bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methane mitigating options with forages fed to ruminants
Authors: Eugène Maguy , Klumpp Katja , Sauvant Daniel 
Published: May 2021

AbstractNutritional strategies, including feed management measures, are promising methods for CH4and overall GHG reduction. Evidence from literature is reviewed in this article in relation to the effects of forage quality (digestible organic matter, DOM) and forage type (grasses vs. legumes, and maize). The major determinants of forage quality are botanical composition and phenological stage, i.e., at advanced growth stages of plants, the fibre content increases while DOM decreases. Methane yield (g/kg DMI) decreases with increased digestibility of forages in both dairy cattle and sheep, and also CH4intensity (g/kg milk) decreases with increased digestibility of forages for dairy cattle. Using forage legumes in ruminant feeding systems can reduce overall GHG emissions due to decreased N fertilizer use and related emissions. Recommended dietary mitigation measures are often related to a reduction in N excretion such as better matching of dietary protein to animal needs, shifting N excretion from urine to faeces (by tannin inclusion at low levels) and reducing the amount of excreted fermentable organic matter. Methane decreases with increasing intake of forage legumes rich in tannins and there is a shift of N partition from urinary N towards faecal N. Reduced CH4emissions from ruminants fed on forage‐based diets will decrease the carbon footprint of livestock and agriculture and improve the efficiency of productive ruminants in both developing and developed countries. Likewise, estimations of net CH4output should account for enteric CH4emissions and soil carbon (C) sequestration of land used for feed production (i.e., grasslands and croplands).
Mass Flux Analysis of Abiotic Tetrachloroethene Dense Nonaqueous Phase Liquid Pool Dissolution in a Heterogeneous Flow Environment
Authors: Klemm Sara M. , Seagren Eric A. , Becker Jennifer G. , Mayer Alex S. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPorous aquifer materials are often characterized by layered heterogeneities that influence groundwater flow and present complexities in contaminant transport modeling. Such flow variations also have the potential to impact the dissolution flux from dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) pools. This study examined how these heterogeneous flow conditions affected the dissolution of a tetrachloroethene (PCE) pool in a two‐dimensional intermediate‐scale flow cell containing coarse sand. A steady‐state mass‐balance approach was used to calculate the PCE dissolution rate at three different flow rates. As expected, aqueous PCE concentrations increased along the length of the PCE pool and higher flow rates decreased the aqueous PCE concentration in the effluent. Nonreactive tracer studies at two flow rates confirmed the presence of a vertical flow gradient, with the most rapid velocity located at the bottom of the tank. These results suggest that flow focusing occurred near the DNAPL pool. Effluent PCE concentrations and pool dissolution flux rates were compared to model predictions assuming local equilibrium (LE) conditions at the DNAPL pool/aqueous phase interface and a uniform distribution of flow. The LE model did not describe the data well, even over a wide range of PCE solubility and macroscopic transverse dispersivity values. Model predictions assuming nonequilibrium mass‐transfer‐limited conditions and accounting for vertical flow gradients, however, resulted in a better fit to the data. These results have important implications for evaluating DNAPL pool dissolution in the field where subsurface heterogeneities are likely to be present.
Association of liver stiffness and steatosis with hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with hepatitis C virus infection who received direct‐acting antiviral therapy and achieved sustained virological response
Authors: Tada Toshifumi , Nishimura Takashi , Matono Tomomitsu , Yoshida Masahiro , Yuri Minako , Fujiwara Aoi , Yuri Yukihisa , Takashima Tomoyuki , Aizawa Nobuhiro , Ikeda Naoto , Enomoto Hirayuki , Kumada Takashi , Iijima Hiroko 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAimThe pathogenic process underlying the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not yet clear in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus who receive direct‐acting antiviral therapy and achieve sustained virological response. This study investigated two risk factors for HCC in these patients; specifically, hepatic fibrosis and steatosis.MethodsA total of 355 patients in whom hepatitis C virus was eradicated by direct‐acting antiviral were evaluated. Fibrosis and steatosis were assessed using transient elastography (TE) and the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Inverse probability weighting was applied to patient age, sex, albumin–bilirubin, α‐fetoprotein, history of HCC, TE, or CAP.ResultsThe 12‐, 24‐, and 36‐month cumulative incidence rates of HCC were 0.9%, 2.4%, and 4.1%, respectively. Univariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model showed that whereas a high TE value (≥10 kPa) was significantly associated with HCC development (HR 7.861, 95% CI 2.126–29.070; p = 0.002), CAP was not. Additionally, univariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model adjusted by inverse probability weighting showed that a high TE value was significantly associated with HCC development (HR 3.980, 95% CI, 1.036–15.290; p = 0.044), whereas CAP was not. The cumulative inverse probability weighting‐adjusted incidence of HCC rates at 12, 24, and 36 months were 0.0%, 0.5%, and 1.7%, respectively, in patients with a low TE value, and 2.5%, 5.1%, and 7.6%, respectively, in those with a high TE value.ConclusionA high TE value was a risk factor for HCC in hepatitis C virus patients who received direct‐acting antiviral therapy and achieved sustained virological response.
The Oxygen project: a prospective study to assess the effectiveness of a targeted intervention to improve oxygen management in hospitalised patients
Authors: Nguyen Benjamin , Gunaratne Yodithya , Kemp Teresa , Chan Wei , Cochrane Belinda 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundOxygen is commonly used in the acute care setting. However, used inappropriately, oxygen therapy can result in adverse consequences, including progressive respiratory failure and death.AimTo investigate the effectiveness of a targeted intervention to improve prescribing practice and therapeutic application of supplemental oxygen.MethodsRespiratory, Oncology and Surgery wards were targeted for the intervention. Nursing and junior medical staff from these wards undertook an education programme about safe use of oxygen. Cross‐sectional data about oxygen prescribing, administration and monitoring were collected on inpatients in these wards at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months post‐intervention, using a modified version of the British Thoracic Society Oxygen Audit Tool.ResultsAt baseline, there was a written prescription for oxygen in 56% of patients (n = 43) using oxygen and this increased to 75% (n = 44) at 3 months, and remained at 65% (n = 48) at 6 months. However, the increased prescription rates were not statistically significant when compared to baseline (χ2 = 3.54, df = 1, P = 0.06 and χ2 = 0.73, df = 1, P = 0.40, respectively). The observed increase in oxygen prescriptions was driven by the medical wards: Oncology ward at 3 months (χ2 = 8.24, df = 1, P = 0.004); and Respiratory ward at 3 months (χ2 = 3.31, df = 1, P = 0.069) and 6 months (χ2 = 4.98, df = 1, P = 0.026).ConclusionThe education programme intervention to improve oxygen prescription showed promise in the medical wards but did not impact outcomes in the surgical ward setting, where different strategies may be needed.
Fantastic IgA plasma cells and where to find them
Authors: Isho Baweleta , Florescu Alexandra , Wang Angela A. , Gommerman Jennifer L. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIgA is produced in large quantities at mucosal surfaces by IgA+ plasma cells (PC), protecting the host from pathogens, and restricting commensal access to the subepithelium. It is becoming increasingly appreciated that IgA+ PC are not constrained to mucosal barrier sites. Rather, IgA+ PC may leave these sites where they provide both host defense and immunoregulatory function. In this review, we will outline how IgA+ PC are generated within the mucosae and how they subsequently migrate to their “classical” effector site, the gut lamina propria. From there we provide examples of IgA+ PC displacement from the gut to other parts of the body, referencing examples during homeostasis and inflammation. Lastly, we will speculate on mechanisms of IgA+ PC displacement to other tissues. Our aim is to provide a new perspective on how IgA+ PC are truly fantastic beasts of the immune system and identify new places to find them.
Nail disease in neonatal abstinence syndrome
Authors: Flanagan Kelly E. , Lal Karan , Blankenship Kaitlin , Gorji Nasim , Rork Jillian , Wiss Karen 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackground/ObjectivesNeonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) incidence continues to rise in the United States due to increasing opioid use disorder in pregnancy. While cutaneous excoriations have been noted in NAS, there is a paucity of literature regarding abnormal nail findings in NAS.MethodsA retrospective, observational case series was conducted of twelve patients with NAS and abnormal nail findings who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between January 1, 2018, and May 1, 2020.ResultsTwelve neonates (10 male, 2 female, mean gestational age at birth 38.1 weeks) with NAS diagnosis and abnormal nail findings were identified between January 1, 2018, and May 1, 2020. NAS was diagnosed by elevated Modified Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Tool (M‐FNAST) scores. All patients required pharmacologic treatment for NAS with seven (58.3%) requiring phenobarbital in addition to first‐line morphine. Common nail findings included periungual erythema, yellow crusting, desquamation of the proximal and/or distal lateral nail folds and sheared distal nail edges. Two patients (16.7%) required antibiotic treatment for paronychia. Peak M‐FNAST scores were positively correlated with number of abnormal nail findings (r = .58, P = .047).ConclusionsTwelve neonates with severe NAS demonstrated similar nail abnormalities, likely secondary to NAS agitation and motor hyperactivity. Nail exams, therefore, are important in the setting of suspected or confirmed NAS to limit continued nail trauma and infection. Our findings also introduce an association between NAS severity and abnormal nail findings, which will require larger studies for further confirmation.
Effect of Photobiomodulation on the Incidence of Alveolar Osteitis and Postoperative Pain following Mandibular Third Molar Surgery: A Double‐Blind Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Nejat Amir Hossein , Eshghpour Majid , Danaeifar Nasrin , Abrishami Majid , Vahdatinia Farshid , Fekrazad Reza 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy for the prevention of incidence of alveolar osteitis (AO) and postoperative pain following third molar surgery. In this double‐blind clinical trial, the impacted teeth of patients having bilateral impacted mandibular third molars were surgically extracted; for each participant, one socket was randomly assigned to receive photobiomodulation treatment, the other received sham treatment. 660 nm 200 mW CW was applied at a distance of ~1cm to 4 points on the occlusal area of extraction socket (beam area at the tissue ~0.64 cm2, 312.5 mW cm−2, 1J, 1.6 J cm−2). Also, 810 nm 200 mW CW was applied at tissue surface at three points on the buccal and three points on the lingual gingiva, for 15 s (400 mW cm−2, 3 J, 6 J cm−2). There was a statistically meaningful difference in AO frequency between the two groups, and the photobiomodulation group showed lower AO frequency compared with the sham PBM treatment (P‐value = 0.035). According to the findings of this study, photobiomodulation therapy reduced the incidence of AO following surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The incidence of AO typically occurs 3–7 days post‐extraction, and our results suggest that PBM treatment within the 7 days could help reduce the risk of AO development.
Approaches in Energy Exclusive Security: Theories of Energy Security and the Dominance of Realism
Authors: Kilinç‐Pala Pinar Buket 
Published: May 2021

Energy security is an important component of power politics, which explains the distribution of limited resources and the consequences thereof. Yet contemporary international relations theories tend to focus more on the “security” element when it comes to energy security and somewhat underplay the “power” component that lies behind it. This may limit their purchase and nuance in explaining contemporary and future energy security developments. This article offers an initial theoretical argument that reveals and emphasizes how energy changes and shapes power and security concepts and, thus, requires an improved conceptual model in international relations theory. I provide a conceptual overview of energy and security before adapting and empirically examining existing international relations theories (realism, neorealism, liberalism). I then conceptualize energy security within the scope of realism and aim to emphasize the specific importance of power that energy security theory and policy requires. To do so, I investigate the Energy Security Development Capability and identify the elements that could contribute to the advancement of energy security. I also note why realism is still seen as a dominant approach to understand energy security.Related ArticlesAsh, John. 2010. “New Nuclear Energy, Risk, and Justice: Regulatory Strategies for an era of Limited Trust.” Politics & Policy 38 (2): 255‐284. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00237.xKhodr, Hiba, and Isabella Ruble. 2013. “Energy Policies and Domestic Politics in the MENA Region in the Aftermath of the Arab Upheavals: The Cases of Lebanon, Libya, and KSA.” Politics & Policy 41 (5): 656‐689. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12033Wood, Steve. 2009. “Energy Security, Normative Dilemmas, and Institutional Camouflage: Europe's Pragmatism.” Politics & Policy 37 (3): 611‐635. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2009.00187.x
Infrastructure as techno‐politics of differentiation: Socio‐political effects of mega‐infrastructures in Kenya
Authors: Lesutis Gediminas 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya, inaugurated in 2017, has been promoted by the Kenyan government as a promise of “development” and “prospering people.” This paper demonstrates how, contrary to these narratives, the SGR reiterates the pre‐existing relations of difference mediated by class, geography, and ethnicity. Focusing on material and semiotic forms of the SGR infrastructures, it specifically shows how the railway project functions as the techno‐politics of differentiation that governs by including “prospering publics” of urban middle classes into Kenya's modernist development vision, providing unstable hopes for “development” to more precarious peri‐urban and rural “anticipating populations,” but simultaneously constituting “excluded populations” in rural landscapes that are denied the possibility of being a part of the national modernist development vision. Highlighting this intimate relationship between infrastructure, governance, and biopolitics, the paper demonstrates that mega‐infrastructures – differentiating between the publics included in, and the populations excluded from, the state's development visions and practices, as well as unstable subjective dispositions in‐between – engender modalities of non‐belonging that fall outside of (inherently liberal) frames of “citizenship” or a “public” frequently employed in critical infrastructure scholarship.
Minipool testing for SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in United States blood donors
Authors: Bakkour Sonia , Saá Paula , Groves Jamel A. , Montalvo Leilani , Di Germanio Clara , Best Sonja M. , Grebe Eduard , Livezey Kristin , Linnen Jeffrey M. , Strauss Donna , Kessler Debra , Bonn Mark , Green Valerie , Williamson Phillip , Kleinman Steve , Stramer Susan L. , Stone Mars , Busch Michael P. ,   for the NHLBI Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study‐IV‐Pediatric (REDS‐IV‐P)
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundSARS‐CoV‐2 RNA prevalence in blood donors from large geographic areas of high community transmission is limited. We tested residual donor plasma minipools (MPs) to determine SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia prevalence in six United States areas.Study Design/MethodsBlood donations collected from 7 March 2020 to 25 September 2020 were tested for SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA (vRNA) in MP of 6 or 16 donations using the Grifols Procleix SARS‐CoV‐2 research‐use only (RUO) transcription‐mediated amplification (TMA) assay. Reactive results were confirmed using an alternate target region TMA assay. Reactive MPs were tested by TMA after serial dilution to estimate viral load. Testing for anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies and infectivity was performed.ResultsA total of 17,995 MPs corresponding to approximately 258,000 donations were tested for vRNA. Three confirmed reactive MP16 were identified. The estimated prevalence of vRNA reactive donations was 1.16/100,000 (95% CI 0.40, 3.42). The vRNA‐reactive samples were non‐reactive for antibody, and the estimated viral loads of the (presumed single) positive donations within each MP ranged from <1000 to <4000 copies/ml. When tested, no infectivity was observed in inoculated permissive cell cultures.DiscussionBlood donation MP‐nucleic acid testing (NAT) indicated that SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia is infrequent and, when detected, the vRNA was at low concentrations. Only one RNA‐reactive MP could be tested for infectivity for operational reasons and was not infectious in cell culture. These findings support current recommendations from international and national regulatory agencies to not screen donors by NAT.
Integrin α4β1 is required for IL‐1α‐ and Nrf2‐dependent, Cox‐2 induction in fibroblasts, supporting a mechanism that suppresses α‐SMA expression
Authors: Zheng Rui , Varney Scott D. , Wu Lei , DiPersio C. Michael , Van De Water Livingston 
Published: May 2021

AbstractGrowth and repair processes, both normal and pathological, require reciprocal interactions between cells and their microenvironment. Integrins are bidirectional, cell surface receptors that transduce mechanical and chemical signals to and from the extracellular matrix. We recently reported that keratinocyte α3β1 is required for interleukin (IL)‐1α secretion. Importantly, IL‐1α regulates fibroblast Cox‐2 expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion, thereby linking keratinocyte integrin function to a paracrine signal that suppresses the myofibroblast phenotype. We now report that fibroblast integrin α4β1 is required for this IL‐1α‐induced, Cox‐2 expression. Moreover, Cox‐2 induction by IL‐1α requires Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2), the master regulator of redox homeostasis; and integrin α4β1 is necessary to maintain IL‐1α‐dependent, Nrf2 levels. Treating fibroblasts with a Nrf‐2 activating compound inhibits TGF‐β‐dependent, alpha smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) expression and stress fibre formation. Our data suggest that fibroblast integrin α4β1 regulates—depending on microenvironmental cues—the differentiated state of fibroblasts through a signalling network in which IL‐1α, Cox‐2 and Nrf2 participate.
Scoping review of the psychosocial aspects of infertility in developing countries: protocol
Authors: Salie Mariam , Roomaney Rizwana , Andipatin Michelle , Volks Cal 
Published: May 2021

IntroductionInfertility is a widespread social phenomenon. For both women and men, there are several psychosocial issues associated with infertility. Numerous systematic reviews have focused on individuals’ psychosocial issues pertaining to infertility, however, these have been conducted in developed countries. Thus, there is a gap in the current literature to analyse individuals’ psychosocial issues associated with infertility in developing countries. Given that there are various contextual factors to consider for appropriate interventions to be implemented, it is vital to explore this topic in a developing context.Methods and analysisA scoping review will be conducted. A total of 12 databases were identified and a search string including terms related to infertility, psychosocial aspects and developing countries was developed. The inclusion and exclusion of each article will be determined through the guidelines provided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow chart. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collated. The findings will summarise existing research on psychosocial aspects of infertility in developing countries and identify gaps in the research corpus.Ethics and disseminationData will not be collected from participants. Instead, data will be extracted from published studies and therefore no ethical approval is required. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Erectile dysfunction and penile rehabilitation after pelvic fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schmid Florian A , Held Ulrike , Eberli Daniel , Pape Hans-Christoph , Halvachizadeh Sascha 
Published: May 2021

ObjectiveTo investigate the rate of erectile dysfunction (ED) after pelvic ring fracture (PRF).DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic literature search of the Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science Library databases was conducted in January 2020. Included were original studies performed on humans assessing ED after PRF according to the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire and fracture classification following Young and Burgess, Tile or Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopedic Trauma Association. Furthermore, interventional cohort studies assessing the effect of penile rehabilitation therapy with phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitors (PDE-5-I) on IIEF-5 scores compared before and after treatment were included. Results were presented as forest plots of proportions of patients with ED after PRF or mean changes on IIEF-5 questionnaires before and after penile rehabilitation. Studies not included in the quantitative analysis were narratively summarised. Risk of bias assessment was conducted using the revised tool for the Quality Assessment on Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.ResultsThe systematic literature search retrieved 617 articles. Seven articles were included in the qualitative analysis and the meta-analysis. Pooled proportions revealed 37% of patients with ED after suffering any form of PRF (result on probability scale pr=0.37, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.50). Patients after 3 months of penile rehabilitation therapy reported a higher IIEF-5 score than before (change score=6.5 points, 95% CI: 2.54 to 10.46, p value=0.0013).ConclusionDespite some heterogeneity and limited high-quality research, this study concludes that patients suffering from any type of PRF have an increased risk of developing ED. Oral intake of PDE-5-I for the purpose of penile rehabilitation therapy increases IIEF-5 scores and may relevantly influence quality-of-life in these patients.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020169699.