bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quality of acute stroke care in a regional Victorian hospital, Australia
Authors: Yang Tze Wei Wilson , Islam Md Rafiqul 
Published: April 2019

AbstractObjectiveThe quality of acute stroke care in a regional Victorian hospital (study hospital) was assessed by comparing with selected standard indicators of Acute Stroke Clinical Care.DesignA retrospective review of records of patients with stroke was performed manually and by reviewing electronic database.SettingThe study was carried out in Goulburn Valley Health, one of the five regional referral and teaching hospitals in Victoria, Australia.ParticipantsPatients with stroke who were discharged from the study hospital between October 2015 and March 2016.Main outcome measuresTimeliness of brain imaging, proportion of patients thrombolysed if arrived within 4.5 hours of stroke and timeliness of thrombolysis.ResultsA total of 66 patients' records was found. Brain imaging was completed for 45%, compared to 25.8% nationally, if arrived to the study hospital within 1 hour of stroke and 100% imaging completed within 24 hours of arrival, compared to 75.6% nationally. When patients arrived to the emergency department within 4.5 hours of stroke, 37.5% (23.6% nationally and 18.6% in similar‐ sized hospitals) of them were thrombolysed, while none was thrombolysed within 60 minutes of arrival. Door‐to‐thrombolysis time was 85 minutes, 7 minutes longer than national standard. Symptoms onset to thrombolysis time was 225 minutes, 55 minutes longer than national standard.ConclusionThe timeliness of brain imaging and thrombolysis was comparable in the study hospital to that of the national standard, while other stroke management indicators still require improvement. Continuing efforts for improvement and revisiting possible areas of delay are warranted.
Comfort with discussions about death, religiosity, and attitudes about end‐of‐life care
Authors: Hong Seokho , Cagle John G. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn end‐of‐life (EOL) care research, death anxiety and religiosity are often overlooked. Terror management theory (TMT) may provide a useful conceptual model with which to examine how comfort discussing death and religiosity influence attitudes related to EOL care. A telephone‐based survey was conducted among community‐dwelling adults in the Unites States. Via random sampling, with over‐sampling of Hispanics/African Americans, 123 completed survey interviews (response rate = 46%) were analyzed. Respondents were more likely to have better attitudes toward EOL care if they were older or white, religiously active, and comfortable with the subject of death. Religiosity and comfort discussing death were correlated with each other and remained significant predictors of attitudes about EOL care even without demographic covariates. Findings suggest that promoting an open dialogue about mortality may improve attitudes about EOL care and utilization of palliative care services. The study also provides evidence about the utility and applicability of TMT for EOL care.
The impairment argument for the immorality of abortion: A reply
Authors: Blackshaw Bruce P. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn his recent article Perry Hendricks presents what he calls the impairment argument to show that abortion is immoral. To do so, he argues that to give a fetus fetal alcohol syndrome is immoral. Because killing the fetus impairs it more than giving it fetal alcohol syndrome, Hendricks concludes that killing the fetus must also be immoral. Here, I claim that killing a fetus does not impair it in the way that giving it fetal alcohol syndrome does. By examining the reason why giving a fetus this condition is wrong, I conclude that the same reasoning, on common pro‐choice accounts, does not apply to killing the fetus. Accordingly, Hendricks's argument does not succeed in showing abortion is immoral.
“You need a phone and camera in your bag before you go out!”: Children’s play with imaginative technologies
Authors: Bird Jo 
Published: April 2019

AbstractEarly childhood settings value play as the way young children learn and educators encourage children’s re‐enactment of cultural practices in the imaginative play spaces provided. From a cultural‐historical perspective, children expect these imaginative play spaces to contain objects from their social contexts, but what happens when technologies are not provided? The aim of this study was to explore children’s imaginative play involving working and imaginative technologies within two kindergartens (the year before formal schooling). Imaginative play spaces are designed to replicate social situations relevant to the cultural context in which they occur and as technologies increase in society, their proliferation is reflected within early childhood settings. Understanding the role that imaginative technologies can play in children’s digital literacy learning is important for the early childhood field. Also, these devices are often absent from literature and overlooked in conversations about children’s digital participation. The findings show how the children engaged with the imaginative technologies and raises questions around the influence of these technologies on children’s imaginative play and their technological understandings. The findings have implications for educators’ understandings of children’s play with technologies and the objects they provide in an era where children’s lives are increasingly immersed in technology.
Milk processing increases the allergenicity of cow’s milk—Preclinical evidence supported by a human proof‐of‐concept provocation pilot
Authors: Abbring Suzanne , Kusche Daniel , Roos Thomas C. , Diks Mara A. P. , Hols Gert , Garssen Johan , Baars Ton , van Esch Betty C. A. M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundSeveral studies demonstrated the adverse effect of milk processing on the allergy‐protective capacity of raw cow's milk. Whether milk processing also affects the allergenicity of raw milk is hardly investigated.ObjectiveTo assess the allergenicity of raw (unprocessed) and processed cow's milk in a murine model for food allergy as well as in cow's milk allergic children.MethodsC3H/HeOuJ mice were either sensitized to whole milk (raw cow's milk, heated raw cow's milk or shop milk [store‐bought milk]) and challenged with cow's milk protein or they were sensitized and challenged to whey proteins (native or heated). Acute allergic symptoms, mast cell degranulation, allergen‐specific IgE levels and cytokine concentrations were determined upon challenge. Cow's milk allergic children were tested in an oral provocation pilot with organic raw and conventional shop milk.ResultsMice sensitized to raw milk showed fewer acute allergic symptoms upon intradermal challenge than mice sensitized to processed milk. The acute allergic skin response was low (103 ± 8.5 µm vs 195 ± 17.7 µm for heated raw milk, P < 0.0001 and vs 149 ± 13.6 µm for shop milk, P = 0.0316), and there were no anaphylactic shock symptoms and no anaphylactic shock‐induced drop in body temperature. Moreover, allergen‐specific IgE levels and Th2 cytokines were significantly lower in raw milk sensitized mice. Interestingly, the reduced sensitizing capacity was preserved in the isolated native whey protein fraction of raw milk. Besides, native whey protein challenge diminished allergic symptoms in mice sensitized to heated whey proteins. In an oral provocation pilot, cow's milk allergic children tolerated raw milk up to 50 mL, whereas they only tolerated 8.6 ± 5.3 mL shop milk (P = 0.0078).Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceThis study demonstrates that raw (unprocessed) cow's milk and native whey proteins have a lower allergenicity than their processed counterparts. The preclinical evidence in combination with the human proof‐of‐concept provocation pilot provides evidence that milk processing negatively influences the allergenicity of milk.
Triple versus dual inhaler therapy in moderate‐to‐severe COPD: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Zayed Yazan , Barbarawi Mahmoud , Kheiri Babikir , Haykal Tarek , Chahine Adam , Rashdan Laith , Hamid Kewan , Sundus Saira , Banifadel Momen , Aburahma Ahmed , Bachuwa Ghassan , Chandran Arul 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIntroductionTreatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is evolving specially with triple inhaler therapy.ObjectivesTo perform a meta‐analysis to ascertain the safety and efficacy of triple inhaler therapy consisting of an inhaled‐glucocorticoid (ICS), long‐acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and long‐acting beta2‐agonist (LABA) when compared with dual therapy (ICS‐LABA or LAMA‐LABA).MethodsWe performed an electronic database search to include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing between triple and dual inhalers. Pooled rate‐ratio (RR) or odds‐ratio (OR) for dichotomous data and weighted mean difference (MD) for continuous data were calculated with their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsOur study included 12 RCTs totaling 19,322 patients, mean age of 65 ± 8.2 years and 68.2% were male. Pooled analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in moderate‐to‐severe COPD exacerbations with triple therapy (RR 0.75; 95% CI 0.69‐0.83; P < 0.01). Additionally, triple therapy caused significant increase in trough FEV1 (MD 0.09 L; 95% CI 0.07‐0.12; P < 0.01), significant reduction in the mean St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score (MD −1.67; 95% CI −2.02‐ −1.31; P < 0.01), and more patients experienced ≥ 4 points reduction of SGRQ score (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.19‐1.35; P < 0.01). Triple therapy was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia when compared to LABA/LAMA (OR 1.25; 95% 1.03‐1.97; P = 0.03) but there were no significant differences in other adverse events between triple and dual inhalers.ConclusionsAmong patients with moderate‐to‐severe COPD, triple inhaler therapy was associated with a reduction of moderate‐to‐severe COPD exacerbations, improved lung function and improved quality of life when compared to dual inhaler therapy but with an increased pneumonia risk.
Renal effects of a sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, tofogliflozin, in relation to sodium intake and glycaemic status
Authors: Nunoi Kiyohide , Sato Yuichi , Kaku Kohei , Yoshida Akihiro , Suganami Hideki 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAimsLittle is known about whether sodium intake is associated with the clinical effects of SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2is); however, SGLT2is may increase urinary sodium excretion. Thus, we investigated the impact of daily sodium intake on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) via an SGLT2i, tofogliflozin (TOFO), in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsIndividual‐level data on 775 T2D patients in TOFO Phase 3 trials were analysed. Adjusted changes in variables during 52 weeks of TOFO therapy were compared according to basal daily salt intake (DSI), which was measured based on estimated daily urinary sodium excretion using the Tanaka formula. Multivariable analysis was used to investigate the impact of basal DSI on changes in eGFR at Weeks 4 and 52.ResultsSixty‐six percent of participants were men; mean age, HbA1c, body mass index, eGFRMDRD and median DSI were 58.5 years, 8.0%, 25.6 kg/m2, 83.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 9.3 g/d, respectively. In all participants, eGFRMDRD sharply dipped during Week 4, and gradually increased by Week 52, showing a significant increase overall from baseline to Week 52. Multivariable analysis showed that basal DSI and HbA1c levels were independently correlated with eGFRMDRD changes at Weeks 4 and 52. Additionally, lower baseline HbA1c and DSI levels were significantly correlated with a greater increase in eGFRMDRD at Week 52.ConclusionsDietary salt intake, in addition to glycaemic control, correlates with changed eGFRMDRD via TOFO. Thus, an appropriate dietary approach to therapy should be considered before treatment of T2D patients with an SGLT2i.
Liraglutide use and evaluation of pancreatic outcomes in a US commercially insured population
Authors: Funch Donnie , Mortimer Kathleen , Ziyadeh Najat J. , Seeger John D. , Li Ling , Norman Heather , Major‐Pedersen Atheline , Bosch‐Traberg Heidrun , Gydesen Helge , Dore David D. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAimsBoth acute pancreatitis (AP) and pancreatic cancer (PC) have been areas of focus for studies of incretin drugs. This 5‐year prospective cohort study aimed to quantify possible associations between liraglutide and risk of AP and PC as compared to other antidiabetic drugs (ADs).Materials and methodsPatients initiating liraglutide or other ADs who were enrolled in a US health plan (2010‐2014) were included. Comparisons of AP and PC incidence rates were made between matched cohorts of liraglutide initiators and initiators of other ADs. Adjudicated AP cases and algorithm‐based PC cases were identified. Propensity score‐matched intention‐to‐treat (ITT) and time‐on‐drug (TOD) analyses were completed using Poisson regression. A latency analysis was performed for PC.ResultsMedian follow‐up was 405 days for AP cohorts (9995 liraglutide, 1:1 matched to all comparators) and 503 days for PC cohorts (35 163 liraglutide, 1:1 matched to all comparators). In the primary AP analysis, “current” use of liraglutide was not significantly associated with elevated risk across comparators (all comparators relative risk [RR] = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6‐2.3). ITT results were similar where, in the primary analysis, no RRs were significantly associated with PC (all comparators RR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.3‐1.4); latency and TOD analyses did not alter findings. There was no evidence of a dose‐response effect.ConclusionsLiraglutide was not associated with an increased risk of AP or PC, although risk estimates were more variable for AP, and numbers of cases for both outcomes were limited because of the rarity of outcomes.
Financial development and economic growth nexus: A rejoinder to Tsionas
Authors: Nyasha Sheilla , Odhiambo Nicholas Mbaya 
Published: April 2019

AbstractTsionas has offered a more revisionist approach to the empirics of the nexus between financial development and economic growth following our paper entitled ‘Financial development and economic growth nexus: A revisionist approach’. In the current note, we engage Tsionas’ approach in tandem with our original finance–growth nexus review. We concur with Tsionas’ approach and reiterate that the debate on the relationship between financial development and economic growth remains a complex terrain both on the theoretical and empirical fronts.
Modeling mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) oviposition
Authors: McManis Anne E. , Powell James A. , Bentz Barbara J. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractMountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), is a significant forest disturbance agent with a widespread distribution in western North America. Population success is influenced by temperatures that drive phenology and ultimately the adult emergence synchrony required to mass attack and kill host trees during outbreaks. In addition to lifestage‐specific developmental rates and thresholds, oviposition timing can be a source of variance in adult emergence synchrony, and is a critical aspect of mountain pine beetle phenology. Adaptation to local climates has resulted in longer generation times in southern compared to northern populations in common gardens, and the role of oviposition rate in these differences is unclear. Oviposition rates and fecundity in a northern population have been described, although data are lacking for southern populations. We assessed southern mountain pine beetle oviposition rates and fecundity in a range of temperatures using a non‐destructive technique that included frequent X‐ray imaging. We found that oviposition rate and fecundity vary independently such that a female with high oviposition rate did not necessarily have high fecundity and vice versa. Observed fecundity within the 30‐day experimental period was lowest at the lowest temperature, although estimated potential fecundity did not differ among temperatures. Females at varying temperatures have the potential to lay similar numbers of eggs, although it will take longer at lower temperatures. Southern mountain pine beetle reared in Pinus strobiformis Engelm. (Pinaceae) had a higher upper threshold for oviposition, a similar lower threshold, and slightly greater potential fecundity compared to a northern population reared in Pinus contorta Douglas. A comparison of modeled oviposition rates between the two populations, which could be influenced by host tree, suggests that differences in oviposition rate do not explain observed differences in total generation time. Our oviposition model will facilitate development of a phenology model for southern mountain pine beetle populations.
Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug‐related psychiatric admissions: A national database study
Authors: Smyth Bobby P. , Daly Antoinette , Elmusharaf Khalifa , McDonald Conor , Clarke Mary , Craig Sarah , Cullen Walter 
Published: April 2019

AimNew psychoactive substance (NPS) use can negatively impact mental health and may result in drug‐related psychiatric admissions (DRPA). Irish youth reported very high rates of NPS use by international standards, the most common being synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones. This occurred in the context of a rapid expansion in specialist high street shops, called head shops, selling NPS in 2010. Government responded to public protests about head shops by enacting legislation in May and August 2010 to end this trade. Many academics argued that such actions were futile. We sought to determine if changes in head shop activity coincided with changes in DRPA.MethodThe national database on psychiatric admissions was examined focusing on young adults admitted from 2008 to 2012. Joinpoint regression analysis was utilized to examine for the presence of trend changes in DRPA.ResultsThe monthly rate of DRPA was higher in 2010 than 2008, 2009 and 2012 (P < 0.01). Joinpoint regression analysis identified a significant downward trend change which occurred in July 2010 (95% CI Feb 2010 to April 2011). Young males aged 18 to 24 years showed evidence of greatest change, DRPA falling by 1.4% per month (95% CI 0.7 to 3.7% decline) from May 2010 to December 2012.ConclusionsCessation of NPS sale by head shops coincided with a reversal in the upward trend of DRPA, this change being most evident in young men. While correlation does not imply causation, legislation which successfully targets the sale of NPS may result in reduced drug‐related mental disorders.
Functional biogeography of dietary strategies in birds
Authors: Barnagaud Jean‐Yves , Mazet Nathan , Munoz François , Grenié Matthias , Denelle Pierre , Sobral Mar , Kissling W. Daniel , Şekercioğlu Çağan H. , Violle Cyrille 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAimDiet is key to understanding resource use by species, their relationships with their environment and biotic interactions. We aimed to identify the major strategies that shape the diet space of birds and to investigate their spatial distributions in association with biogeographical, bioclimatic and anthropogenic drivers.LocationGlobal.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedBirds.MethodsWe analysed score‐based assessments of eight diet categories for 8,937 out of 10,964 extant bird species. We constructed a multivariate diet space by ordinating these data in a principal coordinates analysis and assessed its dimensionality as a balance between the representation of original diet scores and parsimony. We averaged the positions of species along each dimension for 12,705 species assemblages and used quantile regressions to infer the relative contributions of species richness, climate, primary productivity, topography and human footprint to the spatial distribution of the diet space at a global scale.ResultsThe diet space of birds was structured by four dimensions ordinating species along continua ranging from insectivory to plant‐based strategies, granivory to frugivory, common to rare diets, and nectarivory to carnivory and piscivory. Although orthogonal at the species level, these dimensions were correlated among species assemblages, with regional variation consistent with past climatic and tectonic events. Human footprint packed bird assemblages in the diet space, whereas warm climate, high productivity and high topographic variability were associated with high variability in the prevalence of dietary strategies among assemblages.Main conclusionsThe tremendous variability in bird diets can be explained by a few basic ecological continua sustained by morphological and ecophysiological differences among species. Strong biogeographical legacies on top of bioclimatic drivers distribute this diet space in species assemblages through environmental filtering and niche packing. However, these patterns are altered at macroecological scales by human‐mediated functional homogenization, which might, in turn, affect the global distribution of bird functions and services.
Long non‐coding RNA miR143HG predicts good prognosis and inhibits tumor multiplication and metastasis by suppressing mitogen‐activated protein kinase and Wnt signaling pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lin Xiong , Xiaoqin He , Jiayu Chen , Li Fan , Yue Li , Ximing Xu 
Published: April 2019

AimThe expression of microRNA143HG (miR143HG) was significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues by bioinformatics analysis. This study aimed to determine the role of miR143HG in HCC cell proliferation and metastasis.MethodsFifty patients with HCC were divided into two groups based on median miR143HG expression levels. The correlation between miR143HG expression and prognosis, and the correlations between miR143HG expression and the patients’ clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated based on the two groups. Gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function measurements of miR143HG were carried out to verify the biological function of miR143HG by Cell Counting Kit‐8, EdU, Transwell, and western blotting assays and flow cytometric analysis. The underlying mechanism was explored by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction of miRNA (miR‐155‐5p and miR‐26b‐5p), luciferase reporter assay, western blotting of Wnt signaling pathway‐related proteins (β‐catenin, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), ZEB1, and E‐cadherin), mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway‐related proteins (extracellular signal‐regulated kinase [ERK]1/2, p‐ERK1/2, c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), p‐JNK, P38, and p‐P38), and immunofluorescence staining of β‐catenin.ResultsmiR143HG expression was markedly downregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Its expression was associated with the presence or absence of portal vein tumor thrombus, hepatitis B virus infection, relapse and metastasis, and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage. Additionally, miR143HG expression predicted a good prognosis and acted as an independent prognostic factor in HCC for overall survival. Overexpression of miR143HG suppressed HCC cell proliferation and metastasis, and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Consistently, the depletion of miR143HG resulted in the opposite phenomenon of the aforementioned results. miR143HG inhibits miR‐155 expression; miR‐155 directly targets APC, which is a negative regulator of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, so miR143HG can act on the Wnt pathway. miR143HG was further found to reduce the expression of β‐catenin and block the nuclear accumulation of β‐catenin, ultimately inhibiting the activation of the Wnt pathway. It inhibits the expression of Wnt downstream target gene ZEB1, and then E‐cadherin expression is increased and cell motility is inhibited. Furthermore, miR143HG exerts its antiproliferative function by influencing the MAPK signaling pathway and then inducing G2/M arrest in cells.ConclusionThis study showed that miR143HG plays critical roles in the development and progression of HCC by suppressing the MAPK and Wnt signaling pathways.