrantly degraded in multiple types of human cancers through mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Here, we show that the phosphatase SCP1 and its isoforms SCP2/3 dephosphorylate PML at S518, thereby blocking PML ubiquitination and degradation mediated by the prolyl isomerase Pin1 and the ubiquitin ligase KLHL20. Clinically, SCP1 and SCP3 are downregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and these events correlated with PMLS518 phosphorylation, PML turnover, and high-grade tumors. Restoring SCP1-mediated PML stabilization not only inhibited malignant features of ccRCC, including proliferation, migration, invasion, tumor growth, and tumor angiogenesis, but also suppressed the mTOR–HIF pathway. Furthermore, blocking PML degradation in ccRCC by SCP1 overexpression or Pin1 inhibition enhanced the tumor-suppressive effects of the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus. Taken together, our results define a novel pathway of PML degradation in ccRCC that involves SCP downregulation, revealing contributions of this pathway to ccRCC progression and offering a mechanistic rationale for combination therapies that jointly target PML degradation and mTOR inhibition for ccRCC treatment. Cancer Res; 74(23); 6935–46. ©2014 AACR.