bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of maternal HIV‐1 severity with dental caries: an observational study of uninfected 5‐ to 7‐yr‐old children of HIV‐1‐infected mothers without severe immune suppression
Authors: Birungi Nancy , Fadnes Lars Thore , Engebretsen Ingunn Marie Stadskleiv , Lie Stein Atle , Tumwine James Kashyugyera , Åstrøm Anne Nordrehaug ,   the ANRS 12174 and 12341 study groups
Published: January 2020

Treatment programs to prevent perinatal and postnatal HIV‐1 transmission have become available in sub‐Saharan Africa, leading to an emerging population of HIV‐1 exposed uninfected (HEU) children. Exposure to HIV‐1 in utero and during breastfeeding may increase the risk of morbidity and mortality in HEU children. This study estimated the association of the severity of maternal HIV‐1 infection as assessed by CD4 count and viral load at baseline (7 d postpartum), with dmft count of their 5‐ to 7‐yr‐old HEU offspring. A follow‐up study was conducted of HIV‐1‐infected mother–HEU children pairs (n = 164) from the Ugandan site of the ANRS 12341‐PROMISE‐ PEP trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00640263). HIV‐1‐infected mothers were interviewed and the HEU children were examined for caries using the World Health Organization's survey methods for field conditions and the dmft index. Directed acyclic graphs and negative binomial regression were used for analyses. The prevalence of 1 or more dmft was 48%. Negative binomial regression showed no association between the dmft count and maternal CD4 counts 7 d postpartum but a 10% lower dmft count with longer breastfeeding duration was found. Maternal CD4 count at birth was not associated with the dental caries experience in uninfected children born to women without severe immune suppression, while there appeared to be a protective effect of high viral load and breastfeeding duration.
Associations between the radiographic appearance of vascular channels in proximal sesamoid bones, their microstructural characteristics and past racing performance in Thoroughbreds
Authors: Lloyd Kristen A. , Ayodele Babatunde A. , Hitchens Peta L. , Beck Cathy , Mackie Eleanor J. , Whitton Robert C. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundAbnormalities in vascular channel appearance within the proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) are the most common findings in Thoroughbred yearling presale radiographs and are often evaluated on radiographs of adult racehorses. Despite this, their pathogenesis and clinical significance are poorly understood, and associations with racing performance are inconsistent.ObjectivesTo determine microstructural characteristics of the PSBs associated with the radiographic appearance of vascular channels using microcomputed tomography (µCT) and to determine associations with past racing performance in mature horses.Study designCross‐sectional.MethodsOne pair of PSBs were isolated from a forelimb of 59 Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing post‐mortem examination. Each PSB (n = 118) was radiographed, assigned a vascular channel grade using previously published and novel grading systems, then imaged using µCT. Associations between radiographic, µCT and performance variables were investigated with uni‐ and multivariable generalised linear models.ResultsAll PSBs had at least one vascular channel (mean 3.6 ± 0.89) observed on µCT originating from the abaxial border, yet in only 63.6% (75/118) were channels observed radiographically. Proximal sesamoid bones with a higher bone volume fraction (odds ratio [OR] 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01‐1.15;P = .03) and wider channel diameter (mm) on µCT (OR 20.67; 95% CI 3.29‐130.00;P = .001) were more likely to have vascular channels identified on radiographs. Greater radiographic channel number (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.92‐1.00;P = .04) and channel diameter (mm; OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.92‐1.00;P = .04) were associated with fewer career placings.Main limitationsRadiographs of isolated bones avoided the normal superimposition of tissue encountered in the live horse.ConclusionsThe ability to identify vascular channels radiographically indicates widening of channels and densification of the PSB. More radiographic channels and greater channel diameter were associated with similar or poorer measures of past performance, suggesting that these changes are not desirable.
Deleterious impact of a generic temozolomide formulation compared with brand‐name product on the kinetic of platelet concentration and survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma
Authors: Fontanilles Maxime , Fontanilles Adeline , Massy Nathalie , Rouvet Jean , Pereira Tony , Alexandru Cristina , Hanzen Chantal , Basuyau Florence , Langlois Olivier , Clatot Florian , Tennevet Isabelle , Di Fiore Frédéric , Joannidès Robinson , Lamoureux Fabien 
Published: January 2020

AbstractChemo‐induced thrombocytopenia is a limiting toxicity among patients receiving temozolomide (TMZ) as first‐line treatment for glioblastoma. We aimed to compare early platelet concentration kinetics, hematological safety profile, and impact on survival following the initiation of either the brand‐name or a generic TMZ formulation. A retrospective trial was conducted in patients suffering from newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Patients were treated with TMZ at 75 mg/m2 per day during six weeks, concomitantly with radiotherapy. Platelet concentration was collected each week. Primary endpoint was to perform a linear mixed‐effect model of platelet concentration kinetic over weeks. A total of 147 patients were included as follows: 96 received the brand‐name TMZ, and 51 received a generic TMZ formulation. Exposition to the generic was a significant variable that negatively influenced the platelet kinetics in the radiotherapy and concomitant TMZ phase, P = 0.02. Grade ≥3 chemo‐induced thrombocytopenia was more frequent in the generic group: 19.6% [95% CI 8.7‐30.5%] vs 3.1% [0‐6.6%], P = 0.001. Exposition to the generic formulation of TMZ led to increase early treatment discontinuation due to TMZ‐induced thrombocytopenia and was a worsening independent prognostic factor on overall survival: adjusted HR 1.83 [1.21‐2.8], P = 0.031. These data suggest that exposition to a generic formulation of TMZ vs the brand‐name product is associated with higher early platelet decrease leading to clinically relevant impacts on treatment schedule in glioblastoma. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm these results.
A socio‐ecological model for predicting impacts of land‐use and climate change on regional plant diversity in the Austrian Alps
Authors: Dullinger Iwona , Gattringer Andreas , Wessely Johannes , Moser Dietmar , Plutzar Christoph , Willner Wolfgang , Egger Claudine , Gaube Veronika , Haberl Helmut , Mayer Andreas , Bohner Andreas , Gilli Christian , Pascher Kathrin , Essl Franz , Dullinger Stefan 
Published: January 2020

AbstractClimate and land‐use change jointly affect the future of biodiversity. Yet, biodiversity scenarios have so far concentrated on climatic effects because forecasts of land use are rarely available at appropriate spatial and thematic scales. Agent‐based models (ABMs) represent a potentially powerful but little explored tool for establishing thematically and spatially fine‐grained land‐use scenarios. Here, we use an ABM parameterized for 1,329 agents, mostly farmers, in a Central European model region, and simulate the changes to land‐use patterns resulting from their response to three scenarios of changing socio‐economic conditions and three scenarios of climate change until the mid of the century. Subsequently, we use species distribution models to, first, analyse relationships between the realized niches of 832 plant species and climatic gradients or land‐use types, respectively, and, second, to project consequent changes in potential regional ranges of these species as triggered by changes in both the altered land‐use patterns and the changing climate. We find that both drivers determine the realized niches of the studied plants, with land use having a stronger effect than any single climatic variable in the model. Nevertheless, the plants' future distributions appear much more responsive to climate than to land‐use changes because alternative future socio‐economic backgrounds have only modest impact on land‐use decisions in the model region. However, relative effects of climate and land‐use changes on biodiversity may differ drastically in other regions, especially where landscapes are still dominated by natural or semi‐natural habitat. We conclude that agent‐based modelling of land use is able to provide scenarios at scales relevant to individual species distribution and suggest that coupling ABMs with models of species' range change should be intensified to provide more realistic biodiversity forecasts.
Community diversity outweighs effect of warming on plant colonization
Authors: Catford Jane A. , Dwyer John M. , Palma Estibaliz , Cowles Jane M. , Tilman David 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAbiotic environmental change, local species extinctions and colonization of new species often co‐occur. Whether species colonization is driven by changes in abiotic conditions or reduced biotic resistance will affect community functional composition and ecosystem management. We use a grassland experiment to disentangle effects of climate warming and community diversity on plant species colonization. Community diversity had dramatic impacts on the biomass, richness and traits of plant colonists. Three times as many species colonized the monocultures than the high diversity 17 species communities (~30 vs. 10 species), and colonists collectively produced 10 times as much biomass in the monocultures than the high diversity communities (~30 vs. 3 g/m2). Colonists with resource‐acquisitive strategies (high specific leaf area, light seeds, short heights) accrued more biomass in low diversity communities, whereas species with conservative strategies accrued most biomass in high diversity communities. Communities with higher biomass of resident C4 grasses were more resistant to colonization by legume, nonlegume forb and C3 grass colonists, but not by C4 grass colonists. Compared with effects of diversity, 6 years of 3°C‐above‐ambient temperatures had little impact on plant colonization. Warmed subplots had ~3 fewer colonist species than ambient subplots and selected for heavier seeded colonists. They also showed diversity‐dependent changes in biomass of C3 grass colonists, which decreased under low diversity and increased under high diversity. Our findings suggest that species colonization is more strongly affected by biotic resistance from residents than 3°C of climate warming. If these results were extended to invasive species management, preserving community diversity should help limit plant invasion, even under climate warming.
Sensory lexicon and relationships among brown colour, saltiness perception and sensory liking evaluated by regular users and culinary chefs: a case of soy sauces
Authors: Wongthahan Peerapong , Sae‐Eaw Amporn , Prinyawiwatkul Witoon 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis study was performed to develop lexicon to describe soy sauces using regular users (consumers) vs. culinary chefs, to perform product grouping using a free‐sorting task and to determine relationship among physicochemical properties (colour, %NaCl) and consumer perception of soy sauces. Both panels identified eighteen terms to describe soy sauces, of which eleven terms (light, medium and dark brown colour, weak, medium and strong saltiness, sweetness, saltiness–sweetness, tasty/umami, and soy sauce and fermented aroma) were similar. For culinary chefs, three distinctive soy sauce groups based on brown colour (light, medium and dark brown) were identified, while two groups (light and medium dark brown) for regular users. From free‐sorting maps, both panels associated brown colour intensity with saltiness expectation/perception. From PCA biplots, both panels shared some similarities for sensory liking (colour, saltiness, flavour, overall liking) for soy sauces. This study suggested that brown colour intensities affected saltiness expectation/perception and were used for product grouping for soy sauces.
Antibacterial activity of Osmunda japonica (Thunb) polysaccharides and its effect on tomato quality maintenance during storage
Authors: Liu Xiaochen , Zhang Xiuling , Zhang Xueting , Li Fengfeng , Tian Yaqin , Du Meiling , Zhao Hengtian , Shao Lingling 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTomatoes are rich in nutrients, yet they have a short shelf life and are prone to decay due to bacterial invasion. Polysaccharides extracted from Osmunda japonica (Thunb) were briefly characterised. The inhibitory effect of polysaccharides on nine kinds of common spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in tomatoes stored postharvest was studied, and the polysaccharides had broad‐spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities against many tested strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and the minimum bactericidal (fungicidal) concentrations (MBCs) were determined, and the lowest MBC against Bacillus cereus was 0.15 g L−1. Various concentrations of an O. japonica (Thunb) polysaccharide (OP) solution were sprayed onto ordinary preservation paper, which then distinctly maintained tomato freshness. OP delayed vitamin C (VC) and titratable acid decreases and increased respiratory intensity in a dose‐dependent manner, reducing malondialdehyde accumulation. The tomatoes could be stored for 30 day at 25 ± 1 °C. OP has potential as a safe, nontoxic natural plant preservative.
Regulatory SNP rs5743417 impairs constitutive expression of human β‐defensin 1 and has high frequency in Africans and Afro‐Americans
Authors: Cruz Díaz Luis Antonio , Gutiérrez Ortega Abel , Chávez Álvarez Rocío del Carmen , Velarde Félix Jesús Salvador , Prado Montes de Oca Ernesto 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe prediction of regulatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (rSNPs) in proximal promoters of disease‐related genes could be a useful tool for personalized medicine in both patient stratification and customized therapy. Using our previously reported method of rSNPs prediction (currently a software called SNPClinic v.1.0) as well as with PredictSNP tool, we performed in silico prediction of regulatory SNPs in the antimicrobial peptide human β‐defensin 1 gene in three human cell lines from 1,000 Genomes Project (1kGP), namely A549 (epithelial cell line), HL‐60 (neutrophils) and TH1 (lymphocytes). These predictions were run in a proximal pseudo‐promoter comprising all common alleles on each polymorphic site according to the 1,000 Genomes Project data (1kGP: ALL). Plasmid vectors containing either the major or the minor allele of a putative rSNP rs5743417 (categorized as regulatory by SNPClinic and confirmed by PredictSNP) and a non‐rSNP negative control were transfected to lung A549 human epithelial cell line. We assessed functionality of rSNPs by qPCR using the Pfaffl method. In A549 cells, minor allele of the SNP rs5743417 G→A showed a significant reduction in gene expression, diminishing DEFB1 transcription by 33% when compared with the G major allele (p‐value = .03). SNP rs5743417 minor allele has high frequency in Gambians (8%, 1kGP population: GWD) and Afro‐Americans (3.3%, 1kGP population: ASW). This SNP alters three transcription factors binding sites (TFBSs) comprising SREBP2 (sterols and haematopoietic pathways), CREB1 (cAMP, insulin and TNF pathways) and JUND (apoptosis, senescence and stress pathways) in the proximal promoter of DEFB1. Further in silico analysis reveals that this SNP also overlaps with GS1‐24F4.2, a lincRNA gene complementary to the X Kell blood group related 5 (XKR5) mRNA. The potential clinical impact of the altered constitutive expression of DEFB1 caused by rSNP rs5743417 in DEFB1‐associated diseases as tuberculosis, COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis and cancer in African and Afro‐American populations deserves further research.
Incidence and risk factors associated with pressure injury in patients with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Osis Sibila Lilian , Diccini Solange 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAimTo identify the prevalence of pressure injury in patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and analyse the risk factors involved during hospitalization.MethodsThis was a prospective study evaluating patients who were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury between November 2013 and September 2014. Patient characteristics, clinical and metabolic factors and therapeutic interventions, were evaluated within 30 days of hospital admission.ResultsMost of the 240 patients included in the study were male, young, and non‐Caucasian. The incidence of pressure injury was 18.8%. In terms of severity classification, the incidence of pressure injury was 2.7%, 23.2%, and 42.6% in mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury, respectively. Pressure injury development was more likely in the first 10 days of hospitalization. A moderate or severe traumatic brain injury classification, the use of noradrenaline, and older age were pressure injury risk factors. The presence of pressure injury was associated with mortality within 30 days of hospitalization (P < .001).ConclusionThe incidence of pressure injury was high in patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, especially in those whose injury was classified as severe. Older age, noradrenaline use, and a classification of moderate or severe traumatic brain injury were identified as pressure injury risk factors.
Groundwater Management: Efficiency and Equity Considerations
Authors: Feinerman Eli 
Published: January 2020

AbstractGroundwater has the characteristics of commonly owned property, and its use is likely to be inefficient in the absence of regulation. Several management tools can be used to regulate groundwater withdrawals, with no one tool dominating the others in terms of efficiency of water use. However, the welfare distributional effects of various management schemes on individual users who vary in their derived demands for groundwater might be quite substantial, and different users may find considerably different schemes attractive.The equity problems associated with the division of management benefits may dominate the decisions about support of or opposition to groundwater management, and hence they must be undertaken with considerable care and resolved by consensus among users. Although the negotiations are expected to be extensive and complicated, there is a substantial basis for agreement because all users stand to gain; the question is, who will gain the most?
Link between Agricultural Assistance and International Trade
Authors: Houck James P. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis paper investigates a central part of the argument that agricultural assistance by the United States to developing nations leads to diminished export markets for U.S. farmers. A sizeable cross section of low‐income and lower‐middle‐income nations is used to provide statistical analyses of: (1) the link between agricultural productivity and economic performance, and (2) the link between economic performance and agricultural imports. The results show that a reasonably strong case can be made for the idea that advances in agricultural productivity are associated with long‐run increases in imports of cereals and other agricultural products by less wealthy nations. The connection comes via the positive income effect of general economic development. For these countries, investments in agricultural development through successful assistance are not detrimental to U.S. farm export interests in the long run. They are generally beneficial.For middle‐income nations, the case is less clear and more controversial. However, nothing in the cross‐section data used suggests that farm productivity improvements in these nations is systematically threatening to U.S. agricultural trade in the long run.
Collateral, Guaranties and Rural Credit in Developing Countries: Evidence from Asia
Authors: Feder Gershon , Onchan Tongroj , Raparla Tejaswi 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe paper reviews the theory of the impact of loan collateral, and in particular land collateral, in institutional and non‐institutional rural credit markets. Evidence from three Asian developing countries is presented, showing extensive use of land collateral among institutional lenders in countries where such collateral is legal. The use of land collateral is more common than other forms of security, except in places where legal inhibitions on mortgaging agricultural land exist. Non‐institutional lenders are less inclined to use land collateral. However, lenders who do not have links to borrowers in matters other than finance are more likely to use loan securities. Estimates of instutional credit supply and demand in rural Thailand confirm that the pledging of land collateral affects the supply of credit more than group guaranty. It is also shown that larger farmers are more likely to utilize land collateral. The conclusion is that land collateral is preferred by instutional lenders as it reduces creditworthiness assessment costs. Attempts to ban or limit collateral use by decree are motivated by equity considerations, but they will cause loss of efficiency. Simplification of ownership verification and other policies reducing the transaction cost of collateral pledging will mitigate the negative equity implications of collateral.
Technological Change in Illinois Agriculture, 1982‐1984
Authors: Grabowski Richard , Kraft Steven , Mehdian Seyed , Pasurka Carl 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis paper has two main purposes: (1) to develop a method for measuring the extent and bias of technical change which involves the use of non‐parametric production frontiers and does not require information on prices or factor shares; (2) to apply this method to individual farm data drawn from a sample of Illinois grain farms for the years 1982 and 1984. The results indicate that technical innovation is land using in nature and that the rate of technical change is related to the size of farm.
Market Price Response of World Rice Research
Authors: Hayami Yujiro , Kikuchi Masao , Morooka Kazuko 
Published: January 2020

AbstractUsing the total number of research publications as a proxy, the output of rice research in the world is estimated to be highly responsive in the short run to price fluctuations in the international rice market. The results suggest a danger of the inducement mechanism of public investment in the agricultural production infrastructure being misguided by cyclical price changes, thereby leading to recurrent food shortages and oversupplies in a cobweb‐like manner.
Sense and Sustainability: Sustainability as an Objective in International Agricultural Research
Authors: Lynam John K. , Herdt Robert W. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis paper first discusses how to use sustainability as a criterion by which to evaluate agricultural research, then illustrates the difficulties inherent in applying the criterion and finally draws implications for international agricultural research. Seven propositions relating to sustainability are stated. Agricultural researchers are urged to (a) recognize the importance of the sustainability of agricultural systems. (b) devise appropriate ways to measure sustainability, (c) empirically examine the sustainability of some well‐defined cropping or farming systems, (d) define the externalities that exist in such systems, and (e) develop methods to measure those externalities.
Regional Cooperation in the Use of Irrigation Water: Efficiency and Income Distribution
Authors: Yaron D. , Ratner A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe paper presents an analysis of the economic potential of regional cooperation in water use in irrigation under conditions characterized by a general trend of increasing salinity. Income maximizing solutions for the region are derived and the related income distribution schemes are solved for, with the aid of cooperative game theory algorithms and shadow cost pricing. Distinction is made between distribution policies with and without side payments. The reasonableness and the acceptability of these schemes is later critically evaluated. The Nash‐Harsanyi approach seems to be the most appropriate for the conditions studied.