bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The results of HLA‐incompatible kidney transplantation according to pre‐transplant crossmatch tests: Donor‐specific antibody as a prominent predictor of acute rejection
Authors: Kwon Hyunwook , Kim Young Hoon , Kim Jee Yeon , Choi Ji Yoon , Shin Sung , Jung Joo Hee , Park Su‐Kil , Han Duck Jong
Published: March 2019

Background

Crossmatching (XM) between organ donors and recipients is correlated with clinical outcomes. This study evaluates the results of HLA‐incompatible kidney transplant (HLA‐i KT) according to pre‐transplant XM modalities.

Methods

This study included 731 consecutive patients. HLA‐i KT was defined as a transplant under conditions of complement‐dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) XM positivity, flow‐cytometric XM (FCXM) positivity, and/or maximal donor‐specific antibody (DSA) mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) ≥5000.

Results

The incidence of antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR) within 1 year after transplant was significantly higher in the HLA‐i group than in the HLA compatible (HLA‐c) group (15 vs 9 patients, 14.2% vs 1.4%; P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis indicated that a DSA MFI ≥5000 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00‐6.98; P = 0.05) was significantly associated with acute rejection (AR), whereas CDC (OR = 2.09; 95% CI, 0.55‐7.99; P = 0.28) and FCXM positivity (OR = 2.07; 95% CI, 0.73‐5.87; P = 0.17) were not. Similarly, DSA MFI ≥ 5000 (OR = 4.14; P = 0.02) was the only significant factor affecting the risk of AMR.

Conclusions

Of the various XM tests, DSA MFI ≥5000 was the most prominent predictor of AR in patients undergoing HLA‐i KT.
Predicting fisheries bycatch: A case study and field test for pilot whales in a pelagic longline fishery
Authors: Thorne Lesley H. , Baird Robin W. , Webster Daniel L. , Stepanuk Julia E. , Read Andrew J.
Published: March 2019

Aim

Fisheries bycatch is a major threat to populations of protected species such as marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles, and static management approaches are often unsuccessful in mitigating bycatch of these highly mobile species. Combining species distribution models (SDMs) with oceanographic data has been proposed as a means of predicting when and where bycatch is likely to occur. However, studies assessing whether SDMs can accurately predict fisheries bycatch using independent data are lacking. Assessing model performance using independent data is necessary to test whether a model is generalizable, and this is particularly important for models with management applications. Here, we use short‐finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) bycatch in a pelagic longline fishery as a case study to inform efforts to mitigate fisheries bycatch.

Location

Offshore waters, north‐east United States.

Methods

We integrated telemetry and oceanographic data using mixed‐effects generalized additive models to predict pilot whale occurrence and assessed model performance using k‐folds cross‐validation. We then evaluated the model's ability to predict pilot whale bycatch using data from independent on‐board observers.

Results

The model performed well, and predictions were strongly and significantly correlated with observed rates of bycatch in space and time. Temperature and proximity to mesoscale oceanographic features (thermal fronts and sea level anomalies) were important predictors of pilot whale occurrence, and as a result, spatial predictions of the risk of bycatch varied through time.

Main conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that SDMs can be used to accurately predict times and places with a high risk of bycatch, and illustrate that models using dynamic oceanographic variables can identify smaller, more specific focal management regions than static management approaches. Combining SDMs with near real‐time or forecasted environmental conditions could provide a promising tool for decreasing bycatch and will be valuable in developing adaptive management strategies to mitigate fisheries bycatch of protected species.
Irradiation effect on the structure of bacterial communities associated with the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis
Authors: Stathopoulou Panagiota , Asimakis Elias D. , Khan Mahfuza , Caceres Carlos , Bourtzis Kostas , Tsiamis George
Published: March 2019

The role of symbiotic microbes in insects, especially the beneficial character of this interaction for insects, has received much attention in recent years as it has been related to important aspects of the host insects' biology such as development, reproduction, survival, and fitness. Among insect hosts, tephritid fruit flies are well known to form beneficial associations with their symbionts. To control these destructive agricultural pests, environmentally friendly approaches, like the sterile insect technique as a component of integrated pest management strategies, remain most effective. In this study, changes in the bacterial profile of mass‐reared oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), were examined in both larval and adult stages and also after irradiation by employing a 16S rRNA gene‐based Illumina sequencing approach. Proteobacteria was the prevalent bacterial phylum in non‐irradiated adults and larvae. Alphaproteobacteria was the most abundant class in larvae but almost absent in adults, which was dominated by Gammaproteobacteria. Firmicutes were present in both developmental stages but at lower relative abundance. At genus level, Acetobacter prevailed in the larval stage and members of the Enterobacteriaceae family in adults. Irradiated samples exhibited higher diversity and richness indices compared to the non‐irradiated oriental fruit flies, whereas no significant changes were observed between the two developmental stages of the non‐irradiated samples. Lactobacillus, members of the Orbacecae family, and Morganella were detected but to a lesser degree upon irradiation, whereas the relative abundance of Lactococcus and Orbus increased. The bacterial profile of larvae appeared to be different compared to that of adult B. dorsalis flies. The subsequent application of irradiation at the pupal stage led to the development of different microbiota between treated and untreated samples, affecting diversity and operational taxonomic unit composition. Irradiated samples of oriental fruit flies were characterized by higher species diversity and richness.
Visual crowding involves delayed frontoparietal response and enhanced top‐down modulation
Authors: Han Qiming , Luo Huan
Published: March 2019

Crowding, the disrupted recognition of a peripheral target in the presence of nearby flankers, sets a fundamental limit on peripheral vision perception. Debates persist on whether the limit occurs at early visual cortices or is induced by top‐down modulation, leaving the neural mechanism for visual crowding largely unclear. To resolve the debate, it is crucial to extract the neural signals elicited by the target from that by the target‐flanker clutter, with high temporal resolution. To achieve this purpose, here we employed a temporal response function (TRF) approach to dissociate target‐specific response from the overall electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings when the target was presented with (crowded) or without flankers (uncrowded) while subjects were performing a discrimination task on the peripherally presented target. Our results demonstrated two components in the target‐specific contrast‐tracking TRF response—an early component (100–170 ms) in occipital channels and a late component (210–450 ms) in frontoparietal channels. The late frontoparietal component, which was delayed in time under the crowded condition, was correlated with target discrimination performance, suggesting its involvement in visual crowding. Granger causality analysis further revealed stronger top‐down modulation on the target stimulus under the crowded condition. Taken together, our findings support that crowding is associated with a top‐down process which modulates the low‐level sensory processing and delays the behavioral‐relevant response in the high‐level region.
Methylphenidate dose–response behavioral and neurophysiological study of the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens in adolescent rats
Authors: Broussard Elzia , Reyes‐Vazquez Cruz , Dafny Nachum
Published: March 2019

The psychostimulant methylphenidate (MPD) is the most common medication used in treating ADHD in children. Studies have shown an increasing prevalence among adolescents without ADHD to take MPD as a cognitive booster and recreational drug, even though it is a Schedule II drug and has a high potential for abuse. The objective of this study is to explore if there is an association between the animals’ behavioral and neurophysiological responses to acute and/or chronic methylphenidate exposure within the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens, and to compare how these two brain structures fire in response to methylphenidate. Freely moving adolescent rats implanted with semimicroelectrodes within the VTA and NAc were divided into three MPD dosing groups: 0.6, 2.5, and 10 mg/kg i.p., as well as a saline control group. The animals were divided into two groups based on their behavioral responses to chronic MPD, behavioral sensitization and tolerance, and the neuronal responses of the two groups were compared for each MPD dosing. Significant differences in the proportion of neuronal units in the VTA and NAc responding to MPD were observed at the 0.6 and 10.0 mg/kg MPD dosing groups. Moreover, the same doses of 0.6, 2.5, and 10.0 mg/kg MPD elicited behavioral sensitization in some animals and behavioral tolerance in others. This specific study shows that the VTA and NAc neurons respond differently to the same doses of MPD. MPD has different neuronal and behavioral effects depending on the individual, the dosage of MPD, and the brain structure studied.
Inflammatory process in Parkinson disease: neuroprotection by neuropeptide Y
Authors: Pain Stéphanie , Vergote Jackie , Gulhan Zuhal , Bodard Sylvie , Chalon Sylvie , Gaillard Afsaneh
Published: March 2019

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigro‐striatal pathway. Interestingly, it has already been shown that an intracerebral administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY) decreases the neurodegeneration induced by 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) in rodents and prevents loss of dopamine (DA) and DA transporter density. The etiology of idiopathic PD now suggest that chronic production of inflammatory mediators by activated microglial cells mediates the majority of DA‐neuronal tissue destruction. In an animal experimental model of PD, the present study shows that NPY inhibited the activation of microglia evaluated by the binding of the translocator protein (TSPO) ligand [3H]PK11195 in striatum and substantia nigra of 6‐OHDA rats. These results suggest a potential role for inflammation in the pathophysiology of the disease and a potential treatment by NPY in PD.
Inheritance regimes: Medieval family structures and current institutional quality
Authors: Broms Rasmus , Kokkonen Andrej
Published: March 2019

This study highlights the impact that medieval patterns of intrafamily inheritance practices wield on contemporary institutional quality. We argue that regions that practiced inegalitarian inheritance developed stronger institutions than regions that practiced egalitarian inheritance, for two reasons. First, we argue that transmitting land to a single heir resulted in a sense of personal ownership and, by extension, encouraged individual property rights. Second, we argue that the fact that disinherited children were incentivized to seek training and employment outside the family domicile in regions practicing inegalitarian inheritance resulted in trust‐building social interactions. We test our argument using data on medieval inheritance patterns and modern‐day institutional quality in European subnational regions and across countries globally. Our results show that historical inegalitarian inheritance practices are strongly positively associated with contemporary institutional quality. We conclude that historical norms at the family level are still affecting important modern‐day societal functions.
Consequences of stress induced by heat on fitness ofDelphacodes kuscheliand its yeast‐like endosymbionts
Authors: de la Fuente Daniela , Maciá Arnaldo , Cano María Eugenia , Toledo Andrea Vanesa , Brentassi María Eugenia
Published: March 2019

The planthopperDelphacodes kuscheliis the main vector of Mal de Río Cuarto virus in Argentina, disease that severely affects maize production. In this study, we investigated the effects of heat stress on fitness traits and on the number of its obligate yeast‐like symbionts (YLS). The exposition of newly‐hatched nymphs to 35°C for 3 days, a well‐known procedure used to reduce the number of YLS in planthoppers, was applied. To compare different fitness components between control and heat‐treated insects, we estimated nymphal instars development time, nymphal survival, adult body length, longevity, fecundity and fertility. Also, correlates of fitness, as proportion of sexes and wing forms of the emerging adults, were evaluated. In heat‐treated group, the nymphal developmental time increased due to an increase in the fifth instar duration, and the nymphal survival, body length of adults and fecundity were reduced when compared to control. There was a significant association between treatments (control and heat‐treated insects) and wing morphs. The heat treatment successfully reduced the number of YLS in third instar nymphs ofD. kuscheli. Our results revealed the negative effect of heat stress on development, survival and reproduction ofD. kuscheliand on the load of its YLS endosymbionts suggesting that YLS could play a crucial role in the development and reproduction of these planthoppers.
Qualitative and quantitative cues in consumers' valuation of food safety: Evidence from Lebanon
Authors: Chalak Ali , Diab Mohammad , Kassem Issmat I. , Abiad Mohamad G.
Published: March 2019

In this work, we explore consumers' behavior toward the joint provision of qualitative and quantitative food safety information. To this end, we conduct a choice experiment involving a representative sample of 700 households from Beirut, Lebanon, designed around the purchase of a high risk Middle Eastern traditional street food, “shawarma.” The surveyed household sample was divided among two treatments where one was provided with additional quantitative risk reduction information, hence labeled “informed” versus the other which is labeled as “uninformed”. Accordingly, we compare the willingness to pay (WTP) values between both informed and uninformed respondents given typical risk reduction levels using mixed‐logit. The analysis illustrates that consumers were less likely to choose more expensive products—all else being equal—with the average consumer preferring to buy shawarma sandwiches from “round the corner” shops as opposed to walking for more than 10 min, driving or ordering delivery. However, when food safety attributes were introduced preference shifted significantly toward food safety certification in all iterations as compared to no certification. This preference is independent of whether risk reduction information was provided. Nevertheless, once quantitative risk reduction information was shared, the results revealed a decrease in preference for food safety certificates. Accordingly, our results query the validity of incomplete risk information in food safety certifications and challenge some of the implications of risk communication on consumers' choice highlighting the need for improved and well‐defined risk communication strategies.

Practical applications

Based on our results, we foresee a merit for public authorities in Lebanon to review and upgrade the current food safety monitoring and certification services and couple them with assertive and well‐publicized risk reduction communication strategies. On the other hand, we suggest that the cost associated with these services should be heavily discounted or subsidized to benefit small and street food vendors. This will provide a powerful incentive for them to substantially improve on their food safety and hygiene practices. Given the evidence on the high premiums consumers are willing to pay for safer foods and transparent risk communication, such an incentive will become more persuasive for small food vendors. Accordingly, this will establish a robust market for street food safety in general and street foodborne risk communication in particular with considerable welfare gains to street food vendors which will ultimately shape consumer behavior.
Adhesive and oxidative response of stem cell and pre‐osteoblasts on titanium and zirconia surfaces in vitro
Authors: Wei Chenxuan , Gong Ting , Pow Edmond H. N. , Botelho Michael G.
Published: March 2019

Aim

The aim of the present study was to investigate the initial stem cell and pre‐osteoblast cell adhesion and oxidative response on zirconia in comparison with titanium.

Methods

Human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) and murine pre‐osteoblasts (MC3T3‐E1) cells were cultured on zirconia and titanium surfaces, and at 3‐, 12‐, and 24‐hour intervals, cell viability and morphology were determined with tetrazolium based colorimetric assay, scanning electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence analysis. The in situ reactive oxygen species level of both cells on each material surface was examined after 24‐hour culture.

Results

Both DPSC and MC3T3‐E1 cells revealed comparable morphological features during 24‐hour cell adhesion processes, with cells continued expanding of cell size and increasing of cell viability on titanium and zirconia surfaces during 24‐hour culture. Zirconia demonstrated relatively higher mean cell viability compared to titanium within 24‐hour culture, with significantly higher DPSC viability at 12 hours after seeding (P < 0.05). Relatively higher mean reactive oxygen species levels in both DPSC and MC3T3E1 were found on zirconia surfaces after 24‐hour culture compared to titanium.

Conclusions

From the results, zirconia as a potential dental implant substrate demonstrated equivalent or better initial cellular responses compared to titanium.
Analysis of the microstructure of bulk MgB2 using TEM, EBSD and t‐EBSD
Authors: KOBLISCHKA‐VENEVA A. , KOBLISCHKA M.R. , SCHMAUCH J. , NOUDEM J. , MURAKAMI M.
Published: March 2019

EBSD analysis can provide information about grain orientation, texture and grain boundary misorientation of bulk superconducting MgB2 samples intended for supermagnet applications. However, as the grain size of the MgB2 bulks is preferably in the 100–200 nm range, the common EBSD technique operating in reflection mode works only properly on highly dense samples. In order to achieve reasonably good Kikuchi pattern quality on all types of MgB2 samples, we apply here the newly developed transmission EBSD (t‐EBSD) technique to spark‐plasma sintered MgB2 samples. This method requires the preparation of TEM slices by means of focused ion‐beam milling, which are then analysed within the SEM, operating with a custom‐built sample holder. To obtain multiphase scans, we identified the Kikuchi pattern of the MgB4 phase which appears at higher reaction temperatures and may act as additional flux pinning sites. We present here for the first time EBSD mappings of multiple phases, which include MgB2, MgB4 and MgO.

Lay Description

The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique operating in the scanning electron microscope provides information on the crystallographic orientation the material by recording Kikuchi patterns. In polycrystalline samples, it becomes possible to analyse the orientations of the grains to each other. The metallic superconductor with the currently highest superconducting transition temperature, MgB2 with a Tc of 38.5 K, can be used in applications in polycrystalline form. One such application of interest are trapped field magnets or supermagnets, where the superconductor cooled in an applied magnetic field can trap the magnetic field as vortices at numerous flux pinning sites in the sample. When the external magnetic field is removed, the sample will stay magnetised as long as it is kept cool, and importantly, the trapped magnetic fields can be much higher as for any permanent magnet. However, the small size of the MgB2 grains in the 100–200 nanometre range requires a different approach when using the EBSD technique on such samples. The recently developed EBSD technique working in transmission mode (t‐EBSD) helps considerably to image such materials. In this approach, a tiny TEM slice has to be milled out from the original sample by using focused ion beam milling. To understand the properties of the flux pinning in the spark‐plasma sintered MgB2 sample, we had to identify the Kikuchi pattern of MgB4, which is another, non‐superconducting phase appearing at higher reaction temperatures required to compact the material. Using this information, we could perform EBSD scans using three different phases, MgB2, MgB4 and MgO. The EBSD mappings enable to see where the secondary phase particles are located in the sample, and to judge if the particles could work as flux pinning sites.
Group Prenatal Care for Women Receiving Medication‐Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy: An Interprofessional Approach
Authors: Sutter Mary Beth , Watson Hannah , Bauers Ariele , Johnson Kate , Hatley Mandy , Yonke Nicole , Leeman Lawrence
Published: March 2019

Opioid use disorder among pregnant women is common and rapidly increasing nationwide. Group prenatal care is an innovative alternative to individual care for pregnant women and has been shown to improve women's and health care providers’ satisfaction and adherence to care. We describe a novel group prenatal care program colocated in an opioid treatment program that integrates prenatal care, substance use disorder counseling, and medication‐assisted treatment. Our interprofessional model draws on the unique contributions of physicians, midwives, nurses, and mental health professionals to address the complex needs of pregnant women with opioid use disorder. Participants reported increased trust and engagement with health care providers and peers, improved prenatal care and birth experience, and increased resilience for relapse prevention. Group prenatal care is an accepted and promising model for women with opioid use disorder in pregnancy and has the potential to improve outcomes for women and newborns.
CONTROLS ON FRACTURE FLOW POTENTIAL IN A TIGHT CARBONATE RESERVOIR: SAYINDERE FORMATION (CAMPANIAN), WEST ADIYAMAN BASIN, SE TURKEY
Authors: Ozkaya S. I. , Dölek T. , Yapan K. , Durukan B. Alper
Published: March 2019

Identifying controls on the permeability of fluid‐conductive fractures is critical in tight reservoirs, but this is challenging in tectonically complex regions such as foothills belts where there may have been multiple stages of deformation and fracturing. Fracture permeability depends on fracture aperture and connectivity, both of which are affected by tectonism and cementation. Among the many factors that control the cementation history, oil charging may play an important role. Important challenges in studies of fractured reservoirs in tectonically complex regions include determining the timing (and intensity) of fracturing events relative to that of the oil charge, verifying the presence of matrix storage, and establishing the fracture cementation history.

This paper reports on a comparative fracture study of four small‐scale oilfields in the west Adıyaman Basin, located within the foothills belt of the Tauride suture zone in SE Turkey. Here the tight reservoir carbonates of the Sayındere Formation (Campanian) were subjected to repeated phases of structural deformation. Major deformation phases took place in Campanian and Maastrichtian times, before oil charging into the reservoir began in the Eocene; and in the Late Eocene – Oligocene and Late Miocene, after the oil charge. Fractures that were generated before oil emplacement appear to have been cemented or partially cemented by calcite as indicated by cross‐cutting cemented fractures on borehole images. Partially‐cemented fractures in cores are oil‐stained with cement‐lined walls, suggesting cementation began before oil emplacement but was not completed. Image logs and cores also show the presence of clean, open fractures with no cement present on the walls. These open fractures cut across the cemented or partially‐cemented fractures, and are in general related to Late Miocene compressional folding. Open fracture density is correlated to Late Miocene fold curvature and asymmetry in the four oilfields studied. Of these fields, the Șambayat structure is the tightest and most asymmetric anticline and hence has the maximum open fracture density; this field also has the highest oil potential.

Although the available data is not sufficient to evaluate the effects of oil charging on fracture cementation definitively, the observations are consistent with a model that oil charge into the fractured Sayındere Formation carbonates inhibited or slowed calcite cementation. Hence fracturing of a carbonate reservoir after oil emplacement may significantly enhance the fracture permeability, and may even render a tight reservoir prospective.
GEOCHEMISTRY OF SEEP AND PRODUCED OIL SAMPLES FROM SOUTHERN CAMEROON
Authors: Agyingi C. M. , Abanda P. A. , Fozao K. F. , Njoh O. A. , Epanty A. F. , Tangko N. C. , Kwangkam F. N. , Eseme E.
Published: March 2019

Crude oil samples from surface seeps in the Douala Basin (southern Cameroon) and from producing fields in the nearby Rio del Rey and Kribi‐Campo sub‐basins were analysed for bulk and molecular geochemical parameters by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The aims of the study were to assess the composition of the oils, to evaluate the relationship between the seep oils and the oils from producing fields, and to highlight the significance of the data for oil exploration in the region. Chromatograms of the saturate fractions of the oils exhibit biodegradation ranging from very light (PM1 on the scale of Peters and Moldowan, 1993) in oil from the offshore Lokele field in the Rio del Rey sub‐basin, to severe (PM 6+) for seep oils from the Douala Basin. A plot of Pr/n‐C17(1.3– 5.0) versus Ph/n‐C18(0.8–2.6) for the samples further supports mild biodegradation in some samples (Lokele, Kole, Ebome), and demonstrates that the oils from the Lokele and Kole fields (Rio Del Rey sub‐basin) and from Ebome field (Kribi‐Campo sub‐basin) originated from mixed organic matter with a dominant marine contribution. The Pr/Ph ratio (1.8–2.3) for the Lokele, Kole and Ebome oil samples, and the V/(V+Ni) ratios (< 0.5) for the seep oils (Douala Basin) and the oils from the Lokele, Kole and Ebome fields, indicate derivation from source rocks deposited in oxic – dysoxic environments. The CPI (1.0–1.1) demonstrates that the Lokele and Ebome oils originated from mature source rocks, with the ratios of C3122S/(S+R) (0.57 to 0.63) and C30‐βαH/C30‐αβH (0.18–0.23) for the Lokele, Kole and Moudi samples indicating early oil window maturity. Both V/(V+Ni) ratios (0.06–0.22) and δ13C (‐26.96 to ‐24.89 ‰) were used for correlation of the oils, with the seep oils from the Douala Basin showing the closest relationship to the oil from the Lokele field. The presence of mature Type II / III source rocks in different basins in southern Cameroon suggests significant potential for oil exploration in the region.
Effects of the Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities Intervention on Functional Fitness of Rural Women
Authors: Pullyblank Kristin , Strogatz David , Folta Sara C. , Paul Lynn , Nelson Miriam E. , Graham Meredith , Marshall Grace A. , Eldridge Galen , Parry Stephen A. , Mebust Sean , Seguin Rebecca A.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purposes of these analyses were to determine whether Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities (SHHC), a multilevel, cardiovascular disease risk reduction program for overweight, sedentary rural women aged 40 or older, led to improved functional fitness, and if changes in fitness accounted for weight loss associated with program participation.

Methods

Sixteen rural communities were randomized to receive the SHHC intervention or a control program. Both programs involved groups of 12‐16 participants. The SHHC program met 1 hour twice a week for 24 weeks where participants engaged in aerobic exercise and progressive strength training. Program content addressed diet and social and environmental influences on heart‐healthy behavior. The control group met 1 hour each month for 6 months, covering current dietary and physical activity recommendations. Objective measures of functional fitness included the 30‐second arm curl, 30‐second chair stand, and 2‐minute step test. Self‐reported functional fitness was measured by the Physical Functioning Subscale of the MOS Short Form‐36 (SF‐36 PF).

Findings

The SHHC program was associated with increased strength and endurance, as represented by greater improvement in the chair stand and step test; and with increased physical function, as represented by the SF‐36 PF. Adjustment for change in aerobic endurance, as measured by the step test, accounted for two‐thirds of the intervention effect on weight loss at the end of the intervention.

Conclusions

SHHC participants experienced improved performance on objective measures of functional fitness and self‐reported measures of physical function, and changes in weight were partially accounted for by changes in aerobic fitness.
A model of different cognitive processes during spontaneous and intentional coupling to music in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Moumdjian Lousin , Moens Bart , Vanzeir Ellen , De Klerck Beatrijs , Feys Peter , Leman Marc
Published: March 2019

Evidence for using auditory–motor coupling in neurological rehabilitation to facilitate walking is increasing. However, the distinction between spontaneous and intended coupling and its underlying mechanisms is yet to be investigated. In this study, we include 30 persons with multiple sclerosis and 30 healthy controls (HCs) in an experiment with two sessions in which participants were asked to walk to music with various tempi, matching their preferred walking cadence (PWC) up to 10% above in incremental steps of 2%. In the first session, no instructions were given to synchronize. In the second, participants were instructed to synchronize steps to the beats. Spontaneous synchronization was possible at 0% and +2% of the PWC, and fewer persons with multiple sclerosis were able to do so compared with HCs. Instruction was needed to synchronize at above +2% tempo in all participants. In the instructed session, the +6% condition marked a cutoff for cognitively impaired persons, as they were no longer able to synchronize. Based on our findings, we constructed a model illustrating that spontaneous entrainment is limited, operating during spontaneous coupling at only 0% and +2% of the PWC, and that at a higher tempo, entrainment requires intentional synchronization, with an active cognitive control mechanism.
Identification of loci for single/double flower trait by combining genome‐wide association analysis and bulked segregant analysis in peach (Prunus persica)
Authors: Meng Ge , Zhu Gengrui , Fang Weichao , Chen Changwen , Wang Xinwei , Wang Lirong , Cao Ke
Published: March 2019

Background

Peach is a typical perennial fruit crop that can be categorized both as an ornamental and edible crop. Double flower is an important appearance trait, in which breeders are pursuing in high‐quality ornamental peach breeding. The single/double flower character in peach is controlled by one gene, Dl, and the underlying genetic mechanism is unknown.

Objective

In this study, we explored the genetic basis of single/double flower trait in peach in a genome‐wide association study using 1 042 687 SNPs characterized in 201 accessions.

Methodology

Four loci were identified to be significantly associated with the trait on chromosomes (Chr.) 1, 2 and 6. Besides, the bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was performed with two DNA bulks (single and double flower pool) from the F1 population plants of a cross 'Juhuatao' × 'Honggengansutao'.

Results

We found a genomic region on Chr. 2 by the BSA, which overlapped the association peak on Chr. 2 in the GWAS—denoted as a region harbouring Dl. Finally, a candidate gene was identified by expression analysis of different plant tissues.

Conclusion

Our results provide insights into the genetic basis of flower shape and might facilitate marker‐assisted selection breeding for ornamental peach.
Pulmonary carcinosarcoma characterized by small round cells with neuroendocrine, myogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation: An extremely rare case
Authors: Nakamura Harumi , Tamiya Motohiro , Sato Yukinaga , Tsuta Koji , Okami Jiro , Nakatsuka Shin‐ichi
Published: March 2019

Carcinosarcoma is a clonal tumor developed through sarcomatoid changes in a carcinoma via the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we present an extremely rare case of pulmonary carcinosarcoma characterized by components suggesting pluripotency, namely neuroendocrine, myogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation, based on immunohistochemical analysis. A 42‐year‐old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital. Analysis of tumor tissue after right upper lobe lobectomy revealed a transition between carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. Immunohistochemical analysis suggested immortality owing to complete loss of p53 and diffuse expression of p16 in both the carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. There were also scattered cell groups expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1, SOX2, CD133, and c‐kit, suggesting the possible presence of cancer stem cells. Our findings in this case suggested that the EMT may play a key role in mediating the immortality of tumor cells in carcinosarcoma and facilitating the pluripotency of cancer stem cells.
The experience of the nurse caring for families of patients at the end of life in the intensive care unit
Authors: Rivera‐Romero Nathaly , Ospina Garzón Heidi Paola , Henao‐Castaño Angela Maria
Published: March 2019

The patient who enters at the intensive care unit (ICU) usually does because of health conditions that are sometimes irreversible and lead to death, and the care at the end of life becomes the main factor of this situation; therefore, the aim of this article was to understand the meaning of the experience of giving care to families at the end of life in an ICU. For this reason, a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological research was carried out. For the data collection, a semi‐structured interview was conducted to 18 participants, and the results were returned to each of the participants in order to validate each of the categories and interpretations. Among these results, two main categories were identified: emotional response of the nurse to the family and nursing care to the family of patients at the end of life. It was concluded that the nurses working at the ICU are facing aspects related to the end of life that generates emotional and psychological burden; additionally, they do not have specific training in this subject, especially in relation to the care of the families in this situation, for which they provide this care based on empiricism.
The influence of an eHealth intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes on the patient–nurse relationship: a qualitative study
Authors: Lie Silje S. , Karlsen Bjørg , Graue Marit , Oftedal Bjørg
Published: March 2019

Background

A constructive patient–nurse relationship is beneficial in self‐management support approaches. Research indicates eHealth interventions hold a potential for self‐management support for adults with type 2 diabetes. However, eHealth may change the patient–nurse relationship. No studies to date have addressed how eHealth self‐management support interventions with written asynchronous communication can influence the relationship between patients and nurses.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore how an eHealth intervention based on the Guided Self‐Determination program (eGSD) influences the patient‐nurse relationship from the perspective of patients participating and the nurses conducting the intervention.

Methods

A qualitative approach with individual semi‐structured interviews was used. Ten patients with type 2 diabetes who completed the eGSD and four nurses who delivered the intervention participated. The data were transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the text.

Results

The findings revealed two themes: ‘eGSD facilitates a reciprocal understanding and a flexibility in the relationship’ and ‘eGSD creates a more fragile relationship’, reflecting ambiguous experiences with the eGSD.

Conclusion and relevance to clinical practice

The findings indicate that eGSD influences the patient–nurse relationship by facilitating reciprocal understanding and flexibility. Both patients and RNs acknowledged these outcomes as beneficial. Nevertheless, familiar in‐person consultations were expressed as integral for the patient–nurse relationship. As written communication in eHealth is a novelty, it demands new knowledge and expertise that RNs must master. Findings from this study may therefore be acknowledged when developing and implementing eHealth interventions. Education programs in written eHealth communication, as well as guidelines and frameworks on how to professionally and effectively conduct eHealth services while maintaining supportive patient–nurse relationships, should be a priority for institutions that educate healthcare personnel, health institutions and other stakeholders.
Patients experiences of bedside handover: findings from a meta‐synthesis
Authors: Bressan Valentina , Cadorin Lucia , Stevanin Simone , Palese Alvisa
Published: March 2019

Background

Bedside shift reports have been recently recommended to ensure handovers. However, no evidence summarising studies designed to determine the qualitative approaches capable of better understanding patient experience have been published to date.

Aim

The aim of this study was to acquire a deeper understanding of the experiences of patients regarding bedside shift reports.

Data sources and review methods

A systematic review of qualitative studies followed by a meta‐synthesis method based upon Sandelowski's and Barroso's guidelines was performed. Four databases were systematically explored (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO) without any limitation in time and up to the 31 August 2018. A total of 10 studies were included and evaluated in their methodological quality; then, a thematic synthesis was developed to synthetize the findings.

Results

Three major themes reflect patients’ experience regarding the bedside shift reports: (i) ‘Being involved’; (ii) ‘Being the centre of nursing care processes’; and (iii) ‘Experiencing critical issues’. Patients are supportive of bedside shift reports as a right, as an opportunity to be involved, and of being in the centre of the nursing care process. By designing and implementing bedside shift reports, nurses also have an opportunity to increase patient safety and to provide concrete proof of the advancements achieved by the nursing profession in recent years.

Conclusions

The bedside shift reports experience has been little studied to date from the perspective of patients. According to the findings, implementation of the bedside shift reports should include providing education to nurses with regard to the preferences and expectations of patients, as well as the critical issues that they can experience during the bedside shift reports. Presenting the bedside shift reports method, asking patient consent, discussing potential critical issues and the degree of involvement preferred at hospital admission, is strongly recommended.
Intradialytic hypotension and splanchnic shifting: Integrating an overlooked mechanism with the detection of ischemia‐related signals during hemodialysis
Authors: Daugirdas John T.
Published: March 2019

In the most simple analysis, a patient's hematocrit during hemodialysis will rise when the rate of ultrafiltration exceeds the rate at which the fluid is mobilized from extravascular spaces; the greater the rise in hematocrit, the lower blood volume is and the more likely intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is to occur. A secondary mechanism of IDH may be due to sudden shift of blood volume away from the heart under conditions of borderline cardiac filling. A substantial portion of blood volume resides in the splanchnic venous system. During the early part of dialysis, a centripetal shift of red cells from this anatomical region to the central circulation has been documented to occur. The magnitude of this shift is unpredictable, and it may depend on the level of splanchnic vasoconstriction predialysis. The amount of splanchnic shift may also be reduced in patients with autonomic dysfunction. Once this central shift in blood volume has occurred, it can be reversed during further ultrafiltration due to ischemia‐induced release of vasodilatory molecules that cause dilation of upstream splanchnic arterioles; this causes increased transmission of arterial pressure to the splanchnic veins, acutely increasing their capacity. The increased splanchnic venous capacity may cause a sudden shift of blood away from the central circulation to fill these veins under conditions where cardiac filling has already been reduced. The result can be severe IDH due to insufficient cardiac filling and cardiac output. One fruitful preventive approach might be to continuously monitor the blood or dialysate for the sudden appearance of such ischemia‐related molecules or other signals which may herald not only dialysis hypotension but tissue stunning, warning that the fluid removal rate should be immediately reduced.
Mixed vs full donor engraftment early after hematopoietic cell transplant: Impact on incidence and control of cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Green Jaime S. , Shanley Ryan M. , Brunstein Claudio G. , Young Jo‐Anne H. , Verneris Michael R.
Published: March 2019

Recovery of cytomegalovirus (CMV)‐specific immunity after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is essential in controlling CMV infection. We hypothesize that mixed donor engraftment as measured by chimerism at day 30 in CMV D(+) HCTs and full chimerism in CMV D(−) HCTs will be predictive of CMV reactivation. Prospectively collected data for 407 CMV R+ HCT recipients transplanted from 2006 to 2014 at the University of Minnesota were retrospectively analyzed. Full and mixed donor engraftment were defined as ≥95% or <95% donor cells at day 30, respectively. Source of engraftment determination included preferentially peripheral blood CD3 fraction, then myeloid cell fraction (CD15+), then bone marrow. In 407 CMV R+ subjects, 77% (n = 313) were CMV D(−) cells from umbilical cord blood (n = 209), peripheral blood (n = 58) or marrow (n = 46). Fifty three per cent received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC). At day +30, full donor engraftment was seen in 82% of myeloablative and 55% of RIC transplants. The cumulative incidence of CMV infection 1‐year after transplant was not different in patients with full (54%, n = 276) or mixed (53%, n = 131) donor engraftment. Control of CMV did not significantly differ among the two groups. In multiple regression analysis, there was no significant association between donor engraftment (mixed or full) and incidence or control of CMV.
Impact of human leukocyte antigen and calculated panel reactive antibody on BK viremia in kidney transplant recipients: A single‐center experience and literature review
Authors: El‐Husseini Amr , Hassan Waleed , Yaseen Maria , Suleiman Belal , Saleh Sherif , Malik Omar , Ashqar Hasan , Maibam Amita , Mei Xiaonan , Castellanos Ana L. , Cornea Virgilius , Gedaly Roberto , Waid Thomas
Published: March 2019

Background

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to investigate the effect of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and calculated panel reactive antibody (cPRA) on BK virus activation as evidenced by BK viremia (BKV).

Patients and Methods

At our institution, 649 kidney transplant patients were screened for BKV from 2009 to 2017. Patients were considered to have BKV if they had >10 000 copies/mL of BK DNA in their blood. Donor and recipient HLA and cPRA, demographic, clinical and laboratory data, as well as immunosuppressive medications were collected.

Results

We identified 122 BK positive and 527 BK negative patients. Only 25% of the patients had cPRA of 20% or more, and 64% had more than three HLA‐A, ‐B, and ‐DR mismatches. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, male gender, age, and maintenance of steroid therapy significantly increased the risk of BKV (P = 0.005, 0.005 and <0.001, respectively). The degree of cPRA and the individual HLA allele and HLA allele matching did not significantly affect BKV.

Conclusion

Neither the degree of HLA mismatching nor cPRA appears to affect BKV. Moreover, no specific HLA allele, HLA allele matching, or cPRA were associated with BKV.
The cell tube block technique and an immunohistochemistry panel including Wilms tumor 1 to assist in diagnosing cavitary effusions in dogs and cats
Authors: Marcos Ricardo , Marrinhas Carla , Malhão Fernanda , Canadas Ana , Santos Marta , Caniatti Mario
Published: March 2019

Background

Cell blocks and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are increasingly recognized as being complementary tools for cytologic diagnostics, especially for neoplastic diseases.

Objectives

The study aimed to evaluate the utility of cell tube block (CTB) IHC for refining the diagnosis of effusions in dogs and cats.

Methods

Cavitary effusions (n = 25) from dogs and cats classified by cytology as reactive, neoplastic, borderline (suspicious of neoplasia), and chylous were studied. CTB sections were stained with H&E, and immunostained with PAX‐5, CD3, pancytokeratin (CK), vimentin, and Wilms tumor 1 protein (WT1) antibodies, according to the cytologic diagnoses. A histologic case series of confirmed normal, reactive, and neoplastic mesothelium and several different carcinomas were included to test the utility of WT1 as a marker of mesothelial cells.

Results

CTBs had a layered appearance with reduced background staining. CD3 and PAX5 immunolabeling allowed immunophenotype assessment in all of the lymphoma cases. In carcinomatous effusions, neoplastic cells were CK‐positive, WT1‐negative, and vimentin‐negative (except for two cases). Wilms tumor 1 protein was positive in the nuclei of normal, reactive, and neoplastic mesothelial cells, and ovarian carcinomatous cells. Other carcinomas and lymphomas were negative.

Conclusions

CTBs are valuable tools to assist in making a diagnosis of cavitary effusions in dogs and cats, and WT1 is a promising marker to differentiate mesothelial from carcinomatous cells.