bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A combined liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for the quantification of urinary oxalate and citrate in patients with nephrolithiasis
Authors: Marshall David J , Adaway Joanne E , Keevil Brian G 
Published: June 2018

Background Analysis of citrate and oxalate in a 24-h urine sample is important in the screening and monitoring of patients with nephrolithiasis. To streamline the analytical process, it was decided to combine oxalate and citrate and analyse them simultaneously in the same assay. Objective A highly sensitive and specific assay for analysis of urine citrate and oxalate was developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a simple weak anion exchange solid phase extraction (WAX SPE) clean-up procedure. Method Premixed calibrator/acidified urine (50  µL) was combined with mixed internal standard (13C2 oxalate/citrate-d4) and 5% v/v formic acid in water and passed through a Waters WAX SPE plate. After clean-up steps, the plate was eluted with 5% NH3 in methanol, the eluent was dried down and re-constituted with 100  µL distilled water. Separation was then performed on an HSS T3 2.1 × 50 mm column (Waters, Manchester, UK), flow rate of 0.5 mL/min using a gradient of aqueous and organic mobile phases. We detected multiple reaction monitoring transitions m/z citrate 191.1>110.9, citrate IS 195.1>112.9, oxalate 88.9>60.85, oxalate IS 90.9>61.9 using a Waters TQD in electrospray-negative mode. Results Oxalate and 13C2 oxalate were eluted at 0.29 min; citrate and citrate-d4 were eluted at 0.52 min. Mean recovery was 100% for oxalate and 103% for citrate; lower limit of quantification of oxalate was 60  µmol/L and 50  µmol/L for citrate. Oxalate was linear up to 1388  µmol/L; citrate was linear up to 4762.5  µmol/L. Oxalate was found to be affected by ion suppression (matrix effect: −23 to +65%) but was compensated for by the internal standard used in all cases. The coefficient of variation of the assay in urine for oxalate was <7% for oxalate and 5% for citrate. Discussion We have developed a rapid assay for LC-MS/MS measurement of urinary oxalate and citrate in a routine clinical laboratory. It is simple, reproducible and easy to perform.
Performance of autotaxin as a serum marker for liver fibrosis
Authors: Ikeda Hitoshi , Kobayashi Mariko , Kumada Hiromitsu , Enooku Kenichiro , Koike Kazuhiko , Kurano Makoto , Sato Masaya , Nojiri Takahiro , Kobayashi Tamaki , Ohkawa Ryunosuke , Shimamoto Satoshi , Igarashi Koji , Aoki Junken , Yatomi Yutaka 
Published: June 2018

Background Because autotaxin reportedly has a better performance than hyaluronic acid as a marker for liver fibrosis for the prediction of cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C, we aimed to further evaluate the role of autotaxin in liver fibrosis of other aetiologies. Methods Autotaxin antigen was measured in serum samples from 108 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 128 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who had undergone a liver biopsy as well as healthy subjects and patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiac dysfunction. Results When evaluated using receiver operator characteristics curves, the performance of autotaxin for the prediction of significant fibrosis (F2–F4) in chronic hepatitis B patients was better than that of hyaluronic acid or type IV collagen 7S. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, however, the performance of autotaxin for the prediction of significant fibrosis was poorer than that of hyaluronic acid or type IV collagen 7S. The increase in the serum autotaxin concentrations was less notable than that of hyaluronic acid or type IV collagen in patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis or cardiac dysfunction. Food intake did not affect the serum autotaxin concentrations. Conclusions Autotaxin is useful as a serum marker for liver fibrosis caused by not only chronic viral hepatitis C but also by hepatitis B, although it was less useful in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The increase in serum autotaxin concentrations is fairly specific for liver fibrosis, and the serum autotaxin concentrations can be analysed without consideration of food intake before blood collection.
Dysregulation of serum microRNA-574-3p and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Shen Xianjuan , Xue Yajing , Cong Hui , Wang Xudong , Ju Shaoqing 
Published: June 2018

Objectives To explore microRNA-574-3p expression in serum of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and investigate correlations between serum microRNA-574-3p expression and the development and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Design and methods Serum samples were collected from 70 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma, 40 patients with cirrhosis and 45 healthy controls. Serum microRNA-574-3p expression levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The linearity, specificity and reproducibility were evaluated. In addition, the diagnostic value of microRNA-574-3p and its correlations with clinicopathologic features were assessed. Results The relative expression of microRNA-574-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, cirrhosis patients and healthy controls was 2.306 (1.801–3.130), 1.362 (0.994–1.665) and 1.263 (0.765–1.723), respectively, indicating that it was significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients than that in the other two groups ( U = 439.5, 514.5, both P < 0.0001) and was significantly correlated with hepatitis B virus DNA copies ( U = 383.0, P = 0.018). In hepatitis B virus-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients, the relative expression of microRNA-574-3p was significantly correlated with hepatitis B virus DNA concentration ( r = 0.348, P = 0.022). Compared with healthy control group, AUCROC of serum microRNA-574-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma group was 0.837 with 95% CI: 0.763–0.910. Combining microRNA-574-3p, AFU and alpha-fetoprotein together, the sensitivity was highest compared with other markers alone or combined. Conclusions The relative expression of serum microRNA-574-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma patients was significantly higher than that in cirrhosis patients and healthy controls, and it may be an important biomarker in the auxiliary diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Harnessing Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) Communication Technology: Sending Traffic Warnings to Texting Pedestrians
Authors: Rahimian Pooya , O’Neal Elizabeth E. , Zhou Shiwen , Plumert Jodie M. , Kearney Joseph K. 
Published: June 2018

Objective: We examined how sending mobile-device warnings to texting pedestrians when they initiate an unsafe road crossing influences their decisions and actions. Background: Pedestrian texting has been identified as a key risk factor in pedestrian–vehicle collisions. Advances in sensing and communications technology offer the possibility of providing pedestrians with information about traffic conditions to assist them in safely crossing traffic-filled roadways. However, it is unclear how this information can be most effectively communicated to pedestrians. Method: We examined how texting and nontexting pedestrians crossed roads with continuous traffic in a large-screen, immersive pedestrian simulator using a between-subjects design with three conditions: texting, warning, and control. Texting participants in the warning condition received an alarm on their cell phone when they began to cross a dangerously small gap. Results: The results demonstrate the detrimental influence of texting on pedestrians’ gap selection, movement timing, and gaze behavior, and show the potential of warnings to improve decision making and safety. However, the results also reveal the limits of warning texting participants once they initiate a crossing and possible overreliance on technology that may lead to reduced situation awareness. Conclusion: Mobile devices and short-range communication technologies offer enormous potential to assist pedestrians, but further study is needed to better understand how to provide useful information in a timely manner. Application: The technology for communicating traffic information to pedestrians via mobile devices is on the horizon. Research on how such information influences all aspects of pedestrian behavior is critical to developing effective solutions.
Hybrid affairs: Cultural histories of the East India companies
Authors: Subrahmanyam Sanjay 
Published: June 2018

Danna Agmon, A Colonial Affair: Commerce, Conversion and Scandal in French India, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2017, xvi + 217pp. Anna Winterbottom, Hybrid Knowledge in the Early East India Company World, Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies Series, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016, xii + 324pp.
Design of a system solution that modernizes legacy supervisory control and data acquisition systems as an early detection system
Authors: Demir Beşir , Tumay Ahmet , Ozbek Mehmet Efe , Cavus Enver 
Published: June 2018

Background In industrial disasters, early detection of problems and crisis management are critical for saving the lives of people and reducing the impact of disasters. Purpose In this study, we design a special gateway system that bridges the gap between different communication protocols and enables legacy supervisory control and data acquisition systems to function early detection systems for potential industrial disasters. Methods The system uses a new queue mechanism to substantially improve the problem of data loss found in conventional supervisory control and data acquisition systems and utilizes identification (ID) prioritization to enable early detection of problems. The proposed system is implemented and tested on a Linux-based, 3G-capable Modbus gateway system. Modbus is used as the communication protocol and 3G technology is utilized to provide high-speed wireless data transfer components. The Modbus gateway device uses an ARM-based EP9302 processor and has digital input/output, relay outputs, and RS485 outputs. Conclusion This study is significant as it is the first work to show the application of the priority query execution method for Modbus gateway devices.
Salivary cytokine panel indicative of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Koizumi Tomonobu , Shetty Vivek , Yamaguchi Masaki 
Published: June 2018

Objective To develop a combinatorial panel of salivary cytokines that manifests the presence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that will eventually improve prognosis by facilitating the early diagnosis and management of this common cancer. Methods We performed a case-control study comparing salivary cytokine profiles of 35 adult subjects with NSCLC with those of 35 matched, healthy nonsmokers. Multiplex bead array assays were used to quantify 27 cytokines in saliva, serum, and oral mucosal transudate samples. Logistic regression analysis was used to develop an informative cytokine panel. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the discriminant ability of the panel. Results A combinatorial 12-cytokine panel (interleukin receptor antagonist [IL1RN], IL1B, IL6, IL7, IL8, IL10, C-C motif chemokine ligand 11 [CCL11], tumor necrosis factor, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 [CXCL10], C-C motif chemokine ligand 3, C-C motif chemokine ligand 4, and platelet-derived growth factor-BB) distinguished patients with NSCLC from healthy controls. Further, ROC analysis revealed that a cytokine panel comprising IL10 (odds ratio, 1.156) and CXCL10 (odds ratio, 1.000) discriminated NSCLC with a sensitivity of 60.6% and specificity of 80.8% (area under the ROC curve, 0.701). Conclusion A combinatorial panel of select salivary cytokines indicates the presence of NSCLC.
The Relationship between Adult Attachment and Mental Health Care Utilization: A Systematic Review
Authors: Adams G. Camelia , Wrath Andrew J. , Meng Xiangfei 
Published: June 2018

Objective: Several studies have shown a relationship between individual attachment and various aspects of treatment utilization in individuals with medical problems as well as mental health disorders. This review systematically evaluates existing literature targeting the relationship between attachment and all aspects of treatment utilization, such as engagement, participation, and completion, in adults with mental health problems. Method: A computerized search of PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Healthstar and a manual search were employed. Of 5733 titles, 105 abstracts were selected. Of these, 18 studies met full inclusion criteria. The quality of studies was evaluated and scored according to 9 characteristics. Results: Most studies supported an association between attachment and treatment engagement and participation. In general, attachment anxiety was associated with higher engagement and participation in services while attachment avoidance was associated with less. Data regarding attachment dimensions and treatment completion were less conclusive. Conclusions: The review suggests a clear relationship between attachment and stages of treatment engagement and participation in a variety of psychiatric populations and treatments. The 2 attachment dimensions appear to have opposite effects, with possible risks for either treatment over- or underutilization. Clinical implications are discussed.
Developing a Measure of Students’ Potential Involvement in Scholarly Activities
Authors: Harpe Spencer E. , Phipps Lisa B. 
Published: June 2018

Background: Pharmacy schools must encourage a culture of inquiry so future pharmacists approach practice in a scholarly fashion. Objectives: To develop an instrument measuring intentions to engage in various scholarly activities. Methods: Items representing scholarly activities relevant to pharmacists were developed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to refine the list and identify underlying factors. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha. Results were compared across student characteristics using unpaired t tests and 1-way analysis of variance. Key Findings: The initial list of 54 items was reduced to 31 after review and then administered to 381 pharmacy students (337 complete responses; 88% response rate). EFA suggested 3 factors with 4 items being removed due to low factor loadings. The final Potential Involvement in Scholarly Activities (PISA) instrument contained 27 items in 3 domains: research activities (13 items), professional writing (9 items), and practice evaluation/quality improvement (5 items). Cronbach’s alphas were ≥0.85 for the total scale and domains. PISA scores were statistically higher for first-year students and those with previous research experience or post-graduate training interests. Conclusions: Initial development of the PISA instrument suggested a 3-factor structure with acceptable internal consistency in this sample. Continued work is needed to examine the instrument in more diverse samples.
Agricultural land usage and tourism impact on renewable energy consumption among Coastline Mediterranean Countries
Authors: Alola Andrew Adewale , Alola Uju Violet 
Published: June 2018

Abstact This empirical study aims to investigate the dynamic response of renewable energy consumption to long-run disequilibrium and short-run impact of tourism development and agricultural land usage for the period of 1995 to 2014 in 16 Coastline Mediterranean Countries. For this reason, a dynamic Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach is employed in a multivariate and two-model framework such that carbon emission and gross domestic product are being controlled for in the models. Significantly, there is evidence of a joint impact of tourism development and agricultural land usage on renewable energy consumption. With a speed of adjustment of 21.6% from short-run disequilibrium to long run, their respective panel elasticities are 0.33 and negative 1.60 in the long run. Significant evidence shows that nine of the Coastline Mediterranean Countries have tourism development as a short-run factor while Slovenia and Cyprus exhibit a short-run common factor. Also, Granger causality evidences from carbon emission, gross domestic product and tourism development to renewable energy are all with feedbacks. However, Granger causality from agricultural land usage to renewable energy is without feedback. In the region, effective policy implementations through the collaborative effort of stakeholders will ensure a sustainable renewable energy development amidst agricultural and tourism activities.
Game Science: Foundations and Perspectives
Authors: Kriz Willy C. , Harviainen J. Tuomas , Clapper Timothy C. 
Published: June 2018

Background. Game studies offer cross-disciplinary perspectives, but the body of knowledge is not yet in the form of a cohesive game science paradigm. Klabbers (2018a) argues that a comprehensive and coherent view on game science is needed that connects three levels of inquiry: the philosophy of science level, the science level, and the application level. Aim. This single-theme symposium issue On the Architecture of Game Science is especially devoted to the reflection and discussion on the foundations and principles of gaming and simulation. Method. Raising a debate among scholars and professionals, addressing the questions and frame-of-reference presented in the introductory article of Klabbers (2018a) and completed by his rebuttal. Results. The contributions range from the linkages between game science and complex social systems design through gaming simulation, to gamification science, and game studies, focusing on the ludosphere and the growing field of digital games. Conclusion. The articles present an overview of the current state of the art, craft, and science of gaming simulation, gamification and game studies. They present a stimulating and challenging debate, and a good basis for advancing the principles and foundations of game science.
The impact of relaxed traveller allowances
Authors: Stafström Martin 
Published: June 2018

Aim: To analyse to what extent the gradual relaxation of traveller allowances for alcoholic beverages 2001–2004 changed consumer behaviours and subsequent alcohol consumption patterns within a longitudinal panel data population study in Southern Sweden. Methods: General population random sample panel data study with repeated measurements were collected in 1999, in 2005, and in 2010 in the county of Scania. The study analyses answers from 9770 individuals, who in 1999 were 18–80 years old. A fixed-effects modelling was applied to assess the association between consumer behaviour and change in alcohol use across the study period. Results: Cross-border shopping for alcoholic beverages was associated, on average, with a 3.1% ( p < 0.001) increase in alcohol use. Buying imported alcohol from a private person was associated with a mean increase of 2.6% ( p < 0.001), with a total additive effect of 5.7%. Furthermore, when stratified for gender, age, and location, significant fixed effects were found. The magnitude was greater among women, younger and older ages, and in particular in the Northeast and Central regions. Both consumer behaviours – cross-border trading ( OR 1.6, CI 95% 1.28–1.92) and buying alcohol from a private person ( OR 1.4, CI 95% 1.12–1.73) – were significantly associated with heavy alcohol use. Conclusion: The fixed-effects analyses identified significant associations between consumer behaviours and alcohol consumption. The uptake of behaviours that developed because of a relaxation of the Swedish alcohol policy has contributed to an overall long-term increase in alcohol use and higher prevalence of heavy alcohol use within this general population study sample.
Attitude of Upper Egypt Health-Care Professionals Toward Living Liver Donation and Transplantation
Authors: Makhlouf Nahed A. , Abdel-Monem Shaimaa Arafat , Farghaly Ahlam Mohamed , Helmy Ahmed 
Published: June 2018

Background: In Egypt, there is no legislation for deceased donor transplant; therefore, programs provide living donation only. One possible barrier against living liver donation may be the attitude of the health-care professional. This study aimed to (1) assess the level of knowledge and attitude toward liver donation and transplantation among health-care professional in an University Hospital in Upper Egypt and (2) analyze the variables that affect such an attitude. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study with 300 health-care professionals. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age was 27.4 (5.3) years. Two hundred (66.7%) were females, and 257 (85.7%) were Muslims. A total of 222 (74%) were residents in University Hospitals. Of the sample, 104 (34.7%) would donate a living liver part, 122 (40.7%) discussed the matter of organ donation and transplantation with their family, and 134 (44.7%) did not discuss this issue with their family. About 40% knew the attitude of their religion toward organ donation. Most (94.7%) health professionals were <40 years and did not know the attitude of their religion toward this issue. Single persons had more correct information regarding living organ donation and transplantation. More Muslims know the attitude of their religion toward living organ donation and transplantation. Conclusions: Independent predictors of accepting living liver donation are being younger, knowledge of religion attitude, and media coverage satisfaction ( P = 0.006, odd ratio [OR] = 0.2; P = 0.000, OR = 0.39; and P = 0.016; OR = 0.38).
Biopsychosocial benefits of movement-based complementary and integrative health therapies for patients with chronic conditions
Authors: Bolton Rendelle E , Fix Gemmae M , VanDeusen Lukas Carol , Elwy A Rani , Bokhour Barbara G 
Published: June 2018

Objectives Complementary and integrative health practices are growing in popularity, including use of movement-based therapies such as yoga, tai-chi, and qigong. Movement-based therapies are beneficial for a range of health conditions and are used more frequently by individuals with chronic illness. Yet little is known about how patients with chronic conditions characterize the health benefits of movement-based therapies. Methods We conducted focus groups with 31 patients enrolled in yoga and qigong programs for chronic conditions at two VA medical centers. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis with codes developed inductively from the data. Participants’ descriptions of health benefits were then mapped to Engel’s biopsychosocial model. Results Participants described improvements in all biopsychosocial realms, including improved physical and mental health, reduced opiate and psychotropic use, enhanced emotional well-being, and better social relationships. Changes were attributed to physical improvements, development of coping skills, and increased self-awareness. Discussion Patients with chronic illnesses in our sample reported multiple benefits from participation in movement-based therapies, including in physical, mental, and social health realms. Providers treating patients with complex comorbidities may consider referrals to movement-based therapy programs to address multiple concerns simultaneously, particularly among patients seeking alternatives to medication or adjunctive to an opiate reduction strategy.