bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of life, treatment satisfaction, and adherence to treatment in patients with vesicular hand eczema: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Politiek Klaziena , Ofenloch Robert F. , Angelino Marius J. , van den Hoed Ewoud , Schuttelaar Marie L. A.
Published: December 2019

Background

Recurrent vesicular hand eczema frequently has a chronic course and needs long‐term treatment.

Objectives

To evaluate health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), treatment satisfaction, and adherence in patients with vesicular hand eczema.

Methods

Patients using one main treatment for at least three months were included. Data on HRQoL (Quality of Life in Hand Eczema Questionnaire [QOLHEQ]), treatment satisfaction (Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, version II), and treatment adherence (4‐item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale) were collected. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used to predict variables associated with HRQoL.

Results

HRQoL was moderately impaired, with the highest impact in the QOLHEQ subdomain symptoms. Female sex, more severe hand eczema, and lower treatment satisfaction were associated with more impairment in HRQoL. Patients with severe/very severe hand eczema had significant lower “global satisfaction” scores compared with the other severity groups. The “global satisfaction” and treatment adherence in patients using systemic treatment were significantly higher compared with those with only topical treatment.

Conclusions

In patients with vesicular hand eczema disease severity affects both HRQoL and treatment satisfaction. Systemic treatment of severe hand eczema could improve the severity and as a result also HRQoL, treatment satisfaction, and medication adherence.
Correlatıon of neutrophyle/lymphocyte ratio and pulmonary parameters with optic coherence tomography findings in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Ozer Pinar Altiaylik , Ogan Nalan
Published: December 2019

Introduction

To examine the correlation of pulmonary functions and neutrophyle/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with optic coherence tomography findings in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

Fifty‐five COPD (110 eyes) and 48 control cases (96 eyes) were enrolled. COPD patients were grouped as Group 1 (mild‐moderate) and Group 2 (severe) according to GOLD classification. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), ganglion cell‐inner plexiform layer (GCIP) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) analysis by SD‐OCT were performed in follow up. NLR was calculated by blood cell count.

Results

Inferior RNFL and average GCIP of COPD were lower than control during the initial and sixth month examination (P = .002, P < .001, respectively). Average RNFL and SFCT were lower in COPD patients in sixth month examination (P = .020, P = .015, respectively). Average, temporal, inferior, nasal RNFL and SFCT in sixth month examination were significantly lower in severe COPD (P < .05 for all), but average GCIP were similar (P = .015). Disease duration, Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and attacks/year showed significant negative correlations, whereas forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) showed significant positive correlations with OCT values. NLR was significantly higher in COPD cases compared to control (P < .001) and had a negative correlation with GCIP values.

Conclusion

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity is shown to have a negative effect on OCT measurements. SD‐OCT can reflect severity of inflammation, and suggested to be used in follow up of COPD cases. NLR may have a role to predict the ganglion cell damage in COPD patients.
Incorporating wildlife connectivity into forest plan revision under the United States Forest Service's 2012 planning rule
Authors: Williamson Matthew A. , Creech Tyler G. , Carnwath Gunnar , Dixon Beverly , Kelly Virginia
Published: December 2019

The United States Forest Service promulgated new planning regulations under the National Forest Management Act in 2012 (i.e., the Planning Rule). These new regulations include the first requirements in U.S. public land management history for National Forests to evaluate, protect, and/or restore ecological connectivity as they revise their land management plans. Data and resource limitations make single‐species, functional connectivity analyses for the myriad species that occur within the 78 million ha the Forest Service manages implausible. We describe an approach that relies on freely available data and generic species, virtual species whose profile consists of ecological requirements designed to reflect the needs of a group of real species, to address the new Planning Rule requirements. We present high‐resolution connectivity estimates for 10 different generic species across a 379,000 ha study area centered on the Custer Gallatin National Forest (CGNF) in Montana and South Dakota under two different movement models. We identify locations important for connectivity for multiple species and characterize the role of the CGNF for regional connectivity. Our results informed the Plan Revision process on the CGNF and could be readily exported to other National Forests currently or planning to revise their land management plans under the new Planning Rule.
Characteristics and prognostic significance of incidentally detected cancer cells in uterine specimens of patients with pelvic high‐grade serous carcinoma
Authors: Ushigusa Takeshi , Yoshida Hiroshi , Kuno Ikumi , Kojima Naoki , Ishikawa Mitsuya , Kato Tomoyasu
Published: December 2019

Objective

Cases of pelvic high‐grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) with incidentally detected cancer cells (ICCs) in endometrial and/or cervicovaginal cytology have been reported. This study aimed to clarify the incidence and characteristics of pelvic HGSC with ICCs and to determine whether ICCs have a negative prognostic impact.

Methods

Patients with ovarian/tubal/peritoneal HGSC who underwent pre‐treatment uterine (endometrial/cervicovaginal) cytology or biopsy between January 2007 and May 2017 were included. We reviewed the frequencies of ICCs and compared the clinicopathological features and survival outcome between the ICC‐positive and ICC‐negative groups.

Results

Of the 160 patients evaluated, 69 (43.2%) had positive ICCs in at least one uterine specimen. There were no significant differences in clinicopathological characteristics, such as age, FIGO stage, serum CA125 level, ascites, and tubal lesion, between the two groups. Moreover, ICCs had no significant survival impact on progression‐free survival or overall survival.

Conclusion

Our study showed a high rate of pelvic HGSC with ICCs in pre‐treatment uterine specimens. The ICCs per se had no negative impact on survival outcomes of pelvic HGSC. Furthermore, uterine biopsy and cytology can be useful and less‐invasive methods to obtain tubo‐ovarian/peritoneal cancer cells before treatment.
A risk‐prediction model for en bloc resection failure or perforation during endoscopic submucosal dissection of colorectal neoplasms
Authors: Imai Kenichiro , Hotta Kinichi , Ito Sayo , Yamaguchi Yuichiro , Kishida Yoshihiro , Yabuuchi Yohei , Yoshida Masao , Kawata Noboru , Tanaka Masaki , Kakushima Naomi , Takizawa Kohei , Ishiwatari Hirotoshi , Matsubayashi Hiroyuki , Mori Keita , Ono Hiroyuki
Published: December 2019

Objectives

Technical difficulties in colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissections (ESD) result in en bloc resection failure or perforation. This study aimed to develop and validate a risk score for predicting en bloc resection failure or perforation in ESD of colorectal neoplasms.

Methods

This single‐center observational study included 1133 colorectal neoplasms treated with ESD in a Japanese tertiary cancer center. With a derivation set (n = 716), we performed multiple logistic regression to identify significant risk factors for en bloc resection failure or perforation. Based on odds ratios, we developed a risk score, ranging from 0 to 10: 0–1 ‘low risk’ (LR); 2–4 ‘moderate risk’ (MR); and 5–10 ‘high risk’ (HR). An independent validation set comprised prospectively enrolled subjects (n = 417) that underwent ESDs from January 2014 to August 2016. The performance of the risk score for predicting en bloc resection failure or perforation for each risk tier was evaluated.

Results

The baseline incidences of en bloc resection failure or perforation were 14.5% and 5.5% in the derivation and validation sets, respectively. We identified the following significant risk factors: endoscopist experience, tumor location, morphology, scope operability, underlying fold, and fold convergence. In the validation set, the incidences of en bloc resection failure or perforation were 0% in the LR tier (n = 62; 14.8%), 2.3% in the MR tier (n = 293; 70.4%), and 25.8% in the HR tier (n = 62; 14.8%) (P < 0.001, Cochran‐Armitage trend test).

Conclusions

A risk scoring system, which was developed and prospectively validated, can successfully estimate the incidence of en bloc resection failure or perforation.
Assessing prophylactic use and clinical outcomes in hemophilia A patients treated with rVIII‐SingleChain and other common rFVIII products in Germany
Authors: Olivieri Martin , Sommerer Patrick , Maro Geraldine , Yan Songkai
Published: December 2019

Objective

To evaluate real‐world outcomes with rVIII‐SingleChain and other commonly used recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) products.

Methods

Hemophilia treatment centers in Germany (n = 21) contributed patient chart data. Inclusion criteria were prophylactic treatment with one of five rFVIII products for ≥8 weeks.

Results

Male patients (n = 225) were included: rVIII‐SingleChain (n = 40), rFVIIIFc (n = 47), octocog alfa (rFVIII; n = 58), octocog alfa (BAY 81‐8973; n = 40), or moroctocog alfa (n = 40). In patients with severe disease (n = 76), 66.6%, 70.0%, 20.0%, 7.7%, and 27.3% were dosed ≤2×/week, respectively. Irrespective of dosing frequency, mean annualized bleed rates (ABRs)/annualized spontaneous bleed rates (AsBRs) were 0.3/0.1, 0.8/0.4, 1.1/0.5, 1.5/0.8, and 1.4/0.6, and mean FVIII consumption (IU/kg/week) was 83.2, 97.2, 92.5, 104.0, and 102.1, respectively. Results for all patients were similar. Of the patients on prophylaxis with prior therapy and after switching to rVIII‐SingleChain (n = 21), mean ABR/AsBRs were 0.7/0.3 and 0.2/0.0, respectively. After switching to rVIII‐SingleChain, mean FVIII consumption reduced (109.4 vs 74.5 IU/kg/week), and percentage of patients dosed ≤2×/week increased (0% to 71.4%).

Conclusions

rVIII‐SingleChain prophylaxis provides excellent bleeding protection, with potentially lowest factor consumption among the products assessed. Patients who switched to rVIII‐SingleChain prophylaxis reduced dosing frequency and consumption compared with prior treatment, with similar or potentially lower bleeding rates.
Anaemia at admission is associated with poor clinical outcome in cerebral venous thrombosis
Authors: Silvis S. M. , Reinstra E. , Hiltunen S. , Lindgren E. , Heldner M. R. , Mansour M. , Ghiasian M. , Jood K. , Zuurbier S. M. , Groot A. E. , Arnold M. , Barboza M. A. , Arauz A. , Putaala J. , Tatlisumak T. , Coutinho J. M. ,   on behalf of the International CVT Consortium
Published: December 2019

Background and purpose

Anaemia is associated with poor clinical outcome after ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. The association between anaemia and outcome in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) was examined.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients with CVT were included from seven centres. Anaemia at admission was scored according to World Health Organization definitions. Poor clinical outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score 3–6 at last follow‐up. A multiple imputation procedure was applied for handling missing data in the multivariable analysis. Using binary logistic regression analysis, adjustments were made for age, sex, cancer and centre of recruitment (model 1). In a secondary analysis, adjustments were additionally made for coma, intracerebral haemorrhage, non‐haemorrhagic lesion and deep venous system thrombosis (model 2). In a sensitivity analysis, patients with cancer were excluded.

Results

Data for 952 patients with CVT were included, 22% of whom had anaemia at admission. Patients with anaemia more often had a history of cancer (17% vs. 7%, P < 0.001) than patients without anaemia. Poor clinical outcome (21% vs. 11%, P < 0.001) and mortality (11% vs. 6%, P = 0.07) were more common amongst patients with anaemia. After adjustment, anaemia at admission increased the risk of poor outcome [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–3.7, model 1]. Model 2 revealed comparable results (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3.2), as did the sensitivity analysis excluding patients with cancer (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3–3.8, model 1).

Conclusion

The risk of poor clinical outcome is doubled in CVT patients presenting with anaemia at admission.
Air pollution forecasting based on attention‐based LSTM neural network and ensemble learning
Authors: Liu Duen‐Ren , Lee Shin‐Jye , Huang Yang , Chiu Chien‐Ju
Published: December 2019

With air pollution having become a global concern, scientists are committed to working on its amelioration. In the field of air pollution prediction, there have been good results in experimental research so far, but few studies have integrated weather forecast information and the properties of air pollution drift. In this work, we propose a novel wind‐sensitive attention mechanism with a long short‐term memory (LSTM) neural network model to predict the air pollution ‐ PM2.5 concentrations by considering the influence of wind direction and speed on the changes of spatial–temporal PM2.5 concentrations in neighbouring areas. Preliminary predictions for PM2.5 are then made by an LSTM neural network regarding neighbouring pollution; these predictions are “paid attention to” and we finally apply an ensemble learning method based on eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to combine the preliminary predictions with weather forecasting to make second phase predictions of PM2.5. The experiment is conducted using PM2.5 data and weather forecast data. Our results illustrate that the proposed method is superior to other methods in predicting PM2.5 concentrations, including multi‐layer perceptron, support vector regression, LSTM neural network, and extreme gradient boosting algorithm.
A survey on semanticized and personalized health recommender systems
Authors: Çelik Ertuğrul Duygu , Elçi Atilla
Published: December 2019

Health 3.0 is a health‐related extension of the Web 3.0 concept. It is based on the semantic Web which provides for semantically organizing electronic health records of individuals. Health 3.0 is rapidly gaining ground as a new research topic in many academic and industrial disciplines. Due to the recent rapid spread of wearable sensors and smart devices with access to social media, migrating health services from the traditional centre‐based health system to personal health care is inevitable. In this current era of greater personalization, treating patients' health problems according to their profile and medical data gathered is possible using the latest information technologies. Consequently, personalized health recommender systems have gained importance. Empowering the utility of advanced Web technology in personalized health systems is still challenging due to pressing issues, such as lack of low cost and accurate smart medical sensors and wearable devices, existing investment in legacy Web system architecture in health sector, heterogeneity of medical data gathered by myriad health care institutions and isolated health services, and interoperability issues as well as multi‐dimensionality of medical data. By tracing recent developments, this paper offers a systematic review through recent research on semantic Web‐enabled personalized health systems, namely, semanticized personalized health recommender systems with the key enabling technologies, major applications, and successful case studies. Critical questions derived from the research studies were discussed, and main directions of open issues were identified leading to recommendations for future study in the field of personalized health recommender systems.
Crayfish populations genetically fragmented in streams impounded for 36–104 years
Authors: Barnett Zanethia C. , Adams Susan B. , Ochs Clifford A. , Garrick Ryan C.
Published: December 2019

Dams and their associated impoundments may restrict dispersal and gene flow among populations of numerous freshwater species within stream networks, leading to genetic isolation. This can reduce effective population sizes and genetic diversity, increasing the risk of local extinction.

We studied crayfishes from multiple up‐ and downstream sites in three impounded and two unimpounded streams in the Bear Creek and Cahaba River drainages, Alabama, U.S.A. Using mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene) sequence data generated from population‐level sampling of two abundant native crayfishes, Faxonius validus and Faxonius erichsonianus (Decapoda: Cambaridae), we assessed species’ spatial genetic structure and genetic diversity, estimated the magnitude and directionality of gene flow, and compared results between the species.

For both species, levels of genetic diversity (number of haplotypes, and haplotypic and nucleotide diversity) were the same or higher in impounded compared to unimpounded streams. Conversely, crayfish populations in up‐ and downstream sections of unimpounded streams displayed high genetic similarity and bidirectional gene flow, whereas in impounded streams, crayfish populations typically had greater up‐ and downstream genetic differentiation and predominantly unidirectional, downstream gene flow.

Although impoundments were associated with lower connectivity between up‐ and downstream sections for F. validus and F. erichsonianus, the magnitude of genetic effects was species‐specific, with greater differentiation between F. validus populations up‐ and downstream of impoundments.

In an ecologically short timeframe, impoundments appear to have fragmented stream crayfish populations, and even species with relatively high abundances and large ranges had lower gene flow among populations in impounded streams compared to unimpounded streams. In addition, feedbacks between genetic and demographic effects on fragmented populations may decrease the probability of long‐term persistence.
Age‐related alteration of emotional regulation in the BACHD rat model of Huntington disease
Authors: Lamirault Charlotte , Nguyen Huu Phuc , Doyère Valérie , El Massioui Nicole
Published: December 2019

Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder, caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the gene encoding the huntingtin protein. At the premanifest phase, before motor symptoms occur, psychiatric and emotional disorders are observed with high prevalence in HD patients. Agitation, anxiety and irritability are often described but also depression and/or apathy, associated with a lack of emotional control. The aim of the present study was to better circumscribe and understand the emotional symptoms and assess their evolution according to the progression of the disease using a transgenic HD model, BACHD rats, at the age of 4, 12 and 18 months. To achieve this goal, we confronted animals to two types of tests: first, tests assessing anxiety like the light/dark box and the conflict test, which are situations that did not involve an obvious threat and tests assessing the reactivity to a present threat using confrontation with an unknown conspecific (social behavior test) or with an aversive stimulus (fear conditioning test). In all animals, results show an age‐dependent anxiety‐like behavior, particularly marked in situation requiring passive responses (light/dark box and fear conditioning tests). BACHD rats exhibited a more profound alteration than WT animals in these tests from an early stage of the disease whereas, in tasks requiring some kind of motivation (for food or for social contacts), only old BACHD rats showed high anxiety‐like behavior compared to WT, may be partly due to the other symptoms' occurrence at this stage: locomotor difficulties and/or apathy.
The temperature optima for tree seedling photosynthesis and growth depend on water inputs
Authors: Kumarathunge Dushan P. , Drake John E. , Tjoelker Mark G. , López Rosana , Pfautsch Sebastian , Vårhammar Angelica , Medlyn Belinda E.
Published: December 2019

Understanding how tree growth is affected by rising temperature is a key to predicting the fate of forests in future warmer climates. Increasing temperature has direct effects on plant physiology, but there are also indirect effects of increased water limitation because evaporative demand increases with temperature in many systems. In this study, we experimentally resolved the direct and indirect effects of temperature on the response of growth and photosynthesis of the widely distributed species Eucalyptus tereticornis. We grew E. tereticornis in an array of six growth temperatures from 18 to 35.5°C, spanning the climatic distribution of the species, with two watering treatments: (a) water inputs increasing with temperature to match plant demand at all temperatures (Wincr), isolating the direct effect of temperature; and (b) water inputs constant for all temperatures, matching demand for coolest grown plants (Wconst), such that water limitation increased with growth temperature. We found that constant water inputs resulted in a reduction of temperature optima for both photosynthesis and growth by ~3°C compared to increasing water inputs. Water limitation particularly reduced the total amount of leaf area displayed at Topt and intermediate growth temperatures. The reduction in photosynthesis could be attributed to lower leaf water potential and consequent stomatal closure. The reduction in growth was a result of decreased photosynthesis, reduced total leaf area display and a reduction in specific leaf area. Water availability had no effect on the response of stem and root respiration to warming, but we observed lower leaf respiration rates under constant water inputs compared to increasing water inputs at higher growth temperatures. Overall, this study demonstrates that the indirect effect of increasing water limitation strongly modifies the potential response of tree growth to rising global temperatures.
Flux‐Corrected Transport with MT3DMS for Positive Solution of Transport with Full‐Tensor Dispersion
Authors: Yan Shuo , Valocchi Albert J.
Published: December 2019

Solute transport is usually modeled by the advection‐dispersion‐reaction equation. In the standard approach, mechanical dispersion is a tensor with principal directions parallel and perpendicular to the flow vector. Since realistic scenarios include nonuniform and unsteady flow fields, the governing equation has full tensor mechanical dispersion. When conventional grid‐based numerical methods are used, approximation of the cross terms arising from the off‐diagonal terms cause nonphysical solution with oscillations. As an example, for the common scenario of contaminant input into a domain with zero initial concentration, the cross‐dispersion terms can result in negative concentrations that can wreak havoc in reactive transport applications. To address this issue, we use the well‐known flux‐corrected‐transport (FCT) technique for a standard finite volume method. Although FCT has most often been used to eliminate oscillations resulting from discretization of the advection term for explicit time stepping, we show that it can be adapted for full‐tensor dispersion and implicit time stepping. Unlike other approaches based on new discretization techniques (e.g., mimetic finite difference, nonlinear finite volume), FCT has the advantage of being flexible and widely applicable. Implementation of FCT requires solving an additional system of equations at each time step, using a modified “low order” matrix and a modified right‐hand‐side vector. To demonstrate the flexibility of FCT, we have modified the well‐known and widely used groundwater solute transport simulator, MT3DMS. We apply the new simulator, MT3DMS‐FCT, to several benchmark problems that suffer from negative concentrations when using MT3DMS. The new results are mass conservative and strictly nonnegative.
Controlled attenuation parameter by vibration‐controlled transient elastography for steatosis assessment in members of the public undergoing regular health checkups with reference to magnetic resonance imaging‐based proton density fat fraction
Authors: Zeng Qiang , Song Zhenya , Zhao Yi , Wu Jianjun , Wang Liuhong , Ye Huiyi , Wang Yingwei , Wu Ting , Yuan Sishu , Yuan Haojie
Published: December 2019

Aim

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measured by vibration‐controlled transient elastography (FibroScan) allows repeatable and reliable assessment of liver steatosis for screening of patients at risk of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis development among asymptomatic individuals at a community level. However, this has never been compared with another quantitative method, such as magnetic resonance imaging‐based proton density fat fraction, among the Chinese health checkup population.

Methods

A multicenter prospective study was conducted with Chinese individuals undergoing regular health checkups. Steatosis grading by magnetic resonance imaging‐based proton density fat fraction was used as the reference to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CAP.

Results

A total of 173 individuals were included with mean age of 45 ± 11 years and body mass index of 25.8 ± 4.0 kg/m2. A linear correlation was found between CAP and log10‐transformed magnetic resonance imaging‐based proton density fat fraction results (Pearson's coefficient 0.772, P < 0.001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for distinguishing ≥S1 and ≥S2 steatosis were 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.83–0.93) and 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.83–0.95), respectively. When optimized for ≥90% sensitivity, the CAP cut‐off for staging ≥S1 steatosis was 244 dB/m. CAP could classify patients with ≥S1 steatosis with similar performance as an ultrasound examination.

Conclusions

As a non‐invasive and quantitative method, CAP is highly adapted for population screening at a community level. With the integration of liver stiffness and CAP results in risk stratification scores for non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis, vibration‐controlled transient elastography can be useful in regular health checkups.
Clinical outcomes of hepatitis C virus elimination using glecaprevir and pibrentasvir in hemodialysis patients: A multicenter study
Authors: Morishita Asahiro , Ogawa Chikara , Moriya Akio , Tani Joji , Yoneyama Hirohito , Fujita Koji , Oryu Makoto , Senoo Tomonori , Takaguchi Koichi , Masaki Tsutomu
Published: December 2019

Aim

The incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is much higher in hemodialysis patients than that in healthy individuals. The prognosis of hemodialysis patients with HCV infection is poorer than that without HCV infection. Therefore, antiviral intervention is pivotal for HCV infection in hemodialysis patients. Recent evaluations of the pangenotypic regimen of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir show that it is highly effective and safe for HCV‐infected hemodialysis patients. However, a few reports showed that the effect of HCV elimination by glecaprevir/pibrentasvir improved liver dysfunction or anemia. The aim of the present study was to determine clinical outcomes after HCV elimination using the glecaprevir/pibrentasvir regimen in HCV‐infected hemodialysis patients.

Methods

This study was a retrospective, six‐center study conducted in Japan, in which 24 hemodialysis patients with HCV genotype 1–2 treated with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir were recruited. Blood examinations were performed at end of treatment (EOT), and at 3, 6, and 12 months post‐treatment during the 12‐month follow‐up period.

Results

The overall sustained virologic response rate was 100% (24/24). During the DAA treatment period, adverse events were observed in 20.8% of patients (5/24), and pruritus was the most frequently observed in 12.5% (3/24). Interestingly, we observed an improved control of anemia after EOT with a significant increase in hemoglobin levels. In addition, total bilirubin was diminished, and platelet counts and albumin, total cholesterol, and alpha‐fetoprotein levels remained unchanged after EOT in hemodialysis patients. Furthermore, erythropoietin concentration was not increased after EOT.

Conclusions

HCV elimination using glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment might be a major breakthrough for the control of anemia in hemodialysis patients.
Nanofibers reinforced silica aerogel composites having flexibility and ultra‐low thermal conductivity
Authors: Zhang Rubing , An Zhimin , Zhao Yue , Zhang Liang , Zhou Peng
Published: December 2019

For the sake of enhancing the performance of flexible silica aerogel in practical applications, flexible SiO2/SnO2 nanofibers (SSNF) reinforced flexible silica aerogel composites (abbreviated as SiO2‐SSNF) were successfully prepared. Firstly, the SiO2/SnO2 nanofibers with fine diameter (~320 nm) and excellent flexibility were prepared by electrospinning technology. Then the aerogel composites were synthesized by adding the flexible SSNF to the silica solution and through the sol‐gel method and ethanol supercritical drying technology. The effects of different content of the nanofibers on thermal conductivity and Yong's modulus of SiO2‐SSNF aerogel composites were investigated. The SiO2/SnO2 nanofibers were randomly dispersed in the flexible silica aerogel and the great integrity of the material result in smaller linear shrinkage, better thermal protection, and mechanical properties compared with those pure SiO2 aerogels. The final SiO2‐SSNF aerogel composites possess excellent thermal conductivity (0.025‐0.029 W/(m∙K)) and higher Yong's modulus (70 kPa), which was twice than that of the pure silica aerogel. This prepared SiO2‐SSNF aerogel composites can be better used in thermal insulation due to its excellent flexible and thermal insulation property.
A trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) perfusion model approach to elucidate the role of blood removal for lipid oxidation and colour changes in ice‐stored fish muscle
Authors: Harrysson Hanna , Swolin Birgitta , Axelsson Michael , Undeland Ingrid
Published: December 2019

Whole body saline‐perfused rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was ice‐stored for 4 weeks and compared with unwashed/washed minces from unbled and bled trout in terms of rancid odour, peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and redness loss. Muscle from saline‐perfused fish, which had 72% less total haem, was deficient in rancid odour during the whole storage, while bled (54% less haem) and unbled samples developed rancid odour already after ~4 and 2 days; higher intensity without bleeding. PV/TBARS also developed in the order unbled > bled > perfused samples; however, PV/TBARS were not as completely prevented as rancid odour after perfusion. Saline washing (3 × 3 volumes) of unbled mince removed 84% haem and yielded the second most stable sample while saline washing (1 × 1 volumes) destabilised unbled mince, despite 64% haem removal. Concurrent antioxidant removal during washing of minces obviously counteracted the effect of blood removal and washing fish mince with small volumes of solution should be used with great care.
Associations between dietary patterns, eating behaviours, and body composition and adiposity in 3‐year‐old children of mothers with obesity
Authors: Dalrymple Kathryn V. , Flynn Angela C. , Seed Paul T. , Briley Annette L. , O'Keeffe Majella , Godfrey Keith M. , Poston Lucilla
Published: December 2019

Background

The relationships between eating habits, behaviours, and the development of obesity in preschool children is not well established.

Objective

As children of mothers with obesity are themselves at risk of obesity, we examined these relationships in a cohort of 482 three‐year‐old children of mothers with obesity from the UK Pregnancy Better Eating and Activity Trial (UPBEAT).

Method

Dietary patterns were derived using factor analysis of an 85‐item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Eating behaviours were assessed using the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). Measures of body composition included age‐specific BMI cut‐offs, WHO z scores, sum of skinfolds, waist and arm circumferences, and body fat percentage. Using adjusted regression analysis, we examined associations between dietary patterns, eating behaviours, and measures of body composition.

Results

Three distinct dietary patterns were defined: “healthy/prudent,” “African/Caribbean,” and “processed/snacking.” The “processed/snacking” pattern was associated with greater odds of obesity; OR 1.53 (95% CI, 1.07‐2.19). The “African/Caribbean” and the “healthy/prudent” patterns were associated with a lower arm circumference (β = −0.23 cm [−0.45 to −0.01]) and sum of skinfolds (β = −1.36 cm [−2.88 to −0.37]), respectively. Lower enjoyment of food and food responsiveness, and greater slowness in eating and satiety, were associated with lower arm and waist circumferences, WHO z scores, and obesity (all P < .05).

Conclusion

In children of mothers with obesity, those who had higher scores on a “processed/snacking” dietary pattern had greater odds of obesity. In contrast, slowness in eating was associated with lower measures of body composition. These novel findings highlight modifiable behaviours in high‐risk preschool children which could contribute to public health strategies for prevention of childhood obesity.
Égalité entre hommes et femmes et gouvernance des chaînes d'approvisionnement mondiales: promouvoir les droits des travailleuses
Authors: BARRIENTOS Stephanie , BIANCHI Lara , BERMAN Cindy
Published: December 2019

La gouvernance privée telle qu'elle découle des différentes initiatives prises par les multinationales pour promouvoir le respect de normes sociales et l'égalité hommes‐femmes a eu peu d'effet sur les discriminations fondées sur le genre dans les chaînes d'approvisionnement mondiales. Les auteures soulignent l'intérêt des Principes directeurs des Nations Unies relatifs aux entreprises et aux droits de l'homme en la matière, estimant qu'il est indispensable de recourir à une gouvernance «stratifiée» associant public, privé et acteurs sociaux pour lutter contre cette discrimination et intégrer le souci de l'égalité des sexes dans l'exercice de la diligence raisonnable exigée en matière de droits de l'homme.
Phase evolution, structure, and up‐/down‐conversion luminescence of Li6CaLa2Nb2O12:Yb3+/RE3+ phosphors (RE = Ho, Er, Tm)
Authors: Du Panpan , Ma Jing , Zhu Qi , Li Ji‐Guang
Published: December 2019

Garnet‐type Li6Ca(La0.97Yb0.02RE0.01)2Nb2O12 (RE = Ho, Er, Tm) new phosphors were successfully synthesized via solid reaction at 900°C for 5 hours, whose course of phase evolution, macroscopic/local crystal structure and up‐/down‐conversion (UC/DC) photoluminescence were clarified. Mechanistic study and materials characterization were attained via XRD, Rietveld refinement, DTA/TG, electron microscopy (FE‐SEM/TEM), and Raman/reflectance/fluorescence spectroscopies. The phosphors were shown to exhibit UC luminescence dominated by a ~ 553 nm green band (5F4/5S2 → 5I8 transition) for Ho3+, a ~ 568 nm green band (4S3/2 → 4I15/2 transition) for Er3+ and a ~ 806 nm near‐infrared band (3H4 → 3H6 transition) for Tm3+ under 978 nm laser excitation, with CIE chromaticity coordinates of around (0.31, 0.68), (0.38, 0.60) and (0.17, 0.24), respectively. Analysis of the pump‐power dependence of UC intensity indicated that all the emissions involve a two‐photon mechanism except for the ~ 486 nm blue emission of Tm3+ (1G4 → 3H6), which requires a three‐photon process. The DC luminescence of these phosphors is featured by dominant bands at ~ 553 nm for Ho3+ (green, 5F4/5S2 → 5I8 transition), ~568 nm for Er3+ (green, 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 transition) and ~ 464 nm for Tm3+ (blue, 1D2 → 3F4 transition). The UC and DC properties were also comparatively discussed.
Enhanced piezoelectric properties of Mn‐modified Bi5Ti3FeO15 for high‐temperature applications
Authors: Wang Qian , Wang Chun‐Ming
Published: December 2019

Bi5Ti3FeO15 (BTF) has recently attracted considerable interest as a typical multiferroic oxide, wherein ferroelectric and magnetic orders coexist. The ferroelectric order of BTF implies its piezoelectricity, because a ferroelectric must be a piezoelectric. However, no extensive studies have been carried out on the piezoelectric properties of BTF. Considering its high ferroelectric‐paraelectric phase transition temperature (Tc ~ 761°C), it is necessary to analyze the piezoelectricity and thermal stabilities of BTF, a promising high‐temperature piezoelectric material. In this study, lightly manganese‐modified BTF polycrystalline oxides are fabricated by substituting manganese ions into Fe3+ sites via the conventional solid‐state reaction method. X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analyses reveal that the resultant manganese‐modified BTF has an Aurivillius‐type structure with m = 4, and that the substitutions of Fe by Mn lead to a distortion of BO6. The temperature‐dependent dielectric properties and direct‐current (DC) resistivity measurements indicate that the Mn ions can significantly reduce the dielectric loss tanδ and increase the DC resistivity. The piezoelectricity of BTF is confirmed by piezoelectric constant d33 measurements; it exhibits a piezoelectric constant d33 of 7 pC/N. Remarkably, BTF with 4 mol% of Mn (BTF‐4Mn) exhibits a large d33 of 23 pC/N, three times that of unmodified BTF, whereas the Curie temperature Tc is almost unchanged, ~765°C. The increased piezoelectric performance can be attributed to the crystal lattice distortion, decreased dielectric loss tanδ, and increased DC resistivity. Additionally, BTF‐4Mn exhibits good thermal stabilities of the electromechanical coupling characteristics, which demonstrates that manganese‐modified BTF oxides are promising materials for the use in high‐temperature piezoelectric sensors.
Effects of TaB2 and TiB2 on the grain growth behavior and kinetics of HfB2 ceramics during pressureless sintering
Authors: Zhu Qi‐Qi , Zhang Zhan , Zhang Yan , Liu Qiu‐Yu , Song Bang‐Chao , Guo Wei‐Ming , Lin Hua‐Tay
Published: December 2019

HfB2, Hf0.95Ta0.05B2, and Hf0.95Ti0.05B2 powders were self‐synthesized and the grain sizes were 2.04, 0.36, and 1.15 μm, respectively. The three powders were pressureless sintered from 1700℃ to 2000℃ to study and compare effects of the introduction of TaB2 and TiB2 on the grain growth behavior and kinetics of HfB2. The results revealed that HfB2 showed moderately slow grain growth in the whole process. However, significant grain growth consistently happened in Hf0.95Ti0.05B2 and Hf0.95Ta0.05B2 at 1900℃ or above. Eventually, the grain size of Hf0.95Ti0.05B2 increased to almost the same as HfB2, but Hf0.95Ta0.05B2 still possessed smaller grains due to the finest original powders. The grain growth exponent was determined to be ~3, and the dominant growth rate‐controlling mechanism was volume diffusion. The average activation energy of HfB2, Hf0.95Ta0.05B2, and Hf0.95Ti0.05B2 for grain growth at 1700℃‐2000℃ was 191 ± 34, 678 ± 73, and 321 ± 61 kJ/mol, respectively.
The experience of mothers supporting self‐determination of adult sons and daughters with intellectual disability
Authors: Curryer Bernadette , Stancliffe Roger J. , Wiese Michele Y. , Dew Angela
Published: December 2019

Background

The right of people with disability to be self‐determining, to live a life of their choosing, is increasingly recognized and promoted. For adults with intellectual disability, support to enable self‐determination may be required. This is often provided by family, yet little is understood about the experience of providing such support.

Methods

An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of eight individual, semi‐structured interviews with mothers was conducted, to understand the meaning given to their experience of supporting self‐determination of their adult son or daughter with intellectual disability.

Results

Three superordinate themes were identified: (a) support context; (b) continuum of support roles; and (c) mother's personal concerns.

Conclusion

Mothers of adults with intellectual disability experience an ongoing sense of responsibility to balance competing rights and concerns as they support self‐determination. This complex, interdependent relationship results in roles that may facilitate, guide, influence and at times restrict choice and control.
Is obesity treated like a contagious disease?
Authors: Tapp Caley , Oaten Megan , Stevenson Richard J. , Occhipinti Stefano , Thandi Ravjinder
Published: December 2019

The behavioral avoidance of people with obesity is well documented, but its psychological basis is poorly understood. Based upon a disease avoidance account of stigmatization, we tested whether a person with obesity triggers equivalent self‐reported emotional and avoidant‐based responses as a contagious disease (i.e., influenza). Two hundred and sixty‐four participants rated images depicting real disease signs (i.e., person with influenza), false alarms (i.e., person with obesity), person with facial bruising (i.e., negative control), and a healthy control for induced emotion and willingness for contact along increasing levels of physical proximity. Consistent with our prediction, as the prospect for contact became more intimate, self‐reported avoidance was equivalent in the influenza and obese target conditions, with both significantly exceeding reactions to the negative and healthy controls. In addition, participants reported greatest levels of disgust toward the obese and influenza target conditions. These results are consistent with an evolved predisposition to avoid individuals with disease signs. Implicit avoidance occurs even when participants know explicitly that such signs—here, obese body form—result from a noncontagious condition. Our findings provide important evidence for a disease avoidance explanation of the stigmatization of people with obesity.
Serum chromogranin A level continuously rises with the progression of type 1 diabetes, and indicates the presence of both enterochromaffin‐like cell hyperplasia and autoimmune gastritis
Authors: Herold Zoltan , Herold Magdolna , Nagy Peter , Patocs Attila , Doleschall Marton , Somogyi Aniko
Published: December 2019

Aims/Introduction

The relationship of chromogranin A (CgA) levels above the normal range with various outcomes, such as glycated hemoglobin levels, enterochromaffin‐like cell hyperplasia and autoimmune gastritis, was investigated in type 1 diabetes patients with special regard to the progression of comorbidities.

Materials and Methods

A cohort study on 153 type 1 diabetes patients was carried out with a prospective branch on clinical and laboratory data, and a retrospective branch on histological data obtained by gastroscopy.

Results

Patients with CgA levels above the upper limit of the normal range (n = 28) had significantly higher glycated hemoglobin levels (P = 0.0160) than those with CgA in the normal range (n = 125). The correlation between CgA and glycated hemoglobin was significant (P < 0.0001), but weak (R = +0.32). A slight, but steady elevation (P = 0.0410) in CgA level was observed to co‐vary with the duration of type 1 diabetes. Enterochromaffin‐like cell hyperplasia and autoimmune gastritis was significantly more frequent (P = 0.0087 for both) in the high CgA group. Detailed analyses on gastric tissue samples confirmed a progression of enterochromaffin‐like cell hyperplasia (P = 0.0192) accompanied by CgA elevation (P = 0.0316).

Conclusions

The early detection and follow up of the later progression of enterochromaffin‐like cell hyperplasia and autoimmune gastritis into gastric neuroendocrine tumors, which have ~100‐fold greater incidence in type 1 diabetes patients, can be achieved by assessment of CgA levels. Therefore, the use of CgA could be considered as a novel auxiliary biomarker in the care of these type 1 diabetes complications.
Microfluidization of full‐fat ice cream mixes: Effects on rheology and microstructure
Authors: Cavender George A. , Kerr William L.
Published: December 2019

Full‐fat ice cream mixes with xanthan or locust bean gum (LBG) were subject to microfluidization at 220–250 MPa, then formed into ice cream. Particle size increased with average values increasing from 2.64 to 3.93 μm for xanthan mixes, and 2.51 to 4.72 μm for LBG mixes, suggesting interaction between polysaccharide and protein components that then aggregate at the lipid interface. Microfluidization marginally increased the shear‐thinning behavior of mixes while dramatically increasing consistency, with xanthan mixes increasing from K = 1.34 to 13.21 Pa s
n, and LBG mixes from 0.127 to 10.64 Pa s
n. Oscillatory tests showed the ice cream from microfluidized mixes were softer, with G′ decreasing four‐fold for microfluidized xanthan‐based ice cream. All samples showed G′ and G″ increased with frequency for samples at −10°C, with G″ generally greater than G′, and suggesting a transition‐to‐flow region over the frequency range of 0.1–100 Hz. Transmission electron microscopy showed that hair‐like structures present on casein were lost after microfludization, potentially enhancing aggregation of protein. Scanning electron microscopy also showed distinct differences between ice cream made from control and microfluidized mixes. Overall, the changes observed were more pronounced in the LBG formulation, which we believe is due to the differences in structure between the two gums.

Practical Applications

Hydrocolloid stabilizers are a common ingredient of ice cream. This work shows that high‐pressure homogenization can be used to alter the nature of protein–polysaccharide interactions in ice cream mix, ultimately increasing mix viscosity and component interactions. Previous work has shown this can improve ice cream creaminess and sensory properties. Alternately, this work suggests that desirable ice cream properties could be attained with lower levels of stabilizers by using microfluidization.
Infliximab trough levels: A comparison between the Quantum Blue Infliximab assay and the established ELISA
Authors: Lim Ming Han , Aluzaite Kristina , Schultz Michael , Casey Paul
Published: December 2019

Background and Aim

Therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab (IFX) using the established laboratory‐based enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) cannot produce results fast enough to allow IFX dose adjustments prior to each IFX infusion. We investigate the validity of IFX trough levels obtained through the Quantum Blue IFX (QB‐IFX) rapid assay compared with the established ELISA.

Methods

Adult inflammatory bowel disease patients receiving maintenance IFX infusions at Middlemore Hospital and Dunedin Public Hospital were prospectively recruited from July to October 2016. Serum samples were stored at −40 °C until processed using QB‐IFX by a clinician at Middlemore Hospital and a research staff at Dunedin Public Hospital strictly following the manufacturers' instructions in an open label fashion.

Results

Forty four inflammatory bowel disease patients were recruited. Median duration of IFX therapy was 21 months (interquartile range: 12–44). Overall, the correlation between ELISA and QB‐IFX trough levels was 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53–0.85). The sensitivity and specificity of a QB‐IFX level < 7 in detecting an ELISA level < 7 were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.59–0.92) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.48–0.93), respectively. Conversely, the sensitivity and specificity of a QB‐IFX level < 2 detecting an ELISA level < 2 were 1.00 (95% CI: 0.52, 1.00) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.85, 1.00), respectively.

Conclusion

The QB‐IFX had excellent sensitivity and specificity for IFX levels < 2 obtained with the established ELISA. Therefore, QB‐IFX could be used for real time dosing decisions when the IFX level is low and dose escalation is required.