bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can demographic rates of early development stages justify invasion success among three pine species in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot?
Authors: Miashike Roseli Lika , Kortz Alessandra Rocha , Zarate do Couto Hilton Thadeu , Pivello Vania Regina 
Published: February 2021

AbstractRecognising which life‐history factors can potentially explain the success of biological invasions is essential to understand why certain exotic species are more successful to invade a given system than others, and also to better predict invasion outcomes. We focused on the three most planted pine tree species in Southern Brazil – Pinus elliottii, P. caribaea and P. oocarpa – as a natural system to test the hypothesis that some key vital attributes – fecundity (number of seeds produced), seed viability, germinability, seedling growth vigour (biomass and stem length) – could be driving the greater invasion of P. elliottii in the region. We collected seeds of P. elliottii var. elliottii, P. caribaea subsp. hondurensis and P. oocarpa in two sites of similar climate and soil in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot. Seeds were tested for viability and germinability, and seed production was estimated. Under laboratory conditions, we evaluated seedling survival, stem and root development, biomass production and mortality for each species. Although P. elliottii is regarded as the most successful invasive pine species in the Cerrado, it did not outperform the other pines in terms of seed viability, germinability and seedling survival, and it had the slowest growth. P. elliottii did produce, however, at least twice as many seeds as the other species. P. caribaea revealed high seed viability and seedling survival, the fastest seedling development, but low seed production. P. oocarpa showed the lowest seed viability, but fast root growth and very low seedling mortality. Our results suggest seed production is a key factor for P. elliottii invasion success. However, given the strong performance of P. caribaea and P. oocarpa for germinability and growth, we emphasise the risk of both species also becoming successful invaders in the Cerrado. We highlight the need for constant monitoring of emerging pine individuals in native ecosystems to avoid future invasions.
A decellularized oocyte‐derived scaffold provides a “sperm safe” to preserve mammalian spermatozoa
Authors: Lee Hoi Chang , Balough Julia L. , Roth Eric W. , Vaccari Sergio , Duncan Francesca E. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundAlthough only one spermatozoon is needed to create a zygote, a significant challenge is the storage and recovery of germ cells when sperm counts are extremely low.ObjectivesWe engineered an oocyte‐derived biomaterial—the zona pellucida (ZP)—as a “sperm safe” for storing spermatozoon. The ZP is a glycoprotein matrix that surrounds the mammalian oocyte.Materials and MethodsWe made a hole in the ZPs using a Piezo drill and mechanically separated them from the oocyte cytoplasm. A subset of ZPs were further purified through decellularization. Using a modified ICSI approach, we injected sperm heads into purified ZPs and tested the efficacy of cryopreservation and recovery of spermatozoon as well as function.ResultsBetween 1–6 sperm heads were injected into purified ZPs (average 2.7 ± 1.7 sperm heads/ZP), which were then cryopreserved. Upon thawing, an average of 2.5 ± 1.4 sperm heads/ZP were observed, and in 11 of 12 thawed “sperm safes,” we recovered all spermatozoa. Decellularized “sperm safes” maintained their three‐dimensional structure and had a denser matrix relative to untreated controls as assessed by scanning and transmitted electron microscopy. The efficacy of “sperm safe” derived spermatozoon was evaluated by ICSI. Spermatozoon stored in either untreated or decellularized “sperm safes” elicited egg activation‐associated calcium transients and zinc sparks when injected into eggs. Of the resulting zygotes, >80% of them formed pronuclei irrespective of the sperm source. 26.8 ± 4.6% and 18.1 ± 7.0% of the pre‐implantation embryos generated from spermatozoon recovered from untreated or decellularized “sperm safes” developed to the blastocyst stage, respectively. Although this development was lower than that using fresh spermatozoon (59.3 ± 19.3%) or conventionally frozen‐thawed spermatozoon (28.4 ± 1.7%), these differences were not significant.Discussion and ConclusionPurified ZPs represent a natural biomaterial for the efficient preservation and recovery of small sperm numbers.
Maternal and perinatal outcomes related to COVID‐19 and pregnancy: An overview of systematic reviews
Authors: Vergara‐Merino Laura , Meza Nicolás , Couve‐Pérez Constanza , Carrasco Cynthia , Ortiz‐Muñoz Luis , Madrid Eva , Bohorquez‐Blanco Sandra , Bracchiglione Javier 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIntroductionEvidence about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and pregnancy has rapidly increased since December 2019, making it difficult to make rigorous evidence‐based decisions. The objective of this overview of systematic reviews is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current evidence on prognosis of COVID‐19 in pregnant women.Material and methodsWe used the Living OVerview of Evidence (L·OVE) platform for COVID‐19, which continually retrieves studies from 46 data sources (including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, other electronic databases, clinical trials registries, and preprint repositories, among other sources relevant to COVID‐19), mapping them into PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcomes) questions. The search covered the period from the inception date of each database to 13 September 2020. We included systematic reviews assessing outcomes of pregnant women with COVID‐19 and/or their newborns. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts, assessed full texts to select the studies that met the inclusion criteria, extracted data, and appraised the risk of bias of each included systematic review. We measured the overlap of primary studies included among the selected systematic reviews by building a matrix of evidence, calculating the corrected covered area, and assessing the level of overlap for every pair of systematic reviews.ResultsOur search yielded 1132 references. 52 systematic reviews met inclusion criteria and were included in this overview. Only one review had a low risk of bias, three had an unclear risk of bias, and 48 had a high risk of bias. Most of the included reviews were highly overlapped among each other. In the included reviews, rates of maternal death varied from 0% to 11.1%, admission to intensive care from 2.1% to 28.5%, preterm deliveries before 37 weeks from 14.3% to 61.2%, and cesarean delivery from 48.3% to 100%. Regarding neonatal outcomes, neonatal death varied from 0% to 11.7% and the estimated infection status of the newborn varied between 0% and 11.5%.ConclusionsOnly one of 52 systematic reviews had a low risk of bias. Results were heterogeneous and the overlap of primary studies was frequently very high between pairs of systematic reviews. High‐quality evidence syntheses of comparative studies are needed to guide future clinical decisions.
Benefits and potential harms of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐based cervical cancer screening: A real‐world comparison of HPV testing versus cytology
Authors: Thomsen Louise T. , Kjær Susanne K. , Munk Christian , Ørnskov Dorthe , Waldstrøm Marianne 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIntroductionHuman papillomavirus (HPV) testing as the primary cervical cancer screening method is implemented in several countries. We report data from the first round of a large Danish pilot implementation of HPV‐based screening. Our aim was to compare colposcopy referrals, detection of high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer, and positive predictive value (PPV) of colposcopy referral in HPV vs cytology‐based screening.Material and methodsFrom May 2017 to October 2018, women aged 30‐59 years attending cervical cancer screening in the uptake area of the Department of Pathology, Vejle Hospital, Region of Southern Denmark were screened by primary HPV testing (n = 16 067) or primary cytology (n = 23 981) depending on municipality of residence. In the HPV group, women with HPV16/18, or other high‐risk HPV types and abnormal cytology, were referred to immediate colposcopy. Women with other high‐risk HPV types and normal cytology were invited for repeat screening with HPV test and cytology after 12 months. From a nationwide pathology register, we obtained information on screening results and subsequent histological diagnoses during up to 2.9 years after the first screen. PPVs included diagnoses within 1 year after referral.ResultsIn the HPV group, 3.7% were referred to immediate colposcopy and 2.8% were referred at the 12‐month repeat screening. The total referral to colposcopy was higher in the HPV (6.6%) than cytology group (2.1%) (age‐adjusted relative referral = 3.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.75‐3.38). The detection of CIN3+ was higher in the HPV (1.5%) than the cytology group (0.8%) (age‐adjusted relative detection = 1.88, 95% CI 1.56‐2.28). The probability of CIN3+ among women referred to colposcopy (= PPV) was lower in the HPV (21.1%; 95% CI 18.7%‐23.7%) than the cytology group (34.6%; 95% CI 30.7%‐38.9%). In the HPV group, the PPV was lower among women referred at repeat screening (12.1%) than among women referred immediately (27.8%).ConclusionsCompared with cytology‐based screening, HPV‐based screening provided a 90% increased CIN3+ detection at the cost of a threefold increase in colposcopy referrals, when considering complete data from the prevalence round. Our findings support implementation of HPV‐based screening in Denmark, but modifications of screening algorithms may be warranted to decrease unnecessary colposcopy referrals.
Effective glutamate clearance from the systemic circulation by hemodialysis: Potential relevance for cerebral ischemia management
Authors: Martínez‐Miguel Patricia , Albalate Marta , Durán‐Laforet Violeta , Peña‐Martínez Carolina , de Sequera Patricia , Bouarich Hanane , Peña‐Esparragoza Korina , López‐Ongil Susana , Lizasoain Ignacio , Sánchez‐Prieto José , Torres Magdalena , Moro María Ángeles , Rodríguez‐Puyol Diego 
Published: February 2021

AbstractHigh glutamate levels after head trauma or cerebral ischemia have neurotoxic effects. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of hemodialysis to remove glutamate from the blood and to assess the behavior of this small molecule. Ten patients with end‐renal disease on hemodialysis were included in the study. Glutamate clearance was evaluated within the first hour of hemodialysis on a midweek dialysis day on five patients who underwent low flux hemodialysis, whereas the other five patients underwent highly efficient hemodialysis (high flux hemodialysis on one day and online hemodiafiltration on another day). Glutamate clearance with hemodialysis was very effective and did not show any differences between the techniques (low flux: 214 [55], high flux: 204 [37], online hemodiafiltration: 202 [16], median (interquartile range), P = .7). Glutamate clearance was almost equivalent to vascular access plasma flow and it was not affected by dialyzer permeability or ultrafiltration rate. After a hemodialysis session, a significant decrease in glutamate blood level was observed (prehemodialysis: 59.7 [36.1], posthemodialysis 37.0 [49.2], P = .005). Dialysis performed under fasting condition showed higher glutamate reduction rate (60%) than that under feeding condition (20%). Hemodialysis may be an effective method to reduce glutamate blood levels, and the molecule clearance does not differ between the different techniques used. Considering previous results in experimental models, hemodialysis without hemodynamic stress, could be considered for reducing glutamate neurotoxic effects in acute ischemic strokes of patients in chronic hemodialysis programs.
A greater awareness of children with glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is imperative in western countries
Authors: Kristensen Line , Lai Amanda BK. , Ebbesen Finn , Donneborg Mette L. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAimThis national retrospective Danish study described the characteristics of children diagnosed with glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, an inherited X‐linked recessive disorder that often affects children of Middle Eastern descent.MethodsWe studied children born between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2017 and diagnosed with G6PD deficiency. They were identified from the Danish National Hospital Discharge Register and the Danish Database of Extreme Neonatal Hyperbilirubinaemia.ResultsThere were 113 children diagnosed with G6PD deficiency, 67% were of Middle Eastern descent and they were frequently diagnosed before the onset of symptoms, based on known heredity. Of the 67 infants born in Denmark, 10% had extreme neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia and one developed kernicterus spectrum disorder, as did one child born in the Middle East. Most (61%) of the 33 children with jaundice received phototherapy, 12% had exchange transfusions and 18% received whole blood transfusions. After the neonatal period, 23% of the cohort had blood transfusions and 4% needed intensive care for acute haemolytic anaemia. The incidence of G6PD deficiency appeared to be severely underestimated.ConclusionMany families from countries where G6PD deficiency is endemic move to Denmark and other Western countries. Greater awareness is essential to avoid chronic and potentially lethal, consequences.
Outcome of dogs with intermediate grade low mitotic index high Ki67 mast cell tumours treated with surgery and single agent lomustine
Authors: Néčová S , Mason SL , North SM 
Published: February 2021

ObjectivesThe objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of dogs when grade II mast cell tumour (MCT) with low mitotic index (MI) and high Ki67 were treated with adjuvant lomustine.AnimalsClient owned dogs with spontaneously occurring disease treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for grade II mast cell tumour with low MI (≤5/10HPF) and high Ki67 (>1.8%) with no evidence of metastatic disease at presentation.ProceduresLomustine was administered every 3 weeks with three or four planned cycles. Response to treatment was assessed by regular re‐staging ultrasound with or without cytopathological examination of liver and spleen or through medical records from the referring veterinarian. Disease‐free interval (DFI) and median survival time (MST) were calculated using Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsTwenty‐one dogs were included. All dogs underwent surgical excision and two dogs received adjuvant radiotherapy. None of the patients developed local recurrence. Three dogs (14.3%) developed metastatic disease. The DFI of these dogs was 141, 186 and 223 days. Median follow‐up period of the whole study population was 1112 days (358–2619). MST for patients with metastatic disease was 417 days. MST of the whole group was not reached. One‐year and 2‐year survivals were 95.2% and 90.5%, respectively.Conclusions and clinical relevanceThis study population had low rates of tumour recurrence and improved survival compared to previously published data of similar population of dogs with low MI/high Ki67 MCT without adjuvant chemotherapy.
Congenital anomalies in breech presentation: A nationwide record linkage study
Authors: Macharey Georg , Gissler Mika , Toijonen Anna , Heinonen Seppo , Seikku Laura 
Published: February 2021

AbstractOur study aimed to determine if congenital anomalies are associated with breech presentation at delivery. We conducted a nationwide, retrospective population‐based record linkage study and analyzed all singleton births in Finland from 1996 to 2016 using the mandatory health register data collected by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. We compared all major congenital anomalies detected during pregnancy, birth, or the first year of life according to the fetus's presentation at the time of delivery using X2‐square statistic and Student's t test. We adjusted the results for known risk factors for congenital anomalies to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Fetuses in breech presentation at delivery had an increased risk for congenital anomalies (6.5%) compared with fetuses in cephalic presentation (3.6%), P < .001. Breech presentation was associated with nearly all types of examined congenital anomalies. The strongest associations were observed with congenital deformities of the hip, the central nervous system, the respiratory system, and the musculoskeletal system. Our study supports the theory that breech presentation is, in many cases, a symptom of a fundamental problem in fetal morphogenesis or function. Neonates born in the breech presentation have a higher risk of congenital anomalies and should undergo a postnatal screening.
Change in avian functional fingerprints of a Neotropical montane forest over 100 years as an indicator of ecosystem integrity
Authors: Gómez Camila , Tenorio Elkin A. , Cadena Carlos Daniel 
Published: February 2021

AbstractEcologically relevant traits of organisms in an assemblage determine an ecosystem's functional fingerprint (i.e., the shape, size, and position of multidimensional trait space). Quantifying changes in functional fingerprints can therefore provide information about the effects of diversity loss or gain through time on ecosystem condition and is a promising approach to monitoring ecological integrity. This, however, is seldom possible owing to limitations in historical surveys and a lack of data on organismal traits, particularly in diverse tropical regions. Using data from detailed bird surveys from 4 periods across more than a century, and morphological and ecological traits of 233 species, we quantified changes in the avian functional fingerprint of a tropical montane forest in the Andes of Colombia. We found that 78% of the variation in functional space, regardless of period, was described by 3 major axes summarizing body size, dispersal ability (indexed by wing shape), and habitat breadth. Changes in species composition significantly altered the functional fingerprint of the assemblage and functional richness and dispersion decreased 35–60%. Owing to species extirpations and to novel additions to the assemblage, functional space decreased over time, but at least 11% of its volume in the 2010s extended to areas of functional space that were unoccupied in the 1910s. The assemblage now includes fewer large‐sized species, more species with greater dispersal ability, and fewer habitat specialists. Extirpated species had high functional uniqueness and distinctiveness, resulting in large reductions in functional richness and dispersion after their loss, which implies important consequences for ecosystem integrity. Conservation efforts aimed at maintaining ecosystem function must move beyond seeking to sustain species numbers to designing complementary strategies for the maintenance of ecological function by identifying and conserving species with traits conferring high vulnerability such as large body size, poor dispersal ability, and greater habitat specialization.Article impact statement: Changes in functional fingerprints provide a means to quantify the integrity of ecological assemblages affected by diversity loss or gain.
Efficacy‐based and normative interventions for facilitating the diffusion of conservation behavior through social networks
Authors: Niemiec Rebecca , Jones Megan S. , Lischka Stacy , Champine Veronica 
Published: February 2021

AbstractResearch suggests that encouraging motivated residents to reach out to others in their social network is an effective strategy for increasing the scale and speed of conservation action adoption. However, little is known about how to effectively encourage large numbers of residents to reach out to others about conservation causes. We examined the influence of normative and efficacy‐based messaging at motivating residents to engage in and to encourage others to participate in native plant gardening in their community. To do so, we conducted a field experiment with messages on mailings and tracked native plant vouchers used. Efficacy messages tended to be more effective than normative messages at increasing residents’ willingness to reach out to others to encourage conservation action, as indicated by a several percentage point increase in native plant voucher use by residents’ friends and neighbors. Messages sometimes had different impacts on residents based on past behaviors and perceptions related to native plant gardening. Among these subgroups, efficacy and combined efficacy and norm messages most effectively encouraged individual and collective actions, as indicated by increased voucher usage. Our findings suggest that interventions that build residents’ efficacy for engaging in a conservation behavior and for reaching out to others may be a promising path forward for outreach. However, given our results were significant at a false discovery rate cutoff of 0.25 but not 0.05, more experimental trials are needed to determine the robustness of these trends.
Decline in renal function following intestinal transplant: is the die cast at 3 months?
Authors: Rutter Charlotte S. , Russell Neil K. , Sharkey Lisa M. , Amin Irum , Butler Andrew J. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIntroductionThis study reports the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) after intestinal transplant (IT) at a single, adult center in the United Kingdom.MethodsA retrospective review of IT was undertaken. Methods of renal function assessment pre‐transplant were compared. Post‐transplant renal function and renal sparing strategies were analyzed.ResultsThere was a 30% variation (p < .001) in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and normalized GFR at assessment. In the first 3 months post‐transplant, there was a 40% decline in eGFR which was irreversible. Liver inclusion was not protective with similar eGFR at 3 months (60 ml/min/1.73 m2) compared with IT (55 ml/min/1.73 m2). The rate of decline in the first 2 months was less in multivisceral transplant (MVT; 21%) than IT (52%) suggesting surgical magnitude did not contribute. Thirty percentage of recipients had acute cellular rejection post‐transplant; 58% of these were in the first 3 months with a higher proportion in MVT (64%) than IT (27%). Tacrolimus exposure did not correlate with decline in renal function over the first 3 months post‐transplant.ConclusionWe demonstrated a 40% decline in renal function within 3 months post‐IT which was irreversible despite renal sparing strategies. Early intervention should be considered in patients with an acute decline in this post‐transplant period.