bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic activation of anti‐oxidant pathways and iron accumulation in epileptogenic malformations
Authors: Zimmer T. S. , Ciriminna G. , Arena A. , Anink J. J. , Korotkov A. , Jansen F. E. , van Hecke W. , Spliet W. G. , van Rijen P. C. , Baayen J. C. , Idema S. , Rensing N. R. , Wong M. , Mills J. D. , van Vliet E. A. , Aronica E. 
Published: December 2019

AimsOxidative stress is evident in resected epileptogenic brain tissue of patients with developmental brain malformations related to mammalian target of rapamycin activation: tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCD IIb). Whether chronic activation of anti‐oxidant pathways is beneficial or contributes to pathology is not clear.MethodsWe investigated oxidative stress markers, including haem oxygenase 1, ferritin and the inflammation associated microRNA‐155 in surgically resected epileptogenic brain tissue of TSC (n = 10) and FCD IIb (n = 8) patients and in a TSC model (Tsc1GFAP−/−mice) using immunohistochemistry,in situhybridization, real‐time quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. Using human foetal astrocytes we performed anin vitrocharacterization of the anti‐oxidant response to acute and chronic oxidative stress and evaluated overexpression of the disease‐relevant pro‐inflammatory microRNA‐155.ResultsResected TSC or FCD IIb tissue displayed higher expression of oxidative stress markers and microRNA‐155.Tsc1GFAP−/−mice expressed more microRNA‐155 and haem oxygenase 1 in the brain compared to wild‐type, preceding the typical development of spontaneous seizures in these animals.In vitro, chronic microRNA‐155 overexpression induced haem oxygenase 1, iron regulatory elements and increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. Overexpression of iron regulatory genes was also detected in patients with TSC, FCD IIb andTsc1GFAP−/−mice.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that early and sustained activation of anti‐oxidant signalling and dysregulation of iron metabolism are a pathological hallmark of FCD IIb and TSC. Our findings suggest novel therapeutic strategies aimed at controlling the pathological link between both processes.
The role of estrogens in the adipose tissue milieu
Authors: Bracht John R. , Vieira‐Potter Victoria J. , De Souza Santos Roberta , Öz Orhan K. , Palmer Biff F. , Clegg Deborah J. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractOne of the leading causes for the development of adverse metabolic effects, including type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases, is the accumulation of excess body weight, often measured by body mass index (BMI). Although BMI, calculated using weight and height, is the standard measure used to determine body adiposity in clinical and public health guidelines, an inherent limitation is that BMI does not distinguish where in the body adiposity is deposited. Central obesity, characterized by greater accumulation of adiposity in the abdominal region, has been associated with a higher risk of mortality, independent of BMI. Importantly, one of the determinants of body fat distribution is sex hormones. Both estrogens and androgens appear to directly and indirectly influence body fat distribution. Our review will focus specifically on the role of estrogens and their influence in determining body fat distribution and overall health of adipose tissues, and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating the production and function of estrogens.
Reducing preoperative anxiety with Child Life preparation prior to intravenous induction of anesthesia: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: West Nicholas , Christopher Nancy , Stratton Kirsten , Görges Matthias , Brown Zoë 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundInduction of anesthesia can be stressful: Up to 60% of children suffer significant anxiety immediately before surgery. Anxiety is associated with higher postoperative analgesia requirements, higher incidence of emergence delirium, and detrimental effects on sleep and behavior. Child Life preparation includes role‐play, expectation‐setting, and teaching coping strategies.Aim The aim of this trial was to determine whether preoperative Child Life preparation reduces anxiety prior to intravenous induction of anesthesia.MethodsChildren aged 3‐10 years, with no known preexisting anxiety and no preoperative anxiolytics, undergoing elective day surgery lasting ≤ 2 hours, were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Each child's baseline anxiety was assessed in the anesthetic care unit, using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale—Short Form (mYPAS‐SF, observational scores from 22.9, minimal anxiety, to 100, maximal anxiety) as the primary outcome. The child was randomly assigned to intervention (minimum 15 minutes Child Life preparation) or control (standard practice without Child Life preparation). Participants entered the operating room with one parent. A researcher (blinded to group allocation) scored the child's operating room anxiety using mYPAS‐SF, up to the first attempt at intravenous cannulation.ResultsFifty‐nine children completed the study, aged median [interquartile range] 5 [3‐7] years. Baseline mYPAS‐SF anxiety was 29.2 [22.9‐37.5] for all children, and operating room anxiety was 29.2 [22.9‐49.0]. Operating room anxiety was higher than baseline in 16/31 (52%) children in the control group and 6/28 (21%) in the Child Life preparation group. ANCOVA revealed a significant effect of baseline mYPAS‐SF anxiety and group on operating room anxiety (F = 10.31, P < .001, adjusted R2 = .24); individual parameter estimates indicated that Child Life preparation reduced operating room anxiety by 13.8 (95% CI 4.4‐23.1) points compared to control, P = .005.ConclusionA brief, targeted Child Life preparation session had a statistically significant effect on reducing preoperative anxiety prior to intravenous induction of anesthesia in young children, with no known preexisting anxiety. This effect may be clinically important and suggests that Child Life can be a valuable component of pediatric surgical care. Further research is required in specific populations.
Regenerative Medicine for Axial and Radicular Spine‐Related Pain: A Narrative Review
Authors: Desai Mehul J. , Mansfield John Taylor , Robinson David M. , Miller Benjamin C. , Borg‐Stein Joanne 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIntroductionRegenerative injection‐based therapy has established itself as a therapeutic option for the management of a variety of painful musculoskeletal conditions. The aim of this work was to review the current literature regarding regenerative injection therapy for axial/radicular spine pain.MethodsA comprehensive literature review was conducted on the use of regenerative medicine for axial/radicular spine pain. Eligible articles analyzed the therapeutic injection effects of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP), prolotherapy, or mesenchymal signaling cells (MSCs) via intradiscal, facet joint, epidural, or sacroiliac joint delivery.ResultsRegarding intradiscal PRP, there are level I/IV studies supporting its use. Regarding intradiscal prolotherapy, there are level III to IV studies supporting its use. Regarding intradiscal MSCs, there are level I/IV studies supporting its use with the exception of one level IV study that found no significant improvement at 12 months. Regarding facet joint injections with PRP, there are level I/IV studies supporting its use. Regarding facet joint injections with prolotherapy, there are level IV studies supporting its use, though the one level I study did not demonstrate any statistical significance supporting its use. Regarding epidural injections with PRP, there are level I/IV studies supporting its use. Regarding epidural injections with prolotherapy, there are level IV studies supporting its use, though the one level I study did not demonstrate statistical significance beyond 48 hours. Regarding sacroiliac joint injections with PRP, there are level I/IV studies supporting its use. Regarding sacroiliac joint injections with prolotherapy, there are level I/III studies supporting its use.ConclusionsCurrently, there are level I studies to support the use of PRP and MSC injections for discogenic pain; facet joint injections with PRP; epidural injections of autologous conditioned serum and epidural prolotherapy; and PRP and prolotherapy for sacroiliac joint pain. One level I study showed that facet joint prolotherapy has no significant benefit. Notably, no intervention has multiple published level I studies.
The development of a parental attachment recognition scale for mothers nurturing preschool children
Authors: Tanaka Yoko 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundAttachment theory shows that childhood experiences influence the parenting style that the child shows later, as a parent. Nevertheless, at present there are no instruments to efficiently quantify the emotions associated with parents’ early attachment.ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a cognitive scale that measures both the positive and negative emotions reflecting the early attachment experience of Japanese mothers now nurturing their own preschool‐age children.DesignA Parental Attachment Recognition Scale is developed in three phases that include concept analysis, item pool development and validity analysis, and investigation of the scale's statistical features, factor structure, validity, and reliability.Measurements and SampleThe scale development is based on a self‐administered questionnaire survey, answered by 639 mothers.ResultsThe scale consists of 27 items, grouped by factor analysis into three subordinate scales, named: (1) Parent–child contact; (2) Emotional bond; and (3) Parental impressions.ConclusionsThe study proposes a new scale to measure the recognition of early childhood attachment experiences among mothers raising their own preschool children. The instrument has a considerable degree of validity and reliability. The scale is expected to be useful in helping public health nurses assess mothers in need of childrearing support.
The PRIDE Study: Evaluation of online methods of data collection
Authors: van Gelder Marleen M. H. J. , Merkus Peter J. F. M. , van Drongelen Joris , Swarts Jessie W. , van de Belt Tom H. , Roeleveld Nel 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundLarge birth cohort studies are extremely valuable in assessing associations between early life exposures and long‐term outcomes. Establishing new birth cohorts is challenging due to declining participation rates. Online methods of data collection may increase feasibility, but have not been evaluated thoroughly.ObjectiveThe primary objective of the ongoing PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study is to identify exposures during pregnancy and in early life that may affect short‐term or long‐term health of mother and/or child. In this manuscript, we aimed to evaluate methods of recruitment and online data collection applied.PopulationDutch women aged ≥18 years in early pregnancy.DesignProspective cohort study.MethodsInitially, only prenatal care providers recruited participants, but alternative recruitment methods were added as a result of disappointing participation rates, including collaboration with “Moeders voor Moeders” (organisation that visits women in early pregnancy) and Facebook advertisements. Data on demographic characteristics, obstetric history, maternal health, life style factors, occupational exposures, nutrition, pregnancy complications, and infant outcomes are primarily collected through Web‐based questionnaires at multiple time points during and after pregnancy. Additional data collection components include paternal questionnaires, blood and saliva sampling, and linkage to medical records.Preliminary resultsBy September 2019, 9573 women were included in the PRIDE Study, of which 1.3% completed paper‐based questionnaires. Mean age of the women analysed was 30.6 years, 71.1% had a high level of education, 57.2% were primiparae, and mean gestational age at enrolment was 9.9 (range 3, 37) weeks, with slight differences between recruitment methods. Pregnancy outcome was known for 89.8%. Retention rate at 6 months after the estimated date of delivery was estimated at 70%. Multiple validation studies conducted within the PRIDE Study indicated high data quality.Conclusion(s)Although challenging and time‐consuming, online methods for recruitment and data collection may enable the establishment of new birth cohort studies.
Renewable Estimation and Incremental Inference in Generalized Linear Models with Streaming Data Sets
Authors: Luo Lan , Song Peter X.-K. 
Published: December 2019

SummaryThe paper presents an incremental updating algorithm to analyse streaming data sets using generalized linear models. The method proposed is formulated within a new framework of renewable estimation and incremental inference, in which the maximum likelihood estimator is renewed with current data and summary statistics of historical data. Our framework can be implemented within a popular distributed computing environment, known as Apache Spark, to scale up computation. Consisting of two data-processing layers, the rho architecture enables us to accommodate inference-related statistics and to facilitate sequential updating of the statistics used in both estimation and inference. We establish estimation consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed renewable estimator, in which the Wald test is utilized for an incremental inference. Our methods are examined and illustrated by various numerical examples from both simulation experiments and a real world data analysis.
National and Regional Impacts of an Increase in Value‐Added Tax: A CGE Analysis for South Africa
Authors: Roos Elizabeth Lousia , Horridge J. Mark , van Heerden Jan H. , Adams Philip D. , Bohlmann Heinrich R. , Kobe Kgatedi Kenneth , Vumbukani‐Lepolesa Bokang 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe South African National Treasury expected a revenue shortfall of R48.2 billion in 2017/18 and proposed tax policy measures to raise an additional R36 billion in 2018/19. A key component to raise the additional revenue was a 1% point increase in the VAT rate to 15% effective from 1 April 2018. The increase in the VAT rate was not welcomed as it would increase the cost of living, especially for the poor. We investigate the potential economy‐wide and regional impacts of raising VAT and increasing public spending on education and health. We do this by developing and applying a multi‐regional model of the South African economy that includes detailed tax and spending features. In this model, when we increase VAT, the impacts are driven by the direct shock to the model, accompanied by differences in regional economic activity. We find that effects on GDP vary between regions but are generally negative.
Abstention, Protest, and Residual Votes in the 2016 Election
Authors: Stewart Charles , Alvarez R. Michael , Pettigrew Stephen S. , Wimpy Cameron 
Published: December 2019

ObjectiveWe analyze the significant increase in the residual vote rate in the 2016 presidential election. The residual vote rate, which is the percentage of ballots cast in a presidential election that contain no vote for president, rose nationwide from 0.99 to 1.41 percent between 2012 and 2016.MethodWe use election return data and public opinion data to examine why the residual vote rate increased in 2016.ResultsThe primary explanation for this rise is an increase in abstentions, which we argue results primarily from disaffected Republican voters rather than alienated Democratic voters. In addition, other factors related to election administration and electoral competition explain variation in the residual vote rates across states, particularly the use of mail/absentee ballots and the lack of competition at the top of the ticket in nonbattleground states. However, we note that the rise in the residual vote rate was not due to changes in voting technologies.ConclusionOur research has implications for the use of the residual vote as a metric for studying election administration and voting technologies.
Infrastructural citizenship: The everyday citizenships of adapting and/or destroying public infrastructure in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Lemanski Charlotte 
Published: December 2019

This paper develops infrastructural citizenship as an analytical framework that bridges geography's sub‐disciplinary silos. While urban geography promotes infrastructure as a core lens for understanding the city, recognising that political struggles are mediated through infrastructure, discourses of citizenship are rarely employed. Similarly, while political and development geography promote citizenship as vital in understanding socio‐political life, often framed by citizen‐led action to secure basic rights and services, critical debates on urban infrastructure are typically overlooked. Consequently, despite the growth in studies recognising the politicised nature of urban infrastructure and the centrality of citizenship to urban life, the multiple ways that citizenship and infrastructure relate in diverse urban settings has received limited critical attention. This paper demonstrates how urban dwellers' relationship to public infrastructure in the domestic spaces of the home and settlement, and the temporal scale of the everyday, offers a representation of broader political identities and perceptions, framed through the language of citizenship. In South Africa, despite 25 years of significant post‐apartheid public investment in housing and services, frustration at poor service delivery and beneficiary (mis)use of public infrastructure remains dominant. While citizens adapt and consume public infrastructure in ways deemed “illegal” and “uncivil” by the state, citizens view these actions as a legitimate form of “citizenship‐in‐action” in the context of rapid urbanisation and poverty, and are frustrated by perceptions of state neglect. Using the analytical framework of infrastructural citizenship, the paper reveals how this state–society disjuncture represents a citizenship mismatch that is embodied in infrastructure, rather than a material product of state disinterest or citizen destruction per se.
Molecular characterization of community‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus from pet dogs
Authors: Ma Gemma C. , Worthing Kate A. , Gottlieb Thomas , Ward Michael P. , Norris Jacqueline M. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractCommunity‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious public health concern and in Australia, one that disproportionately affects Aboriginal people. Paralleling MRSA in human medicine, methicillin‐resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) is an increasingly prevalent pathogen in veterinary medicine. We aimed to characterize the carriage of MRSA and MRSP in dogs and cats from predominantly Aboriginal communities in a very remote region of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Pets (303 dogs and 80 cats) were recruited from six communities in western NSW. Three swabs were collected from each animal (anterior nares, oropharynx and perineum) and from skin lesions or wounds (if present) and cultured on selective media for methicillin‐resistant staphylococci. Human host‐adapted community‐associated MRSA representing four multilocus sequence types (ST1‐IV, ST5‐IV, ST72‐IV, ST93‐IV) were isolated from eight dogs (prevalence 2.6%, 95% confidence interval 1.3%–5.1%). Two ST5‐IV isolates from a single dog were phenotypically trimethoprim‐resistant, harbouring trimethoprim‐resistant gene dfrG within the SCCmec type IVo mobile genetic element. MRSA was not isolated from any cats and MRSP was not isolated from any dogs or cats. This study estimated a high prevalence of human host‐adapted community‐associated MRSA carriage in dogs despite an absence of MRSP. This suggests MRSA carried by dogs in remote NSW originate from human hosts. The cycle of transmission between people, dogs and common environmental sources warrants further investigation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of trimethoprim‐resistant ST5‐IV in eastern Australia and the first report of trimethoprim‐resistant ST5‐IV from a dog.
Experimental Study With Analytical Validation of Energy Parameters in Parabolic Trough Collector With Twisted Tape Insert
Authors: Arunachala U. C. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThermo-hydraulic performance evaluation of parabolic trough collector is important while introducing heat transfer augmentation techniques to it. In the present outdoor experimental study, the role of twisted tape is justified in laminar flow-based parabolic trough collector. For the Re range of 544–1742 and solar beam radiation of 400–750 W/m2, the use of twisted tape (twist ratios: 5.2, 4.1, and 2.7) resulted in maximum instantaneous efficiency of 22.3%, 29.5%, and 40%, respectively, against 19.1% with plain receiver. The effect of pressure drop rise on system performance due to twisted tape is found to be insignificant as effective thermo-hydraulic efficiency recorded are 21.8%, 29.3%, and 39.7%, respectively, with maximum uncertainty involved of 1.01%. In view of the importance of system performance evaluation over a wide range of operating parameters and limitation of outdoor experiments, an analytical model has been developed which followed the similar trend. The model takes into account various operating conditions, viz. laminar, twisted tape-based laminar and turbulent flow condition as well as air-in-annulus and evacuated receiver cases. Using the model (laminar region) in both plain and twisted tape cases, the maximum percentage deviation in the prediction of exit fluid temperature (in °C) and effective thermo-hydraulic efficiency are 1.6 and 13.3, respectively. Further, for a turbulent case, the maximum percentage deviation in exit temperature (in °C) noticed is 2.9. Hence, the developed analytical model is having a good agreement with the experimental outcomes.
Thin-Layer Mathematical Modeling of Turmeric in Indirect Natural Conventional Solar Dryer
Authors: Nukulwar Masnaji R. , Tungikar Vinod B. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
The objective of this study is to find an optimized thin-layer mathematical model suitable for drying kinetics of turmeric. Turmeric has a high moisture content which necessitates effective drying. A 10 kg, sample batch, of turmeric was dried in a solar dryer. Drying air temperatures and air velocity were observed in the range of 55 °C–68 °C and 0.7 m/s–1.4 m/s, respectively, in the drying experiments. It is seen that the moisture content of the turmeric is reduced from 77% to 11.93% in 22 h when compared with open sun drying, which required 60 h for the same reduction in the moisture content. Scheffler dish was used to generate steam for the dryer. Seven thin-layer mathematical models, cited in the literature, had been used for the study. These models were applied for different trays placed in the dryer. The result of the research and experimentation showed that the Page model fits best for drying in the steam-based dryer and open sun drying. Experimental results showed 63.33% saving in drying time, and the drying efficiency was found as 29.85%. Uncertainty in the drying efficiency was observed as 0.67%. Experimental investigation and the findings from the mathematical modeling are presented in this paper.