bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Malignant cell‐derived extracellular vesicles express different chromogranin epitopes compared to prostasomes
Authors: Dubois Louise , Stridsberg Mats , Kharaziha Pedram , Chioureas Dimitris , Meersman Niels , Panaretakis Theocharis , Ronquist K. Göran 
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUNDProstasomes are nanosized extracellular vesicles exocytosed by prostate epithelial cells. They have been assigned many roles propitious to sperm in favor of fertilization. Prostatic cancer cells can also produce and secrete extracellular vesicles.METHODSWe assessed using ELISA, the surface expression of chromogranin proproteins on prostasomes and malignant extracellular vesicles of four different prostate cancer cell‐lines, two hormone sensitive and two hormone refractory. We used a panel of chromogranin A and chromogranin B antibodies against peptides in‐between hypothetical cleavage sites along the proproteins.RESULTSA diverging pattern of chromogranin peptides was apparent when comparing prostasomes and malignant extracellular vesicles indicating a phenotypical change. We also compared western blot patterns (prostasomes and malignant extracellular vesicles) for selected antibodies that displayed high absorbances in the ELISA. Western blot analyses revealed various cleavage patterns of those proproteins that were analyzed in prostasomes and extracellular vesicles.CONCLUSIONChromogranins are constituents of not only prostasomes but also of malignant prostate cell‐derived extracellular vesicles with different amino acid sequences exposed at the membrane surface giving rise to a mosaic pattern. These findings may be of relevance for designing new assays for detection or even possible treatment of prostate cancers. Prostate 75:1063–1073, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparing telemetry and fecal dna sampling methods to quantify survival and dispersal of juvenile pygmy rabbits
Authors: Demay Stephanie M. , Rachlow Janet L. , Waits Lisette P. , Becker Penny A. 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTAge‐specific life‐history data are needed to understand animal ecology and inform conservation strategies. We compared telemetry and noninvasive genetic sampling (NGS) as methods for monitoring survival and dispersal of juvenile pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) reintroduced to central Washington, USA. During summer 2012, we released 104 juvenile rabbits, 85 of which were fitted with glue‐on radiotransmitters and located 2–4 times/week while transmitters were retained ( = 15 days). We tracked and recovered 63 transmitters, while signals were lost from 22. Most rabbits remained near the release site, with 9 dispersing > 1 km, and only 2 moving >3 km. During winter, we surveyed nearly 9 km2 around the release site and collected 117 fecal samples for genetic analysis. Forty‐two individuals were identified, 38 from the summer releases (37% survival) and 4 born in the wild from parents released in 2011. Using NGS, we identified rabbits 1) released without transmitters, 2) with undetected transmitter signals, 3) presumed dead, and 4) produced in the wild. Short‐term dispersal behavior was best gathered with telemetry, but information was limited, and we were unable to estimate survival probabilities because of the short duration of transmitter retention. The information on dispersal, survival, and reproduction provided by NGS allowed us to evaluate longer term reintroduction success, but was limited by the area we were able to search. We compare the results, costs, benefits, and limitations of each method for addressing specific monitoring objectives. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Avian abundance and reproductive success in the intermountain west: Local‐scale response to the conservation reserve program
Authors: Haegen W. Matthew Vander , Schroeder Michael A. , Chang Wan‐Ying , Knapp Shannon M. 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTConversion of extensive shrubsteppe communities to cropland has greatly reduced the habitat available to grassland‐ and sagebrush‐obligate birds in the Intermountain West of the United States. In Washington State, approximately 600,000 ha of converted farmland have been planted to perennial grasses, forbs, and shrubs under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), currently the largest‐scale effort creating perennial grassland habitat in this region. From 2003 to 2005 we sampled breeding birds and vegetation characteristics on 48 study sites in CRP and in native shrubsteppe. We used generalized linear models to examine characteristics associated with avian abundance and reproductive success. Abundance of shrubland and grassland birds was more closely associated with site vegetation than either management (planting of native vs. exotic grasses) or landscape factors, with cover of shrubs the dominant variable both for shrubland (positive effect) and for grassland (negative effect) birds. Daily survival rate of 1,377 nests in CRP was equal to or greater than that for nests in shrubsteppe and was similar for CRP planted with native versus exotic grasses. Seasonal reproductive success (young/breeding pair) of 2 focal species—Brewer's sparrow (Spizella breweri; n = 81pairs) and Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis; n = 58)—also was similar between CRP and native shrubsteppe. The CRP has the potential to significantly increase habitat available to shrubland and grassland birds in the Intermountain West and to increase local populations. Because shrubs take significantly longer than herbaceous plants to achieve a size beneficial to birds, CRP grasslands with a well‐developed sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) component should be viewed as a long‐term investment. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
The role of the microbiota in ageing: current state and perspectives
Authors: Lynch Denise B. , Jeffery Ian B. , O'Toole Paul W. 
Published: March 2015

Since the application of high‐throughput technologies to investigate complex microbial communities, alterations in the human gut microbiota have been associated with an increasing number of diseases and conditions. This field of research has developed into an area of intense study which is quite different to the microbial investigations that have preceded it in terms of both the broadness of the area of research and the complexity of the analyses. In this review, we discuss gut microbiota changes observed in ageing in the context of the physiological changes that accompany senescence, examine what correlations can be established or inferred, and we discuss what key questions remain to be answered in the field. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2015, 7:131–138. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1293This article is categorized under:

Developmental Biology > Developmental Processes in Health and Disease
Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease
Mixed Picture of Readiness for Adoption of Evidence‐Based Prevention Programs in Communities: Exploratory Surveys of State Program Delivery Systems
Authors: Spoth Richard , Schainker Lisa M. , Redmond Cleve , Ralston Ekaterina , Yeh Hsiu-Chen , Perkins Daniel F. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAn emerging literature highlights the potential for broader dissemination of evidence‐based prevention programs in communities through existing state systems, such as the land grant university Extension outreach system and departments of public education and health (DOE–DPH). This exploratory study entailed surveying representatives of the national Extension system and DOE–DPH, to evaluate dissemination readiness factors, as part of a larger project on an evidence‐based program delivery model called PROSPER. In addition to assessing systems’ readiness factors, differences among US regions and comparative levels of readiness between state systems were evaluated. The Extension web‐based survey sample N was 958 and the DOE–DPH telephone survey N was 338, with response rates of 23 and 79 %, respectively. Extension survey results suggested only a moderate level of overall readiness nationally, with relatively higher perceived need for collaborative efforts and relatively lower perceived resource availability. There were significant regional differences on all factors, generally favoring the Northeast. Results from DOE–DPH surveys showed significantly higher levels for all readiness factors, compared with Extension systems. Overall, the findings present a mixed picture. Although there were clear challenges related to measuring readiness in complex systems, addressing currently limited dissemination resources, and devising strategies for optimizing readiness, all systems showed some readiness‐related strengths.
Roasted Sunflower Kernel Paste (Tahini) Stability: Storage Conditions and Particle Size Influence
Authors: Mureşan Vlad , Danthine Sabine , Bolboacă Sorana D. , Racolţa Emil , Muste Sevastiţa , Socaciu Carmen , Blecker Christophe 
Published: March 2015

AbstractSunflower tahini faces quality problems due to the tendency of oil to exudate, causing accelerated rancidity and low marketability. In this study, the colloidal and oxidative stability of different trimodal particle size distributions of sunflower tahini (cumulative volume percentages of small, middle and large class populations of 9.61–16.67, 43.03–55.03 and 47.36–28.3) was evaluated during storage at three different temperatures. Decreasing sample particle size decreased the sunflower tahini colloidal stability. The coarsest prototype, being the most stable tahini in terms of oil separation, was included in the oxidative stability storage test together with a commercial tahini. The peroxide values of the studied sunflower tahini samples increased significantly (p < 0.05) with storage time, irrespective of storage temperature, while the p‐anisidine values showed an irregular pattern. Considering 30‐meq O2/kg as a PV limit, the commercial tahini showed good oxidative stability as it was under this when stored 3 months at 4 °C, 2 months at room temperature and 1 month at 40 °C. The coarsest tahini sample was under the limit when stored 2 months at 4 °C, 1 month at room temperature and 2 weeks at 40 °C. Particle size was shown to be an essential parameter for controlling sunflower tahini's overall stability.
Redistribution of Emergency Department Patients After Disaster-Related Closures of a Public Versus Private Hospital in New York City
Authors: Lee David C. , Smith Silas W. , Carr Brendan G. , Goldfrank Lewis R. , Polsky Daniel 
Published: March 2015

AbstractSudden hospital closures displace patients from usual sources of care and force them to access facilities that lack their prior medical records. For patients with complex needs and for nearby hospitals already strained by high volume, disaster-related hospital closures induce a public health emergency. Our objective was to analyze responses of patients from public versus private emergency departments after closure of their usual hospital after Hurricane Sandy. Using a statewide database of emergency visits, we followed patients with an established pattern of accessing 1 of 2 hospitals that closed after Hurricane Sandy: Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center. We determined how these patients redistributed for emergency care after the storm. We found that proximity strongly predicted patient redistribution to nearby open hospitals. However, for patients from the closed public hospital, this redistribution was also influenced by hospital ownership, because patients redistributed to other public hospitals at rates higher than expected by proximity alone. This differential response to hospital closures demonstrates significant differences in how public and private patients respond to changes in health care access during disasters. Public health response must consider these differences to meet the needs of all patients affected by disasters and other public health emergencies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:256-264).
The Limits of Serial Surveillance Cultures in Predicting Clearance of Colonization with Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Lewis Jessica D. , Enfield Kyle B. , Mathers Amy J. , Giannetta Eve T. , Sifri Costi D. 
Published: March 2015

An accepted practice for patients colonized with multidrug-resistant organisms is to discontinue contact precautions following 3 consecutive negative surveillance cultures. Our experience with surveillance cultures to detect persistent carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) colonization suggests that extrapolation of this practice to CPE-colonized patients may not be appropriate.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;36(7):835–837
Can the same species of Platynosomum (Trematoda: Dicrocoeliidae) infect both mammalian and avian hosts?
Authors: Pinto H.A. , Mati V.L.T. , Melo A.L. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe importance of platynosomiasis has increased in feline veterinary practice, but aspects related to the specificity of Platynosomum spp. in definitive hosts requires further study. Although morphological traits suggest that the same species, P. illiciens, may infect both birds and mammals, the synonymies previously proposed have not been widely accepted, likely because host specificity is assumed. In addition, the name P. fastosum has frequently been used for parasites recovered from mammals. In the present study, metacercariae (n= 100/animal) of P. illiciens recovered from lizards (Hemidactylus mabouia) in Brazil were fed to Australian parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus) and mice. Two parasites were recovered from the liver of one M. undulatus specimen during a necropsy that was performed 105 days after infection, and all mice were found to be infected with 37 ± 12 (18–48) parasites. The morphology of the P. illiciens obtained from the parakeet was similar to that of parasites obtained from mice and those described previously from naturally infected birds and mammals. Non-specificity of P. illiciens in hosts is discussed briefly, based on the parasitological and morphological results obtained during the avian experimental platynosomiasis and the epidemiology and geographical distribution of this parasite.
Surgical treatment of hepatic cystic echinococcosis in patients co-infected with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Ran B. , Shao Y. , Guo Y. , Yimiti Y. , Aji T. , Jia J. , Shayiding P. , Jiang T. , Cheng L. , Li J. , McManus D.P. , Zhang W. , Wen H. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractCo-infections of cystic echinococcosis (CE) and HIV/AIDS is rare. We report four CE cases that were HIV positive. Three out of the four patients underwent a surgical operation to remove the hydatid cysts in their livers. The operation confirmed that in two of the cases their cysts had ruptured. These patients were given 3 months of albendazole after the operation. Follow-up showed they were remarkably improved in term of their health, although they were still HIV antibody positive 6 months after surgical treatment. Interestingly, the treatment remarkably increased their CD4+ cell population. We showed that surgery is suitable for treating hepatic cystic echinococcosis with HIV/AIDS co-infection.
The utility of FloSeal haemostatic agent in the management of epistaxis
Authors: Khan M K , Reda El Badawey M , Powell J , Idris M 
Published: March 2015

AbstractBackground:FloSeal, a locally applied haemostatic agent, has been shown to be effective in a variety of clinical situations. This study investigated its potential benefits in the management of epistaxis.Methods:The outcomes of a series of patients with epistaxis presenting to one ENT unit, over a two-month period, were compared. Patients were either treated with FloSeal or traditional epistaxis management techniques. Success of FloSeal was classed as complete haemostasis after its application, without the need for further interventions and no readmission with epistaxis within 7 days.Results:Our study comprised 101 adults, with a mean age of 70 years (range, 22–98 years). The overall success rate for FloSeal was 14 per cent (5 out of 36 cases). It was successful in 66 per cent of anterior epistaxis cases (2 out of 3) and in only 9 per cent of posterior epistaxis cases (3 out of 33). There was a significantly higher failure rate of FloSeal compared with nasal packing in posterior epistaxis (p < 0.001).Conclusion:Our findings suggest that FloSeal has a limited role in the management of epistaxis.
Neural correlates of prenatal stress in young women
Authors: Favaro A. , Tenconi E. , Degortes D. , Manara R. , Santonastaso P. 
Published: March 2015

BackgroundPrenatal stress is hypothesized to have a disruptive impact on neurodevelopmental trajectories, but few human studies have been conducted on the long-term neural correlates of prenatal exposure to stress. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between prenatal stress exposure and gray-matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity in a sample of 35 healthy women aged 14–40 years.MethodVoxel-based morphometry and functional connectivity analyses were performed on the whole brain and in specific regions of interest (hippocampus and amygdala). Data about prenatal/postnatal stress and obstetric complications were obtained by interviewing participants and their mothers, and reviewing obstetric records.ResultsHigher prenatal stress was associated with decreased gray-matter volume in the left medial temporal lobe (MTL) and both amygdalae, but not the hippocampus. Variance in gray-matter volume of these brain areas significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, after statistically adjusting for the effects of age, postnatal stress and obstetric complications. Prenatal stress showed a positive linear relationship with functional connectivity between the left MTL and the pregenual cortex. Moreover, connectivity between the left MTL and the left medial-orbitofrontal cortex partially explained variance in the depressive symptoms of offspring.ConclusionsIn young women, exposure to prenatal stress showed a relationship with the morphometry and functional connectivity of brain areas involved in the pathophysiology of depressive disorders. These data provide evidence in favor of the hypothesis that early exposure to stress affects brain development and identified the MTL and amygdalae as possible targets of such exposure.
The diplomacy of empire: Fatimids and Zirids, 990–1062
Authors: Brett Michael 
Published: March 2015

AbstractOver a period of some forty years, 380/990–421/1030, the Fatimids in Egypt exchanged embassies with their Zirid viceroys in Ifrīqiya after these had been recognized as a hereditary dynasty, and to a lesser extent with their Kalbid deputies in Sicily.Sijillātor official letters of the Fatimid chancery, accompanied by sumptuous presents, invested the Zirids with their authority and favoured them with important announcements, while the Zirids replied in kind. The embassies were ostentatiously welcomed by the Zirids as proof of their legitimacy, while serving to maintain the connection with Cairo on which the Fatimids were similarly dependent for the sake of their imperial standing in the world. The importance of that connection to both dynasties was shown in the 440s/1050s, when it was broken by the Zirids and restored by a Fatimid intervention, celebrated in a fresh series ofsijillāt. With their emphasis on the style as much as the substance of the messages, the exchanges are excellent illustrations of mediaeval diplomatic correspondence as described by John Wansbrough inLingua Franca in the Mediterranean.
Kitāb Sulaym ibn Qaysrevisited
Authors: Bayhom-Daou Tamima 
Published: March 2015

AbstractKitāb Sulaymis possibly the earliest Shīʿī work in existence and analysis of its constituent reports could shed light on aspects of early Shīʿī thought and doctrine. This paper examines one of its reports on the subject ofikhtilāfin Propheticḥadīthbetween the Shīʿa and their opponents, and the related subjects of the status of the Companions of the Prophet and the Prophet's transmission of his knowledge to ʿAlī. It suggests dates and contexts for the composition of the report and the updating it seems to have undergone. It shows that the report reflects moderate Imāmī attitudes and doctrines similar to those attested for other leading pre-ghaybaImāmīs.
The trace of prostration and other distinguishing bodily marks in the Quran
Authors: Rippin Andrew 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe mark known as the “trace of prostration” (sīmā) that is mentioned in the Quran is well established in Islam as being a physical blemish on the forehead. Such marks on the forehead are widespread in religious traditions, often denoting community membership and piety. The Quranic instance fits this tendency. The forelock is also a symbol associated with the forehead that the Quran mentions, although that piece of hair carries negative connotations. This common feature of a person's appearance can, in other cultural situations, denote membership and piety just like a mark on the forehead. The vocabulary of the Quran incorporates images from the past, although the evidence is too slight to allow origins to be traced; popular religious ideas and practices have many sources beyond scripture.
Wa-bi-Rādhān mā bi-Rādhān...: The landed property of ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd
Authors: Lecker Michael 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDigitized text repositories (such asal-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr,al-Maktaba al-ShāmilaandMaktabat Ahl al-Bayt) open new horizons in the study of early Islamic history. By employing them it was found that ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd had at least four courts, two in Kūfa and two in Medina, and at least two estates cultivated by sharecroppers, one in Rādhān near Kūfa and another in Saylaḥīn near Qādisiyya. His situation is comparable to that of a member of the pre-Islamic Sassanian landed aristocracy of absentee landlords. He also had three households in three different places. The desire for control and worldly assets is human, and those who lack it never make it to the highest echelons of power. Put differently, hagiography should not be mistaken for historiography. Whether or not Ibn Masʿūd's Rādhān should be linked with the Rādhānite Jewish merchants remains an open question.
How do patients receiving radiotherapy in a Dutch hospital value their time? A contingent valuation study
Authors: Portrait France , Bakker Marjolein , Slotman Ben , Gafni Amiram , van den Berg Bernard 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAimCancer patients spend a lot of time receiving medical care. Our study investigates patients’ preferences regarding reducing the time involved in non-palliative radiotherapy care.MethodsA total of 142 Dutch patients were included in our study. Using a contingent valuation survey, we measured the proportion of patients who preferred to reduce their patients’ time, splitting it into five different categories, and, for those who did, whether and how much they were willing to pay for this to happen.ResultsAbout 50% of the patients preferred to reduce their time waiting for admission by 1 week and their travel time by half; 20 and 62% wanted to reduce their waiting time by half and their treatment time from 20 to 5 minutes, respectively; 36% preferred to be treated 7 instead of 5 days a week; and 20% of those wishing to reduce their patients’ time were willing to pay, and their mean willingness to pay (WTP) ranged from £0·32 to £18·1 per hour’s reduction of their time.ConclusionHalf of the patients seem to assess their patients’ time as reasonable. The other half preferred to reduce it, but only about 20% of them were willing to pay for it to happen and their mean WTP was low.