bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors predicting in‐hospital mortality among patients admitted with community acquired pneumonia at a tertiary care hospital Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Iqbal Nousheen , Irfan Muhammad , Siddique Faraz , Arshad Verda , Zubairi Ali Bin Sarwar 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIntroductionCommunity Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality globally, but unfortunately there is limited data available from South East Asia.ObjectiveTo determine the risk factors associated with in‐hospital mortality in patients with CAP in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on adult patients admitted with a diagnosis of CAP from January 2011 till December 2016. Their clinical records were reviewed and a multivariable analysis was done to determine the factors associated with in‐hospital mortality.ResultsA total of 1100 files were reviewed, of which 509 were included in the analysis. The mean age was 63.6 ± 16.5 years and 302 (52.16%) were males. The most Common isolated pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus (23%). Overall mortality was 10.8%. On univariate analysis factors associated with mortality were old age patients (P = 0.02); history of pneumonia in last 12 months (P = 0.008); CURB 65 score ≥ 3 (P < 0.001) and high dependency units as initial site of care (P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis CURB65 ≥ 3 score; high dependency unit as initial site of care; bedridden status; presence of bilateral infiltrates on chest X‐ray and hemoglobin of 10.4 g/dL or less at the time of admission were key determinants of in‐hospital mortality.ConclusionWe found CURB65 ≥ 3 score; high dependency unit as initial site of care; bedridden status; bilateral infiltrates on chest X‐ray and low hemoglobin (10.4 g/dL or less) at the time of admission as independent risk factors of in‐hospital mortality. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated in patients.
What happens to local participation when national ownership gets stronger? Initiating an exploration in Rwanda and Cambodia
Authors: Hasselskog Malin 
Published: December 2019

AbstractMotivation“Local participation” and “national ownership” are widely endorsed ideals in development discourse and practice. With the former referring to people’s active involvement in development‐related activities with some form of external input, and the latter to aid‐recipient countries’ policy independence in relation to foreign funders, both are concerned with the inherent inequality of aid relationships. In development policy, the two also tend to be used interchangeably and in combination, apparently assumed to go hand in hand, with increased national ownership expected to be conducive to local participation.PurposeThis article problematizes such usage and assumptions, and initiates a more elaborate discussion of possible interlinkages between local participation and national ownership, with the aim of contributing to a more nuanced understanding of what may happen to local participation in situations of increased national ownership.Approach and MethodsIt does so by depicting the trajectories and development of local participation and national ownership, by problematizing some expressions of intermingling and assumed links, and by discussing patterns of national ownership and local participation in Rwanda and Cambodia, all based on official documents, available data and others’ as well as own research.FindingsConnecting two key concepts and major approaches in development policy, the article points to multiple possible interlinkages, including the possibility that national ownership in certain forms may undermine local participation, and to the need to further investigate the more complex interrelations that are likely to prevail between the two.Policy implicationsSuch investigations will contribute to a better understanding of the prospects for different sorts of local participation in different situations of national ownership, and shed light on the difference it may make locally that a country’s development agenda is primarily domestically owned rather than donor driven. By problematizing widely held assumptions, unanimously endorsed aspects of current aid architecture can be reconsidered.
The impact of a hydroelectric dam on Neotropical fish communities: A spatio‐temporal analysis of the Trophic Upsurge Hypothesis
Authors: Monaghan Kieran A. , Agostinho Carlos S. , Pelicice Fernando M. , Soares Amadeu M. V. M. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWe employed the trophic upsurge hypothesis as an analytical framework to describe the response of Neotropical fish communities to terrestrial inundation associated with river damming. Data were collected for the impact assessment of the Peixe Angical Dam, Tocantins River, Brazil. Monthly surveys were conducted at nine sites (seven upstream, two downstream) from 15 months before to 20 months after dam closure and a follow‐up survey 60–83 months after closure. Fish responses differed in timing and magnitude across sites. In the new reservoir, populations peaked 8–13 months after flooding, demonstrating increases in richness (84 ± 52%), biomass (329 ± 266%) and abundance (681 ± 348%) with the maxima for richness and abundance tending to precede biomass maxima. Populations of all families increased but were greatest for Engraulidae, Hemiodontidae, Serrasalmidae and Characidae, and lower for the benthic catfish: Sciaenidae, Dorididae, Pimelodidae. Downstream populations peaked 5–12 months after closure or showed consistent decline. Five years after dam‐closure richness and abundance were lower compared to predam levels, with populations at all sites demonstrating an ongoing decline. Reservoir creation triggers reproductive recruitment and otherwise pools spatially disparate populations from across the flooded valley. If the rise in richness is largely explained by the increased catchability of species otherwise present prior to flooding, it may be more appropriate to estimate species loss with reference to upsurge data. As peak biomass coincides with declining richness, modelling fisheries production from annually aggregated data may risk overestimating the potential for sustainable harvests. Upsurge–response curves can help identify the timing of critical ecological thresholds for flood‐managed fisheries.
Highly reduced survival in essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera patients with vascular complications during follow‐up
Authors: Ahlstrand Erik , Samuelsson Jan , Lindgren Marie , Pettersson Helna , Liljeholm Maria , Ravn‐Landtblom Anna , Scheding Stefan , Andréasson Björn 
Published: December 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the relative importance of risk factors, treatments, and blood counts for the occurrence of vascular complications and their impact on life expectancy in essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV).MethodsNested case‐control study within the Swedish MPN registry. From a cohort of 922 ET patients and 763 PV patients, 71 ET and 81 PV cases with vascular complications were compared with matched controls.ResultsIncidence of vascular complications was 2.0 and 3.4 events per 100 patient‐years in ET and PV, respectively. At diagnosis, no significant risk factor differences were observed between cases and controls in neither of the diseases. At the time of vascular event, ET complication cases did not differ significantly from controls but in PV, cases had significantly higher WBCs and were to a lesser extent treated with anti‐thrombotic and cytoreductive therapy. Life expectancy was significantly decreased in both ET and PV cases compared with controls.ConclusionsThe risk of vascular complications is high in both ET and PV, and these complications have a considerable impact on life expectancy. The protective effect of anti‐thrombotic and cytoreductive therapy for vascular complications in PV underscores the importance of avoiding undertreatment.
Nucleus accumbens shell dopamine mediates outcome value, but not predicted value, in a magnitude decision‐making task
Authors: Sackett Deirdre A. , Moschak Travis M. , Carelli Regina M. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractEffective decision‐making depends on an animal's ability to predict and select the outcome of greatest value, and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and its dopaminergic input play a key role in this process. We previously reported that rapid dopamine release in the NAc shell preferentially tracks the “preferred” (i.e., large reward) option during cues that predict the ability to respond for rewards of different sizes, as well as during reward delivery itself. The present study assessed whether shell dopamine release at these discrete times selectively mediated choice behavior for rewards of different magnitudes using optogenetics. Here, using Long Evans TH:Cre± rats we employed selective optogenetic stimulation of dopamine terminals in the NAc shell during either reward‐predictive cues (experiment 1) or reward delivery (experiment 2) in a magnitude‐based decision‐making task. We found that in TH:Cre± rats, but not littermate controls, optical stimulation during low‐magnitude reward delivery during forced choice trials was sufficient to bias preference for this option when given a choice. In contrast, optical stimulation of shell dopamine terminals during low‐magnitude reward‐predictive cues in forced choice trials did not shift free choice behavior in TH:Cre± rats or controls. The findings indicate that preferential dopamine signaling in the NAc shell during reward outcome (delivery), but not reward‐predictive cues are sufficient to influence choice behavior in our task supporting a causal role of dopamine in the NAc shell in reward outcome value, but not value‐based predictive strategies.
Effects of acepromazine and xylazine on subjective and objective assessments of forelimb lameness
Authors: Morgan Jessica M. , Ross Michael W. , Levine David G. , Stefanovski Darko , You Youwen , Robinson Mary A. , Davidson Elizabeth J. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundTo facilitate lameness evaluation, sedatives such as xylazine and acepromazine are regularly used in the clinical setting, despite concerns that they may confound lameness assessment.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine the effect of low doses of acepromazine and xylazine on subjective and objective lameness assessment.Study designRandomised, blinded, crossover study.MethodsSix horses with experimentally induced solar pain were evaluated over a 1‐hour period after treatment with intravenous xylazine (0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg), intravenous acepromazine (0.02 or 0.04 mg/kg), intravenous saline (1 mL) or local analgesia (4 mL 2% mepivacaine administered subcutaneously). Lameness was assessed objectively with inertial sensors and subjectively on a scale from 0 to 5. Lameness assessments were compared with logistic regression analysis to account for the repeated measures and cross‐over study design (P < .05).ResultsXylazine (0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg) or acepromazine (0.02 and 0.04 mg/kg) did not result in significant differences in objective lameness assessment (vector sum) or average subjective lameness grade. Local analgesia was associated with a decrease in subjective lameness grade (OR 0.32 [0.11‐0.92], P = .03). Objective measures of lameness (vector sum) were significantly decreased 45 minutes (vector sum 41.8, P = .04) and 60 minutes (vector sum 47.3, P = .03) following local analgesia administration compared with baseline (vector sum 121.4).Main limitationsExtrapolation of the experimental model of moderate lameness used in this study to broad range of clinical lameness situations should be performed carefully.ConclusionsThese results support the use of low doses of xylazine or acepromazine to facilitate forelimb lameness evaluation up to 1 hour in duration.
High bacterial colonization and lipase activity in microcomedones
Authors: Josse Gwendal , Mias Céline , Le Digabel Jimmy , Filiol Jérôme , Ipinazar Célia , Villaret Aurélie , Gomiero Caroline , Bevilacqua Marc , Redoules Daniel , Nocera Thérèse , Saurat Jean-Hilaire , Gontier Etienne 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundAlthough acne vulgaris has a multifactorial aetiology, comedogenesis and bacteria colonization of the pilosebaceous unit are known to play a major role in the onset of inflammatory acne lesions. However, many aspects remain poorly understood such as where and when is the early stage of the Propionibacterium acnes colonization in follicular unit? Our research aimed at providing a precise analysis of microcomedone's structure to better understand the interplay between Propionibacterium acnes and follicular units, and therefore, the role of its interplay in the formation of acne lesions.MethodsMicrocomedones were sampled using cyanoacrylate skin surface stripping (CSSS). Their morphology was investigated with multiphoton imaging and their ultrastructure with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Bacterial lipase activity in the microcomedones was quantified using a dedicated enzymatic test as well as a Fourier Transform Infra‐Red (FTIR) analysis. The porphyrin produced by bacteria was analysed with HPTLC and fluorescence spectroscopy.ResultsThe imaging analysis showed that microcomedones' structure resembles a pouch, whose interior is mostly composed of lipids with clusters of bacteria and whose outer shell is made up of corneocyte layers. The extensive bacteria colonization is clearly visible using TEM. Even after sampling, clear lipase activity was still seen in the microcomedone. A high correlation, r = .85, was observed between porphyrin content measured with HPTLC and with fluorescence spectroscopy. These observations show that microcomedones, which are generally barely visible clinically, already contain a bacterial colonization.
A multivariate approach reveals diversity of ontogenetic niche shifts across taxonomic and functional groups
Authors: Rudolf Volker H. W. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Shifts in the fundamental and realised niche of individuals during their ontogeny are ubiquitous in nature, but we know little about what aspects of the niche change and how these changes vary across species within communities. However, this knowledge is essential to predict the dynamics of populations and communities and how they respond to environmental change.

Here I introduce a range of metrics to describe different aspects of shifts in the realised trophic niche of individuals based on stable isotopes. Applying this multi‐variate approach to 2,272 individuals from 13 taxonomic and functional distinct species (Amphibia, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Odonata) sampled in natural pond communities allowed me to: (1) describe and quantify the diversity of trophic niche shift patterns over ontogeny in multi‐dimensional space, and (2) identify what aspects of ontogenetic shifts vary across taxa, and functional groups.

Results revealed that species can differ substantially in which aspects of the trophic niche change and how they change over ontogeny. Interestingly, patterns of ontogenetic niche shifts grouped in distinct taxonomic clusters in multi‐variate space, including two distinct groups of predators (Hemiptera versus Odonata). Given the differences in traits (especially feeding mode) across groups, this suggests that differences in ontogenetic niche shifts across species could at least partially be explained by variation in traits and functional roles of species.

These results emphasise the importance of a multivariate approach to capture the large diversity of trophic niche shifts patterns possible in natural communities and suggest that differences in ontogenetic niche shifts follow general patterns.
Soil GHG fluxes are altered by N deposition: New data indicate lower N stimulation of the N2O flux and greater stimulation of the calculated C pools
Authors: Deng Lei , Huang Chunbo , Kim Dong‐Gill , Shangguan Zhouping , Wang Kaibo , Song Xinzhang , Peng Changhui 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe effects of nitrogen (N) deposition on soil organic carbon (C) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in terrestrial ecosystems are the main drivers affecting GHG budgets under global climate change. Although many studies have been conducted on this topic, we still have little understanding of how N deposition affects soil C pools and GHG budgets at the global scale. We synthesized a comprehensive dataset of 275 sites from multiple terrestrial ecosystems around the world and quantified the responses of the global soil C pool and GHG fluxes induced by N enrichment. The results showed that the soil organic C concentration and the soil CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions increased by an average of 3.7%, 0.3%, 24.3% and 91.3% under N enrichment, respectively, and that the soil CH4 uptake decreased by 6.0%. Furthermore, the percentage increase in N2O emissions (91.3%) was two times lower than that (215%) reported by Liu and Greaver (Ecology Letters, 2009, 12:1103–1117). There was also greater stimulation of soil C pools (15.70 kg C ha−1 year−1 per kg N ha−1 year−1) than previously reported under N deposition globally. The global N deposition results showed that croplands were the largest GHG sources (calculated as CO2 equivalents), followed by wetlands. However, forests and grasslands were two important GHG sinks. Globally, N deposition increased the terrestrial soil C sink by 6.34 Pg CO2/year. It also increased net soil GHG emissions by 10.20 Pg CO2‐Geq (CO2 equivalents)/year. Therefore, N deposition not only increased the size of the soil C pool but also increased global GHG emissions, as calculated by the global warming potential approach.
Identifying configurations of multiple co‐located clusters by analyzing within‐ and between‐cluster linkages
Authors: Bathelt Harald , Zhao Jingyuan 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe Beijing economy has an unusual industrial configuration consisting of multiple industry parks in the biomedical industry with a cluster‐like structure, specifically Yizhuang Park, Daxing Park, and ZLS (Zhongguancun Life Science) Park. If these industry parks can indeed be conceptualized as clusters, a number of questions arise regarding their collaborative or competitive relationships that can potentially be both beneficial and detrimental. We begin analyzing this case of three biomedical industry clusters by conceptualizing four ideal‐type scenarios of co‐located cluster configurations and identifying their within‐cluster and between‐cluster linkage patterns. Based on a relational research design, we develop a simple testing procedure that allows us to identify the specific empirical cluster configuration at hand. Based on a survey of labor market, government event, research, and production linkages of 164 firms in the three biomedical industry parks, we conduct statistical tests and conclude that Beijing represents a case of three collaborating clusters, with some elements of integration.
Improved visualization of a fine intrahepatic biliary duct on drip infusion cholangiography‐computed tomography: Impact of knowledge‐based iterative model reconstruction
Authors: Takao Seiichiro , Nishie Akihiro , Asayama Yoshiki , Ishigami Kousei , Ushijima Yasuhiro , Kakihara Daisuke , Nakayama Tomohiro , Fujita Nobuhiro , Morita Koichiro , Ishimatsu Keisuke , Yoshizumi Tomoharu , Ikegami Toru , Kondo Masatoshi , Honda Hiroshi 
Published: December 2019

AimThe purpose of this study was to investigate the visualization of fine biliary ducts with knowledge‐based iterative model reconstruction (IMR) in low‐dose drip infusion computed tomography (CT) cholangiography (DIC‐CT) as compared with filtered back projection (FBP) and hybrid iterative reconstruction (iDose4).MethodsA total of 38 patients underwent DIC‐CT for living donor liver transplantation. CT was performed approximately 20 min after the end of the infusion of meglumine iotroxate (100 mL). Images were reconstructed using FBP, iDose4, and IMR, and 1‐mm slice images at fixed window level and width were prepared for assessment. Two reviewers independently evaluated the quality of visualization of the fine biliary ducts of the caudate lobe (B1) using a 5‐point scale. The visualization scores of three reconstructed images were compared using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U‐test.ResultsFor reviewer 1, the visualization score of IMR was significantly higher than that of FBP (P = 0.012), and tended to be higher than that of iDose4 (P = 0.078). For reviewer 2, the visualization score of IMR was significantly higher than those of both FBP and iDose4 (P < 0.01).ConclusionsIMR showed better visualization of B1 on DIC‐CT than FBP or iDose4. DIC‐CT reconstructed with IMR may be useful to the anatomical grasp of biliary tracts in cases of hepatectomy.
Living with bipolar disorder in Chile: A qualitative study
Authors: Hormazábal‐Salgado Raúl , Poblete‐Troncoso Margarita 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBipolar disorder (BD) is an important factor contributing to rates of higher morbidity and mortality with serious consequences on the quality of life. There is limited literature on life experience of people living with BD in Chile. For this reason, this study examines the life experiences of Chilean clients with BD. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted, and clients aged 40‐65 years, euthymic, with a preserved judgement of reality were included. A thematic analysis was conducted, and two themes and subthemes were extracted. The first theme is the life experiences of the disease, and it comprises the subtheme information about BD, life experiences of relapses (with acute experiences of disease, professional assistance, and prodromal symptom management), accepting the disease, accepting the medication, and being bipolar as a stigma. The second theme is that of family environment, which includes the subthemes of family support, lack of family support, and family crisis resulting from BD. The findings provide evidence to support the importance of accepting the disease, the long‐term course of the disease, in addition to pharmacological treatment, which requires interventions from nurses when personal risk factors of acute episodes are identified and addressed. Besides, client and family members have to be actively involved. Future research should examine the relationship between stigma from bipolar disorder, perceptions from family members, and educational interventions from nurses and people affected by BD in Chile.
It is not just what you say, but how you say it: A case study exploring union‐member communications
Authors: Smith Christopher , Duxbury Linda 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThis paper presents key findings from a multimethod study analysing the communication practices of a large American labour union through a generational cohort lens. Survey data were used to compare how the union communicates information to its members with how participants would like to receive this information. Interview data were analyzed to help us better understand union members' perceptions of their union's communication practices and how these could be improved. This research determined that union members wanted the union to make more of an effort to use face‐to‐face communication practices. Younger union members want their union to make more use of electronic communication technologies.