bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inter-mortality displacement hypothesis and short-term effect of ambient air pollution on mortality in seven major cities of South Korea: a time-series analysis
Authors: Kim Honghyok , Lee Jong-Tae 
Published: August 2020

Abstract

Background
Inter-mortality displacement (IMD) between cause-specific mortalities has not been introduced in air pollution epidemiology. Investigation into IMD would provide insights on the actual health burden of air pollution and interpretation of associations. We aimed to investigate IMD regarding short-term effect of air pollution on mortality.

Methods
We illustrated manifestations and interpretations of lag-mortality associations. If IMD exists, a net increase of one cause-specific death can be offset by a net decrease of other cause-specific deaths. We conducted a time-series analysis to estimate associations of ambient particulate matter smaller than 10 µm (PM10), ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) with mortality, considering lags up to the previous 45 days, for seven major cities of South Korea from 2006 to 2013. Attributable mortality cases were identified.

Results
For O3, respiratory mortality [11 929 cases, 95% empirical confidence interval (eCI), 5358, 17 688 cases] was counterbalanced by cardiovascular mortality (-11 272 cases, 95% eCI: -22 444, -629 cases). All-cause mortality was 37 148 cases (95% eCI: 4448, 68 782 cases). For PM10, respiratory deaths were 9167 cases (95% eCI: 563, 16 521 cases), and cardiovascular deaths were 6929 cases (95% eCI: -11 793, 24 138 cases). Estimates for SO2 were comparable to those for PM10. All-cause mortality attributable to NO2 was explained by short-term mortality displacement. No associations with mortality were found for CO.

Conclusions
IMD may exist in the relationship between air pollution and mortality. The actual relationship between air pollution and cause-specific mortality may be masked by IMD.
Cohorts as collections of bodies and communities of persons: insights from the SEARCH010/RV254 research cohort
Authors: Henderson Gail E , Rennie Stuart , Corneli Amy , Peay Holly L 
Published: August 2020

AbstractLongitudinal research cohorts are uniquely suited to answer research questions about morbidity and mortality. Cohorts may be comprised of individuals identified by specific conditions or other shared traits. We argue that research cohorts are more than simply aggregations of individuals and their associated data to meet research objectives. They are social communities comprised of members, investigators and organizations whose own interests, identities and cultures interact and evolve over time. The literature describes a range of scientific and ethical challenges and opportunities associated with cohorts. To advance these deliberations, we report examples from the literature and our own research on the Thai SEARCH010/RV254 cohort, comprising individuals diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during acute infection. We reflect on the impact of cohort experiences and identity, and specifically how people incorporate cohort participation into meaning making associated with their diagnosis, the influence of cohort participation on decision making for early-phase clinical trials recruited from within the cohort, and the impact of the relationships that exist between researchers and participants. These data support the concept of cohorts as communities of persons, where identity is shaped, in part, through cohort experiences. The social meanings associated with cohorts have implications for the ethics of cohort-based research, as social contexts inevitably affect the ways that ethical concerns manifest.
Revising Ferritin Lower Limits: It’s Time to Raise the Bar on Iron Deficiency
Authors: Parker Michelle L , Storm Sherri , Sholzberg Michelle , Yip Paul M , Beriault Daniel R 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Ferritin is a key diagnostic marker of iron deficiency (ID), but the interpretative guidance provided to physicians varies significantly. Clear discrepancies exist between clinical guidelines that recommend evidence-based ferritin cutoffs and clinical laboratories that report highly variable ferritin reference intervals (RIs) derived from apparently healthy populations. In this study, clinical laboratories across North America were surveyed to assess the RIs provided with ferritin results. Although clinical guidelines often recommend ferritin cutoffs of 15 or 30 µg/L to identify uncomplicated ID, the survey showed that 18 of 23 responding laboratories reported female RI lower limits well below 15 µg/L. To understand the clinical impact, we analyzed 52 027 unique patient ferritin values over a 5-year period (2013–2017) from a tertiary care hospital. In this population, the 90th percentile ferritin cutoff to identify ID anemia in adults was 24 µg/L in female patients and 25 µg/L in male patients. Distribution of ferritin results in female patients showed that menopausal status had a significant effect on median values, which increased 2- to 3-fold in the postmenopausal state. Furthermore, sorting the data for female patients by physician specialty showed the highest prevalence of low ferritin values in patients seen in obstetrics and gynecology. This study highlights the discrepancy between clinical guidelines and clinical laboratory practice for ferritin reporting and indicates that ferritin RIs, particularly for female patients, are set to an inappropriately low threshold in most clinical laboratories in North America; this level provides good specificity but poor sensitivity when screening for ID.
Non-Destructive Measurement of the Internal Quality of Citrus Fruits Using a Portable NIR Device
Authors: Santos Carla S P , Cruz Rebeca , Gonçalves Diogo B , Queirós Rafael , Bloore Mark , Kovács Zoltán , Hoffmann Isabel , Casal Susana 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
The citrus industry has grown exponentially as a result of increasing demand on its consumption, giving it high standing among other fruit crops. Therefore, the citrus sector seeks rapid, easy, and non-destructive approaches to evaluate in real time and in situ the external and internal changes in physical and nutritional quality at any stage of fruit development or storage. In particular, vitamin C is among the most important micronutrients for consumers, but its measurement relies on laborious analytical methodologies. In this study, a portable near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor was used in combination with chemometrics to develop robust and accurate models to study the ripeness of several citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, clementines, tangerines, and Tahiti limes) and their vitamin C content. Ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, and total vitamin C were determined by HILIC-HPLC-UV, while soluble solids and total acidity were evaluated by standard analytical procedures. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to build regression models which revealed suitable performance regarding the prediction of quality and ripeness parameters in all tested fruits. Models for ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, total vitamin C, soluble solids, total acidity, and juiciness showed Rcv2 = 0.77–0.87, Rcv2 = 0.29–0.79, Rcv2 = 0.77–0.86, Rcv2 = 0.75–0.97, Rcv2 = 0.24–0.92, and Rcv2 = 0.38–0.75, respectively. Prediction models of oranges and Tahiti limes showed good to excellent performance regarding all tested conditions. The resulting models confirmed that NIRS technology is a time- and cost-effective approach for predicting citrus fruit quality, which can easily be used by the various stakeholders from the citrus industry.
Comparison of the gut microbiota in the groundwater amphipod Crangonyx islandicus Svavarsson & Kristjánsson, 2006 (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae) to biofilms in its spring-source habitat
Authors: Gudmundsdóttir Ragnhildur , Björnsdóttir Snædís H , Marteinsson Viggó Þ , Pálsson Snæbjörn 
Published: August 2020

AbstractCrangonyx islandicus Svavarsson & Kristjánsson, 2006 is a groundwater amphipod endemic to Iceland and restricted to spring sources at edges of lava fields in the volcanically active zone. Genetic analysis indicate that the amphipod has survived in subglacial refugia in the groundwater in Iceland during past Ice Ages. We investigated the gut bacteria of C. islandicus and compared them with the bacterial diversity identified in biofilms from its groundwater habitat. The diversity of both uncultivated and cultivated bacteria was analyzed using partial 16S rRNA gene sequences. The results show that iron-oxidizing bacteria such as Sideroxydans and Gallionella and the methanotroph Methylobacter are common in the biofilm but absent from the gut samples. Thiomonas was common in both the biofilm and the gut samples. The cultivation of gut bacteria revealed that most of the taxa could be linked with terrestrial soil and/or freshwater habitat based on available database entries. This indicates that the food source for the amphipods is partly of terrestrial origin. The presence of primary producers in the subsurface habitat of C. islandicus indicate that microbial chemolithotrophic activity might fuel the system at least partly and thus explain the amphipod survival in the subsurface of Iceland during repeated glaciation for the past 5 mya.
Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for biliary tract cancer: a review of clinical trials
Authors: Nara Satoshi , Esaki Minoru , Ban Daisuke , Takamoto Takeshi , Shimada Kazuaki , Ioka Tatsuya , Okusaka Takuji , Ishii Hiroshi , Furuse Junji 
Published: August 2020

AbstractCancer originating in the biliary tract can be classified as bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), gallbladder cancer, or ampullary cancer. Bile duct cancer is further divided to intrahepatic, perihilar and distal bile duct subtypes according to the anatomical location of the tumor. The biological characteristics of each tumor are heterogeneous. However, because of the rarity of each disease, the efficacy of new drugs has been tested in groups of patients with different biliary tract cancers. In patients with metastatic or recurrent biliary tract cancer, recent randomized clinical trials revealed the non-inferiority of gemcitabine + S-1 and the superiority of gemcitabine + cisplatin + S-1 compared with gemcitabine + cisplatin in terms of overall survival, thereby establishing a new standard treatment. In the field of adjuvant therapy for biliary tract cancer, the British BILCAP (capecitabine compared with observation in resected biliary tract cancer) study revealed longer median overall survival in the capecitabine group than in the observation group in the per-protocol analysis (but not in the intention-to-treat analysis), bringing a shift toward postoperative management. Several other studies of adjuvant therapy are ongoing, and they may lead to reforms in treatment strategy for resectable biliary tract cancer in the future. The use of neoadjuvant therapy for biliary tract cancer is in its infancy, but it is expected to overcome the limitations of adjuvant therapy for this malignancy. In this review, we summarized the evidence available from clinical trials of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for biliary tract cancer and described ongoing clinical trials.
The decoupling between gas exchange and water potential ofCinnamomum camphoraseedlings during drought recovery and its relation to ABA accumulation in leaves
Authors: Duan Honglang , Wang Defu , Wei Xiaohua , Huang Guomin , Fan Houbao , Zhou Shuangxi , Wu Jianping , Liu Wenfei , Tissue David T , Wan Songze 
Published: August 2020

AbstractAimsDrought stress and the degree of drought severity are predicted to rise under highly variable patterns of precipitation due to climate change, while the capacity of trees to cope with drought recovery through physiological and biochemical adjustment remains unclear. We aimed to examine the coupling of physiology and biochemistry in trees during drought and the following recovery.MethodsPotted seedlings of Cinnamomum camphora were grown under well watered conditions prior to the experimental drought stress, which was initiated by withholding water. Seedlings were rewatered following attainment of two drought severities: mild drought (stomatal closure) and moderate drought (ψxylem = −1.5 MPa). We measured leaf-level water potential, gas exchange (photosynthesis and stomatal conductance), abscisic acid (ABA), proline and non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) concentrations in seedlings of C. camphora during drought and a 4-day recovery.Important FindingsWe found that drought severity largely determined physiological and biochemical responses and affected the rate of recovery. Stomatal closure occurred at the mild drought stress, accompanied with ABA accumulation in leaves and decline in water potential, while leaf proline accumulation and variable NSC were evident at the moderate drought stress. More severe drought stress led to delayed recovery of gas exchange, but it did not have significant effect on water potential recovery. The relationships of water potential and gas exchange differed during drought stress and post-drought recovery. There was tight coupling between water potential and gas exchange during drought, but not during rewatering due to high ABA accumulation in leaves, thereby delaying recovery of stomatal conductance. Our results demonstrate that ABA could be an important factor in delaying the recovery of stomatal conductance following rewatering and after water potential recovery of C. camphora. Furthermore, greater drought severity had significant impacts on the rate of recovery of tree physiology and biochemistry.
Ecophysiological responses of two poplar species to intraspecific and interspecific competition under different nitrogen levels
Authors: Li Yan , Kang Jieyu , Li Zhijun , Korpelainen Helena , Li Chunyang 
Published: August 2020

AbstractAimsPopulus deltoides and P. euramericana are widely used in China as major forestry species. At present, little is known about their responses to nitrogen (N) deficiency when grown in monocultures or mixed plantations. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the growth, and morphological and physiological responses of P. deltoides and P. euramericana to different N levels under competition conditions.MethodsWe employed two Populus species (P. deltoides and P. euramericana) to discover how N deficiency affects plant traits under different competition types (P. deltoides × P. deltoides, intraspecific competition; P. euramericana × P. euramericana, intraspecific competition; P. deltoides × P. euramericana, interspecific competition). Potted seedlings were exposed to two N levels (normal N, N deficiency), and nitrogen- and competition-driven differences in growth, morphology and physiology were examined.Important FindingsUnder normal N conditions, interspecific competition significantly decreased the total root weight, root mass fraction (RMF), root–shoot ratio (R/S) and carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N), and increased the leaf dry weight, leaf mass fraction and total leaf area of P. euramericana compared with intraspecific competition. The same conditions significantly affected the growth and morphological variables of P. deltoides, except for the dry weight of fine roots, R/S, specific leaf area, RMF, total nitrogen content and C/N compared with intraspecific competition. In addition, chlorophyll a (Chla), total chlorophyll (Tchl), carotenoid contents (Caro) and the carbon isotope composition (δ 13C) of P. deltoides were significantly lower in interspecific competition than in intraspecific competition, but no difference was detected in P. euramericana. The effects of N deficiency on P. deltoides under intraspecific competition were stronger than under interspecific competition. In contrast, the effects of N deficiency on P. euramericana between intraspecific and interspecific competition were not significantly different. These results suggest that under normal N condition, P. deltoides is expected to gain an advantage in monocultures rather than in mixtures with P. euramericana. Under N deficiency, the growth performance of P. euramericana was more stable than that of P. deltoides under both cultivation modes.
Gibberellin-mediated RGA-LIKE1 degradation regulates embryo sac development in Arabidopsis
Authors: Gomez Maria Dolores , Barro-Trastoy Daniela , Fuster-Almunia Clara , Tornero Pablo , Alonso Jose M , Perez-Amador Miguel A 
Published: August 2020

AbstractOvule development is essential for plant survival, as it allows correct embryo and seed development upon fertilization. The female gametophyte is formed in the central area of the nucellus during ovule development, in a complex developmental programme that involves key regulatory genes and the plant hormones auxins and brassinosteroids. Here we provide novel evidence of the role of gibberellins (GAs) in the control of megagametogenesis and embryo sac development, via the GA-dependent degradation of RGA-LIKE1 (RGL1) in the ovule primordia. YPet-rgl1Δ17 plants, which express a dominant version of RGL1, showed reduced fertility, mainly due to altered embryo sac formation that varied from partial to total ablation. YPet-rgl1Δ17 ovules followed normal development of the megaspore mother cell, meiosis, and formation of the functional megaspore, but YPet-rgl1Δ17 plants had impaired mitotic divisions of the functional megaspore. This phenotype is RGL1-specific, as it is not observed in any other dominant mutants of the DELLA proteins. Expression analysis of YPet-rgl1Δ17 coupled to in situ localization of bioactive GAs in ovule primordia led us to propose a mechanism of GA-mediated RGL1 degradation that allows proper embryo sac development. Taken together, our data unravel a novel specific role of GAs in the control of female gametophyte development.
The Association Between Serum Human Epididymis Protein 4 Level and Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Lin Hui , Xiao Jianhong , Su Xianghua , Song Bin 
Published: August 2020

Abstract

Objective
Serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is associated with immune and inflammatory responses. This study aimed to assess the performance of serum HE4 in the early detection of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods
Serum HE4 levels were measured in 199 patients with COPD, all of whom were prospectively followed up for a median period of 36 months (range = 3 months–38 months). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) history and HE4 in patients with COPD. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to assess the prognostic value of serum HE4 for predicting CV events.

Results
Serum HE4 levels were higher in patients with COPD with CV events than in those without CV events (252.6 pmol/L [186.4–366.8] vs 111.0 pmol/L [84.8–157.1]; P &lt;.001). The multivariate logistic regression model revealed that serum HE4 (odds ratio = 1.639; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.213–2.317; Ptrend =.009) was independently associated with CVD history after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, current smoking status, current alcohol consumption status, admission systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, left ventricular ejection fraction, primary diseases, and laboratory measurements in patients with COPD at baseline. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that serum HE4 (hazard ratio = 2.012; 95% CI, 1.773–4.469; P &lt;.001) was an independent prognostic factor for CV events in these patients. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the rate of CV events was higher in patients with COPD with HE4 levels above the median (187.5 pmol/L) than in those with HE4 levels below the median.

Conclusion
Our results showed that serum HE4 was significantly and independently associated with CVD history and had independent predictive value for CV events in patients with COPD. Serum HE4 may enable early recognition of CV complication development among patients with COPD.
Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Presenting as Septic Shock
Authors: Davis Bryon , Brockshus Aaron , Merritt Clay , Donaldson Chase 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
A patient presented to the emergency department with undifferentiated shock 4 days after discharge from a hospitalization for a lower gastrointestinal bleed. The patient fulfilled 4/4 of the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria and 3/3 of the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment criteria on presentation to the emergency department, notably, without a localized source of infection and no localizing symptoms. After admission, the patient’s hemoglobin was found to have dropped more than expected after intravenous (IV) fluid administration, suggesting a potential alternative or concurrent etiology of the patient’s shock state. A digital rectal and focused assessment with sonography in trauma exam were performed and negative. The patient was then diagnosed with a ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm contained in the retroperitoneum by repeat point-of-care ultrasound. The patient was hemodynamically stabilized and taken for emergent grafting without confirmatory imaging. The patient was later found to also have 4/4 blood cultures positive with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus associated with an aortic valvular vegetation and a mycotic aneurysm which contributed to the abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. This case supports the use of comprehensive point-of-care ultrasound imaging to more rapidly and more definitively differentiate types of shock and etiologies of a shock state which can lead to more timely changes in management and improvement in outcomes.
Expeditionary Immersion Circulating Heating Device: A Promising Technique for Treating Frostbite Injuries and Warming Intravenous Fluids in a Forward Deployed Cold Weather Environment
Authors: Vinceslio Eric M , Fayos Zane , Bernadette Aaron , Van Gent Jan-Michael 
Published: August 2020

Abstract

Introduction
Cold weather injuries require prompt warm water immersion therapy, which proves to be a difficult task in the cold austere environment. Current guidelines recommend 104 °F water immersion, but producing and maintaining large volumes of warm water is challenging in sub-freezing temperatures. We describe a novel process of utilizing a sous vide immersion circulator to maintain warm fluids for immersion therapy and efficient fluid rewarming in a cold forward-deployed setting for the treatment of cold weather injuries in an effort to bridge the gap between current medical guidelines and practices.

Materials and Methods
Large water cans were warmed to 104 °F with the immersion circulator. A thermometer was inserted into a 1-inch steak, frozen to 30 °F, and placed in a basin with only the warmed water while the internal temperature was monitored until physiologic temperature was achieved. The time to this endpoint was recorded. A 1-L bag of normal saline and a 450-mL bag of whole blood were also separately warmed by the same technique. The temperature of the normal saline was monitored at 0-, 5-, 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10 -minute intervals. The process was similarly repeated, measuring the whole blood temperature at 0-, 5-, 7-, and 10-minute intervals.

Results
Ambient internal tent temperatures averaged 54 °F; outdoor temperatures were consistently sub-freezing. The 5-gallon cans of water at ambient temperature heated to 104 °F in 15 minutes. The water temperature remained constant for 3 weeks with the circulator running. The frozen steak started at 30 °F and reached 98 °F in 52 minutes and 45 seconds. The bag of normal saline and whole blood, refrigerated to 39 °F, achieved temperatures of 102 °F and 94 °F respectively after 10 minutes.

Conclusion
A heating immersion circulator device is a lightweight, flameless, and inexpensive way to consistently heat large volumes of water for treatment of cold weather injuries, hypothermia, and whole blood rewarming in a cold austere environment.