bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum 5‐S‐cysteinyldopa behavior in the early phase of nivolumab treatment of 12 melanoma patients
Authors: Omodaka Toshikazu , Minagawa Akane , Uhara Hisashi , Wakamatsu Kazumasa , Koizumi Tomonobu , Yokokawa Yoshiharu , Koga Hiroshi , Okuyama Ryuhei 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAlong with the expansion of therapeutic options for metastatic melanoma, the development of useful biomarkers is urgently required to predict and monitor treatment response. Serum 5‐S‐cysteinyldopa (5‐S‐CD) has been identified as a diagnostic marker of malignant melanoma, but its utility as a biomarker for emerging therapeutic agents remains unknown. We assessed serum 5‐S‐CD in 12 metastatic melanoma patients (median age, 76 years; six men and six women) who had been treated with nivolumab (Nivo) at Shinshu University Hospital between 2014 and 2016. Serum 5‐S‐CD and lactate dehydrogenase levels before and at 3–6 weeks of Nivo treatment were obtained and their changes were compared with clinical responses as defined by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria (version 1.1). A decrease of 10 nmol/L or more of serum 5‐S‐CD was observed only in partial response patients (2/3 cases, 67%), while an increase of 10 nmol/L or more of serum 5‐S‐CD was witnessed only in progressive disease patients (4/8 cases, 50%). Serum 5‐S‐CD changes were within ±10 nmol/L in the remaining six patients (partial response, one; stable disease, one; progressive disease, four). The results of the four moderately affected progressive disease patients were suspected to have been influenced by small‐sized metastatic lesions, a mixed response that included diminished and enlarged metastatic lesions, prior therapy to Nivo with BRAF inhibitors or radiation, or the development of brain metastasis. Serum 5‐S‐CD in the early phase of Nivo treatment may be helpful to predict therapeutic response in metastatic melanoma.
Elastic impedance based facies classification using support vector machine and deep learning
Authors: Nishitsuji Yohei , Exley Russell 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTMachine learning methods including support‐vector‐machine and deep learning are applied to facies classification problems using elastic impedances acquired from a Paleocene oil discovery in the UK Central North Sea. Both of the supervised learning approaches showed similar accuracy when predicting facies after the optimization of hyperparameters derived from well data. However, the results obtained by deep learning provided better correlation with available wells and more precise decision boundaries in cross‐plot space when compared to the support‐vector‐machine approach. Results from the support‐vector‐machine and deep learning classifications are compared against a simplified linear projection based classification and a Bayes‐based approach. Differences between the various facies classification methods are connected by not only their methodological differences but also human interactions connected to the selection of machine learning parameters. Despite the observed differences, machine learning applications, such as deep learning, have the potential to become standardized in the industry for the interpretation of amplitude versus offset cross‐plot problems, thus providing an automated facies classification approach.
Distance–decay differs among vertical strata in a tropical rainforest
Authors: Basham Edmund W. , Seidl Christa M. , Andriamahohatra Lydou R. , Oliveira Brunno F. , Scheffers Brett R. 
Published: August 2018

Abstract

Assemblage similarity decays with geographic distance—a pattern known as the distance–decay relationship. While this pattern has been investigated for a wide range of organisms, ecosystems and geographical gradients, whether these changes vary more cryptically across different forest strata (from ground to canopy) remains elusive.

Here, we investigated the influence of ground vs. arboreal assemblages to the general distance–decay relationship observed in forests. We seek to explain differences in distance–decay relationships between strata in the context of the vertical stratification of assemblage composition, richness and abundance.

We surveyed for a climate‐sensitive model organism, amphibians, across vertical rainforest strata in Madagascar. For each tree, we defined assemblages of ground‐dwelling, understory, or canopy species. We calculated horizontal distance–decay in similarity across all trees, and across assemblages of species found in different forest strata (ground, understory and canopy).

We demonstrate that within stratum comparisons exhibit a classic distance–decay relationship for canopy and understory communities but no distance–decay relationships for ground communities. We suggest that differences in horizontal turnover between strata may be due to local scale habitat and resource heterogeneity in the canopy, or the influence of arboreal traits on species dispersal and distribution.

Synthesis. Biodiversity patterns in horizontal space were not consistent across vertical space, suggesting that canopy fauna may not play by the same set of “rules” as their conspecifics living below them on the ground. Our study provides compelling evidence that the above‐ground amphibian assemblage of tropical rainforests is the primary driver of the classical distance–decay relationship.
Stevia‐fortified yoghurt: Stability, antioxidant activity and in vitro digestion behaviour
Authors: de Carvalho Mariana Wolff , Arriola Nathalia Darminia Aceval , Pinto Stephanie Silva , Verruck Silvani , Fritzen‐Freire Carlise Beddin , Prudêncio Elane Schwinden , Amboni Renata Dias de Mello Castanho 
Published: August 2018

In this study, yoghurt samples were fortified with 0.25% and 0.5% freeze‐dried stevia extract (FSE). The control and stevia‐fortified yoghurts were evaluated and compared for the viability of the starter cultures, physicochemical properties, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity throughout 30 days of storage. In addition, TPC and antioxidant activity were evaluated during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The results showed that the yoghurt matrix preserved the TPC, antioxidant capacity and total solids during storage, while the acidity, synaeresis and counts of the starter cultures of the final product were not significantly affected. However, addition of 0.5% FSE exerted a buffering effect on the system. After simulated digestion, the values of TPC and antioxidant activity of the fortified yoghurts increased in relation to the undigested fractions. These findings showed the feasibility of employing FSE as a functional ingredient in the manufacture of yoghurts with potential antioxidant properties.
Impact of the Four‐Hour Rule/National Emergency Access Target policy implementation on emergency department staff: A qualitative perspective of emergency department management changes
Authors: Nahidi Shizar , Forero Roberto , Man Nicola , Mohsin Mohammed , Fitzgerald Gerard , Toloo Ghasem (Sam) , McCarthy Sally , Gibson Nick , Fatovich Daniel , Mountain David ,   on behalf of the 4HR/NEAT Partnership Grant
Published: August 2018

AbstractObjectiveIt has been 10 years since the ACEM Access Block Solutions Summit and 5 years since the introduction of the Four‐Hour Rule/National Emergency Access Target (4HR/NEAT) policy. The impact of this policy on ED management and on ED staff has been poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to identify changes in ED management resulting from the policy based on ED staff experiences.MethodsSemi‐structured interviews were conducted and transcribed, imported to NVivo 11 and analysed using a combination of content, thematic analysis and phenomenological focus within a theoretical framework known as the ‘logic model’.ResultsOne hundred and nineteen ED staff participated in 2015–2016 to assess the impact of the policy implementation. Participants were drawn from 16 EDs in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Australian Capital Territory. In relation to ED management, three themes were identified: changes in ED management; activities and changes driven by the hospital in relation to 4HR/NEAT; and participant experiences in relation to policy compliance by staff.ConclusionsPolicy implementation is a complex process that had both positive and negative consequences on how ED staff managed the implementation of the 4HR/NEAT policy and how it changed their work environment. Understanding the perceptions of staff involved in policy implementation has significance for the design of future implementation strategies. The biggest insight from the present study is that ED management is very complex and the policy generated multiple positive and negative changes demonstrating the wide range of processes involved in this area of health services research.
Going beyond HbA1c to understand the benefits of advanced diabetes therapies
Authors: Vigersky Robert A. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe gold standard for monitoring overall glycemia is HbA1c. However, HbA1c has several important limitations, giving more weight to the prior 2 to 3 months rather than short‐term glycemic control. In addition, the level of the HbA1c does not reflect the important interpersonal differences in its relationship with mean glucose, and HbA1c is affected by many common clinical conditions (anemia, uremia) that can interfere with the accuracy of its measurement in the laboratory. The development and refinement of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), a glucose‐ and patient‐centric technology, over the past two decades have permitted the creation of new single and composite metrics, such as the percentage of time in range and the glucose pentagon, respectively, which provide clinically relevant insights into short‐term glycemic control. In addition, CGM creates new outcome metrics for clinical management and investigational studies (percentage of time in hypoglycemia, percentage of time in target range) that can accurately and meaningfully report the effects of an intervention, whether that is a drug, a device, or a psychosocial program, and CGM provides the key input to drive algorithm‐based insulin delivery. Finally, CGM linked with artificial intelligence permits real‐time feedback to patients about modifiable patterns of glycemic excursions.
Affective instability across the lifespan in borderline personality disorder – a cross‐sectional e‐diary study
Authors: Santangelo P. S. , Koenig J. , Kockler T. D. , Eid M. , Holtmann J. , Koudela‐Hamila S. , Parzer P. , Resch F. , Bohus M. , Kaess M. , Ebner‐Priemer U. W. 
Published: August 2018

ObjectiveLongitudinal and cross‐sectional studies suggest that affective instability is inversely related to greater age in borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, existing studies relied on retrospective self‐reports of perceived instability. We examined affective instability in everyday life in patients with BPD and healthy controls (HCs) by age in a cross‐sectional e‐diary study.MethodsTwo hundred and sixty female participants between 14 and 53 years of age (130 patients with BPD and 130 HCs) carried an e‐diary over 4 days. The e‐diaries emitted a prompting signal in approximately hourly intervals asking participants to rate their current affective state, that is valence (ranging from pleasant to unpleasant) and tense arousal (ranging from calm/relaxed to restless/under tension).ResultsMultilevel analyses revealed a significant interaction of age and group predicting affective instability (valence: F(1,255.6) = 7.59; P < 0.01; tense arousal: F(1,252) = 6.08; P < 0.01), suggesting that affective instability significantly declines with greater age in patients with BPD. Controlling for the number of comorbid disorders and BPD severity did not change the results, illustrating an inverse relationship between age and affective instability in BPD (significant interaction of age*group for valence: F(1,238.7) = 5.74; P < 0.02 and tense arousal: F(1,235.2) = 5.28; P < 0.02).ConclusionAffective instability during daily life declines with greater age in BPD. This decline is irrespective of comorbidity and BPD severity.
Prevalence and safety of acamprosate use in pregnant alcohol‐dependent women in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Kelty Erin , Tran Duong , Lavin Tina , Preen David B. , Hulse Gary , Havard Alys 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAimsTo estimate the prevalence of exposure to acamprosate in pregnancy in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to compare the maternal health of women exposed to acamprosate during pregnancy with non‐exposed women, and to compare neonatal outcomes in neonates exposed to acamprosate in utero with non‐exposed neonates.DesignA population‐based retrospective cohort study, comparing maternal and neonatal health outcomes in women exposed to acamprosate during pregnancy with women with a recent history of problematic alcohol use (alcohol comparison group), and women from the general community (community comparison group) using state‐wide linked health data.SettingNew South Wales, Australia.ParticipantsThe study included women treated with acamprosate for more than 30 days during pregnancy between 2003 and 2012 (n = 54) and two matched comparison groups (1 : 3); an alcohol comparison group (n = 162) and a community comparison group (n = 162).MeasurementsThe prevalence of acamprosate exposure was calculated per 100 000 pregnancies. Three primary measures of maternal and neonatal health were used: maternal hospital admissions, birth weight and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).FindingsExposure to acamprosate occurred in 7.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.0–9.7] in every 100 000 pregnancies. Rates of hospital admissions during pregnancy and 42 days post‐partum in acamprosate‐treated women were not significantly different from women in the community comparison group [adjusted rate ratio (RR) = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.65–1.11], but were significantly lower compared with the alcohol comparison group (adjusted RR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.00–1.60). Acamprosate‐exposed neonates were not significantly different from the alcohol comparison group or the community comparison group in terms of birth weight or proportion of small‐for‐gestational‐age neonates or incidence of congenital abnormalities (including FAS).ConclusionsThe prevalence of acamprosate use in pregnancy in New South Wales, Australia is low. Acamprosate exposure in utero is not clearly associated with poor maternal or neonatal health outcomes.
Donor and recipient risk factor analysis of inferior postheart transplantation outcome in the era of durable mechanical assist devices
Authors: Urban Marian , Booth Karen , Schueler Stephan , Netuka Ivan , MacGowan Guy 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe study objective is to quantify the impact of donor and recipient variables on heart transplant survival in recipients with a significant proportion of implanted continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). This is a prospective cohort study of International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry that includes all primary heart‐alone transplants in adult recipients (January 2005 and June 2013, N = 15 532, 27% LVADs). Donor and recipient characteristics were assessed for association with death or graft failure within 90 days and between 90 days and 5 years after transplantation. On Cox proportional hazard model donor cause of death other than head trauma (hazard ratio [HR] 1.985, P < 0.0001), recipient congenital (HR 2.7555, P < 0.0001) and ischemic (HR 1.165, P = 0.0383) vs dilated etiology and female donor heart transplanted into male recipient (HR 1.207, P = 0.0354) were predictors of death or graft failure within 90 days. Between 90 days and 5 years, donor cigarette use (HR 1.232, P = 0.0001), recipient cigarette use (HR 1.193, P = 0.0003), diabetes (HR 1.159, P = 0.0050), arterial hypertension (HR 1.129, P = 0.0115), and ischemic vs dilative cardiomyopathy had an increased probability of death or graft failure.
Performance of a new short‐type double‐balloon endoscope with advanced force transmission and adaptive bending for pancreaticobiliary intervention in patients with surgically altered anatomy: A propensity‐matched analysis
Authors: Yamada Atsuo , Kogure Hirofumi , Nakai Yousuke , Takahara Naminatsu , Mizuno Suguru , Tada Minoru , Koike Kazuhiko 
Published: August 2018

Background and AimA new short‐type double‐balloon endoscope (DBE) has been developed with a major focus on facilitating scope insertion to the target site for pancreaticobiliary interventions in patients with surgically altered anatomy. We investigated the performance of this new short‐type DBE by comparing it with a conventional DBE.MethodsData from 885 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures using balloon endoscopy were analyzed. We used propensity score matching to adjust for differences between patients who underwent ERCP procedures using the new short‐type DBE versus the conventional short‐type DBE.ResultsA total of 163 pairs of patients were selected by propensity score matching. Success rate of reaching the target site was 100% in both the new DBE group and the conventional DBE group (P = 1.0). The new DBE group had a shorter insertion time required to reach the target site than the conventional DBE group (10 min vs. 14 min, P < 0.01). Success rate of pancreaticobiliary interventions in the new DBE group was as high as that in the conventional DBE group (92% vs. 89% P = 0.35). Overall procedure time decreased from 62 min in the conventional DBE group to 55 min in the new DBE group (P = 0.26). No significant differences in the rates of adverse events were observed between the two groups.ConclusionA new short‐type DBE allows faster insertion to the target site for pancreaticobiliary intervention in patients with surgically altered anatomy.
Mechanistic insights from sequential combination therapy with a sodium glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitor and a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor: Results from the CANARIS Trial using canagliflozin and teneligliptin
Authors: Okahata Sumie , Sakamoto Kentaro , Mitsumatsu Takako , Kondo Yuko , Tanaka Shoji , Shiba Teruo 
Published: August 2018

AimTo elucidate the mechanisms involved in the sequential use of SGLT2 and DPP4 inhibitors (SGLT2i and DPP‐4i).MethodsTwenty‐six type‐2 diabetes mellitus patients were recruited into a stepped regimen of 100 mg of canagliflozin daily from day 1, supplemented with 20 mg of teneligliptin daily from day 4. Glucose (Glu), insulin and glucagon were measured at fasting and after ingesting a mixed meal on days 1, 4 and 6.ResultsCanagliflozin decreased fasting plasma glucose to an extent inversely proportional to the change in the glucagon‐to‐insulin (G/I) ratio. This correlation at fasting was maintained when adding teneligliptin, while the change in the area under the curve of Glu (GluAUC) correlated closely with that in the G/I ratio at fasting and 60 min with canagliflozin. Moreover, these correlations persisted at 60 and 120 min postprandially, but not at fasting on day 6 when teneligliptin was added.ConclusionThe result suggested that the dominant mechanism responsible for the glucose metabolism reflected in the G/I ratio was attributable to SGLT2i and that its active mechanism persisted, despite adding a DPP‐4i.
Comparative study of the expression of cholinergic system components in the CNS of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice: Acute vs remitting phase
Authors: Di Pinto Giovanni , Di Bari Maria , Martin‐Alvarez Rocío , Sperduti Samantha , Serrano‐Acedo Silvia , Gatta Valentina , Tata Ada M. , Mengod Guadalupe 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAcetylcholine (ACh) is involved in the modulation of the inflammatory response. ACh levels are regulated by its synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and by its hydrolyzing enzymes, mainly acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). A more comprehensive understanding of the cholinergic system in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease progression could pave the path for the development of therapies to ameliorate multiple sclerosis (MS). In this work, we analyzed possible alterations of the CNS cholinergic system in the neuroinflammation process by using a MOG‐induced EAE mice model. MOG‐ and vehicle‐treated animals were studied at acute and remitting phases. We examined neuropathology and analyzed mRNA expression of ChAT, AChE and the α7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), as well as AChE and BuChE enzyme activities, in brain and spinal cord sections during disease progression. The mRNA expression and enzyme activities of these cholinergic markers were up‐ or down‐regulated in many cholinergic areas and other brain areas of EAE mice in the acute and remitting phases of the disease. BuChE was present in a higher proportion of astroglia and microglia/macrophage cells in the EAE remitting group. The observed changes in cholinergic markers expression and cellular localization in the CNS during EAE disease progression suggests their potential involvement in the development of the neuroinflammatory process and may lay the ground to consider cholinergic system components as putative anti‐inflammatory therapeutic targets for MS.
The molecular genetics of human sleep
Authors: Zhang Luoying , Fu Ying‐Hui 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIt has been known for many years that genetic influences account for some of the individual differences in human sleep parameters, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. With major advances of molecular biology and the recognition of heritable sleep behaviors in humans over the past 30 years, a number of genetic variants have been identified to be associated with human sleep timing, duration and quality, both in healthy individuals and under pathological conditions. Some of these variants were further validated and characterized in animal models, shedding light on the mechanism of how these variants likely alter sleep in humans, which may provide new insights into developing more effective treatments to improve human sleep.
Rainer W. Guillery and the genetic analysis of brain development
Authors: Walsh Christopher A. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractRay Guillery had broad research interests that spanned cellular neuroanatomy, but was perhaps best known for his investigation of the connectivity and function of the thalamus, especially the visual pathways. His work on the genetics of abnormal vision in albino mammals served as an early paradigm for genetic approaches for studying brain connectivity of complex species in general, and remains of major relevance today. This work, especially on the Siamese cat, illustrates the complex relationship between genotype and physiology of cerebral cortical circuits, and anticipated many of the issues underlying the imperfect relationship between genes, circuits, and behavior in mammalian species including human. This review also briefly summarizes studies from our own lab inspired by Ray Guillery's legacy that continues to explore the relationship between genes, structure, and behavior in human cerebral cortex.