bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with dry eye syndrome: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu Jing , Dong Yi , Wang Yan 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the association between the serum vitamin D level and dry eye. A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases to identify clinical studies evaluating the association between vitamin D levels and dry eye. The random‐effect model was used to combine the results. Possible sources of heterogeneity across studies were determined by meta‐regression and sensitivity analysis. Overall, 10 studies (n = 18 919) were included. Patients with dry eye had a mean serum vitamin D level that was lower than that in healthy controls by 3.99 ng/ml (95% CI −6.57, −1.40; p = 0.002). The mean Ocular Surface Disease Index score was higher (mean difference 10.70, 95% CI 1.55–19.86; p = 0.02) and Schirmer’s test without anaesthesia result was lower (mean difference 6.38 mm/5 min, 95% CI −10.48, −2.28; p = 0.002) in patients with vitamin D deficiency than in controls. Tear break‐up time was comparable in the vitamin D deficiency and control groups (p = 0.15). Sensitivity analyses indicated that the results obtained were robust. This meta‐analysis suggested that vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse subjective symptoms and less tear production in patients with dry eye. Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for dry eye syndrome. Prospective cohort and intervention studies are warranted to determine if vitamin D has a protective role in the development of dry eye.
Changes of visual fields in treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review
Authors: Vergmann Anna Stage , Grauslund Jakob 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe aim of this systematic review was to compare certain side‐effects [visual fields (VF), dark adaptation, colour vision (CV) and contrast sensitivity (CS)] of conventional panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) with those of other treatments in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). A systematic literature search was conducted on 30 November 2018 in PubMed and Embase. The search comprised the keywords ‘proliferative diabetic retinopathy’, ‘laser’, ‘treatment’ and ‘anti‐vegf’. We included prospective studies and randomized controlled trials that investigated certain side‐effects (VF, dark adaptation, CV, CS) in treatment of PDR (primary outcome). In total, 1867 articles were screened, and 10 studies were included (2176 eyes of 2086 patients examined in the VF studies and 1360 eyes of 1360 patients examined in the CV and CS studies). Visual fields (VF) were investigated in 10 studies, CV in one study and CS in one study. Treatment modalities included conventional PRP, other modalities of laser treatment and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. Four studies demonstrated a worse VF impact of PRP than VEGF inhibitors. Seven studies reported of an overall worsening in VF after laser with no differences between different laser approaches. No differences were found in CV or CS. Overall, we found a trend, confirmed in four large studies, towards VEGF inhibitors causing less harm to VF compared to conventional PRP. Whilst VF was generally depressed after laser, it did not differ between different treatment approaches. Furthermore, it was not possible to make certain conclusions of CV or CS, with only one study in each field.
Contrasting Personal Characteristics and Psychosocial Correlates of Exercise and Eating Behavior Changes in Women Successful vs. Unsuccessful with Weight Loss and Maintenance
Authors: Annesi James J. 
Published: May 2020

BackgroundThere is great variability in individuals' responses to behavioral weight‐loss treatments. Beyond attaining meaningful weight loss in the initial several weeks, little is known of the characteristics of participants successful vs. unsuccessful with short‐ and long‐term weight loss.MethodsSeparate samples of women with obesity enrolled in cognitive‐behavioral weight‐loss treatments were assessed over 6 months (Study 1: successful weight‐loss group, n = 83; unsuccessful group, n = 158), and over 24 months (Study 2: sustained initially lost weight, n = 25; regained weight, n = 19), on personal characteristics and theory‐driven psychosocial variables.ResultsIn Study 1, significantly older age and greater eating self‐regulation at baseline were found in the successful group. Significantly greater improvements in exercise‐ and eating‐related self‐regulation, mood, exercise‐ and eating‐related self‐efficacy, physical self‐concept, and body satisfaction were found in the successful group. In Study 2, the sustainer group had significantly more favorable changes over 2 years in exercise‐ and eating‐related self‐regulation, and mood. During Months 6–24, the psychosocial correlates of both exercise and eating behaviors regressed, with more pronounced reversions in the regainer group.ConclusionIncreasing the magnitude of treatment‐associated improvement in each of the tested theory‐based psychosocial factors is warranted to increase probabilities for success with attaining and maintaining meaningful weight loss.
Sensitivity analysis for subsequent treatments in confirmatory oncology clinical trials: A two‐stage stochastic dynamic treatment regime approach
Authors: Hagiwara Yasuhiro , Shinozaki Tomohiro , Mukai Hirofumi , Matsuyama Yutaka 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSubsequent treatments can result in a difficulty in interpretation of the overall survival results in confirmatory oncology clinical trials. To complement the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis affected by subsequent treatment patterns unintentional in the trial protocol, several causal methods targeting the per‐protocol effect have been proposed. When two or more types of subsequent treatments are allowed in the trial protocol, however, these methods cannot answer clinical questions such as how sensitive the ITT analysis result is to higher or lower proportions of each subsequent treatment allowed in the trial protocol than observed, and to what extent ITT analysis result is generalizable to subsequent treatment patterns other than observed one. To answer these clinical questions, we propose a sensitivity analysis method for subsequent treatments using the inverse probability of treatment weighting method for stochastic dynamic treatment regimes (DTRs). We formulate oncology clinical trials with subsequent treatments as two‐stage designs in which initial treatments are randomized, but subsequent treatments are observational. In this formulation, we use stochastic DTRs to simulate specific proportions of each subsequent treatment and compare an initial experimental treatment with an initial control treatment under various proportions of each subsequent treatment. We applied our proposed method to a motivating randomized noninferiority trial for metastatic breast cancer. Simulation results are also reported to show the usefulness of the proposed method.
CD70‐silenced dendritic cells induce immune tolerance in immune thrombocytopenia patients
Authors: Zhang Xian , Wang Yunlong , Zhang Donglei , Li Huiyuan , Zhou Zeping , Yang Renchi 
Published: May 2020

SummaryThe hyper‐response of dendritic cell (DC) is believed to participate in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The CD70 expression on the surface of DCs that takes part in the CD27‐CD70 costimulation pathway is an important element of DC ‘licensing’, which may initiate a series of autoreactive immune responses. To elucidate the roles CD70 molecules play in the DCs of ITP patients, we first stimulated the CD70 molecules on the DCs of ITP patients and normal controls, and found that the stimulated DCs from ITP patients exhibited higher ability to induce CD4+CD25− T lymphocytes proliferation, while lowering the ability of the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) from CD4+CD25− T lymphocytes. Meanwhile, higher IFN‐γ and lower IL‐10 levels were found in the co‐culture system of stimulated DCs and CD4+CD25− T cells. We then silenced the CD70 genes on the induced DCs of ITP patients and normal controls by siRNA, and confirmed our suggestion that the silence of CD70 expression on the surface of DCs from ITP patients would decrease the CD4+CD25− T lymphocytes proliferation and Tregs differentiation, simultaneously inducing higher IL‐10 and lower IFN‐γ levels. Thus, the interference with the CD27‐CD70 costimulatory pathway might lead to the alleviation of the consequent immune reactions, polarisation of Th2, induction of immune tolerance as well as shed new light on treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Stratigraphic architecture of Solander Basin records Southern Ocean currents and subduction initiation beneath southwest New Zealand
Authors: Patel Jiten , Sutherland Rupert , Gurnis Michael , Van Avendonk Harm , Gulick Sean P. S. , Shuck Brandon , Stock Joann , Hightower Erin 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSolander Basin is characterized by subduction initiation at the Pacific‐Australia plate boundary, where high biological productivity is found at the northern edge of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Sedimentary architecture results from tectonic influences on accommodation space, sediment supply and ocean currents (via physiography); and climate influence on ocean currents and biological productivity. We present the first seismic‐stratigraphic analysis of Solander Basin based on high‐fold seismic‐reflection data (voyage MGL1803, SISIE). Solander Trough physiography formed by Eocene rifting, but basinal strata are mostly younger than ca. 17 Ma, when we infer Puysegur Ridge formed and sheltered Solander Basin from bottom currents, and mountain growth onshore increased sediment supply. Initial inversion on the Tauru Fault started at ca. 15 Ma, but reverse faulting from 12 to ca. 8 Ma on both the Tauru and Parara Faults was likely associated with reorganization and formation of the subduction thrust. The new seabed topography forced sediment pathways to become channelized at low points or antecedent gorges. Since 5 Ma, southern Puysegur Ridge and Fiordland mountains spread out towards the east and Solander Anticline grew in response to ongoing subduction and growth of a slab. Solander Basin had high sedimentation rates because (1) it is sheltered from bottom currents by Puysegur Ridge; and (2) it has a mountainous land area that supplies sediment to its northern end. Sedimentary architecture is asymmetric due to the Subtropical Front, which moves pelagic and hemi‐pelagic sediment, including dilute parts of gravity flows, eastward and accretes contourites to the shelf south of Stewart Island. Levees, scours, drifts and ridges of folded sediment characterize western Solander Basin, whereas hemi‐pelagic drape and secondary gravity flows are found east of the meandering axial Solander Channel. The high‐resolution record of climate and tectonics that Solander Basin contains may yield excellent sites for future scientific ocean drilling.
Depressive Symptoms and Father Involvement in Canada: Evidence from a National Study
Authors: Shafer Kevin , Renick Andrew J. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractPaternal involvement in instrumental and emotional parenting behaviours benefits families and children. While fathers have become more involved in childrearing over the past several decades, significant variability in paternal involvement with children remains. Yet, little work has focused on the facilitators and barriers to involved fathering and work in the Canadian context is particularly sparse. This study focuses on one potentially important factor, depressive symptoms, and its relationship with multiple dimensions of father involvement among Canadian men. Using national quantitative data from the Survey of Canadian Fathers‐Enquête des Pères Canadiens (n= 2,099) and ordinary least squares regression models, we focus on the relationship between depressive symptoms and six measures of fathering behavior. Results indicate that depression is significantly associated with most behaviours, but these results diverge from studies in other countries and contexts. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of context‐specific studies on parenting and the need for additional work on fathering and mental health in Canada.
Caries Risk Assessment and Referral Tool (CRA‐RT)—A novel risk scoring system for early childhood caries in community settings
Authors: Muraleedhar Seetha Suchithra , Thomas Valsa , Sivaram Remadevi , Sreedharan Sheela , Nayar Bindu R. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo develop a brief and simple, easy‐to‐administer, culturally sensitive, reliable and valid risk scoring system for early childhood caries based only on behavioural and other nonclinical risk factors. The purpose was to allow risk scoring by child care providers without clinical examination in order to guide dental referral in a community setting.MethodsA cross‐sectional study using stratified multistage cluster sampling was conducted among 559 preschool children and their mothers in Anganwadi centres and Preprimary schools in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. All steps in the development of a new tool were carried out. Exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis with Varimax rotation were employed for item reduction. Reliability and validity assessments were also performed. Past caries experience was recorded as dmft scores and the validity hypothesis of higher dmft scores in children with higher caries risk scores was also verified as an additional measure of construct validity.ResultsThe newly developed Caries Risk Assessment and Referral Tool (CRA‐RT) is presented as a unidimensional, 11‐item, discriminative tool which showed high test‐retest reliability (ICC = 0.8), high inter‐rater reliability (ICC = 0.8) and acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.6). Face, content and construct validity have been demonstrated. Children with higher CRA‐RT scores were having higher dmft scores, and it provided an additional evidence for the construct validity of the tool.ConclusionCRA‐RT is a simple, valid and reliable novel risk scoring system for ECC, to be used in a nondental, nonmedical setting. The proposed tool contains those behavioural risk or protective factors, the presence or absence of which could be assessed by interviewing the mother. The quick and the easy risk scoring pattern with a cut‐off score can guide the dental referral of preschool children by child care providers in a community setting.
Bringing young children’s voices into programme development, randomized controlled trials and other unlikely places
Authors: O’Farrelly Christine 
Published: May 2020

AbstractInterventions aimed at improving children's lives are widespread and research evaluating these is central to policy decisions that affect their lives. Although there is an increasing move in intervention and evaluation research to include stakeholders’ perspectives this rarely extends to children's voices. As a psychologist committed to children's rights, this article explores my experiences of working at times on the fringes of my own discipline, drawing on wide‐ranging resources and collaborating with other disciplines. The article reflects on the challenges and opportunities of multidisciplinary research and bringing young children's perspectives into these places where they are rarely heard.
Factors predictive of an advanced stage of colorectal cancer at presentation – a bi‐national study
Authors: Vather R. , Petrushnko W. , Chapman D. , Sammour T. , Mor I. , Warner R. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAimIdentifying elements associated with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) stage may inform understanding of whether advanced disease is a corollary of access to healthcare or tumour biology and in turn allow the use of targeted screening and awareness programmes. The aim of this study was to identify factors that predict advanced stage of CRC at presentation in Australia and New Zealand.MethodThis was a cross‐sectional registry study sourced from the prospectively maintained Binational Colorectal Cancer Audit database of Australia and New Zealand. The primary outcome was stage as defined by the TNM system with associations drawn to demographic and perioperative variables.ResultsIn total, 25 282 separate cancers were included. Univariate analysis found younger age, treatment at a public facility, increasing American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, more distal tumours, and less recent year of surgery to all be associated with more advanced disease; sex and presentation at a rural vs urban hospital had no bearing on this outcome. Logistic regression identified younger age (< 60 years vs > 80 years: OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.80–2.14; P = 0.002), treatment at a public vs private hospital (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.14–1.28; P < 0.001), increasing ASA grade (ASA4 vs ASA1: OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.17–1.59, P < 0.001) and more distal tumours (mid‐low rectal vs right colon tumours: OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.41–1.64; P < 0.001) to be independent predictors of nodal or metastatic disease at presentation.ConclusionYounger age, increasing ASA grade, more distal tumours, and treatment at a public rather than private facility are independently associated with the presence of nodal or distant CRC metastases at diagnosis.
Developmental Changes in Strategies for Gathering Evidence About Biological Kinds
Authors: Foster‐Hanson Emily , Moty Kelsey , Cardarelli Amanda , Ocampo John Daryl , Rhodes Marjorie 
Published: May 2020

AbstractHow do people gather samples of evidence to learn about the world? Adults often prefer to sample evidence from diverse sources—for example, choosing to test a robin and a turkey to find out if something is true of birds in general. Children below age 9, however, often do not consider sample diversity, instead treating non‐diverse samples (e.g., two robins) and diverse samples as equivalently informative. The current study (N = 247) found that this discontinuity stems from developmental changes in standards for evaluating evidence—younger children chose to learn from samples that best approximate idealized views of what category members are supposed to be like (e.g., the fastest cheetahs), with a gradual shift across age toward samples that cover more within‐category variation (e.g., cheetahs of varying speeds). These findings have implications for the relation between conceptual structure and inductive reasoning, and for the mechanisms underlying inductive reasoning more generally.
B‐cell lymphoma 2 family genes show a molecular pattern of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in gynaecologic and breast cancer
Authors: Wang Jiajian , Li Sidi , Lin Shudai , Fu Shuying , Qiu Li , Ding Ke , Liang Keying , Du Hongli 
Published: May 2020

AbstractObjectivesBCL2 family proteins have been widely studied over the past decade due to their essential roles in apoptosis, oncogenesis and anti‐cancer therapy. However, the similarities and differences in the spatial pattern of the BCL2 gene family within the context of chromatin have not been well characterized. We sought to fill this knowledge gap by assessing correlations between gene alteration, gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and clinical outcomes in gynaecologic and breast cancer.Materials and methodsIn this study, the molecular characteristics of the BCL2 gene family in gynaecologic cancer were systematically analysed by integrating multi‐omics datasets, including transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility, copy number variation, methylomics and clinical outcome.ResultsWe evaluated spatiotemporal associations between long‐range regulation peaks and tumour heterogeneity. Differential expression of the BCL2 family was coupled with widespread chromatin accessibility changes in gynaecologic cancer, accompanied by highly heterogeneous distal non‐coding accessibility surrounding the BCL2L1 gene loci. A relationship was also identified between gene expression, gene amplification, enhancer signatures, DNA methylation and overall patient survival. Prognostic analysis implied clinical correlations with BAD, BIK and BAK1. A shared protein regulatory network was established in which the co‐mutation signature of TP53 and PIK3CA was linked to the BCL2L1 gene.ConclusionsOur results provide the first systematic identification of the molecular features of the BCL2 family under the spatial pattern of chromatin in gynaecologic and breast cancer. These findings broaden the therapeutic scope of the BCL2 family to the non‐coding region by including a significantly conserved distal region overlaying an enhancer.
A forecast evaluation of the Riksbank's policy‐rate projections
Authors: Nordström Martin 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThis paper evaluates the forecasting performance of the policy‐rate path published by the Swedish central bank, the Riksbank. Using data from 2007 to 2019, I find that the Riksbank's forecast has been relatively inaccurate compared to a forecast inferred from market pricing. My analysis indicates that this result is primarily driven by events during the period 2010–2014. This coincides with a period during which the Riksbank arguably “leaned against the wind” and a potential link is discussed in the paper.
Detection and spread of Phytophthora austrocedri within infected Juniperus communis woodland and diversity of co‐associated Phytophthoras as revealed by metabarcoding
Authors: Riddell Carolyn E. , Dun Heather F. , Elliot Matt , Armstrong April C. , Clark Mhairi , Forster Jack , Hedley Pete E. , Green Sarah 
Published: May 2020

AbstractPhytophthora austrocedri is a recently invasive soilborne pathogen which is causing widespread mortality of Juniperus communis in northern Britain. The pathways by which a single genotype of P. austrocedri has spread to infect such a geographically dispersed range of woodland sites within a relatively short timeframe are unknown. This study examined the detectability of P. austrocedri in soil and water within infected J. communis woodland using qPCR to gain a better understanding of the pathogen's key mechanisms of spread. A Phytophthora metabarcoding method was also applied to investigate the wider diversity of Phytophthora species present in water at one of the sites. qPCR analyses of P. austrocedri in soil samples at a J. communis woodland exhibiting low‐to‐moderate levels of disease suggested a slow natural spread of the pathogen in soil, requiring high moisture conditions. However, the ubiquity of P. austrocedri DNA in soil samples collected across a heavily infected J. communis site suggests that once established at a site the pathogen can be spread readily in soil locally, most likely vectored by animal movements and/or human activities. The hypothesis that P. austrocedri is aerially transmitted in rainwater was not adequately proven, and an alternative hypothesis for the widespread distribution of the pathogen on J. communis in northern Britain is presented. Metabarcoding identified DNA from a diverse range of Phytophthora species in river and rainwater samples although the main target pathogen, P. austrocedri, was not amplified which disagreed with some of the qPCR findings. Possible reasons for this are discussed.