bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elderly onset of early rheumatoid arthritis is a risk factor for bone erosions, refractory to treatment: KURAMA cohort
Authors: Murata Koichi , Ito Hiromu , Hashimoto Motomu , Nishitani Kohei , Murakami Kosaku , Tanaka Masao , Yamamoto Wataru , Mimori Tsuneyo , Matsuda Shuichi 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAimAge at disease onset has been implicated as an indicator of disease activity and severity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate how old age at disease onset affects patient treatment and prognosis in early RA.MethodsData from the Kyoto University Rheumatoid Arthritis Management Alliance (KURAMA) cohort was analyzed. From 2011 to 2015, a total of 2182 patients with RA were enrolled in the cohort; 239 patients were newly diagnosed with RA and were followed up for 2 years. The patients were divided into the following two groups: the young‐onset RA (YORA) which included patients <60 years old (n = 117) and elderly‐onset RA (EORA) which comprised patients ≥60 years old (n = 122). The clinical and laboratory data were compared at baseline, at 1 year, and at 2 years after onset.ResultsDisease activity was higher in EORA than in YORA at baseline. Although disease activity was equivalent between EORA and YORA at 1 or 2 years, more EORA patients had bone erosions at baseline and at 2 years. More than 25% of the anti‐citrullinated protein autoantibody (ACPA)‐positive EORA patients without erosions at baseline had bone erosions even if they attained clinical remission at 1 or 2 years, while ~10% of YORA patients had erosions.ConclusionBone erosions were more frequently found in EORA. Clinical remission at 1 or 2 years was not enough to protect bone erosions in the ACPA‐positive EORA patients. Optimal treatment strategies preventing radiological damage should be considered for EORA.
Conservation implications of habituation in Nubian ibex in response to ecotourism
Authors: Saltz D. , Berger‐Tal O. , Motro U. , Shkedy Y. , Raanan N. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractIncreased fragmentation and easier access to natural areas (e.g. ecotourism) is bringing man in closer contact to wild populations. Such encounters, even when they don't pose a direct threat to wildlife, may induce behavioral changes in animals that in the long run may have negative fitness consequences. We studied changes to the vigilance/group‐size effect in Nubian ibex Capra nubiana in response to increased non‐threatening anthropogenic disturbance in six sites, subject to different levels of ecotourism. In each site we regressed the average time ibex individuals devoted to vigilance on the size of the group they were with. We then compared the slopes and intercepts of the vigilance/group‐size function between the six sites. We complimented these data with a study of how flight initiation distance (FID) changed between the six sites, as an indicator of the level of tolerance that ibex exhibit to increased anthropogenic presence. We found that as anthropogenic presence increased the vigilance/group‐size function waned (i.e. the group‐size effect was weaker). These findings were associated with reduced FID reflecting increased levels of tolerance, likely as a result of habituation in sites subject to high levels of ecotourism. The loss of the vigilance response as a function of group size may decrease the behavioral diversity in the ibex population. Wildlife habituation to increased non‐threatening human activity alters key behavioral attributes that may ultimately impact social structure and other fitness‐related characteristics.
Progression‐free survival in oncology: Caveat emptor!
Authors: Bergmann Troels K. , Christensen Mette Marie H. , Henriksen Daniel P. , Haastrup Maija Bruun , Damkier Per 
Published: November 2018

AbstractOverall survival (OS) is the undisputed gold standard efficacy end‐point in cancer drug trials. It is with growing concern that we observe how progression‐free survival (PFS) gains ground as surrogate end‐point in its place. PFS has appeal because it is resource‐efficient, but it has severe shortcomings. Our concern is that uncritical use of PFS will harm the evidence‐based evaluation of cancer drugs when considering them for standard use in publicly financed health care systems. PFS is only valid as a surrogate end‐point for OS if it correlates strongly with OS and if the cancer drug being investigated has the same effect on PFS and OS such that effects on one predict effects on the other. The latter might be less obvious than the former but is no less critical. Research indicates that in a majority of cases, correlation between surrogate end‐points and OS is of medium strength or lower. PFS is therefore unreliable as a surrogate for OS. We do not find it justified to use PFS as surrogate for OS without first having assessed its validity. Stakeholders who take part in evaluating cancer drugs considered for standard use in a health care system must be particularly vigilant about this issue to minimize the risk of introducing cancer drugs that have an unacceptable cost‐risk‐benefit profile.
Sentinel node biopsy in clinical stage I testicular cancer enables early detection of occult metastatic disease
Authors: Blok Joost M. , Kerst J. Martijn , Vegt Erik , Brouwer Oscar R. , Meijer Richard P. , Bosch J.L.H. Ruud , Bex Axel , van der Poel Henk G. , Horenblas Simon 
Published: November 2018

ObjectivesTo report the long‐term results of the sentinel node (SN) approach in patients with clinical stage I testicular tumours in our facility.Patients and MethodsWe conducted an analysis of 27 consecutive patients suspected of clinical stage I testicular germ cell tumour (TGCT) and treated with an SN procedure at our tertiary referral centre. SNs were identified using lymphoscintigraphy with or without single‐photo‐emission computed tomography with CT (SPECT/CT). Patients underwent laparoscopic retroperitoneal SN excision with inguinal orchiectomy. Patients with a tumour‐positive SN underwent adjuvant treatment. Follow‐up was conducted according to then‐current guidelines.ResultsIn two patients, no SNs were visualized on scintigraphy. In the remaining 25 patients, a median (range) of 3 (1–4) SNs per patient were removed. Two patients showed no malignancy on histopathological examination of the testis. Of the 23 patients diagnosed with TGCT (16 seminomas, seven non‐seminomas), three (13.0%) had occult metastatic disease. All 23 patients were without evidence of disease at a median (range) follow‐up of 63.9 (29.0–143.4) months.ConclusionThe SN procedure allows early identification of patients with occult metastatic disease in clinical stage I TGCT, enabling early treatment.
Sex bias in preclinical research and an exploration of how to change the status quo
Authors: Karp Natasha A , Reavey Neil 
Published: November 2018

There has been a revolution within clinical trials to include females in the research pipeline. However, there has been limited change in the preclinical arena; yet the research here lays the ground work for the subsequent clinical trials. Sex bias has been highlighted as one of the contributing factors to the poor translation and replicability issues undermining preclinical research. There have been multiple calls for action, and the funders of biomedical research are actively pushing the inclusion of sex as a biological variable. Here, we consider the current standard practice within the preclinical research setting, why there is a movement to include females and why the imbalance exists. We explore organizational change theory as a tool to shape strategies needed at an individual and institute level to change the status quo. The ultimate goal is to create a scientific environment in which our preclinical research automatically implements sex‐sensitive approaches.LINKED ARTICLESThis article is part of a themed section on The Importance of Sex Differences in Pharmacology Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.21/issuetoc
Germination of pollen grains in the oesophagus of individuals with eosinophilic oesophagitis
Authors: Armentia Alicia , Martín‐Armentia Sara , Álvarez‐Nogal Rafael , Armentia Blanca Martín , Gayoso Manuel José , Fernández‐González Delia 
Published: November 2018

SummaryBackgroundEosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is characterized by oesophageal dysfunction and, histologically, by eosinophilic inflammation. There is no a clear aetiologic treatment. EoE exacerbations are often seasonal. We hypothesized that the inflammatory response of the oesophageal mucosa in patients with high levels of antibodies to pollen allergens and worsened seasonal EoE might be due to swallowing airborne pollen and the intrusion into the oesophageal mucosa of pollen allergens and pollen tubes, which encounter a pH and humidity resembling the stigma at pollination.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to demonstrate the possible pathogenic role of environmental allergens in EoE through molecular and anatomopathological studiesMethodsOne hundred and twenty‐nine patients with EoE were tested for environmental and food allergens. Component resolved diagnosis (CRD), histological and botanical analysis was performed. Microscopic examination of oesophageal biopsies of 129 adults patients with EoE, 82 of them with seasonal exacerbation, and 100 controls, with gastroesophageal reflux without eosinophilic infiltrate, were made to verify the presence of callose (polysaccharide abundant in pollen tubes but absent in animal tissues) in the oesophagus.ResultsComponent resolved diagnosis detected pollen allergens in 87.6% of patients with EoE. The predominant allergens were group 1 grass (55%), Art v 3 (11.3%) and lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) (19.4%) of common Mediterranean foods such as peach, hazelnuts, walnuts and wheat. Callose from pollen tubes was found in 65.6% of biopsies.ConclusionAlteration of the mucosal barrier in EoE might cause the penetration of pollen grains into the oesophageal tissues. In EoE patients, anatomopathological studies searching for intrusion to plant foods and pollen, and specific‐guided diet and immunotherapy after plant structures detection in biopsies, might be effective.Clinical relevanceIt is possible to see the intrusion into animal tissues (oesophagus mucosa) of plant structures (pollen grains or pollen tubes) using an adecuate histologic botanical analysis. Molecular and anatomopathological studies can help to demonstrate a possible pathogenic role of environmental allergens in EoE.
Impact of water exposure on skin barrier permeability and ultrastructure
Authors: Ogawa‐Fuse Chie , Morisaki Naoko , Shima Kyoko , Hotta Mitsuyuki , Sugata Keiichi , Ichihashi Toshiki , Oguri Masashi , Yoshida Osamu , Fujimura Tsutomu 
Published: November 2018

BackgroundSkin occlusion caused by the use of diapers or sanitary napkins often results in irritant contact dermatitis. Furthermore, prolonged occlusion and exposure to body fluids are known to increase skin hydration and permeability, thus leading to irritant contact dermatitis.ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of water exposure on the skin and its barrier functions, in order to obtain more insights into the mechanisms of irritant contact dermatitis.MethodsWater patches were applied to the volar forearm skin of 10 human subjects for 3 hours. Permeability of the stratum corneum (SC) was examined with methyl nicotinate (MN). Alterations in the hydration and ultrastructure of the SC were measured with Raman spectroscopy and multiphoton microscopy, respectively.ResultsWater profiles found with Raman spectroscopy showed notable increases in water content throughout the SC and skin surface. Multiphoton microscopy showed morphological changes in the intercellular space of the SC. Emerged pools seemed to contribute to increased MN absorption.ConclusionExcessive skin hydration leading to changes in the SC ultrastructure might result in increased skin permeability to skin irritants and allergens.
Decreasing prevalence of cerebral palsy in birth cohorts in South Carolina using Medicaid, disability service, and hospital discharge data, 1996 to 2009
Authors: Li Qing , Kinsman Stephen L , Jenkins Dorothea D , Hovell Melbourne F , Ryan Rita M 
Published: November 2018

AimSince cross‐sectional trends of 8‐year‐old cerebral palsy (CP) birth prevalence based on record review were stable from 1985 to 2002 in Metropolitan Atlanta, we examined birth cohort trends using administrative data sets promptly.MethodAmong 755 433 live births from 1996 to 2009 in South Carolina, 2080 received CP diagnosis by age 4 years from linked Medicaid claims with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes 343.X (contributing 1061 [51%] unique cases), hospital discharge data (57 [3%] unique cases), and Department of Disabilities and Special Needs program (64 [3%] unique cases). Trends were assessed using negative binominal regression.ResultsIncluding 3.7 percent of cases who died before age 4 years, CP prevalence per 1000 live births decreased significantly from 3.6 in 1996 to 2.1 in 2006 (–3.0% average annual change; 95% confidence interval –4.4 to –1.6). The overall prevalence was 2.8 per 1000 live births, 46.0 per 1000 very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW) live births, and 53.0 per 1000 VLBW 1‐year survivors. Disparities and downward trends persisted across subgroups with higher rates among non‐Hispanic black infants than non‐Hispanic white and among males compared to females.InterpretationDownward CP prevalence rates and persistent disparities remain in South Carolina. Further research should validate this methodology, including early deaths, and develop broad surveillance systems to inform clinical practices and etiology.What this paper adds

Birth cohort cerebral palsy (CP) prevalence decreased in South Carolina from 1996 to 2009.

CP prevalence was higher in very‐low‐birthweight infants, non‐Hispanic blacks, and males.

Three administrative data sets captured 2080 patients with CP in South Carolina.

Medicaid claims contributed 51% of unique cases of CP to the cohort.

CP diagnoses included 76 patients who died before age 4 years.
Ecumenism and the Will‐for‐Friendship: A Contribution from Latin America
Authors: Iván Jiménez Jiménez Leonel 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThrough Latin American theologies and liberation theologies, ecumenism can be understood as a space of interrelations where the will‐for‐friendship takes place. These theologies share an epistemology in which diversity is essential to life on earth, as each subject needs the other. Liberation theologies also locate theology in the context of and from the invisible, and share an epistemology that encompasses the total experience of being human. In this epistemology, the theological starting points of mestizaje/hybridity, migration/fluidity, and diversity/pluralism lead to practical love. A theology that is committed to justice creates the possibility of healing the oikos. The will‐for‐friendship is the beginning of the desire of being friends, which is a condition for achieving the eschatological “us” that allows the diverse and plural life on earth to be one.
The Ethics of Solidarity and Human Rights: Insights from the World Council of Churches on United Nations Reform
Authors: Ludji Irene 
Published: November 2018

AbstractIn 2006, the World Council of Churches (WCC), at its 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, produced a “Statement on UN Reform” focusing on the need to prolong the quality of the United Nations’ work to fight for human rights, justice, and peace. This article attempts to show that this statement provides essential learning points on the ethics of solidarity through the relationship between the WCC and the UN. In its discussion of solidarity, the article builds on the work of Richard Rorty and Anselm K. Min. With reference to Rorty, the author discusses the notion of solidarity as the ability to expand the concept of “us” and the importance of reason in creating solidarity as a moral obligation; and Min’s work grounds the article’s discussion of the concept of twofold dialectic solidarity and “global solidarity of the different.” This article concludes that enlarging the circle of “us” as promoted by Rorty is possible when one acknowledges the reality of the twofold dialectic as presented by Min – that is, the dialectic of differentiation and the dialectic of interdependence. Both of these characteristics can be found in the WCC’s 2009 “Statement on UN Reform.”
Church, Society, and Earth in The Church and Together towards Life: A Reflection from a Post‐communist Context
Authors: Bargár Pavol 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThis article explores the topics of church, society, and earth in two recent documents by the World Council of Churches (WCC): The Church: Towards a Common Vision and Together towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes. Regarding society and earth not as mere objects or “props” of the church’s mission, the article suggests that the church must be viewed as an intrinsic part of both society and earth if it is to faithfully pursue God’s mission of justice and peace toward the “kin‐dom” characterized by life in fullness for all. Mission, understood in terms of missio Dei, will therefore be recognized as encompassing all three of these categories. The contribution reflects on these issues from a post‐communist perspective, drawing insights from both historical experience and current reality.
“With New Eyes”: Toward Advancing the Commitment of the World Council of Churches to Justice and Peace in Africa
Authors: Okpaleke Ikenna Paschal 
Published: November 2018

AbstractIn commemorating 70 years of the existence of the World Council of Churches (WCC), especially its global commitment to promoting justice and peace, there is need to enhance its work especially in Africa. While acknowledging and appraising the WCC’s efforts, this article suggests that the challenging case of Africa requires we seek and deploy fresh insights. This essay identifies poor ecumenical relations among churches in Africa as a key obstacle to the WCC’s effort. However, it argues that the principles of dialogue espoused by Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium could serve as powerful resources for the WCC in reimagining an ecumenical Africa that is committed to justice and peace.
Koinonia as Relation and Service in Ecumenical Dialogue
Authors: Zenoviu Bot Lucian 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThe concept of koinonia has been used in a wide range of Faith and Order studies and conferences since the 1980s. This article examines how such multilateral dialogue has used the notion of koinonia in relation to ecclesiology with a view to full visible eucharistic fellowship, exploring this dialogue in relation to koinonia and asking how close churches have come in building consensus around the notion. It then goes on to consider two aspects of koinonia: koinonia as relation and koinonia as service, and the concluding section draws out issues for further consideration within ecumenical dialogue.
”A Bold Enterprise”: The Ecumenical Review and the Beginnings of the World Council of Churches
Authors: Brown Stephen G. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThe need for an “authoritative, Christian, ecumenical review” to serve as a platform for the nascent ecumenical movement was one of the elements of the proposals to bring together the movements on Faith and Order and Life and Work to form a single World Council of Churches (WCC). This article traces the main stages in creating such an ecumenical journal from the Oxford and Edinburgh conferences of 1937 to the launch of The Ecumenical Review immediately before the founding assembly of the WCC in Amsterdam in 1948, and the particular role played in this by Willem A. Visser ’t Hooft, the WCC’s first general secretary.
Genotype‐aggregated planting improves yield in Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) due to self/non‐self‐discrimination
Authors: Fukano Yuya , Guo Wei , Noshita Koji , Hashida Shoko , Kamikawa Shotaka 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAccumulating evidence indicates that plants are capable of self/non‐self and kin/stranger discrimination. Plants increase biomass of and resource allocation to roots when they encounter roots of conspecific non‐self‐neighbors, but not when they encounter self roots. Root proliferation usually occurs at the expense of reproductive investment. Therefore, if clonal crops are capable of self/non‐self‐discrimination, spatially aggregated planting with seedlings of the same genotype may decrease root proliferation and produce a higher yield than planting without considering seedling genotype. To test this idea, we grew Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) in pot and field conditions and examined self/non‐self‐discrimination and the effectiveness of genotype‐aggregated planting. Plants grown in self pairs allocated less to root biomass than plants grown in non‐self pairs in both pot and field conditions; in field conditions, the self pairs produced 40% more tubers by weight than the non‐self pairs. When six sprouts from seed tuber of two different genotypes were grown together, with the two genotypes planted aggregately (AGG) or alternately (ALT), plants in the AGG group produced 14% more tubers than plants in the ALT group. These results suggest that spatial aggregation of genotypes increases tuber production in H. tuberosus. Because we found no evidence for trade‐offs between root biomass and tuber production, suppression of root proliferation may not be the only mechanism behind the benefits of genotype aggregation. By applying the concept of self/non‐self‐discrimination, farmers can increase crop production without additional external inputs or expansion of agricultural land use.
Vitrification of equine expanded blastocysts following puncture with or without aspiration of the blastocoele fluid
Authors: Wilsher S. , Rigali F. , Couto G. , Camargo S. , Allen W. R. 
Published: November 2018

SummaryBackgroundHistorically, cryopreservation of equine embryos >300 μm gave poor pregnancy rates until researchers collapsed the blastocoele cavity and aspirated the blastocoele fluid prior to vitrification.ObjectiveTo determine if aspiration of the blastocoele fluid prior to vitrification is essential for post warming survival.Study designIn vivo experiments.MethodsFifty embryos were recovered on day 7–8 and washed in holding medium (HM; M‐199HEPES + 20% FBS + antibiotics). Embryos were punctured using a micromanipulator mounted 30 μm biopsy needle; following this 28 had >90% of their blastocoelic fluid actively aspirated while the remaining 22 were not‐aspirated. Embryos were then vitrified using a two‐step process with increasing concentrations of DMSO and ethylene glycol (7.5–15% v:v), and 0.5 mol/L sucrose in the final solution before being loaded onto a Cryolock device and plunged into liquid nitrogen. The embryos were warmed by plunging the Cryolock tip into HM with 1 mol/L sucrose at 37°C. After 1 min, the embryos were transferred to HM + 0.5 mol/L sucrose at RT for 4 min before transfer into HM for a further 4 min prior to transfer to a recipient mare.ResultsMean (±s.e.) embryo diameter was not significantly different between the punctured and punctured plus aspirated group (646.4 ± 61.7 vs. 754.8 ± 59.1 μm, respectively; P = 0.215). Nonaspirated and aspirated embryos gave pregnancy rates of 10/22 (45%) and 21/28 (75%) respectively (P = 0.061). Sub‐dividing embryos on the basis of size showed that vitrification of larger embryos (>550 μm) yielded a significantly higher pregnancy rate when they were aspirated vs. not‐aspirated (13/18 [72%] vs. 1/10 [10%], respectively; P = 0.006), whereas there was no difference for smaller embryos (8/10 [80%] vs. 9/12 [75%], respectively; P = 0.8).Main limitationsGroup sizes are limited.ConclusionAspiration of blastocoele fluid from embryos ≤550 μm is not a pre‐requisite for successful vitrification.
The Summary is available in Spanish – see Supporting Information