bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patient‐related factors associated with successful cannulation by trainees during hands‐on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography training
Authors: Zheng Liang , Wang Limei , Ren Gui , Zhang Rongchun , Liang Shuhui , Wang Biaoluo , Zhang Linhui , Wang Xiangping , Luo Bing , Pan Yanglin , Guo Xuegang 
Published: February 2019

Background and AimHands‐on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) training is essential for trainees to grasp the technique. Cannulation success rate (CSR) is considered one of the main indicators of competency of trainees. We aimed to investigate whether patient‐related factors had an impact on the CSR of trainees.MethodsA post hoc analysis of data from two multicenter studies (NCT02002650 and NCT03057769) was conducted. Patients aged 18–90 years with native papilla undergoing ERCP were eligible for this study. Only procedures involving trainees in centers strictly following “10‐min criteria” for initial cannulation were enrolled. Primary outcome was CSR by trainees.ResultsFrom December 2013 to October 2017, 20 trainees in four centers were involved in initial cannulation in 1044 patients with native papilla. Primary CSR by trainees was 61.0% (436/715), 31.5% (70/222) and 44.9% (48/107) in patients with common bile duct stone (CBDS), biliary stricture (BS) and other indications, respectively (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, indication of BS (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.22–0.44; P < 0.001) and presence of type A diverticulum (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.23–2.33; P = 0.001) were both independently associated with cannulation success of trainees. Biliary infection was significantly higher in the BS than in the CBDS group (3.6% vs 0.7%, P = 0.004), whereas other post‐ERCP complications were comparable between the two groups.ConclusionsIndication of BS and the presence of type A diverticulum were independently associated with the success of cannulation by trainees. These findings indicate that greater effort is needed for trainees to improve the ability of cannulation in BS.
Dietary intakes of women with Type 1 diabetes before and during pregnancy: a pre‐specified secondary subgroup analysis among CONCEPTT participants
Authors: Neoh S. L. , Grisoni J. A. , Feig D. S. , Murphy H. R. ,   the CONCEPTT Collaborative Group
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimTo describe the dietary intakes of women with Type 1 diabetes before and during pregnancy.MethodsThis was a pre‐specified subgroup analysis of CONCEPTT involving 63 women planning pregnancy and 93 pregnant women from 14 sites in England, Scotland and Ireland. Two hundred and forty‐six 3‐day food diaries (104 planning pregnancy, 142 pregnant) were matched to data source and food reference codes, and analysed using dietary software. Participants were informed that food diaries would be de‐identified and used only for research purposes.ResultsMean (sd) daily energy intake was 1588 (346) kcal and 1673 (384) kcal in women planning pregnancy and pregnant women respectively. Total carbohydrate intake was consistent with dietary guideline recommendations [180 (52) g planning pregnancy, 198 (54) g pregnant], but non‐recommended sources (e.g. sugars, preserves, confectionery, biscuits, cakes) contributed to 46% of total daily carbohydrate intake. Fat consumption exceeded guideline recommendations [70 (21) g planning pregnancy, 72 (21) g pregnant]. Fibre [15.5 (5.3) g planning pregnancy, 15.4 (5.1) g pregnant], fruit and vegetable intakes [3.5 (2.2) and 3.1 (1.8) serves/day] were inadequate. Twelve women planning pregnancy (19%) and 24 pregnant women (26%) did not meet micronutrient requirements.ConclusionsThe diets of pregnant women from England, Scotland and Ireland are characterized by high fat, low fibre and poor‐quality carbohydrate intakes. Fruit and vegetable consumption is inadequate, with one in four women at risk of micronutrient deficiencies. Further research is needed to optimize maternal nutrition for glycaemic control and for maternal and offspring health.
High‐definition blood flow imaging in the assessment of left ventricular function: Initial experience and comparison with contrast echocardiography
Authors: Wu Geru , Xie Tianrong , Dimaano Meneleo M. , Alghrouz Mohammad I. , Ahmad Masood 
Published: February 2019

ObjectivesThe study aimed to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the high‐definition blood flow imaging (HD‐Flow) in evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function by comparison with contrast echocardiography (Contrast).BackgroundContrast improves endocardial border visualization and assists in precise assessment of LV function. HD‐Flow, a novel ultrasound technique that enhances blood flow discrimination in LV, could possibly be used for improving endocardial border definition without contrast.MethodsEighty patients with technically limited transthoracic echocardiograms had HD‐Flow, and contrast performed sequentially. LV endocardial visualization, image acquisition time, wall motion, volumes, ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), and stroke volume index (SVI) were compared. Inter‐ and intra‐observer agreements were examined in a randomly selected subgroup.ResultsBoth HD‐Flow and contrast significantly improved the percentage of the well‐defined endocardial border segments (71% at baseline vs 94.1% by HD‐Flow vs 94.9% by contrast, X2 = 401, P < 0.001). The acquisition time for HD‐Flow was significantly less when compared to contrast (2.13 ± 1.18 minutes vs 10.96 ± 3.51 minutes, P < 0.001). LV end‐diastolic volume (EDV), end‐systolic volume (ESV), EF, SV, and SVI measured by the two methods correlated well (EDVr = 0.97, ESVr = 0.96, EFr = 0.90, SVr = 0.77, SVIr = 0.74, all P < 0.001). In comparison, HD‐Flow was neither significantly different in detecting LV wall motion abnormality nor in EF, SV, and SVI measurements, but slightly underestimated LV volumes.ConclusionsHD‐Flow imaging is feasible and user‐friendly in enhancing LV endocardial definition. This technique is useful in both qualitative and quantitative assessment of LV function.
Host preference variation cannot explain microhabitat differentiation among sympatric Pieris napi and Pieris rapae butterflies
Authors: Friberg Magne , Wiklund Christer 
Published: February 2019

1. Often, closely related insect species feed on different host plant species, and the tremendous diversity of phytophagous insects is therefore attributed to host plant‐driven speciation. However, for most taxa, host use information comes from field observations of egg‐laying females or feeding caterpillars, which means that the underlying reason for a particular host‐affiliation is not easily determined.2. Therefore, it is often unclear whether an insect feeds on a certain host because it prefers that plant to alternative hosts, or because the host distribution overlaps with the habitat requirements of the insect.3. We ask to what extent a divergent host use in the field mirrors the host plant preferences of two closely related butterflies, Pieris napi and Pieris rapae (Pieridae). In nature, P. napi typically occurs in moister habitats than P. rapae.4. We scanned several microhabitats at a field site in Southern Sweden during multiple years, and collected Pieris eggs from three different plants, Cardamine pratensis (wet meadows), Barbarea vulgaris (drier micro‐habitats) and Alliaria petiolata (intermediate areas).5. As predicted, P. rapae eggs were more common than P. napi eggs on B. vulgaris, whereas all of the 358 individuals collected from C. pratensis were P. napi, indicating a divergence in host use between the Pieris species. However, under controlled laboratory conditions, both species had virtually identical oviposition preferences, laying eggs on all three plants, notably P. rapae also laying eggs on C. pratensis, indicating that habitat use, not plant preference, drives host plant use in nature.
Genomic analyses suggest adaptive differentiation of northern European native cattle breeds
Authors: Stronen Astrid V. , Pertoldi Cino , Iacolina Laura , Kadarmideen Haja N. , Kristensen Torsten N. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractNative domestic breeds represent important cultural heritage and genetic diversity relevant for production traits, environmental adaptation and food security. However, risks associated with low effective population size, such as inbreeding and genetic drift, have elevated concerns over whether unique within‐breed lineages should be kept separate or managed as one population. As a conservation genomic case study of the genetic diversity represented by native breeds, we examined native and commercial cattle (Bos taurus) breeds including the threatened Danish Jutland cattle. We examined population structure and genetic diversity within breeds and lineages genotyped across 770K single nucleotide polymorphism loci to determine (a) the amount and distribution of genetic diversity in native breeds, and (b) the role of genetic drift versus selection. We further investigated the presence of outlier loci to detect (c) signatures of environmental selection in native versus commercial breeds, and (d) native breed adaptation to various landscapes. Moreover, we included older cryopreserved samples to determine (e) whether cryopreservation allows (re)introduction of original genetic diversity. We investigated a final set of 195 individuals and 677K autosomal loci for genetic diversity within and among breeds, examined population structure with principal component analyses and a maximum‐likelihood approach and searched for outlier loci suggesting artificial or natural selection. Our findings demonstrate the potential of genomics for identifying the uniqueness of native domestic breeds, and for maintaining their genetic diversity and long‐term evolutionary potential through conservation plans balancing inbreeding with carefully designed outcrossing. One promising opportunity is the use of cryopreserved samples, which can provide important genetic diversity for populations with few individuals, while helping to preserve their traditional genetic characteristics. Outlier tests for native versus commercial breeds identified genes associated with climate adaptation, immunity and metabolism, and native breeds may carry genetic variation important for animal health and robustness in a changing climate.
Influence of NKG2C gene deletion and CCR5Δ32 in Pre‐eclampsia—Approaching the effect of innate immune gene variants in pregnancy
Authors: Kaminski Valéria de Lima , Ellwanger Joel Henrique , Sandrim Valeria , Pontillo Alessandra , Chies José Artur Bogo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPre‐eclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder that affects an important number of pregnant women worldwide. The exact causes of PE remain poorly understood. However, inflammation and deregulation of innate immune cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells, contribute to PE pathogenesis. Besides, the mother's genetic background also impacts on PE susceptibility. Thus, genetic variants that potentially modify the behaviour of inflammatory cells may help us to understand the causes of PE. Variants of genes encoding NKG2C (expressed in NK cells) and C–C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) (expressed mainly in leucocytes) are important targets in the study of gestational disorders. In this context, we evaluated the impact of both NKGC2 gene deletion and CCR5Δ32 gene variant on PE susceptibility in a population sample from central‐southeast Brazil composed by 369 women (156 with PE and 213 healthy pregnant women). No statistically significant association between the NKG2C gene deletion and susceptibility to PE was observed. However, taking into consideration the important role of NK cells in pregnancy, the influence of NKG2C gene deletion on PE pathogenesis should not be ruled out and deserves further studies in populations with different genetic/ethnic backgrounds. In addition, our results regarding CCR5Δ32 corroborate previous data from our group approaching a distinct cohort and reinforce CCR5Δ32 as a protective factor against PE development (p < 0.05).
Prevalence of advance care directives in the community: a telephone survey of three Australian States
Authors: White Ben P. , Willmott Lindy , Tilse Cheryl , Wilson Jill , Ferguson Michele , Aitken Joanne , Dunn Jeffrey , Lawson Deborah , Pearce Angela , Feeney Rachel 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe community prevalence of advance care directives (ACD) is low despite known benefits of advance care planning for patients, families and health professionals.AimTo determine the community prevalence of instructional and appointing ACD in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland and factors associated with completion of these documents.MethodsA telephone survey of adults living in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland (n = 1175) about completion of instructional ACD (making their own decisions about future healthcare) and appointing ACD (appointing another to decide). Quota sampling occurred based on population size by state, gender and age, with oversampling in smaller jurisdictions (Victoria and Queensland).ResultsOverall response rate was 33%. Six per cent of respondents reported completing an instructional ACD while 12% reported completing an appointing ACD. Female gender, higher educational level, personal experience of a major health scare and being widowed were significant predictors of completing an instructional ACD. Older age, higher educational level and being widowed were significant predictors of completing an appointing ACD.ConclusionsDespite long‐standing efforts to increase advance care planning, community prevalence of ACD remains low, particularly for instructional ACD. This study found some different predictors for instructional ACD compared with appointing ACD, and also a potential role for experiential factors in triggering uptake. These findings suggest supplementing general community awareness campaigns with more nuanced and targeted efforts to improve ACD completion.
Effect of a mHealth programme on coronary heart disease prevention among working population in Singapore: A single group pretest–post‐test design
Authors: Jiang Ying , Jiao Nana , Nguyen Hoang D. , Lopez Violeta , Wu Vivien Xi , Kowitlawakul Yanika , Poo Danny Chiang Choon , Wang Wenru 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to develop and examine the effectiveness of a 4‐week Mobile Health (mHealth) programme using the smartphone app Care4Heart on awareness, knowledge, perceived stress, and a heart‐related lifestyle among working population in Singapore.DesignA quasi‐experimental single group pretest and repeated post‐test design.MethodsA total of 160 nonhealth‐related working adults were recruited from February 2016–April 2016. The Care4Heart app was installed on the participants’ phones. Outcome measures, including the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire‐2, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the Perceived Stress Scale were collected online at baseline, 4th week, and 6th month from baseline.ResultsCompared with the baseline, the participants had significantly higher total mean scores for awareness and knowledge of coronary heart disease (CHD) after study intervention at 4 weeks and 6 months from baseline. However, there were no significant differences in perceived stress levels and heart‐related lifestyle behaviours before and after the intervention.ConclusionsThe study contributed some evidence that the mHealth app helped to improve awareness and knowledge of CHD.ImpactCoronary heart disease remains one of the major causes of death and disability. It imposes a heavy financial burden on working adults. However, working adults were less able to identify the risk factors and adopt healthy lifestyles due to gaps in knowledge and awareness. This study demonstrated some effects of a mHealth programme in improving awareness and knowledge of CHD among the working population. mHealth provides a potential avenue for primary prevention of CHD.
Leap‐frog dispersal and mitochondrial introgression: Phylogenomics and biogeography of Limnonectes fanged frogs in the Lesser Sundas Archipelago of Wallacea
Authors: Reilly Sean B. , Stubbs Alexander L. , Karin Benjamin R. , Bi Ke , Arida Evy , Iskandar Djoko T. , McGuire Jimmy A. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimThe Lesser Sunda Islands are situated between the Sunda and Sahul Shelves, with a linear arrangement that has functioned as a two‐way filter for taxa dispersing between the Asian and Australo‐Papuan biogeographical realms. Distributional patterns of many terrestrial vertebrates suggest a stepping‐stone model of island colonization. Here we investigate the timing and sequence of island colonization in Asian‐origin fanged frogs from the volcanic Sunda Arc islands with the goal of testing the stepping‐stone model of island colonization.LocationThe Indonesian islands of Java, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Lembata.TaxonLimnonectes dammermani and L. kadarsani (Family: Dicroglossidae)MethodsMitochondrial DNA was sequenced from 153 frogs to identify major lineages and to select samples for an exon‐capture experiment. We designed probes to capture sequence data from 974 exonic loci (1,235,981 bp) from 48 frogs including the outgroup species, L. microdiscus. The resulting data were analysed using phylogenetic, population genetic and biogeographical model testing methods.ResultsThe mtDNA phylogeny finds L. kadarsani paraphyletic with respect to L. dammermani, with a pectinate topology consistent with the stepping‐stone model. Phylogenomic analyses of 974 exons recovered the two species as monophyletic sister taxa that diverged ~7.6 Ma with no detectable contemporary gene flow, suggesting introgression of the L. dammermani mitochondrion into L. kadarsani on Lombok resulting from an isolated ancient hybridization event ~4 Ma. Within L. kadarsani, the Lombok lineage diverged first while the Sumbawa and Lembata lineages are nested within a Flores assemblage composed of two parapatrically distributed lineages meeting in central Flores. Biogeographical model comparison found strict stepping‐stone dispersal to be less likely than models involving leap‐frog dispersal events.Main conclusionsThese results suggest that the currently accepted stepping‐stone model of island colonization might not best explain the current patterns of diversity in the archipelago. The high degree of genetic structure, large divergence times, and absent or low levels of migration between lineages suggests that L. kadarsani represents five distinct species.
The pathogenesis of endemic fluorosis: Research progress in the last 5 years
Authors: Wei Wei , Pang Shujuan , Sun Dianjun 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFluorine is one of the trace elements necessary for health. It has many physiological functions, and participates in normal metabolism. However, fluorine has paradoxical effects on the body. Many studies have shown that tissues and organs of humans and animals appear to suffer different degrees of damage after long‐term direct or indirect exposure to more fluoride than required to meet the physiological demand. Although the aetiology of endemic fluorosis is clear, its specific pathogenesis is inconclusive. In the past 5 years, many researchers have conducted in‐depth studies into the pathogenesis of endemic fluorosis. Research in the areas of fluoride‐induced stress pathways, signalling pathways and apoptosis has provided further extensive knowledge at the molecular and genetic level. In this article, we summarize the main results.
Long non‐coding RNA MALAT1 regulates angiogenesis following oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation
Authors: Wang Chengya , Qu Youyang , Suo Rui , Zhu Yulan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractLong non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as playing critical roles in multiple diseases. However, little is known regarding their roles and mechanisms in post‐stroke angiogenesis. Our studies focused on deciphering the functional roles and the underlying mechanisms of the lncRNA metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in the process of angiogenesis following oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). We characterized the up‐regulation of MALAT1 expression in the process of angiogenesis after hypoxic injury in vivo and in vitro. We further showed that compared with the empty vector, MALAT1 knockdown had significantly reduced the capacity for angiogenesis, which was measured by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium (MTT), scratching, cell cycle and immunofluorescent staining. Thus, our findings suggest that MALAT1 may mediate proangiogenic function in OGD/R. To further explore the potential mechanisms, we used lentiviruses expressing shMALAT1 and empty vector; the results revealed that shMALAT1 reduced the expression of 15‐lipoxygenase 1 (15‐LOX1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (pSTAT3). Taken together, our results are the first to propose that MALAT1 may regulate angiogenesis through the 15‐LOX1/STAT3 signalling pathway, and they may provide a critical target for the treatment of hypoxic injury and an avenue for therapeutic angiogenesis.
Associations between stressful life events and diabetes: Findings from the China Kadoorie Biobank study of 500,000 adults
Authors: Wang Meng , Gong Wei‐Wei , Hu Ru‐Ying , Pan Jin , Lv Jun , Guo Yu , Bian Zheng , Chen Zheng‐Ming , Li Li‐Ming , Zhong Jie‐Ming 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAims/IntroductionEvidence has shown that stressful life events are associated with the development of diabetes, yet studies in mainland China are scarce. In the present study, we explored the associations between cumulative and specific stressful life events and the prevalence of diabetes in Chinese adults.Materials and MethodsThe cross‐sectional data were from the China Kadoorie Biobank study, which enrolled approximately 500,000 adults aged 30–79 years from 10 diverse regions of China. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsOf the 473,607 participants, 25,301 (5.34%) had type 2 diabetes (2.68% clinically‐identified and 2.66% screen‐detected). Participants who experienced one and two or more stressful life events were 1.10‐fold (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05–1.16) and 1.33‐fold (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.13–1.57) more likely to have type 2 diabetes. Three categories of work‐related events (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01–1.31), as well as family‐related events (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06–1.18) and personal‐related events (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.03–1.36), were associated with an increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes. Regarding the specific life events, the ORs of loss of job or retirement, as well as major conflict within family, death or major illness of other close family member and major injury or traffic accident, were 1.24 (95% CI 1.02–1.52), 1.24 (95% CI 1.08–1.43), 1.13 (95% CI 1.06–1.20) and 1.20 (95% CI 1.01–1.43), respectively.ConclusionsThe present study showed that cumulative and specific stressful life events were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes.