bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of stressors and overload on informal caregivers of patients with cirrhosis: The first use of the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers in Brazil
Authors: Sanches Slusarski Martins Raquel , Pipek Leonardo Zumerkorn , Mesquita Gustavo Heluani Antunes de , Nii Fernanda , Medeiros Kayo Augusto de Almeida , Carvalho Bárbara Justo , Martines Diego Ramos , D’Albuquerque Luiz Augusto Carneiro , Meyer Alberto , Andraus Wellington 
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Cirrhosis affects liver functions and compromises much of the body’s organs. The significant increase in chronic diseases, including cirrhosis, has led to changes in medical practice and health systems, leading the informal caregiver to play a major role because of family ties or some level of proximity to the patient, assuming daily care function. However, the burden generated by informal caregivers for uninterrupted care is present at different levels (physical, mental, social, professional, and financial) and even in the prognosis of the patient. Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the impact of stressors and overload on informal caregivers of cirrhosis patients. Method: Cross-sectional study, conducted with 54 informal caregivers of cirrhosis patients, followed up at the Liver Transplant Service Outpatient Clinic of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas, where they had access to a sociodemographic questionnaire, history of the patient’s disease and the scale Burden Scale for Family Caregivers. Results: It was observed that higher levels of education and income of the caregiver correlates with a lower degree of stress. In addition, there is a significant difference found in the caregiver’s age variable, which indicates that the youngest are those who have the highest degree of stress. The variable Na mEg/l of the patient also presents a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: Our study was a precursor using the BSFC scale of worldwide coverage and that had not yet been applied in any study in Brazil, thus allowing a look at the various aspects that affect the quality of life of caregivers of patients with cirrhosis. Our results and the literature corroborate the importance not only of the patient, but also the informal caregiver’s health.
The influence of social factors on the prosody of Spanish in contact with Basque
Authors: Elordieta Gorka , Romera Magdalena 
Published: September 2020

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: The main goal of this paper is to analyse how social factors determine the degree of occurrence of intonational features of Basque in Spanish in the Basque Country (i.e. Basque Spanish). Design/methodology/approach: We concentrate on information-seeking yes/no questions. In Castilian Spanish, these end in a rising contour, whereas in Basque they end in a rising–falling contour. The data were gathered through sociolinguistic interviews with 12 speakers of Basque Spanish with different linguistic profiles: monolingual Spanish; first language Spanish–second language Basque; and L1 Basque–L2 Spanish. Data and analysis: 172 information-seeking yes/no interrogatives were obtained from conversational speech. Their final intonational contours were annotated in the Spanish Tone and Break Index model of intonational analysis. Findings/conclusions: 79% of all information-seeking yes/no questions had final configurations with a rising–falling circumflex contour. Only 21% had the final rising contour of Castilian Spanish. Speakers differed in their frequency of occurrence of falling contours, but the differences did not correlate with the speakers’ linguistic profile (monolingual vs bilingual). Rather, higher percentages of yes/no questions ending in a falling contour were found among speakers who had (a) a higher degree of contact with the Basque ethnolinguistic group, and (b) more positive attitudes towards the Basque language and the Basque ethnolinguistic group. Originality: Methodologically, this study is original because the intonational analysis is carried out on natural speech rather than on read or elicited speech. This study is also original from a theoretical point of view because it is the first one to underline the role that subjective factors such as linguistic attitudes play in the adoption of features of a language variety from another contact variety. Significance/implications: Our research opens up a path to continue investigating the weight of subjective social factors such as linguistic attitudes in explaining the variation in the influence of one language variety over another.
Xenotropic and polytropic retrovirus receptor 1 regulates procoagulant platelet polyphosphate
Authors: Mailer Reiner K. , Allende Mikel , Heestermans Marco , Schweizer Michaela , Deppermann Carsten , Frye Maike , Pula Giordano , Odeberg Jacob , Gelderblom Mathias , Rose-John Stefan , Sickmann Albert , Blankenberg Stefan , Huber Tobias B. , Kubisch Christian , Maas Coen , Gambaryan Stepan , Firsov Dmitri , Stavrou Evi X. , Butler Lynn M. , Renné Thomas 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Polyphosphate is a procoagulant inorganic polymer of linear-linked orthophosphate residues. Multiple investigations have established the importance of platelet polyphosphate in blood coagulation; however, the mechanistic details of polyphosphate homeostasis in mammalian species remain largely undefined. In this study, xenotropic and polytropic retrovirus receptor 1 (XPR1) regulated polyphosphate in platelets and was implicated in thrombosis in vivo. We used bioinformatic analyses of omics data to identify XPR1 as a major phosphate transporter in platelets. XPR1 messenger RNA and protein expression inversely correlated with intracellular polyphosphate content and release. Pharmacological interference with XPR1 activity increased polyphosphate stores, led to enhanced platelet-driven coagulation, and amplified thrombus formation under flow via the polyphosphate/factor XII pathway. Conditional gene deletion of Xpr1 in platelets resulted in polyphosphate accumulation, accelerated arterial thrombosis, and augmented activated platelet-driven pulmonary embolism without increasing bleeding in mice. These data identify platelet XPR1 as an integral regulator of platelet polyphosphate metabolism and reveal a fundamental role for phosphate homeostasis in thrombosis.
RUNX1 and CBFβ-SMMHC transactivate target genes together in abnormal myeloid progenitors for leukemia development
Authors: Zhen Tao , Cao Yaqiang , Ren Gang , Zhao Ling , Hyde R. Katherine , Lopez Guadalupe , Feng Dechun , Alemu Lemlem , Zhao Keji , Liu P. Paul 
Published: September 2020

AbstractInversion of chromosome 16 is a consistent finding in patients with acute myeloid leukemia subtype M4 with eosinophilia, which generates a CBFB-MYH11 fusion gene. It is generally considered that CBFβ-SMMHC, the fusion protein encoded by CBFB-MYH11, is a dominant negative repressor of RUNX1. However, recent findings challenge the RUNX1-repression model for CBFβ-SMMHC–mediated leukemogenesis. To definitively address the role of Runx1 in CBFB-MYH11–induced leukemia, we crossed conditional Runx1 knockout mice (Runx1f/f) with conditional Cbfb-MYH11 knockin mice (Cbfb+/56M). On Mx1-Cre activation in hematopoietic cells induced by poly (I:C) injection, all Mx1-CreCbfb+/56M mice developed leukemia in 5 months, whereas no leukemia developed in Runx1f/fMx1-CreCbfb+/56M mice, and this effect was cell autonomous. Importantly, the abnormal myeloid progenitors (AMPs), a leukemia-initiating cell population induced by Cbfb-MYH11 in the bone marrow, decreased and disappeared in Runx1f/fMx1-CreCbfb+/56M mice. RNA-seq analysis of AMP cells showed that genes associated with proliferation, differentiation blockage, and leukemia initiation were differentially expressed between Mx1-CreCbfb+/56M and Runx1f/fMx1-CreCbfb+/56M mice. In addition, with the chromatin immunocleavage sequencing assay, we observed a significant enrichment of RUNX1/CBFβ-SMMHC target genes in Runx1f/fMx1-CreCbfb+/56M cells, especially among downregulated genes, suggesting that RUNX1 and CBFβ-SMMHC mainly function together as activators of gene expression through direct target gene binding. These data indicate that Runx1 is indispensable for Cbfb-MYH11–induced leukemogenesis by working together with CBFβ-SMMHC to regulate critical genes associated with the generation of a functional AMP population.
Similar patterns of genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium in Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and humans indicate highly conserved mechanisms of MHC molecular evolution
Authors: Vangenot Christelle , Nunes José Manuel , Doxiadis Gaby M. , Poloni Estella S. , Bontrop Ronald E. , de Groot Natasja G. , Sanchez-Mazas Alicia 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundMany species are threatened with extinction as their population sizes decrease with changing environments or face novel pathogenic threats. A reduction of genetic diversity at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes may have dramatic effects on populations’ survival, as these genes play a key role in adaptive immunity. This might be the case for chimpanzees, theMHCgenes of which reveal signatures of an ancient selective sweep likely due to a viral epidemic that reduced their population size a few million years ago. To better assess how this past event affectedMHCvariation in chimpanzees compared to humans, we analysed several indexes of genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium across sevenMHCgenes on four cohorts of chimpanzees and we compared them to those estimated at orthologousHLAgenes in a large set of human populations.ResultsInterestingly, the analyses uncovered similar patterns of both molecular diversity and linkage disequilibrium across the sevenMHCgenes in chimpanzees and humans. Indeed, in both species the greatest allelic richness and heterozygosity were found at lociA,B,CandDRB1,the greatest nucleotide diversity at lociDRB1,DQA1andDQB1, and both significant global linkage disequilibrium and the greatest proportions of haplotypes in linkage disequilibrium were observed at pairsDQA1 ~ DQB1,DQA1 ~ DRB1,DQB1 ~ DRB1andB ~ C. Our results also showed that, despite some differences among loci, the levels of genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium observed in contemporary chimpanzees were globally similar to those estimated in small isolated human populations, in contrast to significant differences compared to large populations.ConclusionsWe conclude, first, that highly conserved mechanisms shaped the diversity of orthologousMHCgenes in chimpanzees and humans. Furthermore, our findings support the hypothesis that an ancient demographic decline affecting the chimpanzee populations – like that ascribed to a viral epidemic – exerted a substantial effect on the molecular diversity of theirMHCgenes, albeit not more pronounced than that experienced byHLAgenes in human populations that underwent rapid genetic drift during humans’ peopling history. We thus propose a model where chimpanzees’MHCgenes regenerated molecular variation through recombination/gene conversion and/or balancing selection after the selective sweep.
Distributed causality in resting-state network connectivity in the acute and remitting phases of RRMS
Authors: Wu Lin , Huang Muhua , Zhou Fuqing , Zeng Xianjun , Gong Honghan 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Although previous studies have shown that intra-network abnormalities in brain functional networks are correlated with clinical/cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS), there is little information regarding the pattern of causal interactions among cognition-related resting-state networks (RSNs) in different disease stages of relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) patients. We hypothesized that abnormalities of causal interactions among RSNs occurred in RRMS patients in the acute and remitting phases.

Methods
Seventeen patients in the acute phases of RRMS, 24 patients in the remitting phases of RRMS, and 23 appropriately matched healthy controls participated in this study. First, we used group independent component analysis to extract the time courses of the spatially independent components from all the subjects. Then, the Granger causality analysis was used to investigate the causal relationships among RSNs in the spectral domain and to identify correlations with clinical indices.

Results
Compared with the patients in the acute phase of RRMS, patients in the remitting phase of RRMS showed a significantly lower expanded disability status scale, modified fatigue impact scale scores, and significantly higher paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) scores. Compared with healthy subjects, during the acute phase, RRMS patients had significantly increased driving connectivity from the right executive control network (rECN) to the anterior salience network (aSN), and the causal coefficient was negatively correlated with the PASAT score. During the remitting phase, RRMS patients had significantly increased driving connectivity from the rECN to the aSN and from the rECN to the visuospatial network.

Conclusions
Together with the disease duration (mean disease duration < 5 years) and relatively better clinical scores than those in the acute phase, abnormal connections, such as the information flow from the rECN to the aSN and the rECN to the visuospatial network, might provide adaptive compensation in the remitting phase of RRMS.
Association analysis between agronomic traits and AFLP markers in a wide germplasm of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) under normal and salinity stress conditions
Authors: Yazdizadeh Mehdi , Fahmideh Leila , Mohammadi-Nejad Ghasem , Solouki Mahmood , Nakhoda Babak 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Proso millet is a highly nutritious cereal considered an essential component of processed foods. It is also recognized with high water-use efficiency as well as short growing seasons. This research was primarily aimed at investigating the genetic diversity among genotypes based on evaluating those important traits proposed in previous researches under both normal and salinity- stress conditions. Use of Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular markers as well as evaluating the association between markers and the investigated traits under both conditions was also another purpose of this research.

Results
According to the phenotypic correlation coefficients, the seed yield had the highest correlation with the forage and biological yields under both conditions. By disintegrating those traits investigated under normal and salinity-stress conditions into principal component analysis, it was found that the first four principal components justified more than 59.94 and 62.48% of the whole variance, respectively. The dendrogram obtained by cluster analysis displayed three groups of genotypes under both normal and salinity- stress conditions. Then, association analyses were conducted on 143 proso millet genotypes and 15 agronomic traits as well as 514 polymorphic AFLP markers (out of 866 created bands) generated by 11 primer combinations (out of the initial 20 primer combinations) EcoRI/MseI. The results obtained by mixed linear model (MLM) indicated that under normal conditions, the M14/E10–45 and M14/E10–60 markers had strong associations with seed yield. A similar trend was also observed for M14/E10–45 and M14/E11–44 markers in relation to forage yield. On the other hand, M14/E10–14, M14/E10–64 markers (for seed yield) and M14/E10–64 marker (for forage yield), had significant and stable association in all environments under salinity-stress conditions. Moreover, a number of markers showed considerable associations and stability under both normal and salinity stress conditions.

Conclusions
According to the analysis of phenotypic data, the wide germplasm of Iranian proso millet has significant variation in terms of measured traits. It can be concluded that markers showing strong associations with traits under salinity-stress conditions are suitable candidates to be used in future marker-assisted selection (MAS) studies to improve salinity-resistance genotypes of Panicum miliaceum in arid and semiarid areas.
A randomized controlled trial evaluating the hemodynamic impact of ultrasound-guided great auricular nerve block in middle ear microsurgery
Authors: Liu Jinsheng , Yuan Kezhi , Zhou Hongling , Li Li , Wang Guyan , Li Tianzuo 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The peri-operative effectiveness of ultrasound-guided great auricular nerve block (GANB) in patients, especially in adult patients undergoing middle ear microsurgery remains unclear. We hypothesized that ultrasound-guided GANB would decrease the hemodynamic responsiveness to incision and opioid consumption in middle ear microsurgery as well as the post-operative analgesia requirement.

Methods
Sixty patients undergoing middle ear microsurgery were randomized into two equal groups to receive either a GANB with 2 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine under ultrasound guidance (GANB group) or to receive a blank control intervention (without any performed injection) before general anesthesia inductions. The primary outcomes were hemodynamic changes of MAP (mean artery pressure) and HR (heart rate) to skin incision. The secondary endpoints were to determine the consumptions of propofol and remifentanil during the operation and the incidence of remedial analgesia 48 h post-operation to maintain VAS ≤ 3.

Results
The MAP post incision in GANB group was significantly lower than that in control group (GANB group 93.83 ± 11.72 mmHg vs. control group 100.87 ± 12.65 mmHg, P = 0.029). The increases for MAP and HR post incision were also lower in GANB group (∆MAP GANB group 11.90 ± 8.32 mmHg vs. control group 19.83 ± 10.37 mmHg, P = 0.002; ∆HR GANB group 3.67 ± 5.30 beat min− 1 vs. control group 8.23 ± 8.56 beat min− 1, P = 0.016). Remifentanil consumption was significantly decreased in GANB group (GANB group 401.55 ± 100.51 μg h− 1 vs. control group 697.34 ± 215.45 μg h− 1, P = 0.000). The incidence of remedial analgesia post-operation in GANB group (5/30) was significantly lower than that in control group (20/30, P = 0.000).

Conclusion
Ultrasound-guided GANB decreases the hemodynamic responsiveness to incision and remifentanil consumption in middle ear microsurgery as well as the post-operative analgesia requirement.

Trial registration
This trial was retrospectively registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn with the registration number of ChiCTR1800014333 on 6 January, 2018.
Increased augmentation index in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Authors: Roeder Maurice , Thiel Sira , Baumann Frederic , Sievi Noriane A. , Rohrbach Marianne , Kohler Malcolm , Gaisl Thomas 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) comprises a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by joint hypermobility, connective tissue friability, and vascular fragility. Reliable prognostic factors predicting vascular disease progression (e.g. arterial aneurysms, dissections, and ruptures) in EDS patients are still missing. Recently, applanation tonometry derived augmentation index (AIx), an indirect marker of arterial stiffness, has shown to be positively associated with progression of aortic disease in Marfan syndrome. In this study, we assessed aortic AIx in patients with EDS and matched healthy controls.

Methods
We performed noninvasive applanation tonometry in 61 adults with EDS (43 women and 18 men aged 39.3 ± 14.6 years) and 61 age-, gender-, height-, and weight-matched healthy controls. Radial artery pulse waveforms were recorded and analyzed using the SphygmoCor System (AtCor Medical, Sydney, NSW, Australia). Calculated AIx was adjusted to a heart rate of 75/min. Groups were compared and association between AIx and EDS was determined by univariate and multivariate regression analysis.

Results
EDS patients were categorized in classical type EDS (34%), hypermobile type EDS (43%), vascular type EDS (5%), or remained unassignable (18%) due to overlapping features. EDS patients showed a significantly increased aortic AIx compared to healthy controls (22.8% ± 10.1 vs 14.8% ± 14.0, p < 0.001). EDS showed a positive association with AIx; independent of age, sex, height, blood pressure, medication, and pack years of smoking.

Conclusions
Patients with EDS showed elevated AIx, indicating increased arterial stiffness when compared to healthy controls. Further investigations are needed in order to assess the prognostic value of increased AIx for cardiovascular outcomes in patients with EDS.
Characteristics associated with pediatric growth measurement collection in electronic medical records: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Kosowan Leanne , Page John , Protudjer Jennifer , Williamson Tyler , Queenan John , Singer Alexander 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundComplete growth measurements are an essential part of pediatric care providing a proxy for a child’s overall health. This study describes the frequency of well-child visits, documented growth measurements, and clinic and provider factors associated with measurement.MethodsRetrospective cross-sectional study utilizing electronic medical records (EMRs) from primary care clinics between 2015 and 2017 in Manitoba, Canada. This study assessed the presence of recorded height, weight and head circumference among children (0–24 months) who visited one of 212 providers participating in the Manitoba Primary Care Research Network. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed clinic, provider, and patient factors associated with children having complete growth measurements.ResultsOur sample included 4369 children. The most frequent growth measure recorded was weight (79.2%n = 3460) followed by height (70.8%n = 3093) and head circumference (51.4%n = 2246). 67.5% of children (n = 2947) had at least one complete growth measurement recorded (i.e. weight, height and head circumference) and 13.7% (n = 599) had complete growth measurements at all well-child intervals attended. Pediatricians had 2.7 higher odds of documenting complete growth measures within well-child intervals compared to family physicians (95% CI 1.8–3.8). Additionally, urban located clinics (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2–2.5), Canadian trained providers (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4–3.7), small practice size (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.2) and salaried providers (OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.2–5.2) had higher odds of documented growth measures.ConclusionsGrowth measurements are recorded in EMRs but documentation is variable based on clinic and provider factors. Pediatric growth measures at primary care appointments can improve primary prevention and surveillance of child health outcomes.
A case report of intestinal obstruction caused by cryptogenic multifocal ulcerous stenosing enteritis
Authors: Chang Cheng , Jiang Chen , Miao Yaoyao , Fang Bin , Zhang Lili 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Cryptogenic multifocal ulcer stenosing enteritis (CMUSE) is a rare disease characterized by multiple superficial ulcers, stenosis, and obstruction of the small intestine of unknown origin, and the course can recur.

Case presentation
We encountered a 62-year-old male patient with intestinal obstruction. The patient was admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment due to intestinal obstruction, and was diagnosed with cryptogenic multifocal ulcer stenosis enteritis due to comprehensive surgery and postoperative pathological considerations.

Conclusion
In the future, we will continue to follow up the patient. The present study aims to remind clinicians of this disease, and reduce the incidence of misdiagnosis.