bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Burden of Neonatal Surgical Conditions in Northern Ghana
Authors: Abdul‐Mumin Alhassan , Anyomih Theophilus T. K. , Owusu Sheila A. , Wright Naomi , Decker Janae , Niemeier Kelli , Benavidez Gabriel , Abantanga Francis A. , Smith Emily R. , Tabiri Stephen 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundCongenital anomalies have risen to become the fifth leading cause of under‐five mortality globally. The majority of deaths and disability occur in low‐ and middle‐income countries including Ghana. This 3‐year retrospective review aimed to define, for the first time, the characteristics and outcomes of neonatal surgical conditions in northern Ghana.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted to include all admissions to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with surgical conditions between January 2014 and January 2017. Data were collected on demographics, diagnosis and outcomes. Descriptive analysis was performed on all data, and logistic regression was used to predict determinants of neonatal mortality. p < 0.05 was deemed significant.ResultsThree hundred and forty‐seven neonates were included. Two hundred and sixty‐one (75.2%) were aged 7 days or less at presentation, with males (n = 177, 52%) slightly higher than females (n = 165, 48%). The majority were delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery (n = 247, 88%); 191 (58%) were born in hospital. Congenital anomalies accounted for 302 (87%) of the neonatal surgical cases and 45 (96%) deaths. The most common anomalies were omphalocele (n = 48, 13.8%), imperforate anus (n = 34, 9.8%), intestinal obstruction (n = 29, 8.4%), spina bifida (n = 26, 7.5%) and hydrocephalus (n = 19, 5.5%). The overall mortality rate was 13.5%. Two‐thirds of the deaths (n = 30) from congenital anomalies were conditions involving the digestive system with gastroschisis having the highest mortality of 88%. Omphalocele (n = 11, 23.4%), gastroschisis (n = 7, 14.9%) and imperforate anus (n = 6, 12.8%) contributed to the most deaths. On multivariate analysis, low birthweight was significantly associated with mortality (OR 3.59, CI 1.4–9.5, p = 0.009).ConclusionCongenital anomalies are a major global health problem associated with high neonatal mortality in Ghana. The highest burden in terms of both caseload and mortality is attributed to congenital anomalies involving the digestive system, which should be targeted to improve outcomes.
Severe pulmonary regurgitation in adolescents with tetralogy of Fallot leads to increased longitudinal strain
Authors: Ylitalo Pekka , Lehmonen Lauri , Lauerma Kirsi , Holmström Miia , Pitkänen-Argillander Olli , Jokinen Eero 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Objectives
Postoperative patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) are often compromised by chronic pulmonary regurgitation and chronic right ventricular volume load. We sought to determine whether pulmonary regurgitation (PR) would affect right and left ventricle (RV and LV) strain.

Materials and methods
This cross-sectional analysis included 40 patients who had TOF with surgical repair, with an average follow-up period of 11.8 ± 3.0 years. Altogether, 44 healthy volunteers with similar age and gender distribution were recruited. A cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging study with feature tracking analysis was performed on all patients and controls.

Results
RV peak longitudinal strain was increased in TOF patients with PR > 30 ml/m2 when compared to those with PR < 30 ml/m2 (− 22.5% ± 2.7% vs − 19.7% ± 3.5%, p = 0.018) and controls (p = 0.007). PR volume correlated with peak RV longitudinal strain (R = − 0.37, p = 0.030) and peak RV longitudinal strain rate (systolic: R = 0.37, p = 0.03; diastolic: R = 0.39, p = 0.021). The peak RV circumferential strain, from base to apex, increased more than in healthy controls (apex-base difference 7.6% ± 4.2% vs 3.3% ± 2.4%, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions
Pediatric patients with TOF and a severe pulmonary regurgitation show an enhanced longitudinal strain when compared to patients with milder regurgitation or to control subjects. In addition, mean RV circumferential strain of the patients is significantly enhanced compared to healthy individuals.
Interactive visual data exploration with subjective feedback: an information-theoretic approach
Authors: Puolamäki Kai , Oikarinen Emilia , Kang Bo , Lijffijt Jefrey , De Bie Tijl 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Visual exploration of high-dimensional real-valued datasets is a fundamental task in exploratory data analysis (EDA). Existing projection methods for data visualization use predefined criteria to choose the representation of data. There is a lack of methods that (i) use information on what the user has learned from the data and (ii) show patterns that she does not know yet. We construct a theoretical model where identified patterns can be input as knowledge to the system. The knowledge syntax here is intuitive, such as “this set of points forms a cluster”, and requires no knowledge of maths. This background knowledge is used to find a maximum entropy distribution of the data, after which the user is provided with data projections for which the data and the maximum entropy distribution differ the most, hence showing the user aspects of data that are maximally informative given the background knowledge. We study the computational performance of our model and present use cases on synthetic and real data. We find that the model allows the user to learn information efficiently from various data sources and works sufficiently fast in practice. In addition, we provide an open source EDA demonstrator system implementing our model with tailored interactive visualizations. We conclude that the information theoretic approach to EDA where patterns observed by a user are formalized as constraints provides a principled, intuitive, and efficient basis for constructing an EDA system.
Consolidation in the dental industry: a closer look at dental payers and providers
Authors: Nasseh Kamyar , Bowblis John R. , Vujicic Marko , Huang Sean Shenghsiu 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
We examine the effect of commercial dental insurance concentration on the size of dental practices, the decision of dentists to own a practice, and the choice of dentists to work at a dental management service organization—a type of corporate group practice that has become more prevalent in the United States in recent years. Using 2013–2015 dentist-level data from the American Dental Association, county-level data on firms and employment from the United States Census, and commercial dental insurance market concentration data from FAIR Health®, we find a modest effect of dental insurance market concentration on the size of dental practices. We also find that a higher level of commercial dental insurance market concentration is associated with a dentist’s decision not to own a practice. There is inconclusive evidence that higher levels of dental insurance market concentration impact a dentist’s decision to affiliate with a dental management service organization. Overall, our findings imply that dentists consolidate in response to increases in concentration among commercial dental insurers.
The case‐finding study: A novel community‐based research recruitment approach for engaging participants with early cognitive decline
Authors: Dubé Joseph B. , Lin Tianzheng , Best Sarah , Truemner Julia , Sargeant Patricia , Borrie Michael J. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIntroductionInnovative recruitment strategies are needed to better engage potential research participants at a preclinical stage of cognitive decline.MethodsLocal newspaper advertisements attracted community‐dwelling people ≥55 years with memory concerns, who were interested in research, to self‐refer for cognitive assessment and discuss cognitive research involvement. Respondents completed telephone screening and then attended an in‐person cognitive screening assessment with a study partner. Case conferencing with a clinician researcher characterized a “clinical suspicion” of the participant's cognitive concern.ResultsOf 209 respondents who underwent in‐person assessment, 203 participants were classified as having subjective cognitive decline (47%), mild cognitive impairment (44%), or dementia (9%). Thirty percent of participants were enrolled in observational studies or randomized controlled trials.DiscussionCommunity‐based engagement, cognitive screening, and case conferencing effectively combined to identify research participants at risk of cognitive decline and recruited participants into cognitive research studies. Those not recruited continued to be followed up longitudinally.
An Inheritance that Cannot Be Stolen: Schooling, Kinship, and Personhood in Post-1945 Central Philippines
Authors: Cruz Resto 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis article seeks a deeper understanding of inheritance by examining how kinship and personhood propel, and are altered by, schooling. It foregrounds kinship's and personhood's transformative and historical dimensions with an eye to their complexity and unevenness. The post-1945 generation in the central Philippines considers schooling (edukasyon) as their inheritance from their parents, who had few or no educational credentials themselves. This view reflects edukasyon’s increased value after the war, how people both judge and emulate the old landed elite, and the ongoing salience and elaboration of hierarchical parent-child ties. Alongside this view, children are recognized as completing, redeeming, and compensating for their parents. Attainment of edukasyon is seen to require not only personal striving but also solidarity and sacrifices among siblings. Yet, edukasyon also fosters autonomy and at times severs kinship ties. Finally, as an inheritance, edukasyon both depends upon and generates inequality, with long-term intergenerational implications.
Linguistic stance: An integrative paradigm for mixed methods social science
Authors: Schrauf Robert W. , De Victoria Patria López , Diaz Brett 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTThis article develops an integrative mixed methods framework grounded in stancetaking as the originary act through which qualitative interview and quantitative survey data are generated. The article examines how the basics of ‘everyday’ social stance—evaluation, positioning, and alignment within a sociocultural field—are strategically manipulated by social scientists in the twinned conditions of the interview and the survey. Relative to interview data, we demonstrate how participants link their stancetaking to wider sociocultural frames via the discursive devices of indexicality, accounting practices, and appeal to norms. Relative to survey data, we show how participants construct a ‘public’ via their engagement in the survey task, and how their stancetaking on survey items is virtually equivalent to ‘votes’ that are later aggregated to create second-order group-level stances. Mixed methods researchers then transform both qualitative and quantitative first-order stances into second-order stances that serve to describe and model social life. (Mixed methods, discourse devices, indexicality, normativity, interview, survey)
A REVIEW OF LABORATORY STUDIES OF ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE VOCABULARY TRAINING
Authors: Rice Caitlin A. , Tokowicz Natasha 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis review examines and integrates studies of second language (L2) vocabulary instruction with adult learners in a laboratory setting, using a framework provided by a modified version of the Revised Hierarchical Model (Kroll & Stewart, 1994), the Revised Hierarchical Model-Repetition Elaboration Retrieval. By examining how various training methods promote or fail to promote the development of high-quality orthographic, phonological, and meaning representations, and strong connections between these representations, we reconceptualize the current body of knowledge, and highlight gaps in the existing literature. We review evidence that training methods that only promote L1 to L2 form connections (e.g., massed repetition) are generally ineffective, but can become highly effective when paired with methods that also strengthen L2 form-meaning connections (e.g., spaced repetition training with retrieval practice or semantic elaboration requiring user-generated responses). We discuss the implications of these findings for researchers and educators interested in improving L2 vocabulary learning outcomes.
“A Country Proud to be Democratic”:Demanding Democracy in Nineteenth-Century Chile
Authors: Edwards Lisa M. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis article examines criminal court cases about conflicts related to the electoral process at all stages from determining how elections would be administered to disputes about results. It argues that contemporary allegations of fraud, corruption, and misconduct during elections can inform us not only of the anomalies but also of the ways in which elections worked as expected, according to the laws and norms of the time. We can also see how participants defined and defended the democratic ideal. A careful reading of participants' complaints to local authorities about electoral law violations, including incidents that ended in violence, can provide important insights into partisanship, the mechanics of elections, and the formation of political culture. The use of democratic rhetoric in these complaints suggests a consensus around a democratic ideal based on free and fair elections even though that ideal was not yet realized. Through the analysis of criminal court cases, it also introduces a broad range of questions about how nineteenth-century Chileans understood and practiced democracy that suggest avenues for further research.
Portable sequencer in the fight against infectious disease
Authors: Mongan Arthur Elia , Tuda Josef Sem Berth , Runtuwene Lucky Ronald 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Infectious disease is still a major threat in the world today. Five decades ago, it was considered soon to be eradicated, but the adaptation of pathogens to environmental pressure, such as antimicrobials, encouraged the emergence and reemergence of infectious disease. The fight with infectious disease starts with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Diagnosis can be upheld by observing the cause of disease under the microscope or detecting the presence of nucleic acid and proteins of the pathogens. The molecular techniques span from classical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to sequencing the nucleic acid composition. Here, we are reviewing the works have been undertaken to utilize a portable sequencer, MinION, in various aspects of infectious disease management.
Genetic risk for Alzheimer’s dementia predicts motor deficits through multi-omic systems in older adults
Authors: Tasaki Shinya , Gaiteri Chris , Petyuk Vladislav A. , Blizinsky Katherine D. , De Jager Philip L. , Buchman Aron S. , Bennett David A. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease manifests with both cognitive and motor deficits. However, the degree to which genetic risk of Alzheimer’s dementia contributes to late-life motor impairment, and the specific molecular systems underlying these associations, are uncertain. Here, we adopted an integrative multi-omic approach to assess genetic influence on motor impairment in older adults and identified key molecular pathways that may mediate this risk. We built a polygenic risk score for clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD-PRS) and examined its relationship to several motor phenotypes in 1885 older individuals from two longitudinal aging cohorts. We found that AD-PRS was associated with a previously validated composite motor scores and their components. The major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s dementia, the APOE/TOMM40 locus, was not a major driver of these associations. To identify specific molecular features that potentially medicate the genetic risk into motor dysfunction, we examined brain multi-omics, including transcriptome, DNA methylation, histone acetylation (H3K9AC), and targeted proteomics, as well as diverse neuropathologies. We found that a small number of factors account for the majority of the influence of AD-PRS on motor function, which comprises paired helical filament tau-tangle density, H3K9AC in specific chromosomal regions encoding genes involved in neuromuscular process. These multi-omic factors have the potential to elucidate key molecular mechanisms developing motor impairment in the context of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Extracellular IL-37 promotes osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Ye Chenyi , Zhang Wei , Hang Kai , Chen Mo , Hou Weiduo , Chen Jianzhong , Chen Xi , Chen Erman , Tang Lan , Lu Jinwei , Ding Qianhai , Jiang Guangyao , Hong Baojian , He Rongxin 
Published: October 2019

AbstractInterleukin (IL)-37, a pivotal anti-inflammatory cytokine and a fundamental inhibitor of innate immunity, has recently been shown to be abnormally expressed in several autoimmune-related orthopedic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and osteoporosis. However, the role of IL-37 during osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) remains largely unknown. In this study, extracellular IL-37 significantly increased osteoblast-specific gene expression, the number of mineral deposits, and alkaline phosphatase activity of MSCs. Moreover, a signaling pathway was activated in the presence of IL-37. The enhanced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs due to supplementation of IL-37 was partially rescued by the presence of a PI3K/AKT signaling inhibitor. Using a rat calvarial bone defect model, IL-37 significantly improved bone healing. Collectively, these findings indicate that extracellular IL-37 enhanced osteogenesis of MSCs, at least in part by activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Phlpp1 is associated with human intervertebral disc degeneration and its deficiency promotes healing after needle puncture injury in mice
Authors: Zhang Changli , Smith Madeline P. , Zhou George K. , Lai Alon , Hoy Robert C. , Mroz Victoria , Torre Olivia M. , Laudier Damien M. , Bradley Elizabeth W. , Westendorf Jennifer J. , Iatridis James C. , Illien-Jünger Svenja 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBack pain is a leading cause of global disability and is strongly associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD). Hallmarks of IDD include progressive cell loss and matrix degradation. The Akt signaling pathway regulates cellularity and matrix production in IVDs and its inactivation is known to contribute to a catabolic shift and increased cell loss via apoptosis. The PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (Phlpp1) directly regulates Akt signaling and therefore may play a role in regulating IDD, yet this has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate if Phlpp1 has a role in Akt dysregulation during IDD. In human IVDs, Phlpp1 expression was positively correlated with IDD and the apoptosis marker cleaved Caspase-3, suggesting a key role of Phlpp1 in the progression of IDD. In mice, 3 days after IVD needle puncture injury, Phlpp1 knockout (KO) promoted Akt phosphorylation and cell proliferation, with less apoptosis. At 2 and 8 months after injury, Phlpp1 deficiency also had protective effects on IVD cellularity, matrix production, and collagen structure as measured with histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Specifically, Phlpp1-deletion resulted in enhanced nucleus pulposus matrix production and more chondrocytic cells at 2 months, and increased IVD height, nucleus pulposus cellularity, and extracellular matrix deposition 8 months after injury. In conclusion, Phlpp1 has a role in limiting cell survival and matrix degradation in IDD and research targeting its suppression could identify a potential therapeutic target for IDD.
LINC00978 promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating EZH2-mediated silencing of p21 and E-cadherin expression
Authors: Xu Xueying , Gu Jianmei , Ding Xiaoge , Ge Guohong , Zang Xueyan , Ji Runbi , Shao Meng , Mao Zheying , Zhang Yu , Zhang Jiayin , Mao Fei , Qian Hui , Xu Wenrong , Cai Hui , Wang Feng , Zhang Xu 
Published: October 2019

AbstractLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested as important regulators of cancer development and progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the clinical value and biological roles of LINC00978 in HCC remain unclear. In this study, we detected the expression of LINC00978 in tumor tissues and serum of HCC patients, examined the roles of LINC00978 in HCC progression and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that LINC00978 expression was upregulated in tumor tissues and serum of HCC patients. Higher serum levels of LINC00978 could distinguish HCC patients from hepatitis and liver cirrhosis patients and healthy controls. LINC00978 knockdown inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion while promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Overexpression of LINC00978 led to the opposite effects. LINC00978 knockdown also inhibited HCC growth and metastasis in mouse tumor models. Mechanistically, LINC00978 bound to EZH2 and mediated its accumulation at the promoter region of p21 and E-cadherin genes, leading to the trimethylation of H27K3 and the inhibition of p21 and E-cadherin expression. Moreover, the simultaneous depletion of p21 and E-cadherin expression reversed the inhibitory effects of LINC00978 knockdown on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Taken together, these findings suggest that LINC00978 promotes HCC progression by inhibiting p21 and E-cadherin expression via EZH2-mediated epigenetic silencing. LINC00978 may represent a novel biomarker for HCC diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.
Highly structured homolog pairing reflects functional organization of the Drosophila genome
Authors: AlHaj Abed Jumana , Erceg Jelena , Goloborodko Anton , Nguyen Son C. , McCole Ruth B. , Saylor Wren , Fudenberg Geoffrey , Lajoie Bryan R. , Dekker Job , Mirny Leonid A. , Wu C.-ting 
Published: October 2019

AbstractTrans-homolog interactions have been studied extensively in Drosophila, where homologs are paired in somatic cells and transvection is prevalent. Nevertheless, the detailed structure of pairing and its functional impact have not been thoroughly investigated. Accordingly, we generated a diploid cell line from divergent parents and applied haplotype-resolved Hi-C, showing that homologs pair with varying precision genome-wide, in addition to establishing trans-homolog domains and compartments. We also elucidate the structure of pairing with unprecedented detail, observing significant variation across the genome and revealing at least two forms of pairing: tight pairing, spanning contiguous small domains, and loose pairing, consisting of single larger domains. Strikingly, active genomic regions (A-type compartments, active chromatin, expressed genes) correlated with tight pairing, suggesting that pairing has a functional implication genome-wide. Finally, using RNAi and haplotype-resolved Hi-C, we show that disruption of pairing-promoting factors results in global changes in pairing, including the disruption of some interaction peaks.