bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care: What are the Lessons from Extended Care Programmes in the USA and England for Australia?
Authors: Mendes Philip , Rogers Justin 
Published: March 2020

AbstractYoung people transitioning from out-of-home care (generally called care leavers) are recognised globally as a vulnerable group. In the last eighteen months, four Australian jurisdictions have extended state care till twenty-one years in an attempt to advance the life opportunities of this cohort. These initiatives are strongly influenced by extended care programmes in the USA and England, which have reported improved outcomes for care leavers. This article interrogates formal public evaluations of these extended care programmes with a particular focus on their eligibility criteria that have determined which groups of care leavers are included or alternatively excluded and the identified strengths and limitations of the programmes. Additionally, we consider cross-cultural differences in leaving care populations and variations within the broader social policy context of these jurisdictions, which may also impact on the effectiveness of policy transfer. Some conclusions are drawn about key factors that may enhance the success of extended care programmes.
Things Fall Apart: the British Health Crisis 2010–2020
Authors: Hiam Lucinda , Dorling Danny , McKee Martin 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
A very large number of studies have reported a stalling of health improvements in the UK since 2010.

Sources of data
Almost all relevant data are produced by the Office for National Statistics and other national statistical agencies.

Areas of agreement
There has been a dramatic slowdown in life expectancy and diverging trends in infant mortality in the UK as a whole and England and Wales, respectively.

Areas of controversy
Many commentators are loath to describe the falls in life expectancy as actual falls or to ascribe blame to the political situation in the UK.

Growing points
Health trends in the UK are worrying and raise important questions about government policies.

Areas timely for developing research
These findings point to a need for greater investment in research on the political determinants of health, on the timely detection and interpretation of evidence of worsening health, and on how political and policy processes respond to such findings.
Cortical Response to Fat Taste
Authors: Andersen Camilla Arndal , Nielsen Line , Møller Stine , Kidmose Preben 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
We sense fat by its texture and smell, but it is still unknown whether we also taste fat despite evidence of both candidate receptors and distinct fat taste sensations. One major reason fat is still not recognized as a basic taste quality is that we first need to demonstrate its underlying neural activity. To investigate such neural fat taste activation, we recorded evoked responses to commercial cow milk products with 0.1%, 4%, and 38 % fat via high-density electroencephalography (EEG) from 24 human participants. The experimental design ensured that the products would only be discriminable via their potential fat taste; all stimuli were carefully controlled for differences in viscosity, lubrication, odor, temperature, and confounding tastes (sweetness, acidity, and “off-taste”) and were delivered directly onto the tongue using a set of computer-controlled syringe pumps. Advanced topographical pattern analysis revealed different neural activation to the milk products 85–134 ms after stimulus onset, which, as expected, best discriminated the two milk fat extremes (0.1% and 38% fat). Notably, this time period has previously been shown to also encode basic taste qualities, such as sweet or salty. By adding to the evidence of cortical fat taste processing in response to staple food, our finding not only substantiates that we taste fat but also highlights its potential relevance during our everyday lives with possible large-scale impacts on motivational eating behavior to explain overconsumption of energy-dense foods.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Vaginal Discharge Syndromes in Community Practice Settings
Authors: Hillier Sharon L , Austin Michele , Macio Ingrid , Meyn Leslie A , Badway David , Beigi Richard 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
Although vaginal symptoms are common, diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) is not standardized. Diagnostic approaches and appropriateness of treatment were evaluated for women with symptoms of vaginitis who were seeking care at community practice sites.

Methods
Three hundred three symptomatic women, across 8 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center–affiliated clinics, were evaluated per standard office-based practice. Four of 5 vaginal swabs (1 cryopreserved) were collected for a US Food and Drug Administration–authorized nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for vaginitis/vaginosis diagnosis; Nugent scoring (BV); yeast culture (VVC); and a second NAAT (for TV). Two hundred ninety women had evaluable samples. Medical record extraction facilitated verification of treatments prescribed within 7 days of the index visit and return visit frequency within 90 days.

Results
Women had a mean age of 29.4 ± 6.5 years, 90% were not pregnant, 79% were of white race, and 38% reported vaginitis treatment within the past month. Point-of-care tests, including vaginal pH (15%), potassium hydroxide/whiff (21%), and wet mount microscopy (17%), were rarely performed. Of the 170 women having a laboratory-diagnosed cause of vaginitis, 81 (47%) received 1 or more inappropriate prescriptions. Of the 120 women without BV, TV, or VVC, 41 (34%) were prescribed antibiotics and/or antifungals. Among women without infectious vaginitis, return visits for vaginitis symptoms were more common among women treated empirically compared to those not receiving treatment (9/41 vs 5/79, P = .02).

Conclusions
Within a community practice setting, 42% of women having vaginitis symptoms received inappropriate treatment. Women without infections who received empiric treatment were more likely have recurrent visits within 90 days.

Clinical Trials Registration
NCT03151928.
Clinical Features of 69 Cases With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China
Authors: Wang Zhongliang , Yang Bohan , Li Qianwen , Wen Lu , Zhang Ruiguang 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
From December 2019 to February 2020, 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a serious outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China. Related clinical features are needed.

Methods
We reviewed 69 patients who were hospitalized in Union hospital in Wuhan between 16 January and 29 January 2020. All patients were confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the final date of follow-up was 4 February 2020.

Results
The median age of 69 enrolled patients was 42.0 years (interquartile range 35.0–62.0), and 32 patients (46%) were men. The most common symptoms were fever (60 [87%]), cough (38 [55%]), and fatigue (29 [42%]). Most patients received antiviral therapy (66 [98.5%] of 67 patients) and antibiotic therapy (66 [98.5%] of 67 patients). As of 4 February 2020, 18 (26.9%) of 67 patients had been discharged, and 5 patients had died, with a mortality rate of 7.5%. According to the lowest SpO2 during admission, cases were divided into the SpO2 ≥ 90% group (n = 55) and the SpO2 &lt; 90% group (n = 14). All 5 deaths occurred in the SpO2 &lt; 90% group. Compared with SpO2 ≥ 90% group, patients of the SpO2 &lt; 90% group were older and showed more comorbidities and higher plasma levels of interleukin (IL) 6, IL10, lactate dehydrogenase, and C reactive protein. Arbidol treatment showed tendency to improve the discharging rate and decrease the mortality rate.

Conclusions
COVID-19 appears to show frequent fever, dry cough, and increase of inflammatory cytokines, and induced a mortality rate of 7.5%. Older patients or those with underlying comorbidities are at higher risk of death.
Cohort Changes in the Level and Dispersion of Gender Ideology after German Reunification: Results from a Natural Experiment
Authors: Ebner Christian , Kühhirt Michael , Lersch Philipp 
Published: March 2020

AbstractModernization theorists’ ‘rising tide hypothesis’ predicted the continuous spread of egalitarian gender ideologies across the globe. We revisit this assumption by studying reunified Germany, a country that did not follow a strict modernization pathway. The socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR) actively fostered female employment and systematically promoted egalitarian ideologies before reunification with West Germany and the resulting incorporation into a conservative welfare state and market economy. Based on nationally representative, pooled cross-sectional data from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) from 1991 to 2016, we apply variance function regression to examine the impact of German reunification—akin to a natural experiment—on the average levels and dispersion of gender ideology. The results show: (i) East German cohorts socialized after reunification hold less egalitarian ideologies than cohorts socialized in the GDR, disrupting the rising tide. (ii) East German cohorts hold more egalitarian ideologies than West German cohorts, but the East-West gap is less pronounced for post-reunification cohorts. (iii) Cohorts in East Germany show higher conformity with gender ideology than their counterparts in West Germany; yet conformity did not change after reunification. (iv) Younger cohorts in West Germany show higher conformity with gender ideology than older cohorts.
Does the Firm Make the Difference? The Influence of Organizational Family-Friendly Arrangements on the Duration of Employment Interruptions after Childbirth
Authors: Bächmann Ann-Christin , Frodermann Corinna , Müller Dana 
Published: March 2020

AbstractDespite the increase in dual-earner couples in Germany over recent decades, starting a family still often leads to a (re-)traditionalization of the division of labour in partnerships, with considerable gender differences in working hours and family obligations remaining. Consequently, after a child is born especially women face the challenge of reconciling career and family. Against this backdrop, a growing proportion of firms has started to create family-friendly working conditions to relieve the burden on their (female) employees. In the course of doing so, firms have also increasingly invested in organizational family-friendly arrangements in recent years. In this article, we analyse the effects of these arrangements on employees’ behaviour by using German-linked employer–employee data. We ask how specific organizational family-friendly measures affect a crucial point in women’s careers: the employment interruption after childbirth. Based on time-specific piecewise constant models, our results reveal that organizational family-friendly measures positively influence women’s return to the labour market after childbirth and thus result in benefits for both firms and employees. Furthermore, we find that the effects of the measures are determined by the structural context and are not time constant but vary according to the age of the child.
Infective endocarditis in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices: a nationwide study
Authors: Mateos Gaitán Roberto , Boix-Palop Lucía , Muñoz García Patricia , Mestres Carlos A , Marín Arriaza Mercedes , Pedraz Prieto Álvaro , de Alarcón Gonzalez Arístides , Gutiérrez Carretero Encarnación , Hernández Meneses Marta , Goenaga Sánchez Miguel Ángel , Cobo Belaustegui Manuel , Oteo Revuelta José Antonio , Gainzarain Arana Juan Carlos , García Vázquez Elisa , Martínez-Sellés Manuel 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Aims
Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) frequently have cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Here, we aim to define the clinical profile and prognostic factors of IE in these patients.

Methods and results
Infective endocarditis cases were prospectively identified in the Spanish National Endocarditis Registry. From 3996 IE, 708 (17.7%) had a CIED and 424 CIED-related IE (lead vegetation). Patients with a CIED were older (68 ± 11 vs. 73 ± 8 years); had more comorbidities {pulmonary disease [176 (24.8%) vs. 545 (16.7%)], renal disease [239 (33.8%) vs. 740 (22.7%)], diabetes [248 (35.0%) vs. 867 (26.6%)], and heart failure [348 (49.2%) vs. 978 (29.9%)]}; and fewer complications {intracardiac destruction [106 (15%) vs. 1077 (33.1%)], heart failure [215 (30.3%) vs. 1340 (41.1%)], embolism [107 (15.1%) vs. 714 (21.9%)], and neurological involvement [77 (10.8%) vs. 702 (21.5%)]} (all P-values &lt;0.001) in comparison to subjects without a CIED. In-hospital mortality was similar in patients with and without CIED [171 (24.2%) vs. 881 (27.0%), P = 0.82]. In subjects with a CIED, CIED-related IE was independently associated with in-hospital survival: odds ratio (OR) 0.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3–0.7, P = 0.001]. Surgery was independently associated with in-hospital survival in CIED-related IE: OR 0.4 (95% CI 0.2–0.7, P = 0.004); but not in subjects with valve IE and no CIED lead involvement: OR 0.9 (95% CI 0.5–1.7, P = 0.77).

Conclusion
Over a sixth of IE patients have a CIED. This group of patients is older, with more comorbidities and fewer IE-related complications in comparison to subjects without a CIED. In-hospital mortality was similar in patients with and without a CIED.
Genetic analysis and pathogenicity of different sequence types of Streptococcus suis isolated from pigs in southern China
Authors: Peng Ling , Lin Mengting , Huang Zishu , Guo Sitao , Sun Hao , Yang Xufu 
Published: March 2020

ABSTRACT
In this study, 52 Streptococcus suis isolates from pigs in southern China were divided into four known sequence types (STs) and six new STs, using multilocus sequence typing. Ten representative isolates were selected from 10 STs for the analysis of whole genome sequences. Virulence was assessed in 10 isolates, which were classified into three pathogenic groups. The prevalence of virulence-associated factors in the moderately pathogenic group was higher than that in the highly pathogenic group. The isolates from ST1 complex and serotype 2 were allocated to the moderately pathogenic group, while the isolates from the highly pathogenic group belonged to the non-ST1 complex and non-serotype 2. Three clusters were obtained based on multilocus sequence typing sequences: cluster III isolates from the nasal cavity of healthy pigs were classified into the highly pathogenic group and showed many peculiarities compared with cluster I and II isolates in virulence genotypes, genetic typing and pathogenesis, indicating a potential independent evolutionary line. Our results suggest that S. suis infections in China are becoming more complicated with constantly mutating isolates, which makes it difficult to distinguish their virulence by recognized typing methods. Thus, increased investigation and monitoring of these infections should be a priority for the swine industry in China.
Local Ties in the Social Networks of Older Adults
Authors: York Cornwell Erin , Goldman Alyssa W 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Objectives
Family members and friends who live nearby may be especially well-positioned to provide social support and companionship for community-residing older adults, but prior research has not examined the distribution and characteristics of local ties in older adults’ networks. We hypothesize that local ties are newer, more frequently accessed, and more embedded in the network, and that social disadvantage and neighborhood conditions structure older adults’ access to local ties.

Methods
We use egocentric network data from 15,137 alters named by 3,735 older adults in Wave 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). We conduct dyadic analysis to compare characteristics of local and nonlocal ties. Logistic regression models estimate how personal and neighborhood characteristics are associated with naming local kin and local non-kin ties.

Results
Nearly half of the older adults named at least one local network tie, and about 60% of these local ties are non-kin. Local ties are newer, frequently accessed, and highly embedded in older adults’ networks. Local kin ties are most common among socially disadvantaged older adults. Local non-kin ties are most common among white older adults and those who live in areas with high levels of collective efficacy, although local non-kin ties are also associated with residence in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Discussion
Local ties may bring unique benefits for community-residing older adults, but their availability is likely structured by residential mobility, neighborhood context, disparities in resources, and support needs. Future research should consider their implications for health and well-being.
PEMA: a flexible Pipeline for Environmental DNA Metabarcoding Analysis of the 16S/18S ribosomal RNA, ITS, and COI marker genes
Authors: Zafeiropoulos Haris , Viet Ha Quoc , Vasileiadou Katerina , Potirakis Antonis , Arvanitidis Christos , Topalis Pantelis , Pavloudi Christina , Pafilis Evangelos 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
Environmental DNA and metabarcoding allow the identification of a mixture of species and launch a new era in bio- and eco-assessment. Many steps are required to obtain taxonomically assigned matrices from raw data. For most of these, a plethora of tools are available; each tool's execution parameters need to be tailored to reflect each experiment's idiosyncrasy. Adding to this complexity, the computation capacity of high-performance computing systems is frequently required for such analyses. To address the difficulties, bioinformatic pipelines need to combine state-of-the art technologies and algorithms with an easy to get-set-use framework, allowing researchers to tune each study. Software containerization technologies ease the sharing and running of software packages across operating systems; thus, they strongly facilitate pipeline development and usage. Likewise programming languages specialized for big data pipelines incorporate features like roll-back checkpoints and on-demand partial pipeline execution.

Findings
PEMA is a containerized assembly of key metabarcoding analysis tools that requires low effort in setting up, running, and customizing to researchers' needs. Based on third-party tools, PEMA performs read pre-processing, (molecular) operational taxonomic unit clustering, amplicon sequence variant inference, and taxonomy assignment for 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA, as well as ITS and COI marker gene data. Owing to its simplified parameterization and checkpoint support, PEMA allows users to explore alternative algorithms for specific steps of the pipeline without the need of a complete re-execution. PEMA was evaluated against both mock communities and previously published datasets and achieved results of comparable quality.

Conclusions
A high-performance computing–based approach was used to develop PEMA; however, it can be used in personal computers as well. PEMA's time-efficient performance and good results will allow it to be used for accurate environmental DNA metabarcoding analysis, thus enhancing the applicability of next-generation biodiversity assessment studies.
Inflammation-like changes in the urothelium of Lifr-deficient mice and LIFR-haploinsufficient humans with urinary tract anomalies
Authors: Christians Anne , Weiss Anna-Carina , Martens Helge , Klopf Maximilian Georg , Hennies Imke , Haffner Dieter , Kispert Andreas , Weber Ruthild G 
Published: March 2020

AbstractCongenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease in children. While the genetic aberrations underlying CAKUT pathogenesis are increasingly being elucidated, their consequences on a cellular and molecular level commonly remain unclear. Recently, we reported rare heterozygous deleterious LIFR variants in 3.3% of CAKUT patients, including a novel de novo frameshift variant, identified by whole-exome sequencing, in a patient with severe bilateral CAKUT. We also demonstrated CAKUT phenotypes in Lifr−/− and Lifr+/− mice, including a narrowed ureteric lumen due to muscular hypertrophy and a thickened urothelium. Here, we show that both in the ureter and bladder of Lifr−/− and Lifr+/− embryos, differentiation of the three urothelial cell types (basal, intermediate and superficial cells) occurs normally but that the turnover of superficial cells is elevated due to increased proliferation, enhanced differentiation from their progenitor cells (intermediate cells) and, importantly, shedding into the ureteric lumen. Microarray-based analysis of genome-wide transcriptional changes in Lifr−/− versus Lifr+/+ ureters identified gene networks associated with an antimicrobial inflammatory response. Finally, in a reverse phenotyping effort, significantly more superficial cells were detected in the urine of CAKUT patients with versus without LIFR variants indicating conserved LIFR-dependent urinary tract changes in the murine and human context. Our data suggest that LIFR signaling is required in the epithelium of the urinary tract to suppress an antimicrobial response under homeostatic conditions and that genetically induced inflammation-like changes underlie CAKUT pathogenesis in Lifr deficiency and LIFR haploinsufficiency.
Challenges in interpretation of WGS and epidemiological data to investigate nosocomial transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in an endemic region: incorporation of patient movement network and admission screening
Authors: Eichel Vanessa , Klein Sabrina , Bootsveld Carolin , Frank Uwe , Heeg Klaus , Boutin Sébastien , Nurjadi Dennis 
Published: March 2020

AbstractObjectivesVRE are listed, by the WHO, among the leading resistant pathogens causing greatest public concern; hence the spread and transmission of VRE, especially in hospitalized patients, need to be monitored. Despite the advancements in typing methods since the implementation of WGS for outbreak investigations, data interpretation, especially for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) in an endemic setting, remains challenging. In this study we explored the potential added benefit of incorporating patient movement data and admission screening to accurately estimate the magnitude of an outbreak.MethodsWe sequenced 73 VREfm isolates from patients with bacteraemia (n = 43) and rectal colonization (n = 30/32). Genetic relatedness was determined by SNP distance (≤10) between isolates. Patient movements were visualized in a movement network, along with contact intensity and rectal colonization status prior to infection onset.ResultsST117, ST80 and ST203 were the predominant STs in our study population. Forty-four percent (18/41) of VREfm bacteraemia cases were of endogenous origin. SNP analysis of infection and colonization isolates revealed nine clonal groups. Eighty-six percent (37/43) of the patients were visualized in a transmission network due to spatiotemporal overlap. Nineteen out of 43 (44%) belonged to five transmission clusters. Incorporation of prior colonization status revealed that transmission was very likely in only 63% (12/19) of patients in these transmission clusters.DiscussionAlthough interpretation of WGS data is challenging, incorporation of patient movement data and colonization status by admission screening of high-risk patients may provide additional resolution when interpreting the magnitude of an outbreak in an endemic setting.