bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blood pressure after treatment with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors influences renal composite outcome: Analysis using propensity score‐matched models
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuo , Toyoda Masao , Hatori Nobuo , Furuki Takayuki , Sakai Hiroyuki , Umezono Tomoya , Ito Shun , Suzuki Daisuke , Takeda Hiroshi , Minagawa Fuyuki , Degawa Hisakazu , Yamamoto Hareaki , Machimura Hideo , Chin Keiichi , Hishiki Toshimasa , Takihata Masahiro , Aoyama Kouta , Umezawa Shinichi , Minamisawa Kohsuke , Aoyama Togo , Hamada Yoshiro , Suzuki Yoshiro , Hayashi Masahiro , Hatori Yutaka , Sato Kazuyoshi , Miyakawa Masaaki , Tamura Kouichi , Kanamori Akira 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAims/IntroductionSodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve renal outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but the mechanism is not fully understood. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the association of achieved blood pressure with renal outcomes in Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with chronic kidney disease.Materials and MethodsWe assessed 624 Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with chronic kidney disease taking SGLT2i for >1 year. The patients were classified as those with post‐treatment mean arterial pressure (MAP) of ≥92 mmHg (n = 344) and those with MAP of <92 mmHg (n = 280) for propensity score matching (1:1 nearest neighbor match with 0.04 of caliper value and no replacement). The end‐point was a composite of progression of albuminuria or a decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate by ≥15% per year.ResultsBy propensity score matching, a matched cohort model was constructed, including 201 patients in each group. The incidence of renal composite outcome was significantly lower among patients with MAP of <92 mmHg than among patients with MAP of ≥92 mmHg (n = 11 [6%] vs n = 26 [13%], respectively, P = 0.001). The change in estimated glomerular filtration rate was similar in the two groups; however, the change in the albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio was significantly larger in patients with MAP of <92 mmHg.ConclusionsIn Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with chronic kidney disease, blood pressure after SGLT2i administration influences the renal composite outcome. Blood pressure management is important, even during treatment with SGLT2i.
When an advantageous reproductive trait turns bad: Eggs of the threatened fish Genidens barbus as a natural bait in recreational fisheries
Authors: Machado Rodrigo , Gentil Eduardo , Rodrigues‐Filho Jorge L. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis study describes a recreational fishing method focused on marine catfish, Genidens barbus (Endangered‐EN), through the adoption of its eggs as a natural bait during its reproductive period in southern Brazilian ecosystems. Male G. barbus perform parental care, collecting eggs released by females after the fertilization process. Owing to this male behavioural pattern during the reproductive period, these individuals are easily caught in recreational fisheries that use eggs of the same species as a natural bait. The current adoption of G. barbus eggs as bait may intensify the fishing pressure on its populations.
Use of metabolic syndrome severity to assess treatment with vitamin E and pioglitazone for non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Gurka Matthew J , Mack Jasmine A , Chi Xiaofei , DeBoer Mark D 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBackground and AimNon‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to liver failure, requires liver biopsies to follow and is difficult to treat. Our goal was to assess metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity as a predictor of treatment success and a marker of response.MethodsWe assessed data from the Pioglitazone, Vitamin E, or Placebo for NASH Study, in which individuals with biopsy‐confirmed NASH were randomized to receive pioglitazone, vitamin E, or placebo for 96 weeks. We assessed associations of a sex‐specific and race/ethnicity‐specific MetS severity Z‐score (MetS‐Z) at baseline and 48 weeks with biopsy‐determined endpoint of NASH resolution at 96 weeks.ResultsBaseline MetS‐Z was inversely associated with odds of NASH resolution (odds ratio [OR] per 1 SD of MetS‐Z: 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28, 0.79). Decrease in MetS‐Z during initial 48‐week intervention was greatest for pioglitazone treatment (effect size: −0.31, 95% CI −0.15, −0.48) and for vitamin E tended toward being greater for those with versus without NASH resolution (−0.18 vs −0.05). Overall, 48‐week change in MetS‐Z was associated with NASH resolution (OR per 1‐SD change: 0.53, 95% CI 0.33, 0.85), although this was attenuated in models that included transaminases, which remained linked to treatment success (OR by change‐in‐aspartate aminotransferase Z‐score: 0.38, 95% CI 0.19, 0.76).ConclusionsIndividuals with more severe metabolic derangement at baseline were less likely to exhibit NASH resolution, suggesting that individuals may have a threshold of MetS severity beyond which successful treatment is unlikely. As an integrated marker of metabolic abnormalities, MetS‐Z was correlated with successful treatment, although transaminases were a more consistent marker of NASH resolution.
Quantitative mapping of high modulus materials at the nanoscale: comparative study between atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation
Authors: COQ GERMANICUS R. , MERCIER D. , AGREBI F. , FÈBVRE M. , MARIOLLE D. , DESCAMPS Ph. , LECLÈRE Ph. 
Published: June 2020

SummaryLocal mechanical properties of submicron features are of particular interest due to their influence on macroscopic material performance and behaviour. This study is focused on local nanomechanical measurements, based on the latest Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) mode, where the peak force set point is finely controlled at each pixel. After probe calibration, we evaluate the impact of spring constant of two AFM hand‐crafted natural full diamond tips with steel cantilevers, used for mapping. Based on the fast capture of the cantilever deflection at each pixel and real time force curve analysis in the elastic region, AFM local measured contact moduli mappings of the silica beads (>50 GPa) incorporated in an epoxy resin matrix, are compared with those determined using classical instrumented nanoindentation tests. Our analyses show that with the two AFM probes, without local residual deformation, the high moduli of the silica beads measured with this advanced AFM mode are within the standard deviation of the values determined by classical nanoindentation.Lay DescriptionThe knowledge of material properties at the nanometer scale is a key parameter for well understanding and determining the behavior of material at macroscopic scale. In this paper, we compare two methods (an advanced mode and a classical one) based on the analysis of probes in interaction with the surface of studied material. We focus on a latest developed mode for determining local mechanical properties with a very high spatial resolution. For the advanced mode, we also consider two different hand‐crafted probes. Our analyses show that with the high spatial resolution advanced mode, local mechanical properties are well determined. We also highlight the impact of the properties of the used probes for this advanced mode. In a final step, the power of the presented investigation lies in the fact that it does not modify the topography of the surface.
What retailers need to understand about website inaccessibility and disabled consumers: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Cohen Alex H. , Fresneda Jorge E. , Anderson Rolph E. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis research uniquely contributes to the marketing policy literature by illuminating the widespread yet seldom studied problem of online inaccessibility of retail websites affecting approximately 30 million disabled Americans. When a website is not designed to be navigated easily or is not compatible with assistive technology such as a screen‐reader, these potential customers are not able to independently search for information and conduct transactions. Blind and low vision participants in an empirical study provide their opinions regarding accessibility policy issues and reveal that their frustrations with inaccessible retail websites may result, not only in avoidance of the retailer in its different sales channels but also in antifirm behaviors driven by negative attitudes toward perceived retailer accessibility/disability policy that spur feelings of online marketplace discrimination. Using two different evaluation tools, the top 100 retailers in the United States were evaluated on the accessibility of their websites over the past 4 years (2015–2018). Results show that most websites contain many design errors making navigation very difficult or even impossible for vision impaired consumers. The argument is made that online retailers who proactively address these inaccessibility issues on their websites may significantly increase their customer base and profitability.
Consumer well‐being and social responsibility of subsistence entrepreneurs in subsistence marketplace
Authors: Azmat Fara , Samaratunge Ramanie , Ferdous Ahmed 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBusiness malpractices, such as the sale of overpriced, underweight and adulterated foodstuffs and essential commodities, can pose serious threats to subsistence consumers' wellbeing, given they are more vulnerable than their affluent counterparts. Drawing on 40 interviews with subsistence entrepreneurs in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, our findings provide insights into the interplay between religiosity and social responsibility of entrepreneurs. We further explore how socio‐economic conditions and local embeddedness—two important characteristics of individuals in subsistence marketplaces—moderate the relationship between religiosity and social responsibility of entrepreneurs, providing implications for consumer welfare at the macro‐level. Our research makes a distinctive contribution to three streams of literature relating to social responsibility, subsistence marketplaces, and consumer affairs, with specific policy implications.
Low‐temperature steaming improves eating quality of whitefish
Authors: Wang Kexin , Lin Xiaoyu , Zhao Wenyu , Fan Xinru , Yu Wanying , Ma Zhuang , Yu Chenxu , Dong Xiuping 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this study, effects of different steaming conditions (temperature–time scales) on quality characteristics of cooked whitefish (Coregonus peled) were characterized to guide product development. Investigation of three cooking conditions, including 60°C (3–20 min) 80°C (1–12 min) and 100°C (1–6 min) indicated that properties including textural properties, cooking loss, color change, water holding capacity (WHC), and protein content were all significantly correlated to the cooking condition. It was observed that the color changes of fish meat, especially the brightness L* were strongly correlated to the relative extraction rate (RER) of myofibrillar proteins (MFPs), which could be considered as a marker for the doneness of the cooked whitefish. Our results indicated that during the steaming process, the water holding capacity of the fish continued to decline, and the cooking loss continued to increase. However, a sudden jump in cooking loss occurred when the fish sample became overcooked. To minimize cooking loss, a good control of the doneness hence is needed to avoid overcooking. Moreover, results of this study demonstrated that low‐temperature steaming could better maintain the springiness and cohesiveness of the fish as the myofibrillar proteins experienced less sudden swelling and shrinkage. Hence, low temperature steaming should be the preferred method for whitefish processing to minimize the negative impact on fish sensory qualities.
L2 Spanish Listening Comprehension: The Role of Speech Rate, Utterance Length, and L2 Oral Proficiency
Authors: MEDINA ALMITRA , SOCARRÁS GILDA , KRISHNAMURTI SRIDHAR 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis study explored the influence of speech rate (normal vs. fast), sentence length (short vs. long), and second language (L2) oral proficiency on listening comprehension in L2 Spanish. Thirty‐one native English‐speaking learners enrolled in upper‐level Spanish courses were aurally exposed to 8 sentences of each type of speed–length matrix, for a total of 32 sentences in Spanish. Listeners’ comprehension was measured through native language recall following each sentence. Generalized estimating equations revealed that sentence length and oral proficiency were both significant predictors of listening comprehension in L2 Spanish, as were speed × oral proficiency and length × oral proficiency interactions. While lengthier utterances decreased comprehension, the extent of their influence was impacted by L2 oral proficiency, as measured by a standardized test. High oral proficiency helped to combat the negative effect of lengthier utterances. Moreover, accelerated speech degraded listening comprehension for higher proficiency participants only—not for their lower proficiency counterparts due to the latter's low comprehension scores at both normal and fast rates of sentence delivery. The results are discussed in light of previous empirical studies on listening ability. The current study contributes to the recent exploration of the variables involved in the complex process of L2 listening comprehension, discusses implications for pedagogy and the creation of listening materials, and suggests avenues for future research.
Methylene blue vs methyl aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy in combination with oral terbinafine in the treatment of severe dermatophytic toenail onychomycosis: Short‐ and long‐term effects
Authors: Alberdi Enrique , Gómez Clara 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBackgroundPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) kills target microorganisms via reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. PDT seems to be a good alternative treatment option for onychomycosis.ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of combined therapies based on oral terbinafine (TN) plus adjunctive PDT mediated by methylene blue (MB) (TN + MB/PDT) or methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) (TN + MAL/PDT) in the treatment of onychomycosis.MethodsTwenty patients affected by severe dermatophyte onychomycosis in the nails of the big toe (>60% disease involvement of target nail) received oral TN for 12 weeks and concomitantly were randomly allocated to receive nine sessions, separated by 2‐week intervals, of urea (40%) plus a PDT protocol mediated by MB (TN + MB/PDT: group I) or mediated by MAL (TN + MAL/PDT: group II). Clinical and mycological efficacy was evaluated at 16‐, 40‐ and 52‐week follow‐up.ResultsBoth protocols showed a significant decrease in Onychomycosis Severity Index (OSI) scores (P < .05), from 24.2 ± 4.6 to 0.7 ± 0.6 (group I)) and from 18.5 ± 10.1 to 2.1 ± 2.0 (group II). No side effects or complications were reported in any of the combinations used. Mycological cure rates were significantly higher during the last third of the evaluated period of time, reaching 100% and 90% in group I and group II, respectively, at the 52‐week follow‐up. In both modalities, complete cure was achieved in 70% of the patients at the 52‐week follow‐up.ConclusionsTN + MB/PDT and TN + MAL/PDT show similar outcomes in the treatment of toenails with severe onychomycosis. PDT is an effective method to accelerate the TN‐mediated healing process.
Collagen Ⅵ‐related myopathy with subacute presentation of hypercapnic respiratory failure following pneumonia
Authors: Kinboshi Masato , Nakaoka Hiroshi , Morimoto Yuko , Yoshida Takeshi , Kuzume Daisuke , Shiraga Minoru , Ishida Masayuki , Yamasaki Masahiro , Saito Yoshihiko , Nishino Ichizo 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBethlem myopathy, the mild form of collagen Ⅵ‐related myopathy, gradually affects pulmonary function without causing symptoms. We report a case of a 38‐year‐old woman presenting with subacute deterioration of hypercapnic respiratory failure following pneumonia. She had posterior instrumentation and fusion for scoliosis during adolescence. Mild muscle weakness of trunk and proximal lower limbs, representing atrophic changes in imaging, and flexion contractures were present. The muscle pathology showed moderate variation in fiber size with mild endomysial fibrosis. The heterozygous COL6A1 mutation was identified. We made the diagnosis of collagen Ⅵ‐related myopathy. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation improved the respiratory failure.
Growing pains: addressing the pitfalls of plant extracellular vesicle research
Authors: Rutter Brian D. , Innes Roger W. 
Published: June 2020

SummaryExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are small, membrane‐enclosed compartments that mediate the intercellular transport of proteins and small RNAs. In plants, EVs are thought to play a prominent role in immune responses and are being championed as the long‐sought‐after mechanism for host‐induced gene silencing. However, parallel research on mammalian EVs is raising concerns about potential pitfalls faced by all EV researchers that will need to be addressed in order to convincingly establish that EVs are the primary mediators of small RNA transfer between organisms. Here we discuss these pitfalls in the context of plant EV research, with a focus on experimental approaches required to distinguish bona fide EV cargo from merely co‐purifying contaminants.
Bladderworts, the smallest known suction feeders, generate inertia‐dominated flows to capture prey
Authors: Müller Ulrike K. , Berg Otto , Schwaner Janneke M. , Brown Matthew D. , Li Gen , Voesenek Cees J. , van Leeuwen Johan L. 
Published: June 2020

Summary

Aquatic bladderworts (Utricularia gibba and U. australis) capture zooplankton in mechanically triggered underwater traps. With characteristic dimensions less than 1 mm, the trapping structures are among the smallest known to capture prey by suction, a mechanism that is not effective in the creeping‐flow regime where viscous forces prevent the generation of fast and energy‐efficient suction flows.

To understand what makes suction feeding possible on the small scale of bladderwort traps, we characterised their suction flows experimentally (using particle image velocimetry) and mathematically (using computational fluid dynamics and analytical mathematical models).

We show that bladderwort traps avoid the adverse effects of creeping flow by generating strong, fast‐onset suction pressures. Our findings suggest that traps use three morphological adaptations: the trap walls' fast release of elastic energy ensures strong and constant suction pressure; the trap door's fast opening ensures effectively instantaneous onset of suction; the short channel leading into the trap ensures undeveloped flow, which maintains a wide effective channel diameter.

Bladderwort traps generate much stronger suction flows than larval fish with similar gape sizes because of the traps' considerably stronger suction pressures. However, bladderworts' ability to generate strong suction flows comes at considerable energetic expense.
Arborescent lycopsid periderm production was limited
Authors: D'Antonio Michael P. , Boyce C. Kevin 
Published: June 2020

Summary

Late Paleozoic arborescent lycopsids have been thought to have grown from sporelings into large trees through the production of a periderm cylinder, particularly massive in the proximal portion of the trunk and tapering distally, with this rind of bark providing most of their structural support.

Here, we argue that physiological limitations would have prohibited the production of thick periderm and test this hypothesis using multiple independent lines of evidence derived from anatomical permineralization and surface impression fossils that allow both direct and indirect measurement of periderm radial thickness.

Across all six genera of Pennsylvanian arborescent lycopsids that were investigated, all evidence indicates limited periderm production: typically < 5 cm, always < 15 cm, even in trunks that would have reached 1 m or more in diameter.

The large amount of arborescent lycopsid periderm in Middle Pennsylvanian coals represents taphonomic enrichment rather than a true anatomical signal, complicating interpretation of their biology including biomechanics and early ontogeny.
SNHG12/miR‐326/E2F1 feedback loop facilitates the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Yin Yue , Tan Yingyun , Yao Yuan , Lu Na , Zhang Fugui 
Published: June 2020

AbstractOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a kind of common malignant tumor worldwide. An increasing number of researches have validated that long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely associated with the occurrence and development of multiple diseases, including cancers. However, the role of lncRNA SNHG12 in OSCC was largely unknown. In present study, qRT‐PCR manifested the upregulation of SNHG12 expression in OSCC tissues and cells. Suppression of SNHG12 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT process in OSCC. Additionally, SNHG12 depletion also attenuated OSCC tumor growth in vivo. Thereafter, E2F1 was found to be a transcription factor of SNHG12 to stimulate its expression. More interestingly, SNHG12 deficiency reduced E2F1 expression in turn. MiR‐326 was found to be shared between SNHG12 and E2F1. Besides, SNHG12 augmented E2F1 in OSCC through miR‐326 sequestration. Finally, rescue assays demonstrated that overexpressed E2F1 restored the inhibitory effect resulted from SNHG12 silence, indicating that SNHG12 promoted the progression of OSCC by E2F1‐dependent way. This research unveiled that SNHG12/miR‐326/E2F1 feedback loop facilitated OSCC progression, which shed new light on therapeutic methods in OSCC.
Facial protection in the era of COVID‐19: A narrative review
Authors: Li Dion T. S. , Samaranayake Lakshman Perera , Leung Yiu Yan , Neelakantan Prasanna 
Published: June 2020

AbstractWe live in extraordinary times, where COVID‐19 pandemic has brought the whole world to a screeching halt. Tensions and contradictions that surround the pandemic ridden world include the availability, and the lack thereof, various facial protection measures to mitigate the viral spread. Here, we comprehensively explore the different types of facial protection measures, including masks, needed both for the public and the healthcare workers (HCW). We discuss the anatomy, the critical issues of disinfection and reusability of masks, the alternative equipment available for the protection of the facial region from airborne diseases, such as face shields and powered air‐purifying respirators (PAPR), and the skin health impact of prolonged wearing of facial protection by HCW. Clearly, facial protection, either in the form of masks or alternates, appears to have mitigated the pandemic as seen from the minimal COVID‐19 spread in countries where public mask wearing is strictly enforced. On the contrary, the healthcare systems, that appear to have been unprepared for emergencies of this nature, should be appropriately geared to handle the imbalance of supply and demand of personal protective equipment including face masks. These are two crucial lessons we can learn from this tragic experience.