bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between increased‐risk donor social behaviors and recipient outcomes after heart transplantation
Authors: Okoh Alexis K. , Chan Olivia , Schultheis Molly , Gupta Mitalie , Shah Aakash , Gold Justin , Russo Mark J. , Lee Leonard Y. , Camacho Margarita
Published: January 2020

Background

This study aims to investigate the association between social behaviors of increased‐risk donors (IRD) and recipient outcomes after heart transplantation.

Methods

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried to identify patients who received a heart transplant between 2004 and 2015. Patients were grouped based on donor's risk status (IRD vs standard risk donor [SRD]). Recipients of IRD were categorized based on donor social behaviors (SB), and recipient survival was assessed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify associations between SB of donors and recipient survival.

Results

Out of 22 333 heart transplantations performed during the study period, 2769 (12%) received an IRD graft with the following SB: Unprofessional tattoos or piercings (n = 1722) (63%), cocaine use (n = 916) (33%), heavy smoking (n = 437) (16%), and heavy alcohol abuse (n = 610) (22%). Viral screens detected 72(3%) hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive and 12 (0.4%) hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive at donation. There was no difference in recipient survival based on both donor risk and their social behaviors. Cox regression analysis found only donor HCV infection and non‐identical ABO mismatch to be associated with poor recipient survival among recipients of IR grafts.

Conclusion

Cardiac allografts from IRD, serologically negative for viruses, can safely be used. There is no association between social behaviors of IRD and recipient survival.
Short‐Term Efficacy of Different First‐Line Chemotherapy Regimens for Advanced Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Network Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Zhang Bei‐Bei , Zhu Weibo , Tao Jun , Li Yun , Du Chuan‐Chong , Chen Yun‐Xia , Liu Yan‐Dong
Published: January 2020

This study intends to compare short‐term efficacy of 12 chemotherapy regimens in treatment of advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by a network meta‐analysis (NMA). PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched from the inception of each database to June 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the 12 chemotherapy regimens for advanced NSCLC were included. Direct and indirect evidence were combined by NMA to evaluate the odds ratio and the surface under the cumulative ranking curves (SUCRA) of the 12 chemotherapy regimens. Nineteen RCTs that met our inclusion criteria were collected in this study. For partial response (PR), gemcitabine exhibited relatively poor efficacy compared with cisplatin + gemcitabine, carboplatin + gemcitabine, carboplatin + paclitaxel, paclitaxel + gemcitabine, and cisplatin + gemcitabine + vinorelbine. For overall response rate (ORR), gemcitabine had poorer efficacy than cisplatin + gemcitabine and paclitaxel + gemcitabine. For disease control rate (DCR), compared with carboplatin + gemcitabine and gemcitabine, paclitaxel + gemcitabine had a better efficacy. Gemcitabine had the lowest SUCRA values in terms of complete response, PR, ORR, stable disease, and DCR; whereas paclitaxel + gemcitabine ranked the highest in ORR, progressive disease, and DCR. The cluster analysis revealed that cisplatin + gemcitabine, paclitaxel + gemcitabine, and cisplatin + gemcitabine + vinorelbine had better short‐term efficacy for advanced NSCLC. Collectively, short‐term efficacy of multidrug combination chemotherapy regimens was superior to that of single‐drug chemotherapy regimens for advanced NSCLC. Cisplatin + gemcitabine, paclitaxel + gemcitabine, and cisplatin + gemcitabine + vinorelbine may have particularly prominent short‐term efficacy for advanced NSCLC.
Alcohol control policies and mortality trends in Belarus
Authors: Grigoriev Pavel , Bobrova Anastacia
Published: January 2020

Background and Aim

Belarus is among the countries that have very high alcohol consumption levels, and that suffer from a huge burden of excessive drinking. This paper aims to explore the peculiarities of the alcohol control policies implemented in Belarus, and to link these policies to the trends in alcohol consumption and mortality.

Data and Methods

Our narrative review of alcohol policies and anti‐alcohol measures is based on the laws, directives and other official documents issued by Belarusian authorities since the early 1990s. The data on alcohol consumption and other relevant variables originate from official statistical books. Our analysis of mortality trends is based upon official statistical tables by causes of death.

Results

Despite the large number of government policy initiatives that authorities claimed were controlling the problem, alcohol consumption in Belarus grew rapidly up to 2010, when it reached the highest level in the world. This negative trend can be largely attributed to inconsistent alcohol control policies. In particular, the implementation of excise taxes encouraged the manufacturing of inexpensive fortified fruit wines. Additionally, measures designed to raise the price of alcohol were inadequate, resulting in strong alcoholic drinks (e.g. vodka) becoming more affordable. However, the third anti‐alcohol campaign, which was launched in 2011, led to declines in both alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related mortality.

Conclusions

Belarus has acquired the experience and the legislative foundation needed to implement effective alcohol control polices. To further reduce alcohol‐related harm in Belarus, a steady and consistent long‐term policy perspective is required.
A Continuous‐Time Markov Chain Model–Based Business Analytics Approach for Estimating Patient Transition States in Online Health Infomediary
Authors: Lim Sanghee , Yim Dobin , Khuntia Jiban , Tanniru Mohan
Published: January 2020

Online health infomediaries are emerging as a critical element in the healthcare sector to support and influence individuals’ health and wellness decisions. The business success and effectiveness of health infomediaries depend on the active and sustained engagement of patients. Although the growth in the number of participants in an infomediary is expected to add value by increasing the diversity of information that is potentially exchanged, the infomediary cannot survive without the sustained engagement of existing users. The challenge is to understand the underlying processes at the operational workflow level of an infomediary that can lead to sustained engagement of patients. For an infomediary to increase engagement, it needs to know not only what motivates participants to join an infomediary but also what keeps them engaged in various stages of participation or transitions. In this study, we employ a Markov Chain modeling approach, along with an analysis of the user activities data, to understand the underlying mechanism of patient engagement along with several transition states in an online health infomediary. We tracked 127,610 members, with more than 1 million activities involved in an online health infomediary that supports cosmetic and reconstructive surgery patients over one year. Patients’ decisions for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery are health and well‐being choices that rely not only on patients’ current situation but also on the knowledge and experience of others. This relevance of the health infomediary context is explored in this study. We sampled the activities of 32,505 active users’ activities with data on more than 500,000 activities. We analyzed the dynamics of user behaviors by modeling longitudinal transition probabilities across different states of participation. Additional analyses and robustness checks, using text‐mined data from the users’ activities, are introduced to gain nuanced insights into user engagement. Our study provides several practical implications for the design and management of an online health infomediary.
Characterization of a Parkinson’s disease rat model using an upgraded paraquat exposure paradigm
Authors: Cristóvão Ana Clara , Campos Filipa L. , Je Goun , Esteves Marta , Guhathakurta Subhrangshu , Yang Lichuan , Beal M. Flint , Fonseca Beatriz M. , Salgado Antonio J. , Queiroz João , Sousa Nuno , Bernardino Liliana , Alves Gilberto , Yoon Kyung‐Sik , Kim Yoon‐Seong
Published: January 2020

Animal models of human diseases are crucial experimental tools to investigate the mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis and to develop new therapies. In spite of the numerous animal models currently available that reproduce several neuropathological features of Parkinson disease (PD), it is challenging to have one that consistently recapitulates human PD conditions in both motor behaviors and biochemical pathological outcomes. Given that, we have implemented a new paradigm to expose rats to a chronic low dose of paraquat (PQ), using osmotic minipumps and characterized the developed pathologic features over time. The PQ exposure paradigm used lead to a rodent model of PD depicting progressive nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration, characterized by a 41% significant loss of dopaminergic neuron in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), a significant decrease of 18% and 40% of dopamine levels in striatum at week 5 and 8, respectively, and a significant 1.5‐fold decrease in motor performance. We observed a significant increase of microglia activation state, sustained levels of α‐synucleinopathy and increased oxidative stress markers in the SNpc. In summary, this is an explorative study that allowed to characterize an improved PQ‐based rat model that recapitulates cardinal features of PD and may represent an attractive tool to investigate several mechanisms underlying the various aspects of PD pathogenesis as well as for the validation of the efficacy of new therapeutic approaches that targets different mechanisms involved in PD neurodegeneration.
A behavioural trait displayed in an artificial novel environment correlates with dispersal in a wild bird
Authors: Jablonszky Mónika , Krenhardt Katalin , Markó Gábor , Szász Eszter , Hegyi Gergely , Herényi Márton , Kötél Dóra , Laczi Miklós , Nagy Gergely , Rosivall Balázs , Török János , Garamszegi László Zsolt
Published: January 2020

Behaviour shown in a novel environment has important consequences for fitness in many animals. It is widely studied with standard tests by placing the individuals into an unfamiliar experimental area, that is the so‐called open‐field or novel environment test. The biological relevance of traits measured under such artificial conditions is questionable and could be validated by establishing a link with variables that truly reflect exploration in the wild. Our aim in this field study was to characterize behaviours measured in an artificial novel environment (an aviary) and assess the biological relevance of them in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). Therefore, we measured the repeatability and the association of multiple behavioural traits, as well as their relationship with breeding dispersal (that reflects exploration in the wild). We found evidence for non‐zero repeatability for number of crosses between the quarters, number of hops and perching latency in the aviary, and these repeatabilities were high when assessed at shorter time windows. Additionally, birds with short perching latency in the novel environment were more likely residents and bred closer to their breeding nest box in the previous year, which may suggest that latency to perch is connected to dispersal in the wild. In sum, our results indicate that behaviours assessed in an artificial environment are individual‐specific at least on smaller timescales, and at least, one component of these behaviours is correlated with an ecologically relevant trait.
Embracing Retirement
Authors: Self‐Mullens Lizabeth
Published: January 2020

Do you ever wake up thinking that you might like to do something different today? Preretirement contemplation began for me at least a year before I actually retired. During this time, individuals consider balance of work and family, timing, retirement planning, retirement expectations, health, and financial security. Those factors along with the exit from employment—gradual or abrupt—often influence adjustment to and satisfaction with retirement. Engaging activity, identity bridging, and family support can lead to a meaningful retirement experience allowing for increased involvement, new endeavors, and opportunity to contribute and to make room for others to begin successful careers.
Online multiaxial fatigue damage evaluation method by real‐time cycle counting and energy‐based critical plane criterion
Authors: Xue L. , Shang D.‐G. , Li D.‐H. , Li L.‐J. , Xia Y. , Hui J.
Published: January 2020

To realize online multiaxial fatigue damage assessment for the mechanical components in service, an online multiaxial cycle counting method is proposed coupled with the segment processing technique and Wang‐Brow's relative equivalent strain concept. Meanwhile, considering all the stress and strain components, which contribute to the fatigue damage on the critical plane, a multiaxial fatigue damage model without any weight coefficients is also proposed in an equivalent form of shear strain energy. Then, an online fatigue damage evaluation method for multiaxial random loading is developed by combining with the proposed damage model and online cycle counting method. The experimental results showed that the proposed online cycle counting method can be successfully applied to the calculation of multiaxial fatigue damage under random loading. Moreover, the proposed online multiaxial fatigue damage evaluation method can provide satisfactory predictions.
Effect of microstructural modification on damage tolerance of 34CrMo4 shaft steel
Authors: Özcan Burak , Gürer Göksu , Gür Cemil H.
Published: January 2020

Overall damage tolerances of the heat‐treated 34CrMo4 steels having ferritic‐pearlitic, bainitic, and tempered‐martensitic microstructures were evaluated based on their threshold stress intensity factor prior to small crack propagation, fatigue strength, and fracture toughness under static loading. Kitagawa‐Takahashi diagrams were constructed to determine the limiting size of small crack propagation. The micromechanical effects of carbide morphology and phase distribution on quasi‐static and dynamic mechanical properties were also elaborated. Fractographic investigations were carried out on the notched fatigue test specimens to distinguish deterioration and deformation mechanism of the microstructure under reversed cyclic loads. Finally, improvements in the damage tolerance were discussed to present the advantages and disadvantages of each heat treatment procedure to minimize in‐service fatigue failures.
Multiple axes of ecological vulnerability to climate change
Authors: Kling Matthew M. , Auer Stephanie L. , Comer Patrick J. , Ackerly David D. , Hamilton Healy
Published: January 2020

Observed ecological responses to climate change are highly individualistic across species and locations, and understanding the drivers of this variability is essential for management and conservation efforts. While it is clear that differences in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity all contribute to heterogeneity in climate change vulnerability, predicting these features at macroecological scales remains a critical challenge. We explore multiple drivers of heterogeneous vulnerability across the distributions of 96 vegetation types of the ecologically diverse western US, using data on observed climate trends from 1948 to 2014 to highlight emerging patterns of change. We ask three novel questions about factors potentially shaping vulnerability across the region: (a) How does sensitivity to different climate variables vary geographically and across vegetation classes? (b) How do multivariate climate exposure patterns interact with these sensitivities to shape vulnerability patterns? (c) How different are these vulnerability patterns according to three widely implemented vulnerability paradigms—niche novelty (decline in modeled suitability), temporal novelty (standardized anomaly), and spatial novelty (inbound climate velocity)—each of which uses a distinct frame of reference to quantify climate departure? We propose that considering these three novelty paradigms in combination could help improve our understanding and prediction of heterogeneous climate change responses, and we discuss the distinct climate adaptation strategies connected with different combinations of high and low novelty across the three metrics. Our results reveal a diverse mosaic of climate change vulnerability signatures across the region's plant communities. Each of the above factors contributes strongly to this heterogeneity: climate variable sensitivity exhibits clear patterns across vegetation types, multivariate climate change data reveal highly diverse exposure signatures across locations, and the three novelty paradigms diverge widely in their climate change vulnerability predictions. Together, these results shed light on potential drivers of individualistic climate change responses and may help to inform effective management strategies.
Marine latitudinal diversity gradients, niche conservatism and out of the tropics and Arctic: Climatic sensitivity of small organisms
Authors: Chiu Wing‐Tung Ruby , Yasuhara Moriaki , Cronin Thomas M. , Hunt Gene , Gemery Laura , Wei Chih‐Lin
Published: January 2020

Aim

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is a consequence of evolutionary and ecological mechanisms acting over long history, and thus is best investigated with organisms that have rich fossil records. However, combined neontological‐palaeontological investigations are mostly limited to large, shelled invertebrates, which keeps our mechanistic understanding of LDGs in its infancy. This paper aims to describe the modern meiobenthic ostracod LDG and to explore the possible controlling factors and the evolutionary mechanisms of this large‐scale biodiversity pattern.

Location

Present‐day Western North Atlantic.

Taxon

Ostracoda.

Methods

We compiled ostracod census data from shallow‐marine environments of the western North Atlantic Ocean. Using these data, we documented the marine LDG with multiple metrics of alpha, beta (nestedness and turnover) and gamma diversity, and we tested whether macroecological patterns could be governed by different environmental factors, including temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and primary productivity. We also explored the geologic age distribution of ostracod genera to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms underpinning the LDG.

Results

Our results show that temperature and climatic niche conservatism are important in setting LDGs of these small, poorly dispersing organisms. We also found evidence for some dispersal‐driven spatial dynamics in the ostracod LDG. Compared to patterns observed in marine bivalves, however, dispersal dynamics were weaker and they were bi‐directional, rather than following the ‘out‐of‐the‐tropics’ model.

Main conclusions

Our detailed analyses revealed that meiobenthic organisms, which comprise two‐thirds of marine diversity, do not always follow the same rules as larger, better‐studied organisms. Our findings suggest that the understudied majority of biodiversity may be more sensitive to climate than well‐studied, large organisms. This implies that the impacts of ongoing Anthropocene climatic change on marine ecosystems may be much more serious than presently thought.
Juvenile case with the coexistence of maturity‐onset diabetes of the young 1 and later‐onset latent autoimmune diabetes in youth
Authors: Yoshida Kei , Urakami Tatsuhiko , Mine Yusuke , Kuwabara Remi , Morioka Ichiro
Published: January 2020

We present the case of a 12‐year‐old Japanese girl, who was positive for markers of both maturity‐onset diabetes of the young and latent autoimmune diabetes in youth. She was initially diagnosed with maturity‐onset diabetes of the young 1 based on the molecular analysis, and she later developed an autoimmune response, leading to β‐cell‐associated antibody‐positive diabetes. She was treated with incretin‐associated drugs and maintained adequate glycemic control. Pathophysiologically, there was an overlap between the two different types of diabetes, because the hyperglycemia and β‐cell stress seen in non‐autoimmune diabetes can cause β‐cell autoimmunity over time.
Egg‐size plasticity in Apis mellifera: Honey bee queens alter egg size in response to both genetic and environmental factors
Authors: Amiri Esmaeil , Le Kevin , Melendez Carlos Vega , Strand Micheline K. , Tarpy David R. , Rueppell Olav
Published: January 2020

Social evolution has led to distinct life‐history patterns in social insects, but many colony‐level and individual traits, such as egg size, are not sufficiently understood. Thus, a series of experiments was performed to study the effects of genotypes, colony size and colony nutrition on variation in egg size produced by honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens. Queens from different genetic stocks produced significantly different egg sizes under similar environmental conditions, indicating standing genetic variation for egg size that allows for adaptive evolutionary change. Further investigations revealed that eggs produced by queens in large colonies were consistently smaller than eggs produced in small colonies, and queens dynamically adjusted egg size in relation to colony size. Similarly, queens increased egg size in response to food deprivation. These results could not be solely explained by different numbers of eggs produced in the different circumstances but instead seem to reflect an active adjustment of resource allocation by the queen in response to colony conditions. As a result, larger eggs experienced higher subsequent survival than smaller eggs, suggesting that honey bee queens might increase egg size under unfavourable conditions to enhance brood survival and to minimize costly brood care of eggs that fail to successfully develop, and thus conserve energy at the colony level. The extensive plasticity and genetic variation of egg size in honey bees has important implications for understanding life‐history evolution in a social context and implies this neglected life‐history stage in honey bees may have trans‐generational effects.
Near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for taxonomic entomology: A brief review
Authors: Johnson Joel
Published: January 2020

For over two decades, near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been applied to a wide spectrum of problems in the field of insect taxonomy. It provides a rapid, non‐destructive and relatively cheap method of metabolomic profiling, which can often be used to discriminate closely related species in the same genus. Furthermore, very little training or entomological knowledge is required to operate the instrument. However, a taxonomist is still required to ensure accurate identification of samples used for NIRS model creation and validation. To date, most research has focused on species of economic or epidemiological importance, such as mosquitoes, flies or stored product pests. However, an increasing number of studies are applying NIRS for entomological research with a purely “academic” purpose. As research continues in this field, NIRS has the potential to become more widely accepted in entomology, allowing for the rapid metabolomic profiling of thousands of species.
Partial characterization and in vitro evaluation of a lytic bacteriophage for biocontrol of Campylobacter jejuni in mutton and chicken meat
Authors: Thung Tze Young , Lee Epeng , Mahyudin Nor Ainy , Wan Mohamed Radzi Che Wan Jasimah , Mazlan Nurzafirah , Tan Chia Wanq , Radu Son
Published: January 2020

Campylobacter jejuni is a major foodborne pathogen causing acute bacterial enteritis worldwide. Screening of novel bacteriophages as biocontrol tools to eliminate C. jejuni in food during pre‐ and postharvest is an emerging research field. In this study, we partially characterized C. jejuni bacteriophage CJ01 for potential use as biocontrol agent. Transmission electron microscopy revealed bacteriophage CJ01 belonged to the Myoviridae family with a genome size of approximately 136 kb. The results of host range assay revealed CJ01 was able to infect C. jejuni and C. lari strains, with burst size about 35 phages per infected cell and latent period of 30 min. The effectiveness of bacteriophage CJ01 (with 100 multiplicity of infection = 100) was determined in mutton and chicken meat artificially contaminated with C. jejuni. The amount of C. jejuni in treated mutton and chicken meat were significantly reduced by 1.70 log CFU/g and 1.68 log CFU/g, respectively, after 48 hr stored at refrigeration temperature (4°C). The data presented here suggest that bacteriophage CJ01 can be used as a postharvest biocontrol agent.
Phototropin‐ and photosynthesis‐dependent mitochondrial positioning in Arabidopsis thaliana mesophyll cells
Authors: Islam Md Sayeedul , Van Nguyen Toan , Sakamoto Wataru , Takagi Shingo
Published: January 2020

Mitochondria are frequently observed in the vicinity of chloroplasts in photosynthesizing cells, and this association is considered necessary for their metabolic interactions. We previously reported that, in leaf palisade cells of Arabidopsis thaliana, mitochondria exhibit blue‐light‐dependent redistribution together with chloroplasts, which conduct accumulation and avoidance responses under the control of blue‐light receptor phototropins. In this study, precise motility analyses by fluorescent microscopy revealed that the individual mitochondria in palisade cells, labeled with green fluorescent protein, exhibit typical stop‐and‐go movement. When exposed to blue light, the velocity of moving mitochondria increased in 30 min, whereas after 4 h, the frequency of stoppage of mitochondrial movement markedly increased. Using different mutant plants, we concluded that the presence of both phototropin1 and phototropin2 is necessary for the early acceleration of mitochondrial movement. On the contrary, the late enhancement of stoppage of mitochondrial movement occurs only in the presence of phototropin2 and only when intact photosynthesis takes place. A plasma‐membrane ghost assay suggested that the stopped mitochondria are firmly adhered to chloroplasts. These results indicate that the physical interaction between mitochondria and chloroplasts is cooperatively mediated by phototropin2‐ and photosynthesis‐dependent signals. The present study might add novel regulatory mechanism for light‐dependent plant organelle interactions.
Combined genome‐wide association study and transcriptome analysis reveal candidate genes for resistance to Fusarium ear rot in maize
Authors: Yao Lishan , Li Yanmei , Ma Chuanyu , Tong Lixiu , Du Feili , Xu Mingliang
Published: January 2020

Fusarium ear rot, caused by Fusarium verticillioides, is a devastating fungal disease in maize that reduces yield and quality; moreover, F. verticillioides produces fumonisin mycotoxins, which pose serious threats to human and animal health. Here, we performed a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) under three environmental conditions and identified 34 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were significantly associated with Fusarium ear rot resistance. With reference to the maize B73 genome, 69 genes that overlapped with or were adjacent to the significant SNPs were identified as potential resistance genes to Fusarium ear rot. Comparing transcriptomes of the most resistant and most susceptible lines during the very early response to Fusarium ear rot, we detected many differentially expressed genes enriched for pathways related to plant immune responses, such as plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and cytochrome P450 metabolism. More than one‐fourth of the potential resistance genes detected in the GWAS were differentially expressed in the transcriptome analysis, which allowed us to predict numbers of candidate genes for maize resistance to ear rot, including genes related to plant hormones, a MAP kinase, a PR5‐like receptor kinase, and heat shock proteins. We propose that maize plants initiate early immune responses to Fusarium ear rot mainly by regulating the growth‐defense balance and promoting biosynthesis of defense compounds.
Management of bleeding irregularities among etonogestrel implant users: Is combined oral contraceptives pills or nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs the better option?
Authors: Upawi Siti N. , Ahmad Mohd F. , Abu Muhammad A. , Ahmad Shuhaila
Published: January 2020

Aim

This study is to evaluate whether unacceptable bleeding among the etonogestrel implant user could be better alleviated using combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP) or nonsteroidal anti‐inflammation drugs (NSAID).

Methods

This is a prospective randomized study for evaluation of 84 etonogestrel implant (Implanon) users with prolonged or frequent bleeding. They were assigned to either receiving a COCP containing 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol/150 mg desogestrel for two continuous cycle or NSAID; mefenamic acid 500 mg TDS for 5 days, 21 days apart for two cycles. Bleeding pattern during the treatment was recorded and analyzed.

Results

A total of 32 women (76.2%) in COCP group and 15 women (35.7%) in NSAID group stop bleeding within 7 days after the initiation of treatment which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mean duration of bleeding and spotting days in women treated with COCP was significantly lesser compared to NSAID group (7.29 ± 3.16 vs 10.57 ± 4.14 days (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

We conclude that COCP is more efficient compared to NSAID in managing bleeding irregularities among etonogestrel implant users.
Relationship between thin physique at 6 years and metabolic disease risks in middle‐aged Japanese women: The Suita study
Authors: Katsuragi Shinji , Okamura Tomonori , Kokubo Yoshihiro , Watanabe Makoto , Higashiyama Aya , Ikeda Tomoaki , Miyamoto Yoshihiro
Published: January 2020

Aim

We previously reported that female babies born small developed cardiovascular risks in middle age. The present study was conducted using the same cohort to examine the relationship between physique at 6 years and the metabolic disease risk in middle age.

Methods

Data collected from 721 women aged 41–69 years who underwent a medical examination at a single institution between 2007 and 2008 were retrospectively examined. We collected data from medical examinations and a questionnaire on physique (thin, normal, and fat) at 6 years. The relationship between birthweight and physique at 6 years was investigated.

Results

Among females who were born small (< 2500 g), 80%, 16%, and 4% became thin, normal, or fat, respectively, by 6 years. Physique at 6 years had a negative relationship with future triglyceride, fasting glucose, HbA1C, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) levels and a positive relationship with high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Conclusion

Although our findings may be specific to the study population, physique at 6 years had a negative relationship with the metabolic disease risk in middle‐aged Japanese women. Insulin and MOMA‐IR levels negatively correlated with physique at 6 years, and development from low birthweight infants to childhood obesity was rare in this cohort.
Atlantoaxial bands in small breed dogs: influence of external pressure by the endotracheal tube tie
Authors: Kim Y. J. , Lee S. , Jung J. , Jung H. , In S. , Chang J. , Chang D. , Fahie M.
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of dorsal cervical spinal compression in a population of dogs susceptible to caudal occipital dysplasia. To determine whether endotracheal tube ties iatrogenically alter the dorsal compression ratio in the atlantoaxial region.

Materials and Methods

Prospective, randomised, controlled, cross‐over, blinded cohort study of dogs weighing <15 kg and presenting for neurologic signs localised to the cervical region. In mid‐sagittal T2‐weighted MR images, dorsal cervical compression and cerebellar compression were evaluated. Dorsal cervical compression ratios were calculated and compared to determine the effect of the endotracheal tube tie on the atlantoaxial region depending on whether dogs were in extended or flexed neck position.

Results

Prevalence of dorsal cervical spinal compression consistent with an atlantoaxial band was 32/44 (73%) dogs without tie pressure and 37/44 (84%) dogs with tie pressure. Significantly higher compression ratios were found with tie placement over the craniocervical region. Dorsal compression ratios of dogs with cerebellar compression were significantly greater than those without it.

Clinical Significance

The location of the endotracheal tube tie can influence interpretation of MR images of the craniocervical region of small breed dogs. These breeds more often had greater dorsal cervical spinal compression with tie pressure, especially when they had cerebellar compression.
Long‐term hormone replacement treatment in a horse with central diabetes insipidus
Authors: Durie Inge , van Galen Gaby
Published: January 2020

This case report describes the clinical presentation, and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches of a 4‐year‐old gelding presented with severe polyuria and polydipsia. The horse was diagnosed with central diabetes insipidus. After diagnosis, different therapeutic regimens with intraocular desmopressin acetate (Minirin, Ferring GmbH, Kiel, Germany) (a synthetic arginine vasopressin analog) were tested, but without success. Only the subcutaneous injection of desmopressin acetate (Minirin, Ferring GmbH) led to an increase in urine specific gravity and a decrease in water intake and urine output. Daily subcutaneous treatment with desmopressin acetate (Minirin, Ferring GmbH) was initiated and maintained for at least 5 years. The horse did not develop adverse effects or re‐occurrence of the initial complaints. This case report describes successful long‐term treatment of central diabetes insipidus in a horse.
Enhancing citizenship through nursing care in Brazil: Patients' struggle against austerity policies
Authors: da Silva Rodrigo Nogueira , Ferreira Márcia de Assunção
Published: January 2020

Interpersonal relations play a critical role in both the conception and dynamics of Brazilian citizenship. Under the influence of neoliberalism, patients must build strategies to access high‐quality health care services. This study aimed to analyze the role of interpersonal relations involved in the access to and delivery of health care services in Brazil amid the influence of austerity policies and the role of nurses in enhancing citizenship through nursing care. Thirty‐one patients in a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, participated in qualitative interviews. A lexical analysis was conducted to analyze the interview data using Alceste® software, version 2012. The results were interpreted in light of both theoretical constructs of the Brazilian citizenship and biological subcitizenship propositions. Two lexical classes revealed contents about strategies used by patients to access high‐quality health care. In the context of budget cuts due to austerity policies, cultural aspects of Brazilian citizenship have influenced access to high‐quality health care services by creating two distinct conditions. Some patients acted as super‐citizens, while others acted as subcitizens. Nurses across the globe must spearhead the struggle for universal and equitable health care access at all levels, without losing sight of wider sociocultural aspects.
The Wage Penalty for Married Women of Career Interruptions: Evidence from the 1970s and the 1990s
Authors: Jones John Bailey , Kim Minhee , Park Byoung G.
Published: January 2020

The goal of this paper is to assess how the wage penalty for career interruptions by married women changed between the 1970s and the 1990s. We estimate the wage penalty for career interruptions using the work‐history model and PSID data. We use several approaches to control for various forms of endogeneity and selection bias. Our empirical results suggest that (i) the wage penalty for married women's career interruptions increased from 40.4% to 73.7% over the period, (ii) the ratio of the wage penalty for married women to that of married men also increased, from 1.33 to 2.43, (iii) Blinder–Oaxaca decompositions show that changes in education‐ or occupation‐specific wage penalties account for most of the wage penalty increase.
Matching habitat choice: it's not for everyone
Authors: Camacho Carlos , Hendry Andrew P.
Published: January 2020

Matching habitat choice is a habitat preference mechanism based on self‐assessment of local performance, such that individuals settle in the habitats that are best suited to their phenotypes, promoting local adaptation. Despite the important evolutionary implications of matching habitat choice, examples from natural populations are rare. One possible reason for this apparent rarity is that phenotype‐matching habitat choice might be manifest only in those population segments for which the cost of a phenotype–environment mismatch is high, although this hypothesis remains to be tested. Here, we test for matching habitat choice in a breeding population of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka where the strength of performance tradeoffs across environments, and therefore the costs of mischoosing, can be evaluated in meaningful discrete groups (e.g. male versus females, and ocean‐age 2 versus ocean‐age 3). Consistent with matching habitat choice, salmon of similar ocean‐age and size tended to cluster together in sites of similar water depth. However, matching habitat choice was only favored (longer life span) in 3‐ocean females – the segment of the population most vulnerable to bear predation. Our findings support the hypothesis that matching habitat choice is more likely to be evident in those segments of a population that suffer a major cost of mischoosing, leading to ‘partial matching habitat choice’.
Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients with Prior Femoral and Tibial Fractures: Outcomes and Risk Factors for Surgical Site Complications and Reoperations
Authors: Wang Xing‐shan , Zhou Yi‐xin , Shao Hong‐yi , Yang De‐jin , Huang Yong , Duan Fang‐fang
Published: January 2020

Objective

To investigate the outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with a prior femoral or tibial fracture, and identify the risk factors for surgical site complications and reoperations.

Methods

Seventy‐one TKAs performed in 71 patients with a prior tibial or femoral fracture between January 2005 and December 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. Forty males (40 knees) and 31 females (31 knees) were included. The mean age at the time of TKA was 59.2 (range, 29–83) years. Outcomes were assessed using the Knee Society score before surgery and at the final follow‐up visit. The patients' satisfaction rates were evaluated. Complications and reoperations were recorded by clinical and radiographic assessment. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for surgical site complications and reoperations.

Results

The median follow‐up period was 4.7 (range, 3.2–7.1) years. The median knee range of motion increased from 90° preoperatively to 110° at the latest follow‐up. The Knee Society knee score and function score improved from 35 (30, 40) and 40 (30, 50) to 90 (82, 93) and 90 (65, 100), respectively. The degree of overall satisfaction after TKA surgery was very satisfied in 41 patients, satisfied in 20 patients, neutral in four patients, dissatisfied in four patients, and very dissatisfied in two patients. The overall satisfaction (very satisfied and satisfied) rate was 85.9% (61 knees). Twelve knees (16.9%) had 19 surgical site complications. Six knees (8.3%) underwent reoperations, including one revision due to periprosthetic joint infection, one debridement and implant retention for superficial infection, two debridements for delayed wound healing, one open reduction and internal fixation for supracondylar fracture, and one re‐fixation and bone grafting for hardware failure after a combined femoral shaft osteotomy and TKA. Preoperative patella baja was diagnosed in 12 knees, and was identified as a risk factor for surgical site complications and reoperations.

Conclusions

TKA for post‐fracture osteoarthritis significantly relieved pain and improved function, but the incidence of surgical site complications and reoperations was high. Preoperative patella baja was a risk factor for surgical site complications and reoperations.
Keeping a watchful eye in times of turmoil? How repeated structural reform leads to more attention to political signals
Authors: Wynen Jan , Kleizen Bjorn , Verhoest Koen , Lægreid Per , Rolland Vidar
Published: January 2020

An important rationale for the creation of semi‐autonomous agencies is to create some distance between politics and administration. As such, agencies are expected to shield policy implementation from the daily concerns of political life. However, political actors and politically controlled ministries still influence agencies in various intended and unintended ways. This article focuses on intensive long‐term series of structural reforms and how they may undermine the original design philosophy underpinning agencification. We utilize a dataset combining staff surveys and a structural reform database to perform multilevel analyses of employees nested in organizations. We find that the frequency with which agencies have experienced structural reform affects the weight that employees attach to signals from political and ministerial principals. Frequent structural reform may lead to heightened perceptions of the importance of political signals. Hence, frequent structural reforms may increase the risk of political influence on agencies that were designed to operate impartially.
Experimental investigation of insect deposition in lentic environments and implications for formation of Konservat Lagerstätten
Authors: Tian Qingyi , Wang Shengyu , Yang Zixiao , McNamara Maria E. , Benton Michael J. , Jiang Baoyu
Published: January 2020

Terrestrial insects are often remarkably well preserved in lacustrine Konservat Lagerstätten. However, the assumption that carcasses should sink fast through the water column seems contradictory as this scenario is unlikely due to excessive buoyancy and surface tension. The mechanisms that promote rapid and permanent emplacement onto the sediment surface (RPESS) of such terrestrial animal remains are not fully understood. Here we use taphonomic experiments to show that floating in water, growth of microbial biofilms and reception of rapid sediment load promote RPESS of terrestrial insect remains in lentic water bodies. Our results show that the optimum conditions for RPESS occur when terrestrial insects enter a lentic water body in articulation, experience brief decay in association with growth of microbes, then are buried rapidly by airborne volcanic ash. These results provide a model for preservation of articulated terrestrial insects and emphasize the importance of microbial activity and volcanism for insect preservation in lacustrine Konservat Lagerstätten.
A pathogenesis‐related protein GmPR08‐Bet VI promotes a molecular interaction between the GmSHMT08 and GmSNAP18 in resistance to Heterodera glycines
Authors: Lakhssassi Naoufal , Piya Sarbottam , Bekal Sadia , Liu Shiming , Zhou Zhou , Bergounioux Catherine , Miao Long , Meksem Jonas , Lakhssassi Aicha , Jones Karen , Kassem My Abdelmajid , Benhamed Moussa , Bendahmane Abdelhafid , Lambert Kris , Boualem Adnane , Hewezi Tarek , Meksem Khalid
Published: January 2020

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines) is the most devastating pest affecting soybean production worldwide. SCN resistance requires both the GmSHMT08 and the GmSNAP18 in ‘Peking’‐type resistance. Here, we describe the molecular interaction between GmSHMT08 and GmSNAP18, which is potentiated by a pathogenesis‐related protein GmPR08‐Bet VI. Like GmSNAP18 and GmSHMT08, GmPR08‐Bet VI expression was induced in response to SCN and its overexpression decreased SCN cysts by 65% in infected transgenic soybean roots. Overexpression of GmPR08‐Bet VI did not have an effect on SCN resistance when the two cytokinin‐binding sites in GmPR08‐Bet VI were mutated, indicating a new role of GmPR08‐Bet VI in SCN resistance. GmPR08‐Bet VI was mapped to a QTL for resistance to SCN using different mapping populations. GmSHMT08, GmSNAP18 and GmPR08‐Bet VI localize to the cytosol and plasma membrane. GmSNAP18 expression and localization hyper‐accumulated at the plasma membrane and was specific to the root cells surrounding the nematode in SCN‐resistant soybeans. Genes encoding key components of the salicylic acid signalling pathway were induced under SCN infection. GmSNAP18 and GmPR08‐Bet VI were also induced under salicylic acid and cytokinin exogenous treatments, while GmSHMT08 was induced only when the resistant GmSNAP18 was present, pointing to the presence of a molecular crosstalk between SCN‐resistant genes and defence genes. Expression analysis of GmSHMT08 and GmSNAP18 identified the need of a minimum expression requirement to trigger the SCN resistance reaction. These results provide insight into a new response mechanism towards plant nematode resistance involving haplotype compatibility, gene dosage and hormone signalling.
Pediatric liver transplant following near catastrophic head bleed: Lessons learned
Authors: Cuenca Alex G. , Hardy Stephen , Shah Uzma , Lawlor David , Ordulu Zehra , Sierra Velez Desiree , Olshan Katherine , Butler William , Yeh Heidi
Published: January 2020

Evaluation for liver transplant candidacy is a multidisciplinary effort that involves all aspects of clinical care including social work, nutrition, and a multitude of medical specialties. The prognosis of a pretransplant clinical condition is integrated into the decision to list a patient. Herein, we report a successful liver transplant and recovery of a 3‐month‐old male following a large right hemispheric subdural hematoma related to acute coagulopathy secondary to undiagnosed end‐stage liver disease. On presentation with jaundice, lethargy, and unequal pupils, a CT scan was obtained which demonstrated a large right subdural hematoma with herniation. Once his coagulopathy was corrected, he went for decompressive craniectomy. He survived with medically controlled seizures and improving L‐sided neglect and extremity weakness. Six weeks later, given his continued neurologic recovery and worsening liver function, the decision was made to list him for liver transplantation. One month later, he underwent orthotopic liver transplant. His post‐operative hospital course was complicated by DVTs and heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia, but no neurologic decline, and he was eventually discharged from the hospital on post‐op day 26. Three years later, he has a well‐functioning allograft and no clinically evident neurologic deficits. The prognosis following pediatric neurologic trauma remains somewhat unclear as recovery and neurologic examinations can be influenced by numerous extrinsic factors. This is one of the first reports of near full neurologic recovery of a pediatric liver transplant recipient following a large subdural hematoma with herniation.