bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incidence, predictors and prognosis of genotype 4 hepatitis E related liver failure: A tertiary nested case‐control study
Authors: Wang Yijin , Liu Hongyang , Liu Shuhong , Yang Changshuang , Jiang Yiyun , Wang Shan , Liu Aixia , Peppelenbosch Maikel P. , Kamar Nassim , Pan Qiuwei , Zhao Jingmin 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackground/AimsHepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been recognized an important insult of acute or acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (A(C)LF). This study aimed to identify the incidence, predictors and outcomes of A(C)LF in patients with hepatitis E.MethodsAll patients diagnosed of hepatitis E between 2012 and 2018 in the tertiary hospital were retrospectively and consecutively analysed. Patients with hepatitis E who developed A(C)LF were enrolled as cases (HEV‐LF) and controls were randomly selected from those who did not develop liver failure with 1:3 ratio in the same cohort.ResultsEight hundred and nine patients were diagnosed with hepatitis E, among which 80 were identified with HEV‐related liver failure (HEV‐LF) with HEV as the solely acute aetiology of A(C)LF. Sequencing of HEV genome showed genotype (GT) 4 strains in all available serum samples. Hepatitis E patients with cirrhosis underwent higher risk to develop liver failure, compared to non‐cirrhotic patients. Hydrothorax, respiratory infections, lower γ‐glutamyl transferase, higher lactate dehydrogenase and alpha‐foetoprotein were found to be independent predictors of A(C)LF in patients with hepatitis E. The 28‐day and 90‐day mortality for HEV‐LF was 12.86% and 30.36% respectively. Renal injury and lower triglyceride were independent factors associated with 28‐day mortality. Lower alanine aminotransferase and higher International normalized ratio were independent predictors of 90‐day mortality.ConclusionsPatients with GT4 hepatitis E are at high risk to develop A(C)LF. Different CLD status impacted the incidence of HEV‐LF distinctively. The identified variables shall help to identify HEV patients with high risk for developing liver failure and the risk for death.
Biology and significance of alpha‐fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Galle Peter R. , Foerster Friedrich , Kudo Masatoshi , Chan Stephen L. , Llovet Josep M. , Qin Shukui , Schelman William R. , Chintharlapalli Sudhakar , Abada Paolo B. , Sherman Morris , Zhu Andrew X. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer‐related deaths globally due, in part, to the majority of patients being diagnosed with intermediate or advanced stage disease. Our increased understanding of the heterogeneous molecular pathogenesis of HCC has led to significant developments in novel targeted therapies. Despite these advances, there remains a high unmet need for new treatment options. HCC is a complex disease with multiple pathogenic mechanisms caused by a variety of risk factors, making it difficult to characterize with a single biomarker. In fact, numerous biomarkers have been studied in HCC, but alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) remains the most widely used and accepted serum marker since its discovery over 60 years ago. This review summarizes the most relevant studies associated with the regulation of AFP at the gene and protein levels; the pathophysiology of AFP as a pro‐proliferative protein; and the correlation of AFP with molecular HCC subclasses, the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway and angiogenesis. Also described are the historical and current uses of AFP for screening and surveillance, diagnosis, its utility as a prognostic and predictive biomarker and its role as a tumour antigen in HCC. Taken together, these data demonstrate the relevance of AFP for patients with HCC and identify several remaining questions that will benefit from future research.
Plasma N‐terminal propeptide of type III procollagen accurately predicts liver fibrosis severity in children with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Mosca Antonella , Comparcola Donatella , Romito Ilaria , Mantovani Alessandro , Nobili Valerio , Byrne Christopher D. , Alisi Anna , Targher Giovanni 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackground & AimsWe examined the diagnostic performance of plasma N‐terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) levels, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis‐4 (FIB‐4) score for predicting non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis stage in children/adolescents with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).MethodsWe enrolled 204 children/adolescents with biopsy‐proven NAFLD at the "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital. We measured plasma PIIINP levels using a commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit and calculated APRI and FIB‐4 scores using standard methods.ResultsChildren with NASH had higher plasma PIIINP levels, APRI and FIB‐4 scores compared with those without NASH (all P < .001). However, PIIINP levels had much better diagnostic performance and accuracy than APRI and FIB‐4 scores for predicting liver fibrosis stage. PIIINP levels correlated with the total NAFLD activity score (NAS) and its constituent components (P < .0001). The risk of either NASH or F ≥ 2 fibrosis progressively increased with increasing PIIINP levels (P < .0001), independent of age, gender, adiposity measures, insulin resistance, NAS score and the patatin‐like phospholipase domain‐containing protein‐3 rs738409 polymorphism. For every 3.6 ng/mL increase in PIIINP levels, the likelihood of having F ≥ 2 fibrosis increased by ~14‐fold (adjusted‐odds ratio 14.1, 95% CI 5.50‐35.8, P < .0001) after adjustment for the aforementioned risk factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.921 (95% CI 0.87‐0.97) for F ≥ 2 fibrosis, and 0.993 (95% CI 0.98‐1.0) for F3 fibrosis respectively.ConclusionsUnlike APRI and FIB‐4 scores, plasma PIIINP levels are a promising, non‐invasive biomarker for diagnosing liver fibrosis stage in children/adolescents with biopsy‐proven NAFLD.
The Mouth‐Gut‐Brain model: An interdisciplinary approach to facilitate reformulation of reduced fat products
Authors: Yeomans M. R. , Zhou X. , Wilde P. , Thomas A. , Linter B. , Beri A. , Lovegrove J. A. , Williams C. M. , Methven L. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe food industry faces the difficult challenge of reformulating many of their products to meet increasingly stringent targets to reduce energy density by adjusting fat and sugar levels. However, reducing fat in products raises multiple risks for consumer satisfaction because of the consequent effects on both the multimodal sensory experience of the product and the extent to which satiety post‐ingestion meets expected satiety. Recognising that this complex problem requires an interdisciplinary approach, the Mouth‐Gut‐Brain project brought together academic expertise in food and sensory science, the psychology of appetite and the biophysics of food microstructure, with the support of seven industry partners, to develop novel, innovative approaches to enable successful reformulation of fat in a snack context. The project recognised the multifaceted nature of fat perception, and how it affects the psychological and physiological responses to consumption and ingestion. The outcomes of the research programme, comprising the characterisation of sensory and satiety responses of volunteers in the context of two novel fat‐reduced snack products, will be published over the next year and will help inform future novel approaches to fat reduction.
Phenomenology as a political position within maternity care
Authors: Thomson Gill , Crowther Susan 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn this article, the authors use the context of childbirth to consider the power that is endemic in certain forms of evidence within maternity care research. First, there is consideration of how the current evidence hierarchy and experimental‐based studies are the gold standard to determine and direct women's maternity experiences, although this can be at the detriment of care and irrespective of women's needs. This is followed by a critique of how the predominant means to assess women's experiences via satisfaction surveys is of limited utility, offering impartial and restricted insights to assess the quality of care provision. A counter position of hermeneutic phenomenology as research method is then described. This approach offers an alternative perspective by penetrating the taken‐for‐granted ordinariness of an event (such as childbirth) to elicit rich emic meanings. Whilst all approaches to understanding maternity care have a place, depending on the question(s) being asked, the contribution of phenomenology is how it can uncover a depth of contextual understanding into what matters to women and to inform and transform care delivery.
IgE binding to linear epitopes of Ara h 2 in peanut allergic preschool children undergoing oral Immunotherapy
Authors: Dreskin Stephen C. , Germinaro Matthew , Reinhold Dominik , Chen Xueni , Vickery Brian P. , Kulis Michael , Burks A. Wesley , Negi Surendra S. , Braun Werner , Chambliss Jeffery M. , Eglite Spodra , McNulty Caitlin M. G. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundFor patients with peanut allergy, there are currently no methods to predict who will develop sustained unresponsiveness (SU) after oral immunotherapy (OIT).ObjectiveAssess IgE binding to peanut (PN), Ara h 2, and specific linear epitopes of Ara h 2 as predictors of the important clinical parameters: eliciting dose threshold and attainment of SU following OIT.MethodsSamples and clinical data were collected from children undergoing OIT. PN‐ and Ara h 2‐sIgE were quantified by ImmunoCAP®. IgE binding to linear peptides of Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 was measured with peptide microarrays.ResultsValues of PN‐sIgE correlated with eliciting dose (P = .001) and with a higher likelihood of achieving SU (P < .0001), but these relationships were lost at higher values for PN‐sIgE (≥14 kIU for eliciting dose and ≥35 kIU/L for SU). In subjects with PN‐sIgE ≥ 14 kIU/L, binding of IgE to epitopes 5 and 6 of Ara h 2 was associated with a lower eliciting dose at baseline challenge (P < .001; Pc < .02). In subjects with PN‐sIgE ≥ 35 kIU/L, a combined model of IgE binding to epitopes 1, 5 and 6 with PN‐sIgE was highly predictive of attainment of SU (AUC of 0.86; P = .0067).ConclusionIn young patients with peanut allergy, measurement of PN‐sIgE and IgE binding to specific linear epitopes of Ara h 2 in baseline samples may allow stratification of patients regarding sensitivity to challenge and outcome of OIT.
Real fasting times and incidence of pulmonary aspiration in children: Results of a German prospective multicenter observational study
Authors: Beck Christiane E. , Rudolp Diana , Becke‐Jakob Karin , Schindler Ehrenfried , Etspüler Alexander , Trapp Almut , Fink Gordon , Müller‐Lobeck Lutz , Röher Katharina , Genähr Arka , Eich Christoph , Sümpelmann Robert 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundProlonged fasting before anesthesia is still common in children. Shortened fasting times may improve the metabolic and hemodynamic condition during induction of anesthesia and the perioperative experience for parents and children and simplify perioperative management. As a consequence, some centers in Germany have reduced fasting requirements, but the national guidelines are still unchanged.AimsThis prospective multicenter observational study was initiated by the Scientific Working Group for Pediatric Anesthesia of the German Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine to evaluate real fasting times and the incidence of pulmonary aspiration before a possible revision of national fasting guidelines.MethodsAfter the Ethics Committee's approval, at least 3000 children were planned to be enrolled for this analysis. Patient demographics, real fasting times, anesthetic and surgical procedures and occurrence of regurgitation or pulmonary aspiration were documented using a standardized case report form. Results were presented as median [interquartile range] (range) or incidence (percentage).ResultsAt ten pediatric centers, 3324 children were included between October 2018 and May 2019. The real fasting times for large meals were 14 [12.2‐15.6] (0.5‐24) hours, for light meals 9 [5.6‐13.3] (0.25‐28.3) hours, for formula milk 5.8 [4.5‐7.4] (0.9‐24) hours, for breast milk 4.8 [4.2‐6.3] (1.3‐25.3) hours and for clear fluids 2.7 [1.5‐6] (0.03‐22.8) hours. Prolonged fasting (deviation from guideline >2 hours) was reported for large meals in 88.3%, for light meals in 54.7%, for formula milk in 44.4%, for breast milk in 25.8% and for clear fluids in 34.2%. Eleven cases (0.33%) of regurgitation, four cases (0.12%) of suspected pulmonary aspiration and two cases (0.06%) of confirmed pulmonary aspiration were reported; all of them could be extubated after the end of the procedure and recovered without any incidents.ConclusionThis study shows that prolonged fasting is still common in pediatric anesthesia in Germany that pulmonary aspiration with postoperative respiratory distress is rare and that improvements to current local fasting regimens and national fasting guidelines are urgently needed.
Why the Confucians had no concept of race (Part I): The antiessentialist cultural understanding of self
Authors: Xiang Shuchen 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis paper argues that Confucianism had an antiessentialist conception of selfhood. This understanding of self means that they did not have, and could not have had, a concept of “race” in the sense that one's essence determines one's becoming. In the Confucian canon, the embodiment of cultural norms/performance of culturally appropriate actions defines one's human‐ness. This account of human agency in becoming human can be seen in the Confucian explanation of moral failure. This assumption of human agency also means that the Confucian understanding of hierarchy is social as opposed to ontological and that differences between peoples are understood to be a result of culture–custom variation.
Effects of sucrose supplementation and generation on life‐history traits of Bracon cephi and Bracon lissogaster, parasitoids of the wheat stem sawfly
Authors: Reis Dayane A. , Hofland Megan L. , Peterson Robert K. D. , Weaver David K. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractKnowledge of the life‐history traits that influence the reproductive success of parasitoids could provide useful information to enhance their effectiveness as biological control agents. The wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) is a major pest of wheat in the Northern Great Plains of North America. The bivoltine, sympatric and specialist parasitoids Bracon cephi (Gahan) and Bracon lissogaster Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are the only species known to attack C. cinctus in wheat. In the present study, we quantify the body size, longevity, egg load and egg volume of B. cephi and B. lissogaster aiming to test whether these life‐history traits differ among adult females developing from overwintering and summer generation larvae. We also investigate the effect of sucrose supplementation on the same reproductive parameters. The results obtained show no differences between life‐history traits of B. cephi developing from the overwintering and summer generations. By contrast, the egg load of B. lissogaster is significantly different between generations, with overwintered females producing 1.2‐fold more eggs than summer individuals. Sucrose feeding has a strong positive effect on life‐history traits of both parasitoid species and generations. The longevity of sucrose‐fed females of B. cephi is increased three‐fold, whereas the survival of B. lissogaster is increased almost nine‐fold. Females of B. cephi treated with sucrose have four‐fold more mature eggs, whereas the egg load of B. lissogaster is increased 1.15‐ to 1.25‐fold with sugar feeding. Only B. cephi females increase egg volume with sucrose. The present study provides valuable insights on the life‐history and nutritional requirements of these two important parasitoid species.
Trade liberalization, consumption shifting and pollution: Evidence from Mexico's used vehicle imports
Authors: Chen Liang , Garcia‐Medina B. Cecilia , Wan Rui 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis paper develops a model of used vehicle trade between the United States and Mexico, countries with different environmental regulations regarding vehicle emissions. We demonstrate that the United States, with its strict environmental regulations, has a motive to export used vehicles to Mexico, which impacts air pollution emissions from vehicle driving in Mexico. Using unique data on the import and registration of vehicles in Mexico after NAFTA, we find that Mexico's used vehicle imports reduce pollution emissions generated from vehicle driving mainly because of the technique effect, that is, model–age‐comparable vehicles imported from the United States emit less than those originally operated in Mexico.
Physical activity during pregnancy and intelligence in sons; A cohort study
Authors: Jochumsen Sara , Henriksen Tine Brink , Lindhard Morten Søndergaard , Hegaard Hanne Kristine , Rode Line 
Published: August 2019

The purpose was to examine the association between exercise during pregnancy and intelligence score in offspring. We analyzed data from 4008 women from the Aarhus Birth Cohort, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, recruited during pregnancy from July 1989 to November 1991 and their sons who were registered at conscription at 17‐20 years of age. The women gave information by self‐administered questionnaires during the first trimester including leisure‐time physical activity and weekly hours of sport. This information was linked to the sons’ measures of intelligence by Børge Priens test scores from the Danish Conscription Registry. Only sons were included since very few women register at conscription in Denmark. The main outcome measure was the Børge Priens test score as a continuous variable and with a low score defined as <10% of the population score. Analyses were adjusted for maternal body mass index, years in school, and smoking. Sons of women with light and moderate to heavy leisure‐time physical activity had lower risk of having a low intelligence score compared with sons of women with sedentary activity: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.66 (95% CI 0.49;0.88) and 0.46 (95% CI 0.23;0.93), respectively. Furthermore, sons of women engaged in sports had lower risk of a low intelligence score: aOR 0.50 (95% CI 0.30; 0.83) for 1‐2 h/wk and 0.62 (95% CI 0.35; 1.10) for ≥3 h/wk compared with no weekly sports activity. In conclusion, a higher level of physical activity during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of low intelligence score in early adulthood in sons.
Comparing income poverty gap and deprivation on social acceptance: A mediation model with interpersonal communication and social support
Authors: Zhang Yin , Wong Hung , Chen Ji‐Kang , Tang Vera M. Y. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn many developed countries or regions, wide income disparities increase the difficulty in reducing poverty. In their day‐to‐day lives, poor people often feel less accepted by the society. The failures in communicating with social groups and receiving social support lead to negative consequences on individual well‐being and higher level of social exclusion. Based on the debate upon alternative approaches to conceptualizing and operationalizing poverty, this study attempts to verify a mediation model with data from a household survey (N= 1,202) in Hong Kong. The results of structural equation modelling reveal that deprivation is a more powerful indicator than income poverty for specifying the negative relations of poverty with interpersonal communication, social support, and social acceptance; the negative impact of deprivation on social acceptance can be reduced by two significant mediators of interpersonal communication and social support. The results are discussed in terms of directions for future research and policy and welfare intervention.
Implementation of traction constraints in Bragg‐edge neutron transmission strain tomography
Authors: Hendriks Johannes , Gregg Alex , Wensrich Chris , Wills Adrian 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSeveral recent methods for tomographic reconstruction of stress and strain fields from Bragg‐edge neutron strain images have been proposed in the literature. This paper presents an extension of a previously demonstrated approach based on Gaussian process regression that enforces equilibrium in the method. This extension incorporates knowledge of boundary conditions, primarily boundary tractions, into the reconstruction process. This is shown to increase the rate of convergence and is more tolerant of systematic errors that may be present in experimental measurements. An exact expression for a central calculation in this method is also provided which avoids the need for the approximation scheme that was previously used. Convergence of this method for simulated data is compared to existing approaches and a reconstruction from experimental data is provided. Validation of the results to conventional constant wavelength strain measurements and comparison to prior methods show a significant improvement.
Control of rice pre‐harvest sprouting by glutaredoxin‐mediated abscisic acid signaling
Authors: Xu Fan , Tang Jiuyou , Gao Shaopei , Cheng Xi , Du Lin , Chu Chengcai 
Published: August 2019

SummaryPre‐harvest sprouting (PHS) is one of the major problems in cereal production worldwide, which causes significant losses of both yield and quality; however, the molecular mechanism underlying PHS remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a dominant PHS mutant phs9‐D. The corresponding gene PHS9 encodes a higher plant unique CC‐type glutaredoxin and is specifically expressed in the embryo at the late embryogenesis stage, implying that PHS9 plays some roles in the late stage of seed development. Yeast two‐hybrid screening showed that PHS9 could interact with OsGAP, which is an interaction partner of the abscicic acid (ABA) receptor OsRCAR1. PHS9‐ or OsGAP overexpression plants showed reduced ABA sensitivity in seed germination, whereas PHS9 or OsGAP knock‐out mutant plants showed increased ABA sensitivity in seed germination, suggesting that PHS9 and OsGAP acted as negative regulators in ABA signaling during seed germination. Interestingly, the germination of PHS9 and OsGAP overexpression or knock‐out plant seeds was weakly promoted by H2O2, implying that PHS9 and OsGAP could affect reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling during seed germination. These results indicate that PHS9 plays an important role in the regulation of rice PHS through the integration of ROS signaling and ABA signaling.