bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of pathological upstaging or upgrading on metastasis and cancer‐specific mortality in men with clinical low‐risk prostate cancer
Authors: Kovac Evan , Vertosick Emily A. , Sjoberg Daniel D. , Vickers Andrew J. , Stephenson Andrew J. 
Published: May 2018

ObjectivesTo determine if the presence of adverse pathological features in patients eligible for active surveillance (AS) are prognostic of poor oncological outcomes, independent of pretreatment risk.Patients and MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) at two institutions (Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) between 1987 and 2008, and who had subsequent follow‐up. Rates of biochemical recurrence, metastasis and death from prostate cancer were compared amongst patients with adverse pathological features (Gleason score ≥7, ≥pT3, or lymph node invasion) based on D'Amico clinical risk (low vs intermediate/high). We also compared survival outcomes between patients with and without pathological upgrading/upstaging amongst D'Amico low‐risk patients. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression models were used to assess the association between clinical risk, pathological reclassification, and oncological outcomes.ResultsWe identified 16 341 patients who underwent RP, of whom 6 371 were clinically low‐risk. Adverse outcomes in men with adverse pathological features were significantly lower in those with low clinical risk, with an ~50% and ~70% reduction in the risk of metastasis and death, respectively. Only pathological upgrading/upstaging to Gleason score ≥8, seminal vesicle invasion, and lymph node invasion from clinical low‐risk disease, were associated with adverse outcomes. However, these types of reclassification were rare.ConclusionClinical low‐risk patients with pathological upgrading/upstaging have substantially lower rates of important oncological outcomes compared to those with higher pretreatment risk and not substantially different than low‐risk patients without pathological upgrading/upstaging. These results call into question the use of this endpoint to counsel patients about the merits and risks of AS.
Ocular surface status in glaucoma and ocular hypertension patients with existing corneal disorders switched from latanoprost 0.005% to tafluprost 0.0015%: comparison of two prostaglandin analogues with different concentrations of benzalkonium chloride
Authors: Wong Tina T , Aung Tin , Ho Ching Lin 
Published: May 2018

AbstractImportanceGlaucoma treatment has often been associated with adverse side‐effects from preservatives that are included in the used eye drops.BackgroundTo evaluate changes in the ocular surface and the presence of prostaglandin‐induced corneal disorders after being switched from latanoprost 0.005% to low preservative tafluprost 0.0015% ophthalmic solution.DesignSingle centre, prospective study.ParticipantsPatients with primary open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that had received treatment with once daily latanoprost 0.005% ophthalmic solution for control of intraocular pressure (IOP) for 3 months, with a score of above 1 on the National Eye Institute (NEI) ocular surface staining scale.MethodsFollowing the ≥3 month latanoprost treatment period, patients were switched to once daily low preservative tafluprost 0.0015% ophthalmic solution. Patients were followed for a minimum of 3 months.Main Outcome MeasuresOcular surface changes were assessed by fluorescein staining score (NEI scale). Additional evaluations included tear break‐up time, hyperaemia score, subjective symptoms, changes in intraocular pressure and presence of adverse reactions.ResultsOut of 59 patients enrolled, 51 were included in the final analysis. Fluorescein staining scores at baseline, prior to treatment switch, were 6.9 ± 3.1 and 3.3 ± 2.7 at the end of the study period (change in scores was −3.6 ± 2.2 [P < 0.001]). At last follow‐up, significant improvements were observed in tear break‐up time, hyperaemia score and subjective symptoms (all P < 0.05).Conclusions and RelevanceThe clinical signs of ocular surface disease and subjective symptoms of dry eyes improved following the switch to low preservative tafluprost and demonstrated comparable IOP lowering effectiveness.
Association between a common missense variant in LOXL3 gene and the risk of non‐syndromic cleft palate
Authors: Khan Mohammad Faisal J. , Little Julian , Mossey Peter A. , Steegers‐Theunissen Régine P.M. , Bonsi Martina , Bassi Andreasi Rita , Rubini Michele 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTTo investigate possible association between functional common variants in the lysyl oxidase like 3 gene and non‐syndromic cleft palate we selected a common missense variant p.Ile615Phe (rs17010021), which was predicted to have a probably damaging effect on the lysyl oxidase like 3 enzyme. We genotyped 258 non‐syndromic cleft palate case‐parent triads of European origin and tested genetic association using the transmission disequilibrium test and log‐linear regression analyses of genotypic relative risks and of parent‐of‐origin effects. The observed genotype frequency in parents was in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Compared with wild‐type Ile/Ile homozygotes, the relative risks for Phe/Phe homozygote infants was 6.87 (P value 3.0 × 10−3), while that for Ile/Phe heterozygotes was not significant. Assuming an autosomal recessive model, the relative risks for Phe/Phe genotype resulted 10.54 (P value 2.9 × 10−5), with a 3.6% population attributable risk. No parent‐of‐origin effect was observed. The identification in lysyl oxidase like 3 of a missense variant which under a recessive model associates with 10‐fold increased risk of non‐syndromic cleft palate supports the hypothesis that the genetic etiology of this congenital anomaly includes relatively uncommon recessive variants with moderate penetrance and located in genes which are also involved in syndromes that include cleft palate as part of the phenotype. Our findings require functional validation and replication in a larger independent genetic association study.
Effects of loss of lateral hydrological connectivity on fish functional diversity
Authors: Liu Xueqin , Wang Hongzhu 
Published: May 2018

AbstractLoss of lateral hydrological connectivity (LHC) is a major cause of biodiversity decline in river floodplains, yet little is known about its effects on aquatic functional diversity in these ecosystems. We quantified functional alpha and beta diversity of fish assemblages in Yangtze River floodplain lakes and explored their responses to loss of LHC with generalized linear mixed models. Functional richness was much lower in lakes that were not connected to the Yangtze River (i.e., disconnected lakes), where functional evenness and divergence were higher. LHC was the most important factor shaping fish diversity patterns in this region. Predicted reductions in functional richness and taxonomic richness due to LHC loss were higher for functional richness (0.47–0.82) than taxonomic richness (0.32) for all species assemblages except nonmigratory species. The distribution of functional strategies of migratory and nonmigratory fishes was highly uneven throughout the floodplain. Taxonomic beta diversity was much higher than functional beta diversity. The former was due mainly to spatial turnover (73.6–83.8%), which suggested that dissimilarity of diversity among fish assemblages was largely induced by species replacement. The latter was induced by the nestedness‐resultant component of overall beta diversity (70.7–86.0%), which indicated a high degree of function loss without replacement. Both taxonomic and functional beta diversity were higher in disconnected lakes, where they were significantly correlated with fishing activity and water quality, than in river‐connected lakes. We showed for the first time the effects of loss of LHC on fish functional diversity in large river floodplains. We found a serious decline of fish functional richness in the Yangtze floodplain, and functional diversity remained highly vulnerable to loss of LHC even though this is a species‐rich ecosystem.
Crowdfunding biodiversity conservation
Authors: Gallo‐Cajiao Eduardo , Archibald Carla , Friedman Rachel , Steven Rochelle , Fuller Richard A. , Game Edward T. , Morrison Tiffany H. , Ritchie Euan G. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRaising funds is critical for conserving biodiversity and hence so is scrutinizing emerging financial mechanisms that may help achieve this goal. Anecdotal evidence indicates crowdfunding is being used to support activities needed for biodiversity conservation, yet its magnitude and allocation remain largely unknown. To help address this knowledge gap, we conducted a global analysis based on conservation‐focused projects extracted from crowdfunding platforms. For each project, we determined the funds raised, date, country of implementation, proponent characteristics, activity type, biodiversity realm, and target taxa. We identified 72 relevant platforms and 577 conservation‐focused projects that raised $4,790,634 since 2009. Although proponents were based in 38 countries, projects were delivered across 80 countries, indicating a potential mechanism of resource mobilization. Proponents were affiliated with nongovernmental organizations (35%) or universities (30%) or were freelancers (26%). Most projects were for research (40%), persuasion (31%), and on‐the‐ground actions (21%). Projects were more focused on species (57.7%) and terrestrial ecosystems (20.3%), and less focused on marine (8.8%) and freshwater ecosystems (3.6%). Projects focused on 208 species, including a disproportionate number of threatened birds and mammals. Crowdfunding for biodiversity conservation is a global phenomenon and there is potential for expansion, despite possible pitfalls (e.g., uncertainty about effectiveness). Opportunities to advance conservation through crowdfunding arise from its capacity to mobilize funds spatially and increase steadily over time, inclusion of overlooked species, adoption by multiple actors, and funding of activities beyond research. Our findings pave the way for further research on key questions, such as campaign success rates, effectiveness of conservation actions, and drivers of crowdfunding adoption. Even though crowdfunding capital raised has been modest relative to other conservation‐finance mechanisms, its contribution goes beyond funding research and providing capital. Embraced with due care, crowdfunding could become an important financial mechanism for biodiversity conservation.
Found in Translation: Late Bilinguals Do Automatically Activate Their Native Language When They Are Not Using It
Authors: Oppenheim Gary , Wu Yan Jing , Thierry Guillaume 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn their paper “Do Bilinguals Automatically Activate Their Native Language When They Are Not Using it?”, Costa, Pannunzi, Deco, and Pickering (Cognitive Science, 2017) proposed a reinterpretation of Thierry and Wu's (2004, 2007) finding of native language‐based (Chinese, L1) ERP effects when they tested Chinese–English late bilinguals exclusively in their second language (English, L2). Using simulations in a six‐node Hebbian learning model (three L1 nodes, three L2 nodes), Costa et al. suggested that form overlaps in L1 between otherwise unrelated words create a persistent relationship between their L2 translations. In this scenario, words in the nascent L2 lexicon overlapping in their L1 translations would become linked during learning because of the form overlap in L1; once the L2 words are learned, the direct link between them would be sufficient to generate robust, apparently “L1‐mediated” priming without requiring any activation of L1 translations. Costa et al. contend that links between L2 words remain beyond the learning phase, even after links to L1 representations have been severed, and thus that their model affords an alternative account to (but not a rebuttal of) Thierry and Wu's claim of language non‐selective activation—or automatic activation of translation equivalents—in late bilinguals. In this response, we build on Costa et al.'s original simulation code, showing that it can only reproduce L1‐independent priming when implementing the L1 disconnection in their particular way. By contrast, when severing inter‐language connections bidirectionally, their model fails to retain any sizeable influence of L1 form overlap on L2 activations. The model is not the theory, however, and we discuss several issues that would need to be addressed in further attempts to model language non‐selective activation in late bilinguals.
Pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A and mortality in haemodialysis
Authors: Nilsson Erik , Rudholm Tobias , Stenvinkel Peter , Ärnlöv Johan 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundElevated pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A (PAPP‐A) levels are associated with increased risk of death in ischaemic heart disease as well as in haemodialysis patients. Previous research indicates that the prognostic value of PAPP‐A may be stronger in patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus or signs of inflammation. We studied the association between PAPP‐A and outcomes in prevalent haemodialysis patients and hypothesized that diabetes mellitus and inflammation status act as effect modifiers.Materials and MethodsCirculating PAPP‐A levels were quantified using ELISA. Cox proportional hazards and quantile regression models were used for associations between PAPP‐A and mortality. PAPP‐A levels were log‐transformed for Normality.ResultsDuring 60‐month follow‐up, 37 (40%) of the 92 participants died. Higher PAPP‐A was associated with increased risk of mortality in unadjusted analysis (HR per SD = 1.4, 95% CI = 1‐1.9, P = .03) and when adjusted for confounders and cardiovascular risk factors (HR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.18‐2.73, P = .006). An interaction between PAPP‐A levels and diabetes mellitus on mortality was found (HR for the multiplicative interaction term = 2.74 95% CI = 1.02‐7.37, P = .05). In a quantile regression adjusted for age and sex, one SD increase in PAPP‐A was associated with 22 months shorter estimated time until 25% of the patients died (95% CI −35 to −9.1 months).ConclusionsIncreased PAPP‐A levels are associated with higher all‐cause mortality in prevalent haemodialysis patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus.
Basolateral amygdala, nicotinic cholinergic receptors, and nicotine: Pharmacological effects and addiction in animal models and humans
Authors: Sharp Burt M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe amygdala is involved in processing incoming information about rewarding stimuli and emotions that denote danger such as anxiety and fear. Bi‐directional neural connections between basolateral amygdala (BLA) and brain regions such as nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and hindbrain regions regulate motivation, cognition, and responses to stress. Altered local regulation ofBLAexcitability is pivotal to the behavioral disturbances characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder, and relapse to drug use induced by stress. Herein, we review the physiological regulation ofBLAby cholinergic inputs, emphasizing the role ofBLAnicotinic receptors. We reviewBLA‐dependent effects of nicotine on cognition, motivated behaviors, and emotional states, including memory, taking and seeking drugs, and anxiety and fear in humans and animal models. The alterations inBLAactivity observed in animal studies inform human behavioral and brain imaging research by enabling a more exact understanding of alteredBLAfunction. Converging evidence indicates that cholinergic signaling from basal forebrain projections to local nicotinic receptors is an important physiological regulator ofBLAand that nicotine altersBLAfunction. In essence,BLAis necessary for behavioral responses to stimuli that evoke anxiety and fear; reinstatement of cue‐induced drug seeking; responding to second‐order cues conditioned to abused drugs; reacquisition of amplified nicotine self‐administration due to chronic stress during abstinence; and to promote responding for natural reward.
Timing of repetition suppression of event‐related potentials to unattended objects
Authors: Stefanics Gabor , Heinzle Jakob , Czigler István , Valentini Elia , Stephan Klaas E. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractCurrent theories of object perception emphasize the automatic nature of perceptual inference. Repetition suppression (RS), the successive decrease of brain responses to repeated stimuli, is thought to reflect the optimization of perceptual inference through neural plasticity. While functional imaging studies revealed brain regions that show suppressed responses to the repeated presentation of an object, little is known about the intra‐trial time course of repetition effects to everyday objects. Here, we used event‐related potentials (ERPs) to task‐irrelevant line‐drawn objects, while participants engaged in a distractor task. We quantified changes in ERPs over repetitions using three general linear models that modeled RS by an exponential, linear, or categorical “change detection” function in each subject. Our aim was to select the model with highest evidence and determine the within‐trial time‐course and scalp distribution of repetition effects using that model. Model comparison revealed the superiority of the exponential model indicating that repetition effects are observable for trials beyond the first repetition. Model parameter estimates revealed a sequence of RS effects in three time windows (86–140, 322–360, and 400–446 ms) and with occipital, temporoparietal, and frontotemporal distribution, respectively. An interval of repetition enhancement (RE) was also observed (320–340 ms) over occipitotemporal sensors. Our results show that automatic processing of task‐irrelevant objects involves multiple intervals of RS with distinct scalp topographies. These sequential intervals of RS and RE might reflect the short‐term plasticity required for optimization of perceptual inference and the associated changes in prediction errors and predictions, respectively, over stimulus repetitions during automatic object processing.
Transcending data gaps: a framework to reduce inferential errors in ecological analyses
Authors: Kim Sun W. , Blomberg Simon P. , Pandolfi John M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe analysis of functional diversity (FD) has gained increasing importance due to its generality and utility in ecology. In particular, patterns in the spatial distribution and temporal change of FD are being used to predict locations and functional groups that are immediately vulnerable to global changes. A major impediment to the accurate measurement of FD is the pervasiveness of missing data in trait datasets. While such prevalent data gaps can engender misleading inferences in FD analyses, we currently lack any practical guide to handle missing data in trait datasets. Here, we identify significant mismatches between true FD and values derived from datasets that contain missing data. We demonstrate that imputing missing data with a phylogeny‐informed approach reduces the risk of misinterpretation of FD patterns, and provides baseline information against which central questions in ecology can be evaluated.
Reliability and main findings of the flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing‐Tensilon test in patients with myasthenia gravis and dysphagia
Authors: Im S. , Suntrup‐Krueger S. , Colbow S. , Sauer S. , Claus I. , Meuth S. G. , Dziewas R. , Warnecke T. 
Published: May 2018

Background and purposeDiagnosis of pharyngeal dysphagia caused by myasthenia gravis (MG) based on clinical examination alone is often challenging. Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) combined with Tensilon (edrophonium) application, referred to as the FEES‐Tensilon test, was developed to improve diagnostic accuracy and to detect the main symptoms of pharyngeal dysphagia in MG. Here we investigated inter‐ and intra‐rater reliability of the FEES‐Tensilon test and analyzed the main endoscopic findings.MethodsFour experienced raters reviewed a total of 20 FEES‐Tensilon test videos in randomized order. Residue severity was graded at four different pharyngeal spaces before and after Tensilon administration. All interpretations were performed twice per rater, 4 weeks apart (a total of 160 scorings). Intra‐rater test–retest reliability and inter‐rater reliability levels were calculated.ResultsThe most frequent FEES findings in patients with MG before Tensilon application were prominent residues of semi‐solids spread all over the hypopharynx in varying locations. The reliability level of the interpretation of the FEES‐Tensilon test was excellent regardless of the rater's profession or years of experience with FEES. All four raters showed high inter‐ and intra‐reliability levels in interpreting the FEES‐Tensilon test based on residue clearance (kappa = 0.922, 0.981). The degree of residue normalization in the vallecular space after Tensilon application showed the highest inter‐ and intra‐rater reliability level (kappa = 0.863, 0.957) followed by the epiglottis (kappa = 0.813, 0.946) and pyriform sinuses (kappa = 0.836, 0.929).ConclusionInterpretation of the FEES‐Tensilon test based on residue severity and degree of Tensilon clearance, especially in the vallecular space, is consistent and reliable.
Validation of a short cognitive battery to screen for fitness‐to‐drive of people with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Akinwuntan A. E. , Backus D. , Grayson J. , Devos H. 
Published: May 2018

Background and purposeSome symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) affect driving. In a recent study, performance on five cognitive tests predicted the on‐road test performance of individuals with relapsing‐remitting MS with 91% accuracy, 70% sensitivity and 97% specificity. However, the accuracy with which the battery will predict the driving performance of a different cohort that includes all types of MS is unknown.MethodsParticipants (n = 118; 48 ± 9 years of age; 97 females) performed a comprehensive off‐road evaluation that lasted about 3 h and a standardized on‐road test that lasted approximately 45 min over a 2‐day period within the same week. Performance on the five cognitive tests was used to predict participants’ performance on the standardized on‐road test.ResultsPerformance on the five tests together predicted outcome of the on‐road test with 82% accuracy, 42% sensitivity and 90% specificity.ConclusionsThe accuracy of predicting the on‐road performance of a new MS cohort using performance on the battery of five cognitive tests remained very high (82%). The battery, which was administrable in <45 min and cost ~$150, was better at identifying those who actually passed the on‐road test (90% specificity). The sensitivity (42%) of the battery indicated that it should not be used as the sole determinant of poor driving‐related cognitive skills. A fail performance on the battery should only imply that more comprehensive testing is warranted.