bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patterns of parasite prevalence and individual infection in yellow‐bellied marmots
Authors: Lopez J. , Wey T. W. , Blumstein D. T. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractPatterns of infection and prevalence result from complex interactions between hosts and parasites, the effects of which are likely to vary by species. We investigated the effects of age, sex and season on the likelihood of individual infection, and the effects of host population size, sex ratio and age structure on parasite prevalence. We capitalized on data from a long‐term study of yellow‐bellied marmotsMarmota flaviventrispotentially infected with fecal–orally transmitted intestinal parasites (Ascarissp.,Eimeriaspp. andEntamoebasp.), ectoparasitic fleasThrassis stanfordi, and a flea‐ and louse‐transmitted blood parasiteTrypanosoma lewisi. Patterns of individual‐ and group‐level infection varied widely by parasite. Yearlings were more likely to be infected withTr. lewisiandAscaris. Yearlings were also slightly more likely than adults to haveEimeria, but female yearlings had higher infection levels than female adults, while male yearlings had lower infection levels than male adults.Entamoebainfection decreased as the season progressed. Adults and males were more likely to be infected withTh. stanfordi.Ascarisprevalence increased with colony size. There were no significant relationships between colony size and prevalence ofEntamoeba,Tr. lewisi,EimeriaorThrassis. There was a small, but significant positive correlation between male‐biased sex ratio and prevalence of fleas. The host population's age structure affected the prevalence of infection ofAscarisandEimeria. Overall intestinal parasite diversity increased with colony size. Taken together, our results show a great deal of variation in the likelihood of individual infection and patterns of parasite prevalence in marmots.
Sperm competitiveness differs between two frog populations with different breeding systems
Authors: Álvarez D. , Viesca L. , Nicieza A. G. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractIn species with simultaneous polyandry, male‐biased operational sex ratio is expected to increase the risk of sperm competition and thus sperm traits affecting siring success can differ among populations. Here, we test the hypothesis that high male–female ratios will enhance sperm competitiveness of Rana temporaria males. In this species, local populations can show either prolonged or explosive breeding. In a context of sperm competition and in controlled laboratory conditions, prolonged‐breeding males sired a higher proportion of eggs than explosive‐breeding males, regardless of female origin. This study demonstrates intrapopulation variation in siring success under a situation of sperm competition, consistent with the prolonged‐explosive dichotomy of breeding strategies.
Clinical and tree hollow populations of human pathogenic yeast in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada are different
Authors: Carvalho Chris , Yang Jiaqi , Vogan Aaron , Maganti Harinad , Yamamura Deborah , Xu Jianping 
Published: November 2013

SummaryYeast are among the most frequent pathogens in humans. The dominant yeast causing human infections belong to the genus Candida and Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated species. However, several non‐C. albicans species are becoming increasingly common in patients worldwide. The relationships between yeast in humans and the natural environments remain poorly understood. Furthermore, it is often difficult to identify or exclude the origins of disease‐causing yeast from specific environmental reservoirs. In this study, we compared the yeast isolates from tree hollows and from clinics in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Our surveys and analyses showed significant differences in yeast species composition, in their temporal dynamics, and in yeast genotypes between isolates from tree hollows and hospitals. Our results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that yeast from trees constitute a significant source of pathogenic yeast in humans in this region. Similarly, the yeast in humans and clinics do not appear to contribute to yeast in tree hollows.
Eczema and Sensitization to Common Allergens in the United States: A Multiethnic, Population‐Based Study
Authors: Fu Teresa , Keiser Elizabeth , Linos Eleni , Rotatori Robert M. , Sainani Kristin , Lingala Bharathi , Lane Alfred T. , Schneider Lynda , Tang Jean Y. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThe relationship between food and environmental allergens in contributing to eczema risk is unclear on a multiethnic population level. Our purpose was to determine whether sensitization to specific dietary and environmental allergens as measured according to higher specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels is associated with eczema risk in children. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants ages 1 to 17 years were asked whether they had ever received a diagnosis of eczema from a physician (n = 538). Total and specific serum IgE levels for four dietary allergens (egg, cow's milk, peanut, and shrimp) and five environmental allergens (dust mite, cat, dog, Aspergillus, and Alternaria) were measured. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between eczema and IgE levels. In the United States, 10.4 million children (15.6%) have a history of eczema. Eczema was more common in black children (p < 0.001) and in children from families with higher income and education (p = 0.01). The median total IgE levels were higher in children with a history of eczema than in those without (66.4 vs 50.6 kU/L, p = 0.004). In multivariate analysis adjusted for age, race, sex, family income, household education, and physician‐diagnosed asthma, eczema was significantly associated with sensitization to cat dander (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05, 1.4, p = 0.009) and dog dander (OR = 1.5, 95% CI, 1.2, 1.7, p < 0.001). After correction for multiple comparisons, only sensitization to dog dander remained significant. U.S. children with eczema are most likely to be sensitized to dog dander. Future prospective studies should further explore this relationship.
Living donor liver transplantation for pediatric patients with metabolic disorders: The Japanese multicenter registry
Authors: Kasahara Mureo , Sakamoto Seisuke , Horikawa Reiko , Koji Umeshita , Mizuta Koichi , Shinkai Masato , Takahito Yagi , Taguchi Tomoaki , Inomata Yukihiro , Uemoto Shinji , Tatsuo Kuroda , Kato Shunichi 
Published: November 2013

AbstractLDLT is indicated for a variety of metabolic disorders, primarily in Asian countries due to the absolute scarcity of deceased donor LT. We analyzed data for all pediatric LDLTs performed between November 1989 and December 2010, during which 2224 pediatric patients underwent LDLT in Japan. Of these patients, 194 (8.7%) underwent LDLT for metabolic disorders. Wilson's disease (n = 59; 30.4%) was the most common indication in the patients with metabolic disorders, followed by OTCD (n = 40; 20.6%), MMA (n = 20; 10.3%), and GSD (n = 15; 7.7%). The one‐, five‐, 10‐, and 15‐yr patient and graft survival rates were 91.2%, 87.9%, 87.0%, and 79.3%, and 91.2%, 87.9%, 86.1%, and 74.4%, respectively. Wilson's disease and urea cycle deficiency were associated with better patient survival. The use of heterozygous donors demonstrated no negative impact on either the donors or recipients. With regard to X‐linked OTCD, symptomatic heterozygote maternal donors should not be considered potential donor candidates. Improving the understanding of the long‐term suitability of this treatment modality will require the registration and ongoing evaluation of all patients with inherited metabolic disease considered for LT.
Quotation
Authors: Saka Paul 
Published: November 2013

AbstractUnderstanding quotation is fundamental to understanding the nature of truth and meaning. Quotation, however, is a remarkably complicated phenomenon, and a vigorous literature on the topic has been growing at an increasing rate.§1 To give you a sense of this work, §1 enlarges upon the significance of studying quotation; §2 presents a rudimentary taxonomy of quotation; and §3 critically surveys theories of how quotation works.
Understanding as Knowledge of Meaning
Authors: Barber Alex 
Published: November 2013

AbstractTestimony, the transmission of knowledge through communication, requires a shared understanding of linguistic expressions and utterances of them. Is this understanding itself a kind of knowledge, knowledge of meaning? The intuitive answer is ‘yes’, but the nature of such knowledge is controversial, as is the assumption that understanding is a kind of knowledge at all. This article is a critical examination of recent work on the nature and role of semantic knowledge in the generation of the linguistic understanding needed for testimony. After describing a default view – that linguistic understanding partially consists in the possession and application of knowledge of a compositional theory of truth conditions – it scrutinizes two recent charges against this view: that linguistic understanding and knowledge of meaning are conceptually distinct, and that semantic ‘knowledge’ is knowledge without an object.
Predicting Philosophical Disagreement
Authors: Feltz Adam , Cokely Edward 
Published: November 2013

AbstractWe review evidence showing that disagreement in folk and expert philosophical intuitions can be predicted by global, heritable personality traits. The review focuses on recent studies of intuitions about free will, ethics, and intentional action. These findings are philosophically important because they suggest that while some projects cannot be done, other projects must take individual differences in philosophical character into account. But care needs to be taken when interpreting the implications of these individual differences. We illustrate one way that these differences have been abused. We then illustrate two ways that these findings can be legitimately used to help illuminate philosophical issues. Given the large and readily available body of evidence, neglect of persistent and predictable philosophical differences is irresponsible.
Epistemic Utility and Norms for Credences
Authors: Pettigrew Richard 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBeliefs come in different strengths. An agent's credence in a proposition is a measure of the strength of her belief in that proposition. Various norms for credences have been proposed. Traditionally, philosophers have tried to argue for these norms by showing that any agent who violates them will be lead by her credences to make bad decisions. In this article, we survey a new strategy for justifying these norms. The strategy begins by identifying an epistemic utility function and a decision‐theoretic norm; we then show that the decision‐theoretic norm applied to the epistemic utility function yields the norm for credences that we wish to justify. We survey results already obtained using this strategy, and we suggest directions for future research.
Efficacy of localized phototherapy and photodynamic therapy for psoriasis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Almutawa Fahad , Thalib Lukman , Hekman Daniel , Sun Qing , Hamzavi Iltefat , Lim Henry W. 
Published: November 2013

SummaryLocalized phototherapy including topical psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) and targeted ultraviolet B (UVB), and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have been increasingly used in the treatment of localized psoriasis. Yet, there are no systematic reviews or meta‐analyses that scientifically evaluated the pooled efficacy of these treatments in psoriasis. We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases during the period of January 1980 to June 2012. Our systematic search resulted in 765 studies, 23 of them were included in the review. The primary outcome was 75% reduction in severity score from baseline. A meta‐analysis using random effect model found topical PUVA to be more effective than non‐laser targeted UVB [odds ratio: 3.48 (95% confidence interval 0.56–21.84), P = 0.183]. The pooled effect estimate of the efficacy (75% reduction in severity score) of topical PUVA, targeted UVB, and PDT were as follows: 77% (topical PUVA), 61% (targeted UVB), and 22% (PDT). Topical PUVA and targeted UVB phototherapy are very effective in the treatment of localized psoriasis. Topical PUVA seems more effective than non‐laser targeted UVB phototherapy. On the other hand, PDT has low efficacy and high percentage of side effects in treating localized psoriasis.
Economic Convergence in the African Continent: Closing the Gap
Authors: Khan Faiza A. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThe paper attempts to analyse the conditional β‐convergence and its sources for 32 African countries over the period 1960‐2008. The augmented Solow model with both gross domestic product (GDP) per worker and per capita income is estimated using the dynamic system generalized methods of moments (GMM) technique with the panel data. This is the first study on the sources of conditional β‐convergence for African countries. According to the results of the augmented Solow model, income convergence rates are lower than those of GDP per worker. Moreover, total factor productivity convergence, human capital convergence and capital labour convergence are contributing towards the convergence of GDP per worker in Africa. This means that growth in the poorest African countries is being augmented by “catch‐up factor,” which is good news for them. However, convergence in terms of GDP per worker is not being fully translated into income per capita convergence. The demographic structure in the African continent with its record of persistent population growth has played an important role in lowering the income convergence of its countries.
Exome Sequencing in Today's Lab: Shifting the Paradigm in Translational and Clinical Research
Authors: Marshall Christian , Gilissen Christian 
Published: November 2013

Next generation sequencing technologies have enabled a rapid expansion toward the understanding of inherited disorders, cancer biology, drug development, and treatment resistance. Exome sequencing has been increasingly and successfully applied in the clinical research setting for identifying common single nucleotide variants, copy number variations, and small insertions or deletions as well as rare de novo mutations that may explain Mendelian, complex, and rare genetic disorders. Recent advancement in rapid and low-cost exome sequencing make it an attractive alternative to traditional targeted gene panel sequencing for clinical research, while maintaining the possibility of discovering mutations in genes previously not associated with a disorder. Furthermore, the exome encompasses approximately 1% of the genome, yet contains approximately 85% of disease-causing mutations, making exome sequencing easier and cheaper than whole genome sequencing for identifying disease-causing variants in research.
Researchers are now applying proband-father-mother (trio) exome sequencing to uncover variants that potentially either cause or modify the condition under study. In this webinar, the audience will learn about the current applications of exome sequencing in clinical research and its impact on the future of health care.
Draft Genome Sequences of Multidrug-Resistant
Acinetobacter
sp. Strains from Colombian Hospitals
Authors: Barreto-Hernández Emiliano , Falquet Laurent , Reguero María T. , Mantilla José R. , Valenzuela Emilia M. , González Elsa , Cepeda Alexandra , Escalante Andrea 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT

The draft genome sequences of the strains
Acinetobacter baumannii
107m,
Acinetobacter nosocomialis
28F, and
Acinetobacter pittii
42F, isolated from Colombian hospitals, are reported here. These isolates are causative of nosocomial infections and are classified as multidrug resistant, as they showed resistance to four different antibiotic groups.
First Complete Sequence of a Giant Linear Plasmid from a
Micrococcus
Strain Isolated from an Extremely High-Altitude Lake
Authors: Dib Julián Rafael , Schuldes Jörg , Thürmer Andrea , Farias María E. , Daniel Rolf , Meinhardt Friedhelm 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT

Micrococcus
sp. strain V7, an actinobacterial strain adapted to the extreme conditions of the Laguna Vilama, an extremely high-altitude (4,600 m above sea level) lake in the Argentinian Puna, was found to carry the giant linear plasmid pLMV7. We determined its sequence (92,815 bp) as a prerequisite to the investigation of its role in survival in such a harsh environment.
Rapid Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Variants Associated with Lamivudine and Adefovir Resistance by Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification Combined with Real-Time PCR
Authors: Jia Shuangrong , Wang Feng , Li Fake , Chang Kai , Yang Shaojun , Zhang Kejun , Jiang Wenbin , Shang Ya , Deng Shaoli , Chen Ming 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTDrug-resistant mutations of hepatitis B virus (HBV) are the major obstacles to successful therapy for chronic hepatitis B infection. Although there are many methods for detecting the antiviral drug-resistant mutations of HBV, their applications are restricted because of their shortcomings, such as low sensitivity, the time required, and the high cost. For this study, a multiplex ligation-dependent probe real-time PCR (MLP-RT-PCR) method was developed to simultaneously detect lamivudine (LAM)- and adefovir (ADV)-resistant HBV mutants (those with the mutations rtM204V/I, rtA181V/T, and rtN236T). The new method combined the high-throughput nature of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) with the rapid and sensitive detection of real-time PCR. In this report, MLP-RT-PCR was evaluated by detecting drug-resistant mutants in 116 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. By MLP-RT-PCR analysis, LAM-resistant mutations were detected in 41 patients (35.3%), ADV-resistant mutations were detected in 17 patients (14.7%), and LAM- and-ADV-resistant mutations were detected in 5 patients (4.3%). Based on the results of MLP-RT-PCR, the mutations rtM204V, rtM204I, rtA181T, rtA181V, and rtN236T were 95.7% (111/116 patients), 98.3% (114/116 patients), 99.1% (115/116 patients), 98.3% (114/116 patients), and 99.1% (115/116 patients) concordant, respectively, with those of direct sequencing. The MLP-RT-PCR assay was more sensitive than direct sequencing for detecting mutations with low frequencies. Four samples containing the low-frequency (<10%) mutants were identified by MLP-RT-PCR and further confirmed by clonal sequencing. MLP-RT-PCR is a rapid and sensitive method that enables the detection of multidrug-resistant HBV mutations in clinical practice.
Early Kinetics of Plasma Cytomegalovirus DNA Load in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients in the Era of Highly Sensitive Real-Time PCR Assays: Does It Have Any Clinical Value?
Authors: Giménez Estela , Muñoz-Cobo Beatriz , Solano Carlos , Amat Paula , Navarro David 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT
We report that in a population of allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients, determination of the viral doubling time (dt) of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA plasma load predicted the eventual need for inception of preemptive antiviral therapy, whereas the level of the initial plasma CMV DNA load did not. The data thus indicated that determination of the dt of CMV DNA may be useful in the therapeutic management of CMV infection in this clinical setting.
Characterization of Streptococcus tigurinus Small-Colony Variants Causing Prosthetic Joint Infection by Comparative Whole-Genome Analyses
Authors: Zbinden Andrea , Quiblier Chantal , Hernandez David , Herzog Kathrin , Bodler Paul , Senn Maria M. , Gizard Yann , Schrenzel Jacques , François Patrice 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTSmall-colony variants (SCVs) of bacteria are associated with recurrent and persistent infections. We describe for the first time SCVs ofStreptococcus tigurinusin a patient with a prosthetic joint infection.S. tigurinusis a novel pathogen of theStreptococcus mitisgroup and causes invasive infections. We sought to characterizeS. tigurinusSCVs using experimental methods and find possible genetic explanations for their phenotypes. TheS. tigurinusSCVs were compared with the wild-type (WT) isolate using phenotypic methods, including growth under different conditions, autolysis, and visualization of the cell ultrastructure by use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, comparative genome analyses were performed. TheS. tigurinusSCVs displayed reduced growth compared to the WT and showed either a very stable or a fluctuating SCV phenotype. TEM analyses revealed major alterations in cell separation and morphological abnormalities, which were partially explained by impaired autolytic behavior. Intriguingly, the SCVs were more resistant to induced autolysis. Whole-genome sequencing revealed mutations in the genes involved in general cell metabolism, cell division, stringent response, and virulence. Clinically, the patient recovered after a 2-stage exchange of the prosthesis. Comparative whole-genome sequencing in clinical strains is a useful tool for identifying novel genetic signatures leading to the most persistent bacterial forms. The detection of viridans streptococcal SCVs is challenging in a clinical laboratory due to the small colony size. Thus, it is of major clinical importance for microbiologists and clinicians to be aware of viridans streptococcal SCVs, such as those ofS. tigurinus, which lead to difficult-to-treat infections.
Nucleophosmin Contributes to the Transcriptional Activation Function of the Epstein-Barr Virus EBNA1 Protein
Authors: Malik-Soni Natasha , Frappier Lori 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) EBNA1 protein plays important roles in latent infection, including transcriptional activation of EBV latency genes by binding to the family-of-repeats (FR) element. Through a proteomic approach, we previously identified an interaction between EBNA1 and the histone chaperone nucleophosmin. Here we show that the EBNA1-nucleophosmin interaction is direct and requires the Gly-Arg-rich sequences that contribute to transactivation. Additionally, nucleophosmin is recruited by EBNA1 to the FR element and is required for EBNA1-mediated transcriptional activation.